knew he could not be refused. That would not be on,” said Paige, his brows knitted. “And it would have put us, her providers, in a troubling position, and of course she would not have wanted to do anything of the sort.”
“So, over a period of time—by the way, remind me; how long did she work for the Martin family?”
The couple looked at each other. “On and off for over two years, as I said before,” said Mrs. Paige.
Maisie raised her eyebrows. “Really? Then throughout this period of time she was intermittently working at a job she did not wish to hold,” said Maisie.
“No one wants to do cleaning work, Miss Dobbs. But it is little to ask of them when we were looking out for their future, and their well-being,” said Paige.
Maisie wanted to point out that the couple were also looking out for their own well-being, but refrained from saying as much. Instead she asked another question.
“Are you aware of the connection between Jesmond Martin and the Reverend Griffith?”
“They were known to each other years ago, while Mr. Martin was involved in business overseas. I understand that they met again—” Paige looked at his wife. “Might have been not long before our reverend put Mr. Martin in touch with us, and then Miss Pramal—wasn’t that it?”
The woman nodded, this time rubbing her hands together, as if she were still fighting an inner chill.
“And the minister specifically asked for Usha?” said Maisie.
“Yes. He thought that, given the problem of the wife’s health, and Miss Pramal’s education and obvious command of English—much more accomplished than the other women in the hostel—she would be the better choice.”
“And you don’t know why she left?”
“You’ve already asked us that question, Miss Dobbs.” Paige glared as he spoke.
“I know. Sometimes the memory is jogged when it’s asked again at a different time,” she responded. “Do you know of a man named Arthur Payton?”
Man and wife looked at each other. Paige frowned while Mrs. Paige seemed to ask a silent question, her mouth formed in a perfect O.
Maisie asked again. “Does Captain Arthur Payton mean anything to you?”
Paige scratched his head while his wife looked at Maisie, her face blank.
“I think it rings a bell, but I couldn’t say why,” said Paige, at once seeming more mellow than he had just a few minutes earlier, as if something was dawning upon him, an elusive memory that he was not able to pin down, no matter how hard he tried.
“Not to worry,” said Maisie. “But it might come to you later, when you are going about your business and doing something completely different. Perhaps, if that is so, you would send word to my office,” said Maisie. “I believe I gave you my card, but just in case you’ve mislaid it, here’s another. Keep it here on the sideboard, then you’ll be able to find it.”
Paige watched as Maisie set the plain card with her name, office address, and telephone number on the mahogany sideboard. Though kept polished to a shine, the furniture had not seen a duster of late; Maisie suspected Mrs. Paige was missing the presence of Indian women to tend to the cleaning and upkeep of her house.
“I think that’s all now. Thank you for seeing me again, Mr. Paige, Mrs. Paige.” She smiled, moving towards the door, which Paige stepped back to open.
“Will there be more visits to intrigue our neighbors, Miss Dobbs?” said Paige.
“I hope not. But you never can tell when a murder is being investigated,” answered Maisie.
She turned to the couple as she reached the front door, to bid them good-bye.
“Will you be going to see the Reverend Griffith?” asked Paige.
“Oh, yes,” said Maisie. “I’m going to see him right now.”
The couple stood back as she took her leave. She walked along the street towards the junction where she would turn in the direction of Griffith’s house, and as she glanced back, she saw Mrs. Paige looking up and down the road and across the square, making sure that no one had seen Maisie leaving the house. Maisie smiled, for even at a distance, she could see lace curtains twitching back and forth as neighbors took note of what was going on at the house where two murdered women had lived.
Maisie moved her motor car to another street, though when she parked it was still the only vehicle in sight. She decided to go over to the common ground where she had discovered the belongings of whoever was camped