Jolly Foul Play: A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery by Robin Stevens Read Free Book Online Page B

Daisy.
    ‘But if he didn’t move that rake,’ I said, because I could not stop myself, ‘and he really did leave it propped up against the pavilion, then—’
    ‘It was the murderer who took it!’ Daisy finished triumphantly. ‘Again, it all points to one of the Five! They were going between the pavilion, where the firewood was, and the fire, all the way through the evening, to stoke it. Any one of them could have picked up the rake along with a stack of firewood and hit Elizabeth with it. No one else could have been carrying that rake about without attracting notice, and we know that no one
did
notice, because no one’s mentioned seeing it in an odd place before it was found next to Elizabeth. It fits! It has to be one of them!’ We grinned at each other. ‘But – oh, how horrid. By using the rake, instead of just a bit of wood, the murderer must have known that Jones would be blamed. They did it on purpose – to frame him!’
    ‘Oh no!’ said Beanie in horror. ‘Would they really?’
    ‘They did murder someone, Beans,’ said Kitty. ‘
Framing
someone isn’t even half as bad.’
    But it was
, I thought. Why, Jones might have been sent to jail for it. It was a horrid thing to do. This murderer, whoever it was, truly was dreadful. We had to catch them – it was our duty.
    ‘Now—’ Daisy began again.
    Una came down the corridor suddenly, at the end of a trail of first-form shrimps. ‘You lot!’ she snapped. ‘Fourth formers! Why are you out of your lines? Get back in at once, or you’ll be punished!’
    All of us flinched automatically. But then Lavinia shook back her hair and glared at Una. ‘No we won’t,’ she said.
    This time it was Kitty who gasped.
    ‘Lavinia!’ said Daisy, scandalized.
    Una went scarlet. ‘How dare you!’ she said. ‘Why, haven’t you any respect?’
    ‘Haven’t you?’ asked Lavinia boldly. ‘Elizabeth Hurst is dead. You can’t punish us. You’re supposed to be in mourning for her.’
    For a moment I thought that Una might slap her. She stepped backwards, her whole face flushed and her mouth open. ‘I—’ she said. ‘I— Get to your form room at once! Get out! Go!’
    We five turned and – not ran, because that would be against Deepdean rules, but walked, as quickly as we could, away from Una. I was shaking all over, and Beanie was making little whimpering noises.
    ‘Lavinia!’ gasped Kitty, once we were a safe distance away. ‘Whatever came over you?’
    ‘Well, why
should
we do what they say any more?’ asked Lavinia, sticking her chin out. ‘Whether or not I believe that one of them murdered Elizabeth, everything’s changed. Can’t you feel it?’
    I knew what she meant. Things
had
changed at Deepdean. All the rules had bent, and the power had moved. Elizabeth Hurst’s reign was over, and none of us knew what would happen next.
    ‘Well, it was very bold of you,’ said Daisy, frowning. ‘But listen, the important thing is Jones. You saw him just now. He won’t fight for himself, and that means that we need to fight for him. We have to!’
    ‘We will!’ I said, to comfort her, for she looked truly upset. ‘We’re the Detective Society. That’s what we do.’

4
    At bunbreak (slices of Madeira cake, which was lovely), gossip about Jones was all over the lawn.
    ‘Jones has left!’ said Clementine as we stood in a shivering huddle on North Lawn, peering up at the heavy grey sky.
    ‘We know,’ said Daisy shortly.
    ‘It’s because he was the one who caused the accident,’ said Clementine, full of her news. ‘You heard Miss Barnard. He was the one who left out the rake, that Elizabeth stepped on.’
    My heart chilled. It was true. Poor Jones really was being framed.
    Daisy’s hands were clenched against her skirt. For once, she was struggling to control herself. ‘It’s not right!’ she said at last. ‘Jones belongs at Deepdean.’
    ‘Huh!’ said Clementine. ‘It’s not as though he’s one of
us
.’ And she walked