Читать книгу Exham-on-Sea Murder Mysteries 4-6 - Frances Evesham - Страница 24

With so many events crowding into the past few days, Libby had done nothing about Mrs Marchant’s missing cat. To put matters right next morning, she set off early to distribute posters. She had plenty of time before lunch with the Dean.

She walked the streets of Wells, fixing photographs of the missing cat to lamp posts. She called into almost every shop near the town centre as they opened, begging the owners to display posters. ‘Have you seen this cat?’ the text read, alongside a cute photo of Mrs Marchant’s missing Mildred. When Libby told the sad story of the anonymous elderly lady who rescued cats, most shopkeepers agreed to help.

The proprietor of one antique shop seemed inclined to talk. Her store was stacked high with brass instruments and fishing tackle, but empty of customers. ‘I think I know who you mean. Mrs Marchant, isn’t it? I feel sorry for the woman. She looks lonely and I sometimes offer her a cup of tea.’ She grew confidential. ‘She's gone downhill, you know. I met her at the school gates when our children were young. She was beautifully dressed and, well, to be honest, too posh to talk much to the likes of me. I don't know what happened in her life. How the mighty are fallen.’

The woman leaned on the counter while Libby, keen to keep the conversation going, admired a telescope. ‘Mrs Marchant has a son, I believe, but he doesn't live round here.’ Libby shuddered at the price on the telescope’s ticket and moved on to a blue glass fishing float.

The store keeper continued, ‘They quarrelled a few years ago. Her son lives a few miles away, I think, but I don’t know the address.’

Libby visited more shops, and although almost everyone was sympathetic, and several recognised her description of Mrs Marchant, none had seen the cat.

At last, feet aching, she taped the final photograph to a lamp post near the marketplace. It had all taken far longer than she’d expected, she was freezing cold, it was starting to rain, the cold drizzle sliding inside Libby’s collar, and she was beginning to doubt the efficacy of this approach to finding Mildred.

‘Excuse me.’

Libby turned. ‘Can I help you?’

A woman in a bulky purple anorak pointed to the photograph. ‘That’s my cat.’

Libby frowned. ‘Are you sure? Her name’s Mildred. She belongs to an elderly lady and she went missing a few days ago, not far from here.’

‘No. It's Jesse. She went out weeks ago and we haven't seen her since. We’ve been scouring the streets. My daughter was desperate, but then, Jesse arrived home the other day, all by herself.’

Libby swallowed. ‘How can you tell it’s Jesse?’ This was all she needed – a squabble over a cat.

The woman pointed at the poster. ‘You see that white mark on her nose?’ Libby peered. The mark was just visible. ‘That’s Jesse, all right. I can show you a photo.’ She pulled out a mobile phone and thrust it at Libby.

It was true. Mildred was, in fact, Jesse. Libby apologised. ‘I think your cat’s been rescued by mistake.’

The woman’s face remained stony. ‘Then your old lady should be ashamed of herself. It’s a disgrace, that's what it is. You tell me where she lives. I’ll go and give her a piece of my mind.’

Libby blessed the foresight that had led her to put her own contact details on the poster. A confrontation between this woman and Mrs Marchant could only end in trouble. ‘I’m afraid I can't give you that information.’ She spoke cheerfully, hoping to placate the angry cat owner, ‘It was a genuine mistake.’ She hoped she was right. ‘Your cat’s been well looked after. Mrs – er – the lady who rescued Jesse was convinced she was a stray.’

The anorak woman put her phone back in her pocket, mollified. ‘Well, I suppose it's confusing when cats arrive on your doorstep. I expect Jesse went looking for food. She’s always been greedy. She’s sometimes broken into my neighbours’ houses.’

She walked away, still talking and Libby wiped her wet face. The rain pelted down, harder than ever. I suppose I'll have to collect all the posters and confront Mrs Marchant.

Half an hour later, arms full of soggy posters, she returned to the car. She’d never imagined private investigation would be so hard on the legs.

Mrs Marchant threw the door open. ‘Have you got good news?’

‘Well, yes and no.’ Libby explained that Mildred was in fact Jesse, owned by a different family. She coughed, broaching a difficult subject. ‘Perhaps you should take your strays to the vet. She could read their microchips. You know, the cat’s details, hidden under the skin.’

Mrs Marchant looked doubtful. ‘Oh dear, I suppose I should.’

Libby bit her lip, telling herself to walk away. She’d finished the job, and this was none of her business. Before she could move, she heard herself say, ‘How often do you go out looking for stray cats?’

‘Oh, most evenings. There’s nothing else to do now my television’s broken.’

The poor woman was lonely. ‘Do you know many of your neighbours? I was here the other day and I spoke to Ruby, who lives across the road. She’s very friendly and I’m sure she’d love to meet up for tea or coffee.’

She’d made a mistake. Mrs Marchant snorted. ‘Ruby Harris? She’s no better than she should be, that one. Thinks herself so perfect. Well, she wasn’t so high and mighty when she had that son of hers.’ Mrs Marchant dropped her magnificent voice to a feline hiss as she repeated, ‘No better than she should be.’ Libby hid a smile. She’d heard that expression years ago, about an unmarried woman with a child.

‘Oh, yes.’ Mrs Marchant was getting into her stride. ‘Shacked up with a man from the railway, she was. He ran off with a foreign dancer and left the country. I’ll give her credit; Ruby made a good job of bringing up her son alone. Then she met her husband. Weak as water, Walter Harris, taking on another man’s child.’

She sniffed. ‘Of course, she wants me visiting her. She asked at Christmas, you know. Wanting to show off that enormous television, I suppose.’

Libby abandoned the subject of neighbours. ‘Talking of television,’ she ventured. ‘Maybe your Terence could buy a new one.’

Mrs Marchant emitted a noise somewhere between a cough and a grunt. ‘Not he.’

Libby wasn’t giving up, yet, although it was hard to help this awkward old lady. She had an idea. ‘The Cats Protection League. They collect strays. Why not get in touch with them? They’d help you check the microchips and you wouldn’t have to pay.’ Perhaps the League would find better homes for some of those cats.

She’d at last hit on something of which Mrs Marchant approved. ‘I can't bear to think of those poor homeless animals. Someone must save them, but I sometimes wish I had help. It’s cold and dark in the winter. A few nights ago, I had the fright of my life. I was on the green by the cathedral, heading for Vicar’s Close. I like walking down there. Sometimes, you hear children from the school practising their music, you know.’

Libby often walked Bear along the medieval cobbles of the Close. She understood its attraction. Mrs Marchant talked on. ‘A man and a woman were whispering. When I came near, they hid under the archway. I thought they might jump out and rob me so I hurried past as fast as I could.’ She tutted, loudly. ‘All these people begging, that’s the trouble these days.’

‘What night was that?’

‘I remember it well, because the next day I heard about that dreadful murder. Imagine. I was near the cathedral at the same time as the killer. I said to myself, “Vivian, that could have been you.” Made me shiver to think of it.’

‘Have you told the police? Given descriptions?’

‘They haven’t bothered to ask. No one takes any notice of me, these days.’ Mrs Marchant was on her high horse again. The mood changes were unpredictable and disconcerting.

‘The police don’t know you were there,’ Libby pointed out.

The woman shrugged. ‘If you like I’ll tell you about them and you can pass it on.’

Libby took that as a compliment. ‘Go on.’

‘Well, one was big and fat and the other tall and thin. I couldn't see what they were wearing because it was dark.’

The descriptions were disappointing. Libby tried another question. ‘You said they were whispering. Did you catch what they said?’

‘Not really. The tall, thin one wore a hoodie. I remember that. It muffled the words, you see.’

Libby suspected Mrs Marchant’s hearing might be failing, but pride would prevent the woman admitting it. ‘You’re sure it was a man?’

‘Oh, yes, definitely.’ The old lady paused. ‘I’m not sure about the fat one. Could have been male or female. They all dress the same, these days.’ She held a finger in the air. ‘Now, wait. I remember they had a bag. The thin one handed it over to the other before they split up. The thin one went along Vicar’s Close and the fat one crossed over the road towards the cathedral.’

‘Really?’ Two people behaving suspiciously in the dark, on the night Giles Temple was murdered. Libby could hardly speak for excitement. What a good thing she’d taken on the job of finding the missing cat.

Unfortunately, despite Libby’s efforts to help her remember, Mrs Marchant was unable to add more detail. Taking a different approach, Libby tried to persuade her to tell Joe about the two mysterious figures. In the end, she turned to bribery. ‘While you speak to the police officer, I’ll see if I can find a new television for you.’

‘One with a bit of sound. Everyone mutters, these days.’