A Cottage Mystery - Part 4
Posted: June 29th, 2012, 2:42 pm
On the afternoon of the next day, Samantha called at Kendal's office
at Lambourne House, but he was obviously out, as it was closed. She guessed that he must be engaged on another job. She decided that she would drive over to the cottage alone to have another look around.
Halfway there, it began to rain quite heavily. She switched the windscreen wipers on. She was glad her plastic mac was on the passenger seat. She never minded the rain as it gave her an excuse to wear it, which she found enjoyable. Somehow the feel of the plastic, especially when wet, excited her.
As she was nearing the cottage, she noticed two distant figures on
the beach. One was wearing a yellow oilskin and the other a fawn raincoat and a trilby hat. She knew that the latter must be Kendal. The one in the oilskin seemed to be attacking Kendal.
She stopped the car a little further on, grabbed her mac, put her arms into the sleeves, and pulled up the hood. As she dashed over the beach, she could no longer see the figure in the oilskin, but Kendal was lying on the pebbles.
Stooping over him, she said, "Are you alright, Mr. Kendal?"
Kendal was shivering. "He we-went for me, Miss," he stammered. "And he was like ice!"
Samantha took him into the cottage. She found an old tin of soup in the food cupboard and heated the contents in a saucepan. She filled a mug with the soup and gave it to Kendal, who eagerly consumed it.
"Thank you, Miss. I really needed that."
"So was that the ghost of Terry?" she asked.
"I think it must have been, Miss. That was no living person, I'll tell you that. I did some checking this morning. A few weeks back, the body of a fisherman named Terry Sinden was found washed ashore. He had apparently drowned and the inquest put it down to 'accidental death'."
"Are you saying that you don't think it was?"
"Well, Miss, I think it may be that your uncle and this Terry had some kind of argument about the diamonds. It's likely that one of them was trying to cheat the other. It's even possible that your uncle may have murdered Terry. I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure."
"I've a horrible feeling you may be right. My mother rarely mentioned him, and when she did, it was usually to say he was a bad lot."
Samantha drove Kendal back to his office, where she paid him for his services.
"I'm sorry to have inflicted all this on you, Mr. Kendal."
"No need to apologise, Miss. You couldn't know what would happen."
She thanked him and went out into the rain. She tightened her belt and raised her hood.
Kendal watched her through the window as she walked to her mini and drove off. He put his hand in his raincoat pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. He undid the drawstring and tipped the contents into his cupped left hand. A dozen small sparkling diamonds.
THE END
at Lambourne House, but he was obviously out, as it was closed. She guessed that he must be engaged on another job. She decided that she would drive over to the cottage alone to have another look around.
Halfway there, it began to rain quite heavily. She switched the windscreen wipers on. She was glad her plastic mac was on the passenger seat. She never minded the rain as it gave her an excuse to wear it, which she found enjoyable. Somehow the feel of the plastic, especially when wet, excited her.
As she was nearing the cottage, she noticed two distant figures on
the beach. One was wearing a yellow oilskin and the other a fawn raincoat and a trilby hat. She knew that the latter must be Kendal. The one in the oilskin seemed to be attacking Kendal.
She stopped the car a little further on, grabbed her mac, put her arms into the sleeves, and pulled up the hood. As she dashed over the beach, she could no longer see the figure in the oilskin, but Kendal was lying on the pebbles.
Stooping over him, she said, "Are you alright, Mr. Kendal?"
Kendal was shivering. "He we-went for me, Miss," he stammered. "And he was like ice!"
Samantha took him into the cottage. She found an old tin of soup in the food cupboard and heated the contents in a saucepan. She filled a mug with the soup and gave it to Kendal, who eagerly consumed it.
"Thank you, Miss. I really needed that."
"So was that the ghost of Terry?" she asked.
"I think it must have been, Miss. That was no living person, I'll tell you that. I did some checking this morning. A few weeks back, the body of a fisherman named Terry Sinden was found washed ashore. He had apparently drowned and the inquest put it down to 'accidental death'."
"Are you saying that you don't think it was?"
"Well, Miss, I think it may be that your uncle and this Terry had some kind of argument about the diamonds. It's likely that one of them was trying to cheat the other. It's even possible that your uncle may have murdered Terry. I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure."
"I've a horrible feeling you may be right. My mother rarely mentioned him, and when she did, it was usually to say he was a bad lot."
Samantha drove Kendal back to his office, where she paid him for his services.
"I'm sorry to have inflicted all this on you, Mr. Kendal."
"No need to apologise, Miss. You couldn't know what would happen."
She thanked him and went out into the rain. She tightened her belt and raised her hood.
Kendal watched her through the window as she walked to her mini and drove off. He put his hand in his raincoat pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. He undid the drawstring and tipped the contents into his cupped left hand. A dozen small sparkling diamonds.
THE END