to it?’
Her voice trailed away as Robert queried, ‘Why do you keep saying “him” for the murderer? Are you sure it was a man?’
Max nodded. ‘Good question. Joe thinks it’s likely. The victim was strangled with a chain, so the murderer was strong. It would take plenty of force to keep the pressure on the chain with the victim fighting for his life.’ Libby winced. ‘But I guess a fit woman could manage, if she took him by surprise.’
He added, ‘There’s something else. Chains, like the one used to strangle Mr Temple, are attached to the shelves in the library with forged steel bolts. The murderer must have brought along some hefty bolt cutters.’
‘Which means,’ Robert interrupted, excited, ‘he had a plan. He came prepared to kill Giles Temple that night.’
14
Ghosts
Robert and Sarah left, arms entwined, taking a taxi to Sarah’s parents’ home. They were still chattering about the murder.
A lump formed in Libby’s throat as she stood with Max in the doorway, watching. It seemed that only yesterday Robert had been a little boy, holding Libby’s hand as they walked to the park.
She leaned on Max’s shoulder. ‘They’re almost as excited about the mystery as their wedding. Still, it’s very strange to see your son with another woman. Sarah will come first in his life, from now on.’
He slipped an arm round her shoulders. ‘That’s how it should be. You must be proud of Robert. He does you credit.’
‘I am. I used to think he was dull until Sarah brought him out of his shell. Funny, how wrong you can be about your own children. I suppose it was the contrast with Ali – she was the enthusiast, always dreaming up new projects. I never knew what she was going to do next. I shouldn’t have been surprised when she left university so abruptly and dashed off to South America. At least, judging by her emails, she’s forgiven me for disapproving.’
Max sounded rueful. ‘It’s so hard to get it right when you have children. I made every mistake possible with mine. If I’d known my daughter would have that riding accident and die so young, I’d have spent every moment with her, instead of working away from home so often.’
Libby said, ‘We can’t change our natures. Look at you, still working when you could be happily retired on your banking pension.’
‘But what would I do all day? At least Joe and I are talking again. I wish he’d been here tonight, to meet Robert. Still, there’ll be time for that. He’s pleased about you and me, you know. It’s almost enough to make him forgive me for the past.’
Libby leaned against Max. ‘I’m pleased, too.’
‘But not enough for marriage?’
‘Not quite yet. Give me time. Let’s go back and see how the other pair are doing.’
Mandy and Reg were tidying Max’s kitchen, Reg explaining the rules of basketball while Mandy listened, open mouthed. Max whispered, ‘More love-birds.’
Mandy’s face glowed. She had a wine glass in each hand. ‘Reg wants to know if this house is haunted.’
Max snorted. ‘Don’t listen to him, Mandy. Reg sees ghosts everywhere. It’s his hobby.’
Mandy and Libby spoke in unison, breathless. ‘Really?’
Max sighed. ‘It’s one of his ploys to attract women. Successful, of course.’
‘That’s very sexist,’ Mandy objected.
‘Maybe, but true. Anyway, Reg, it looks like you’ve already hooked these two.’ Max rescued a wine glass from Mandy’s grasp as she drained the other. ‘You’d better explain. What makes you think I have a ghost? I can’t say I’ve seen anyone cross the hall with his head beneath his arm.’
Reg pointed to Bear. ‘You can scoff, but that dog senses something. There are parts of this house that bother him. He followed me down the hall just now, stopped at the third door and wouldn’t go in.’
Libby admitted, ‘I’ve noticed it, too. It’s the drawing room that bothers him. Sometimes he won't pass the door at all. He just pokes his nose in and backs right away to the kitchen.’
Max led them into his comfortable, scruffy study. Reg stretched out in an armchair, his legs reaching halfway across the room. ‘I had no idea you had a drawing room, Max. I thought it was something only your British royalty would own.’
‘It comes with the house. I’ll admit I hardly go in. It’s far too formal. I just use it when I want to impress someone like the Lord Lieutenant on official business.’
Reg scratched his head. ‘You Brits and your aristocracy; I’m not even going to ask what a Lord Lieutenant is. But I'd love to have a peek in the drawing room. Come on now, back me up, Mandy.’
‘I’ve never been somewhere as posh as a drawing room,’ Mandy giggled. ‘We just had a front room, where I grew up. Should I call you Lord Ramshore?’
Libby joined in. ‘Come on, Max. Haven't you ever wondered about ghosts? This is such an old house.’
Max grinned. ‘Are you sure you want to start ghost hunting? You’ll give yourself nightmares. You were scared enough that time you were lost on Glastonbury Tor.’
‘Don’t try and get out of it that way. Come on, spill the beans.’
‘Okay, then, here's the story. I’ll start it properly. Once upon a time…’
Mandy chortled. Max winked at her and continued. ‘Once upon a time I sat in there, reading. It was soon after I moved into the house, half a dozen years ago. I was reading Dickens. Great Expectations, I think. Seemed appropriate in an old pile like this. Anyway, it was midsummer, on one of the three hot days we had that year. We call that a heat wave, Reg, by the way.’
Reg laughed, but Mandy complained, ‘Get back to the story.’
‘Sorry. I realised my feet were freezing cold. It felt as though they had ice packed round them. The rest of me was fine, even a bit too warm. I got up to walk around, warm the toes up a bit, and,’ his voice dropped to a whisper, ‘I felt something cold land on my shoulder.’
Mandy gasped. ‘Like a hand?’
He nodded; his face solemn. ‘It was heavy, like a dead weight. I looked round, but there was nothing to be seen. I told myself I was imagining things and tried to go on reading, but my feet just got colder. I told myself, “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just a draught.” These old buildings have plenty of spots where the wind gets through, even with half decent central heating. I moved across and sat in another chair, but…’
Mandy put in, ‘The cold spot followed you?’ She licked her lips, eyes shining.
Libby leaned forward, caught up in the story. ‘What happened next?’
‘Nothing. In the end, I went back into my study to get warm.’
Mandy
