Murder Most Merry Read Online Free

was your mistress?” he said, and Hunter realised he had known all along.
    Helms said nothing.
    “You must have met her at the agricultural suppliers in Otterbridge. Perhaps when you went to pay your bill. Perhaps she recognised you. She often came to Blackstoneburn.”
    “I recognised her,” Helms said.
    “You’d hardly miss her,” the woman said. “The way she flaunted herself.”
    “No.” The farmer shook his head. “No. it wasn’t like that.”
    He paused.
    “You felt sorry for her... ?” Ramsay prompted.
    “Aye!” Helms looked up, relieved to be understood at last.
    “Why did you bring her here?” Ramsay asked.
    “I didn’t. Not here.”
    “But to Blackstoneburn. You had a key? Or Rebecca did?”
    Helms nodded. “She was lonely,” he said. “In town. Everyone thinking of Christmas. You know.”
    “So you brought her up to Blackstoneburn,” Hunter said unpleasantly. “For a dirty weekend. Thinking you’d sneak over to spend some time with her. Thinking your wife wouldn’t notice.”
    Helms said nothing.
    “What went wrong?” Hunter demanded. “Did she get greedy? Want more money? Blackmail? Is that why you killed her?”
    “You fool!” It was almost a scream, and as she spoke the woman stood up with her huge red hands laid flat on the table. “He wouldn’t have harmed her. He didn’t kill her. I did.”
    “You must tell me,” Ramsay said again, “exactly what happened.”
    But she needed no prompting. She was desperate for their understanding. “You don’t know what it’s like here,” she said. “Especially in the winter. Dark all day. Every year it drives me mad....” She stopped, realising she was making little sense, and continued more rationally. “I knew he had a woman, guessed. Then I saw them in town and I recognised her too. She was wearing black stockings and high heels, a dress that cost a fortune. How could I compete with that?” She looked down at her shapeless jersey and jumble-sale trousers. “I thought he’d grow out of it. that if I ignored it, he’d stop. I never thought he’d bring her here.” She paused.
    “How did you find out?” Ramsay asked.
    “Yesterday afternoon I went out for a walk. I left the boys with my dad. I’d been in the house all day and just needed to get away from them all. It was half-past three, starting to get dark. I saw the light in Blackstoneburn and Joe’s Land Rover parked outside. Like you said, we’re desperate here for company, so I went around to the front and knocked at the door. I thought Tom Shaftoe was giving him a drink.”
    “There was no car,” Ramsay said.
    “No,” she said. “But Tom parks it sometimes in one of the sheds. I didn’t suspect a thing.”
    “Did you go in?”
    “Not then.” she said calmly. “When there was no reply I looked through the window. They were lying together in front of the fire. Then I went in....” She paused again. “When she saw me she got up and straightened her clothes. She laughed. I suppose she was embarrassed. She said it was an awkward situation and why didn’t we all discuss it over a cup of tea. Then she turned her back on me and walked through to the kitchen.” Chrissie Helms caught her breath in a sob. “She shouldn’t have turned her back,” she said. “I deserved more than that....”
    “So you hit her,” Ramsay said.
    “I lost control,” Chrissie said. “I picked up the poker from the grate and I hit her.”
    “Did you mean to kill her?”
    “I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to mean something.”
    “But you didn’t stop to help her?”
    “No.” she said. “I came home. I left it to Joe to sort out. He owed me that. He did his best, but I knew we’d not be able to carry it through.” She looked at her husband. “I’ll miss you and the boys,” she said. “But I’ll not miss this place. Prison’ll not be much different from this.”
    Hunter walked to the window to wait for the police Land Rover. He rubbed a space in the