A Body in the Village Hall by Dee MacDonald (best business books of all time .txt) 📗

‘I went up to their house,’ Kate said.

‘You did? Why?’

‘Part of my community nursing duties, to see Mrs Payne. I thought he was a bit peculiar but he looked harmless enough. And Mrs Payne is a great deal more clued-up than everyone makes her out to be. I got the impression that she knows exactly what’s going on.’

He looked thoughtful. ‘That’s interesting. I only met her briefly when she confirmed that they had run out of milk that evening.’

‘This is where I have an advantage,’ Kate said. ‘You can’t get close to them but I can. And don’t forget that I have to make a list of patients’ problems and symptoms and then try to work out what might be causing them, so I’m used to doing a bit of detective work.’

‘Yes, I guess you are.’ He looked a little worried. ‘You should leave the detective work to us though, Kate. Who else is on your list?’

‘Well, apart from the serial killer that Angie is convinced is lying in wait, there’s Jess Davey.’

‘I think we can count the serial killer out,’ Woody said, ‘with apologies to Angie.’

‘I had a visit from Jess Davey.’

Woody stopped chewing. ‘You did? Why did she come to see you?’

‘She wanted to know if Kevin looked peaceful when I found him on the beach. Then she went on about Fenella not paying up and how all their dreams had been shattered,’ Kate said.

‘Their dreams?’

Kate laid down her knife and fork. ‘Yes, apparently they were planning to get away and buy a place in Spain.’

Woody shook his head. ‘Well, I suppose poor Kevin reckoned he’d earned his house in Spain if he spent seven years in jail for something he didn’t do. So nobody could blame Jess if she stuck the knife in Fenella, but that doesn’t solve Kevin’s murder. I’m amazed she came to see you. Why did she?’

‘I think it’s because I’m a nurse – people are happy to chat, not just about their health, but anything else that comes into their heads. A bit like people chat a lot to their hairdressers. And that way I’m hoping to get to know all the suspects and that maybe one of them will drop their guard.’

‘Kate,’ Woody said, leaning forward and looking into her eyes, ‘please be careful. You could be walking on dangerous ground if one of them is guilty. And that, of course, is one of the main reasons why no one must know we’re friends, because if they thought you were extracting information and passing it on to me…’

‘No one knows,’ Kate said more confidently than she felt after Jess Davey’s remark.

‘Well, your sister knows,’ Woody reminded her. ‘And Maureen may have guessed.’

‘Angie won’t tell,’ Kate said, trying to keep the doubt out of her voice and aware that Luke probably knew. ‘Anyway, if you’re not one hundred per cent convinced by Billy Grey’s confession, then why aren’t you still investigating the others?’

‘Because,’ Woody replied, ‘now we have someone in custody I can’t waste police time and resources. But, like I say, this is police work. Just be very careful and take no chances. Whatever you do, don’t be alone with any of them, because there’s a real chance that our killer is still out there. I know you mean well,’ he said gently, ‘but if someone suspects you’re probing there could be dire consequences, particularly if it’s one person who’s killed twice. You must not become number three.’ He drained his glass. ‘I’m serious, Kate. Don’t get too close to any of them, not even Maureen. And Sandra Miller would be quite fit to thump you at the very least!’ There was a glimmer of a smile on his face. He glanced at his watch. ‘We still have half an hour, so no more shop talk. Tell me about yourself and your sons, Kate. Has there been anyone else since your divorce all those years ago?’

‘I’ve had a few relationships,’ Kate admitted, remembering the builder who’d shared her life for five years and built her an amazing conservatory. And the head teacher who’d asked her out after she’d visited the school for parents’ day, a relationship which lasted for four years, much to the horror of her boys. ‘They were beyond being embarrassed at their mother going out with “Old Mac”, so called because his name was MacKay and he was all of forty-six. Then I met a few on an online dating agency, including an actor who used to ask me to listen to him trying to memorise his lines. To this day I can recite a fair amount of King Lear!’

Woody laughed. ‘Well, I’ve met a few ladies since my wife died. I was surprised at how many policewomen decided I needed looking after and I have to say they cooked me some great meals.’

Kate could believe that – he really was very fanciable indeed.

‘There was one who lasted a few years,’ he went on, ‘but she wasn’t a policewoman, she was a physiotherapist. I had some muscle injuries after playing rugby and I was sent to be manipulated by Kerry. And boy, did she manipulate me!’

Kate felt an irrational surge of anger towards the manipulative Kerry.

He reached across and took her hand in his. ‘And now there’s you! Though I’m just sorry we can’t spend more time together at the moment,’ he said, still holding her hand. ‘I have to leave shortly but I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. Hopefully we can lunch closer to home in the not-too-distant future.’

He insisted on paying for the meals and then, outside on the pavement, he gave her a quick hug and said, ‘Take care, Kate.’

Twenty

‘Your turn to visit Clare Payne,’ Sue said when Kate arrived at the surgery the following morning.

Kate had been wondering how to contrive a meeting with Dickie Payne again. More importantly she wondered how to get him on his own and hopefully find