The Wild Wood Enquiry (10 page)

“I SUPPOSE YOU have to hand it to her,” said Ivy, when they were once more on their way back to Springfields. “She does make the best Victoria sponge I’ve tasted for a long while.”

Roy negotiated his vehicle round the considerable hazard of a young woman with twins in a wide pushchair. “She’s a really nice person, I’m sure. I’m amazed she hasn’t attracted many followers by now.”

“She’s had her moments,” Ivy reminded him. “Anyway, we will do our best to help her. I for one shall be pleased if Gus comes up with a good reason for her being so keen.”

Ivy’s disappearance had so worried Roy that he had completely forgotten their original reason for visiting the woods. “Oh my goodness, all that went completely out of my mind! Now Ivy, did you by any chance spot any clues as to what Miriam and Rose might have seen in the woods?”

“Let’s stop by the seat on the green,” Ivy suggested. “The sun’s so warm now it’s a shame to waste it.”

“And you can answer my question?” Roy said with a smile.

“Yes, I’ll answer your question,” she said, and when they were settled she told him about the man who had run away and then stopped to rescue her. “And then, when he was sure I was on the right path, he ran off again, giving me no time to thank him.”

“Did he give you his name?”

“Oh yes. The Green Man of the Woods, he said.”

“Ivy, are you making this up?” Roy began to wonder if she was having a reaction to her unpleasant experience. It was not like Ivy to play tricks.

“Of course not,” she snapped. “He looked vaguely
familiar, but it was difficult to place him. He had this woolly hat pulled right down. But from what he said, he knew who I was and where I had come from.”

“What on earth was he doing in the woods, and why did he run away?”

Ivy paused. She began to feel very tired, but did her best to reply. “He wouldn’t answer any questions, Roy. And, to tell the truth, I was feeling too wobbly to ask. All I can tell you is that he was a gentleman. He behaved like a gentleman, and he spoke like one. He obviously did not want to be seen but came to my rescue when he saw I needed help. That’s my idea of a gentleman, and I know, dear one, that you would have done exactly the same.”

The sun had retreated behind clouds again, and they continued their walk back to Springfields. There they were greeted by a scolding from Mrs. Spurling for being out in the rain. Ivy said that they were not children, and would Mrs. Spurling remember who paid her wages. The least she could do was to have respect. Roy did his best to soften this outburst but saw that Ivy felt a lot better afterward.

MIRIAM WATCHED GUS pass by her window and guessed that he had stayed at Tawny Wings for lunch and most of the afternoon. She sighed. How could she compete with a rich widow, who had not only Gus but also the squire up at the Hall at her beck and call?

She pulled a tray of jam tarts—homemade jam and pastry made with butter—from the oven. They were done to perfection, and she put them to cool on the kitchen table. “The queen of hearts, she made some tarts,” she muttered to herself. “That’s me, Queen Miriam.” Ah well, they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. She would
call round and ask if he would like to pop in for supper. They could have the tarts for pudding. She had been much cheered by Roy and Ivy, as she now thought of them, agreeing to a cup of tea and being so complimentary about her sponge cake. Roy was such an old charmer, and even Ivy could be pleasant if she really tried! She was sure her cooking would work the same magic with Gus.

As she thought of the afternoon’s drama, it occurred to her to wonder what on earth Ivy had been doing in the woods, leaving Roy in the road by himself. Neither of them had wanted to talk about it, and all they had really discussed was the weather. Had their expedition had anything to do with that horrible hand? It was quite possible Ivy had decided to take a look herself. So Enquire Within was already on the case.

Miriam felt in her pocket to check on the earring. She should put it somewhere safe, in case it, too, disappeared. Perhaps she should have mentioned it to Ivy and Roy. After all, it was surely an important piece of evidence. Well, it had slipped her mind in the emergency to be dealt with. She would show it to Gus and ask his advice. A good reason for going next door.

Gus had just switched on the radio for the news when he saw Miriam approach. Oh no, he groaned, not more temptation. This afternoon had gone swimmingly with Deirdre, and he would have been quite happy with a sandwich and something good on the telly. But no, here she was, tapping at his kitchen window.

“Supper, Miriam? Thank you so much, but I had a huge lunch and I think I shall fast for the rest of the day.” He began to shut the door, but she put her foot against it. “Well, if you don’t want supper, perhaps you’d like to see what I picked up in the woods this afternoon,” she blurted out.

“Not another dead hand!” said Gus, and immediately regretted his lapse.

“No joke,” she said, backing out. “And I’m sure you can manage a coffee and jam tarts still warm from the oven.”

“Fine,” said Gus with a sigh. “Five minutes, then.”

MIRIAM RETURNED AROUND six o’clock bearing a tray, on which she had placed a plate of jam tarts and a pot of coffee. Gus saw with a sinking heart that there were also neatly cut sandwiches and two mugs, two plates.

“I was feeling a bit lonesome,” Miriam said, smiling tentatively at him. “Hope you don’t mind a bit of company for an hour or so?”

He thought of saying he minded very much indeed but was disarmed by her anxiously smiling face. “Of course not,” he said as kindly as he could manage. “We can’t have you feeling lonely. The Budds are out, I suppose?”

“I’ve got another reason to be here rather than there,” Miriam said. “As I said, I have something to show you. Here, look what I found in the woods, just where we saw the hand. Roy asked me to look for Ivy in the woods, and I happened to pass the place, so thought I’d have a quick search. It was under quite a pile of dead leaves, and I should
have missed it but for the twinkly stone. Do you think it’s a diamond?”

“Could be,” said Gus slowly, looking closely at the earring.

Miriam noticed that his usual good colour had gone from his face, and he was now very pale. “Gus? Are you okay?”

He shook his head and handed the earring back to Miriam with a shaking hand.

“What is it? For heaven’s sake, Gus, tell me what’s the matter? Is it something I said?”

Gus shook his head and shivered. “No, my dear,” he said, with obvious effort. “It’s just that, well, I gave those earrings to Kath on the eve of our wedding. She wore them on the day and was always very fond of them.”

For once, Miriam was at a loss for words. “Oh my God,” she said finally. “Does it mean that the hand we saw belonged to… Oh no, Gus, don’t say that! I don’t know whether she was wearing them when she arrived, and I didn’t see her at all the morning she vanished again. This could have been an earring belonging to another woman, surely?”

Gus nodded miserably. “I doubt it,” he said. “And most unlikely to be in the middle of the woods in darkest Suffolk.” He sighed deeply. “Oh dear, Miriam, I’m afraid my appetite’s completely gone.”

Miriam was having none of this and encouraged him with stories of jewellery that had turned up in the most unlikely places. He managed a couple of sandwiches and two jam tarts and then asked her if she had shown the earring to Roy and Ivy.

“No, I put it in my pocket and then temporarily forgot about it. My first thought was to look after the two dear old things, in case they were suffering from shock.”

“Well, do you want me to look after it, or will you keep it with you? We won’t do anything until we’ve told the others. We are having a planning meeting tomorrow at Tawny Wings, and I’m sure the others will want you to bring it along.”

“We should tell the police,” Miriam said reluctantly.

Gus shook his head. “It will keep another twenty-four hours,” he said. “But do look after it carefully.”

“I’d be happier if you had it. If that hand was Katherine’s, well…” She hesitated, and her lip quivered.

“But who on earth would know that you had found it? You didn’t tell Ivy or Roy, so there’s only me!”

Miriam stared at him. “You? But Gus, why would you not want to tell the police?” Then the full horror of the possibility struck her. Gus had loathed his ex-wife, and her sudden decision to visit could have completely unhinged him. She snatched the earring back from him, picked up her food tray, and left, muttering to herself as she went.

“Oh dear,” said Gus to Whippy, who was asleep in her basket. “Looks like I’m suspect number one for a crime that’s not necessarily been committed. What next, little dog?”

Whippy opened one eye, wagged her tail and went back to sleep.

NEXT MORNING, IVY was up with the lark, sorting out her clothes for the wash, opening her windows wide to let in the cool breeze, and if anyone had been listening, they would have been surprised to hear her humming a waltz tunelessly as she sorted out sensible knickers, a blouse with soup stains down the front, and a skirt that Tiddles had jumped on with muddy feet.

What am I doing in here? she asked herself, straightening up from putting on comfortable shoes. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I should never have listened to Deirdre. But then, if I had stayed in Ringford, I would never have met Roy.

Dear Roy, he was such a comfort and made her feel wanted and worthwhile. She remembered now her last year in Victoria Villa, where she had sat all day in a rocking chair in the kitchen, old Tiddles on her lap, not bothering to change her underwear or have a bath. Her legs had become almost useless, and she had stopped cooking herself proper meals. The house had lost its pristine shine in spite of the efforts of New Brooms, the cleaning team, chiefly because she had forbidden them to tackle so many precious things that they had given up trying.

Now she heard the breakfast bell and started off downstairs with a light heart. It was summer, Roy would be waiting for her and there was a meeting this morning to discuss their new and possibly difficult case.

“Morning, Ivy dear.” Roy was looking his handsome best. He had a fresh shirt and his favourite tie, a cheerful stripe given to him by Ivy, neatly knotted. Never mind his stringy old neck and what was left of his white hair combed carefully over the bald patch! He had his Ivy and the new excitement of his love for her.

“Now,” he said, “shall we have porage or porridge?”

Ivy laughed. “Why don’t we have a change and have porage?” she asked.

“Good idea,” said Roy. “Allow me to help you to sugar.”

“No sugar, thanks. Just a pinch of salt, which is always a good thing to take when in doubt.”

Roy smiled sweetly at her. “I can see it is going to be a really good morning,” he said.

“MORNING, IVY,” DEIDRE said, walking into Springfields with a brisk step. “Why on earth have you called a meeting for this morning? We met as usual yesterday, and there can’t be much new to report.”

“All will be revealed,” Ivy said. She had thought long and hard after they returned yesterday afternoon, and after discussing the Green Man of the Woods with Roy, she decided to tell the others immediately. Roy had suggested a couple of phone calls, but she thought they should all be together to talk about such an important development. She would ring round and summon them. When she called Gus, he had sounded odd, reluctant even, but she put that down to jealousy of Theo Roussel and his success with Deirdre.