Leger's Foe (The Leger Hotel Mysteries Series Book 4)

‘I was watching from the window.  If it’s any consolation, I think you did the right thing.  It’s not classy to fight and you saved a life.  You may have lost face, but that makes it all the more admirable.’

‘I agree with Bob.  Even though I don’t understand why you wanted to save that bird, I don’t think any less of you,’ Lily declared.

‘I’m not sure I can show my face outside this house again.  I shall have to give up my detective work and be a housecat,’ Leger sighed, rolling onto his back and yowling to increase the drama.

‘Or you could dismiss everyone else’s opinion, if they indeed have one, and be true to who you are,’ Lily countered.  ‘That is what I would do.’

The animals fell silent and pondered Lily’s words until Hugh came into the room, still in his dressing gown and sat on his favourite armchair.  He was agitated and Bob, being acutely in tune with Hugh’s emotions, immediately offered him some comfort in the form of a paw and a head on his lap.

‘Should we contact the police?’ Annabella said, striding into the room.  She was dressed smartly as usual, wearing a white chiffon blouse and a green dress over the top and her kitten-heeled boots clicked on the floor as she walked.

All of the animals in the room turned to Annabella, awaiting more information.  It sounded like there was a drama unfolding and their curiosity was piqued.

‘Maybe we’re just being over-cautious,’ Hugh grumbled.  ‘She might just have gone for a walk.’

‘Hugh, she’s been gone for at least fourteen hours now and she doesn’t know her way around this island.  You know how unhappy she’s been for the last few days.  I’m worried that…’ Annabella trailed off.

Leger and Lily’s eyes sprang wide open, knowing that Annabella and Hugh were referring to Carole.  They had not mentioned her by name, but everyone in the house had noticed her blue mood since she arrived.

‘Don’t think things like that, Anna!’ Hugh snapped.  ‘She’s fine.  She’s gone for a walk and she’ll be back any time.’

Leger smoothed down his whiskers, thinking this over.  If Carole was in a negative frame of mind, it was understandable that Annabella would want to keep an eye on her but she couldn’t seriously suspect Carole of doing something foolish, could she?

‘Where’s my mummy?’ Brianna whined.  ‘Louis is crying and we need her to make us breakfast.’

‘She’s gone out for a while, my wee lamb.  She’ll be back soon,’ Annabella said, stroking the child’s hair out of her face.

‘But we’re hungry,’ Brianna sulked.

‘I’ll give Louis his breakfast,’ Hugh announced.

‘Don’t be silly Uncle Hugh!  You need boobies to feed Louis,’ Brianna tutted.

Annabella whooped with laughter and Hugh’s face reddened.

‘Well, that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile today!’ Hugh snorted.

‘Did mummy go back to the loch to see the swans?  That was the only time she smiled yesterday.  I woke up when she was leaving and she gave me a kiss and said she was going to the loch,’ Brianna related, not pausing for breath as she spoke but taking one huge gasp at the end.

Hugh and Annabella both raised their eyebrows while Leger and Lily nodded to each other.  It seemed reasonable that if Carole was preoccupied and wanted some time alone, she would have returned to the one part of the island that she knew had made her smile.  The problem was, that place was known to be dangerous and one life had already been lost there that week.

‘I don’t like the sound of this,’ Bob growled.  ‘Remember I went to the loch with her yesterday?’

‘Yes?’ Leger and Lily chorused.

‘I thought she was going to jump in at one point,’ Bob growled.  ‘I didn’t mention it because I was sure I was mistaken.’

‘This is not sounding good,’ Lily muttered.

‘You have to go down there, Leger.  You have to see if she’s there and stop her!’ Bob barked, becoming increasingly agitated.

Leger’s whiskers flattened at the thought of returning to the loch.

‘I can’t,’ he said.

‘Why?’ Lily asked.  ‘Surely now that the cygnet is back with his parents, there’s nothing for you to worry about!  The swans must have seen how much you cared about their little one.’

‘You would think!’ Leger sneered.  ‘Lily, you’ve been on this island much longer than me.  Have you ever heard of a local swan with the ability to kill a human?’

Lily narrowed her eyes.  ‘Do you suspect this swan of killing Sean Gilbert?’

Leger sighed and sat upright, slicking his fur back from his face and adjusting his collar before he started to relate the story of what had happened.  He told Lily and Bob everything while Brianna listened in, pretending to understand what they were saying and Hugh made breakfast in the kitchen.

Lily hissed.  ‘I might have known it would be those swans!  The male is called Kevin, that I know.  I’m pretty sure the female is called Cynthia, although I’ve heard nothing of her for a while.’

‘Obviously, he’s no killer.  Either that or you’re a pretty fearsome little furball.  You lived to tell the tale,’ Bob noted.

‘Exactly!’ Lily said, dismissing the notion that Kevin was at all dangerous.  ‘He is all talk.’