“We could be out of a job anyway,” muttered Betsy. “There’ll be a case against us for trading in them animals. Aiding and abetting, I suppose.”
“Why don’t we cross that when we come to it? We’re well rid of him, and we’ve still got a future together. He wasn’t the only one who grew fond of you, silly girl! So can we start again? You can give up hiring yourself out, if you want, and I’ll ferret about for work where I can. We can be a proper couple. If you and young Brookes want to work together at the zoo, fine. I can help out there as well. As long as we are paid a reasonable sum. There should be money in the bank there, when Pettison’s financial affairs are sorted out. What do you say, Betsy?”
Betsy shook her head, sniffed and said nothing.
*
Lois duly rang Cowgill after she had had her lunch, and he had been brisk.
“Sorry to disturb you,” he said. “Something has come up, and I do need to talk to you. Say tomorrow, at about three? I have to come over to Fletching, so I’ll call on you, if that’s convenient?”
“Derek is going out, but I shall be here. Him and Gran are conducting a campaign to keep me away from anything to do with ferretin’, so don’t be put off if she’s grumpy when she opens the door. I’ll be in my office, so if I see you coming, I’ll make a dash to let you in!”
Cowgill put down the phone with a smile. He was glad and relieved to hear Lois sounding back to her old self. Seeing her so exhausted and shocked, he had worried. He could not bear to lose contact with her, however seldom they should meet. Now that they were almost related, with Josie’s husband being his nephew, he hoped that this alone would mean seeing her occasionally. He did not think of Derek as an obstacle in any way, he realised as he went off to find Matthew. He was content to be on the periphery of Lois’s life.
*
Wondering what he wanted to talk about, Lois stayed in her office, sorting through New Brooms schedules for the coming week. She was finding it hard to concentrate, and decided to walk down to the shop with Jeems, call in to see Josie and then continue with a dog walk round the playing field.
“Don’t be too long,” said Gran, as she returned to the kitchen. “It gets dark really early, and very cold with it.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lois replied. “And I’m not a kid anymore. I appreciate your concern, but I am a grandmother myself.”
“And so you are!” said Gran. “You’d do better to concentrate on being a good grandmother instead of mixing yourself up with nasty animals and that inspector.”
“Bye, Mum,” said Lois cheerfully, and unhooking Jeems’s lead, she set out for the shop.
*
“Hi, Mother!” said Josie. “You’re looking very healthy with your warm scarf and rabbit-fur gloves. Are they rabbit, or one of Justin’s foreign things?”
“Enough, Josie! I’m up to here with wisecracks from Derek and Gran.”
“Sorry! What can I get you?”
“Nothing. I just called in to see you. I’ll go the minute a customer arrives.”
“Don’t be daft. I’m very glad to see you. How’s everything?”
“All right. I went to Pettison’s funeral. It was quite dignified, actually. Poor old Betsy Brierley was very upset.”
“Naturally,” said Josie. “She was his longtime fancy woman, wasn’t she? It must have been a great shock to her when she heard about it.”
“Yep, I’m sure. Josie . . .”
“Yes, what?”
“Have you talked to anyone in the shop who actually saw that taxi they said brought Pettison here that night? There were quite a lot of people gathered around to see what was going on.”
“Not really. The neighbours came running out when they heard the shouting, and people who were really close could hear the bees as well. But I reckon the taxi had driven off by then.”
“Mm, well, I just wondered.”
“Why don’t you ask Joan, Gran’s friend? She must have been one of the first to come running round. Her garden backs onto the shop’s patch. She could have seen or heard something.”
“Good idea. Thanks, love. Here comes the vicar, so I’ll be on my way. Take care of yourself, and don’t allow any buzzing insects into the shop.”
She walked around into Blackberry Gardens, and knocked at Joan’s door. It was answered immediately, with a warm invitation to go in and have a cup of tea.
“Jeems will be fine. I keep a few dog biscuits for visiting pooches,” she said. “How’s your mother?”
“On top form, thanks,” Lois said. “I was hoping I could ask you one or two questions about that terrible night. You must have seen quite a lot of the goings-on?”