Murder Is Academic (30 page)

‘Yes, that's all right. I mean, yes, of course, it's great!'

Grace's birth and the weeks watching over her in hospital had brought us together in ways I hadn't imagined were possible. We hadn't talked much about the future. We had somehow just taken it for granted that we would live together in the Old Granary when we had brought Grace home. We hadn't talked yet about selling Stephen's flat, nor about getting married. Those were questions for later. Now, there was the round, satisfying pop of a champagne cork being drawn to focus on. Jane held out glasses to catch the froth, and the next few minutes passed in a confusion of toasts and laughter.

When we were all settled in our seats with our glasses, Cathy said, ‘There's something else you might feel like celebrating. I heard just as I was leaving college: Lawrence has resigned. He's leaving at the end of the summer term. Merfyn wants you to know that he and Aiden are pushing for new appointments to the department, and then when you get back from maternity leave, there'll be everything to play for. He said he'd ring you when you've had time to settle in.'

‘Lawrence is leaving? But why?'

I couldn't imagine him anywhere but in college. In fact, I wasn't even sure that I'd ever seen him anywhere else. I'd wondered if he ever went home.

‘The notice that went up on the board said he was taking early retirement because he wanted to devote more time to his subject.'

‘Is that the academic equivalent of spending more time with your family?' Stephen asked.

‘That's right. But the question is: did he jump or was he pushed?' I said. ‘I bet the trustees were furious when all that stuff came out in the papers about his trying to block the inquiry.'

‘I've wondered about that,' Cathy said. ‘How did the papers get hold of it all?'

‘I didn't tell them.' I glanced at Stephen.

He held up his hands in self-defence.

‘Not guilty,' he said. ‘I do know that certain members of the local constabulary thought you had a rough deal. I really don't know any more than that, but however it happened, it's bloody good news.'

He picked up the champagne bottle.

Cathy sighed, ‘Much as I'd love some more, I've got to get back to college.'

She came over to kiss me and have a last look at Grace. ‘Don't be in a hurry to get back in harness. Enjoy her while you can.'

After Cathy had gone, Stephen asked Jane how Malcolm was coping. ‘It must have been a hell of a shock finding out about Margaret and Lucy.'

‘Ah, yes,' Jane said slowly. ‘I was meaning to tell you about that. You're not going to believe this, but it wasn't all that much of a shock…'

I stared at her. ‘You don't mean to say that he knew all along?'

‘He didn't know
who
it was, he just knew that there was someone. But he let it ride, didn't want to force the issue. He thought if he didn't say anything, she'd get through it and settle back into the marriage.'

‘Actually he was right, wasn't he?' Stephen said. ‘She
was
getting over it.'

Would I have destroyed the letters, I wondered, if I had known that? And how had destroying them influenced the course of events? Was there even any point in thinking about that?

Jane cleared her throat. I looked at her and saw that she was blushing.

‘I might as well tell you. Malcolm and I, we're … well, we've become rather close.'

‘That's marvellous!' I said. I thought of what Jane had said about wishing she'd had six babies. Well, she wouldn't have time for that, but maybe there'd be time for one? She was only a few years older than me, after all.

Jane was beaming all over her face. ‘It's very early days. I mean, we won't be rushing into anything, have to see how things go.' Her face grew more serious. ‘And of course, it hasn't been a year yet since…'

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to. It was less than a year since Margaret had died. Less than a year, too, since Grace had been conceived. My daughter made a little snuffling sound. I leaned over her. Her hand had fallen away from her face. I stroked her palm. She stirred in her sleep and her tiny fingers closed tightly round mine. Impossible now to imagine a world without her. I thought of the night she had been born. In the bustle and confusion of the moments after Grace's birth, Alison had slipped away. When the fog dispersed the following morning, the police found her parked car in a field about a mile away. Her body was inside it. I was shocked, but not for long. I came to see that while it wasn't exactly a happy ending, it was perhaps for her the best possible one. I had almost come to terms with it, but there was still a sore place in my heart for Rebecca's mother and I didn't think that would ever go away. Marion had come down from Newcastle to see me in hospital, bringing me a beautiful hand-knitted shawl. We would keep in touch.

Jane broke into my thoughts.

‘Here's to Grace,' she said. ‘Long life and happiness!'

‘Not many people have such a dramatic entry into the world,' Stephen said.

I raised my glass. One day I would tell her all about it.

THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS
.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.

MURDER IS ACADEMIC: A CAMBRIDGE MYSTERY
. Copyright © 2002 by Christine Poulson. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.minotaurbooks.com

ISBN 0-312-31807-3

First published in Great Britain by Robert Hale Limited, under the title
Dead Letters

First U.S. Edition: April 2004

eISBN 9781466842328

First eBook edition: March 2013