Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryham

Christmas in England? It always snows. And yet I’ve never seen a white Christmas, except in places like Switzerland.’
    ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t snow here. That’s all we need. I wonder how Lizzie is getting on. She’ll have gone to that flat in Norwich. Will she have enough to live on?’
    ‘She can always get a job. Do you remember the captain said something about her wanting to be a secretary? If she’s got shorthand and typing, she should get a job easily, despite her age.’
    ‘Maybe not. It’s all computers these days. Let’s not stay away too long.’
    ‘You’re worried about your cats. Don’t be. They’re warm and fed and they’ve got each other for company.’
    As they approached the entrance to the manor-house drive, Charles said, ‘Let’s get out and walk.’
    ‘Why?’ grumbled Agatha. ‘It’s freezing and I’ve walked enough for one day.’
    ‘If the police are about, I don’t want them asking me any more questions. At the first sight of a uniform, we’re off.’
    Still grumbling, Agatha got out of the car. They set off up the drive. ‘There’s a road that leads off into the estate before we reach the house. The gamekeeper’s cottage is probably along there,’ said Charles. ‘I wonder if Lucy’s having a shoot. Waste of good birds if she’s not. Pheasant all over the place.’
    ‘I don’t think Lucy’s the type to have any interest in country sports at all.’
    ‘She could charge good money for it. Look, there’s someone over there.’
    A man was sitting at the wheel of a Land Rover, smoking a cigarette. Charles approached him. ‘Do you know where we can find Paul Redfern’s cottage?’
    ‘Follow this road round that bend and you’ll come to the cottage on your right.’
    ‘Thanks,’ said Charles. ‘Do you work here?’
    ‘I do the maintenance,’ he said laconically.
    ‘Police up at the house?’
    ‘They were earlier but they’ve left.’
    Charles thanked him and he and Agatha walked on. Sleety rain began to sting their faces. ‘I wish we hadn’t walked,’ mourned Agatha. ‘It’s a long way back.’
    ‘If he’s a friendly chap, we’ll ask him to give us a lift to the gates. So here’s the bend. Tolly must have spent some good money on this estate. It’s well maintained. Ah, here’s the cottage. Funny how many of these estate cottages are mock Tudor. There’s smoke coming out of the chimney. Good sign.’
    Charles knocked at the cottage door.
    There was no reply. Night was falling fast and the rain was thicker and steadier. The wind suddenly dropped. There was no other sound but the rain pattering on the leaves of a laurel bush by the door.
    ‘I think we’ve had a journey for nothing,’ said Agatha.
    ‘I hate to think we’ve come all this way for nothing.’ Charles knocked at the door again. It slowly creaked open.
    They looked at each other and then at the open doorway.
    ‘Let’s snoop,’ said Charles cheerfully ‘At least we’ll be out of the rain.’
    ‘I don’t think . . .’ began Agatha, but Charles was already walking inside.
    She followed him into a minuscule hall. Charles opened a door to his right. Then he closed it again. ‘Don’t look, Aggie. I’m going to be sick.’ He rushed outside.
    But Agatha, overcome by curiosity, opened that door. What was left of the gamekeeper lay slumped in an armchair. Most of his head had been blown away.
    Agatha clutched on to the side of the door. Then somehow she got herself outside. Charles was standing with his white face turned up to the falling rain.
    Agatha sat down suddenly on the doorstep. She fumbled in her handbag for her mobile phone and called the emergency services and asked for the police and ambulance, wondering later why she had bothered to ask for an ambulance when there was nothing more that could be done for Paul Redfern.
    James Lacey switched on the six o’clock news. The pound was strengthening, the Government was being called upon to reduce interest rates, some fat Scottish member of the Cabinet was saying the Government knew what they were doing and James reached for the remote control to switch it off when suddenly the news changed to Norfolk. ‘Sir Charles Fraith and Mrs Agatha Raisin were taken to police headquarters today to help police with their inquiries. Police have stressed that no charges have been made.’ Then there was a shot of Charles and Agatha. Charles’s arm was protectively around Agatha’s shoulders. They looked very much a couple.