Dishing the Dirt

Charles sat down at the kitchen table. The cats jumped onto his lap. “Now why do you think that?” he asked.

“Often people who are murdered are what Scotland Yard calls murderees. They set up dangerous scenarios which lead to them being killed. Ruby was having an affair with the police chief superintendent. He says he was just on a visit, but Ruby screamed of ambition and as we know from Simon, she coldly used sex as a weapon. Is the superintendent married? What if his wife knew of the affair? What do we know of the latest ex-husband? Perhaps she slept with other men to further her career and then dropped them. There is no record of her having contacted Jill Davent. It seems to me that our murderer wants to eliminate anyone who was close enough to Jill to reveal his identity.”

Charles looked at her curiously. He knew, from past experience, that Agatha’s seeming flights of fancy were based on sharp intuition.

“So we should start at the beginning,” he said. “Let’s go now and see Mr. Nichols and find out who she might have been having an affair with when she was married to him.”

“I’ll phone Patrick first and find out what he knows,” said Agatha.

Patrick said that Ruby’s last husband was a detective inspector called Jimmy Carson. He had an impeccable reputation. In fact, Patrick had been to see him. He had said that Ruby was difficult and was always throwing scenes. He had been glad to agree to an amicable divorce. He only saw his children from time to time because he was always busy.

“I didn’t get a report from you about this,” said Agatha.

“I was going to get round to it,” protested Patrick, “but with so many suspects, it didn’t seem top of the list. Also, Gwen Simple’s phone has been bugged by the police for ages. Nothing there. Doesn’t even get a call from her son.”

“There are still such things as mobiles.”

“Got that covered as well. Nothing.”

“Send me over what you’ve got,” said Agatha. “All of it. Even the stuff you don’t think is important.”

When she rang off, she said crossly to Charles, “I think Patrick is beginning to behave like the Lone Ranger.” She told him what Patrick had said.

Charles shrugged. “Patrick’s ex-police so he probably still feels loyalty to the plod. But he should have told you about Gwen’s phones being bugged. Let’s see what Nichols has to say for himself.”

*

Mr. Nichols had been drinking, but was still coherent. Asked about Ruby, he went off into a paean of praise.

Agatha interrupted brutally. “Was she having an affair with Carson while she was married to you?”

“I didn’t want to believe it,” he said mournfully. “I wouldn’t believe it, but Justin, poor little lad as he was then, was miserable. I said I’d prove him wrong and hired a detective. I was devastated at what he found out. I said I would forgive her, but she said it would be better for everyone if I agreed to a divorce. She said if I did that, I could keep Justin. If I didn’t, she swore she would get custody. Justin pleaded to stay with me. What could I do? So I agreed to the divorce.”

“Wait a minute,” said Agatha. “She was only his stepmother. No court would give her custody.”

“She said she would reveal some family secrets I didn’t want exposed.”

“What secrets?”

“They’re secrets and that’s how they’ll stay!”

“So why are you still in love with this terrible woman?” asked Charles.

“Oh, she was a goddess when we were married. You don’t know her. Carson seduced her. He’s a wicked man. I’ll bet he killed her.”

“Was Justin fond of his stepmother?” asked Agatha.

“That’s the sad bit,” said Mr. Nichols. “He never forgave her.”

“So why did he encourage you to engage my services?” asked Agatha.