The Haunted Lady Read Online Free Page B

Johnny. I returned to my original statement. ‘I don’t think we can help, certainly not where the murder is concerned. That’s a job for the police and I’m fairly sure they wouldn’t be happy for amateur sleuths to go blundering around poking their noses into the investigation. As for the haunting, no matter what you might have heard about previous events, we are not ghost hunters. About the only thing we might be able to assist with is in helping to find out something regarding Michael’s fiancée, but there again we would need them to give us permission before we start asking questions.’
    I noticed Eve watching me with a dubious expression on her face and hastened to add, ‘Of course, if you want to suggest to them that they come and see us to ask for help, then that would be quite a different matter.’
    After Marjorie left, we brewed ourselves some coffee. As we were sipping it, Eve suggested that I might have been a little harsh on our previous visitor. ‘The poor woman was desperate for reassurance and some comforting words as much as a direct offer of help. You could have let her down a bit more lightly.’
    ‘I suppose so, but to be honest I’m a bit peeved. We’ve only been back a few hours and we’ve already had two people in here talking about murder, with one of them throwing in a ghost story and a case of lost identity as well.’
    Eve’s expression changed and her attitude softened. ‘I agree that it would have been better to have been given a little more breathing space, Adam, but we have to live among these people and we can’t shut them out just because it’s inconvenient. Apart from any other consideration, it would create the wrong impression, and you know how people around here talk.’
    ‘I suppose you’re right. I just wanted a bit more time alone together, that’s all.’
    Eve opened her mouth to reply, but I’ll never know what she was about to say, because before she could do so the doorbell rang again. She started to smile, and this turned into a fit of giggles when she saw the look of despair on my face.

Chapter Four
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    I f I’d been given the chance to think about it, I might have guessed the identity of our next visitor before I opened the door but, deprived of that opportunity, I was surprised to see Detective Sergeant Holmes standing on our doorstep. He looked worried, as if uncertain of his welcome. As I had just been rebuked about my attitude to visitors, whether invited or otherwise, I smiled and invited him inside, curbing my sarcasm to nothing more than a muttered comment about having a revolving door fitted.
    ‘I appreciate that this is probably bad timing on my part,’ Holmes began. That had to be the understatement of the year. ‘To be fair, I wasn’t too keen on coming here, even though Johnny said he felt certain you wouldn’t mind.’
    Did he really , I thought, and made a mental note to have words with Johnny. However, I listened without interrupting as Holmes continued. ‘It was actually DI Hardy who suggested I speak to you.’
    That made it two names to cross off our Christmas card list, which was shortening rapidly. ‘Hardy said that if I was to tell you what we know, you might be able to come up with some ideas as to how to proceed. I can’t actually talk to him about it, because it would contravene all sorts of silly regulations to do with him still being on sick leave.’
    ‘I assume you’re referring to the murder that Johnny Pickersgill told us about?’ Eve enquired.
    ‘Yes. I called on Johnny before I came here and he mentioned that he’d given you an outline. What do you think?’
    ‘OK, we’ll listen and if anything occurs to us, we’ll tell you, but that’s as far as it goes,’ I warned him. ‘We don’t want to become involved to any greater extent than that.’
    As I spoke, I noticed Eve’s expression, which conveyed more disbelief than I was comfortable with, but I ignored it and concentrated on what