A Forgotten Murder (Medlar Mystery 3)

“Ask for the one fact that no one else knows,” Sara said. “Make them feel important. After breakfast, we’ll—”

“It’s ten thirty,” Kate said. “Breakfast was hours ago.”

Sara was surprised. She wasn’t a person who slept much. “Who have you seen?”

“Everyone except Willa.” Jack paused. “They make fun of her. Especially Clive. He says she’s just what he thought she’d become.”

“He’s probably glad he didn’t get her to buy him a country estate.” Kate sounded bitter.

“Watch out or he’ll go after you,” Jack said.

“Right,” Sara said. “Considering that you’re an heiress, that is a possibility.”

Kate looked puzzled. “I’m not an—” She broke off when the meaning hit her. When Sara died, Kate would probably inherit. “I’m not going to think about that,” she muttered.

“All right,” Sara said. “We want to find out what really happened the night Diana and Sean ran away. Not lies but the truth. I want you two to go to each person and ask for one thing they know. Something no one else knows. Stroke their egos. Jack, you get Nadine, Byon and Teddy. Kate, take Clive and Puck.”

“Teddy wasn’t even born then, so what does she know?” Jack asked.

“Probably a lot,” Sara said. “Coax it out of her. I have faith that you can do it.”

“And what are you going to do?” Kate asked.

“Take a twenty-minute shower and get someone to give me a ride into the village. I want to know what Willa is up to. Jack, find out why Nadine went to the chapel that night. She said she was praying but I don’t believe that. And I want you two to text me everything you find out. We’ll meet at the King James pub at one.”

Jack made some remarks about the “boss lady” being alive and well. He was grumpy at the idea of his task, while Kate was smiling. Like her aunt, she liked the mystery and intrigue. They left, closing the door behind them.

As for Sara, she needed time to be quiet. As a true introvert, people took energy away from her. Kate received energy from them, and Jack... Well, he just wanted the people he cared about to be near him.

Right now, Sara needed time away from them all. The newspaper article and Bella’s wrath had been a blow. Sara had few true friends and she couldn’t afford to lose any. She was feeling guilty. All she’d meant to do was come to England, see her friend and do a little research into what she’d thought was an old mystery. And she’d wanted an excuse to give Jack and Kate time alone. She’d meant to send them off to Scotland together. Maybe if they didn’t always have a third person around, they’d...

She stopped. Forty-plus years of writing romance novels was making her plan everyone’s future. But the idea of the two people she loved most in the world getting together and... Heavens! How she’d like a baby to hold and spoil.

She made herself stop thinking in those terms. Thirty minutes later, she got a ride into the village in a truck with one of the workmen. He let her off by the pub. Across the road was a shop that sold English clothes: well-made and beautiful.

An hour later, she’d visited four shops and bought gifts for everyone at home. Jack’s mother was going to love the teapot and cups. And his sister would like the crafts. Sara knew she should buy Kate’s mother something but all the woman ever wanted was cash—something Kate knew nothing about.

The first text came from Jack.

Byon is frantic. His agent has someone who wants to hear his new music. He needs to leave asap.

Sara wrote back:

Police said he can’t leave. If he resists, hint that he might be considered for Mr. H’s murder.

Jack replied:

Devil is your bestie?

Sara started to answer, but a text came from Kate:

Clive says a billionaire is in London and wants to meet him. He’s frantic to leave.

Sara stared at the phone. “Two frantics. How interesting.” There was a packaging store nearby and she went to it, wrote out the addresses and turned the gifts—and a check to Kate’s mother—over to them to send.

When Kate texted that Nadine had been invited to a party at Lord Hazeldean’s so she really, really wanted to leave, Sara knew that something wasn’t right. She needed to find out what was going on.

She sat down on a bench and began to send emails asking people she knew a lot of questions.