Page 80 of A Curious Ending

Sarah looked at Kate. ‘I think Kate’s right.’ Then, as planned, she said, ‘You need to explain more, Lara.’

Lara’s pulse was racing, but she drew in a huge breath and reminded herself that she wasn’t just the town florist, she was a McGregor with a strong family history and her Kindred Spirit had her back.

‘Most people in this room had a reason to want Lady Porter dead.’

Kate held up her hand as others started to speak. ‘Go on, Lara.’

‘Dr Patil… Mo,’ Lara said, trying to soften the blow, ‘you have admitted that you failed to spot a diagnosis, and there have been questions asked about you in the past—’

‘Oh, please save me from rumours about Mr Hussey!’ Dr Patil cried. ‘The man smoked sixty a day, ate a diet of chips and fried food and didn’t want “no foreign doctor telling him he had to eat curry.” He died of cancer. It is a miracle he lasted as long as he did! Do you seriously think I wouldn’t have saved Elizabeth Porter if I could have done? I have loved that woman most of my life.’

Richard Porter gawped at him.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Richard, you barely knew your mother. I’m not ashamed of it. And there is absolutely no suggestion anything was going on. She was my friend, and I learnt to be content with that.’

‘So you know nothing of the room hidden in the attic of this house?’ Lara persisted. Both Lara (and Abby) saw Richard Porter flinch.

Dr Patil said clearly and firmly, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ It had the undeniable ring of truth. ‘I did not kill Elizabeth Porter,’ Dr Patil persisted.

Lara studied him before saying, ‘I know you didn’t, Mo.’ She felt an urge to apologise to the man who now sank back in his chair, but she knew she needed to carry on. ‘This murder has always had its roots in the family.’

Lara ignored Abby’s aside, ‘So very often the case. I sometimes wonder why no one in my family murdered my aunt Augusta. I believe there would have been quite a large list of suspects.’

Lara continued, ‘So this is not about a misdiagnosis or the matter of a small inheritance.’ Her gaze took in Dr Patil and Mrs M. She was suddenly conscious that everyone in the room was now listening to her. Abby had told her that this is how it would be, had reassured her that people would be too interested in hearing what she had to say to query her right to say it. It seemed, yet again, Abby knew what she was talking about when it came to murder.

Her next question cut through the unnatural hush. ‘Joe, how much was Lady Porter planning on leaving you in her will?’

Joe stopped midway towards reaching for a cheese straw. ‘Really?!’

She nodded.

‘You really want me to go there?’ he repeated.

‘Please, Joe.’ Lara had worried about this bit. Would Joe readily admit to what Lady Porter had been planning?

Joe shrugged. ‘About half a million,’ and he bit into a cheese straw.

There was a small gasp. Lara did not know from whom, but it confirmed what Abby and she already suspected, most people here already knew this.

‘Many people would say that was quite a motive,’ Lara observed and she saw that Richard and Julian were nodding vigorously. It struck her that Richard Porter really was a very stupid man. Could he not see where this was heading?

‘But she didn’t leave me the money,’ Joe pointed out.

‘But you thought she was going to, didn’t you?’

Joe shifted in his seat and put the cheese straw down half eaten.

‘Why was she going to leave you so much?’

Joe shrugged. ‘I didn’t ask for it, Lara. She and I just liked talking about gardens. The old girl and I got on.’

Lara felt rather than saw Abby flinch.

‘What did she call you?’

‘Well… Joe,’ he sounded puzzled.

‘Did she sometimes call you Reggie?’