No Clue at the Inn (Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery Book 13) by Kate Kingsbury Read Free Book Online Page A

could think about now was retiring for the evening and enjoying a quiet meal alone with her husband in their suite. After spending two years in the quiet peace of her London town house, she found the bustle and noise of the club to be oppressive. It would take some time to accustom herself to all the upheaval again.
    Feeling just a little depressed, for whatever reason she couldn't be sure, she made her way down the hallway to Baxter's office. Tomorrow would be another day. Her pulse quickened at the remembrance that she had an appointment with Wrotham's widow in the morning. She could hardly wait to find out what it was the late manager's wife had to tell her that was apparently so urgent.
    If there was one thing that was clear after her discussions with Raymond and Jeanette, it was that quite a few people believed Wrotham's death was not an accident. She couldn't help wondering if Wrotham's widow shared that belief and, if so, might perhaps shed some light on what really happened. In any case, the meeting should prove to be quite interesting.
    The following morning, Cecily arose feeling somewhat lethargic, thanks to a restless night in a strange bed. Baxter, apparently, had no trouble sleeping, and in fact, his snoring had been part of Cecily's problem—a fact she kept to herself. In the past Baxter had emphatically denied that he snored, and she had given up trying to convince him otherwise.
    After a light breakfast of poached eggs and haddock in their suite, Baxter announced he had work to do. He kissed his wife and left, leaving Cecily to wait for the arrival of Barry Wrotham's widow.
    Emily Wrotham arrived midmorning, just as Cecily returned from inspecting the accommodations for Mrs. Chubb, Gertie, and her family. Jeanette ushered the woman into Cecily's suite, and waited for her to remove her navy blue coat, which reminded Cecily of a military uniform with its large buttons on the shoulders.
    Underneath, Emily Wrotham wore a serviceable skirt and a plain white shirtwaist relieved only by tiny rows of tucking down the front. Although she was young in appearance, her shoulders were bowed, as if she were too weary to raise her head.
    Reminding herself that the poor woman had recently lost her husband, Cecily invited her to sit, and ordered Jeanette to have coffee and currant buns brought up to the room.
    "I am so sorry to hear of your loss," Cecily murmured as the widow seated herself on the very edge of the couch. "It must have been a dreadful shock for you."
    "Dreadful." Emily's thin voice wavered, and she sought in her sleeve for a large white handkerchief. After dabbing at her eyes, she said tearfully, "The police constable insists that Barry's death was an accident." She gulped, cleared herthroat, loudly blew her nose, then added, "They are mistaken, Mrs. Baxter. Someone pushed my Barry down that well. I'm quite sure of it."
    Cecily lowered herself onto the comfortable armchair. "That's a rather serious statement, Mrs. Wrotham. What makes you so certain that the constables are mistaken?"
    Emily blew her nose again, with more delicacy this time. "Barry hadn't been himself for quite some time before that day. I knew something was wrong, but every time I asked him about it, he insisted all was well. In the end he got quite cross with me for asking him about it. So I had to give up asking. Then, on the day he . . . he . . . died, Sunday it was, he told me he would be working all afternoon here at the club. Stocking the wine cellar, he told me. I was upset because it was his afternoon off, but he said it couldn't wait and he had to take care of it right away."
    She paused, and Cecily waited a moment or two before prompting, "But you found out he wasn't stocking the wine cellar?"
    Emily Wrotham nodded her head. "He'd been giving me that story about working late so many times, he must have forgotten he'd used the one about the wine cellar just two weeks before. I knew he wouldn't have to restock it that quickly, so I