As the Pig Turns - By M.C. Beaton Page 0,13

agency to find out what happened to Beech? I mean, it’s nothing to do with him.’

‘Oh, he’d do anything for me. He’s got oodles of money and gives me a very generous allowance, which is just as well, because I suppose I’ll have to pay to send you to Florida.’

‘Let’s get back to your marriage to Gary. How did you meet?’

‘He came into the supermarket regular like, to buy his beer. Then he asked me out. He took me to all the best places. Fair bowled off my feet, I was.’

‘Did you never worry where he got the money from? Surely you must have known that a copper’s pay doesn’t amount to all that much?’

‘I asked once and he took his belt to me and told me not to ask questions again.’

‘My dear girl, why didn’t you leave him?’

‘Well, Dad used to beat me something awful. I thought it was something that men did. Then Gary started to stay out all night, and I thought there was someone else. One night when he was asleep, I got the key to his desk and began to search it, looking for love letters. He caught me. Broke my ribs, he did. Then he said he was getting rid of me and he’d be generous if I just got the hell out.’

‘Let me see if I have this right. This man beat you, abused you, divorced you, and you still want to find out what happened to him?’

‘I have to know. I think it was something to do with that other woman.’

‘But you have no proof there was another woman.’

‘Well, several times when the phone rang and I answered it, whoever it was just hung up.’

‘Have you told the police about the man in Florida?’

‘I didn’t like to. Didn’t want to sound like a tart.’

Agatha thought quickly. She really ought to urge her to go to the police. The FBI in Florida would surely ferret out this Art Mackenzie, if that really was his name. Was Amy as naïve as she seemed?

‘I want this Art made to suffer,’ said Amy. ‘Have you ever had cosmetic surgery? Silly me. Of course you haven’t. Well, it’s damn painful, and what with getting my teeth straightened and the liposuction and all that, I’d like to get a bit of my own back.’

‘I still wonder why he picked you,’ said Agatha. ‘He could have found plenty of pretty girls in Florida without having to go to all the expense of making them over.’

‘I do think he loved me for a bit,’ said Amy. ‘And do you know, when he showed me a picture of his mother, I did look a bit like her.’

‘Well,’ said Agatha, looking out of the window at the freezing day outside, ‘I may as well start with Florida. You will be billed for all expenses plus a daily fee.’

‘Oh, yes, your Mrs Freedman told me that and got me to sign the papers.’

‘Don’t you think it might be a good idea if I talked to your husband as well?’

‘He’s awfully busy.’

‘What does he do?’

‘He owns Richards Supermarkets.’

Agatha recognized the name. The supermarkets were all over the country.

‘Let me think this over,’ said Agatha. ‘I’ll get in touch with you soon.’

Agatha called a meeting of her staff early that evening and told them what she had learned from the former Mrs Beech.

‘Lucky you,’ said Toni. ‘I wouldn’t mind going to Florida.’

‘I may as well see if there’s any connection between this Art person and Beech. There’s not much can be done here at the moment that the police can’t. Did Amy say anything about telling the police about the prostitution racket?’

‘No, not a thing,’ said Patrick. ‘She said she’d been on holiday in Florida and that’s where she met her new husband. I never heard that she’d mentioned this fellow Art.’

‘It all seems a bit coincidental,’ said Toni. ‘I mean, how fortunate this Richards turned up at the right moment to rescue her and comes from Mircester as well.’

‘What if the whole thing is a pack of lies?’ said Phil. ‘I mean, you do have a reputation, Agatha.’

‘Reputation for what?’ demanded Agatha furiously.

‘For being a good detective,’ said Phil. ‘She’s no doubt read in the papers or heard from the police about you finding the body. So the best way to keep you close is to hire you. Even better, if she simply used the divorce money to go to Florida for plastic surgery, it’s a good excuse to get out of the country