Part 28 (1/2)

'Your husband should not be discussing the details of this case. Even with you. There are certain things which we like to hold back--'

'So only the police and the killer know about it,' Lucy finished for him impatiently. 'Everybody knows that that fr from half an hour in front of the telly! But it bothers me that you don't seem to be taking the b.u.t.ton seriously. Doesn't it bother you?'

She looked at him expectantly and again he wished he could just tell her to f.u.c.k off and walk out. Everything became easier when that was an option.

'We have no idea if the b.u.t.ton is even connected to the murder of Mrs Priddy,' he said stiffly.

'That's not the point,' she shot back. 'The point is, why would Jonas be revealing evidence or possible evidence if he's been trying to hide the truth? Is he finding he finding evidence or is he evidence or is he hiding hiding it, Mr Marvel? You can't have it both ways. It makes no sense.' it, Mr Marvel? You can't have it both ways. It makes no sense.'

It made no sense to Marvel either, but he'd be d.a.m.ned if he was going to concede that point to Lucy Holly.

'Mrs Holly--' he started officiously, but she cut him off.

'Come on, Mr Marvel. Everyone knows there's a million bits of forensic evidence that you can use to convict somebody.'

'True,' said Marvel. 'And if that vomit hadn't disappeared, we might have it.'

'Or you might have a pile of vomit without a DNA match,' countered Lucy defiantly. 'And you have no proof that Danny threw it up or Jonas cleared it away. The point is, you don't have it at all. Jonas said it was there overnight, which is pretty lax, if you ask me!'

Marvel knew it was too, of course, so he changed tack, hoping to wrong-foot Lucy.

'Did you know that twenty years ago there was a fire up at Springer Farm?'

'No.'

'Well, there was. The owner, Robert Springer, was killed.'

'So? What does this have to do with you bullying Jonas?'

He ignored her and ploughed on: 'Mr Springer's body was found in the only stable that had the door shut. The other doors had been opened - presumably to let the horses out, although they didn't go.'

He let the fact hang there, hoping for some indication that she knew about it, or had something to hide. She just looked at him neutrally.

'The coroner ruled misadventure, but I'm not sure that's the whole story.'

Lucy waited again for him to go on. He collected his thoughts before he continued. He'd only heard of these events hours earlier, and wasn't sure how they affected his case, so he was even less sure of what - if anything - to tell Lucy Holly.

'When I told Joy Springer about Danny Marsh's death last night, she was happy.'

He could read the surprise in Lucy's eyes, along with the questions she didn't ask. He answered them anyway.

'Seems she always suspected Danny of starting the fire.'

'Why?'

'Apparently local kids would work up there in exchange for rides, but her husband was always getting at Danny for not pulling his weight, forgetting to put water in the stables, stuff like that. I don't know what; I don't know s.h.i.+t about horses. She says he resented it. When the fire happened, the police interviewed all the kids who rode there, but they never came up with any evidence that any of them played any part in the fire.'

'Maybe she she did it,' interrupted Lucy. 'Aren't spouses always the first suspects? Maybe she was pointing the finger at Danny to distract from the fact that did it,' interrupted Lucy. 'Aren't spouses always the first suspects? Maybe she was pointing the finger at Danny to distract from the fact that she she killed him.' killed him.'

'I'm just telling you what she told me,' said Marvel impatiently.

'Maybe she wore surgical gloves,' Lucy murmured with a wry raise of her eyebrows.

Marvel ignored the dig. 'You know Jonas and Danny Marsh were childhood friends?'

'That doesn't mean he'd cover up for him if he knew Danny had done something wrong,' said Lucy quickly. 'Jonas would never do that.'

Marvel smiled without humour. 'You know, every wife of every criminal I've ever caught has said exactly the same thing - he'd never do that.'

'Well, it's true,' she said defiantly.

'You knew him as a boy?' he inquired sarcastically.

'I know him now,' she snapped back.

'You and your husband are well matched.'

'What does that that mean?' mean?'

'You both think you know people. Know what they're capable of.'

'I suppose you think you you know people.' know people.'

'Yes, I do,' said Marvel. 'And what I I know is that people are capable know is that people are capable of anything.' of anything.'

Lucy looked at him with a small smile. 'I think you know the wrong kind of people, Mr Marvel.'

He shrugged and let her score that point. Proving her wrong would take time he didn't want to waste. He changed direction again. Maybe he could get something out of Lucy Holly without her even knowing it.

'Your husband tell you what happened the other night? When we hit the horse?'

'Yes.'

'He wouldn't touch it.'

'Jonas doesn't like horses.' She shrugged.

'Not now,' now,' agreed Marvel. agreed Marvel.

He reached into his inside coat pocket and handed her the photo.

'What's this?' she said, but he thought he'd let her work it out for herself.

She did, but it took her a lot longer than it had taken him. He saw the exact moment she recognized her future husband - the tiny intake of breath and the way she dropped her head to get closer to the photo.

'Jonas,' she said.

'And Danny Marsh.'