‘Then let’s enjoy our coffee and cake and we can all go round there together,’ she said, and raised her coffee cup in salute.
We chatted over our elevenses but didn’t dawdle. Sergeant Dobson became quite animated on the subject of the fortunes of the local rugby club, who were due to play Clifton in a couple of weeks’ time in the semifinal of a cup competition whose name, I’m embarrassed to say, went in one ear and straight out the other. When we were all quite finished, Lady Hardcastle and I put on our hats and coats and we all three left together for the short walk into the village.
The pub was open. There was no one in the saloon save Joe, but we could hear voices in the public bar.
‘Mornin’ m’lady, Miss Armstrong,’ said Joe toothlessly from behind the bar. ‘And you too, Wally. You done I a big favour there, boy.’
‘Pleasure, Joe,’ said the sergeant. ‘Now if you don’t mind, m’lady, I shall leave you to it and see if they lads from up Gloucester has managed to send us any news.’
‘Thank you, Sergeant,’ said Lady Hardcastle, and with a casual salute, the sergeant returned to the two nearby cottages that served both as the police station and the residence of our two local bobbies.
When he had gone, we returned our attention to the landlord.
‘I hear you’ve had a spot more bother, Joe,’ said Lady Hardcastle amiably.
‘I shan’t lie to you, m’lady,’ he said, ‘it’s fair shook me up, it has. I told that Daisy there’d be trouble if she started meddlin’ with t’other side. And now look.’
We looked. I could see no real evidence of any supernatural activity, but then again it was almost lunchtime and Joe would certainly have cleared up by now.
‘May we see the message?’ I said, gesturing in the direction of the skittle alley.
‘Course you may, m’dear,’ he said. ‘I left it there so’s you could take a look.’
We went through to the other bar, where a couple of young farmhands were sitting at a table in the corner, tucking onto great slabs of bread and cheese as they discussed one of the local girls in the most indelicate terms. They stopped mid-sentence when they noticed us, and gigglingly sipped their ciders.
We crossed to the skittle alley and there on the blackboard, in the same untidy hand, was the message that Sergeant Dobson had described.
‘Whoever or whatever it is is quite determined to get this message across, aren’t they,’ said Lady Hardcastle as we examined the scoreboard more closely.
‘I just wish we knew who this Mummy Bear was,’ I said. ‘A Sioux spirit guide, perhaps?’
She frowned thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps,’ she said at length. ‘Can you go and have a quick chat with Joe, please, pet. Keep him out of my way while I have a poke around.’
‘Of course, my lady,’ I said and went back to the other bar.
‘’T’i’n’t much different to t’other one, is it?’ said Joe as I leant on the bar to chat.
‘Very similar,’ I said. ‘And what about the activities in the night? Did you hear or see anything this time?’
‘No, nothin’. I got up this mornin’ same as usual and come down here to get ready for openin’ up, and there was a couple of chairs knocked about but nothing broken and I hadn’t heard a thing in the night.’
‘How did you know the chairs had been moved?’
‘They was on their sides in the middle of the floor,’ he said, pointing. ‘I always stacks everything up neat before I goes up to bed, makes it easier to sweep up in the morning, see.’
‘Ah, yes, of course. But nothing broken this time.’
‘No, miss, not this time. But what do you reckon it could be?’
‘I’m trying my best to keep an open mind, Joe, I really am, but I can’t get away from the idea that it really is an unquiet spirit come to settle some unfinished business with Mr Snelson.’
‘That’s what I was afraid of,’ he said, dejectedly. A movement by the window caught his eye. ‘Are you all right there, m’lady?’ he said when he realized what it was.
Lady Hardcastle was on her hands and knees, examining the chair legs. ‘Fine thank you, dear,’ she said. ‘Don’t mind me.’
‘Floor’s been swept, m’lady, but you’ll get yourself filthy down there even so. Is there anything I can do?’
‘No, dear, really,’ she said, standing up. ‘All done now. And look, it brushes off.’ She patted at the knees of her now dusty black skirt, making no difference to it’s cleanliness whatsoever. ‘Well it will, at any rate,’ she said. ‘Once Armstrong has worked her mysterious magic on it.’
Joe winked at me. ‘Find anything, m’lady?’ he said.
‘I’ve got an idea or two bubbling away,’ she said.
‘Anything you can share, my lady?’ I said, keen to give poor old Joe even a tiny shred of comfort.
‘Not at the moment, pet, no. The ideas are still percolating.’
‘Right you are, my lady,’ I said. ‘Sorry, Joe, but we’re working on it.’
‘We are indeed,’ she said. ‘Shall we pop along to the police station and see what the fine gentlemen of the Gloucester Constabulary have got to say for themselves. They must have replied to Constable Hancock by now.’
‘I appreciates all your help, m’lady,’ said Joe.
‘It’s entirely our pleasure,’ she said. ‘Oh, one more thing before we go: have you seen anything of your guest lately?’
‘Madame Eugénie?’
‘The same.’
‘No, m’lady. Same as I told Wally – she stays locked in her room and only opens the door to take in her meals and pass out the dirty plates. She’s paid till the end of the week, mind, so if it weren’t for all these goings on I’d be happy enough to leave her be.’
‘But you’d rather she came out to help?’ I said.
‘Well, seems a shame to have an expert on the occult livin’ under your roof while there’s mysterious goings on afoot and then have her stay in her room all the time, not even talking to no one.’
‘At least she’s a quiet guest, though, eh?’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘No trouble.’
‘No, m’lady, she i’n’t no trouble. I hears her mutterin’ to herself sometimes when I goes past the door, but she don’t cause no trouble. Somethin’ to be grateful for, I s’pose.’
‘That’s the spirit,’ said Lady Hardcastle, bracingly. ‘We’ll be on our way, but we’ll keep working on your little puzzle and we’ll tell you the instant we know anything. Toodle pip.’
‘Cheerio, m’lady, Miss Armstrong,’ he said, and we stepped out into the daylight.
‘Did you find what you were looking for, my lady?’ I asked as we strolled along the street to the police station.
‘I think I did, yes,’ she said.
‘And…?’ I said, slightly frustrated by her reticence.
‘All in good time, pet. Percolating, remember?’
I harrumphed.
‘You can huff and puff all you like, dear, but I’ll tell all when I’m good and ready.’
I harrumphed again, but we’d reached the police station so my continued disgruntlement went unchallenged. I made to go in, but she held my arm.
‘It’s really niggling me that we’ve not managed to speak to Snelson. Would you mind seeing the sergeant on your own while I pop up to the Snelson house and try to beard him in his lair.’