Found Guilty at Five Read Online Free Page B

said. “At the Wilmore Hall. A very important fixture. Fixture? Is that right, Jamie?”
    “Could be,” said Jamie, smiling, “but it sounds more like a football match than a recital. But the meaning’s the same.” He patted her arm, and she smiled at him.
    “By the way,” she said, “I left my cello in the car. I will just go and check it is still there.”
    “It was at one o’clock this morning! I looked out of the window and could see it safely on the backseat.”
    But in the next couple of minutes everything changed. Akiko ran back from the car screaming, “It’s gone! Jamie, my cello has gone!” She crumpled onto a chair, and burst into heartrending sobs.
    Lois moved quickly to comfort her, and suggested Jamie should have a second look. “Did you check the boot?” she said.
    “But I saw it on the backseat,” he said urgently, also trying to soothe Akiko, who turned on him angrily.
    “It is your fault! I always bring it in with me where I am sleeping! You made me forget! What are we to do for tonight’s concert?”
    Gran bridled. “Hey, wait a minute, Akiko!” she said. “That cello was your responsibility. It’s not fair to blame Jamie. You may come from a country with different ideas, but over here we own up to our mistakes.”
    “Hush, Mum,” said Lois quietly. “Akiko is naturally upset.”

F IVE

    I NSPECTOR C OWGILL WAS AT HIS DESK, STARING AT NOTHING in particular and thinking about Lois. She had looked fabulous at the wedding, elegant and restrained in a dove grey suit. Her long dark hair had been put up in a silky plait, and her legs . . . This won’t do, Inspector, he told himself. Down to the business of policing. But his thoughts wandered on, remembering that Lois had been very busy, trying to be everywhere at once, looking after guests and bridesmaids, and generally not having much time to talk to him. When he had tried to tell how beautiful she looked, she had been impatient and he had felt unreasonably hurt. Surely now they were practically related, she would treat him more warmly?
    But then he knew it would not be his Lois. He loved her bright sharpness, and even affectionately tolerated her refusal to treat him with anything like respect. But at least he could call her now with his thanks for her brilliant organisation of the wedding. He stretched out his arm to pick up the phone, but it rang before he touched it.
    “Inspector Cowgill here. Oh! It’s you, Lois. I was just about to—what was that? What did you say? A
cello
? I don’t remember anyone playing a cello at the reception? All right, all right. Calm down, dear. Just repeat the details slowly.”
    Lois frowned. This was all she needed. Sometimes she thought Cowgill was not hearing so well, but it could equally well be a ploy to slow her down. She explained the situation as succinctly as possible, and ended by saying that as Jamie’s mother, and because the cello went missing on their driveway, she felt it her duty to do all she could to recover the instrument.
    “The case of the missing cello, eh? Well, I shall certainly put my sleuths on to it.”
    “Cowgill! Are you taking this seriously? If not, you can forget your special relationship with the Meades. Now, when can I come in to brief you?”
    “Now, if you like,” Cowgill said blandly. “Not much on my desk this morning. Now I’m semiretired, they tend to leave me alone. But I can still make them jump to it, Lois. Be here at ten o’clock, please. And don’t be late. I have an appointment later.”
    “With a small white ball? You don’t fool me, Cowgill. I’ll be there.”
    She grinned as she replaced the receiver, and set her mind to sorting out New Brooms problems. The weekly staff meeting was at twelve, so she would have to be back for that. She did not intend to waste much time with the inspector, but knew from Josie’s Matthew that he more or less refused to accept retirement and was still considered to be the best brain at the police