Page 66 of A Curious Ending

‘My very thoughts,’ Abby replied.

Lara found her two friends in the conservatory. The room had been set up for dancing and they were standing watching the first brave couples take to the floor. Lara smiled seeing Ron, the landlord of the Wentworth, twirling his tiny wife confidently around the floor. Lara beckoned them to move somewhere quieter and told them about Richard and Pinky. She asked Sarah, ‘Do you think you could go and find Pinky? I think over a few glasses of wine she might be persuaded to open up about Richard and Julian.’

‘I think I could go drinking with Pinky,’ Sarah agreed.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Kate volunteered, ‘I saw Joe heading for the bar, I could try and corner him. What are you going to do?’ she asked Lara.

‘Circulate and try to find Jason and see who else I bump into on the way,’ Lara replied. Abby had disappeared again, and Lara guessed she might be doing the same thing.

There then followed twenty very frustrating minutes. In the large entrance hall where guests were mingling, she found both Jason Honeybourne and Abby. Jason was moving among the guests stopping for conversations here and there. But just as Abby drew near from one direction, and Lara from another, Jason stepped away and disappeared further into the crowd. As Lara passed the entrance to the bar, she looked in and saw Pinky deep in conversation with Sarah. It appeared they had now moved on to shots and clinked, drank and slammed their glasses in friendly unison. Sarah saw Lara and gave her a discreet thumbs-up sign under the table. Kate was a few tables away with a crowd that included Joe. She did not see Lara but as a chair became vacant next to Joe, Lara saw Kate slip into it.

Lara returned to her searching. To get a better idea of where Jason was, Lara moved halfway up the broad staircase so she could look down on the hall. From her vantage point she watched Jason exchange words with the vicar and a few minutes later with Julian. When Julian moved on, so did Jason. At this point, Abby very nearly got to Jason’s side but he ducked away. He always seemed to be ten steps ahead of her, almost as if he could feel her presence. Lara continued watching Jason as he moved out of sight under the stairwell. To get a better look she climbed further up the sweeping stairs until she was at the very top. There was a lull in the dancing, and the hall was now packed as people headed for the bar. Lara’s eyes scanned the sea of people below, but there was no sign of Jason. It occurred to her that there was also no sign of Richard or Julian.

Lara was just dwelling on what she might say to Julian to get him talking, when she heard Abby’s voice below her bellowing, ‘Lara sit down at once!’ Lara had never heard her shout so loudly or with such urgency, so instinctively did as she was told. Lara collapsed abruptly into a sitting position on the top step. She heard an exclamation of surprise behind her at the same time as she saw Abby mount the bottom step. As Abby ran swiftly up the stairs, Lara swivelled around to see who was behind her. Jason Honeybourne stood a few feet away looking startled. He appeared about to sweep down the stairs past her, but instead he bent down and put his mouth close to Lara’s ear. She could feel flecks of spittle land on her cheek as he spoke. ‘You do want to be a bit more careful, Miss McGregor,’ he wheezed squeakily. ‘You know accidents do happen. Even to lovely ladieees like you.’ He stood up and she watched as his tiny feet in their black patent shoes descended the stairs. As she turned her head away and wiped her cheek, she saw another figure loitering, half hidden on the landing. Richard Porter gave her a long look before turning abruptly away.

By now, Abby had reached the top step and was standing between her and the retreating figure of Richard Porter. ‘What were you thinking!’ Abby exclaimed, glaring down at Lara. ‘You were nearly killed at the theatre! What were you doing standing up here alone? Would you like someone to try again!’ Abby almost squawked in exasperation. Lara thought she had never seen her so cross.

‘Who did you think was going to push me?’ Lara demanded.

‘That would be a close run thing between the two men who you observed. However, if I were a gambling woman I would say that Jason Honeybourne was very tempted to finish what he started.’

‘So you think it was him in the theatre?!’ Lara exclaimed.

Abby looked troubled. ‘I am almost sure of it. Especially as this attempt was so similar. I have observed over the years that murderers are drawn back to the same methodology.’

‘So do you think Jason is our killer?’

Again, Abby looked thoughtful. ‘You will have to leave me to dwell on that for a little longer.’

‘Why did you tell me to sit down?’ Lara asked, intrigued in spite of Abby’s frustrating procrastination.

Abby grew visibly calmer, shook out her skirts and sat down on the top step beside Lara. Lara was surprised to see she was now close to laughter. ‘When I saw a figure behind you, I was reminded of something I heard a customer tell Becky once. I believe the gentleman in question was an old colonel. Apparently, if a gorilla charges you in the Congo, you should sit down. Then if the gorilla does lash out you are unlikely to fall far. If you are standing, I was led to understand a large Silverback can send you flying off goodness knows how far into the jungle.’

Lara was distracted. ‘Someone really told Becky that?’

‘Yes,’ said Abby smiling. ‘Becky appeared most interested. She really is a most polite young woman.’

Lara smiled too. She wondered if Jessica would agree with her.

Chapter 34

As they walked back across the hall, Lara and Abby kept an eye out for the elusive (and possibly dangerous) Jason Honeybourne, but he was nowhere to be seen. She thought she might see if Richard had returned to his table in the ballroom, and was just making her way around the edge of the room when Julian stepped out of nowhere and bodily blocked her path. Putting a hand onto a nearby chair back he effectively sealed off her exit. ‘So, you’ll be dancing with me,’ he said with a self-assurance that made Lara want to hit him. She was about to retreat the way she had come when she remembered something she had wanted to ask him. ‘Why did you ask Joe if he was related to Lady Porter?’ Lara demanded.

‘You mean gardener Joe?’ Julian sounded surprised.

‘Yes,’ Lara said simply.

‘I didn’t,’ Julian said, looking around the room. But he had taken too long to answer, and Lara knew he was lying. Lara just stayed silent and stared at him unblinking. It appeared to dawn on Julian that nothing else was going to happen until Lara got her answer. ‘It was Richard Porter, when he’d had a few. He said something about his mother and Joe. He said he’d put a stop to her giving away his money.’

Lara believed that Richard Porter may well have said this, but she didn’t for a moment believe that Richard was the source of this information.

‘Pinky,’ Abby declared confidently, mirroring Lara’s own thoughts.

‘Okay, satisfied?’ he said, looking irritated.

‘Yes, indeed,’ Abby replied, catching sight of Becky and wandering over to her.

‘Dance with me,’ Julian said, reasserting himself and taking a step closer to Lara. Never had he been so interested in her. Julian Armstrong was clearly used to getting what he wanted and didn’t like it when he couldn’t get his way. She fleetingly wondered if this man could murder to get what he wanted.