Murder at the Villa Byzantine

24

The Case of the Lethal Golfer

‘You seem disappointed it’s me. Who did you want it to be?’ Antonia asked.

‘Tancred Vane, actually. I’ve been expecting him to ring.’

‘You saw him? You talked to him?’

‘I did. Melisande was with him.’

‘At the Villa Byzantine? So Melisande is Miss Hope.’

‘Yes.’

‘Does she know you know?’

‘She probably suspects,’ Major Payne said. ‘She saw me through the window. I’ll give you the details later. Vane said he’d call, but hasn’t so far…’

‘You don’t think he’s in danger, do you?’

‘I don’t know. Why doesn’t he ring? I wonder whether to call the police-’

‘Where are you?’

‘At Aunt Nellie’s.’

‘Give her my love, won’t you?’

‘I shall. She is convinced you make pots of money from your books. Did you know that by 1939 Enid Blyton was earning more than the then Chancellor of the Exchequer?’

‘I wouldn’t mind earning more than the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Though the current one would be a hard act to follow. The Osborne wallpaper fortune has been estimated at – was it four million pounds?’

‘Where are you? What’s that chirruping sound?’

‘Birdsong. I am in Kensington Gardens. I’m sitting on a bench beside Peter Pan.’

‘You sound as though you are about to embark on some awfully big adventure.’

‘Perhaps I am. Perhaps I already have. I had coffee with Julia Henderson earlier on. Julia Henderson is James Morland’s sister.’

‘You seem to be imbuing the name “Julia Henderson” with extra special significance.’

‘Julia said something very interesting. Stella talked to her the day before she was killed. Stella was keen on making her peace with her daughter. She had a plan. She was about to do something. She hinted there was an irregularity involved.’

‘What kind of irregularity?’

‘I believe she intended to commit a crime.’

‘Are you serious? Would you care to specify the nature of the crime?’

‘Steal Tancred Vane’s sword. My theory,’ Antonia went on, ‘is that Stella meant it as a peace offering. That was the reason why she went to the Villa Byzantine on the morning she was killed. She had already stolen one of Vane’s front door keys during her previous visit. Tancred Vane had told her he would be at the British Library that morning.’

‘Did she go to the Villa Byzantine alone?’

‘No. I have an idea – it is only an idea, mind – that Julia Henderson went with her. I believe Julia might have driven Stella in her car.’

‘You think it was Julia who beheaded her?’

‘You may think I am sacrificing probability to wild speculation, but, you see, Julia does fit the bill. She had a good motive for wishing Stella dead. Julia depended on her brother financially. I got a palpable sense that she hadn’t wanted her brother to marry Stella. Stella considered Julia her friend and confided in her. Julia is a champion golfer, yet she was eager to conceal the fact. She has very strong wrists.’

‘This is all most ingenious, but it doesn’t quite tally with the Melisande-as-Miss-Hope theory, does it?’

Antonia admitted it didn’t – though did it have to?

After she’d rung off, she went on sitting on the bench under the statue of Peter Pan, thinking.

Stella was dead, but her daughter was still very much alive. James Morland was a rich man. If he were to act on his decision and adopt Moon, she would share in his fortune. He had bought a Regency house in Chelsea, which he intended to share with Moon. He had talked about hiring private tutors for her.

Julia Henderson couldn’t be happy about any of this. Of course not. Could Moon be in danger? Moon was still living at Julia’s flat. Was that why Morland had bought a house? To get Moon away from his sister? Was Morland concerned about Moon’s safety? Did Morland suspect that his sister might be behind Stella’s death and that she might try to kill Stella’s daughter as well?

Antonia heard Julia’s voice once more. My Surrey past is catching up with me. Julia had pulled a droll face. What else had she said? Something about… bull-fighting? Not exactly I have never stayed at the Corrida Hotel.

The Corrida Hotel. Antonia frowned. She hadn’t imagined it, had she? Bull-fighting. Bulls? Bulls were important somehow. One particular bull?

Something began to stir at the back of her mind…