Free Festering Lilies by Natasha Cooper Page A

scene, no physical clues at all – according to the DOAP gossip anyway, and that’s usually accurate.’ She caught herself up at that, but did not bother to deny it aloud. After all Richard knew nothing of Algy’s pursuit of her or the highly overheated speculation that that episode had generated.
    â€˜What about his driver? He must have had an official car, presumably,’ said Richard.
    â€˜Albert – yes, but unfortunately he’s in the clear. Apparently the minister told him to take the car to the top of Cedar’s Road and wait there. Plenty of witnesses have been found to confirm the order and the fact that he sat there. After all a huge black car like that with a chauffeur is pretty conspicuous in Clapham,’ answered Willow, who had already considered and rejected Albert as a possible suspect. She had always thought him a bit of a thug and without an alibi he would have seemed a likely murderer.
    The word ‘witnesses’seemed to jog Richard’s memory.
    â€˜Are you certain that no one saw anything? As far as I can remember Clapham Common is remarkably open and fairly well lit. Hardly any trees. Could anyone have been killed without being seen? Of course, it is a very long time since I’ve been near the place.’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Willow, picking at the carcase of her grouse. ‘There are lights along most of the paths, but when I was there last night, I discovered that it can get pitchy dark in the middle of the grass bits,’ she went on, forgetting the previous day’s fear in amusement at Richard’s distancing himself from his days of struggle in a small Clapham flat.
    Richard, not noticing her amusement, immediately demanded to know what she thought she had been doing wandering about in the dark in much the same terms that the inspector had used, and before she thought, Willow found herself explaining her actions and motives to him. He listened, expressionless, but when she had finished telling him about the joggers and her dramatic encounter with Inspector Worth, Richard put his head in his hands. Concerned for him, Willow reached across the table and laid one of her hands on his thick hair, mildly admiring the contrast of her raspberry-tipped nails against the darkness of his head. He looked up.
    â€˜Willow, I know I have no right to say this, but I do wish that you wouldn’t do things like that. I… I…’
    â€˜What, Richard?’ Willow asked.
    â€˜Oh God, you might think of me before you go and risk yourself like that. If anything happened to you.…’
    Willow looked at him in surprise. Until that evening he had always been scrupulous in keeping his side of their unspoken bargain: Cressida Woodruffe was fair game, but he had no part in Willow’s Clapham life.
    â€˜Oh I know, I’m sorry. What you do at DOAP is none of my business. But, Willow, it’s just so damned dangerous – and if you go annoying whoever it was who killed Endelsham, then you’re going to risk even worse. Willow, promise you won’t do anything to get yourself hurt.’
    â€˜Richard, I…’ she began, but then stopped herself from making him any dangerous promises of obedience.
    â€˜Let’s get out of here,’ he said far more roughly than she had ever heard him speak. He stood up and signalled impatiently for the bill. When it came, he added a hefty tip and signed it. Taking Willow by the arm he then whisked her out of the restaurant and into his Audi. Neither spoke on the short drive back to Chesham Place. When they were at last in Willow’s bedroom, Richard tried to make up for his attempted infringement of her independence.
    â€˜I couldn’t help it, Willow. I’m sorry.’ He dropped on his knees in front of her, wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her silken skirt. She laid both hands on his head and there was even a hint of tenderness in her