The Distant Dead by Lesley Thomson (books for students to read TXT) 📕

she pointed at a leather case open on the mantelpiece.

‘That’s quite dreadful,’ Lucie said. ‘We must call the police.’

‘I’m not wasting their time over a knife.’ Felicity blew her nose on a tissue. ‘I’d rather put this whole thing behind me. I need a lie down.’

‘What concerns me is, taking two murders out of the equation, this is the second attack in Tewkesbury within a week.’ Lucie settled on the sofa beside Felicity. ‘There are many expensive objects in this lovely room which the robbers passed over. That Alexa is surely a gold watch to a magpie, yet they stole a knife.’

‘I said, they were interrupted when Stella arrived.’

‘The door was open,’ Stella said.

‘They could still be here.’ Lucie shot out into the hall and, sighing, Felicity got to her feet. They trailed after Lucie.

Darting into corners, slamming doors flat against walls, peering under beds, after checking each room Lucie yelled, ‘Clear.’ Finally, returning to the hall, ‘OK, Prof, you may rest easy in your bed.’

‘I always do.’ Felicity wandered back to her sofa. For all she sounded annoyed, Stella guessed that Felicity was grateful for Lucie’s trouble.

‘However, and she’s going to kick off, I’m taking Stella home.’ Lucie put out an arm. ‘It’s too soon after Stella’s own bang on the head to be wearing Marigolds.’

For the first time in as long as Stella could recall, she felt relieved not to clean. Confirming Felicity was all right to be left, they all trooped out.

‘Why are you doing the King’s 1940 service?’ Stella had read up on the year which was Maple Greenhill’s last. She felt a connection to the dead woman and the time she had lived in.

‘Christmas in the Blitz, barbed wire mingled with mistletoe, guns with tinsel, when Christians demonstrated fortitude amidst suffering. Great Britain refused to deprive the nation’s children of the one day in the year which brought them joy. Nothing could cancel Christmas. It’s a message to those who bring evil to this town that we shall overcome. ’

‘I thought Christmas was in God’s hands.’ Lucie did a pious face. ‘Are you OK, Joy? Rather a shock for you, too, finding Felicity apparently dead like that,’ she said.

‘Perfectly, thank you. It wasn’t me she attacked.’ Joy flapped the service sheets, ‘Botheration, I forgot to leave these. I should go back.’

‘Who didn’t attack you?’ Lucie loomed in front of Joy.

‘Whoever hit the doctor with her iron. Obviously.’ Joy scowled as droplets of rain began to fall. ‘I’m not going back now. Felicity will have to fumble her way through like she always does.’

‘What makes you think Felicity was hit by a woman?’ Lucie was a dog with a bone.

‘He then.’ Joy was properly cross. ‘I’ve said before, girls are worse than boys.’

‘Do you think it could have been Mrs Wren? What with her history of violence?’ Lucie said.

‘I don’t think anything.’ Joy looked annoyed.

‘I was thinking, if it was Mrs Wren, she is now armed with a knife,’ Lucie continued in a merry voice.

‘I can’t stand here gossiping, I’ll be soaked.’ Seemingly heedless of the water forming a shallow lake, Joy plashed up the yew path to the north door of the abbey.

‘There’s a liar if ever I heard one,’ Lucie said when, the rain now heavy, they had fled to the tearoom and ordered coffee and doughnuts.

‘Joy?’ Stella bit into her doughnut then baulked at the red jam. Everything was blood.

‘Felicitations the knife,’ Lucie said. ‘She was lying her head off saying that, after nearly being dashed away with a smoothing iron, muggers purloined her cartilage knife.’

‘It does sound far-fetched.’ Picturing Felicity crumpled on the floor, Stella believed she had been attacked. ‘When I found her, she was barely conscious.’

‘She was bashed, she has a bruise smack bang on her temple to prove it. Something doesn’t fit, what is it?’ Not a question, Lucie knew the answer and suddenly so did Stella.

‘She was facing her attacker.’ Stella scalded her mouth on hot coffee. ‘She knew who hit her.’

‘Because her attacker was there, listening to her every word.’ Lucie was triumphant.

‘That’s why Joy said the attacker was “she”. It was her. Could Joy be blackmailing Felicity too?’

‘What about you and I trotting along to their rehearsal tonight?’ Lucie had jam on her cheek.

‘There will be floods, no one will go and really, nor should we.’ Stella leaned over and wiped the jam off with a corner of her napkin.

‘A little water won’t put off us, we’re Angels of the Thames.’ Lucie hugged herself.

‘You can’t swim.’

‘Wartime spirit, Stella. It’s all arranged.’ Lucie beamed. ‘Beverly will finish in the gift shop and save us seats. We must support your Death Café chums.’

‘How come you knew Joy attacked Felicity?’

‘I didn’t.’

‘Why did you go to Felicity’s?’ Stella knew Lucie’s concern for her had been a ploy to get into Cloisters House; any concern was ever for the story.

‘Like I said, to check on you, Ducky-Doo. If you won’t take care of yourself, I have to do it for you.’

Chapter Fifty-One

2019

Jack

‘By the way, when we get there, you’re my partner, we met on Tinder.’

‘Andrea, I get you’re angry that March wanted Stella, but it wasn’t Stella’s doing.’ Jack slapped the steering wheel. ‘Stella doesn’t do petty so she doesn’t get it when people try it on her. And, she’s too certain of me to be jealous. You and I could go to the moon, she’d just wish us a good journey.’ Jack felt brilliant. I love you.

‘You think that’s what this is about?’ Andrea was slumped against the van door. ‘Typical bloke, it’s not all about you. You and your merry band have missed the point. If you want to get past first base, you need to do what I say. If my dad thinks you are anything like Roddy you will be out on your ear. If Dad thinks you’re there for me and not to solve a murder, he’ll be halfway polite.’

‘I am not pretending to be your partner.’ Even pretending was betraying Stella.

‘Your choice