“Yes. It is something you will be interested to see,” says Bogdan.
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that,” she says. “And where will we be walking, Bogdan?”
“To the cemetery.”
“The cemetery?” A slight shiver runs down her spine. How wonderful the world can be at times.
“I meet you here,” says Bogdan. “And wear warm clothes; we be there for a while.”
“I think you can count me in,” says Elizabeth.
64.
Joyce
Yes, I know Ian Ventham is dead, and we will get to that, I promise. But guess what else? Joanna is here!
We took ourselves down to Fairhaven in her new car (I will check the make in a moment). We stopped at Anything with a Pulse—I was very casual about it, but it was an unqualified success. Not a word of complaint, or “No one’s a vegan anymore, Mum,” or “They do better brownies in a Lebanese shop round the corner from mine, Mum.” Green tea, flapjack, macaroon. And I didn’t think I’d be saying that.
She has a meeting down this way. Something to do with “optimization.” If I think back to that girl who would eat her fish fingers and potato waffles but scream blue murder about eating her peas, I didn’t imagine she would ever be having meetings about optimization, whatever it is.
The boyfriend is history, as we guessed. Did you know you can lock your mobile phones these days so that no one can take a peek? And you can unlock them with your thumbprint? Anyway, he had fallen asleep on the sofa one evening and she had used his thumb to open his phone. One look through his messages and by the time he woke up, his suitcases were packed and in the hall. That’s my girl.
No details of the messages were forthcoming, but Joanna strongly hinted that photographs were involved. I listen to enoughWoman’s Hourto get the gist of that. Excuse my language, but the silly sod. We had a giggle about it, so I don’t think her heart is broken.
I can hear Joanna getting up from a nap, so I’ll say bye for now. You wouldn’t know it, but I’ve been typing quietly.
My gorgeous baby, happy and sleeping in my bed, and two murders to solve. Who could ask for more?
Joanna brought a bottle of wine down with her. There is something special about it, but I’m afraid I’ve forgotten what it is. One day she will realize that she is the something special.
Anyway, I invited Elizabeth over to have a drink with us this evening, but she has “other plans.” Your guess is as good as mine there. Something to do with the murder, though, you can bet on that.
(ADDITIONAL NOTE ADDED LATER: IT IS AN AUDI A4)
65.
The path up the hill toward the Garden of Eternal Rest is a pale ribbon in the moonlight. Bogdan offers his arm and Elizabeth takes it.
“Stephen is not well?” says Bogdan.
“No, dear, he’s not well.”
“You put something in his coffee, I think? When we left?”
“We’re all on pills for something.”
Bogdan nods; he understands.
They walk past the bench where Bernard Cottle spends most of his days. Elizabeth has been thinking some more about Bernard, has had to under the circumstances. She always gets the sensation that he is keeping guard for the cemetery. That he’s somehow on sentry duty on his bench. He won’t go in, but he’s never far away. What does Bernard lose if the development goes ahead? She’ll have to speak to him at some point, or, perhaps better, ask Ron and Ibrahim to speak to him. Which might mean tiptoeing around Joyce.
“He hasn’t played chess in a long time, Bogdan. That was nice to see.”
“He is good. He was a tough player for me.”
They have reached the iron gates of the Garden of Eternal Rest. Bogdan pushes one of them open and guides Elizabeth through into the cemetery.
“You must be quite the player yourself?”
