The Death of Ruth Read Online Free PDF Page B

away so much I can’t accept your statement, or take it seriously.’
    The man plainly thought I was a fool. He turned from me to Molly and by his manner I gathered that he had already asked her many questions.
    â€˜And so, Mrs Blake,’ he said, ‘You can think of nothing unusual at all? You’re quite certain then, that nothing unusual occurred? I mean, could, for instance, Mrs Moyston have received a letter, a telephone call that upset her in any way? Perhaps …’
    â€˜Not that I know of,’ interrupted Molly. ‘Everything was as usual. On Sunday—the day before she left home—Ruth did her weekly wash, she polished the kitchen tiles, then, she came over here. We had coffee together, she chatted, talked as usual, of usual things, then she went back home and …’
    â€˜Does Mrs Moyston always do her weekly wash on Sunday?’ Mr Grey interrupted.
    â€˜Yes,’ said Molly, ‘She does. Ruth likes her family to seehow difficult her life is. She is a hard woman, very stern. She never lets her children, especially her daughter, have much fun or freedom. Ralph, Mr Moyston, is gentle. He always lets her have her way …’ Molly hesitated, ‘ …I sometimes think Ralph is as scared of Ruth as the children are.’
    â€˜Scared?’ queried Grey. ‘Surely that’s a rather strong word?’
    â€˜Ruth is a strong woman,’ replied Molly firmly. ‘Jodie and Rob have good reason to be scared of her moods. That doesn’t mean that they don’t love her, I am sure they
do
. As for me, yes, some of Ruth’s ways do upset me. When I hear her yelling at the children or lashing out at Ralph with her tongue I dislike her intensely, but, for all that, she has her good qualities and we are friends …’ Molly turned to me, saying, ‘Wouldn’t you say that Ruth and I are good friends, John?’
    â€˜Well,’ I said, ‘I never think of her as your good friend, but you are quite friendly. Personally,’ I faced Grey—‘Personally, Mr Grey, I detest the woman. I would be glad never to set eyes on her again.’
    â€˜John!’ interrupted Molly, admonishingly, ‘How can you!’
    Grey stood up, saying, ‘Mr Blake, before I leave I would like a statement from you concerning the last time you saw Mrs Moyston.’
    â€˜A statement! That’s ludicrous! I see very little of her, as little as I am able to.’
    â€˜Nevertheless, I require a statement,’ he insisted. And so, I gave him a statement, saying that the last time I had seen and spoken to Ruth Moyston had been the Tuesday morning, a week before she left home.
    â€˜I was leaving on a business trip.’ I stated, ‘Ruth, Mrs Moyston, called to me from her front window—’
    â€˜Called to you? What exactly did she say?’ Grey sounded ridiculously suspicious.
    â€˜â€œGoodbye, John!” That’s all. She just called out, “Goodbye, John.”’
    â€˜Was there a note of—let us say—a note of finality in her goodbye?’
    â€˜Certainly not! It was just an ordinary, everyday goodbye.’
    â€˜Well,’ said Grey. ‘Thank you, both. I’ll be on my way.’
    I went to the door with him, and after watching him walk down the path then enter the Moystons’ house I hurried back to Molly. She was still sitting on the stiff-backed chair, and kissing her smooth cheek, I said with some concern, ‘Now, tell me! Your leg? What happened? What is wrong with your leg?’
    â€˜It’s my ankle,’ she explained. ‘I slipped in the shower. It’s very painful—’
    â€˜
Shower
?’ I interrupted. ‘You seldom shower! You love your bath tub. What were you doing under the shower?’
    For the first time ever, my wife spoke to me waspishly, obviously strained by the events of the last few days, ‘I-was-taking-a shower, John,’ she