Killing Cousins by Alanna Knight Read Free Book Online

me for that. His suffering has only just begun. Losing Thora was merely the beginning of the nightmare of what he will now have to endure.'
    'Listen,' said Faro sternly. 'I know exactly how you feel. Many's the time I've suspected, aye, known, that murder has been committed, and I've been so sorry for the innocent folks involved that I've been tempted, even wished, as you are wishing, that I'd never poked and probed into the whole sorry business.'
    Vince had taken to pacing the floor angrily, as if to thrust out the force of his stepfather's words.
    'Your first debt, lad, let me remind you, is not to Francis Balfray. It is to his wife, an unfortunate young woman, loved by all for her many virtues it seems, who was put to an agonising slow death by someone close to her. Someone I don't doubt that she loved and trusted. You know as well as I do that arsenic has always been the most popular and easiest way of getting rid of unwanted relatives. It began with the Caesars, so much in demand in Imperial Rome that food tasters were as numerous and as necessary as chefs.'
    'Very popular with the Borgias, too, I seem to remember, Stepfather. "Le poudre de succession", that's what the French call it'
    'And with good reason. You're being blinded by the closeness of these tragic events around you, Vince. But I beg you, cast all sentiment aside and think calmly and coldly about what really happened and why.'
    Vince gave him a horrified look. 'You mean that until we know the motive for Thora's death, some other member of the family might also be in danger. Is that it?'
    Leaning on the table, Faro continued, 'Precisely. We now have a murderer on the loose and having got away with it once, he - or she - might decide to strike again. I'm presuming that Francis stood to gain by his wife's death and so he must be watched very carefully.'
    Vince sat down suddenly. 'Come to think of it, he told me something, oh, just last week. He was riding back from the harbour along the cliff path after dark when someone leaped out waving a cloak or something. His horse was terrified and threw him, luckily on to the grassy slope. But they both had a lucky escape - another yard and they would have been over the cliff and into the sea. Very nearly a tragedy. Doesn't bear thinking about,' he added with a shudder and, springing to his feet, he looked down at his stepfather. 'Poor old Francis, I wish you could have seen him. He staggered in, all muddied and shaken. Got the fright of his life, although he passed it off as a practical joke.'
    'Some joke,' said Faro grimly.
    Vince looked at the mantelpiece clock. 'We'd better start dressing for dinner. Too late to summon the Procurator Fiscal, I suppose, even presuming we could get a boat to take us to Kirkwall.'
    'I doubt that would be a popular request with everyone preparing for the wake. Besides, he'd hardly welcome being summoned at this hour.'
    Vince's sigh sounded suspiciously relieved. 'If I'm for the chop I'm glad to delay the evil hour.'
    'Let's not think about that, lad. There were extenuating circumstances. After all, you're a young doctor...'
    'Please don't make excuses for me, Stepfather. I'm making enough for myself without your help. And whatever you say by consolation doesn't alter the fact that I compounded a felony. I'd like to get it over as soon as I can, so can we now talk about motives and opportunities?
    'She was an heiress in her own right, distaff side. Francis inherits her fortune and, as there is no direct heir in the event of his demise, Thora willed everything to Norma Balfray. Thora was the child of Sir Joseph's second marriage, so she could only inherit Balfray if she outlived her stepsister.'
    'Interesting,' said Faro thoughtfully.
    'Norma inherited a penniless Balfray, heavily in debt. As for Francis, he has no direct claim to it. He belongs to a cadet branch of the family - you can look at the family tree sometime if you're interested. They share the same