Chapter Twelve

WHEN THEY got back to the pub, Sue had the place ready for opening time. “I thought I’d make myself useful.”

Mike gave her a hug. “Thanks, love.” He peered at Jonathon. “Are you going to help out behind the bar again?”

“Anything to keep my mind off this business.”

Sue gave him a sharp glance. “What’s happened?”

Mike sighed. “They’ve taken Andrew Prescott in for questioning.”

“What?” Sue gaped. “Why?”

“Turns out Dominic represented his dad, who got sent to prison. He blamed Dominic, and swore Amy and Andrew to seek revenge.”

Sue’s eyes were huge. “But…. Andrew is such a sweet man. He couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“He still has to prove where he was on Thursday night.”

The silence that followed was so profound that the hair on the back of Jonathon’s neck stood on end.

Sue’s face was white. “He couldn’t have killed Dominic.”

Jonathon’s scalp prickled. “Why do I get the feeling you know something?”

She swallowed. “It’s physically impossible for him to have killed Dominic, because he was nowhere near Merrychurch that night.”

“And how do you know that?” Mike fixed her with a stern glance. When she didn’t respond immediately, he folded his arms. “Susan Elizabeth Bentley….”

She glared at him. “You know how much I hate it when you use my middle name, you sod.”

“Then tell me what’s going on or I’ll keep repeating it.” Mike gave her an evil grin.

“Fine!”

Jonathon was torn between dying to know what she was hiding and trying not to laugh at Mike behaving like a little kid.

Sue took a deep breath. “Andrew was in Reading that night.”

Mike blinked. “In Reading? Wait—are you saying he was part of that raid? With you?” When she nodded, Mike frowned. “Why would he do that? He doesn’t seem the type.”

She sighed. “That man would do anything for me. He’s totally besotted.”

“How long has this been going on?” Mike asked incredulously.

“We’ve been sort of seeing each other for about six months.” Her cheeks regained a little of their previous color.

“And I’m hearing about this now?”

Sue gave him a hard stare. “I don’t have to tell you everything, do I? And it’s not exactly common knowledge. There are too many people in this village with long memories, if you know what I mean.” She straightened up. “Now you have to go to the police station and tell them they have the wrong person—again.”

“I don’t think Detective Inspector Gorland is about to listen to anything I say.”

“Sue’s right,” Jonathon interjected. “Right now, as far as the police are concerned, he has a powerful motive for killing Dominic, and they obviously have no one else in the frame for it. You have to do something.”

“I’m not about to go charging off to the police station. I have a pub to run, or have you both forgotten that?” Mike arched his eyebrows.

“Then I’ll take Sue there.” Jonathon set his jaw and held out his hand for Mike’s keys.

Mike stared at it for a moment, then huffed and reached into his jeans pocket. He tossed the keys to Jonathon. “You’re a stubborn little shit, aren’t you?”

Jonathon gave him a sweet smile. “Aw, you know you wouldn’t have me any other way.” Then the intimacy of the remark struck him, and he marveled at how far they’d come in just six days. Judging by Mike’s initial startled glance, then the manner in which his expression morphed into a genuinely warm smile, Jonathon wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

He’s a good man. Intelligent, great sense of humor, good-looking, and fiercely protective of his sister. All qualities that ticked Jonathon’s boxes. Of course, the small matter that he was sexy as hell was by no means near the bottom of the list.

“Come on, then, if we’re going.” Sue tugged at his elbow, pulling him out of his reveries.

Jonathon gave Mike a cheeky grin. “If you play your cards right, I’ll make cocktails when I get back.”

Mike grinned back. “I’ll spread the word. Now go do your knight-on-a-white-charger routine and show Gorland the error of his ways.”

Jonathon laughed. “That man doesn’t like me already, thanks to my father. This isn’t likely to help matters.” He held the door open for Sue, then followed her out of the pub to the car.

As they drove through the village, Jonathon gazed at the way the evening sun lit up the treetops, giving added vibrancy to their green foliage. The houses, built in a honey-colored stone, gave off a warm glow. Merrychurch was a beautiful place to live.

“He likes you, you know,” Sue murmured at his side, her attention focused on the road ahead.

“Well, I like him too.”

She snickered. “I’m not dumb, you know. And I’m not blind either.”

Jonathon frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s attracted to you. And from what I can see, the feeling’s mutual.”

Shit. If Sue could see that….

“And just so you know? I’m happy with that.”

“You are?” Concentrating on his driving became that bit more challenging.

“Sure. I haven’t seen him this relaxed since he moved to the village. And he’s smiling more, for another thing. I think that’s due to you.”

“Oh.” That made him feel good.

“But hurt him and I’ll cut your balls off, all right?”

Fuck. Jonathon fought to draw air back into his lungs after most of it left him in a startled gasp. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you? And who’s to say anything will happen between us anyway?”

“Is that your way of saying you don’t want anything to happen? Because like I said, I’m not blind.”

Jonathon wasn’t sure how honest he was prepared to be. “Let’s just say I’m not going to push things. I have a very organic view of relationships. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen all on its own without my help.” He glanced across at her. “Or yours, okay?”

Sue sighed. “You can’t blame me for wanting Mike to be happy. Being invalided out of the force devastated him. I know he loves living here, loves running the pub, but it’s always felt to me like something was missing. I’m not naive, Jonathon. I know he must be… lonely, for want of a better word.”

Jonathon snickered. “Oh my, is that you being coy?” Inside, his heart ached at the picture Sue painted of Mike.

She snorted. “Yeah, sorry, but that’s as far as I want to go into my brother’s sex life. And here we are again.”

Jonathon drove into the car park and into an empty bay.

Sue unbuckled her seat belt. “Fingers crossed that they believe me.”

They got out of the 4x4 and walked into the quaint police station.

Constable Billings was behind the desk as they entered. “Mrs. Bentley, Mr. de Mountford, what can I help you with?”

Before Jonathon could say a word, Sue launched her verbal assault. “You can stop questioning Andrew Prescott, for one thing. You’ve got the wrong man, and I can prove it.”

Constable Billings blinked. “I see.” His gaze flickered in Jonathon’s direction before he reached for the phone. “Sir? I have Mrs. Bentley and Mr. de Mountford here. They claim to have evidence to exonerate Andrew Prescott.” He paused, listening, but Jonathon couldn’t miss the wince he gave. “Yes, sir.” He put down the phone and sighed. “DI Gorland will be right out.”

Jonathon’s heart went out to him. Gorland didn’t strike him as a particularly easy person to work under.

Only a few minutes passed before the door behind the constable was flung open and Gorland strode out, his jacket missing, his calm decidedly ruffled. “Well. This is getting to be a habit.”

“You need to release Andrew. He had nothing to do with Dominic’s death. He was with me in Reading on Thursday night. And if you want more witnesses, just ask the people whose names I gave you.” Sue paused to take a breath.

Gorland narrowed his gaze. “So you lied when I asked you how many people took part in the raid.”

“Yes.” Sue stuck out her chin. “You didn’t need to know about him. But if you want a statement now, I’ll make one.”

He made a sound of sheer exasperation. “Fine. Come with me. Not you, Mr. de Mountford. You can wait right there. I think I’ve been more than obliging with you so far, and I don’t see any reason why you should be present for this.”

“I agree entirely.” Jonathon gave him a polite smile. “I wasn’t about to ask anyway.” He glanced around, then sat in a chair facing the desk. “I’ll wait for you, Sue.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Sue followed Gorland from the room.

The term of endearment gave him a warm feeling inside.

“Are you still staying at the pub?” Constable Billings asked. “I’d have thought you’d want to be up at the manor.” Then his face fell. “Though I can understand why you might not want to do that. Knowing Dominic died there can’t be easy for you. I know you and he were close.”

Jonathon hadn’t expected such an empathetic response. “I didn’t realize you knew him so well.”

Constable Billings smiled. “You know he used to drink in the pub, right? Well, on my off-duty nights, I go there for a pint and a game of darts, or cards, or whatever. I’ve lost count of the times Dominic and I played. Dominic handled a mean set of arrows.”

“He played darts?” Now there was something Jonathon hadn’t known.

Constable Billings laughed. “Lord, the times he wiped the floor with me. I was just glad we never bet on the outcome.” He smiled. “He was a nice bloke. Bit lonely, maybe. I always thought that was why he used to go to the tea shop and the pub. And there are a lot of people in this village who really liked him.”

“Someone didn’t.” Jonathon shivered.

To his surprise Constable Billings reached across the desk and patted his arm. “We’ll get them, whoever they were.” He lowered his hand. “Are you going to stick around for the fete?”

Jonathon nodded. “After I talked with Rachel Meadows, I had an idea. It seems my uncle used to donate one of his watercolor paintings as a prize in the fete raffle. That came as a surprise, because I had no idea he painted.” He shook his head. “I’ve learned so much about Dominic. Anyway, I think I’ll take a look up at the manor and choose a painting to donate. I’d like to carry on the tradition.”

Constable Billings smiled. “Dominic would like that.”

“Did Bryan Mayhew come to make a statement?” It had only been just under twenty-four hours, but Jonathon hoped Bryan had done what he’d promised.

“Yes. It wasn’t as if he was ever a suspect, to be honest. There was no motive. Your uncle was kind enough to let him stay in the annex, give him access to the family portraits and the crypt, whatever he needed for his dissertation. He basically had the run of the house. It’s just a pity he wasn’t around when Dominic died. He might have seen something.” Constable Billings inclined his head toward the door where Sue and Gorland had gone. “So Andrew Prescott had nothing to do with it? I’m glad about that. He seems like a good bloke, the way he takes care of his mum. I’ve heard them talking sometimes, in the village or in the tea shop. She doesn’t strike me as the easiest person to deal with. Looks like he has his hands full there.”

Based on what he’d seen, Jonathon had to agree. He’d wondered briefly if Amy had somehow been able to get up to the hall, but it appeared unlikely, not with the wheelchair at any rate.

A thought occurred to him. “DI Gorland said you’d found brass rubbing wax and polish in my uncle’s study. Did Dominic ever do brass rubbings, that you can recall?”

Constable Billings shook his head. “That was a new one on me too.”

“I checked the manor for lilies too. None in any of the gardens, or the greenhouses.” And based on what he’d learned about Andrew, he wasn’t about to mention the lilies growing in his garden. It no longer seemed apt.

The constable’s eyes lit up. “Now, I know who might be able to help with that. Melinda Talbot, the vicar’s wife.”

“Melinda? I’ve met her. Mike and I had tea at the vicarage just the other day.”

Constable Billings nodded. “She’d know about lilies, all right. Hers take Best in Show virtually every year at the village fete. So she’d know who else grows them.” He rolled his eyes. “God, I’m stupid. Can’t think why she didn’t come to mind earlier.”

“You’ve been too busy thinking of possible suspects, not people with local knowledge,” Jonathon suggested. “And it’s not like Melinda would be a suspect, right?”

Constable Billings laughed. “Melinda? She’s more likely to give you the sharp edge of her tongue in public, that one. Put it this way: I wouldn’t mess with her.”

Jonathon stared at him. “But she seems such a sweet lady.”

Constable Billings snorted. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d ever got on the wrong side of her in Sunday school.”

“Sunday school?” Jonathon chuckled.

The constable shook his head again. “And all I did was ask a few questions, you know, like, why did God create mosquitoes when all they do is bite you? And when it rained, was that God peeing on us? When Jesus walked on water, was that the first time or did he practice first? Oh, and can God read our minds?”

Jonathon burst out laughing. “Oh, my God. I’d love to have seen her face.”

“My mum didn’t find it amusing when Melinda called her and said maybe she might want to consider keeping me at home on Sundays from then on.” Constable Billings stopped talking when the door opened, and Sue came out, closely followed by Andrew Prescott and Gorland. Andrew’s face was pale, and Jonathon noted that he and Sue clasped hands.

“Thank you for coming forward, Mrs. Bentley. Imagine how much time and embarrassment you could have saved us if you’d simply told us the truth in the first place.” Gorland seemed pissed off, not that Jonathon was surprised by that in the slightest. He had a feeling it was Gorland’s natural state.

Sue merely gave Gorland a curt nod, then addressed Jonathon. “Andrew is coming back to the pub with us. His mum will be fine for a while longer. Celia Embry will call if he’s needed. But right now he needs a drink and a breather.” She gazed at him fondly. “God knows he doesn’t get many of those.”

Andrew gave her a grateful glance, then squeezed her hand. He met Jonathon’s gaze. “If that’s okay?”

Jonathon smiled. “I don’t think Mike will mind in the least.” He glanced in Sue’s direction. “In fact, I’m sure he’ll have a few questions for both of you.”

Sue groaned. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Andrew lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, in what Jonathon found to be a very sweet gesture. “Nothing to be scared of. I’ll be right by your side. No more hiding, okay?”

Sue gazed into his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.”

Gorland made a noise at the back of his throat and went back through the door he’d just exited. Constable Billings gave Jonathon a grin, and Jonathon couldn’t help but return it.

Jonathon twirled Mike’s keys on his index finger. “Home, now.” With a last nod in Constable Billings’s direction, he led the way out of the police station. He had a feeling there was a very interesting conversation to come, even if they were no nearer to solving the mystery of who Dominic’s assailant had been. At least he had another avenue to explore.

He needed to find Melinda Talbot and discuss lilies.