Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths by Holly Bell (good book recommendations TXT) 📗

enough not to do it too often.’

Trelawney sat and thought. Moffat brought in the tea tray with his own homemade scones.

‘What a treat!’ said the inspector. ‘It’s not that long since I had lunch. At this rate, I shan’t need dinner, but how can I resist? Thank you, Moffat.’

‘Not at all, sir.’

Trelawney picked up the blue-and-white-patterned china plate at his elbow, split his scone, and slowly and thoughtfully applied butter, jam and cream.

‘Is it possible, ladies, that Samantha could have known about the insider trading? Could have possessed proof of what her mother and grandfather were involved in?’

‘I should imagine,’ responded Cynthia, ‘that Veronica and Lofty were careful, but my impression of Samantha is that she was the type to snoop. She may well have deeply resented her mother and grandfather, once she suspected their plans for her.’

‘Which were?’

‘Well, now, according to Ginny Howard —’

‘Lady Southgate, you know, Inspector,’ Gwendolen interpolated.

‘Indeed?’

‘An old friend, and a dear soul,’ explained Cynthia. ‘We still keep in touch. According to Ginny, Lofty and his Morticia of a daughter were grooming Samantha to be the next bait to catch the next rich fish with. However, much as the girl liked Daddy’s money, she resented being used.’

‘So why didn’t Samantha leave her mother and go and live with Damian?’

‘That was my question, Inspector, and so I asked Ginny, but she said she was afraid Veronica had demonized Samantha’s father too thoroughly for that.’

‘So, if she was in possession of incriminating evidence against her grandfather and mother, she may have felt desperate, or so alone that she turned to the wrong person for help?’ suggested Trelawney.

‘Entirely likely.’

‘Did you receive this information recently, may I ask, Miss de Havillande?’

‘Ginny and I had a chat on the telephone yesterday.’

‘And ... you didn’t feel inclined to convey this to me at once?’

‘Oh, we knew you’d find your way to us sooner or later, dear Inspector.’ explained Miss Armstrong-Witworth comfortably, with her gentle smile. ‘Do have another scone.’

Chapter 24

Jonathan’s Dream

‘You don’t think it constitutes a bribe, do you? As it’s Jonathan’s favourite?’ Amanda asked anxiously. In anyone else, the inspector would have suspected irony. But he knew that, when she posed such a question with so serious an expression, she was being absolutely guileless.

‘Well now, Miss Cadabra, do you, from time to time, choose to restock the library’s supply of lime flower teabags?’

‘I do, Inspector.’

‘Then I believe, we can leave your thoughtful contribution off the record.’ Her concerned conscientiousness both appealed to and amused him.

Amanda was visibly relieved. Trelawney knew better than most that Miss Cadabra could spin, omit, misdirect and evade as well as the most skilled diplomat. However, when she did speak frankly, he could rely on her meaning exactly what she said. It was so rare a quality that it was something he especially l… liked about her.

‘Shall I report to you afterwards, Inspector?’ she was asking.

‘I’m afraid I have to be back in Cornwall for tomorrow,’ he replied. Trelawney was still well aware of the confidential informant who had offered to meet him at The Cosy Coast Café. Hopefully, he would learn news of the Flamgoynes appearing in Parhayle near the date of the cliff incident. ‘I’ll try to be back in the afternoon or the following day.’

As the interview with Jonathan, although at Amanda’s suggestion, was also at Trelawney’s request, she was to be lent the ‘Situation Room’ partition of the library for the purpose. Amanda had explained that this would suit Jonathan best, a secluded area in the place where he felt the most comfortable.

With two steaming cups on the low table before the well-padded, mid-blue seats, she opened with,

‘First, Jonathan, I want to say I’m sorry I haven’t found the time to talk to you before now about the stacks. I know you wanted to tell me something about them. Mrs Pagely has mentioned it to me more than once.’

He gave her his mild and unconsciously but devastatingly attractive smile. ‘That’s all right. I know you’ve been busy.’

‘That’s kind of you. And now … please … would you tell me all about it?’

He looked at the tea, watching the water vapour gently rising.

‘I don’t really know where to start. And now this has happened,’ said Jonathan, troubled.

‘Perhaps if you tell me what you were going to tell me before it happened?’ Amanda suggested gently.

Jonathan nodded his handsome head.

‘All right. Well, you know that day?’

‘The day I felt uncomfortable, while you were copying the maps for me?’

‘Yes, and it made you asthmatic. Well … it’s always felt odd down there, as I told you. But it’s more than that. It’s as though it has a sort of … personality. It doesn’t seem to mind me. Doesn’t seem to mind Mrs Pagely, but she seems to sense something about it, and never goes down there if she can ask me to instead.’

‘That’s interesting, Jonathan. A personality?’

‘Yes, with likes and dislikes and,’ he lowered his voice, ‘a sort of mind of its own.’

‘Regarding who is welcome?’

‘Yes … but not just that.’ He lapsed into bemused silence.

‘What else?’ Amanda prompted softly.

He looked at her and nodded again.

‘About the books.’

‘What about them exactly?

‘About what books are down there,’ Jonathan replied.

‘You mean it chooses …? No, I don’t quite understand. Can you explain it to me, please?’

‘Well … books appear and disappear. Books appear that I’m sure I’ve never seen before, never catalogued, or Mrs Pagely either. And then there are others that simply disappear and then, sometimes, later, are found somewhere else down there entirely.’

‘Misshelved?’ suggested Amanda.

‘Not just that, but in storage boxes or inside a ring binder. Places they’ve no business to be,’ Jonathan explained intently.

Amanda sat back. ‘That is odd,’ she agreed.

‘But there’s more,’ continued Jonathan earnestly, encouraged by her curiosity and acceptance of his narrative.

‘Oh?’

‘And this is the strangest thing of all …’

‘Please tell me, Jonathan.’

‘You’ll think I’m …’

‘I won’t. I guarantee,’ Amanda promised.

‘Well, there have been times when …’

‘Yes?

‘You know that bit of open space? Where the A3 copier with the