Still Life (A Three Pines Mystery)

'Agreed. But what's the connection with Fair Day? What was in the painting that would make Yolande change it? It's of the closing parade of this year's fair, but it seems to be a tribute to Timmer Hadley. How could Yolande have seen it, and even if she did see it, why would she need to change it?'

This met with silence. After a few minutes Gamache moved on.

'OK, let's look at others. What about Ben Hadley?'

'Why him?' Beauvoir asked.

'He had access to the bows, has the skill and local knowledge, Miss Neal would have trusted him, and he knows how to paint. Apparently he's very good. And he's on the board of Arts Williamsburg, so he had a key to the gallery. He could have let himself in any time to see Fair Day.'

'Motive?' asked Beauvoir.

'That's the problem. There's no clear motive, is there? Why would he need to kill Jane Neal? Not for money. Why?'

Gamache stared into the dying flames, racking his brain. He wondered whether he was trying too hard, trying not to come to the other conclusion.

'Come on. Peter Morrow did it. Who else?'

Gamache didn't have to look up to know who spoke. The pumpkin on the cover of Harrowsmith Country Life had found its voice.

Clara stared at her reflection in the window of Jane's kitchen. A ghostly, frightened woman looked back. Her theory made sense.

Ignore it, the voice inside said. It's not your business. Let the police do their work. For God's sake, don't say anything. It was a seductive voice, one that promised peace and calm and the continuation of her beautiful life in Three Pines. To act on what she knew would destroy that life.

What if you're wrong? cooed the voice. You'll hurt a lot of people.

But Clara knew she wasn't wrong. She was afraid of losing this life she loved, this man she loved.

He'll be furious. He'll deny it, shrieked the now panicked voice in her head. He'll confuse you. Make you feel horrible for suggesting such a thing. Best not to say anything. You have everything to lose and nothing to gain. And, no one need know. No one will ever know that you said nothing.

But Clara knew the voice lied. Had always lied to her. Clara would know and that knowing would eventually destroy her life anyway.

Gamache lay in bed staring at Fair Day. Conversations and snippets of conversations swirled in his head as he stared at the stylised people and animals and remembered what each person had said at one time or another over the past two weeks.

Yvette Nichol had been right. Peter Morrow was the likeliest suspect, but there was no evidence. Gamache knew that their best chance of catching him lay with this picture and the analysis tomorrow. Fair Day was their smoking gun. But as he stared at each face in the picture something suggested itself, something so unlikely he couldn't believe it. He sat up in bed. It wasn't what was in Fair Day that would prove who murdered Jane Neal. It was what wasn't in Fair Day. Gamache leapt out of bed and threw on his clothes.

Clara could barely see for the rain, but the wind was the worst. Kyla had turned the autumn leaves, so beautiful on the trees, into small missiles. They whipped around her, plastering against her face. She put an arm up to protect her eyes and leaned into the wind, stumbling over the uneven terrain. The leaves and twigs smacked her raincoat, trying to find her skin. Where the leaves failed the frigid water succeeded. It poured up her sleeves and down her back, into her nose and pelted her eyeballs when she squinted them open. But she was almost there.

'I was getting worried. I expected you earlier,' he said, coming over to hug her. Clara stepped back, out of his embrace. He looked at her surprised and hurt. Then he looked down at her boots, puddling water and mud on the floor. She followed his gaze and automatically removed her boots, almost smiling at the normalcy of the action. Maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe she could just take off her boots, sit down, and not say anything. Too late. Her mouth was already working.

'I've been thinking.' She paused, not sure what to say, or how to say it.

'I know. I could see it in your face. When did you figure it out?'

So, she thought, he's not going to deny it. She didn't know whether to be relieved or horrified.

'At the party, but I couldn't get it all. I needed time to think, to work it out.'

'Was that why you said "she", when describing the forger?'

'Yes. I wanted to buy some time, maybe even throw the police off.'

'It threw me off. I was hoping you meant it. But then at the B. & B. I could see your mind working. I know you too well. What're we going to do?'

'I needed to see if you'd really done it. I felt I owed you this, because I love you.' Clara felt numb, as though she was having an out of body experience.