Read The Shadow at Greystone Chase (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 10) for Free Online

before he acted, and was certainly not prone to being thrown into a panic or acting rashly. If he really had murdered his wife, then why had he hidden her body in his room? Since he had supposedly locked her door to make it look as though she were in bed and did not wish to be disturbed, surely it would have made more sense to put her (or leave her, depending on where she had been killed) in her own room, so as not to leave any traces in his. And if he were guilty, then why had he made sure that he was the one to find her body, when he must have known it would have drawn attention upon him? None of this seemed to add up to the man she had known. That was not to say he was innocent, of course, but it certainly looked as though the matter bore further investigation. She had answered the summons unwillingly, but by turning up here at all she had as good as agreed to do it. However, there were some practical difficulties to be got over first, which would require a certain degree of openness between her and the solicitor. Reluctantly, she decided to lay some of her cards upon the table.
    ‘Mr. Gilverson,’ she said at last, ‘I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that I’d much rather not be here now. The only reason I came is because—for various reasons—I feel bound by honour to carry out Mr. de Lisle’s wishes. I will do as he asks, as I expect he knew I would, although in truth, even if he is innocent I don’t see how I can find out anything that the police did not discover at the time—especially not after so many years. Still, I’ll do what I can. However, you must be aware that I cannot simply sweep in and start asking questions of everyone. People will certainly wonder why I am attempting to help clear the name of the man who is supposed to have killed my husband.’
    She stopped uncomfortably, thinking she had perhaps said too much. Mr. Gilverson held up his hand.
    ‘Please do not upset yourself,’ he said. ‘I said there was no need to refer to the subject and I meant it. Of course you are right, and if you will believe me, I tried very hard to dissuade my nephew from writing to you at all. There is no helping him now, and I certainly have no wish to see you get into a scrape on his behalf.’
    ‘A scrape,’ repeated Angela, half-amused. ‘You might call it that, I suppose.’
    Mr. Gilverson smiled.
    ‘You say you consider yourself honour-bound to do this,’ he said, ‘but believe me, you are quite at liberty to change your mind now if you like. Nobody will think the worse of you—I shall not, at any rate, and Edgar is no longer here to care about it one way or the other. Still, if you do decide to do it, I have been thinking that the only way to go about it will be for you to go in disguise.’
    ‘In disguise!’ exclaimed Angela. ‘What, do you mean in a wig and a false moustache?’
    ‘No, no, nothing so extreme,’ said Mr. Gilverson, laughing. ‘Perhaps disguise was the wrong word. Shall we say incognito instead? A false name.’
    ‘Oh, I see,’ said Angela. ‘Yes, of course, that would be the only way. But even then I still can’t simply turn up and begin asking questions of complete strangers. Do the family still live at Greystone Chase?’
    ‘Godfrey and Victorine de Lisle spend part of the year there, but not the others,’ said Mr. Gilverson.
    ‘Oh? Did they return to France?’
    ‘No. Evelyn de Lisle died shortly after Edgar’s trial—some said of a broken heart, since Edgar was her favourite son, although I think that is fanciful, myself. Roger died some three years ago. I propose you commence your investigations by speaking to Godfrey and Victorine.’
    ‘But how?’
    Mr. Gilverson smiled.
    ‘Nothing easier,’ he said. ‘Greystone Chase is at present up for sale. I shall write you a letter of introduction and tell them you are interested in buying the place. I shall tell them some cock and bull story about how I know you, and that will get you their