Free Witch Is When Things Fell Apart by Adele Abbott Page A

Tregar Court.
    “Detective Maxwell’s phone.”
    I recognised Sushi’s voice immediately.
    “Is Jack there?” I said.
    “Gooder, is that you?”
    The last time someone had addressed me as Gooder was when I was at school.
    “Yes. Can I speak to Jack, please?”
    “I’ve told you. Your point of contact is me now. What do you want?”
    Aside from dipping you head first into a vat of acid? “Nothing, it isn’t important. Will you tell him I called?”
    I didn’t wait for the reply—I already knew what it would be.
     
    “Slow down! I can't understand what you’re saying.” Kathy grabbed me by the shoulders. “Take a deep breath.”
    I took several but it didn’t help. I was ten degrees north of livid.
    “She’s a cow!” I said.
    “Who is?”
    “A poisonous cow!”
    “Who are you going on about Jill?”
    “Sushi!”
    “Have you been inhaling yarn fumes again? You know how that affects you.”
    “Detective Susan Shay. Sushi.”
    “Has Jack Maxwell moved on already?”
    “No. He’s still here, but now he has a minder. Susan Sushi Shay. She had the bare-faced cheek to warn me off.”
    “Warn you off what?”
    “Not what. Who . Jack Maxwell. She said she’s my point of contact now. I’m to leave Jack alone.”
    “What does he say about it?”
    “Nothing. I don’t know. I can’t get near enough to find out. He’s too busy hiding behind his blonde floozy.”
    “Well,” Kathy said. “It’s a good thing you don’t care about him otherwise you might really be upset.”
    She ducked just in time to avoid the kangadillo which I threw at her.
    “I’m not upset. This isn’t upset. This is angry!”
    “So what are you going to do about it?”
    “What can I do?”
    “You have to get Maxwell on his own. Maybe he doesn’t realise what his new partner is up to.”
    “How am I meant to get him on his own when I can’t get near him?”
    “Come on, Jill. You’re the resourceful one.”
    Kathy was right. I did need to get Jack Maxwell on his own. If this really was the way he wanted things to be, then he should at least have the decency to tell me to my face.
     
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    I didn’t want to be seen talking to Beryl Christy in the bakery, so I’d arranged to visit her at home—a rather grand house on the east side of Candlefield. There must be money in baking—Aunt Lucy should set up her own business.
    “Mrs Christy, thanks for seeing me.”
    “You really must call me Beryl. Come inside.”
    Tea and cakes were served on the decking at the rear of the house. The gardens were huge and well maintained.
    “You have a lovely home.”
    “Thank you. My late husband and I bought it many years ago. It’s really much too big for me now that I’m all alone, but I can’t bring myself to move.”
    “I spent some time undercover in the bakery.”
    “How did it go?”
    “Nothing much to report yet. There is one thing I wanted to ask you though. I understand you recently dismissed an employee from the dispatch department.”
    “Eddie Lingard. That’s correct.”
    “Would you mind telling me why you sacked him?”
    “I’m sorry but it’s a personal issue. It has nothing to do with the damaged cakes; I can assure you of that. I can vouch for Eddie.”
    Now I was intrigued, but before I could press her further, a voice from inside the house interrupted us.
    “Mum? Mum?”
    Beryl Christy stood up and walked back towards the open French doors. “Annie, we’re out here.”
    “I should have known you’d be out here.” Annie gave her mother a hug.
    “Annie, this is Jill Gooder. I told you about her.”
    “The private investigator.” She held out her hand. “How exciting.”
    “Not really.”
    Annie had the firm grip of a confident woman.
    “I’d better be going,” I said.
    “Don’t let me drive you away if you still have things to discuss.”
    “It’s okay. We were done anyway. Thanks again.”
    Why had Beryl Christy been so secretive about her dismissal of Eddie Lingard?