end of a queue. She excused herself to the waiting customers by ostentatiously showing her identification and murmuring,
-Pardon. Police business," as she passed them by. At the till, she said at some considerable volume, -A word, Miss Angarrack. Here or in the station, but in either case, now."
Madlyn didn't attempt to temporize. She said to her co-worker, -Shar, will you take the till?"
although she did add meaningfully, -I won't be a moment," to indicate either her cooperation with the police or her intention of immediately demanding a solicitor. She then fetched a jacket and went outside.
-This is DS Havers," Bea said by way of introduction. -She's come down from New Scotland Yard to assist in the investigation."
Madlyn's eyes flicked to Havers and then back to Bea. In a voice that sounded something between wary and confused she said, -Why's Scotland Yard - "
-Think about it." Bea saw that being able to bandy about the term New Scotland Yard was going to have one or two unanticipated uses. It consisted of three words that asked people to sit up and take notice, no matter what they knew or did not know about the Metropolitan police.
Madlyn was silent. She regarded Havers, and if she wondered what a representative from New Scotland Yard was doing dressed like a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, she did not say it. Havers took out a tattered notebook as Madlyn watched her, and she jotted down a note. It was likely a reminder to buy a pasty before leaving Casvelyn for the Salthouse Inn that evening, but that didn't matter to Bea. It looked official and that was what counted.
-I don't appreciate being lied to," Bea told Madlyn. -It wastes my time, it forces me to go over old ground, and it throws me off my stride."
-I didn't - "
-Save us all some time during this second round of the boxing match, all right?"
-I don't see why you think - "
-Need a refresher? Seven and a half weeks ago, Santo Kerne ended your relationship and, according to you, that was that: It was all you knew, full stop, no window dressing included. But as it turns out, you knew a bit more than that, didn't you? You knew he was seeing someone else and something about that made you sick. Does any of this sound familiar to you, Miss Angarrack?"
Madlyn's gaze shifted. Her brain was clearly engaged in calculations, and her expression said that the calculations were of the Who's the bloody grass? variety. The suspects were probably not innumerable, and when Madlyn's glance took in the Blue Star Grocery, satisfaction played her face like a keyboard. Resolution followed. Will Mendick, Bea Hannaford decided, was likely burnt toast.
-What would you like to tell us?" Bea asked. Sergeant Havers tapped her pencil against her notebook with great meaning. It was a chewed-up pencil, but that was no surprise, as possessing a writing utensil in any other condition would have been wildly out of character in the woman.
Madlyn's gaze came back to Bea. She didn't look resigned. She looked avenged, which, to Bea's way of thinking, was not the way a suspect ought to be looking when it came to murder.
-He broke up with me. I told you that and it was the truth. I didn't lie, and you can't make it out that I did. And I wasn't under oath anyway, so - "
-Save the legal wrangling," Havers spoke up. -Far as I know, this isn't an episode of The Bill.
You lied, you cheated, or you danced the polka. We don't much care. Let's get to the facts. I'll be happy, the DI'll be happy, and - trust me - you'll be happy as well."
Madlyn didn't look appreciative of this advice. She made a moue of distaste, but it seemed to be an expression that served the purpose of jockeying for position because when she next spoke, she told a completely different tale from the one she'd told earlier. She said, -All right. I broke up with him. I thought he was cheating, so I followed him. It's not something I'm proud of, but I had to know. When I knew, I ended it. It hurt to do it because I was stupid and I still loved him, but I ended it anyway. That's the story. And it's the truth."
-So far," Bea said.
-I just told you - "
-Followed him where?" Havers asked, her pencil poised. -Followed him when? And how? On foot, by car, on bicycle, on a pogo