Found Guilty at Five (27 page)
Read Found Guilty at Five Online
Authors: Ann Purser
T
HE TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED, ALL EXCEPT
H
AZEL, WHO WAS
late coming from Tresham, and burst in clutching a handful of post.
“Did you meet the postie?” said Lois. “Looks like a load of junk. Thanks, anyway.” She put it to one side on her desk, and began to go through the schedules for the week ahead.
“All settled now, Mrs. M?” Dot Nimmo grinned. “Can I ask a question?”
“You don’t usually ask permission, Dot. What is it?”
“Are we expecting your new deputy to join us?”
“Mrs. Tollervey-Jones? No, don’t worry, Dot. She’s gone up to London to buy some clothes for her trip to Japan. Anyway, there’ll be no point in her coming to our New Brooms meetings. She wouldn’t know one end of a broom from another!”
“Well,” replied Dot, “I reckon she’s got plenty of bottle, the old thing. You wouldn’t catch me going to Japan.”
“Let’s get on now, then. Any problems?”
The meeting continued as usual, and after the girls and Andrew had all gone, Lois took up the pile of post. As she looked through, she saw one classy-looking envelope had a Japanese postmark. She threw the junk letters in the bin, put two bills to one side, and opened the last one. Seeing its enclosure, she went straight through to the kitchen, where Derek had arrived home for lunch.
“Listen to this!” she said. “And you, Mum, just sit down and listen for a moment. It’s a letter from Nakamasa, Akiko’s father.”
She sat down at the table, and began to read.
“Dear Mrs. Meade, I hope that you are well. I am writing to tell you that Akiko and I are filled with gratitude for your detective work on our behalf. We traced the cello immediately, and on payment of what for me is a trifling sum, it was duly restored to Akiko. She is a completely different girl! And all thanks to you. I enclose a small fee for your work, and hope that we may meet again some day soon.”
Lois peered into the envelope and looked at the enclosure. She drew her breath in sharply, but carried on reading.
“And now I must thank you, too, for introducing me to Mildred! We became very fond of each other so quickly, and I am looking forward to her visit in the autumn. She is a very fine lady. With very best wishes to you and your family, yours, et cetera.”
“How much?” said Gran, coming straight to the point.
“Five noughts,” said Lois.
“Good God!” said Derek.
There was a short silence, while Gran took off her spectacles and cleaned the lenses vigorously. Then she turned to the stove and said, “Never mind about noughts. I don’t want this steak and kidney pie spoiled, so can we please get on with it?”
Derek put his arm around Lois’s shoulders. “Well done, love. Now there’ll be no more need for ferretin’, will there?”
“No chance,” said Gran, and put a steaming plate in front of Lois. “Get that down you, gel,” she added. “Then you can go and tell Cowgill the good news.”
* * *
Titles by Ann Purser
Lois Meade Mysteries
MURDER ON MONDAY
TERROR ON TUESDAY
WEEPING ON WEDNESDAY
THEFT ON THURSDAY
FEAR ON FRIDAY
SECRETS ON SATURDAY
SORROW ON SUNDAY
WARNING AT ONE
TRAGEDY AT TWO
THREATS AT THREE
FOUL PLAY AT FOUR
FOUND GUILTY AT FIVE
Ivy Beasley Mysteries
THE HANGMAN’S ROW ENQUIRY
THE MEASBY MURDER ENQUIRY
THE WILD WOOD ENQUIRY
