An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd Read Free Book Online Page B

somehow. But I hardly think, knowing Marjorie, that she would do such a thing. So who else could it be? That’s a matter for the police. But you won’t get anywhere unless you look the truth in the face.”
    Patricia winced. We were all feeling decidedly uncomfortable. One didn’t discuss such things openly, and yet Cynthia had.
    Juliana was bent over her ball of yarn, rewinding it after dropping it, avoiding looking at any of us.
    I shot a quick glance at Serena’s face. I don’t think she’d bargained for someone as strong willed as Cynthia.
    And then Serena surprised me. She said, “I don’t want to believe there was someone else. After all, Marjorie was married to my brother. But I’m grateful for your honesty. I’ll speak to the police. I wasn’t supposed to mention it, but they’re of the opinion now that someone noticed the rather fine lozenge brooch she was wearing when she was killed. It’s missing, of course. Along with her purse. These new friends she possibly made—the police ought to be awareof them. Surely it won’t hurt to look into who they are.” She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece and set aside her knitting. “I think the gentlemen have had long enough to bore themselves to death. Let’s rout them out and have our tea brought in.”
    She turned away to ring for tea, but her shoulders were stiff, and I thought she wouldn’t soon forgive Cynthia for being outspoken and voicing what Serena already knew to be true.
    As for a missing brooch, Inspector Herbert hadn’t asked if she was wearing it at the railway station.
    Serena had just lied to distract Cynthia and the rest of us from any thought of a lover.
    She went in search of her husband and his guests.
    A silence filled the room after she’d gone. I realized the sun now coming through the window was warm on my feet. I shifted a little in my chair.
    Everyone looked at me as if I were about to speak.
    Finally Mary said, “I didn’t know where to look when she was talking about Marjorie.”
    Patricia said, her voice irritable, “We’d be liars if we didn’t admit that we’ve been curious about what happened.”
    “Well, she certainly put paid to any more gossip, didn’t she? I think we all must have had in the back of our minds that Marjorie must have done something to lead to her death. Making her as guilty as whoever killed her,” Cynthia said. “The police should have made it clear about the missing brooch. It would have quelled a good deal of speculation and talk.”
    I put my knitting into its bag and said, “I’m cross-eyed from counting stitches. At least the sun has come out. It will be good to walk a little after tea.”
    The others turned to me as if I’d changed the subject on purpose. Which I had.

C HAPTER F IVE
    L YING AWAKE in my bed that night long after Mary was asleep, I considered Serena’s lie about the brooch.
    It had been a foolish thing to do. She was bound to be found out when Marjorie’s murderer was caught and tried. I couldn’t help but wonder what other lies she might have told people who came too close to the mark, as Cynthia had done.
    And Cynthia Newley had brought up a very interesting point. That if Marjorie was meeting a man in places where neither of them was known, she was outside that safe circle of acquaintances and familiar surroundings that made it possible for women to move about London on their own. If her murderer had come from those shadows, the chances of finding him would be very slim indeed.
    On the other hand, if the killer wasn’t a stranger, Serena was running a risk openly digging for information. Just as one of her guests might unwittingly know this person, one of them might just as unwittingly tell him how close Serena was coming to uncovering the truth.
    None of her efforts would bring her brother back to her, even if she could personally hand Marjorie’s killer over to the police.
    I was surprised that Jack Melton hadn’t reined in her attempts to question his