Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden

While they played Scrabble, Agatha began to wonder about that supposed conjuring up of Francie's spirit. Surely it meant that Janine suspected one of them. And had someone really kicked Mary? Or had Mary been frightened that she was about to be exposed But Mary was a dainty little thing. Agatha could not imagine her striking such a blow as to kill Francie. And yet a desperate woman could have struck that blow. But why was Francie's door unlocked? Had the murderer a key and then gone away, leaving the door unlocked? Jimmy had said nothing about the body having been moved. Therefore whoever had killed her, had killed her in her bedroom.

So her thoughts raced on and she got chided by the others for playing badly. None of this elderly lot could be guilty, thought Agatha. Just look how they all concentrated on the game.

At last they all went up to their respective rooms and were enclosed in the hotel's usual expensive night-time hush. When Agatha passed the reception desk on her road up, she noticed the night porter was asleep on a chair behind the desk. Anyone could come or go without his noticing, thought Agatha bitterly. He had probably been asleep when that wretched girl walked in and sabotaged my coat.

The morning dawned, clear and frosty with a pale sun shining down on a calm sea.

After breakfast the colonel, who seemed in good spirits, suggested they all take a stroll along the pier. "I want to show you a bit where the pier is becoming definitely unsafe," he said. "These old Victorian piers are part of Britain's heritage. Perhaps, if you all agree with me, we could get up a petition."

Well wrapped up, hatted and gloved and wearing warm coats, they all walked along the pier--like some geriatric school outing, thought Agatha.

The colonel stopped them half-way along. "Now I want you all to lean over and look down at the piles. They are covered in layers of seaweed but definitely rotted in some parts. The sea is very calm today, so you should all be able to get a good look at what I'm talking about."

They dutifully leaned over. Glassy rolling waves surged under the pier.

"What's that white thing in the water?" asked Jennifer.

"Where?" asked Mary.

"Just there." Jennifer pointed. Then she said huskily, "Oh, my God."

The white thing rolled over on a wave and the dead face of Janine stared up at them, her blonde hair floating out about her head, her muslin dress floating about her body.

FIVE

MARY was sobbing into Jennifer's flat chest. She's not wearing that padded bra I recommended, thought Agatha numbly. Daisy was trembling and weeping. Harry Berry was sitting on the boards on the pier, his old head in his hands. And the tall figure of the colonel could be seen striding off down the pier to call the police.

Agatha fumbled in her handbag for her change purse. She extracted three pound coins and a fifty-pence piece and walked to the cigarette machine. She put in the coins and pressed a button. A cigarette packet rattled down into the tray below. Agatha picked it up, stripped off the wrapping, extracted a cigarette and put it in her mouth. She lit it up and took a deep draw. Her head swam and she felt dizzy. She staggered to the rail and hung on, but she took another puff. A sea-gull alighted on the rail next to her and gazed at her assessingly with its beady prehistoric eyes.

Some teenagers came down the pier, laughing and chattering. One of them spied the figure of Harry and stopped. "What's up, guv?" he called. "Want us to call a doctor?"

Harry shook his head. "There's a body in the water," he said hoarsely.

"Cor!" The teenagers ran to the rail.

If it wasn't that husband of hers, it was one of us, thought Agatha. Surely we were the last to see her.

The wail of police sirens tore through the air. Blue lights flashed at the end of the pier. The tall figure of the colonel came into view. Beside him walked Detective Constable Ian Tarret and Detective Sergeant Peter Carroll. Behind them came more police.

"Stand back!" ordered Tarret. "Who spotted the body?"

Agatha found her voice. "We did. Us from the hotel."

His eyes bored into her. "You again. Move along," he said to the teenagers. "The rest of you stay where you are."

Agatha began to shiver. Then she saw Jimmy hurrying along the pier, his long black coat flapping. Tarret led him to the rail and pointed down.

"If I may make a suggestion?" said the colonel.

"Yes?" Jimmy looked at him, his eyes first sliding past Agatha. "As none of us had anything to do with this outrage, I suggest as we are all elderly and the day is cold, we should be allowed to return to the hotel where we will await your questions."

Agatha, despite her shock, did not like being including in that "elderly."

"Very well," said Jimmy. He called forward a policeman. "Go with them and keep a watch on them until I can get to them."