Murder Most Royal

’

‘Is she like that with everyone?’

‘Not necessarily. I’ve heard that if you get on the wrong side of her you’ll know about it.’

‘On the wrong side of her how?’

Katie cupped one of the teacups in her hands and breathed in the steam. Her clean-living lifestyle was very noticeable after Sandringham, where the gin would be flowing freely by now.

‘There were a couple of cars that used to park near the crossing place for the school, so the kids couldn’t see the traffic easily. The owners received warning notices from the council.

Rumour has it – which I believe – that Judy worked out who was doing it and put in a call. She doesn’t put up with what she calls “nonsense”.’

‘But you don’t know about anything she was currently worked up about?’

‘Not beyond the usual, no. You said it might be to do with Edward St Cyr. What makes the Boss think the two are connected?’

Rozie pursed her lips. The Queen had not been specific when she had outlined her concerns this morning. ‘The coincidence of timing, for a start.

Judy was knocked over five days after Mr St Cyr disappeared. And it’s something to do with who Judy is. The Boss has this sixth sense for dangerous women.’

‘To the wrong person, maybe. You said she won’t put up with “nonsense”. She’ll take on anyone who threatens the school kids’ safety. Perhaps she took on someone with more at stake than she realised.’

‘And Mr St Cyr took on the same person?’

Rozie shrugged. ‘That’s one of the things we need to find out. If the police were worried, they’d be investigating already.

I can’t raise the issue with them until we have more to go on. Maybe he and Judy weren’t exactly working together, but she discovered something that would make her know who to suspect when he disappeared. Or, as I say, maybe it’s nothing. We need more than feminine intuition. The Boss doesn’t like to do anything until she’s sure of her facts. Talking of which, do you know where the accident happened?’

‘Sure. I can show you, if you like.’

They finished their tea and took the dog, in her harness, for a walk past the row of cottages and a little tea shop, to the end of the road, which formed a T-junction with the main road through the village.

Katie pointed out the sharp bend twenty yards to their right, and the place beyond it where Judy had been found.

‘She was on her way home from a WI meeting in West Newton,’ Katie said. ‘Funnily enough, it was to go over the arrangements for the Boss’s visit in a fortnight.