Page 15 of A Curious Ending

‘Oh, undoubtedly.’ Abby continued, ‘I felt that it had significance. That and something else he said about Lord Porter.’

Lara looked at her expectantly.

Abby decided at this stage to keep her ruminations to herself. She required more time to think them through. However, there was something she did want to share with Lara.

Before she could speak, Lara said abruptly, ‘You know who I think could be determined?’ She clearly didn’t expect Abby to answer and supplied, ‘Penny Porter.’

‘Ah, Richard’s wife. The artist and younger woman. Likes to paint dogs and horses,’ Abby recalled.

‘You’ve got a good memory,’ Lara commented as an aside.

‘I have had plenty of practice,’ Abby responded dryly.

Lara supposed she had. Which reminded her that she was talking to a ghost. At least she hoped she was, otherwise she was spending an awful lot of time talking to herself. She rushed on, ‘Penny Porter is all fluffy and dithery, but I don’t know, I’ve sometimes thought there’s a lot more going on inside. Not that I know her that well. But I once caught her looking at Richard at a Chamber of Commerce event – she didn’t think anyone was watching…’

‘Yes?’ Abby said, thinking that things were looking up. She did like a nice pool of suspects to splash around in.

‘I thought, you’re not so daft as you seem…’

‘And?’ Abby prompted once more.

‘Well,’ Lara laughed, ‘at the time I thought, I bet he’s sleeping in the spare room tonight. But afterwards I remember thinking I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Penny Porter. But maybe I’m imagining things.’

‘We cannot rule that out,’ said the ghost. ‘We will definitely need to meet Mrs Porter, but for now would you like to hear what I found out from the doctor’s notes?’ Abby proposed.

‘Would that be my notes or Lady Porter’s notes?’ Lara Petunia McGregor asked her pointedly.

‘My goodness, Lara, I would never read your private notes,’ Abby said for all the world like she meant it. She continued quickly, ‘Dr Patil had visited Lady Porter quite a few times at the beginning of the year, and there was some reference to blood tests and some sort of scan. I confess I did get a bit confused by the terminology, although all appeared negative. But there was no record of him visiting her on the 10th of August.’

‘I knew it!’ Lara exclaimed and started to sweep the floor again with renewed fervour as if she didn’t know quite what to do with herself. ‘I knew something wasn’t quite right.’ She thought this also probably explained Abby not wanting Dr Patil as her doctor. He was standing not two feet away from her as he blatantly lied to them. Or rather, she corrected herself, lied to Lara.

‘And do you want to know another very interesting thing, Lara?’ Abby continued. Lara spun around.

‘There was no record of a prescription for sleeping pills.’

Chapter 10

Later that day as they walked across the park towards Gillmore House, Lara was profoundly grateful that Balthazar was no longer in evidence. ‘Was Jason able to see you?’ Lara asked. She had been wondering about this all afternoon.

‘No, definitely not. He may have had a vague sense of me though. Nothing stronger. What an unpleasant man he is to be sure,’ Abby commented, wrinkling her nose.

‘Creepy,’ agreed Lara. ‘He didn’t like it when I asked him if he called in to see Lady Porter, did he?’

‘Oh, no, he did not like that at all,’ Abby agreed. ‘I believe we should ask Mrs M what she thinks of Mr Honeybourne.’

Lara nodded. ‘What else do you think we should talk to her about?’

‘I think it would be helpful if Mrs M could shed any light on Lady Porter’s family and her relationship with the good doctor.’

Lara again wondered if she imagined the questioning note in Abby’s voice when she said the word, ‘good’. ‘She might have some idea of where the sleeping pills came from?’ Lara suggested, opening the iron gate of the large house in front of them. She reflected that this question did not ease her mind over Dr Patil. If he had supplied Lady Porter with sedatives he clearly wanted no record of it. ‘Do you think Dr Patil is hiding something?’ Lara turned to Abby.

‘Oh, everybody is hiding something,’ Abby replied. ‘But as to what the doctor is concealing, I am not exactly sure at this point in time.’ Abby continued, slowly, ‘It could be that his main objective was to stop you asking questions. It cannot do his reputation any good to have someone questioning the cause of death. Especially in such a small town. You have to remember you first asked him about it in a public house, where anyone might overhear you.’

‘Yes, there is that,’ Lara acknowledged a little doubtfully, ‘but what about the sleeping pills?’ she pressed.

‘Again, let us see what Mrs M has to say on the matter,’ Abby suggested, as she swept up the broad stone steps of Gillmore House, the full skirt of her riding habit now gracefully gathered over one arm. ‘Now do remember to leave as many doors open as possible. I want to be able to keep an eye out for any Haunters.’

Lara paused, one foot hovering over the top step. ‘And what on earth are Haunters?’ she demanded.