could have been anyone who tossed that cigarette in the window."
"And you have no reason to suspect it could have been done deliberately?"
Meadows pursed his lips and gave her an odd stare. "What makes you say that?"
Elizabeth stroked the fur backs of her gloves. "It was just something George said when he was telling us about the tragedy."
"Oh, yes, P.C. Dalrymple. I talked to him this morning. Bit of a pompous ass, if you don't mind me saying so."
Elizabeth smiled. "He's not very happy about being dragged out of retirement. He's rather grudging about his job, I'm afraid."
"Well, I can understand that." Dave Meadows passed a hand over his forehead. I'm not too partial to losing sleep either, but someone has to do the job. Good thing we don't get much in the way of bombs, or I'd be running all day and night. Not too many men left to volunteer for the fire department."
"I suppose not." Elizabeth paused. "Who found the bodies?"
"That was me. I was first inside the building. I had to break down the door to get to them. Saw them through the glass window, but I knew they were goners before I got to them."
"I see." Elizabeth got to her feet. "You said you had to break open the door?"
Meadows narrowed his eyes. "Pardon me asking, your ladyship, but why all the questions? I already sent in my report, and I don't think I left anything out."
Elizabeth smiled. "I'm sure you didn't, Mr. Meadows. It's just that I seem to remember George saying that the two victims were locked inside the office."
"That's right. It's there in the report, just like it happened."
"So I assume there was no key in the lock."
"I didn't see any keys, no, m'm."
"Doesn't it seem strange to you that Mr. McNally would lock himself and a charlady inside an office?"
The expression in his eyes grew harder. Obviously Dave Meadows was a man who did not like his judgement challenged. "I can't rightly say why he would do that, your ladyship, but I'm sure he had a good reason. All I can tell you is that we found the bin of rags and concluded that the fire started there. The windows were closed and locked when everyone went home that evening. There were no signs of forced entry. After questioning some of the employees, we're satisfied with our findings. We have no reason whatsoever to suspect the fire was deliberate. I suggest you talk to your constable if you have any more questions."
Aware that she had outstayed her welcome, Elizabeth thanked him and left. He might be satisfied, she told herself, but she was far from convinced it was an accident. She needed more answers, and she knew just where to start.
CHAPTER
5
Half an hour later Elizabeth reached the end of Sandhill Lane and parked her motorcycle. Already, dusk was creeping across the ocean and would soon engulf the village of Sitting Marsh. The recent scare would no doubt make the Home Guard all the more diligent with the blackout curtains this evening. Elizabeth had about an hour before she needed to be back at the manor. Enough time to accomplish her task.
Wally Carbunkle took so long to open the door after her knock that she was about to leave when he finally opened it. He wore a dark red smoking jacket, which he hastily buttoned up when he saw her. "Lady Elizabeth! What a surprise. Come in, come in." He waved a hand at the room behind him. "You'll have to excuse the mess. I was up all night and didn't feel like doing any housework."
Elizabeth stepped inside the tiny front room and waited for him to close the door. A newspaper lay at the feet of an armchair, and a tray with soiled dishes and an empty beer mug sat on the rough oak dining room table, but otherwise the place looked as spic and span as usual. Being an ex-navy man, Captain Carbunkle kept a trim ship.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said, as Wally motioned her to sit. "I hope you weren't sleeping."
"Not at all." He waited for her to seat herself on a roomy leather armchair, then he sat down on a sturdy rocker. "I was reading. Damn
"And you have no reason to suspect it could have been done deliberately?"
Meadows pursed his lips and gave her an odd stare. "What makes you say that?"
Elizabeth stroked the fur backs of her gloves. "It was just something George said when he was telling us about the tragedy."
"Oh, yes, P.C. Dalrymple. I talked to him this morning. Bit of a pompous ass, if you don't mind me saying so."
Elizabeth smiled. "He's not very happy about being dragged out of retirement. He's rather grudging about his job, I'm afraid."
"Well, I can understand that." Dave Meadows passed a hand over his forehead. I'm not too partial to losing sleep either, but someone has to do the job. Good thing we don't get much in the way of bombs, or I'd be running all day and night. Not too many men left to volunteer for the fire department."
"I suppose not." Elizabeth paused. "Who found the bodies?"
"That was me. I was first inside the building. I had to break down the door to get to them. Saw them through the glass window, but I knew they were goners before I got to them."
"I see." Elizabeth got to her feet. "You said you had to break open the door?"
Meadows narrowed his eyes. "Pardon me asking, your ladyship, but why all the questions? I already sent in my report, and I don't think I left anything out."
Elizabeth smiled. "I'm sure you didn't, Mr. Meadows. It's just that I seem to remember George saying that the two victims were locked inside the office."
"That's right. It's there in the report, just like it happened."
"So I assume there was no key in the lock."
"I didn't see any keys, no, m'm."
"Doesn't it seem strange to you that Mr. McNally would lock himself and a charlady inside an office?"
The expression in his eyes grew harder. Obviously Dave Meadows was a man who did not like his judgement challenged. "I can't rightly say why he would do that, your ladyship, but I'm sure he had a good reason. All I can tell you is that we found the bin of rags and concluded that the fire started there. The windows were closed and locked when everyone went home that evening. There were no signs of forced entry. After questioning some of the employees, we're satisfied with our findings. We have no reason whatsoever to suspect the fire was deliberate. I suggest you talk to your constable if you have any more questions."
Aware that she had outstayed her welcome, Elizabeth thanked him and left. He might be satisfied, she told herself, but she was far from convinced it was an accident. She needed more answers, and she knew just where to start.
CHAPTER
5
Half an hour later Elizabeth reached the end of Sandhill Lane and parked her motorcycle. Already, dusk was creeping across the ocean and would soon engulf the village of Sitting Marsh. The recent scare would no doubt make the Home Guard all the more diligent with the blackout curtains this evening. Elizabeth had about an hour before she needed to be back at the manor. Enough time to accomplish her task.
Wally Carbunkle took so long to open the door after her knock that she was about to leave when he finally opened it. He wore a dark red smoking jacket, which he hastily buttoned up when he saw her. "Lady Elizabeth! What a surprise. Come in, come in." He waved a hand at the room behind him. "You'll have to excuse the mess. I was up all night and didn't feel like doing any housework."
Elizabeth stepped inside the tiny front room and waited for him to close the door. A newspaper lay at the feet of an armchair, and a tray with soiled dishes and an empty beer mug sat on the rough oak dining room table, but otherwise the place looked as spic and span as usual. Being an ex-navy man, Captain Carbunkle kept a trim ship.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said, as Wally motioned her to sit. "I hope you weren't sleeping."
"Not at all." He waited for her to seat herself on a roomy leather armchair, then he sat down on a sturdy rocker. "I was reading. Damn
Similar Books
