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.Did youknow about the bedspread? Well, you must have done, ifyou found the body, I suppose.Page 226 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Bedspread? David s mouth was hanging openagain.It really didn t suit him. Didn t you see it? The police said it was with thebody.We didn t know until James told us. No, I didn t see it.It wasn t in the car, I m sure.David was looking quite sick, now. Where did James sayit was? He didn t.As far as I can gather the police justthrust it at him in an evidence bag and asked if herecognised it.I don t know if it was used to move thebody or what, but apparently she wasn t killed in the car. Yes, but I found her in the car, said David. In thedriver s seat. Well, if she was, she was moved somehow.David put his head in his hands. God.Libby looked down on him. I know.It s horrific,isn t it? Now I really must go or the children will thinkI ve been kidnapped.Oh, and David, she was pregnant.They told James.He s had to give a DNA sample.She left David sitting at the table, his head still in hishands.She felt sorry for him, but there was too much elseto think about.She would have to tell Peter and Benabout David s theory and get the theatre checked beforeTopPage No 321315tonight s final performance.She was beginning to wishshe d taken more notice of Fran.On impulse, she knocked at the door of the PinkGeranium on the way past.Harry poked his head outfrom the back, saw who it was, and came to unlock. What s up, petal? Is Pete around? asked Libby. No, he s at home with James.Why? Oh, nothing.I ll call him when I get home.Harry frowned. Come on, what s going on now? Nothing, I told you.I just need to speak to himbefore tonight. Libby smiled brightly. See you later.She briefly contemplated walking up to The Manorto see if Ben was in, but decided she might as well gohome and phone.The children would probably be up bynow, making inroads into the contents of her fridge.Libby stepped into number seventeen and wasimmediately assailed by the s cent of healthy young male.She opened the curtains and the window in the sittingroom, frowned at the sleeping bags discarded like snakeskins on the floor and followed the smell of burnt toastinto the conservatory. Hello, Mum, said Belinda, waving a slice of toastin one hand and stroking Sidney with the other. Morning all, said Libby. Sleep well?Belinda nodded and the boys grunted.Satisfied,Libby retreated to the sitting room and picked up thePage 227 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlphone. Pete, it s me.I ve just been to see David, and hetold me something rather odd.I d quite like to talk to youand Ben about it.And James, actually.She heard a deep sigh. Oh, for goodness sake, whatnow?TopPage No 322316 I m sorry, Pete, it s not my fault this time, honestly.In fact, I still don t really know why David chose to tellme. Didn t you ask him? Well, of course I did, and he gave me some sort ofexplanation which didn t make sense.He said he wasconcerned for you and James, I think.Oh, and he didn tknow about the bedspread. How can he not have known? The police said it wasin the car with her. Oh, don t ask me, I m beyond it all.But I really doneed to speak to you. All right, Peter sighed again. Are you taking yourrabble for a pint before they go home, did you say? Yes, in about ooh, Li bby looked at her watch, about an hour, I should think. So shall I meet you in the pub? I d rather meet you at the theatre. The theatre? Good lord, haven t you seen enough ofthat place this week? Trust me, said Libby. I m going to phone Ben,and I ll go down there as soon as he can open up. If he s around this morning. Oh, no! Don t tell me he s gone somewhere. He was taking Hetty shopping this morning, Iknow.She wanted to do some food for the party tonight. Oh, well, just you, then.Will I be able to get thekeys from The Manor or will you bring yours?Peter sighed again. I ll bring mine.I ll see you therein about twenty minutes.All right? And this had better beworth it.He was right.Gregory Wilde answered the phonebreathlessly but courteously.No, neither Hetty nor BenTopPage No 323317was there, but he expected them back within the next halfPage 228 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhour or so.Could he take a message?Libby left a message asking Ben to get in touch assoon as he could, and apologising, told her children shewould see them in the pub in an hour.She wished theywere staying another night, so she could have spent someuninterrupted time with them the next day. Oh, Mum, I forgot, said Belinda, as she wasstepping out of the front door. Someone called Franphoned.I told her you d ring her when you got back. I ll have to do it later, said Libby. Did she sayanything else? No, said Belinda, but she sounded a bit agitated. Oh, lord. Libby frowned, wondering whether sheshould phone Fran before going to the theatre.ThinkingFran was unlikely to point the finger at anyonespecifically, she decided against it.She smiled brightly atBelinda. I ll tell you about her at the pub.See you later.Summer is definitely nearly here, Libby thought,unwrapping her cloak as she trotted down AllhallowsLane for the second time that morning.It was really quitewarm.Peter was already at the th eatre when she got there,and so, to her surprise, was James. I need to get out and be normal, he explained. And go back home to the flat, as well. Haven t you got to decide what to do about Millie?asked Libby. Of course we have, but it needn t concern James.Ican take care of it as I live in the village, said Peter. Millie s actually one of the reasons I wanted to seeyou, said Libby, feeling nervous.Her heart had startedbumping away as though she was about to step on stagenot knowing the script.TopPage No 324318 I might have guessed, said Peter, glowering at her. Go on.What now? David wanted to see me because& well.He saysshe didn t cut that wire.Peter and James stared at her. What? Or the bridge.He says she couldn t have done.She s got arthritis, apparently.I always said I couldn t seeher doing that, didn t I? That s good, isn t it? asked James. It means sheisn t under suspicion for anything. The police never thought she was behind theaccidents.They really didn t pay much attention to themonce they realised they didn t have anything to do withPaula. Libby sat down on one of the little wrought-ironchairs. No, I m afraid it means someone else causedthem.Page 229 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html So? I m sorry, I don t understand the urgency.Peter leaned up against the bar and folded his arms. Sosomeone else did them.What are you saying? That person s still about and we don t know who itis, said Libby. And they might not be finished, said James,obviously catching on.They all looked at one another. And it could be the murderer, said Peter, slowly. David said we d all thought that before we knewMillie did them, said Libby. Except she didn t, said James. So what are we saying, here? asked Peter. Mumdidn t cause the accidents Except the fire, put in Libby.TopPage No 325319 But not the others, because she s too infirm
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