Tuppence (The Tipton Hollow 3)

“You keep asking me that,” Tuppence growled. “No. There is nothing else.”

The heavy tension settled between them once more. At some time during the journey their friendship had disappeared and turned them both into apparent strangers, kept socially apart by his position as a Detective Inspector, and her situation as his new prisoner.

“Is there anything you wish me to say to Harriett?” Mark asked just before he was about to close the door to her cell. He couldn’t bring himself to peer at her through the bars. It didn’t seem right that there should be that kind of barrier between them. They were still friends, although from the dullness in her gaze whenever she looked at him, he seriously doubted they would ever be more than nodding acquaintances from now on. All Mark could feel was sorry for his wife because he knew that Harriett truly adored Tuppence. It was heart breaking to think that their lifelong friendship was going to be torn apart because of this.

“What would I have to say?” Tuppence whispered. “You know what I have said. You can tell her if you must. Keep her away, though. I have nothing to say to her.”

“Pardon?” Mark looked stunned.

“It won’t do to have your wife friends with a common criminal like me, now will it?” Tuppence glared accusingly at him and promptly turned her back when he opened his mouth to speak. She swiftly learnt, though, that there was nowhere to go.

With a heavy sigh, Tuppence plonked her bottom onto the hard bench seat she suspected she was going to have to sleep on as well. Strangely, Mark’s retreating footsteps as he returned to his office sounded very much like the footsteps that she had heard in the farmyard last night. For once, Tuppence wished she had taken the time to scuttle around in the darkness herself. At least then she would know who her greatest enemy was.

CHAPTER SIX

“She wouldn’t do something like that, Mark. Tuppence isn’t that kind of person,” Isaac protested angrily when Mark had finished explaining what had happened. He was horrified, confused, and desperately worried about what it all meant for Tuppence’s future. For the first time since he had met Mark, Isaac was coldly furious at his friend. As far as he

was concerned, Mark was a poor judge of character, and no friend of either Tuppence or himself. “How can you think that she is capable of being a killer?” It was beyond comprehension.

Mark mentally winced at the fervency in Isaac’s voice. “You barely know her, Isaac. You admitted only yesterday that you finally got her to talk to you just the other day, yet you have been acquaintances with her for years.”

“I know her,” Isaac insisted. “I know that she wouldn’t do something like this.”

“And I know how incriminating it looked when I saw her, Isaac,” Mark argued, refusing to allow his friend to question his professional judgement.

“You think she did it.” Isaac scowled at him.

While he was stringent in his denial that Tuppence couldn’t have murdered Mr Lewis, a faint voice in the back of Isaac’s mind warned him that he needed to be certain of his facts before he vocalised his opinions, otherwise his criticism of Mark was just ignorant criticism, an opinion that could be proven wrong. But his heart ruled his head and demanded that he trusted his gut instincts. Tuppence was innocent. Isaac was sure of it. He just had no idea how to prove it.

“She needs someone to look after her farm and Baxter. Are you willing to do it? I hear that Richmond has been sniffing around and wants to buy the place.” Because of the pending court case, Mark refrained from telling his friend about Richmond warning Tuppence to ‘brace herself’. If the warning had been made it was incriminating for Richmond.

“Of course I will look after her farm. I can send my staff over to move her cattle into our pastures and close the farm down. We can remove the feed and hay. When she is released, Tuppence will have to come and stay on the estate until we can decide whether it is safe for her to return to the farm.” Isaac didn’t care about the farm. He had plenty of staff who could ensure that the animals were looked after, and the property protected.

“I am sure your mother will love that,” Mark replied dryly.

“I don’t care what Gertrude thinks.”

“You have to consider your reputation, Isaac. While your willingness to help Tuppence is very noble, it won’t do you any good if we cannot prove her innocence. You will just be associating yourself with a killer.”

“So now you think that she is innocent.” Confused, Isaac shook his head. He wasn’t sure what to think now.

“I have my doubts about her guilt, I can tell you that much,” Mark edged. He lowered his voice. “I can’t professionally admit to it, though. Until we have the Coroner’s report on the injuries Mr Lewis sustained, I can’t even be sure if Tuppence was physically capable of killing him. For now, I am trying not to form an opinion.” He looked beseechingly at his good friend. “It is my job to remain neutral while I gather the facts of the case.”

Isaac, who was pacing up and down before the fireplace, slammed to a stop and whirled to face him. “I want her out of that cell, Mark. She doesn’t belong in jail.”

“If someone has planted that body on her land to try to make her look guilty, or even try to force her to sell the farm, she is in danger. While it is unpleasant, jail is the safest place for her right now. This isn’t just a greedy landowner we are facing here, Isaac, it is a killer. Remember that if you send any staff to Hilltop Farm. Make sure that they do not go up there alone, and that they go armed and don’t linger.”

“I thought I heard running footsteps on the farm last night,” Isaac informed him with a heavy sigh. “Once you had gone, I ventured up there but everywhere was locked up.”

“Did you see someone?”

“No, but I heard running footsteps and saw shadows move. I went to investigate but couldn’t find anybody. I am not familiar with the place, though, so have no idea if there was somewhere a trespasser could hide.”

“So, someone else was wandering around up there.” Mark pursed his lips and nodded. “Do something for me, Isaac. Go up there with your men and look around. Retrace your steps and look for somewhere an intruder might hide without breaking into any of the buildings.”

Isaac nodded. “It was the killer, wasn’t it?”

“I think it might have been, but what we need to know is whether it was the killer, or someone the killer paid to commit murder for him. Also, who was the intended victim, Tuppence or Mr Lewis?” Mark’s gaze was steady and direct as he waited for Isaac to absorb the significance of what he had just said.