Free The Dungeon House (Lake District Mysteries) by Martin Edwards Page B
Authors: Martin Edwards
where she’d last been happy with Nigel. ‘On the coast.’
‘I’m sure it’s marvellous,’ Edna said. ‘When will you be back?’
‘Not sure, to be honest.’ Joanna gave her neighbour a brilliant smile. ‘I’m hoping to catch up with an old friend of mine. By the by, Edna, could you do me an enormous favour? Would you mind taking care of Darcy while I’m away?’
Maggie stared at Hannah. ‘Surely there’s no doubt what happened?’
Les gestured toward the headlines screaming from old newspaper cuttings. Three Dead after Rifleman Rampage. Suicide Husband Killed Wife and Daughter . ‘Not if you believe what you read in the Press.’
‘Which we never do,’ Hannah said.
He gave her a sly grin. ‘Over to you. Tell us about Ben’s take on the case.’
‘He and his girlfriend – Cheryl, his future wife – knew the Whiteleys.’
‘So I discovered when I looked up the files. They even had dinner with Lysette and Amber Whiteley and some others a few hours before the killings. They were interviewed, but nothing in their statements suggests Ben had a particular theory. He didn’t take part in the investigation, because of the personal link.’
‘Cheryl was Lysette Whiteley’s oldest friend. It’s coming back to me now.’ Hannah closed her eyes. In her mind, she heard Ben’s husky voice, telling the story. ‘As I recall, they’d known each other since primary school. Two pretty girls, popular with the boys. Cheryl played the field, but Lysette never got the chance. She and Malcolm started going out together, and that was that. Fate sealed.’
Maggie winced. Hannah could read her mind. The young DC’s journey through life had seemed pre-destined, but she’d had the courage to strike out on her own.
‘You can always escape, if you want to enough.’
‘I’m not saying Lysette was a coward. Whiteley was hard-working and faithful, and crazy about her. Millions of women settle for much less. He made money hand over fist, and bought a palace where they could live happilyever after. The fly in the ointment was Lysette’s boredom. Her interests were very different from his, and the cracks showed as their daughter grew up. Malcolm thought the sun shone out of Amber’s backside, but Lysette thought he spoilt her rotten. When Amber misbehaved, they quarrelled over how to discipline her. The marriage was in trouble, long before Malcolm realised it.’
Les was curious. ‘Cheryl told you all this?’
‘No. this came second hand, from Ben. Cheryl and I were never … close.’
‘Uh-huh.’
Hannah felt herself colouring. ‘Cheryl introduced him to Malcolm and Lysette Whiteley after they moved to the Lakes. When he transferred to the Cumbria Constabulary, they came up to her old stamping ground, near Gosforth, and were invited to the Dungeon House more than once.’
‘What did Ben make of Whiteley?’ Maggie asked.
‘They were chalk and cheese. He said Whiteley was matey enough, or at least thought it didn’t hurt to be on good terms with a cop. Lysette he liked. She was fun to be with, and didn’t spend her life talking about herself, or showing off how much money they had.’
‘Did he realise the marriage was on the rocks?’
‘Yes, Cheryl hinted that Lysette was seeing someone else.’
‘Who was the other man?’
‘Ben didn’t know for sure. Cheryl wasn’t in on the secret. Lysette was very discreet, but the smart money was on a local artist. Lysette enjoyed painting, and he gave her one-to-one tuition. Cheryl suspected that wasn’t allhe was giving her. Though Ben also wondered about the man who raised the alarm after the shootings. The head gardener.’
Les whistled. ‘Doing a Lady Chatterley?’
‘It crossed Ben’s mind. But he admitted it was very unlikely.’
‘What exactly happened?’ Maggie never liked discussion about a case to be sidetracked. ‘When did the gardener find the bodies?’
‘Sunday, the day after the barbecue. He turned up to finish
‘I’m sure it’s marvellous,’ Edna said. ‘When will you be back?’
‘Not sure, to be honest.’ Joanna gave her neighbour a brilliant smile. ‘I’m hoping to catch up with an old friend of mine. By the by, Edna, could you do me an enormous favour? Would you mind taking care of Darcy while I’m away?’
Maggie stared at Hannah. ‘Surely there’s no doubt what happened?’
Les gestured toward the headlines screaming from old newspaper cuttings. Three Dead after Rifleman Rampage. Suicide Husband Killed Wife and Daughter . ‘Not if you believe what you read in the Press.’
‘Which we never do,’ Hannah said.
He gave her a sly grin. ‘Over to you. Tell us about Ben’s take on the case.’
‘He and his girlfriend – Cheryl, his future wife – knew the Whiteleys.’
‘So I discovered when I looked up the files. They even had dinner with Lysette and Amber Whiteley and some others a few hours before the killings. They were interviewed, but nothing in their statements suggests Ben had a particular theory. He didn’t take part in the investigation, because of the personal link.’
‘Cheryl was Lysette Whiteley’s oldest friend. It’s coming back to me now.’ Hannah closed her eyes. In her mind, she heard Ben’s husky voice, telling the story. ‘As I recall, they’d known each other since primary school. Two pretty girls, popular with the boys. Cheryl played the field, but Lysette never got the chance. She and Malcolm started going out together, and that was that. Fate sealed.’
Maggie winced. Hannah could read her mind. The young DC’s journey through life had seemed pre-destined, but she’d had the courage to strike out on her own.
‘You can always escape, if you want to enough.’
‘I’m not saying Lysette was a coward. Whiteley was hard-working and faithful, and crazy about her. Millions of women settle for much less. He made money hand over fist, and bought a palace where they could live happilyever after. The fly in the ointment was Lysette’s boredom. Her interests were very different from his, and the cracks showed as their daughter grew up. Malcolm thought the sun shone out of Amber’s backside, but Lysette thought he spoilt her rotten. When Amber misbehaved, they quarrelled over how to discipline her. The marriage was in trouble, long before Malcolm realised it.’
Les was curious. ‘Cheryl told you all this?’
‘No. this came second hand, from Ben. Cheryl and I were never … close.’
‘Uh-huh.’
Hannah felt herself colouring. ‘Cheryl introduced him to Malcolm and Lysette Whiteley after they moved to the Lakes. When he transferred to the Cumbria Constabulary, they came up to her old stamping ground, near Gosforth, and were invited to the Dungeon House more than once.’
‘What did Ben make of Whiteley?’ Maggie asked.
‘They were chalk and cheese. He said Whiteley was matey enough, or at least thought it didn’t hurt to be on good terms with a cop. Lysette he liked. She was fun to be with, and didn’t spend her life talking about herself, or showing off how much money they had.’
‘Did he realise the marriage was on the rocks?’
‘Yes, Cheryl hinted that Lysette was seeing someone else.’
‘Who was the other man?’
‘Ben didn’t know for sure. Cheryl wasn’t in on the secret. Lysette was very discreet, but the smart money was on a local artist. Lysette enjoyed painting, and he gave her one-to-one tuition. Cheryl suspected that wasn’t allhe was giving her. Though Ben also wondered about the man who raised the alarm after the shootings. The head gardener.’
Les whistled. ‘Doing a Lady Chatterley?’
‘It crossed Ben’s mind. But he admitted it was very unlikely.’
‘What exactly happened?’ Maggie never liked discussion about a case to be sidetracked. ‘When did the gardener find the bodies?’
‘Sunday, the day after the barbecue. He turned up to finish