A Deadly Learning
On the Algarve, Portugal.
The grounds around the science laboratory of the International School and College of Portugal looked as pristine on that day as might have been expected from this pillar of education. The acres of freshly cut lawns and a blaze of summer flowers were a delight. Only the plastic crime-scene tape surrounding the complex betrayed a sense of profound unease.
Renovation work had begun on the laboratory only the day before, and teachers and students had been warned away from the building.
It was during the removal of one flimsy wall that the workmen made a gruesome find. There was a small cellar underneath part of the laboratory. The floor and walls were crudely finished; the place was used as a store for obsolete items. That fateful day, they were knocking through one wall when they came across a cavity … in which they discovered the dry remains of a body…
Chapter 1 Agios Mamas, Cyprus
Diana sat back and read through what she had typed on her laptop that morning. As she neared the end of the manuscript she smiled. That was bound to fox her readers. They would never guess who the murderer was until the final chapter. A few of the more canny among her followers might just suspect something but the majority would be thrown. Pleased with the day’s two-thousand-word instalment towards her latest novel, she saved the file, stood up and stretched. Sitting down for long periods made her stiff, so she decided, despite the heat of the day, to take a walk through the village of Agios Mamas to see if there was any post for her and Steve.
Apart from needing some exercise, she felt wired. Her writing often did that to her; when working on a new mystery suspense novel she lived the characters and story. But it wasn’t just that. She felt edgy, Diana sensed something electrifying was about to take place in real life.
She found her husband working in a shady part of the garden. His own laptop and phone were on the table beside him. He looked up as she approached.
“There you are. I’m just popping out to stretch my legs and check the post box. Want to come?”
Steve moved his head from side to side. “No thanks. I’d like to finish off here before lunch. You go. Oh, by the way, I definitely have to go to Lisbon this month.”
“Really? That’s nice. I’ve always liked Portugal.”
Steve stared thoughtfully into Diana’s pale face. “You have. So why don’t you come, too? Poppy’s staying with your parents for the next four weeks. We could go over to Lisbon for a week or so and then pick her up on our way back through England. We’ve got the UK flights already booked, so it’s only a matter of changing the dates and buying additional flights to Portugal. You’ve been looking tired over the last few months. I’m always saying you need a break and a change of scene more often.”
Diana smiled. “You know what? That would be great, and you’re right. I’ve been working flat out over the last few weeks, and I know that as soon as I’ve written the last chapter I’ll be washed out and good for nothing. We could take a real holiday in Portugal once you’ve finished your business meetings. Okay, we’ll talk about it some more over lunch. I won’t be long. Bye.”
“Now, don’t be. It’s far too hot to be out walking at this time of day. Another thing…if we go, then I insist it’s a complete break for you from solving crime riddles. For once, you can leave your intrigue and sleuthing behind. Portugal’s a quiet and placid country. No work—I forbid it!”
Diana grinned and blew him a kiss. “I have no idea what you’re implying.”
Strolling through the cobbled lanes of the village, Diana thought about Steve’s suggestion. It had been some while since they had spent time alone together. Diana’s parents had recently taken their granddaughter, Poppy, back to the UK for a long visit, so it was the perfect opportunity for Steve and Diana to take a holiday. A stay in Portugal during June would be cooler and pleasant, and a contrast to the hot arid conditions of Cyprus. There would also be the delicious wines of the Douro area to sample. It all sounded perfect, and then she paused.
There were a few small problems: the house and garden, and the cats needed feeding. Over the years, Diana had grown fond of her shady courtyards and garden packed with flowers and fruit trees. She knew Geraldine from The Magic Teapot couldn’t keep an eye on the place, as she had more than enough to do with the pub and restaurant. She had also been very ill during for six months and needed surgery. It was only now she was feeling more like her old self. Then Diana had the solution: Ann and Elaine! She knew those two lovely ladies enjoyed nothing more than pottering about in the garden and walking in the countryside. They would love nothing more than to swop hot and steamy Limassol for the cooler mountainside for a few weeks. They were also animal lovers. She would stock the freezer full of enticing food and make sure there were enough cold drinks to keep them happy. They enjoyed a tipple or two in the evenings. She would ask them as soon as she returned home.
Happy with her decision, she resumed her walk. A breeze skittered along the alleyways of the village, causing the branches of the overhead apricot and lemon trees to sway. Ripened fruit lay on the ground, oozing a sweetness the wasps found irresistible. Diana stepped round the overripe apricots avoiding the insects. She strolled through the deserted village to the post boxes, which were under cover and next to the shack that served as a village shop. Diana unlocked their post-office box and removed a small collection of envelopes.
She flicked through the mail and saw all, except one, were addressed to Steve. She turned the cream envelope over, noting the handwritten address. It felt stiff, rather like an invitation. Inside, she found a twenty-first birthday invitation and a note from an old friend, Wendy. Goodness, they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
Diana scanned the note, glanced at the invitation and smiled. What an amazing coincidence. Only minutes ago, she and Steve had been contemplating visiting Portugal. She reread her friend’s scribble. Evidently, Wendy’s god-daughter, Louise, who was spending her final year at the Lagos International School and College, was approaching her twenty-first birthday. Wendy went on to add that she suspected Louise might announce her engagement to her boyfriend, Jake, at the party. The affair was being held in the small Portuguese town of Lagos on the Algarve, and Diana and Steve were invited to join in the celebration. Wendy also asked—should they accept—whether Diana would give a talk to the staff and students at the college about her writing career. It was something she did from time to time, and an hour’s presentation would be easy and no doubt fun.
Wendy was the assistant head and one of the geography tutors at the college. She had been on the staff for some years. Diana’s friend decided to settle on the Algarve after losing her husband, Edgar, to Hodgkin’s disease. At first, Wendy desired nothing more than to live quietly on her own as she got her life back together. As the pain of his death eased, Wendy needed more things to occupy her long days and sought out the college for a position. She had worked there ever since.
Diana checked the date again. Late June coincided with Steve’s plans perfectly. They would attend the party, and Diana could spend more time with Wendy while Steve was away on business up in Lisbon. She wondered how Louise was getting on with her degree. It had been some time since she had seen Wendy’s god-daughter. A thought occurred to her: if the party was that month, why had the invitation been sent at such short notice?
Turning towards home, Diana wondered if there was a reason for their haste. Louise, Diana remembered, was a pretty, rather shy girl in her late teens. She had always struck Diana as being a methodical type of person—organised and almost pedantic. Arranging a party at such short notice seemed completely out of character. She shrugged. Maybe Louise really wanted to broadcast her engagement rather than her birthday. Diana recalled with a smile how strong and passionate young love could be. No doubt Louise was completely spellbound by her boyfriend, Jake.
Chapter 2 Portugal
When she and Edgar first bought the spacious three-bedroomed villa overlooking the eighteenth hole, Wendy thought they were wasting their money. She had no interest in golf, but Edgar played every day, health and weather permitting. After ten years, the local property prices had rocketed, and Wendy knew she was now the owner of an exceedingly desirable property.
“This really is an amazing outlook! I could sit and watch the sea for hours. I believe I’m going to enjoy spending time here. A real holiday by the sea. It’s been years since we did that,” exclaimed Diana, as she stepped out onto the sun-shaded patio at the rear of Wendy’s villa. “Leave the luggage in the hall for a moment and come and look at the view, Steve.”
Beyond the sweeping emerald grass of the golf course behind the villa, the sun glinted down on the smooth ocean before them. “The water’s a different colour here, a deeper blue instead of our lighter turquoise. It feels…different…fiercer somehow.”
“It’s because we’re on the edge of the Atlantic. The area is subject to high tides and often rough, stormy weather. In Cyprus there’s hardly any tidal movement, as you know, and we rarely have long-lasting bad weather,” Steve said as he joined her.
“I like it. It feels fresh and dry. There’s hardly any humidity.”
“We’re having lovely weather at the moment, but it can get very hot later on. I believe June is one of the best months,” Wendy said, laying plates, barbequed sardines, bacalhau and a huge bowl of fresh salad on the terrace table. “I hope you’re hungry. I appear to have gone mad in the kitchen this morning.”
“Famished,” said Steve with a smile as he uncorked the white wine with a flourish. “There’s nothing better than your cooking.”
The three sat down and tucked in to a collection of Portugal’s staple dishes. The tiny sardines with their crispy salty coating were grilled to perfection. The bacalhau, or salted cod, melted in the mouth.
“After you’ve unpacked, what are you planning this afternoon?” Wendy asked between mouthfuls. “Unless you want to just relax and swim, you could join me down at the college. There’s an open-air performance of Twelfth Night starting at four o’clock. As you’re still involved in drama, I thought you might be interested. It’s a private performance, so only staff and students from the college will be there. The college is an eight-minute stroll from here to the west. We can go along the footpath which skirts the golf course—it’s extremely pleasant.”
Steve and Diana exchanged looks and smiled. “That sounds like fun. We haven’t seen Twelfth Night for years, and a walk to stretch our legs after the flight will be good. Yes, we’ll come.”
“Good. Louise is playing Viola, and her boyfriend, Jake, has the role of Sebastian.” Diana glanced at Wendy, thinking she caught a frigid tone in her friend’s voice. She cast a look Steve’s way, but his attention was focussed on beheading his lunch.
“That’s a lovely part to play and fun to do, especially at her age. I remember Louise was interested in acting from a young age and quite talented. What about her boyfriend? Is he any good?”
There was a pause before Wendy answered. While Diana waited for her reply, she saw a tense expression in her eyes which hadn’t been there before. “Jake? He’s okay, I suppose. He hadn’t done any acting before he landed the part, and I believe he persuaded Louise to put in a good word for him. He’s…er…rather good at talking.”
“Do I hear a note of disapproval in your voice?” Diana asked.
Her friend looked away and stared at the aquatic view beyond the golf course. “I know I shouldn’t criticise, but Jake’s…he’s a bit of a bully. I’ve found Louise in tears once or twice when she’s come back home after a date, and although she won’t admit it, I’m sure he intimidates her.”
Diana and Steve exchanged glances. “You intimated in your note they might get engaged on Louise’s birthday. If you deem Jake a bully, have you spoken to her about your concern?” Steve asked.
Wendy rolled her eyes before shaking her head. Her neat, dark, bobbed hair, flicked from side to side. “Not in so many words. I’m not saying he torments Louise, but I know he can be aggressive. It’s difficult to be impartial, but I love Louise as if she were my own flesh and blood. I hate to see her upset.”
“Do you suppose they’ll announce their engagement next week? I didn’t like to be nosy and ask her when we met late last night.”
“I’m not sure. I’m positive he’s all for it, but I get the feeling Louise wants more time. That was what their last disagreement was about.” Wendy turned towards Steve. “I know it’s a bit of an imposition, but as Louise has no father and Edgar’s no longer with us, there’s no older male in her life apart from her college tutors, would…do you suppose a word from you might ease her mind? She won’t talk to me, but she’s always liked you both.”
Again Steve and Diana exchanged looks. “We can try. Of course we’d love to help. We’ve always been fond of her.”
Wendy smiled. “Thank you. Now let’s get lunch cleared away, and after a quick dip in the pool, we can call in at the college for the play.”
***
On arrival at the college they saw that the groundsmen had organised seating for the afternoon’s performance of Twelfth Night on the extensive lawns. Behind a row of mimosa trees, a gorgeous, molten-looking, bronzed sun slid towards the horizon while the older part of the buildings shaded most of the seated area.
Although the show wasn’t due to start for another half hour, the area hummed with the voices of the people already gathered. About twenty to thirty people were milling around. A table staffed by students had been set up on the path for selling soft drinks and beer. Judging by the group waiting for service, it was doing a good trade, and Steve offered to fetch drinks for them all.
Diana looked round at the buildings with interest. The main part of the college was older than she first presumed. It was two stories high and built of stone. Off to one side was a newer addition, which Wendy explained was the science block.
“You’ll notice the scaffolding around it. It’s because it’s in the middle of being renovated. They’re going to either reinforce some of the existing walls or knock down and erect new ones using stronger materials.” As Wendy spoke, a mechanical shovel vehicle lumbered into view from behind the science laboratories.
As the sound of the machine’s gears grating carried to their ears, Wendy winced and raised her voice. “I thought the workmen were supposed to have finished for the day. Surely they’re not going to be allowed to carry on when the play starts? I wonder if the head is here yet. Perhaps I should go and look for him.”
Diana looked to where she indicated the moving digger. The driver obviously had no thought for aesthetics as he drove his machine onto the grass. He allowed the shovel affair on the front to drop down, and the metal teeth left a deep imprint in the lawn. “Who’s that?” she asked as a thin, wiry fifty-year-old came striding towards them.
“The man himself, Lawrence Salter, the college principal,” muttered Wendy.
“Hello, Lawrence. What an awful noise. Have you ordered them to stop?”
He glanced towards the digger. “The foreman said five more minutes, I’m afraid, but there’s plenty of time before the play begins.”
“Good. By the way, can I introduce you to my friend, Diana Rivers?”
Introductions were made and then repeated when Steve joined them. Conversation became difficult when a series of loud crashes emanated from within the science block. Everyone smiled and raised their eyebrows in wry humour.
“Goodness, it sounds like they’ll demolish the whole place rather than a few walls.”
Lawrence shook his head and winced. “I do hope they finish soon. Whatever can they be doing now?”
The group wandered over to see what the racket was about, and one or two other parties joined them.
“Come to see the fun?” A handsome woman in her late forties slipped alongside Wendy.
Wendy turned her head and smiled before pulling a face. “No fun, Sarah. The place is going to be a mess for ages. Thank goodness it’ll be all cleared up by the time we come back after the summer holidays. Can I introduce you to my friends, Steve and Diana, all the way over from Cyprus?”
As more people drifted nearby, Wendy called out to several of them to come over and meet her friends. After five minutes, Diana knew she would only remember a few of their names. Apart from the head of the science faculty, Sarah Headleigh, the only other name she recalled was Sibel Hart, an English teacher. Wendy waved to another member standing apart from the others. He inclined his sandy head but made no effort to join them.
Wendy must have realised what Diana was thinking and said, “Don’t worry about remembering their names. You probably won’t have anything to do with most of them while you’re here. We’re a mixed bunch, and teachers tend to stick to colleagues from their own taught subject. They’re certainly not all sociable animals. And anyway, most will leave in a few days’ time for the holidays. Just relax and watch the world go by.”
“Don’t worry, I mean to, but tell me, who are the two younger women over by the students?” Diana asked, indicating a thin, but stunning, blonde and an equally pretty dark-haired woman standing on the nearest side of the ornamental fishpond.
Wendy followed Diana’s gesture. “Ah, one is Bernadette Cox, our gorgeous ‘science bunny’, and the other one must be a visitor…I don’t recognise her. Bernie’s the blonde. It seems as if she’s been with us for ages—she was a pupil at the college here before joining us as a teacher.”
Apart from the tutors, a contingent of students had gathered in a group nearer the science lab. Like youth the world over, they bore scant regard for decorum and sprawled along the edge of the pond, one or two removing their sandals and slipping their dusty feet into the cool waters.
Diana watched as one or two older teachers, Clarissa Partridge and Rufus Snow, shook their heads in despair, and she wondered if they would ask them to behave. Some of the girls were exceptionally pretty, and she noticed they clustered round two of the male students, one a well-set, dark-haired fellow and another whose red-gold hair curled luxuriantly around his shoulders. Diana asked idly how many girls envied the red-headed giant his hair, and Wendy laughed. “They’re founder members of a student union they set up this year. The dark-haired one is the leader, Jake Taylor, Louise’s boyfriend, and his beautiful Titan side-kick from Germany is Axel Adler. The girls follow them around like puppies, which isn’t healthy, but there’s little we can do. I just hope they’re careful, if you know what I mean.”
Before she could answer, Diana’s attention was caught by one almighty crash from inside the building as the outer wall came down, and then a silence, which seemed to go on for ages. Dust hung in the air. In fact, everything appeared to hang in time and space until there came a muffled cry, followed by a startled shout.
The onlookers stood frozen for a second, and then they all moved towards the building, intrigued to see what had happened. The first to reach the building stopped, and their jaws dropped. Then another shout rang out, followed by a woman’s scream.
Diana glanced at those standing nearest. A few took an involuntary step back. Clarissa Partridge clamped a hand to her mouth before turning aside. Sarah Headleigh looked round in panic, and the younger woman teacher, Bernadette, turned as white as a sheet. Something caught Diana’s eye, and she moved to see what it was. She peered through the settling dust and watched a figure slip round the corner. She was positive it was one of the male teachers: tall, distinguished-looking, with thinning sandy-coloured hair. He was on his own when Wendy had waved to him earlier.
The students had been shocked into silence and shifted as one cohort nearer to the building. Diana noticed how Louise’s boyfriend, Jake, had a tentative smirk on his face, and he was searching the crowd as if looking for someone.
The gang foreman stepped back from an inner wall; a cavity had appeared, showing where the original material had been. Something long and thin was caught suspended in the muck and dust above his head. Everyone peered into the gloom. Diana’s head whipped round as she heard a collective gasp. She stared. Surely that was a …femur?
There was no mistaking the underwear. Once lacy and white, the knickers and bra clearly indicated a woman. Part of her rib-cage had disappeared, but perhaps most hideous of all was the skull—irreverently placed upside down, but still grinning at the spectators—its mop of dirty-blonde hair caught on a piece of jagged wood.
Diana gaped as much as everyone else. Apart from the gruesomeness of the scene, she wondered why the woman’s underwear had been tampered with. With her legs in the air, her lacy knickers were around her ankles, and her bra had been pushed around her neck.
Chapter 3
“It’s awful. Dreadful!” Wendy’s said in a breathless voice. “There we were, all ready to enjoy Twelfth Night and they unearth a body! A woman’s body.” Wendy shuddered. “Poor thing. I wonder who it is—was.” They were sitting outside the college bar. Steve had bought a round of drinks, and all three were fortifying themselves with gin and tonics.
“Someone must have known about the cavity wall. When did you say the addition to the science block was built, Wendy?” asked Diana as she took another sip.
“About three years ago. Yes, you know it’s almost three years to the day. I remember, we were about to break up for the summer holidays. Most of the students and pupils had already left the college and school. The staff were due to leave a couple of days later, after we’d cleared everything out of the way. You know, discuss next year’s intake, funding and curriculum, that sort of thing.”
“Why the need for adding to the science block in the first place?” Steve entered the conversation.
“We wanted more space. Our principal at the time was Sally Rowdean, and she was keen to promote more science degree courses. We extended out from the main building, adding new biology and chemistry labs.” Wendy gave a lop-sided smile. “Unfortunately, the builders did a poor job. The extension was suspect, and Sally Rowdean, tried to make them come back and remedy the problem. But the project manager had disappeared with all the company’s money. So we had to make do until we could raise more funding and put it right.” She leaned forward in her chair, her shoulders drooping. “The police appear to have everything under control. They were pretty quick to arrive.”
“Yes, more organised than Cyprus! They need rockets up their backsides sometimes.”
A student waitress hovered by their table. Diana glanced up at her as the girl asked if they would like another round. The girl was small, perfectly proportioned and freckle-faced with dark-red hair, which she wore piled high on her head.
“Yes please, I’d love another G and T,” Diana said.
“Can I have a diet coke this time, please, Yvette?” Wendy asked.
“Certainly. I’ll be back in a moment with everything,” the waitress said, giving the table a careful wipe before placing their glasses on a tray.
“It was a good idea of yours to make a list of who was out there watching the building work for them, Diana. I believe the police were impressed. What made you think of it?”
Diana flushed and turned her head towards Steve as he laughed. “Wendy, surely you know my wife by now? If anyone’s going to take an interest in something underhand, then she’s your woman. Mind you, even I was surprised this time. Wendy’s right, Di, you were quick off the mark. What made you do it?”
Diana rubbed her nose before replying. “Just instinct, I think. I write lists and notes whenever I’m working on a new novel. Of course, I didn’t remember all the names at the time. Wendy filled in the missing names from my notes when I checked with her. I was curious, I suppose. It’s not every day a body’s discovered. And without any stretch of the imagination, that poor woman must have been murdered.”
Wendy gasped and despite her tan, turned pale. She looked from one to the other. “Sorry. I know you’re right. It’s just hearing you say that word.” Her voice sounded slightly squeaky.
Steve took a pull of his drink and leaned nearer towards Diana. “I don’t suppose you kept a copy for yourself by any chance?” he murmured. An answering flare from her eyes confirmed his suspicion and he laughed. “So, Diana Rivers, amateur female sleuth, hasn’t left her inquisitive brain behind after all, despite what I said before we left Cyprus. I might have guessed. Diana, I’m warning you. We’re here for a holiday…nothing else.”
“I know, I know, and we are. I wrote down the names automatically. But one small question. Was there any special reason for putting on Twelfth Night?” Diana asked Wendy in response and ignoring her husband’s dark look. “What I mean is, was everyone there to see the play?”
Wendy paused before replying, her head on one side as she thought. “I expect some of the students were there just to lounge around on the grass, ogling each other. You know students and sex! But there was an emotional reason for Twelfth Night, yes. It was Sally Rowdean’s favourite Shakespeare comedy. She taught English literature, as well as speech and drama, before she became principal. Every year, since her death, the college has performed it as a sort of memorial to her.”
Diana’s ears pricked up at this little snippet of information. “Was she old then?”
Wendy glanced her way. “Sally? No, not really. She was somewhere in her forties.”
“No, that’s not old, it’s young,” observed Diana. “How did she die? Was she ill?
Steve sighed in a dramatic fashion before staring moodily into his glass.
“It was awful, a disastrous accident. Sally had taken herself off on a motoring holiday. She enjoyed driving and that year planned to tour Spain and Portugal. Only that year, she broke her arm badly in two places, and it needed a metal plate with which to strengthen and help it heal. She broke it diving. I think she caught her arm on the dive ladder as she was climbing back onto the boat with all her gear on her back, or something like that. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the fracture wouldn’t heal, and she had to go back for a second op. That was when they inserted the plate. So because she wasn’t sure how much driving she could cope with, she planned to travel with someone. She enjoyed staying in the old hotels, the Paradores and Pousadas, which are famous in Spain and Portugal. Sorry, I’m making rather a meal of this explanation, aren’t I?” Wendy gave a self-conscious grin and sipped her drink.
“Where was I? Oh yes, the trip. She was travelling up the Costa Verde—the Green Coast—when the accident happened. Sally somehow drove her car off the pier in one of the coastal towns…Sines, if I recall correctly. It was terrible. Perhaps her arm gave out or there was something wrong with the steering. The car was almost completely submerged in the harbour when the alarm was raised. Unfortunately, the weather was bad at the time, with a summer storm raging along the coast. Her body was swept out to sea and never found.”
“That’s tragic…a story worthy of the great bard himself,” Diana murmured. “You said she was taking someone with her on the trip? What happened to the other person in the car? Were they all right?”
“You know that’s the awful thing. In the end, Sally travelled alone. Bernie—Bernadette Cox, whom you saw earlier—was going to accompany her. I can’t help thinking if she’d been with her and Bernie had done the driving, the accident wouldn’t have happened.”
“Bernadette Cox? Isn’t she the young science teacher you pointed out to me? A strange combination, don’t you think? Sally Rowdean being in her forties and Bernadette is, what, in her early twenties? So what happened? You said Bernadette was going to go with her. ”
Wendy nodded. “Yes, but you must understand, Sally was a lovely person, kind and caring. Practically everyone loved her, and she was a close friend to some of the staff here. Remember, she had a rotten year after breaking her arm. She needed her summer holiday. Originally, she said she couldn’t manage on her own. I don’t know the details, but I presume Bernadette offered to go along and help her with the driving. Anyway, as it turned out, Bernie didn’t go. Something personal cropped up and she had to cancel.”
“But you said Sally needed help.”
“Well, she obviously didn’t need it that much. Perhaps she was panicking. She drove off on her own the first day of the holidays. I recall Bernadette saying they’d discussed it and Sally was fine about it, after all.”
“It must have been a dreadful shock when you all learnt about Sally’s death.”
Wendy looked stricken. “It was. A lot of staff had gone off on holiday, but some of us were still around.”
Diana leant forward, elbows on the table. “Was anyone particularly shocked? Which members of staff were her friends?”
“Um, apart from myself, mainly the older ones. There’s Sarah Headleigh, head of science, and Clarissa Partridge—she teaches history with religious studies. They seemed to get along, even if they weren’t bosom pals. Rufus Snow had time for her and Bernadette, of course. I was never sure about Brian Meldrew.”
Diana thought back to that afternoon and the distinguished-looking sandy-haired, maths tutor. She was certain he was the one who had slipped away from the crime scene before all hell was let loose. “No? Why not?”
“Diana, haven’t you asked enough questions? You’re raking over the past, and Wendy might not feel comfortable talking about her old friend or her work colleagues. Have you thought of that?” Steve asked, tapping her on her wrist.
Diana nodded. “Sorry Wendy, but it’s an interesting, if tragic, story. Carry on if you want to Wendy, and then I promise not to interrogate you anymore!”
Wendy settled back into a more comfortable position in her chair and watched a seagull as it glided down onto the patio near where they were sitting. It pecked at a lone crisp lying on the stone before strutting further along the terrace. “I’m fine. Where did I get to? Oh yes, Brian. Well, there’s nothing actually wrong with the man, but he’s rather complex. Years ago he might have been a hippie, a bit of a loner, I don’t know. You recognise the sort…if you asked me, I’d say he is a theorist. A lot of our students are still too immature to completely embrace all Brian’s ideas, but some like him. He can be extremely thought-provoking, but I’ve found I really have to be on my toes to understand all his theories. He’s gay, but there’s nothing wrong in that. It has never interfered with his teaching. It’s just that when Sally was alive, I always had the feeling they didn’t always see eye to eye.”
Steve shifted in his seat as Wendy finished speaking and regarded Diana with an unblinking stare. “You seem enormously concerned about Sally Rowdean, Diana. Any particular reason?”
Diana took her time answering. “I’m fascinated why someone would murder a woman and wall her up. Wendy said the building was extended about three years ago, the same year Sally Rowdean drowned. Now, this may all be conjecture, and don’t both of you shout me down at once, but don’t you find it a bit of a coincidence? Two women were killed that year, one in an awful accident and the other murdered.”
Wendy’s mouth dropped open, and she eyed her warily while Steve gave a thin smile and wagged a finger at Diana. He knew his wife.
Wendy closed her mouth before protesting in a whisper, “But surely, you don’t believe that? I don’t understand. You don’t think there’s a connection between Sally Rowdean and that poor woman there?”
“Oh, but she does, Wendy,” Steve said, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms across his chest. “You can bet your life on it.”
On the Algarve, Portugal.
The grounds around the science laboratory of the International School and College of Portugal looked as pristine on that day as might have been expected from this pillar of education. The acres of freshly cut lawns and a blaze of summer flowers were a delight. Only the plastic crime-scene tape surrounding the complex betrayed a sense of profound unease.
Renovation work had begun on the laboratory only the day before, and teachers and students had been warned away from the building.
It was during the removal of one flimsy wall that the workmen made a gruesome find. There was a small cellar underneath part of the laboratory. The floor and walls were crudely finished; the place was used as a store for obsolete items. That fateful day, they were knocking through one wall when they came across a cavity … in which they discovered the dry remains of a body…
Chapter 1 Agios Mamas, Cyprus
Diana sat back and read through what she had typed on her laptop that morning. As she neared the end of the manuscript she smiled. That was bound to fox her readers. They would never guess who the murderer was until the final chapter. A few of the more canny among her followers might just suspect something but the majority would be thrown. Pleased with the day’s two-thousand-word instalment towards her latest novel, she saved the file, stood up and stretched. Sitting down for long periods made her stiff, so she decided, despite the heat of the day, to take a walk through the village of Agios Mamas to see if there was any post for her and Steve.
Apart from needing some exercise, she felt wired. Her writing often did that to her; when working on a new mystery suspense novel she lived the characters and story. But it wasn’t just that. She felt edgy, Diana sensed something electrifying was about to take place in real life.
She found her husband working in a shady part of the garden. His own laptop and phone were on the table beside him. He looked up as she approached.
“There you are. I’m just popping out to stretch my legs and check the post box. Want to come?”
Steve moved his head from side to side. “No thanks. I’d like to finish off here before lunch. You go. Oh, by the way, I definitely have to go to Lisbon this month.”
“Really? That’s nice. I’ve always liked Portugal.”
Steve stared thoughtfully into Diana’s pale face. “You have. So why don’t you come, too? Poppy’s staying with your parents for the next four weeks. We could go over to Lisbon for a week or so and then pick her up on our way back through England. We’ve got the UK flights already booked, so it’s only a matter of changing the dates and buying additional flights to Portugal. You’ve been looking tired over the last few months. I’m always saying you need a break and a change of scene more often.”
Diana smiled. “You know what? That would be great, and you’re right. I’ve been working flat out over the last few weeks, and I know that as soon as I’ve written the last chapter I’ll be washed out and good for nothing. We could take a real holiday in Portugal once you’ve finished your business meetings. Okay, we’ll talk about it some more over lunch. I won’t be long. Bye.”
“Now, don’t be. It’s far too hot to be out walking at this time of day. Another thing…if we go, then I insist it’s a complete break for you from solving crime riddles. For once, you can leave your intrigue and sleuthing behind. Portugal’s a quiet and placid country. No work—I forbid it!”
Diana grinned and blew him a kiss. “I have no idea what you’re implying.”
Strolling through the cobbled lanes of the village, Diana thought about Steve’s suggestion. It had been some while since they had spent time alone together. Diana’s parents had recently taken their granddaughter, Poppy, back to the UK for a long visit, so it was the perfect opportunity for Steve and Diana to take a holiday. A stay in Portugal during June would be cooler and pleasant, and a contrast to the hot arid conditions of Cyprus. There would also be the delicious wines of the Douro area to sample. It all sounded perfect, and then she paused.
There were a few small problems: the house and garden, and the cats needed feeding. Over the years, Diana had grown fond of her shady courtyards and garden packed with flowers and fruit trees. She knew Geraldine from The Magic Teapot couldn’t keep an eye on the place, as she had more than enough to do with the pub and restaurant. She had also been very ill during for six months and needed surgery. It was only now she was feeling more like her old self. Then Diana had the solution: Ann and Elaine! She knew those two lovely ladies enjoyed nothing more than pottering about in the garden and walking in the countryside. They would love nothing more than to swop hot and steamy Limassol for the cooler mountainside for a few weeks. They were also animal lovers. She would stock the freezer full of enticing food and make sure there were enough cold drinks to keep them happy. They enjoyed a tipple or two in the evenings. She would ask them as soon as she returned home.
Happy with her decision, she resumed her walk. A breeze skittered along the alleyways of the village, causing the branches of the overhead apricot and lemon trees to sway. Ripened fruit lay on the ground, oozing a sweetness the wasps found irresistible. Diana stepped round the overripe apricots avoiding the insects. She strolled through the deserted village to the post boxes, which were under cover and next to the shack that served as a village shop. Diana unlocked their post-office box and removed a small collection of envelopes.
She flicked through the mail and saw all, except one, were addressed to Steve. She turned the cream envelope over, noting the handwritten address. It felt stiff, rather like an invitation. Inside, she found a twenty-first birthday invitation and a note from an old friend, Wendy. Goodness, they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
Diana scanned the note, glanced at the invitation and smiled. What an amazing coincidence. Only minutes ago, she and Steve had been contemplating visiting Portugal. She reread her friend’s scribble. Evidently, Wendy’s god-daughter, Louise, who was spending her final year at the Lagos International School and College, was approaching her twenty-first birthday. Wendy went on to add that she suspected Louise might announce her engagement to her boyfriend, Jake, at the party. The affair was being held in the small Portuguese town of Lagos on the Algarve, and Diana and Steve were invited to join in the celebration. Wendy also asked—should they accept—whether Diana would give a talk to the staff and students at the college about her writing career. It was something she did from time to time, and an hour’s presentation would be easy and no doubt fun.
Wendy was the assistant head and one of the geography tutors at the college. She had been on the staff for some years. Diana’s friend decided to settle on the Algarve after losing her husband, Edgar, to Hodgkin’s disease. At first, Wendy desired nothing more than to live quietly on her own as she got her life back together. As the pain of his death eased, Wendy needed more things to occupy her long days and sought out the college for a position. She had worked there ever since.
Diana checked the date again. Late June coincided with Steve’s plans perfectly. They would attend the party, and Diana could spend more time with Wendy while Steve was away on business up in Lisbon. She wondered how Louise was getting on with her degree. It had been some time since she had seen Wendy’s god-daughter. A thought occurred to her: if the party was that month, why had the invitation been sent at such short notice?
Turning towards home, Diana wondered if there was a reason for their haste. Louise, Diana remembered, was a pretty, rather shy girl in her late teens. She had always struck Diana as being a methodical type of person—organised and almost pedantic. Arranging a party at such short notice seemed completely out of character. She shrugged. Maybe Louise really wanted to broadcast her engagement rather than her birthday. Diana recalled with a smile how strong and passionate young love could be. No doubt Louise was completely spellbound by her boyfriend, Jake.
Chapter 2 Portugal
When she and Edgar first bought the spacious three-bedroomed villa overlooking the eighteenth hole, Wendy thought they were wasting their money. She had no interest in golf, but Edgar played every day, health and weather permitting. After ten years, the local property prices had rocketed, and Wendy knew she was now the owner of an exceedingly desirable property.
“This really is an amazing outlook! I could sit and watch the sea for hours. I believe I’m going to enjoy spending time here. A real holiday by the sea. It’s been years since we did that,” exclaimed Diana, as she stepped out onto the sun-shaded patio at the rear of Wendy’s villa. “Leave the luggage in the hall for a moment and come and look at the view, Steve.”
Beyond the sweeping emerald grass of the golf course behind the villa, the sun glinted down on the smooth ocean before them. “The water’s a different colour here, a deeper blue instead of our lighter turquoise. It feels…different…fiercer somehow.”
“It’s because we’re on the edge of the Atlantic. The area is subject to high tides and often rough, stormy weather. In Cyprus there’s hardly any tidal movement, as you know, and we rarely have long-lasting bad weather,” Steve said as he joined her.
“I like it. It feels fresh and dry. There’s hardly any humidity.”
“We’re having lovely weather at the moment, but it can get very hot later on. I believe June is one of the best months,” Wendy said, laying plates, barbequed sardines, bacalhau and a huge bowl of fresh salad on the terrace table. “I hope you’re hungry. I appear to have gone mad in the kitchen this morning.”
“Famished,” said Steve with a smile as he uncorked the white wine with a flourish. “There’s nothing better than your cooking.”
The three sat down and tucked in to a collection of Portugal’s staple dishes. The tiny sardines with their crispy salty coating were grilled to perfection. The bacalhau, or salted cod, melted in the mouth.
“After you’ve unpacked, what are you planning this afternoon?” Wendy asked between mouthfuls. “Unless you want to just relax and swim, you could join me down at the college. There’s an open-air performance of Twelfth Night starting at four o’clock. As you’re still involved in drama, I thought you might be interested. It’s a private performance, so only staff and students from the college will be there. The college is an eight-minute stroll from here to the west. We can go along the footpath which skirts the golf course—it’s extremely pleasant.”
Steve and Diana exchanged looks and smiled. “That sounds like fun. We haven’t seen Twelfth Night for years, and a walk to stretch our legs after the flight will be good. Yes, we’ll come.”
“Good. Louise is playing Viola, and her boyfriend, Jake, has the role of Sebastian.” Diana glanced at Wendy, thinking she caught a frigid tone in her friend’s voice. She cast a look Steve’s way, but his attention was focussed on beheading his lunch.
“That’s a lovely part to play and fun to do, especially at her age. I remember Louise was interested in acting from a young age and quite talented. What about her boyfriend? Is he any good?”
There was a pause before Wendy answered. While Diana waited for her reply, she saw a tense expression in her eyes which hadn’t been there before. “Jake? He’s okay, I suppose. He hadn’t done any acting before he landed the part, and I believe he persuaded Louise to put in a good word for him. He’s…er…rather good at talking.”
“Do I hear a note of disapproval in your voice?” Diana asked.
Her friend looked away and stared at the aquatic view beyond the golf course. “I know I shouldn’t criticise, but Jake’s…he’s a bit of a bully. I’ve found Louise in tears once or twice when she’s come back home after a date, and although she won’t admit it, I’m sure he intimidates her.”
Diana and Steve exchanged glances. “You intimated in your note they might get engaged on Louise’s birthday. If you deem Jake a bully, have you spoken to her about your concern?” Steve asked.
Wendy rolled her eyes before shaking her head. Her neat, dark, bobbed hair, flicked from side to side. “Not in so many words. I’m not saying he torments Louise, but I know he can be aggressive. It’s difficult to be impartial, but I love Louise as if she were my own flesh and blood. I hate to see her upset.”
“Do you suppose they’ll announce their engagement next week? I didn’t like to be nosy and ask her when we met late last night.”
“I’m not sure. I’m positive he’s all for it, but I get the feeling Louise wants more time. That was what their last disagreement was about.” Wendy turned towards Steve. “I know it’s a bit of an imposition, but as Louise has no father and Edgar’s no longer with us, there’s no older male in her life apart from her college tutors, would…do you suppose a word from you might ease her mind? She won’t talk to me, but she’s always liked you both.”
Again Steve and Diana exchanged looks. “We can try. Of course we’d love to help. We’ve always been fond of her.”
Wendy smiled. “Thank you. Now let’s get lunch cleared away, and after a quick dip in the pool, we can call in at the college for the play.”
***
On arrival at the college they saw that the groundsmen had organised seating for the afternoon’s performance of Twelfth Night on the extensive lawns. Behind a row of mimosa trees, a gorgeous, molten-looking, bronzed sun slid towards the horizon while the older part of the buildings shaded most of the seated area.
Although the show wasn’t due to start for another half hour, the area hummed with the voices of the people already gathered. About twenty to thirty people were milling around. A table staffed by students had been set up on the path for selling soft drinks and beer. Judging by the group waiting for service, it was doing a good trade, and Steve offered to fetch drinks for them all.
Diana looked round at the buildings with interest. The main part of the college was older than she first presumed. It was two stories high and built of stone. Off to one side was a newer addition, which Wendy explained was the science block.
“You’ll notice the scaffolding around it. It’s because it’s in the middle of being renovated. They’re going to either reinforce some of the existing walls or knock down and erect new ones using stronger materials.” As Wendy spoke, a mechanical shovel vehicle lumbered into view from behind the science laboratories.
As the sound of the machine’s gears grating carried to their ears, Wendy winced and raised her voice. “I thought the workmen were supposed to have finished for the day. Surely they’re not going to be allowed to carry on when the play starts? I wonder if the head is here yet. Perhaps I should go and look for him.”
Diana looked to where she indicated the moving digger. The driver obviously had no thought for aesthetics as he drove his machine onto the grass. He allowed the shovel affair on the front to drop down, and the metal teeth left a deep imprint in the lawn. “Who’s that?” she asked as a thin, wiry fifty-year-old came striding towards them.
“The man himself, Lawrence Salter, the college principal,” muttered Wendy.
“Hello, Lawrence. What an awful noise. Have you ordered them to stop?”
He glanced towards the digger. “The foreman said five more minutes, I’m afraid, but there’s plenty of time before the play begins.”
“Good. By the way, can I introduce you to my friend, Diana Rivers?”
Introductions were made and then repeated when Steve joined them. Conversation became difficult when a series of loud crashes emanated from within the science block. Everyone smiled and raised their eyebrows in wry humour.
“Goodness, it sounds like they’ll demolish the whole place rather than a few walls.”
Lawrence shook his head and winced. “I do hope they finish soon. Whatever can they be doing now?”
The group wandered over to see what the racket was about, and one or two other parties joined them.
“Come to see the fun?” A handsome woman in her late forties slipped alongside Wendy.
Wendy turned her head and smiled before pulling a face. “No fun, Sarah. The place is going to be a mess for ages. Thank goodness it’ll be all cleared up by the time we come back after the summer holidays. Can I introduce you to my friends, Steve and Diana, all the way over from Cyprus?”
As more people drifted nearby, Wendy called out to several of them to come over and meet her friends. After five minutes, Diana knew she would only remember a few of their names. Apart from the head of the science faculty, Sarah Headleigh, the only other name she recalled was Sibel Hart, an English teacher. Wendy waved to another member standing apart from the others. He inclined his sandy head but made no effort to join them.
Wendy must have realised what Diana was thinking and said, “Don’t worry about remembering their names. You probably won’t have anything to do with most of them while you’re here. We’re a mixed bunch, and teachers tend to stick to colleagues from their own taught subject. They’re certainly not all sociable animals. And anyway, most will leave in a few days’ time for the holidays. Just relax and watch the world go by.”
“Don’t worry, I mean to, but tell me, who are the two younger women over by the students?” Diana asked, indicating a thin, but stunning, blonde and an equally pretty dark-haired woman standing on the nearest side of the ornamental fishpond.
Wendy followed Diana’s gesture. “Ah, one is Bernadette Cox, our gorgeous ‘science bunny’, and the other one must be a visitor…I don’t recognise her. Bernie’s the blonde. It seems as if she’s been with us for ages—she was a pupil at the college here before joining us as a teacher.”
Apart from the tutors, a contingent of students had gathered in a group nearer the science lab. Like youth the world over, they bore scant regard for decorum and sprawled along the edge of the pond, one or two removing their sandals and slipping their dusty feet into the cool waters.
Diana watched as one or two older teachers, Clarissa Partridge and Rufus Snow, shook their heads in despair, and she wondered if they would ask them to behave. Some of the girls were exceptionally pretty, and she noticed they clustered round two of the male students, one a well-set, dark-haired fellow and another whose red-gold hair curled luxuriantly around his shoulders. Diana asked idly how many girls envied the red-headed giant his hair, and Wendy laughed. “They’re founder members of a student union they set up this year. The dark-haired one is the leader, Jake Taylor, Louise’s boyfriend, and his beautiful Titan side-kick from Germany is Axel Adler. The girls follow them around like puppies, which isn’t healthy, but there’s little we can do. I just hope they’re careful, if you know what I mean.”
Before she could answer, Diana’s attention was caught by one almighty crash from inside the building as the outer wall came down, and then a silence, which seemed to go on for ages. Dust hung in the air. In fact, everything appeared to hang in time and space until there came a muffled cry, followed by a startled shout.
The onlookers stood frozen for a second, and then they all moved towards the building, intrigued to see what had happened. The first to reach the building stopped, and their jaws dropped. Then another shout rang out, followed by a woman’s scream.
Diana glanced at those standing nearest. A few took an involuntary step back. Clarissa Partridge clamped a hand to her mouth before turning aside. Sarah Headleigh looked round in panic, and the younger woman teacher, Bernadette, turned as white as a sheet. Something caught Diana’s eye, and she moved to see what it was. She peered through the settling dust and watched a figure slip round the corner. She was positive it was one of the male teachers: tall, distinguished-looking, with thinning sandy-coloured hair. He was on his own when Wendy had waved to him earlier.
The students had been shocked into silence and shifted as one cohort nearer to the building. Diana noticed how Louise’s boyfriend, Jake, had a tentative smirk on his face, and he was searching the crowd as if looking for someone.
The gang foreman stepped back from an inner wall; a cavity had appeared, showing where the original material had been. Something long and thin was caught suspended in the muck and dust above his head. Everyone peered into the gloom. Diana’s head whipped round as she heard a collective gasp. She stared. Surely that was a …femur?
There was no mistaking the underwear. Once lacy and white, the knickers and bra clearly indicated a woman. Part of her rib-cage had disappeared, but perhaps most hideous of all was the skull—irreverently placed upside down, but still grinning at the spectators—its mop of dirty-blonde hair caught on a piece of jagged wood.
Diana gaped as much as everyone else. Apart from the gruesomeness of the scene, she wondered why the woman’s underwear had been tampered with. With her legs in the air, her lacy knickers were around her ankles, and her bra had been pushed around her neck.
Chapter 3
“It’s awful. Dreadful!” Wendy’s said in a breathless voice. “There we were, all ready to enjoy Twelfth Night and they unearth a body! A woman’s body.” Wendy shuddered. “Poor thing. I wonder who it is—was.” They were sitting outside the college bar. Steve had bought a round of drinks, and all three were fortifying themselves with gin and tonics.
“Someone must have known about the cavity wall. When did you say the addition to the science block was built, Wendy?” asked Diana as she took another sip.
“About three years ago. Yes, you know it’s almost three years to the day. I remember, we were about to break up for the summer holidays. Most of the students and pupils had already left the college and school. The staff were due to leave a couple of days later, after we’d cleared everything out of the way. You know, discuss next year’s intake, funding and curriculum, that sort of thing.”
“Why the need for adding to the science block in the first place?” Steve entered the conversation.
“We wanted more space. Our principal at the time was Sally Rowdean, and she was keen to promote more science degree courses. We extended out from the main building, adding new biology and chemistry labs.” Wendy gave a lop-sided smile. “Unfortunately, the builders did a poor job. The extension was suspect, and Sally Rowdean, tried to make them come back and remedy the problem. But the project manager had disappeared with all the company’s money. So we had to make do until we could raise more funding and put it right.” She leaned forward in her chair, her shoulders drooping. “The police appear to have everything under control. They were pretty quick to arrive.”
“Yes, more organised than Cyprus! They need rockets up their backsides sometimes.”
A student waitress hovered by their table. Diana glanced up at her as the girl asked if they would like another round. The girl was small, perfectly proportioned and freckle-faced with dark-red hair, which she wore piled high on her head.
“Yes please, I’d love another G and T,” Diana said.
“Can I have a diet coke this time, please, Yvette?” Wendy asked.
“Certainly. I’ll be back in a moment with everything,” the waitress said, giving the table a careful wipe before placing their glasses on a tray.
“It was a good idea of yours to make a list of who was out there watching the building work for them, Diana. I believe the police were impressed. What made you think of it?”
Diana flushed and turned her head towards Steve as he laughed. “Wendy, surely you know my wife by now? If anyone’s going to take an interest in something underhand, then she’s your woman. Mind you, even I was surprised this time. Wendy’s right, Di, you were quick off the mark. What made you do it?”
Diana rubbed her nose before replying. “Just instinct, I think. I write lists and notes whenever I’m working on a new novel. Of course, I didn’t remember all the names at the time. Wendy filled in the missing names from my notes when I checked with her. I was curious, I suppose. It’s not every day a body’s discovered. And without any stretch of the imagination, that poor woman must have been murdered.”
Wendy gasped and despite her tan, turned pale. She looked from one to the other. “Sorry. I know you’re right. It’s just hearing you say that word.” Her voice sounded slightly squeaky.
Steve took a pull of his drink and leaned nearer towards Diana. “I don’t suppose you kept a copy for yourself by any chance?” he murmured. An answering flare from her eyes confirmed his suspicion and he laughed. “So, Diana Rivers, amateur female sleuth, hasn’t left her inquisitive brain behind after all, despite what I said before we left Cyprus. I might have guessed. Diana, I’m warning you. We’re here for a holiday…nothing else.”
“I know, I know, and we are. I wrote down the names automatically. But one small question. Was there any special reason for putting on Twelfth Night?” Diana asked Wendy in response and ignoring her husband’s dark look. “What I mean is, was everyone there to see the play?”
Wendy paused before replying, her head on one side as she thought. “I expect some of the students were there just to lounge around on the grass, ogling each other. You know students and sex! But there was an emotional reason for Twelfth Night, yes. It was Sally Rowdean’s favourite Shakespeare comedy. She taught English literature, as well as speech and drama, before she became principal. Every year, since her death, the college has performed it as a sort of memorial to her.”
Diana’s ears pricked up at this little snippet of information. “Was she old then?”
Wendy glanced her way. “Sally? No, not really. She was somewhere in her forties.”
“No, that’s not old, it’s young,” observed Diana. “How did she die? Was she ill?
Steve sighed in a dramatic fashion before staring moodily into his glass.
“It was awful, a disastrous accident. Sally had taken herself off on a motoring holiday. She enjoyed driving and that year planned to tour Spain and Portugal. Only that year, she broke her arm badly in two places, and it needed a metal plate with which to strengthen and help it heal. She broke it diving. I think she caught her arm on the dive ladder as she was climbing back onto the boat with all her gear on her back, or something like that. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the fracture wouldn’t heal, and she had to go back for a second op. That was when they inserted the plate. So because she wasn’t sure how much driving she could cope with, she planned to travel with someone. She enjoyed staying in the old hotels, the Paradores and Pousadas, which are famous in Spain and Portugal. Sorry, I’m making rather a meal of this explanation, aren’t I?” Wendy gave a self-conscious grin and sipped her drink.
“Where was I? Oh yes, the trip. She was travelling up the Costa Verde—the Green Coast—when the accident happened. Sally somehow drove her car off the pier in one of the coastal towns…Sines, if I recall correctly. It was terrible. Perhaps her arm gave out or there was something wrong with the steering. The car was almost completely submerged in the harbour when the alarm was raised. Unfortunately, the weather was bad at the time, with a summer storm raging along the coast. Her body was swept out to sea and never found.”
“That’s tragic…a story worthy of the great bard himself,” Diana murmured. “You said she was taking someone with her on the trip? What happened to the other person in the car? Were they all right?”
“You know that’s the awful thing. In the end, Sally travelled alone. Bernie—Bernadette Cox, whom you saw earlier—was going to accompany her. I can’t help thinking if she’d been with her and Bernie had done the driving, the accident wouldn’t have happened.”
“Bernadette Cox? Isn’t she the young science teacher you pointed out to me? A strange combination, don’t you think? Sally Rowdean being in her forties and Bernadette is, what, in her early twenties? So what happened? You said Bernadette was going to go with her. ”
Wendy nodded. “Yes, but you must understand, Sally was a lovely person, kind and caring. Practically everyone loved her, and she was a close friend to some of the staff here. Remember, she had a rotten year after breaking her arm. She needed her summer holiday. Originally, she said she couldn’t manage on her own. I don’t know the details, but I presume Bernadette offered to go along and help her with the driving. Anyway, as it turned out, Bernie didn’t go. Something personal cropped up and she had to cancel.”
“But you said Sally needed help.”
“Well, she obviously didn’t need it that much. Perhaps she was panicking. She drove off on her own the first day of the holidays. I recall Bernadette saying they’d discussed it and Sally was fine about it, after all.”
“It must have been a dreadful shock when you all learnt about Sally’s death.”
Wendy looked stricken. “It was. A lot of staff had gone off on holiday, but some of us were still around.”
Diana leant forward, elbows on the table. “Was anyone particularly shocked? Which members of staff were her friends?”
“Um, apart from myself, mainly the older ones. There’s Sarah Headleigh, head of science, and Clarissa Partridge—she teaches history with religious studies. They seemed to get along, even if they weren’t bosom pals. Rufus Snow had time for her and Bernadette, of course. I was never sure about Brian Meldrew.”
Diana thought back to that afternoon and the distinguished-looking sandy-haired, maths tutor. She was certain he was the one who had slipped away from the crime scene before all hell was let loose. “No? Why not?”
“Diana, haven’t you asked enough questions? You’re raking over the past, and Wendy might not feel comfortable talking about her old friend or her work colleagues. Have you thought of that?” Steve asked, tapping her on her wrist.
Diana nodded. “Sorry Wendy, but it’s an interesting, if tragic, story. Carry on if you want to Wendy, and then I promise not to interrogate you anymore!”
Wendy settled back into a more comfortable position in her chair and watched a seagull as it glided down onto the patio near where they were sitting. It pecked at a lone crisp lying on the stone before strutting further along the terrace. “I’m fine. Where did I get to? Oh yes, Brian. Well, there’s nothing actually wrong with the man, but he’s rather complex. Years ago he might have been a hippie, a bit of a loner, I don’t know. You recognise the sort…if you asked me, I’d say he is a theorist. A lot of our students are still too immature to completely embrace all Brian’s ideas, but some like him. He can be extremely thought-provoking, but I’ve found I really have to be on my toes to understand all his theories. He’s gay, but there’s nothing wrong in that. It has never interfered with his teaching. It’s just that when Sally was alive, I always had the feeling they didn’t always see eye to eye.”
Steve shifted in his seat as Wendy finished speaking and regarded Diana with an unblinking stare. “You seem enormously concerned about Sally Rowdean, Diana. Any particular reason?”
Diana took her time answering. “I’m fascinated why someone would murder a woman and wall her up. Wendy said the building was extended about three years ago, the same year Sally Rowdean drowned. Now, this may all be conjecture, and don’t both of you shout me down at once, but don’t you find it a bit of a coincidence? Two women were killed that year, one in an awful accident and the other murdered.”
Wendy’s mouth dropped open, and she eyed her warily while Steve gave a thin smile and wagged a finger at Diana. He knew his wife.
Wendy closed her mouth before protesting in a whisper, “But surely, you don’t believe that? I don’t understand. You don’t think there’s a connection between Sally Rowdean and that poor woman there?”
“Oh, but she does, Wendy,” Steve said, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms across his chest. “You can bet your life on it.”
