The Word Is Murder(19)

‘I wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea if you’ve got one,’ Hawthorne said.

Cornwallis glanced at Miss Laws, who got up and stomped out of the room.

‘You say she’d already worked out everything she wanted for the funeral.’

‘Yes. She’d written it down.’

‘Do you still have that document?’

‘No. She took it with her. I made a copy, which I included in the summary that I sent her.’

‘Would you say there was any urgency on her part? Did she tell you why she’d chosen that particular day to come in?’

‘She didn’t appear to consider herself to be in danger, if that’s what you mean.’ Cornwallis shook his head. ‘It’s not unusual for people to plan their funerals, Mr Hawthorne. She wasn’t ill. She wasn’t nervous or afraid. I already said this to the police. I also told them that both I and Miss Laws were shocked when we heard the news.’

‘Why did you telephone her?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘I have her phone records. You telephoned her at five past two. She had just arrived for a board meeting at the Globe Theatre. You spoke to her for about a minute and a half.’

‘You’re quite right. I needed the plot number of her husband’s grave.’ Cornwallis smiled. ‘I had to contact the Royal Parks Chapel Office to register the interment. It was the one piece of information she hadn’t given me. There’s something I should perhaps mention. She was having some sort of argument when I spoke to her. I heard voices in the background. She said she’d call back but of course she never did.’

Irene Laws returned with Hawthorne’s tea. The cup rattled against the saucer as she set it down.

‘Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr Hawthorne?’ Cornwallis asked.

‘I’d be interested to know … did you both speak to her?’

‘Irene showed her into this office—’

‘I spoke to her briefly in the reception area but I didn’t stay for the meeting,’ Miss Laws interrupted, as she took her place.

‘Was she ever in here on her own?’

Cornwallis frowned. ‘What a very odd question. Why do you want to know?’

‘I’m just interested.’

‘No. I was with her the whole time.’

‘Just before she left, she used the cloakroom,’ Miss Laws said.

‘You mean the toilet.’

‘That’s what I said. That was the only time she was on her own. I took her to the room, which is just along the corridor, and then came back with her while she collected her things. I’d also like to say that she was in a perfectly pleasant state of mind when she left. If anything, she was relieved – but that’s often the way when people come here. In fact, it’s part of our service.’

Hawthorne downed his tea in three large gulps. We stood up to leave. Then one thought occurred to me. ‘She didn’t say anything about someone called Timothy Godwin, did she?’ I asked.

‘Timothy Godwin?’ Cornwallis shook his head. ‘Who is he?’

‘He was a boy she accidentally killed in a car accident,’ I said. ‘He had a brother, Jeremy Godwin …’

‘What a terrible thing to happen.’ Cornwallis turned to his cousin. ‘Did she mention either of those names to you, Irene?’

‘No.’

‘I doubt they’re relevant.’ Hawthorne had cut off the discussion before it could go any further. He stretched out a hand. ‘Thank you for your time, Mr Cornwallis.’

Outside, in the street, he turned on me.

‘Do me a favour, mate. Never ask questions when you’re with me. Never ask anything. All right?’

‘You just expect me to sit there and say nothing?’

‘That’s right.’

‘I’m not stupid,’ I said. ‘I may be able to help.’

‘Well, you’re wrong on at least one of those counts. But the point is, you’re not here to help. You said this was a detective story. I’m the detective. It’s as simple as that.’

‘Then tell me what you’ve learned,’ I said. ‘You’ve been to the crime scene. You’ve seen the phone records. You’ve talked to the undertaker. Do you know anything yet?’

Hawthorne considered what I’d said. He had a blank look in his eyes and, for a moment, I thought he was going to dismiss me out of hand. Then he took pity on me.

‘Diana Cowper knew she was going to die,’ he said.

I waited for him to add something more but he simply turned and stormed off down the pavement. I considered my options, then followed, in every sense struggling to catch up.





Six


Witness Statements




I didn’t know very much about Diana Cowper but it was already clear to me that there couldn’t have been whole crowds of people queuing up to murder her. She was a middle-aged woman, a widow, living on her own. She was well-off without being super-rich, on the board of a theatre and the mother of a famous son. She had difficulty sleeping and she had a cat. True, she’d lost money to a theatrical producer and she’d employed a cleaner with a criminal record but what reason would either of them have had to strangle her?