Free Decked with Folly by Kate Kingsbury Page A

be abrasive at times, and a little too belligerent for her own good, but she is simply not capable of taking another life. I’d stake my own life on it.”
    “Well, let’s hope you don’t have to do that.” Baxter rose as a tap on the door disturbed them. “I’ll let you talk to her alone. She’ll be less intimidated if I’m not here.”
    Cecily had to smile at the idea of Gertie being intimidated by anyone. “Good idea, darling.”
    “You’d better inform her she’s to be a virtual prisoner until Northcott gets back.” He pulled a face. “That’s not going to go down well. Frankly, though, I’m surprised Northcott agreed to hold off arresting her. Usually he’s in his element when he can take someone into custody.”
    “Which just goes to show he’s not confident about his judgement.”
    A second tap on the door sounded louder than the first. Cecily nodded at Baxter then called out, “Come in!”
    Gertie’s anxious face appeared in the gap. “You rang for me, m’m?”
    “Yes, come in, Gertie. Mr. Baxter was just leaving, weren’t you dear?”
    Baxter hesitated for one second longer, then strode out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.
    Gertie still looked uneasy as she took the chair opposite Cecily. “Mr. Baxter didn’t look none too pleased. I didn’t do nothing wrong, did I?”
    It was the second time she’d asked that. Realizing that gave Cecily cause to worry. Praying that she’d been right to defend her housemaid, she said quietly, “Why didn’t you tell me you saw Ian last night?”
    Gertie’s shoulders jerked in surprise. “I didn’t think to, m’m. It weren’t no secret. I’d have told you if you’d asked me.”
    She must have seen something in Cecily’s face since she leaned forward, a frown furrowing her brow. “You don’t think I had anything to do with him dying, do you? He was drunk. The doc said so, didn’t he? He fell into the pond and drowned. I wasn’t even there. I didn’t know—”
    “Gertie.” Cecily paused, then said carefully, “We believe that someone hit Ian over the head with one of the Christmas candlesticks. We won’t know for certain until after the autopsy if the blow to the head killed Ian, or if it simply knocked him out and he drowned, but either way, it appears that the head wound was responsible for his death.”
    Gertie’s face had paled considerably as she’d talked. She seemed to have trouble getting her tongue to work, and finally blurted out, “S-someone deliberately killed Ian?”
    Cecily sighed. “We don’t know if the assailant intended to kill him, but at this point P.C. Northcott is anxious to arrest someone for murder.”
    Gertie might not have had the benefit of a formal education, but she was astute enough to grasp the implication behind Cecily’s words. “So he wants to bloody arrest me,” she stated flatly.
    “Gertie—”
    “I didn’t kill him, m’m.”
    “I know you didn’t, Gertie. Unfortunately, someone told the constable you threatened Ian with a knife. Tell me, is that true?”
    Gertie hung her head. “Yes, m’m. I did.” She looked up again. “Just to frighten him off, though. I would never have used it, m’m. Never. Not even on him .”
    “I believe you.” Cecily sighed. “This all seems very unfortunate at the moment, but I promise you Mr. Baxter and I will do everything in our power to find out who was responsible for Ian’s death before the constable returns from his Christmas holiday.”
    Hope crept into Gertie’s eyes. “He’s not going to arrest me today?”
    “No.” Cecily got up from her chair and walked around to pat Gertie’s broad shoulder. “We promised that you would not leave the hotel until he got back, however.”
    Gertie’s chin shot up. “But what about me twins? They was looking forward to a walk on the seafront. It’s Daisy’s day off, and I promised to take them. I’m supposed to meet Dan down there in half an hour.”
    Cecily wavered.
    Gertie’s dark eyes