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Unfortunately, Hargraves was not the kind of man who would be cowed by a single look, and merely threw him a defiant look. The snide smile that curved his lips warned everyone that he was not going to co-operate without being pushed, or taken down to the station.
“Unless you are going to arrest me purely because I want my parcel back, I don’t have to tell you anything,” Hargraves snapped.
“Someone drove a carriage that looks very similar to yours down this lane yesterday and nearly ran this lady over. Not only that, but they returned and then nearly ran both the gentleman and the lady over. That is attempted murder around these parts,” Mark challenged.
“It wasn’t me,” Hargraves snapped and glanced toward his carriage with a shrug. “Lots of people have carriages like mine. You cannot pin it on me.”
“It’s a nice carriage,” Isaac mused as he studied the huge black monstrosity that was parked at the end of Beatrice’s driveway.
“I bought it last year,” Hargraves reported proudly. “It’s top of the range.”
“Must have cost a pretty penny,” Mark replied thoughtfully.
Hargraves carefully ignored that and turned his attention to Beatrice. “If you do receive a package and it contains a plant, it is for me and I should be grateful for it back.” He turned around to walk away only to find Isaac blocking his path.
“Before you go; what were you doing yesterday?” Although his voice was casual, there was a hint of steel hidden in the husky tones that made Hargraves glance around him warily.
“Pardon?”
“Yesterday man; what were you doing yesterday?”
“I was visiting a friend in Tipton Hollow. Then I went home,” Hargraves replied crisply.
“Which friend?”
Silence settled over them for a moment. “He isn’t here anymore.”
“Who?” Isaac demanded.
“My friend, Barnaby Price.”
“Where does he live now then?” Mark demanded. “This Barnaby Price?” He had no doubt that Hargraves was just making information up as he went along just to give them answers, but why?
“Look, what is this? I haven’t done anything wrong so you have no business asking me all these questions.” He pointed one long finger at Beatrice. “She has a plant of mine and needs to give it back.”
“I have nothing of yours,” Beatrice argued. “You keep calling by here because you refuse to accept my word.” She glanced at Mark. “When I didn’t answer the door, he even tried to open the back door.”
“Why?” Mark demanded in a voice that was deadly.
“I knew she was in,” Hargraves retorted, completely unconcerned that he had been attempting to break in.
Hargraves opened his mouth to speak again only for Mark to intervene.
“I warn you here and now, we will investigate your attempt to enter this house without invitation. It is breaking and entering. If your name and address turns out to be different from what you have told us, I will arrest you for giving us false information and hindering a police investigation. If you don’t provide us with your exact name and address, and I find out that you have been pestering these people again, we will find you and you will come down to the station to answer a few pertinent questions. If we have to come after you Hargraves, I promise you here and now that you will not leave until you have told us the truth.” He poked one long finger at the man’s chest. “If someone does not answer their door to you, and you let yourself in, you are breaking and entering. So be warned. Stay out of houses that don’t belong to you.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Hargraves turned around and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As soon as Hargraves had gone, Mark turned to Beatrice.
“Now, I understand that you have made a rather grim discovery this morning?”
Beatrice nodded. “It’s at the top of the garden,” she replied solemnly and accepted the elbow Ben held out to her.
“You don’t have to see it again if you don’t want to,” Ben assured her.
“I am alright. I have already seen it anyway.” Although her words were brave, the reluctance on her face told them all that it was the last thing she wanted to do. Sure enough, she got no further than the rockery before she just couldn’t bring herself to go any further.
