Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

glad for Mrs Bloxby’s sake. I do not know how that good woman would actually have coped with killing someone. Has he confessed yet?’
    ‘He did when he came round after an emergency operation. He thought he was dying, you see. Now he’s found out he’s not, he’s got a lawyer preparing a defence that he was in shock.’
    ‘He won’t get away with that!’
    ‘No. He had keys to Portia’s house and that’s where he killed Struthers. She was out and he phoned Mr Struthers and asked him to come over. When he found out Mr Struthers planned to oppose the water company, he struck him with the poker. He also had the keys to Portia’s car, so he bundled Robert in the boot, took him to the spring and dumped him. To make sure Robert was really dead he gave him another blow on the head, hence the blood you saw.’
    ‘Surely Portia isn’t completely innocent? Where was she when he was using her car?’
    ‘She was having dinner in a restaurant within walking distance and there are witnesses to that fact.’
    ‘And what about Robina?’
    ‘Portia was helpful there as well,’ said Bill. ‘She confessed that Guy had met Robina in a pub a week before the fête, but made Portia promise not to tell anyone about it. Back to Guy’s confession. Robina was in a state. She said she was sure there must be a loophole in the legal agreement. Guy said there wasn’t, and Robina then said she would make a public declaration about her change of mind on the day of the fête and that she had already prepared notes for a speech.
    ‘So Guy nipped away from the fête. He had already typed out notes on an old typewriter which he then dumped in the river. He was standing at the wall when he struck her down, picked up her notes and substituted his own.’
    ‘All that guff he gave me about murder being a useful advertisement was all a lie?’ exclaimed Agatha.
    ‘Not quite. He said it had been very useful. His lawyer, of course, is trying to say that because of shock and drugs, he didn’t know what he was saying. He won’t get away with it. The forensic department took apart Portia’s house and found traces of blood on the carpet.’
    ‘Where did she keep the cat?’ asked Agatha. ‘I didn’t see one.’
    ‘After the first murder, she had delivered the cat to her mother’s. Said she was too busy to take care of it.’
    Agatha scowled horribly. ‘I don’t think she can be innocent. You didn’t broadcast that you were looking for a white cat, but Guy must have known you were looking.’
    ‘It’s going to be very hard to prove.’
    ‘And what of brother Peter?’
    ‘He seems to be in the clear. But I don’t think the water company will last much longer. Any profit they made will be swallowed up in Guy’s defence.’
    ‘Wait a bit,’ said Agatha. ‘Who wrote those threatening letters?’
    ‘A frightened mad old man from Ancombe. He wandered into the police station to confess. His name is Joe Parr and he has a long history of mental instability.’
    ‘He caused Robina’s death,’ said Agatha crossly. ‘If he hadn’t frightened her, then she wouldn’t have changed her mind.’
    Bill looked at her sympathetically. ‘Are you over your shock?’
    ‘I think I’m all right.’ Agatha thought back to that terrible evening, of how James had appeared in the light of the police cars, just watching, making no move to come forward and comfort her. ‘Mrs Bloxby and I have talked it to death. The fact that she didn’t actually kill Guy has done wonders for her. She still feels guilty about nearly getting me killed, you know, giving Guy that lecture about Judgement Day.’
    ‘She was remarkably brave and so were you, Agatha.’
    ‘I was very silly. I hated those insulting bastards on the parish council so much, I was sure it was one of them. Did . . . did Guy say anything about me?’
    Bill folded his hands and looked down at them. Guy had actually confessed to romancing Agatha because he had found out her reputation of being an amateur detective and wanted to make sure she didn’t suspect him. ‘No,’ he lied. ‘Not a word.’
    ‘I feel such a fool,’ mourned Agatha. ‘To James it all seemed so obvious that it must have been one of the Freemont brothers, or both.’
    ‘Yes, he dug up some useful information about them. I told you about that.’
    ‘But why didn’t he drop me a hint? Why didn’t he tell me why he was going up to London?’
    ‘Would you have believed him?’
    Agatha coloured. ‘Probably