Page 13 of A Curious Ending

Lara tried another tack, ‘Do you think she could have taken an overdose by mistake?’

‘No,’ Dr Patil said firmly. ‘There was absolutely nothing wrong with Elizabeth Porter’s faculties.’

Lara was in complete agreement with him, but he said this so fiercely that she was puzzled.

Dr Patil then started making notes on his computer and quickly and efficiently instructed Lara on the care of her ankle. It seemed the confidences were over. ‘Was there anything else?’ he asked politely, but with finality.

Lara looked helplessly at Abby who was now happily reading the notes on the doctor’s screen. She felt this was a breach of ghostly etiquette but it did give her an idea. ‘One final thing, would you mind telling me when you last saw Lady Porter?’ She carried on quickly, ‘I know it’s none of my business, but I’m just trying to get it straight in my head how she was over the last few weeks. And I wondered if you had seen her?’

After a pause of some moments, Dr Patil started clicking away at the computer and scrolling through the screen. He might not have been so accommodating had he known that Abby’s face was inches away from his right shoulder and that she was quickly reading everything that was appearing before him. ‘I visited Lady Porter a few times this year, both as her friend and as her doctor. However, the last time I saw her, was in a professional capacity, and that was the 10th of August. A minor matter. She was otherwise in good health and spirits.’

Lara mentally registered the date – about three weeks before Lady Porter died.

‘But as I said at the beginning, one never knows. I believe my conclusion, which was reinforced by the coroner, was correct. Now I hope that puts your mind at rest and is the end of the matter.’

Once outside the surgery, Abby commented, ‘Well, Lara McGregor you are full of surprises.’

As she said this in Hindi, Lara stopped dead in her tracks.

Abby continued briskly, ‘Come along, don’t dawdle. We have things to do.’

Chapter 9

There was little opportunity to talk on the way back to the shop as the road was now busy with shoppers. Abby led Balthazar through the lanes and Lara could not help flinching as several pedestrians walked through Abby and her horse. She managed to whisper to her as they approached the shop, ‘Well? What do you think?’

Abby shook her head, but all she would say was, ‘I have reconsidered. I would not want Dr Patil as my physician.’

Lara looked puzzled but had no chance to say any more. From where she stood it was clear that the flower shop was busy and she hurried over to help Becky.

The rest of the morning went by in a whirl. Becky and Lara had wedding flowers to prepare and in between serving customers they worked together on the bouquets and buttonholes. Sarah from the delicatessen popped in with some autumn berry flapjacks – a new recipe she was trialling – and Abby once again marvelled at how Lara appeared to withdraw behind an invisible shield of cool reserve. Abby kept her thoughts to herself but shook her head over it. Becky was just boxing up the wedding flowers on a bed of mint-coloured tissue paper when the door opened and a large fleshy man came into the shop. His smart pink cords and bright primrose waistcoat were stretched tightly across his ample form. Everything about him appeared to shine, from the sheen on his brow to the grease on his unnaturally brown hair. He had very little feet and small, beautifully manicured hands. Abby distrusted him on sight.

‘Good morning, Miss McGregor,’ he wheezed in a high-pitched voice. ‘Lovely, lovely day and my, my what delightful flowers. Beautiful flowers. Beautiful ladieees,’ he drawled, looking at Becky, with a distinctly unpleasant glint in his eye. ‘Now could you make me up a small something. I have a luncheon engagement with an old pal and I always think it’s nice to take a gift.’

Lara stepped forward to serve this customer, putting herself protectively between him and Becky’s diminutive form. Abby smiled when she saw this.

Good morning, Jason, I’m sure we can make you something gorgeous.’ Lara was at her most professional – polite and efficient, and totally in control.

‘Lovely, lovely,’ the visitor said again, smiling and wheezing at the women. His gaze flicked across to where Abby was sitting. ‘Lovely,’ he said for the third time and beamed. His face shone, his teeth positively gleamed but Abby noticed that his eyes remained calculating and cold. Lara chatted to Jason as she worked, discussing Chamber of Commerce business. It became apparent that Jason ran the antique shop nearby.

This, thought Abby, must be the proprietor of Honeybourne Antiques, the bow-fronted shop that she had noticed in the square on the previous morning. There was just something about him that made her say to Lara, ‘Ask Mr Honeybourne about Lady Porter.’ Maybe it was the look in his eye or maybe it was her recollection that Harding the butler (who had dispatched Lord Unwin by drowning him in his bath) had also had exceptionally small feet.

‘What?… oh, ah,’ Lara said, glancing her way.

Jason Honeybourne then repeated himself as if Lara was hard of hearing, ‘I said, the traders will be meeting to discuss the Christmas decorations for the square very soon. I hope we will see you there.’

Lara was nearly caught out in a laugh, but this quickly faded when Jason added, waggishly, ‘I believe our esteemed estate agent, Julian Armstrong, will be chairing the meeting,’ and Lara wondered bitterly if there was anyone in this town who didn’t know what a fool she was making of herself over Julian.

As Jason continued to talk, Abby became restive and stood beside him cocking her head towards him in a suggestive manner.

This did make Lara want to smile, and she commented, with a slight question in her tone, ‘I still can’t get over the fact Lady Porter is no longer part of the life of the square.’

Jason’s expression became ludicrously morose. ‘Yes, yes, indeed. A very sad day for the community when we lost that good lady.’ He bowed his head as if in silent prayer.

Abby raised her eyes heavenwards.

‘Did you know her well?’ Lara asked, suppressing a grin. Really this was getting exhausting. Her face muscles were beginning to ache.

‘Who didn’t know the good lady in some way,’ Jason replied evasively.