A horrible sensation of dread lurched in her stomach. She felt as though she had done something wrong. She wished Robert would forget about it all. But she knew he wasn’t going to.
Chapter 14
‘My library visit after work yesterday was worthwhile,’ said Fred. ‘I managed to find quite a bit of information about Alexander Miller’s bicycle accident.’
‘You did? Well done!’ said Augusta. ‘You’re proving yourself to be a useful detective.’
Fred looked bashful as he pulled his notebook out of his pocket. ‘I wrote everything down in here. Oh, I can hear someone coming down the stairs. I’ll tell you all about it later.’
‘Thank you, Fred. I’m looking forward to it.’
A tall, broad man with grey hair came into view. He was followed by Philip.
‘Augusta! Fred!’ said Philip. ‘I’d like to introduce you to Mr Ramsden. I’m doing some work for him.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you both.’ Mr Ramsden strode towards them, hand outstretched. He held a trilby hat in his other hand and wore a smart suit. A thick, gold watch chain hung across the front of his waistcoat.
‘I asked Mr Fisher about this delightful-looking shop,’ he said after he had shaken their hands. ‘I love bookshops. And what a wonderful surprise it was to discover that the shop is owned by a friend of Mr Fisher’s. Better still, there is direct access from his office above!’
He chuckled, deepening the laughter lines at the corners of his sparkling blue eyes.
‘I told Mr Ramsden he’s welcome to look around,’ said Philip.
‘Of course,’ said Augusta. ‘Very welcome indeed.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Peel,’ said Mr Ramsden. ‘This really is an impressive place you have here.’
‘I’m not sure I’d describe it as impressive,’ said Augusta, embarrassed by the flattery. ‘It’s just some second-hand books.’
‘Mr Fisher tells me you repair the books yourself.’
‘Yes. Many of these books would have been otherwise thrown away and I think that’s a great shame. Especially as some of them are first editions and can be quite valuable if they’re well looked after.’
‘Absolutely. I do enjoy a bit of reading myself. I think I shall take some time to peruse your shelves if you don’t mind, Mrs Peel? I could do with some new books for my library.’
‘Of course.’
‘If you feel our business is concluded for today, Mr Ramsden, then I shall leave you in the capable hands of Mrs Peel,’ said Philip.
‘Absolutely,’ said Mr Ramsden. ‘And don’t worry about looking after me here, Mrs Peel. I’ll have a look around and select some books which look good. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to purchase them.’
‘Very well,’ said Augusta. ‘Take all the time you need.’
Philip returned to his office and Mr Ramsden eventually bought five books. ‘I’ll be back,’ he said when Augusta thanked him for his custom. ‘A detective and a bookshop all in the same building. Simply perfect! He’s very professional, isn’t he, Mr Fisher? He told me he used to work for Scotland Yard.’
‘Yes, they were foolish to lose him,’ said Augusta. ‘He was a good detective for them. But now he can work for himself, and I think he prefers it that way.’
‘Good for him! Until next time, Mrs Peel!’ He put his trilby on his head and went on his way.
Augusta dashed up to Philip’s office as soon as Mr Ramsden had left.
Philip laughed. ‘I know why you’re here, Augusta! You want to know what sort of work Mr Ramsden wants me to do for him.’
‘I do.’ She sat in the chair across the desk from him. ‘Is that nosy of me?’
‘Very nosy. And I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to discuss my clients’ business with other people. But I think I can trust you, Augusta.’
‘Good. So who is he?’
‘Mr Ramsden is the director of a pharmaceutical firm, Hodgson Medicines.’
‘And what work are you doing for him?’
‘To be honest with you, I wish it were more interesting than it actually is. He’s asked me to watch his wife for him. He suspects she’s having an extramarital affair.’
‘So that means you have to follow her about?’
‘Yes, it does. I need to make a note of where she goes and who she meets with.’
‘That could become tedious quite quickly.’
‘You’re not wrong, Augusta. But this sort of work is commonplace for private detectives, so I have to expect it. I’ve told him I’ll work on the case for a month. It’s not the sort of thing I want to be working on indefinitely. If Mrs Ramsden is having an affair, then I feel sure I’ll find the evidence within a month.’
‘And if you don’t find any evidence?’
‘Then it means she’s either not having an affair, or she’s very good at hiding it.’
‘You might find evidence within a few days.’
