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

Flossie paused and took a cautious sip of her hot tea. Trelawney was sure that the meat of the story was about to be served.

‘Now, Tom, I don’t suppose you’d know the inside of that place, but the side window at Dr Martin’s looks out onto a little sort of service road.’

‘Slipper Way?’

‘Zackly, it’s the only place you could have seen it from.’

‘It?’

‘What I see that day. There it was: the car. Hedrok Flamgoyne’s. He was parkin’. He must have come round by the coast road to avoid goin’ through the town. Well, I had nothin’ else to do while I waited for your great-uncle in with the counsellor, and was just idly watchin’ Flamgoyne in ‘is car.’

‘Yes, I see.’

‘Then a woman come from the other end of Slipper Way. I remembered her. She had this hair like there was sunshine in it and a black raincoat on and a hat that couldn’t hide all that hair.’

‘Did you know her?’ asked Trelawney.

‘Not personally, but being an artist, I’d always noticed her hair.’

‘Her name?’

‘I’ve been trying to remember … Elizabeth … I’m pretty sure I’m right about that. Elizabeth … and her surname … a Cornish word. Stret? Street? Hyns … path …. road, no …. Perhaps it’ll come back to me.’

‘All right, Gran, you’re doing very well. What did the woman do?’

‘She got into the car. She and Flamgoyne started talkin’ and then he looked around and saw me watchin’. He sort of froze, I saw his lips move and a flash of somethin’ in his hand and then I don’t remember any more ... I sat and read a newspaper. The counsellor and Wella came out. We all arranged for more sessions. And we left. Drink your tea while it’s hot, Tom.’

He took a sip and then asked,

‘And Great-uncle Wella?’

‘He was as good as his word. I gave the casino their money, Wella kept up the therapy and I don’t think he’s spent as much as a tuppenny bit in an arcade since. He paid me back too. Took him quite a while, but he did us both proud. And that was that.’

‘Hm, I see why you wanted to keep this confidential.’

‘The odd thing is,’ pondered Flossie, ‘I hadn’t thought about it in years, that business with Hedrok’s car and so on. In fact, I’m pretty sure I didn’t even remember it until you asked. Still, that’s not so unusual, is it? No reason to think on it, was there?’ She seemed to want reassurance.

‘No, of course not,’ Thomas responded warmly, and yet … it sounded familiar. However, he returned to more concrete matters. ‘The woman, can you remember her age, height, anything else?’

‘About 30, average height, maybe shorter. She had a family, I think …’

‘Parents? Siblings?’

‘A husband and a baby, I believe … not sure …’

‘Does she still live here?’

‘No, no they left soon after, moved up North.’

Up North meant one thing to the English but something different to the Cornish. He checked,

‘Across the Tamar?’ — the river dividing Cornwall from the rest of mainland Britain.

‘That’s right,’ agreed Flossie.

‘Any idea where?’

‘No. Could ’ave gone abroad, I s’pose,’ she suggested.

‘Hm. Well, thank you, Gran, you’ve been very helpful. If there’s nothing else, I must get —’

‘Just you hold on there, little lad.’ Gran Flossie was holding up a finger. She spoke firmly, but with a twinkle in her eye ‘If I’m a C.I., I should get paid, shouldn’t I? That’s ’ow it works.’

Thomas chuckled. ‘What can I get you?’

‘Cream tea and a chocolate éclair to finish off, thank you very much, Tom.’

‘Coming up!’

***

On the way back to Parhayle police station, Trelawney mulled over his suspicions. Of course, it might have been just the passage of years that had dulled Gran’s memory of that day, but somehow … that movement of Flamgoyne’s lips she’d seen … Of course, the man could have just been talking to his companion. But whatever words he’d uttered, coupled with the wave of something in his hand, that sounded a lot like someone casting a spell. A forgetting spell.

It was the one spell he knew something about. It was hard to be sure. If only Miss Cadabra were here. She could deal with all this magical business. Trelawney sighed. Just as he’d thought he was doing some good old-fashioned police work, enchantment reared its ugly head.

Still, once this case was solved — and they were getting closer all the time — he’d have to get used to dealing with things without Miss Cadabra. Suddenly, curiously, he didn’t like the idea of that … he didn’t like it all … in fact, it made him feel …

But this was no time for feelings, Trelawney told himself, as he drove into the station carpark. He now had evidence of Flamgoyne’s presence in Parhayle around the time of the cliff murders, and that Hedrok had had a meeting with a mystery woman. Could she have been connected to Senara Cadabra in some way? Was she the one with inside knowledge of what Senara intended, the one who had sent the poison pen letters? He had to get back to Sunken Madley and Miss Cadabra – Mrs Cadabra, he meant, of course …

Chapter 26

Jonathan’s Library, and Mr Gibbs Lands

Amanda hurried through the glass doors of the Sunken Madley library and went in search of Jonathan. He was by himself, shelving returned books and checking them for any repair or replacement needs. ‘Hello, Jonathan.’

‘Oh, hello, Amanda.’

‘Thank you for telling me about … your experience.’

‘Has it helped?’

‘It may do.’

‘Did you tell the inspector?’ Jonathan asked, a shade nervously.

‘Erm, no. I’m not sure he’d consider it … material. But there is something I forgot to ask you. May I now?’

There was no one nearby, so no need to make it a formal interview in seclusion.

‘Of course, Amanda.’

‘Well, Mr Frumbling, you know?’

‘Ah, yes.’

‘He mentioned that you have a library, a collection of books down in the stacks. Have I understood that correctly?’

‘Yes,