Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden

"I don't know why you're so miserable, Aggie," said Charles, taking her hand. "If it hadn't been for your intuition and Scrabble's behavior, she would have got away with it. And can I tell you something? You were probably next in line for the chop. I think Daisy's obsession with the colonel, which had been going on for years and years, had turned her mind. Sooner or later she would feel that he might have lived, might have married her if you hadn't lured him away."

Agatha shivered. "All I do is blunder about in other people's lives. When I get back to Carsely, I'm going to settle down and do good works."

"That'll be the day," said Charles with a laugh.

"I mean it. I'm going to be like Mrs. Bloxby."

Agatha rose. "I'd better feed Scrabble. Any minute now they're going to come for us."

"I'll do it." Charles opened a can of cat food and then filled Scrabble's water bowl. "Never mind, Aggie, we'll be out of here in the morning."

There was a knock at the door. Charles answered it. A policeman stood there. "If you would both accompany me to the police station..."

They collected their coats and followed him downstairs. "Only one more night, please God," said Agatha, looking out at the sea. "Just one more night and then I will never come here again."

At the police station, Agatha was interviewed by Jimmy and Detective Sergeant Peter Carroll.

She wearily began at the beginning and told them how Daisy had come to her room, the reaction of the cat, and how she'd suddenly known that Daisy had committed the murders.

"How did you know?" asked Carroll.

"I don't know," said Agatha wretchedly. "It was something Charles said about them all being mad. He was joking. But in that moment, I realized that Daisy was unbalanced."

"In your statement about Mrs. Frances Juddle's death," said Carroll, "you said her cat flew at you. So why should you think that Daisy was the murderess?"

"Just intuition," said Agatha miserably. "Will she live?"

"She's dead," said Jimmy.

Agatha put her hands up to her face. "I forgot about the rolling-pin. That's why she was desperate to get down to the garden. She buried the rolling-pin there."

"Wait a minute." They both left the room.

Agatha's knees were trembling. She put her hands on her knees.

After some time they came back. "She didn't say exactly where she had buried the rolling-pin?" asked Carroll.

"Only that it was in the hotel garden," said Agatha.

"We'll find it. Now let's go over it again. By the way, whatever cat you have in your room, it does not belong to the late Mrs. Juddle."

"What! Are you sure?"

"Cliff has the cat. We went to see him yesterday morning for another interview. He had the cat with him. So let's have it all from the beginning again."

At last Agatha was free to go. "I'll be leaving in the morning," she said.

"I must ask you to be here for the coroner's inquest next week," said Jimmy. "You will be told of the time and place."

"I'll never get out of here," said Agatha bitterly.

"Leave us a minute," said Jimmy to Carroll.

When they were alone, Jimmy said quietly, "Sit down, Agatha."

Agatha sat down, her eyes filling with tears.

"If it hadn't been for you, we might not have got her," said Jimmy. "The reason I want to speak to you is I have enough affection left for you to warn you."

Agatha took a Kleenex out and dried her eyes. "About what?"

"About Sir Charles."

"What about him?" asked Agatha, turning pink.

"I assume that the fact he is a baronet and younger than you might have gone to your head, Agatha, but if you have any thoughts of becoming Lady Fraith, I would forget it."

"I never thought for a moment--"

"Sir Charles said you were nothing more than casual friends who had an occasional fling. He said it meant nothing. I do not belong in your world, Agatha. I do not believe in casual sex."

"Neither do I, Jimmy."

"Then you are a sad case. It was definitely casual to him and he made no bones about it."

Agatha stood up. "I would like to leave."

He nodded and she went out.

Charles was sitting waiting for her. "I want a word with you," said Agatha grimly. "Let's walk."

When they were outside the police station, Charles said with attempted cheerfulness, "No press yet. But they'll be all over the place soon."

"Charles, was it necessary for you to make me feel even more like a tart by telling them I meant nothing to you?"

"I didn't exactly say that. Your inspector looked so low and I thought I had messed up your life. He's a really decent chap and you could do much worse. I was only trying to help."

"Listen, you moron, such as Jimmy Jessop would never even look at a woman who went in for casual sex."

"Doesn't he know it's the nineties?"

"Oh, Charles. You are a pig."

He tucked her arm in his. "Don't let's quarrel. How late is it? I suppose the dining-room at the hotel's closed. Oh, look, there's a fish-and-chip shop."

They ate fish and chips on the road back to the hotel.

Then they went into the hotel.

"No, proper names are not allowed" came Harry's voice from the lounge. "You know that, Jennifer."