Full Fury (22 page)

‘
You said you’re back at the same house, with your son and his woman friend. Your own bungalow, if I remember it correctly.’

‘
Yes.’ And now Connie was whispering, caught by the wonder that she had managed to persuade me, if only so far as to show interest.

‘
And your husband—Harry? Ex-husband, rather.’

‘
He’s living with his latest woman. Jean Clarke. It’s her flat, really. And oh—you’ve got to laugh. I went to visit them. I need to weigh up his attitude, which, if you must know, was a bit cool. And she—this Jean—she hid herself behind a chair. She’s quite safe. I didn’t kill Sylvia Thomas, so I’m not likely to start killing his new women. He keeps swapping around, you see.’

‘
Yes,’ I said. ‘Now you’re out of prison, they’ll
all
be nervous.’

And
Connie laughed aloud. It was not a very good laugh, but it had probably had little exercise in the past few years.

‘
Well,’ she said now, levering herself to her feet, ‘I’ll leave you in peace.’ As though she had upset us. ‘You wouldn’t like to lend me one of your dogs? No? Pity. Never mind …I’ll get one from a breeder I met inside. She’s very lucky to have a daughter who’s kept her kennels operating. How lovely for her. Such a lovely daughter! I’ll find my way out. Don’t trouble…’

But
Mary was already troubling, holding the door open.

I
got to my feet. You have to be polite. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

Then,
Amelia seeming disinclined to remove herself from her chair, I went out with Connie, to see her off. To myself I had to admit it was a pleasure to watch her go, but I knew I hadn’t seen the end of it. I could not blankly refuse to carry out her wishes. Not now. And in any event, if I
had
been wrong about Connie’s guilt, then I wanted to be the first to know.

I
watched as Connie drew on her driving gloves. The Beetle looked as though it would be draughty. I didn’t wave as she started the engine and drove away, but simply turned and walked back into the house, finding that Amelia had come to watch and was pouting her disapproval on the doorstep.

‘
Well…’ she said. ‘Now you’ve gone and got yourself involved in another ridiculous and unpleasant investigation. And don’t look like that, Richard. You’re pleased, really. Admit it. Something for you to do. The last time, you said it
would
be the last. How could you, Richard? How
could
you?’

‘Well…’
I tried to smile. ‘I’ve already come across one detail that I misinterpreted during the original investigation, my love. And
that
might not be the last detail to find.’

‘
What detail?’ Amelia demanded cautiously.

‘
Well—you know my memory’s mainly visual…’

‘
You’re always saying that.’

‘
It is, though. And even now, after all this time, I can get a clear image of that ashtray on the corner table in the kitchen, where Sylvia Thomas—the mistress who was murdered—where she was found.’

‘
Yes, Richard…don’t keep reminding me.’

‘
I can see it now. That ashtray, full of squashed-out cigarettes.’

‘
And?
Do
get to the point, Richard.’

‘
And, my love, they
were
all squashed out, and you saw what Connie did—and said she’d
always
done—when she wanted to put out a cigarette, even before she went to prison. She pinched it out—and in that ashtray there were no pinched-out cigarettes. Such a minor thing, but I missed it at that time. So…doesn’t it sound, now, as though she could have been innocent, after all, and that she’d not even been there—as she claimed.’

‘
Richard!’ she said, a little forcefully. ‘You’re always doing that…letting yourself be persuaded! Now…the clue of the squashed cigarettes! You
are
the limit. You’re always twisting things around until you can see what you want to see.’

‘B
ut it isn’t just that,’ I protested. ‘You get a discrepancy like this—and she couldn’t have thought it up herself and planned to use it—you’ve met her now. What d’you make of her? Naïve? That, certainly enough. Not too intelligent? That’s surely established. But if she didn’t kill Sylvia Thomas, then there’s been a terrible miscarriage of justice, and based on my own evidence. How can I possibly refuse to go ahead with it?’

‘
By saying no.’ But Amelia couldn’t conceal the hint of a smile.

‘
I can’t say no to myself, love. There’s doubt—I’d never rest.’

‘
Richard!’ She touched my arm, raised herself on to her toes, and kissed me on the end of my nose. ‘You’re a gullible fool, and I love you…and when do we start?’

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