Murder in the Dark - A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

twitched.
    ‘Happens all the time, Mrs Watson,’ he said. ‘So there’s nothing more you can tell me about the Oxenfords?’
    ‘Nothing. I’ve never been to their house – except to the surgery a couple of times.’
    ‘And you, Mrs Sarjeant?’ Ian asked. Libby’s mouth fell open. ‘Well?’ he prompted.
    ‘I don’t know either of them. And I don’t know Adelaide, either, really. She’s a friend of Lewis’s, I told you.’
    The sound of a door being thrust back hard and a muttered swear word brought Ian and DC Robertson to their feet. Adelaide momentarily closed her eyes.
    ‘That’ll be my husband,’ she said.

Chapter Five
     
    Roland Watson came into the room looking thunderous. Ian stepped forward and calmly held out a hand.
    ‘I’m Detective Chief Inspector Connell, sir, and this is DC Robertson.’
    ‘And why are you here?’ boomed Watson. ‘Come to harass me, now, have you? Fetching us all down here in the middle of the night?’
    ‘No, dear, they came to talk to me and Mrs Sarjeant here.’ Adelaide stood and indicated Libby. Roland Watson swung a huge head towards her like an angry bear.
    ‘And who the bloody hell are you?’
    ‘This is Mrs Sarjeant, a friend,’ interrupted Ian smoothly, ‘and they are both witnesses to something that happened this evening.’
    ‘What?’ The head swung back to Ian. ‘Another body?’
    ‘No, sir.’ Ian waved a hand. ‘If we could sit down?’
    Libby stood up. ‘Shall I go and make fresh coffee?’ she asked Adelaide, giving up all idea of being home before midnight.
    ‘Oh, please. We’ll run out of the ground stuff if this goes on.’ Adelaide gave a half-hearted titter and subsided at a look from her husband.
    Libby enjoyed pottering in the huge kitchen which had obviously been added quite recently and tastefully. The coffee things had been left on the counter when Adelaide made the last pot, and Libby found more cups and then carried the lot back into the sitting room.
    ‘… seen the woman in my life,’ Roland was saying. ‘Neither has my wife.’
    ‘Your sons say the same,’ put in DC Robertson, the first words he’d spoken that evening.
    ‘My sons? What the bloody hell do you want to bother them for?’
    Ian gave an almost imperceptible sigh as Libby handed him a cup of coffee.
    ‘The body was discovered on your premises, sir. Everyone who has a connection here will have to be questioned. We’ve spoken to your cleaner –’ he looked down at Robertson’s notebook, thrust helpfully under his nose ‘ –Marilyn Fairbrass, your odd job man –’ he looked down again ‘– John Templeton and your gardeners, Maurice Legg and Adam Sarjeant. We shall naturally have to question anyone who might have known the premises were empty at the present time.’
    Libby was thinking. ‘What about the car?’ she said.
    Everyone turned to look at her in astonishment, but Ian’s expression softened.
    ‘Yes, Libby, we’ve thought of that.’
    Adelaide and Roland Watson stared at them both and Libby coloured.
    ‘Well, you don’t need my company now, Adelaide,’ she said and put her coffee cup back on the tray, ‘so, if Chief Inspector Connell doesn’t need me any more – ’
    ‘Hold on a minute, Libby, and you can follow us back to the Canterbury Road.’ Ian stood up and DC Robertson followed suit. ‘Mr and Mrs Watson, I’d be pleased if you didn’t talk about this to anyone until we’ve taken formal statements from you both. Will you come in to the police station in the morning?’
    ‘Come in –?’ Roland looked even more furious. ‘Why the hell should we?’
    ‘Because I shall have to bring you in if not, sir,’ said Ian, still calm. ‘Thank you for the coffee, Mrs Watson.’
    ‘Bloody hell!’ Libby burst out as soon as they were safely outside. ‘I don’t know how you didn’t blow up. I’d have slapped the handcuffs on him after the first five minutes.’
    Ian laughed. ‘Which is why you’re not a police