interesting line of questioning or not.
‘She did the Treemints – I know that because Miss Treemints was with her one day when I called in and they were both very excited because Miss Spitforce had discovered a famous actor. Beer Bone Treemintsor something – he was a great, great, great uncle of Delirium’s. Anyway, they were very pleased about that and Delirium was so overcome that she knocked her cup and saucer onto the floor. I helped her clear it up while Miss Spitforce made another cup of tea for us.’
Hettie couldn’t help but think that Delirium Treemints spent most of her time clearing up broken crockery, regardless of her ancestors, but she pushed on as Teezle seemed keen to talk.
‘Did Miss Spitforce share any of her findings with you?’
‘Not really. In fact, I called in last week and she had a chart laid out on her table; she folded it up like greased lightning when she saw me, and stuck it under a cushion on one of her kitchen chairs.’
Hettie had suddenly forgotten she was hungry. Even Tilly, who had continued to take notes, moved in closer as Teezle lapped up the questions, pleased with the appreciation of her responses.
‘Did Miss Spitforce ever mention that she was writing a book?’
Teezle thought again and laughed. ‘She always seemed to be writing or reading something. Like I said, she was clever, but I took her post in one day and she had a parcel which she opened while I was there. It was a book. She took one look at it and threw it across the kitchen. I had to duck. It was a copy of …’
‘… Marmite Sprat’s Strange But Trues ,’ said Hettie, finishing Teezle’s sentence.
Tilly was impressed. Teezle stared in admiration, and Hettie’s hunger pains returned with a vengeance.
‘One more question before you go – do you deliver to Miss Peggledrip?’
‘Well, not exactly to her,’ Teezle admitted, looking quite fearful. ‘It’s not a place I look forward to on my round on account of the old murder. I quite like Miss Peggledrip, though. She’s a bit mad, but that old place she’s got is creepy and it’s the last house going out of the town. I just put her letters in the mailbox at the bottom of her drive, unless I have a parcel – then I have to take it right up to the house.’
‘And what do you know about the old murder?’ asked Hettie, helping Teezle on with her coat.
‘Just that a cat called Milky Myers killed all his family a long time ago. Since then, he’s haunted the old house and he might kill again, especially on Halloween.’ Suddenly realising what she had said, Teezle gasped and put her paw up to her mouth. ‘Poor Miss Spitforce! Do you think Milky Myers killed her?’
‘I think that’s the general idea,’ said Hettie, steering Teezle to the back door. ‘You’ve been very helpful. I may need to speak with you again, and if you think of anything else we’ll be at Miss Spitforce’s for most of the day tomorrow.’
Teezle said her farewells, took custody of her mailbag and disappeared into the frost, never to be seen alive again. If Hettie had been quicker putting her coat on, she might have seen the figure loom out of the darkness in pursuit of the postcat, but it was the discussion with Tilly over who should have what from Greasy Tom’s mobile food van that delayed her – and it would be some time before Teezle’s body was discovered.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hettie returned to a blazing fire and a table laid out for supper. While she was stamping her feet in the cold, waiting for Greasy Tom to fry a fresh batch of sausages and bacon, Tilly had flown round their room like a dervish, putting Hettie’s dressing gown to warm, laying out her pipe and catnip pouch on the arm of the chair, and filling her own hot water bottle before sliding it under her fireside blanket. A pan of milk for two large mugs of cocoa came to the boil just as Hettie stepped over the threshold.
Appreciating the sudden burst of heat that wasted no time in thawing out her
‘She did the Treemints – I know that because Miss Treemints was with her one day when I called in and they were both very excited because Miss Spitforce had discovered a famous actor. Beer Bone Treemintsor something – he was a great, great, great uncle of Delirium’s. Anyway, they were very pleased about that and Delirium was so overcome that she knocked her cup and saucer onto the floor. I helped her clear it up while Miss Spitforce made another cup of tea for us.’
Hettie couldn’t help but think that Delirium Treemints spent most of her time clearing up broken crockery, regardless of her ancestors, but she pushed on as Teezle seemed keen to talk.
‘Did Miss Spitforce share any of her findings with you?’
‘Not really. In fact, I called in last week and she had a chart laid out on her table; she folded it up like greased lightning when she saw me, and stuck it under a cushion on one of her kitchen chairs.’
Hettie had suddenly forgotten she was hungry. Even Tilly, who had continued to take notes, moved in closer as Teezle lapped up the questions, pleased with the appreciation of her responses.
‘Did Miss Spitforce ever mention that she was writing a book?’
Teezle thought again and laughed. ‘She always seemed to be writing or reading something. Like I said, she was clever, but I took her post in one day and she had a parcel which she opened while I was there. It was a book. She took one look at it and threw it across the kitchen. I had to duck. It was a copy of …’
‘… Marmite Sprat’s Strange But Trues ,’ said Hettie, finishing Teezle’s sentence.
Tilly was impressed. Teezle stared in admiration, and Hettie’s hunger pains returned with a vengeance.
‘One more question before you go – do you deliver to Miss Peggledrip?’
‘Well, not exactly to her,’ Teezle admitted, looking quite fearful. ‘It’s not a place I look forward to on my round on account of the old murder. I quite like Miss Peggledrip, though. She’s a bit mad, but that old place she’s got is creepy and it’s the last house going out of the town. I just put her letters in the mailbox at the bottom of her drive, unless I have a parcel – then I have to take it right up to the house.’
‘And what do you know about the old murder?’ asked Hettie, helping Teezle on with her coat.
‘Just that a cat called Milky Myers killed all his family a long time ago. Since then, he’s haunted the old house and he might kill again, especially on Halloween.’ Suddenly realising what she had said, Teezle gasped and put her paw up to her mouth. ‘Poor Miss Spitforce! Do you think Milky Myers killed her?’
‘I think that’s the general idea,’ said Hettie, steering Teezle to the back door. ‘You’ve been very helpful. I may need to speak with you again, and if you think of anything else we’ll be at Miss Spitforce’s for most of the day tomorrow.’
Teezle said her farewells, took custody of her mailbag and disappeared into the frost, never to be seen alive again. If Hettie had been quicker putting her coat on, she might have seen the figure loom out of the darkness in pursuit of the postcat, but it was the discussion with Tilly over who should have what from Greasy Tom’s mobile food van that delayed her – and it would be some time before Teezle’s body was discovered.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hettie returned to a blazing fire and a table laid out for supper. While she was stamping her feet in the cold, waiting for Greasy Tom to fry a fresh batch of sausages and bacon, Tilly had flown round their room like a dervish, putting Hettie’s dressing gown to warm, laying out her pipe and catnip pouch on the arm of the chair, and filling her own hot water bottle before sliding it under her fireside blanket. A pan of milk for two large mugs of cocoa came to the boil just as Hettie stepped over the threshold.
Appreciating the sudden burst of heat that wasted no time in thawing out her
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