Read 02 - Flight of Fancy for Free Online

Clara heard him open them and his steps
descend.
    “We should be talking
politely.” She remarked to her brother, “How much can you see, by the way?”
    “From here I can see directly
down the terrace steps, ah, yes, O’Harris has paused between the rose bushes
and is pretending to smoke. I say, he has quite gotten into the part.”
    Clara rolled her eyes, in her
experience men were rather fond of theatricals and enjoyed any excuse to show
off.
    “Oh, right, he has now tumbled
to the ground.”
    “Did you hear anything?” Clara
asked.
    Tommy paused.
    “I’m not sure, because I was
looking, well… I couldn’t say.”
    “I can’t say I heard anything.”
Clara got to her feet and went to the open terrace doors to call to O’Harris,
“Could you do that again? We want to see the noise you make when you fall.”
    “Right-oh.” Waved O’Harris.
    Clara returned to her seat.
    “This time do not watch him
Tommy but focus on me.”
    “Then how shall I know he has
fallen?”
    “How indeed.” Nodded Clara, “The
problem is the participants in this mystery are either dead or have lived so
much life beyond this adventure that recalling its particulars is rather hard.”
    “You think the colonel didn’t
tell the whole truth?”
    “I think he told what he
remembered of the event, but the mind is very good at filling in blanks, such
as the sound of someone falling.”
    “Yes, but if that is the case,
how did they know he had collapsed?”
    “Exactly.”
    “I say chaps, are you done,
I’ve been lying on that grass a good few minutes and no one came.”
    They both turned around to look
at O’Harris.
    “We didn’t hear you.”
Apologised Clara, “Could you try again.”
    Looking slightly forlorn
O’Harris returned outside to the garden.
    “Supposing they didn’t hear
him, suppose that filtered into the colonel’s imagination later, that means
poor Goddard could have been dead on the ground for ages.” Tommy continued
where they had left off.
    “It raises more possibilities
than that, for instance did the colonel do what you did and watch Goddard
without thinking and see him fall, then over time his memory faded to him imagining he heard the fall rather than seeing it. That is quite an innocent
explanation.”
    “You think there are
non-innocent ones?”
    “Oh, there are always
non-innocent explanations, but that doesn’t mean they are the correct ones. Do
you suppose he has dropped yet?”
    “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Let’s listen in silence, I feel quite mean making him keep tumbling down on
that hard ground.”
    They fell quiet and listened,
after several moments had passed footsteps were heard on the stone terrace
steps.
    “The gardener just stumbled
over me.” O’Harris said sheepishly, appearing in the doorway, “He was quite
concerned and it took some explaining, I tell you, to convince him I was fine
and just trying out a theory. Did you hear me that time?”
    “Sorry, not a peep.” Clara came
to him and looked him over, “Now what did the colonel say? Something about the
noise.”
    “He said there was a clatter
and a thud like someone had stumbled into something.” Tommy answered helpfully.
    “There is nothing but rosebushes
to stumble into down there.” O’Harris remarked, “And they definitely don’t
clatter.”
    “Could Goddard have been
wearing something that made a lot of noise when he fell?” Asked Clara.
    O’Harris paused in thought for
a moment.
    “I really can’t think of anything,
wasn’t as though he was the mayor and went about wearing his ceremonial
chains.”
    “That raises problem number
one, then.” Clara walked to the open terrace door and stared into the garden,
“Colonel Brandt and Florence O’Harris could not have heard Goddard fall to the
ground, so how did they know he had collapsed?”
    “That sounds rather
suspicious.” O’Harris looked uncomfortable.
    “Don’t worry old boy, just as
likely Clara will find a reasonable explanation