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Chapter 9
Alice closed the five-barred gate behind her and met the cleaning lady as she started down the hill. Clad in overalls and a headscarf, Ruby looked the part.
"It's a good thing I didn't stay in there too long," thought Alice, "It was a close escape.
"Keeping busy!" She said aloud.
Ruby smiled and stopped in front of Alice catching her breath. She looked tired but her eyes had a quick intelligent gleam.
"I've got a contract to make sure your place is kept clean once a week. Will you be there later?"
"I was thinking of going down river to see where it leads for the afternoon."
"That's no problem," said Ruby, "I've got a key."
Her eyes met Alice's for a moment challenging her to object.
Alice merely smiled serenely. "In that case, feel free."
And continued her walk down the hill.
Back at the house, the garden gate had been left open. As Alice turned to shut it behind her, she saw Hugo the police officer standing in the lane.
"Good morning Hugo," she said, politely.
Hugo nodded his welcome and joined her at the gate.
"I've just chased their children out of your garden," he said. "They treat the place as if it was their own."
"It might sound ghoulish," said Alice, "but I was wondering whereabouts in the garden that poor woman was found."
Hugo pushed open the gate and led Alice to a small lawn at the end of the garden. It was private. Surrounding bushes shielded it from the view of passers by. He pointed to the centre of the lawn.
"She was lying there faced down."
Alice looked sadly at the grass where her friend had lain.
"It's a pretty place and doesn't deserve such a memory," said Alice.
"And neither do you," said Hugo. "After all, you are on holiday and such thoughts should be far from your mind."
Alice wandered round to the front door, inserted the key in the lock and went through into the kitchen. Hugo, obviously not feeling he needed to be invited, placed his bulky frame on a chair at the kitchen table while Alice put the kettle on.
"Are you local man, Hugo?"
"You might say so. I married a local girl and when the opportunity came up to become the local police officer, it seemed a perfect opportunity. You met my wife, Melanie. She's the local estate agent. She had the business when I met her and it was easier for me to move my job than for her to move her business. It took a bit of getting used to. The people down here in this valley have their own way of doing things. They like to live and let live. Perhaps that's the best way when people are so close."
Alice wondered whom he was trying to convince. She wouldn't have expected Hugo to be the husband of the estate agent. He had a ruddy heavyset face and short dark crew cut hair. He didn't look intelligent enough to be a career officer. The estate agent, in sharp contrast, had a sharper more calculating air.
Alice wondered who had made the first move when Hugo and Melanie had done their dating and why Melanie had said yes to his advances. She'd give him a quick cup of tea and then send him on his way. There was an important visit to make that afternoon.
The young man called Danny who had approached her in the bar might have more to say if she spoke to him in the right way - in his own home.
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