Arms on me own. I was on me way to the loo and I saw this woman going up the stairs with Brian so I followed them. Tess is me friend, and I always look out for me friends.”
“Butt into their business, you mean,” Violet muttered.
Ignoring her, Sadie went on. “They were giggling and carrying on when they went inside and shut the door, so I knew they was up to no good.”
“Did you recognize the lady?”
Sadie made a sound of disgust. “That weren’t no lady, m’m. All done up like a tart, she was.”
“But did you recognize her?”
Sadie nodded, her mouth full of toast. “Not until the wedding, though,” she said, when she’d swallowed it down. “I didn’t know she was Prissy’s friend at the time or I might have said something to her.”
Elizabeth stared at her. “Fiona? Are you saying it was Fiona in that room with Mr. Sutcliffe?”
Sadie grinned. “Shocker, ain’t it. Could have blinking knocked me down with a feather when I saw her prancing down the aisle like Lady Muck. That’s when I thought I should tell Tess, seeing as how they were bridesmaids together. I was afraid she’d find out from the tart herself, and that would have been even nastier for her.”
“I see.” Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. She distinctly remembered Fiona saying that Priscilla didn’t know the victim. But Fiona didn’t mention the fact that she knew him, either. Then again, she probably wouldn’t want to advertise the fact that she’d visited the man in his room. Especially in front of Malcolm, who seemed to have a proprietary interest in her.
“I didn’t tell Tess before the wedding, of course,” Sadie said, reaching for her teacup. “I didn’t want them having it out with each other and spoiling everything for Wally and Priscilla. So I waited until we were at the reception before I said anything.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Was that before the cake was cut, or after?”
Sadie frowned. “Before. Soon after we first got there, actually. I saw Brian dancing with Tess, then Fiona came in and I knew there’d be trouble so I told Tess right then. She was really upset, so I told her we’d go down the pub as soon as Wally and Prissy left. She was only too happy to get out of there. Practically dragged me out, she did.”
“Did she say anything to you about her argument with Mr. Sutcliffe?”
Sadie’s eyebrows rose. “No, she didn’t. I didn’t know she’d said anything to him. What’d she do? Send him packing back to Cambridge?”
Violet turned, a lump of porridge dripping from the wooden spoon in her hand. Her expression mirrored the thought going through Elizabeth’s head, but she mercifully kept her silence.
“I’m afraid Mr. Sutcliffe met with an unfortunate accident yesterday,” Elizabeth said quietly. “He won’t be going anywhere.”
Sadie’s eyes widened. “He’s dead? ”
“Yes.” Elizabeth pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about this to anyone until the inspector has paid us a visit. Most likely he’ll want a word with you. Just tell him what you’ve told me.”
Sadie’s mouth dropped open. Elizabeth had reached the door before Sadie could speak again. “If the inspector’s coming, does that mean he was murdered?”
“With Rita Crumm’s wedding knife,” Violet said, with unnecessary relish.
Sadie clapped a hand over her mouth. “Does Tess know?” she mumbled behind her fingers.
“Yes.” Elizabeth paused to look over her shoulder. “She’s extremely upset, naturally. It might be better if you don’t mention this to her unless she wants to talk about it.”
Sadie nodded. “I’ll keep me mouth shut, m’m. Promise.”
“That’ll be a miracle,” Violet muttered, but Elizabeth had closed the door on Sadie’s retort. Much as she hated to admit it, things looked black for Tess Winterhalter. It was hard to believe that that fragile creature had taken a knife to her faithless lover, but
“Butt into their business, you mean,” Violet muttered.
Ignoring her, Sadie went on. “They were giggling and carrying on when they went inside and shut the door, so I knew they was up to no good.”
“Did you recognize the lady?”
Sadie made a sound of disgust. “That weren’t no lady, m’m. All done up like a tart, she was.”
“But did you recognize her?”
Sadie nodded, her mouth full of toast. “Not until the wedding, though,” she said, when she’d swallowed it down. “I didn’t know she was Prissy’s friend at the time or I might have said something to her.”
Elizabeth stared at her. “Fiona? Are you saying it was Fiona in that room with Mr. Sutcliffe?”
Sadie grinned. “Shocker, ain’t it. Could have blinking knocked me down with a feather when I saw her prancing down the aisle like Lady Muck. That’s when I thought I should tell Tess, seeing as how they were bridesmaids together. I was afraid she’d find out from the tart herself, and that would have been even nastier for her.”
“I see.” Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. She distinctly remembered Fiona saying that Priscilla didn’t know the victim. But Fiona didn’t mention the fact that she knew him, either. Then again, she probably wouldn’t want to advertise the fact that she’d visited the man in his room. Especially in front of Malcolm, who seemed to have a proprietary interest in her.
“I didn’t tell Tess before the wedding, of course,” Sadie said, reaching for her teacup. “I didn’t want them having it out with each other and spoiling everything for Wally and Priscilla. So I waited until we were at the reception before I said anything.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Was that before the cake was cut, or after?”
Sadie frowned. “Before. Soon after we first got there, actually. I saw Brian dancing with Tess, then Fiona came in and I knew there’d be trouble so I told Tess right then. She was really upset, so I told her we’d go down the pub as soon as Wally and Prissy left. She was only too happy to get out of there. Practically dragged me out, she did.”
“Did she say anything to you about her argument with Mr. Sutcliffe?”
Sadie’s eyebrows rose. “No, she didn’t. I didn’t know she’d said anything to him. What’d she do? Send him packing back to Cambridge?”
Violet turned, a lump of porridge dripping from the wooden spoon in her hand. Her expression mirrored the thought going through Elizabeth’s head, but she mercifully kept her silence.
“I’m afraid Mr. Sutcliffe met with an unfortunate accident yesterday,” Elizabeth said quietly. “He won’t be going anywhere.”
Sadie’s eyes widened. “He’s dead? ”
“Yes.” Elizabeth pushed her chair away from the table and stood. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about this to anyone until the inspector has paid us a visit. Most likely he’ll want a word with you. Just tell him what you’ve told me.”
Sadie’s mouth dropped open. Elizabeth had reached the door before Sadie could speak again. “If the inspector’s coming, does that mean he was murdered?”
“With Rita Crumm’s wedding knife,” Violet said, with unnecessary relish.
Sadie clapped a hand over her mouth. “Does Tess know?” she mumbled behind her fingers.
“Yes.” Elizabeth paused to look over her shoulder. “She’s extremely upset, naturally. It might be better if you don’t mention this to her unless she wants to talk about it.”
Sadie nodded. “I’ll keep me mouth shut, m’m. Promise.”
“That’ll be a miracle,” Violet muttered, but Elizabeth had closed the door on Sadie’s retort. Much as she hated to admit it, things looked black for Tess Winterhalter. It was hard to believe that that fragile creature had taken a knife to her faithless lover, but
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