A Body in Seaview Grange by Dee MacDonald (red queen free ebook .TXT) 📕

food, don’t you think? And it’s now common knowledge that someone previously tried to annihilate Edina Martinelli by stretching the vacuum cleaner flex across the top of the stairs. So, who’s most likely to be using a vacuum cleaner? Cornelius Crow? The ancient twins? The overweight Pratts? The old girl who was away at the time of the murder? All unlikely, Kate, don’t you agree? And the only outside visitor she appears to have had in the last few weeks is the stepson.’

‘I had a look at Courtney’s garage when I was in Exeter,’ Kate admitted. ‘I made out I was looking for another car and guess who came out of the office? None other than David Courtney himself. He remembered me and made some remark about how the police were “sniffing around”, as he put it, but it wasn’t him who’d killed her, he said. Even more interesting, he said he was planning to change premises and go upmarket and start selling classic cars. He’s obviously confident he’s going to be getting some money.’

‘OK, super-sleuth! So the stepson’s no longer short of cash. He’s most likely the chief suspect at the moment. But that incident with the vacuum cleaner flex still points at the Starkeys, as far as I’m concerned. The wife in particular, who probably doesn’t want to admit to leaving the vacuum cleaner plugged in.’ He took Kate’s hand. ‘But I shouldn’t be encouraging you! Please remember what happened last time, Kate, and stay well out of it.’

‘But I don’t believe Sharon had anything to do with this. She’s a nice woman, a caring person.’

‘She could still be a killer. You’re far too trusting, Kate.’

‘But I’m usually right about who didn’t do it!’ Kate thought for a moment. ‘I remember Stan Starkey mentioning his wife’s asthma, so I’ll find an excuse to be “just passing” and I can offer my professional services.’

Woody sighed. ‘OK, but just be careful. People are not always what they seem.’

Seventeen

In fact, she didn’t need an excuse. The garden mower had given up the ghost and Kate had heard that Stan Starkey was a dab hand at mending most mowers. She decided to take Barney on his daily walk up via the steep path from behind their cottage, which she normally avoided because of the hundred steps that had to be climbed to get to the top. There was then another twenty minutes of steep walking before she reached the flatter ground, with the views to Trevose Head. It was breathtaking in more ways than one. And there, on the crest of the cliff, was Seaview Grange.

There was no one around as she passed by the first time, but both Kate and Barney enjoyed the change of scenery, the moorland views and the opportunity to see the back of Seaview Grange, which had been built in a T-shape, with a wing extending out in the middle at the rear. Kate worked out that this wing housed Flats 2 and 5, the Potter sisters downstairs and Cornelius Crow upstairs. Taking care not to step into any camouflaged rabbit holes, of which she’d been warned there were many, Kate descended from the edge of the moorland to the path that led back to the road and skirted past the Grange.

And her luck was in; from behind she could see Stan Starkey working on the engine of a car at the side of the house. Hoping he’d stay there until she and Barney could stroll nonchalantly past at the front, Kate increased her pace, an ecstatic Barney running and barking alongside. Then, regaining her composure in time to stroll past Seaview Grange, Kate was relieved to see Stan still fiddling with the engine of what looked like an old Ford Capri. She coughed discreetly, hoping he’d look round, which he did.

‘Nice day!’ she called. Would he recognise her?

He shielded his eyes with his hand. ‘Ah!’ he said. ‘The nurse with the springer spaniel!’

‘That’s me,’ Kate confirmed.

He wiped his hands on an oily rag and walked towards the front wall. ‘What brings you up here?’

‘I hear you mend lawnmowers? Mine’s playing up a bit and I wondered if you could take a look at it.’

‘If you bring it up I can give a look it over.’

‘That would be great,’ Kate said.

‘You look a bit puffed,’ he said, ‘you must be ready for a cup of tea. Sharon normally brews up at this time.’

‘That’s very kind but I hate to bother you…’

‘No bother!’ he said cheerfully. ‘Maybe you could have a chat to Sharon about her asthma? I keep nagging her to go to the surgery because it seems to have got worse lately, but she won’t go.’

‘I’d be glad to,’ Kate said as she walked up the drive with Stan leading the way.

‘We’re round the back in what used to be the old stables,’ Stan explained.

Kate was impressed with the old one-storey grey stone building which appeared to have been sympathetically converted, alongside which was a prolific vegetable plot.

‘When I ain’t mowin’ and weedin’ I’m lookin’ after them vegetables,’ Stan informed her as he pushed open the white-painted wooden door, which led directly into the kitchen. ‘Look who I found, Sharon!’ he yelled.

Sharon, standing ironing in the long low-beamed kitchen, said, ‘You must be mind-readers, I was just fancyin’ a cup of tea.’

The bull terrier, who’d been dozing in his basket in a corner, growled at the sight of Barney. He gave a half-hearted bark and then must have decided Barney presented no real threat, and closed his eyes again. Barney, unconvinced, cowered against Kate’s legs.

Sharon, peering at Kate through the blonde curls which had fallen over her forehead, said, ‘Oh, hello, what are you doin’ up here? I nearly came down to you lot to get some of them sedative pills or somethin’ cos I ain’t sleepin’ well with all this kerfuffle goin’ on about Edina been poisoned and that.’

‘Very understandable,’ Kate muttered.

‘Anyway, now you’re here I’ll put the kettle on.’

With that she filled up