Free In Search of Murder--An Inspector Alvarez Mallorcan Mystery by Roderic Jeffries

sufficiently broke to have thought it a good idea to drown him since he had said what he’d leave me and I was desperate for the money?’
    â€˜I have not considered the question until now. Since it is you who have raised the possibility, did you kill him?’
    â€˜Christ, no! Don’t you understand, we were friends?’
    â€˜If Señor Picare became convinced his wife was not having an affair, was their relationship as before?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Do you understand why not?’
    â€˜I assumed he couldn’t wholly believe the report the detective had given him, his suspicion had upset her too much for a full reconciliation, or, more likely, she knew full well how much he was having on the side’
    â€˜Did he ever mention divorce?’
    â€˜No. But if he had, I reckon he’d have said that it was better to try to put up with things rather than have to give her most of his money because the courts always favour the wife. He hadn’t got used to big money and still thought like a small farmer. He’d suggest we went out to a café and it would be a case of his round, my round.’
    As it should be now, but wouldn’t, Alvarez thought. ‘You were at Vista Bonita the day he died.’
    â€˜And he was alive when I left.’
    â€˜You didn’t say goodbye to the señora?’
    â€˜I presumed she was still out and anyway I was too thoughtful to annoy her and find out.’
    â€˜Why would a normal courtesy do that?’
    â€˜She regards me as a baleful influence. I’m not wealthy and fail to corroborate her in public when she says his farm was over four hundred acres of prime grazing land and his home-bred cows won many awards at agricultural shows.’
    â€˜Did he have many friends here?’
    â€˜Fewer than he would have done if on his own.’
    â€˜He still seemed to enjoy himself?’
    â€˜With the women. When you talked about friends, I thought of men or couples.’
    â€˜You’ll have met several of his female friends.’
    â€˜He wasn’t generous.’
    â€˜You didn’t meet any of them?’
    â€˜Only one.’
    â€˜Her name?’
    â€˜Can’t remember.’
    â€˜Think harder.’
    â€˜At the moment, all I can tell you is that she came out to the island after her husband died. She put on a soulful face and Neil took her to a meal at the Residencia to cheer her up. That will have got her thinking of diamonds.’
    â€˜She had an affair with Señor Picare shortly after her husband died?’
    â€˜She had lived in Essex.’
    â€˜Why should that explain anything?’
    â€˜The devil once stayed there, but found conditions so extreme he hurried back to hell.’
    â€˜Is she still on the island?’
    â€˜I think she rents a flat.’
    â€˜Where?’
    â€˜I’m not certain. Incidentally, I’ve remembered her name. Lynette.’
    â€˜Her surname?’
    â€˜Hasn’t yet returned to my memory.’
    â€˜Give me some more names.’
    â€˜She’s the only one from his coven I met.’
    â€˜You never learned through her – women find it difficult to keep such information to themselves – who were his other female interests?’
    â€˜Not after I took her to a meal at a local restaurant and she mentioned to Neil what poor quality the food had been.’
    â€˜Was he annoyed to learn you’d taken her out?’
    â€˜He called it a sparrow challenging a golden eagle.’
    â€˜Rather humiliating for you?’
    Russell shrugged his shoulders.
    â€˜Is there anything more you can tell me which might be of consequence?’
    â€˜Absolutely nothing.’
    â€˜Then I have no need to trouble you further. Thank you for your help.’
    It was almost nineteen hundred hours when Alvarez once again parked in front of Vista Bonita. Rosalía opened the front door.
    â€˜What d’you want?’ she