Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By: A Penny Brannigan Mystery Read Online Free PDF

cheques and putting them in the post belonged to another century. Pushing aside the thought of the small pile of unopened bills awaiting her at home, she picked up the last bill to be paid: Mrs. Blaine’s mobile. She checked that the previous payment had been credited and then scanned the call list to make sure no incorrect charges had been listed.
    She recognized one number that she had noticed on the bill over the past couple of months but was surprised at how many times it appeared on this one. That’s odd, she thought. Why would she be calling him so often? In fact, why would she be calling him at all? A moment later she gave a little exclamation of understanding as she realized the implication. Mrs. Blaine having an affair? No, surely not. There must be some perfectly reasonable explanation. But what else could it mean? Minty covered her mouth and yawned as a wave of troubled fatigue washed over her. Too many numbers. Phone numbers. Parish numbers. Too much to think about. She was that tired, she wasn’t thinking straight, was all. Time to pack up and get off home to the small rented flat she could barely afford above a ladies’ dress shop. She made a mental note to start checking the newspaper advertisements when the conference was over to see if she could find cheaper accommodation. A cozy bedsit, maybe.
    She checked her watch. If she left within the next five minutes she could just make the bus and, as it would be so late when she got home, she wouldn’t have to worry about switching on the heat. Just as well, as the little jar in which she kept the pound coins to feed the meter was almost empty.
    She tucked her notebook and a couple of pens in her handbag and checked her desk to see if there was anything else she’d need at the conference. She wished the bishop had invited her to travel to Hawarden with him and his wife, but he had not mentioned it.
    She would take the train to Chester in the morning and make her way from there to the Library on the number 4 bus. She’d have to pack light so getting on and off the bus would not require too much effort. It might be a good idea to arrive a little early to have a word with the bishop about those numbers on the spreadsheet. Something wasn’t right and the bishop should know so he would be up to speed before Mr. Stephens, the accountant, did his presentation. He might also want to discuss their meaning with the accountant.
    And then there was the little matter of the telephone number that appeared so often on Mrs. Blaine’s statement. She had an idea what it meant, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Probably best to do or say nothing. None of her business if Mrs. Blaine was seeing a fancy man, but the bishop might want to know about it. But would telling the bishop be an example of her loyalty or would it just hurt him needlessly? And what if she told him and it turned out she’d got hold of the wrong end of the stick and his wife was not having an affair at all? What if there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for the phone calls, even though Minty couldn’t, for the life of her, imagine what that might be.
    Oh, she thought, switching off her desk lamp, it was all just too much to think about. She wasn’t paid enough to have to deal with all these problems.

 
    Eight
    Pulling her wheeled suitcase behind her, Minty bumped her way across the forecourt of Chester railway station. After a quick glance at the taxi cabs waiting to pick up fares, she crossed the street and walked to the bus stop. The bishop had told her to take a taxi from the station, but she’d take the bus now and later she would cobble together something that looked like a taxi receipt.
    As the bus wound its way through the narrow streets of the English walled town, dropping off passengers in front of shops with colourful window displays, Minty gazed through the mud-spattered window, envying the bustling shoppers. The town centre gradually gave way to suburbs and then countryside,