The Deadly Dance - M. C. Beaton [60]
“What came over you, Roy?” she demanded as she drove off. “Implying we had a relationship.”
“Just protecting you, sweetie. I didn’t like him and you say he’s trying to repair his old marriage. So what’s he doing romancing you?”
“I thought you said he was only interested in finding out information.”
“Changed my mind. The way he looked at you! Like a wolf.” Agatha felt a little glow inside.
“And what were you about telling him you were near solving the case? He may be attracted to you, but if he’s the real villain, it won’t stop him having another go at you. And there’s a car following us. It was behind us when we left Carsely and it’s there again.”
“Probably that woman PC who followed me to Joyce Peterson’s. The police are keeping an eye on me.”
They said good night to the policeman on duty outside Agatha’s cottage.
“How long will they keep up the protection?” asked Roy.
Agatha sighed. “Not very long. Ever since this government closed down all the village police stations, Mircester find themselves overstretched. Fred Griggs, our local bobby, is retired, but it was great when he was around. Crime has spread to the countryside in a big way. Do you know the farmers can’t even leave their combine harvesters out in the field at night? One farmer found they had pinched the whole thing, dismantled it and shipped it off. The newspapers have been full of these thefts recently. Probably ended up in Bulgaria, or somewhere. I’d better check the phone for messages. Oh, there’s one for you, Roy. You’re wanted back in London.”
“Rats. Sorry, Agatha. I’d better get the morning train. I don’t like leaving you like this.”
“It’s all right. Charles will be back tomorrow.”
Charles woke up in the morning with a temperature, a sore throat and limbs like lead.
“I’ve got a bad cold,” he said to Gustav. “Phone Mrs. Raisin at her office and tell her I can’t see her today.”
Gustav did not want to phone Agatha. He disapproved of her. He thought her a nasty, pushy sort of woman. Charles, he knew* found her attractive and he didn’t want to find one day that Agatha was the new mistress of Barfield House. On the other hand, if he didn’t phone, Charles would be furious with him.
So he compromised by leaving a curt message with the temp who answered the phone at the agency: “Sir Charles does not feel like seeing Mrs. Raisin.”
Agatha, on receiving the message, was furious. The temp thought she had been speaking to Sir Charles personally.
Then Bill Wong called to say they were withdrawing the police protection. No, he said, they weren’t much farther, but they were pursuing several leads.
After he had rung off, Agatha decided to visit Mrs. Laggat-Brown. Everything had started at the manor. Maybe if she asked some more questions, she might get an idea. Maybe Jason had talked to his future mother-in-law about his father’s friends.
A brisk gale was blowing the clouds across a large sky as Agatha motored to Herris Cum Magna.
Catherine Laggat-Brown answered the door. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, looking flustered. “I was just about to phone you. Come in.”
Once they were both seated, Catherine asked nervously, “Can I get you something? Tea? Coffee?”
“Nothing, thank you. What did you want to tell me?”
“I no longer need your services. I have decided to leave it all to the police. As Jeremy has pointed out, they have the resources which you do not have.”
“But he said nothing about it when we had dinner last night!” exclaimed Agatha.
Catherine’s eyes widened. “You had dinner with Jeremy last night! He told me he was meeting a business friend.”
“I suppose I could be regarded as a business friend,” said Agatha.
Catherine stood up. “Send me your bill. I do not want to see you again.”
“But don’t you want to know who shot at your daughter?” “As I said, the police can deal with it. Now go! And keep away from my husband.”
“He’s not your husband. You’re divorced.”
“We’re getting married again next month. Didn’t he tell you?”
Agatha drove off, feeling furious. What was that snake Laggat-Brown