Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryham

sitting-room, her face pink with excitement. She told Charles about the perfume.
    ‘So,’ he said, ‘all we need to do is find Lizzie on her own.’
    Charles waited until seven-thirty that evening before dialling Lizzie’s number. She answered the phone and when she said nervously that her husband was not at home, Charles said, ‘It’s you I want to speak to. Can I come round?’
    ‘I’m afraid it’s not convenient.’
    ‘It’s about your flat in Norwich.’
    There was a little frightened gasp, and then Lizzie said breathlessly, ‘I’ll see you, but not here.’
    ‘Come here, then,’ said Charles. ‘It’s Lavender Cottage, along Pucks Lane. Do you know it?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘We’ll expect you soon.’
    ‘You know what’s bothering me,’ said Charles after he had told Agatha that Lizzie was going to call on them. ‘The fairies. I mean, the fairies have been totally forgotten in all this murder and mayhem.’
    ‘True. But if it was connected to the murder, why would anyone go to such elaborate lengths? Think of the risk, taking cheap bits of this and that.’
    ‘You forget about the Stubbs.’
    ‘I don’t think the theft of the Stubbs had anything to do with it. Oh, there’s the doorbell. Lizzie’s quick.’
    But when Agatha opened the door, it was Hand who stood on the doorstep.
    ‘Thought you would like to know,’ he said, stepping past her into the hall, ‘that whoever turned over your place wore gloves. Except for a set over near the fireplace. Had any children round here?’
    ‘No, none at all. In fact, I don’t think there are any in the village other than Mrs Jackson’s.’
    ‘So we believe. My men have gone to see her with Detective Sergeant Carey. Just thought I’d check with you first.’
    ‘No, no children that I know have been round here,’ said Agatha, almost nudging him towards the door, desperate to get him to leave before Mrs Findlay arrived.
    ‘Right, then,’ he said, looking at her suspiciously. ‘I’ll let you know how we get on.’
    ‘Good, good,’ said Agatha. ‘Many thanks.’
    How slowly he seemed to leave! Walking slowly along the side path past the hedge to where his car was parked.
    Agatha waited nervously until she heard him drive off and then shot back into the house. ‘Phone Lizzie,’ she said to Charles. ‘She may have come round when Hand was here and got frightened off.’
    Behind her, the doorbell rang again, making her jump.
    ‘That’ll be Lizzie,’ said Charles.

Chapter Six

    Lizzie Findlay came in, blinking in the light. She looked small and faded and scared.
    ‘Are you going to blackmail me?’ she asked.
    ‘Not at all,’ said Charles. ‘Take off your coat and come into the sitting-room.’
    He helped her out of her coat.
    When they were all seated in front of the fire, Charles said, ‘We’ve found out you spent some time with Tolly, masquerading as his wife, in Norwich.’
    Lizzie went white. ‘You won’t tell my husband!’
    ‘No,’ said Agatha. ‘We just want to know what it’s all about. We won’t tell the police either.’
    ‘I suppose I’ll have to tell you,’ said Lizzie, looking miserably down at her work-worn hands. ‘It started last year. Tolly was very nice to me and we talked a lot at those interminable hunt dinners. After a bit, I began to tell him how awful my marriage was and he began to tell me how awful his marriage was and one thing led to another. My husband goes out a lot, and Tolly then came up with this idea of taking the flat in Norwich. My husband was going away to visit relatives in Canada for a month and he said he wouldn’t take me. So that really started it, that month together. I was worried about Lucy finding out, but he said she didn’t care a rap for him, only his money.’
    ‘Could the captain have found out?’ asked Agatha. ‘Could he have killed Tolly?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ she said wretchedly. ‘I’ve worried and worried about it.’
    ‘We saw you in Norwich this afternoon,’ said Charles. ‘You were transformed – different clothes, make-up, all that. Is there someone else?’
    ‘No,’ said Lizzie, ‘and there never will be now. I’m trapped for life. Tolly wanted to make out a new will . . .’ Agatha flashed a triumphant look at Charles. ‘He wanted to leave everything to me. But I said Lucy would contest the will and there would be such a scandal. He kept saying he would get a divorce and I kept asking him if he’d told Lucy, but he always swore he would