Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryham

Stubbs turning up in your kitchen!’
    ‘How did you hear?’ asked Agatha, following Harriet into her sitting-room, where Polly, Amy and Carrie were quilting.
    ‘One of the policemen went into the pub for a pint and got talking to Rosie, and Carrie met Rosie on the village green and she told her. And guess what? Mrs Jackson and Paul Redfern have been taken off in police cars. Do you think they did it?’
    ‘No,’ said Agatha. ‘What reason would they have? Gosh, I know. I bet they witnessed that will.’
    Four pairs of eyes goggled at her. Charles tried to give Agatha a warning kick but she was off in full gossipy flight. ‘There was a will attached to the back of the painting. I believe it leaves the Stubbs to Lizzie Findlay.’
    ‘That figures,’ said Polly.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Well, I always said there was something going on there, didn’t I? Last hunt dinner, I said to Peter I could swear they had been playing footsie under the table and he said, “Don’t be disgusting.” Wait till I tell him this.’
    ‘Oh, I don’t think anything was going on,’ said Agatha.
    ‘So loyal, so late,’ murmured Charles.
    ‘I think the police have arrested Lizzie,’ said Amy.
    ‘Why would they do that?’ asked Charles.
    ‘Sloppy Melton, who works on the farm the other side of the road from the captain’s land, said he went up to see the man who runs the captain’s farm, that’s Joe Hardwick, and while they were talking, Lizzie comes out with suitcases and gets in her car, but there was a detective beside her and another following.’
    ‘If they’d arrested her,’ said Agatha, ‘she wouldn’t have been allowed to leave in her own car and with suitcases. I think she’s left the captain.’
    ‘She wouldn’t dare,’ breathed Carrie. ‘She was terrified of him.’
    ‘What if the captain thought his wife was having an affair with Tolly,’ said Agatha, and then coloured as Charles glared at her. ‘I mean, the whole idea’s ridiculous, but he might have believed she was and gone and murdered Tolly.’
    ‘You don’t know hunting,’ said Polly. ‘It’s not a sport, it’s a religion. The captain would have given Tolly his wife if it kept the funds coming in.’
    ‘But why on earth would Mrs Jackson and the gamekeeper keep quiet about the will?’ asked Agatha.
    ‘That’s easy,’ said Carrie. She smiled. She was wearing an attractive shade of pink lipstick and her eyes kept drifting to Charles.
    ‘What’s easy?’ demanded Agatha crossly.
    ‘It stands to reason that when it transpired, the solicitors had a will leaving everything to Lucy, and no mention was made of any other will, they would assume that was the only will.’
    ‘Or,’ said Harriet, ‘it could be because they were just told to put their signatures down at the bottom of the will and didn’t bother reading it. Why would they? Tolly would simply say he wanted their signatures, and they would sign, because he was the boss.’
    ‘What do you think of your fairies now?’ asked Agatha, keeping her eyes on Carrie. ‘I mean, don’t you feel rather silly finding out that it was only Mrs Jackson’s children?’
    ‘There’re strange things go on in old parts of Britain like this, but you wouldn’t understand,’ said Polly dismissively. ‘Now you’re here, Agatha, would you like to do some quilting?’
    ‘We’ve got to get going,’ said Agatha. ‘Come along, Charles.’ She marched to the door of the sitting-room. She heard a burst of laughter and whipped round. Charles was creeping after her, touching his forelock. When he saw her glaring he said meekly, ‘Coming, missus. Don’t beat me.’
    ‘Clown!’ said Agatha, when they got outside.
    ‘Don’t order me around like a dog, Agatha. If you go on like that, they really will think I’m your toy boy.’
    ‘You can’t be a toy boy,’ said Agatha nastily. ‘You’re too old and you haven’t got muscles.’
    ‘Let’s go to the pub and see if we can pick up any gossip.’ Charles set off rapidly across the village green, leaving Agatha to follow him.
    When Agatha went into the pub, Charles was already at the bar, smiling at Rosie and ordering drinks. Agatha joined him. ‘There you are,’ said Charles. ‘One large gin and tonic for you. Oh, look, there’s Framp over there. Let’s join him.’
    The policeman was sitting alone at a corner table. As they walked to join him, Agatha was aware of three pairs of hostile eyes. While the wives were quilting, the husbands