Rogue in Porcelain (19 page)

‘
No!
' she said forcefully. Then, as her hands went to her head, ‘
No, no, no!
'

Finlay, whose own shocked exclamation had been masked by hers, turned a white face towards her. ‘You
know
her?'

‘Yes, it's Julia, a friend of mine. She's – oh, God! – she's lodging with my mother. We've got to
do
something!' she added urgently. ‘Is she still breathing?'

Without hope, he put his hand close to her mouth, then placed two fingers on the side of her neck. He straightened, shaking his head.

‘There's nothing we can do, Rona. It's – too late.'

‘There must be
something
! Can't you try mouth-to-mouth?'

‘Believe me, it's no use. Just – look at her.'

Steeling herself, Rona forced her eyes from the still face to the crumpled body. Julia's familiar jacket hung open, and a dark stain had saturated the blouse beneath it. She'd worn that when they went to Dino's, Rona thought mindlessly. ‘Oh, God!' she said under her breath. Then again, a little louder, ‘Oh,
God
!'

Finlay's voice reached her as if from a distance. ‘
How
do you know her, Rona?'

Something in his tone penetrated the fog in her brain, and she turned to look at him. ‘Why?' she asked sharply. ‘You mean you do, too?'

Finlay nodded heavily. ‘She's Nick's ex-wife,' he said.

Rona stared at him for a moment, then shook her head decisively. ‘No, you're mistaken. It's Julia Teale. She's been in Marsborough for the last week or so on business, but she doesn't know this area.'

Finlay shook his head, but before he could speak, they were startled by the shockingly incongruous sound of a mobile phone. Both reacted instinctively, feeling for their own, only to break off and say in unison, ‘It's not mine.'

‘It's coming from behind the bench,' Rona said. ‘Her bag must be there.'

She started towards it, but Finlay put a hand on her arm. ‘No – we mustn't touch anything. Leave it for the police. I'll get on to them now.'

He flipped open his own mobile and nodded towards the bench. ‘You'd better sit down. You've had a bad shock.'

When she didn't move, he took her arm and led her over, waiting until she seated herself before making his calls, first to the police, then to his brother Edward.

‘Can you contact Nick?' he finished. ‘He's been in Aylesbury this afternoon, but it's nearly six now, so he should be back. The police have asked us to stay till they get here . . . What? Oh, Rona's with me. She's been at the museum, and I was showing her the family plot. She says she knows Julia . . . God knows.'

The museum, Rona thought numbly. That earlier discovery had paled before this one. Gus put a tentative paw on her knee, whining softly, and she absent-mindedly stroked his ears.

‘That sounds sensible,' Finn was saying into the phone, ‘theirs is the nearest, certainly, but you'd better check with them first. I'll keep you posted.' He clicked his phone shut, put it away, and came to sit next to her.

‘You're shivering,' he said, and, putting an arm round her, drew her against him. ‘The police won't be long.'

She turned an anguished face towards him. ‘How can I tell my mother?' she asked. ‘She'll be expecting her home any minute.'

‘Is there someone who could break the news in person?'

Rona drew an unsteady sigh of relief. ‘Lindsey,' she said. ‘I'll ask Linz.'

‘Is she a relative?' Finlay enquired, as she fumbled for her phone.

‘My sister. My twin sister.'

He gave a half-smile. ‘How little I know about you,' he said.

She reached Lindsey in her car, halfway home from work, and it was several minutes before she understood what Rona was saying.

‘She's
dead
?' she repeated incredulously. ‘The girl who's staying with Mum?'

‘Just tell her that, Linz, as gently as possible. The details can wait.'

‘What details?'

The effort of explaining was beyond her and, though her sister couldn't see her, Rona shook her head. ‘I'll tell you later, too. Just say there's been an accident.'

‘Ro, what is this? You said you found her; what happened? Are you all right?'

‘Yes, but promise me you'll go to Mum straight away. She'll need you. Please, Linz.'

There was a moment's silence. Then Lindsey said flatly, ‘All right, I'll do it. I can stay the night if necessary.'

‘Bless you,' Rona said. ‘I'll be in touch.' And rang off, before her twin could question her further.

The sound of approaching police sirens reached them, and Finlay stood up. Gus gave another whine, and Rona slipped to her knees and gathered the dog in her arms, burying her face in his fur. Finn stood watching her for a moment. Then he went to meet the police.

Uniformed officers were first on the scene, and after giving an initial account of finding of the body, Rona and Finlay were driven to the police station, where more detailed statements were taken.

By the time they were free to go, the enormity of what had happened had seeped through the shock, and Rona wanted above all things to be alone, able to grieve for her friend in private. As they came out of the interview room, a group of men were talking and laughing in the foyer. Something about one of the voices was familiar, and she glanced across, encountering a suddenly alert pair of grey eyes. It was, she saw with sinking heart, the detective with whom she'd crossed swords in Buckford the previous year.

‘My God, if it isn't Miss Marple!' he said loudly, and as faces turned in her direction, Finn, sensing her distress, took her arm and led her out to the waiting police car.

‘We're going to Oliver and Sally,' he told her, when, having given the address, they'd settled in the back seat. ‘You're not fit to drive home, and in any case your husband's not there. They'll put you up for the night.'

‘Oh, I couldn't possibly—'

‘It's all arranged. I phoned them while you were being interviewed.'

‘But – Gus . . .'

‘No problem, really, but it will mean going through the whole thing again. Sally'll be upset; she and Julia were friends. And they'll – probably want to know how you met her.'

‘Why?' Rona asked rebelliously, still unconvinced of Finn's identification.

‘It seems strange, that's all. And Rona: this business is quite enough for them to take in at the moment. We'll leave the news of the letter for now, OK?'

‘OK,' she said.

The police car drew up outside a large detached house in a leafy avenue, and they got out, Rona shivering in the evening air. The rain that had threatened at the cemetery had started during their interviews, and seemed to have set in for the night.

‘Thanks for the lift,' Finlay told the driver, who touched his cap and drove off. The front door opened as they reached it, and Rona found herself facing a tall, fair-haired woman who moved swiftly forward and put her arms round her.

‘You poor love,' she said. ‘What a terrible experience you've had.'

To Finlay, she added in a low voice, ‘I should warn you – Nick's here. He insisted.'

‘Fair enough,' Finn said tiredly. ‘How is he?'

‘As you'd expect.'

Sally released Rona and smiled at her. Rona saw that her eyes were red-rimmed, and beneath expertly applied make-up her face was pale.

‘As you'll have guessed, I'm Sally,' she said. ‘Come through.'

Rona had braced herself for a room full of people, sure that Edward and possibly his wife would be there. But as Sally led her in, it was only Oliver and Nick who rose to greet her, both of them white-faced. Finlay went straight to Nick and put a hand on his shoulder.

‘I'm so sorry,' he said quietly, and Nick nodded.

‘Have the police been in touch?'

‘Yes; they want to see me in the morning. Not that I can tell them anything, God knows.' He bent absent-mindedly to pat Gus, who wagged his tail uncertainly and then, since no one spoke to him, trotted over to the fire and settled on the rug.

‘Come and sit down, Rona,' Oliver said. ‘This might help.'

He handed her a glass of brandy, and passed one to Finlay. Sally, who had seated herself on a low pouffe, clasped her hands together and looked at Rona.

‘Finn says you knew Julia?'

Rona took a sip of brandy, feeling its warmth course down her throat. ‘I did, yes, but I find it hard to believe—'

‘—that she was Nick's ex,' Finlay finished for her. ‘I can't think why she didn't tell you.'

Sally frowned. ‘Why would she?'

‘Because they discussed Rona's history of the firm.'

‘She'd obviously written me off completely,' Nick said, with an attempt at humour. No one smiled.

‘How long have you known her?' Sally persisted.

‘Only about ten days, but we'd seen quite a bit of each other. We got on really well.'

‘And how exactly did you meet?' Oliver asked.

That question again. ‘She bumped into me on Guild Street, and I dropped my shopping bag. The eggs broke, and—' She gave a little shrug. ‘We had a cup of tea together, she told me she hated hotels, and as my mother has just started doing B&B, I suggested she went there.'

‘She was lodging with your mother?' Nick interrupted.

‘Yes. She was only there a few days, but Mum had become fond of her.'

‘Finn said you discussed this article you're doing,' Oliver continued. ‘Did she – make any comments about the family?'

Rona looked at him in bewilderment. ‘It doesn't make
sense
,' she said. ‘When she came to the house, she looked through the albums Finn had lent me, and asked questions about people, as though she'd no idea who they were.' She turned to him urgently. ‘Are you
sure
this isn't a mistake, and she's not who you think?'

He shook his head sympathetically. Oh, Julia, she thought forlornly, I wish you were here.

Nick ran a hand through his hair. ‘What on earth was she doing in the cemetery, of all places? Come to that, why was she up here at all? The last I heard, she was living in Reigate.'

Rona's hand jerked, sloshing the brandy in the glass. ‘Reigate?' she repeated sharply.

They all turned to her, and Oliver said curiously, ‘Yes; why?'

Rona shook her head tiredly; it was too complicated to explain, too convoluted for her brain to grapple with. All at once there seemed a dozen facets to Julia about which she'd known nothing.

Sally rose to her feet. ‘Dinner's almost ready. And don't say you're not hungry,' she told Rona. ‘You need something inside you, to keep your strength up. But first, I'll show you your room so you can freshen up.'

Rona also stood and Gus, asleep in front of the fire, raised his head. She motioned to him to stay. ‘Are you quite sure this isn't too much trouble? I'm quite capable of driving home.'

‘After that brandy?' Oliver smiled, and she protested no further.

The room Sally had swiftly prepared was large and comfortable, as was the old-fashioned furniture it contained. An elderly relative's, perhaps.

‘I'm afraid we don't run to an en suite,' she apologized, ‘but the bathroom's immediately opposite. It's free at the moment, but I'd advise you to stay in your room in the morning till the school rush is over.'

‘Where are the children now?' Rona asked.

‘Watching a DVD. They don't know what's happened yet, but they've been told not to come downstairs. It's almost their bedtime anyway; I'll settle them before serving dinner.' She gave a quick glance around the room, as though checking its amenities. ‘I've put out a nightdress for you, and there are clean towels and a new toothbrush in the bathroom. I always keep a stock.'

‘That's very kind of you.'

Sally smiled and nodded. ‘Come down when you're ready,' she said.

Alone in the room, Rona lowered herself on to the bed. Nothing to unpack, nothing to put away. She'd feel better for a wash, but first she must phone Max. It was now eight fifteen, and there was no saying where he'd be.

Wherever he was, his mobile was switched off, and frustrated tears came to her eyes. She badly needed to speak to him. She left a brief message that she was staying overnight in Chilswood, and to phone her on her mobile when he had a chance. Then, holding at bay the myriad questions gnawing at her mind, she went to the bathroom.

The cold water revived her a little, and after reapplying such make-up as she had with her, and brushing her hair with the silver-backed brush on the dressing table, Rona made her way downstairs.

All the doors were closed, and she hesitated, trying to remember which was the sitting room. The sound of voices drew her forward, and as she put her hand on the knob, she heard Finn say, ‘Oh, and another odd thing: the police asked if I knew anyone called Nigel. God knows how they got on to him so quickly.'

‘Good God!' Oliver's voice. ‘Don't say he's still on the scene?'

Unwilling to eavesdrop, Rona pushed the door open and went in, and the conversation stopped abruptly.

‘Have you everything you need?' Oliver asked her. ‘Do say, if not.'

‘Sally's thought of everything,' Rona assured him, but as talk restarted, her mind was elsewhere. Nigel. She'd heard the name recently. And on cue, she remembered the man in the china shop, who'd reacted so strangely when she mentioned the Curzons. Curiouser and curiouser.

‘When I prepared this casserole, I wasn't expecting dinner guests,' Sally apologized as they took their places at the dining table. ‘Fortunately I made double the quantity, so the children could have it tomorrow.'

‘Now, it will have to be chicken nuggets!' Nick said with a forced smile.