Free Murder in Style by Veronica Heley

Lesley really wanted to know.
    Ellie stared at her friend, not knowing how to answer.
    Lesley paced up and down. Impatient.
    Ellie tried to think clearly. ‘Juno is afraid. Clemmie is, too. The senior Cordovers certainly are. I can smell it, almost taste it.’
    â€˜Smell? Taste? How about evidence?’
    â€˜Celine, the manageress of the shop. She’s afraid, too, but she says there’s nothing to be done. Why? It seems to me that the situation is fluid but that it could be sorted out with a redistribution of money. If Juno pays off Ray and Trixie, which she could well do …’
    â€˜Would that be what Poppy wanted?’
    Ellie took a deep breath. ‘No. You’re right. It wouldn’t. That’s why Poppy didn’t update her will, isn’t it? She was going to divorce Ray. About time too, if you ask me, though normally I really don’t think divorce is the right way to go. But, in this case, because Poppy was protecting herself from an addict …? Oh, I really don’t know. As for sending Trixie to drama school, well, that might not be what that brat wants, but I suspect Poppy could have managed it if she didn’t have Ray acting as an open drain on her purse.’
    Ellie tried to think. ‘In a way, Poppy keeping her will that way actually protected her from her greedy family. At least,’ she qualified, ‘it would have done if they’d known about it. Then again, we’re supposed to believe they didn’t know, that they had no idea that she hadn’t made a recent will, but … suppose they did know?’
    She drew her hand across her eyes. ‘Cancel that. Neither of them knew. Take it from me, it came as an unpleasant surprise to both of them.’
    â€˜But if they didn’t know, then both had a motive.’
    â€˜Mm. Clemmie and the senior Cordovers both think, and even go so far as to say, that Ray did it. But they then add that he’s got an alibi, so he couldn’t have.’
    â€˜It’s true. He does have an alibi. What a mess!’ Lesley flung herself into a chair. ‘I’d like to bang their heads together and leave them to it, but I can’t because my instinct tells me that whatever poison brought Poppy to her death is still there, and still working away in the background. Everything about the way they behave rings alarm bells. I’m convinced that if nothing is done, there’ll be another death. You say Juno is frightened? She didn’t strike me as fearful when I interviewed her. Shocked, yes. Frightened for her life? No. Does she think she’s next for the chop?’
    Ellie argued, ‘Why should she be? Who would benefit? If Juno died and her existing will was sent for probate, what would happen? Her father would get the lot. No, that’s not the answer.’
    â€˜Then what is?’
    Ellie wondered, ‘It’s over a week since her sister died and Juno, of all people, was in her sister’s confidence. She knew what Poppy’s will contained because they’d made identical ones. I’m beginning to wonder … What’s the betting that she’s already done something about hers? Those two women worked hard, expanded their business. Neither of them was a fool. Juno must have thought about changing her will and, if she hasn’t done so, then there’ll have been a very good reason why not. Is she protecting herself from her husband? He’s not my idea of a caring, thoughtful spouse, but who knows what happens in a house when the front door is shut on the world? Maybe they’re still devoted lovebirds. And yet … No, he twitted her on not having changed her will so … I have absolutely no idea what’s going on there.’
    Lesley tapped her teeth. ‘I can’t see where the threat is coming from. If Ray were to kill Juno, it wouldn’t ease his finances, would it? And Clemmie’s not the type … though, in my experience,