Free The Droitwich Deceivers by Kerry Tombs Page B

their way up the winding staircase onto the main landing, and then climbed the narrower wooden stairs that lead to the upper reaches of the house. Here Ravenscroft knocked on the door of one of the rooms, and was rewarded by a voice he recognized.
    ‘Good day to you, Miss Petterson,’ said Ravenscroft entering the schoolroom.
    ‘You have news of Mildred?’ asked the governess risingquickly from her school desk and coming forwards to meet the two policemen.
    ‘I am afraid we have little to report, Miss Petterson.’
    ‘I see,’ replied the woman turning away.
    ‘We have made thorough searches of the area around Vines Lane, so we can only conclude that whoever took your charge must have left the town,’ said Ravenscroft.
    ‘Then we may never find her,’ added the governess sadly.
    ‘I hope that we will find her eventually, although that of course may depend on certain people assisting us in our enquiries, and being truthful in their answers,’ emphasized Ravenscroft.
    ‘I have told you all that I know.’
    ‘Forgive me, Miss Petterson, if I say that I do not believe that you have been telling us the truth. May we sit down?’ asked Ravenscroft observing that the governess’s face had become flushed.
    ‘Yes, of course.’
    ‘Now Miss Petterson,’ said Ravenscroft seating himself on one of the chairs, ‘Do you still maintain that you entered the church with the aim of discovering which hymns had been selected for next Sunday’s service?’
    ‘That is what I said, Inspector. I have no cause to say otherwise .’
    ‘It may interest you to know, Miss Petterson, that we have learnt that the vicar has not yet chosen next Sunday’s hymns,’ said Ravenscroft looking intently at the governess over the top of his spectacles.
    ‘Yes … but I did not know that at the time I went into the church. It is the usual practice to change the hymns on a Tuesday.’
    ‘Begging your pardon miss, but you did not say that when we questioned you yesterday,’ interjected Crabb.
    ‘I forgot. Of course I went into the church to see what the hymns were, and when I realized that they had not been changed, then I came away.’
    ‘This could not have taken more than a few seconds Miss Petterson, and yet you claimed that you were inside the church for a full five minutes,’ said Ravenscroft noticing the woman’s unease as she gripped the handkerchief that lay in her lap.
    ‘Perhaps it was less. I am not sure. No, I remember now. Some of the hymn books were spread untidily over the pews. Yes, I picked up the books and returned them to the side-table ; I like things to be neat and tidy, and in their proper place. That is what took the time. I am sorry if I have not made myself entirely clear on this matter. Since poor Mildred has disappeared, my mind has been very unsettled. You must forgive my lack of clarity.’
    Ravenscroft smiled to himself. ‘Miss Petterson, did you meet anyone inside the church?’
    ‘No. I would have said if I had. There was no one else there.’
    ‘You did not arrange to meet anyone in the church?’ asked Ravenscroft realizing that the governess had been put on her guard.
    ‘No, of course not.’
    ‘I would like to turn now to another matter. When we talked with you yesterday, you mentioned that you had been previously employed in the household of Lord and Lady Roberts of Warminster.’
    ‘That is correct.’
    ‘It may interest you to know, Miss Petterson, that we have made enquiries in Warmister, and that today we received a reply by telegram to these which states quite clearly that Miss Petterson the governess died in Warminster five yearsago. How do you explain that?’ asked Ravenscroft confronting the governess and observing her closely.
    ‘I … er … there must be some mistake?’
    ‘There is no mistake, I can assure you. I have the telegram here.’
    ‘I cannot understand … I was employed by Lord and Lady Roberts,’ protested the governess.
    ‘Then you would have no objection to