Three Little Maids(80)

If only it had been handed to the police immediately after Alice found it. It could have advanced solving the case. It had to be someone with a key to the chapel. It could focus on the previous suspects; Tom Berkley, Welbeck, Ludlam, even Carey? They all had keys.

Miss Wilberforce left the library looking considerably more relieved than when she first came in. Viviane knew she had to get this information to Jon Kent as soon as possible. She phoned the station and asked to speak to Inspector Kent.

She explained as quickly as she could the quandary Miss Wilberforce had been in before talking about her sister’s taking ways. ‘She’s really out on a limb. She’s scared stiff that her sister will be brought in for questioning. Now you’ll have to find out how it came to be found in the chapel meeting room. What do you think, Jon?’

‘The anklet could have come off in a struggle. And her murderer never noticed it. So it proves she was there in the chapel before her death. And we’ve just discovered a letter in Yvette’s case amongst her school work. It’s purported to come from Tom Berkley, who says he never sent it. Says he never wrote to ask Yvette to meet him on the Saturday night in their chapel. We asked Berkley to come in this morning to give us some prints. His are not on the letter or envelope.’

‘So this gives you a real lead?’

‘Yes, if we can check all the prints. I can tell you that Raymond Perkin’s dabs aren’t on the letter either. It looks like he’s been cleared. An earring was taken from Yvette as with Maureen. The old girl didn’t come across with that as well, did she?’

‘No.’

‘So the anklet was an accidental extra. Her mother will be glad it has been found.’

Viviane smothered her immediate thought that the poor mother would wish that her daughter was returned to her alive and well rather than the anklet.

‘Now I’ve got something that you should know, Viviane. Your old friend Esmeralda Corrie phoned me first thing this morning. And told me that she got a spirit message from Yvette the French girl, through finding the girl’s crucifix.’ Viviane smothered a gasp. ‘Yes it sounds weird. Don’t ask me how she did it. I thought she was crackers at first. But she was so convincing I couldn’t entirely dismiss what she said. And she’s been proved right so far.’

Viviane smiled as she listened. ‘Esmeralda said that a letter, the girl had got, would be important and she also mentioned the anklet. I listened and agreed to look out for them. Since the phone call, the letter was found this morning amongst Yvette’s school work and you know the rest, Viviane. But so far the anklet has not come in. When it does we’ll test that also for prints.’





61




Simon found her with a book in a deck chair out on the patio. ‘Mum, Michael Berkley wants to speak to Jon. He says he must speak to him. But he’s afraid he won’t listen. Not after last time when he tried to confess to the murders. Could you ask Jon to see him tomorrow? It is important.’

‘Can you tell me what it is about? Is it to do with the murders?’

‘Yes I think so. I can’t say anything. He didn’t tell me.’

‘Okay will do. I’ll try and persuade Jon to give him a few minutes. If he can spare the time. God help you if it’s a time waster, son.’

When Kent came in she gave him his birthday card. He looked fed up. ‘If you don’t mind, Viviane. I don’t feel like celebrating much. Not now.’

‘Could you see Michael Berkley sometime tomorrow? Don’t look like that. It is important according to Simon. It has to be to you too.’

He grimaced. ‘Maybe the kid does know something. I felt he was hiding something when he made that false confession. Okay. Tell Simon to ring his friend and get him to call in early at the station. And I’ll spare him half an hour, that’s all. And it had better make good sense this time.’

Michael Berkley had only just left on Monday morning when Aiden Ludlam called in to the station. ‘I would like to see Inspector Kent please, officer. It is on a matter of importance.’

‘And who shall I say is calling on him, sir.’

‘Mr. Aiden Ludlam.’

‘Just one moment if you please Mr. Ludlam. I’ll see if he’s free just now.’

‘Thank you, officer.’

‘If you’d like to walk down the corridor to his office, Inspector Kent will see you now, sir.’

Kent stood up to greet Ludlam when he came in. ‘Good morning, Mr. Ludlam.’

‘Good morning, Inspector.’

‘And what can I do for you, sir?’

‘I have something for you, Inspector.’ He placed a tissue wrapped package onto the police officer’s desk top. ‘This was discovered in the chapel by the Wilberforce sisters. I didn’t realiseit was found till yesterday. It is really most distressing. It obviously came off when the poor girl struggled with her killer.’