A Village Mystery

Chapter 11 - Revelations

"Didn't pan out, Sarge?"

"Pretty much confirmed my aunt's story and I ran into Arthur on the way back. Arthur sent the letter. I'll tell you about it later. Neither of them did it, Brian. All we have is Margaret White saying she followed Henry until he passed my aunt's house and that she thought she saw someone else on the street."

"Any ideas?"

"No . . . this was when Henry left the following night." Nigel rubbed his nose. "Louisa admits Henry stopped by her place that night and she followed him on a whim. What she saw was that he was apparently expected by Margaret and she said she went home, distraught and cried herself to sleep."

Brian didn't say anything but raised a doubting eyebrow.

"I know she's my aunt, Brian, but I believe her."

"Only leaves Gwen, or a total stranger doing a mugging." Brian yawned.

"Gwen just doesn't fit somehow. Why bring up the letter if it could possibly lead to incriminating her?"

"No good reason I can think of. Maybe we should just stamp this closed, Sarge . . . like they did the first time."

Nigel sat up and stared at his constable. "What did you say?"

"When:"

"Now. Just now, you said stamp it closed." He stood up and headed for the door.

"Sarge?"

"I'm going to talk to Gwen, I'll be back later."

**********

Nigel sipped his tea and studied the woman across from him. She had listened with a growing uneasiness to what he learned from Margaret and his aunt and then pressed her to tell her real version of that night. Gwen fiddled with a tissue and looked at Nigel with sorrowful eyes.

"Everything I said was true, Sergeant . . . but when Henry left I-- I followed him. I saw him go to your aunt's house and I felt I knew what had been going on all those years. But when he came out and headed toward the inn, I didn't know what to think then. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Henry wasn't seeing Louisa."

"What happened, Gwen?"

I started to go back when Louisa came out of her house and began following Henry. I became really confused then and-- and I followed them both. I couldn't imagine why your aunt would be following Henry. It was the way Henry greeted Margaret at the door . . ."

"And you knew."

"Yes, I knew. All those visits with vegetables were not to see Louisa but Margaret! The very thought made my blood boil. Margaret, the pleasant, soft spoken member of the guild, smiling and chatting bold as brass while behind my back . . ." She turned and leaned on the table, fingers gripping the corner of her place mat and bending it until it cracked.

"Gwen, take a breath. Have some of your tea."

Nigel considered her while his mind raced. "The day Virgil delivered the letter, what did he say?"

She looked up vacantly. "Oh, I don't know, Nigel."

"Please, try and remember, Gwen, it could be important."

She sighed and fiddled with the broken bit of place mat. "It was something about lover's letters I think."

"Did Virgil always stop and chat with you when he delivered the mail?"

"Yes, yes he did. Sometimes he would even come in for a cup of tea and some biscuits." Her face became a question mark. "Why? What are you--?"

"Did he ever-- did he show any special affection toward you, Gwen?"