Murder In Bloom Part 10

'Was he a relative?'

'Look, Lib,' said Lewis, blowing out a sigh, 'I don't know any more than they told me, which wasn't much, except to tell me I could go back home and it was mine.'

'But you're still a suspect?'

'I'm not sure. Wouldn't they have made me pay bail if I was?'

'I don't know.' Libby looked at Adam. 'Who would know?'

'That Ian person,' suggested Adam promptly. 'He'd know. He'd know about Big Bertha, too.'

'I can't ring Ian!' said Libby, scandalised.

'Fran could.'

Libby chewed her lip. 'All right,' she said. 'I'll call her after we've eaten.' She looked at Lewis. 'So what happens next?'

'They said to keep in touch and let them know my movements. Can't leave the country, that sort of thing.'

'Well, they have got a potential double murder on their hands,' said Libby. 'You can't blame them.'

'If they really thought you could have been behind the skeleton's burial, why didn't they tell you this missing person's name?' said Adam.

'They did, I told you. I just can't remember.'

'Honestly, Lewis. How can you not remember?'

'It was all so muddled. And I was b.l.o.o.d.y scared.'

He looked belligerent.

'So would I have been, Ma,' said Adam.

'I know, but that name is really important.' Libby sighed and stood up. 'Come on, let's eat. You don't mind the kitchen, do you, Lewis?'

They managed to stay off the subject of the murders while they ate, and Lewis professed Libby to be almost as good a cook as Katie. Adam grinned and told him of all the disasters that had happened in Libby's kitchen over the years. 'She's only just got the hang of it,' he laughed.

'Cheek,' she said, good-humouredly. 'Actually, Lewis, I was going to ask you if you like vegetarian food?'

Lewis looked down at his plate, surprised. 'Yeah, but this wasn't '

'No, no, it's just that our friends Harry and Peter have a veggie restaurant in the village called The Pink Geranium. Harry's the chef. They do a lot of Mexican food. I thought you might like to try it sometime.'

His face brightened. 'They the mates you told me about, Ad?'

Adam nodded. 'Nice blokes. Pete's some kind of hotshot journalist so he's often in London, but he works from home mostly.'

'Journalist?' Lewis looked wary.

'Not that sort,' comforted Libby. 'Political and features, mainly. No sludge gathering.'

'Oh. Well, I'd love to give it a try if you'll come with me.' He looked at them both like a particularly soulful spaniel.

''Course we will,' grinned Adam.

'Come on then,' said Libby. 'If you've finished we'll go into the sitting room and I'll call Fran.'

Fran, as Libby had predicted, was not happy about calling Ian. Part of it was embarra.s.sment, Ian having been a former suitor who lost out to Guy, and the other part was Fran's unwillingness to b.u.t.t into the investigation.

'All right,' huffed Libby, eventually. 'Give me his number and I'll call him. I'll tell him about the wedding, which will be much better than him just finding out.'

Fran demurred, but in the end decided to give Libby the number. 'I feel a terrible coward not facing up to telling him, but there's no real reason why I should, is there?'

'None at all, but I can be concerned about him. I can even sympathise and hint about the problems it's causing with Ben,' said Libby.

'Oh, Libby!' Fran almost shouted. 'Don't you dare. If you're going to say that sort of thing I shan't give you the number.'

'Sorry, sorry.' Libby gave the phone a shamefaced look. 'I didn't mean it.'

'All right. But promise you won't.'

'Promise.'

'OK. I'll text you the number when I've found it.'

'Lovely, thanks ' said Libby, but Fran had gone.

'You do put your foot in it sometimes, Ma,' said Adam.

Libby sighed. 'I know. I don't think before I speak half the time, do I?'

The number came through very soon afterwards and after pouring herself a large gla.s.s of wine, Libby took a deep breath and punched it in.

'Connell,' said a gruff voice on the first ring.

'Ian?' said Libby. 'I'm sorry to disturb you. It's Libby Sarjeant. Are you in the middle of something?'

'Libby?' Ian sounded surprised. 'No well, I'm in the middle of paperwork and I should have gone home hours ago. What's up?'

'Ah well,' said Libby, not sure how to begin now the moment had come. 'Had you heard about Fran?'

'She and Guy are getting married, I understand.' Ian's voice didn't change. He couldn't be that upset.

'Yes. I thought you might not know,' said Libby sheepishly.

'So you thought you'd enlighten me? Very kind.' He sounded amused. 'But not necessary. Things get around very quickly in a small place like Nethergate.'

'Then you'll know all about the Creekmarsh business?'

There was a pause. 'Of course. Libby, what's this about? You didn't ring up about Fran at all, did you? You know I can't tell you anything.'

'I know, I know,' said Libby, 'just, I wanted to know, as they've let my friend Lewis go, is he bailed? They didn't ask him for any money.'

'Your friend?' said Ian. Libby saw Lewis and Adam flinch as the voice thundered out of the receiver. 'What the h.e.l.l are you getting into now?'

'Nothing, Ian, honestly,' said Libby, crossing her eyes at the boys. Lewis giggled. 'Lewis is actually a friend of Adam's. My son? He's been doing the '

'Garden, yes, I know. He and his friend found the skeleton. I didn't connect the two names, more fool me. There can't be many Sarjeants with a J around.'

'Right.' Libby let out a breath. 'So, you see, I've got a legitimate interest.'

'And you shouldn't be talking to me about it,' said Ian, 'but as it happens, your friend hasn't been bailed. They'll want to speak to him again, probably several times, but once they found that the sale of Creekmarsh was legitimate '

'Was it power of attorney?' interrupted Libby.

'Yes.' Ian was beginning to sound even more irritated.

'Right. Oh, just one more thing,' said Libby, ignoring the spluttering at the other end, 'who was the actor West had power of attorney for?'

'Oh, you don't know that, eh? Antennae slipping are they? Surely your friend Lewis knows?'

'He says he can't remember.'

'Oh, come now, Libby. I don't believe that for a second. Now you just tell him to do exactly as Superintendent Bertram tells him and not to go investigating on his own. Or rather,' said Ian, taking a deep breath, 'getting you to do it for him.'

'OK, Ian, I get the picture. And thanks.'

She looked over at the boys and sipped her wine. 'He wouldn't tell me. Said he didn't believe you couldn't remember, but that you aren't on bail. And warned me off.'

'I gathered that,' said Adam. 'You can't blame the poor bloke.'

'And I found out that Big Bertha's name is really Bertram.'

Adam shrugged. 'Well, you can see how she got the name, can't you?'

'Anyway, Lewis, you're a free man. And the missing actor '

'Is Gerald Shepherd. I've just remembered.'

Chapter Ten.

'GERALD SHEPHERD?' REPEATED LIBBY.

'Who's he?' asked Adam.

'He was huge in the seventies and eighties,' said Libby. 'You'd know his face. Mainly television and films, but he did quite a bit on stage, too. He had that detective show Flanagan's Army.'

'Oh, him! Wow. He really is famous.'

'Was.' Libby turned to Lewis. 'Why had you forgotten?'

'Honestly, Lib, I don't know. The name went over my head. I know now, of course, but at the time it didn't mean anything. I was just panicked.'

'I can't see how it didn't mean anything,' said Libby, frowning at him. 'Surely you remember the scandal a few years ago?'

'Scandal? No.' Lewis shook his head and Adam looked interested.

'He disappeared with his daughter-in-law and has never been seen since.'

'b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l,' said Adam. 'But he must have been ancient.'

'In his sixties I should imagine. The daughter-inlaw, or maybe she was the son's girlfriend, was in her twenties as I remember.'

'Dirty old man,' said Lewis, wrinkling his nose. 'No, I don't remember, sorry.'

'I think drugs were involved somewhere along the line, too,' said Libby. 'I'll look it up tomorrow.'

'Look it up where?' said Adam.

'Google it, of course,' said Libby loftily.

'Well, where does this leave us?' asked Lewis. 'What happens next?'

'You wait for more questions from the police, and I'll look up the background. There isn't anything else we can do. As I said, I've been warned off.'

'So if the skeleton is this Gerald Shepherd, that means the daughter-in-law chopped him?'

'Possibly, but I don't see how they'll ever prove that, even if they could find the daughter-in-law. And I don't see what it's got to do with Tony West, either.'

'Perhaps he was her father?' suggested Adam.

'That's an idea,' said Libby.

Lewis shook his head. 'Didn't have any children. His wife didn't want any, he said.'

'That's a point,' said Libby. 'Where was his wife when he was found?'

'New York,' said Lewis. 'Shopping.'

'Ah.'