Free LS 13 - Murder in a Different Place by Lesley Cookman Page B

know.’
    ‘People who’ve left the Island?’ asked Fran tentatively. ‘Amelia said she lived away for some time, and so did Honoria.’
    ‘Did she?’ Alicia looked surprised. ‘She doesn’t usually talk about it.’
    ‘She didn’t actually talk about it, just said she had,’ said Libby. ‘Was it at the same time Amelia was away?’
    ‘Amelia was away for a long time.’ Alicia went to fetch milk from the fridge. ‘She came back between her husband’s postings.’
    Libby and Fran exchanged glances. This was difficult.
    ‘So what about other people who left the Island?’ asked Fran.
    ‘Well, we wouldn’t know any of them any more, unless they came back to visit. The only people who do that are the Clippings.’
    ‘Oh, yes,’ said Libby. ‘Amelia mentioned Amanda Clipping. Her parents live in Surrey?’
    ‘Yes.’ Alicia sighed. ‘They moved when John got his promotion. We all thought they’d come back when he retired as they kept the house here, but they stayed there. I suppose they’d made friends.’
    ‘So Amanda uses the house. Does anyone else?’ asked Fran. Both Alicia and Libby looked surprised at this question.
    ‘I don’t think so. Amanda comes for the odd weekend and at other times. She sometimes brings guests.’ Alicia began to pour coffee.
    ‘Amelia said she had a guest with her at the funeral,’ said Libby.
    Alicia laughed. ‘I don’t suppose she put it like that. Yes, she had a young man with her, although they were both with another man in a wheelchair. I didn’t know him.’
    ‘So she had two men in tow,’ said Fran with a smile.
    Alicia twinkled. ‘That’s how she put it, isn’t it? Amelia can be a terrible prude, but it’s mainly because she hates getting old, and was considered a beauty in her day, and very daring. We were all surprised when she married her rather dull Roy.’
    ‘Security?’ suggested Libby.
    ‘I suppose so. So tell me what Honoria said.’
    ‘She just confirmed that the only people at the funeral who would have known you all when you were young were the Dougans and Lady Bligh.’ said Fran.
    ‘And that she’d moved away?’
    ‘We asked,’ said Libby. ‘She just said she had and that was that. We didn’t like to ask any more.’
    ‘But you’re dying to know.’ Alicia smiled at them both. ‘Actually, we were all off the Island at more or less the same time, although I was only away very briefly.’
    ‘When was that?’ asked Libby.
    ‘In the fifties. Is it important?’
    ‘If you were all away together, that would be why you don’t know what happened,’ said Fran.

Chapter Ten
    ‘Celia wasn’t away then,’ said Alicia slowly, breaking a long silence.
    ‘When was it?’ asked Libby, practically on the edge of her chair.
    ‘In the fifties,’ said Alicia with a sigh. ‘I married and went to the mainland, but I was back by fifty-five.’
    ‘And Honoria?’ Fran asked quietly.
    ‘She was away until – until about fifty-eight.’ Alicia was looking out of the window.
    Libby looked at Fran and grimaced.
    ‘If you want to talk to the Dougans or Lady Bligh,’ said Alicia briskly, turning back to face them, ‘I’ll give you an introduction, if you think it’ll help Harry.’
    Libby’s eyebrows shot up.
    ‘I don’t think we could just turn up and ask questions,’ said Fran. ‘We haven’t got the right.’
    ‘We’re actually trying to find out about Celia, anyway,’ said Libby. ‘You said she was here during the fifties.’
    ‘Yes.’ Alicia seemed to crumple. ‘I don’t seem to be able to keep up with all this. I’ve got rather muddled. How did we get to Harry and the nineteen-fifties from my poor sister?’
    ‘I’m beginning to wonder myself,’ muttered Libby.
    Alicia sat looking at her for a moment.
    ‘So what you’re saying is that someone we knew became pregnant while at least Honoria, Amelia, and I were away, and Matthew knew about it? But he’d already gone, too. University first and then he went to