A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery - By Elizabeth J. Duncan Page 0,53

you anything that Millicent Mayhew lives here. I can confirm that by phone. And if she does live here, why did he deny knowing her? He said he’d lost touch with her.” She thought for a moment. “When I do go to see her, I’ll need a better idea of what I’m going to say.” She turned to the rector and smiled. “It’s interesting, though, that we didn’t even mention Alys Jones and he heads straight over here. You were really good back there, by the way, with Peyton. What did you think of him?”

“I thought there was something decidedly shifty about him,” the rector replied as he put the car in gear and they pulled out of the parking lot. At the end of the driveway he checked for oncoming traffic and then turned toward the long and winding road that would take them home. “He’s either lying or hiding something. Or maybe both. And I think he was definitely nervous. You’ve put the wind up him, my dear.”

Penny sighed and settled back in her seat. She looked out the window for a few minutes as the houses thinned out and gradually disappeared, giving way to lush green fields partitioned by stone fences that bound them together like grey ribbons.

“You know,” the rector continued, “it really is too bad that Bronwyn couldn’t come. She’s a wonderful judge of character and not much gets past her. She would have had him figured out in no time.”

He slowed down as a car filled with young people overtook them.

“Would you look at that! And on this narrow road. Honestly, everyone’s in such a hurry nowadays. What in heaven’s name is the matter with them?”

He shifted gears and glanced in his rearview mirror.

“Anyway, where was I? Oh, right, Bronwyn. She’s really enjoying that little dog. Says she must have had a life before Robbie, but it couldn’t have been up to much.” He laughed lightly. “I wasn’t sure how to take that.”

From Penny’s handbag came the sound of a mobile phone ringing. She pulled the phone out and checked who was calling.

“Sorry, Thomas, it’s Victoria. She wouldn’t ring unless it was important, so I should take this. Please excuse me.”

“Go right ahead. You’re not driving!”

“Hello?”

She listened for a moment.

“You’ve got to be kidding! No, no, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that. Of course you’re not kidding. Yes, we’re on our way home now. We should be there in about, oh, forty-five minutes or so.”

She listened again, then said a hurried good-bye and turned to the rector.

“You’re not going to believe this, but the workmen have just found skeletal remains in the ductwork in the building we just bought. And the first day on the job, too!”

Fourteen

Penny’s mobile rang again when they were about five minutes outside Llanelen. She answered it, made a few noises to indicate she was listening, and then rang off.

“Victoria just wanted me to know that Gareth has just arrived.”

The rector made a noncommittal sound and then commented, “I’m not sure what that means—whether it’s good or bad. Bronwyn won’t tell me what’s going on with you two, so I’m afraid I really don’t know what to say.”

Penny gave a little laugh that sounded more like a snort.

“Well, I don’t know what there is to tell you, really. We were sort of together, but not really, if you know what I mean, but now we’re not. Victoria just wanted me to know he was there, in case I felt awkward. Oh! I’d better let Eirlys know I’m delayed. If we can go straight to your house, I can easily walk to the building from there.”

The rector nodded, and a few minutes later they pulled into his driveway. Bronwyn came out to meet them, Robbie at her heels.

“Whatever’s happened?” she asked. “There’s an awful lot of commotion over at the spa—police cars and everything. I hope nobody’s been injured.”

“I’d better get over there,” Penny said. “Thomas will fill you in on what we know so far,” she said to Bronwyn. “Oh, and Thomas, thank you so much for this morning. I really appreciate it.”

“That’s all right, my dear. Good luck with whatever it is you’ve got to be dealing with.”

Penny bent down to give Robbie a little pat and then set off toward the stone building, which, in the space of a morning, had been transformed from a renovation project to a crime scene. Police cars with lights flashing and radio chatter crackling blocked access to the area,