A Share in Death

Kincaid couldn’t resist teasing her a bit. “‘Got quite chatty with him, did we?” He could imagine Gemma’s freckled face turning pink with annoyance. She would probably accuse him of being patronizing if she weren’t on her best professional behavior, but he wasn’t, really. It was just that Gemma was blind to her own assets—the frank openness of her face encouraged people’s confidence in a way that a more sophisticated beauty never would.

 

Gemma remained silent for a moment, her usual response. When she couldn’t tell whether or not he was joking, Kincaid thought, she ignored him.

“Sir, about the doctor.”

“Sorry, Gemma. Go ahead.”

“Well, it seems he looked after old Mr. MacKenzie for years. And the daughters. The old man was diabetic, very infirm. Lost his eyesight, kidneys failing. The doctor says he just slipped away in his sleep one night, no reason to think there was anything funny about it. But.” Gemma allowed a tinge of satisfaction to creep into her voice, “I found out from the travel agent in the village where your rumor may have originated. Someone else from the village owns time at Followdale House—a retired major who, according to the receptionist at the travel agent’s, is as big a gossip as any malicious old biddy you could find.”

Kincaid considered a moment. “That might explain it. What else?”

“Cassie Whitlake’s parents, in Clapham. The father’s a building contractor’s foreman. They’re very proud of her. Wonderful job, clothes right out of Vogue, her mum says, that smart.”

“I can imagine,” Kincaid said drily.

“But I got the impression she doesn’t visit them often. Tells her mum she can’t take a holiday when other people do, it’s her busiest time. She calls them, though, and her mum says she’s sounded over the moon lately. Says she has a real good prospect, one that would really make people sit up and take notice of her. ‘A job?’ 1 asked, not sure what she meant. ‘No, a man,’ her mum says, ‘an important man.’ ” 90 deborah grombie

“Doesn’t sound much like Graham Frazer. I wonder what she’s playing at.”

 

“There’s a sister still at home, Evie. Taking a secretarial course. Evie says she’s just as glad Cassie doesn’t come home—all she does is act like Lady Muck.” Kincaid heard a hint of laughter in Gemma’s voice, some of the formality dropping away in the telling of her story.