35

‘I was a magistrate for more than thirty years, so I saw a lot of the worst side of humanity,’ Mr Gooch said. ‘Kate Davidson wasn’t the worst, but she was far from the best. As a landlord she left me alone, as her father had. But she sold the property a few years back, and from that point, I knew it was only a matter of time.’

Gooch was an elderly man, in his late seventies. He sat stiffly in the shade of a rose arbour, a rifle leaning against the trellis, within reach. Ready for parachutists, no doubt. From his spot up here, on the hilltop, he would have prime shooting rights.

He poured tea, and passed a cup to his companion, a woman of a similar age.

‘I’d been meaning to come down this way to be with Dotty. Her husband died at Ypres, and she’s been by herself since then. Kept asking me to come and visit. In the end, I did.’

He held out his hand, took Dotty’s and squeezed affectionately.

‘You said Kate sold your property?’ I asked.

‘She had to notify me,’ he said. ‘As a tenant I was within my rights to stay on, so I did, until the threats started.’

‘Threats?’

‘Kate’s sons. The eldest in particular. Always in and out of trouble. A bit of burglary, minor theft, that kind of thing. Neither of them struck me as natural enforcers. There must have been some kind of financial incentive. Get the tenants out and there’s a bonus in it for you, you can imagine the kind of arrangement. Used to see quite a lot of it when I was on the bench.’

‘You think the Leckies were killed because they wouldn’t leave?’ I asked.

‘Victor, the eldest one, spent six months in Lewes for GBH. Not a criminal genius by any means, but I could see him moving up to murder if the money was right.’

‘The police tell me he had a cast-iron alibi.’

‘Did you know most crimes of violence take place within the family? Something about seeing the same face over the dinner table night after night. I can’t tell you how many men have been sent to the gallows because their wife said the wrong thing, night after night. And it’s not just husbands either. Wives too.’

‘Who bought the property from Kate?’ I asked.

Gooch shook his head.

‘They were under no obligation to divulge that, and they didn’t. I could have enquired at the land registry if I’d been interested, but I was already planning to leave.’

He turned to Dotty. ‘I told you I should have done more.’

‘You’ve done enough, Harold,’ Dotty said.

Gooch handed Margaret a cup of tea.

‘And what’s your interest in the matter?’ he asked.

‘I gave the Leckies the impression I’d take care of their problem with Kate and her sons. Now they’re all dead and I’m left with the feeling it’s my fault.’

‘You can’t be responsible for everything that crosses your path,’ Mr Gooch said, giving me a piercing stare. I could imagine him in his days as a magistrate, getting to the heart of the matter with a reluctant witness. ‘You learn that soon enough on the bench.’

I didn’t answer. I’ve found that’s the best response when you don’t agree. Cuts down on unpleasantness.

There was a distant droning sound and we all looked up at the sky. Three dots, coming out of the south-east.

Dotty pulled a pair of binoculars from a well-used leather case. She trained them on the sky.

‘Spitfires,’ she said. ‘Mark twos.’

‘Coming back from France?’ I asked.

‘No,’ she said, ‘it’s a delivery run, from the Supermarine factory over in Southampton.’

‘How can you tell?’ I asked.

‘The formation’s tighter than a combat mission,’ she said. ‘A few yards apart. No need to risk that level of precision if you’re on your way back from the front.’

She handed me the binoculars.

‘Women pilots,’ she said. ‘They ferry the planes around the country. Frees up the boys for the fighting. The girls have got more to prove, so they train harder and fly closer.’

I looked through the binoculars as the flight of Spitfires roared towards us, brand new Rolls Royce Merlin engines purring. Dotty was right, they were flying only feet from each other, their wingtips practically touching.

‘Some of my girls are in that unit,’ Dotty said. She waved as the Spitfires buzzed the house, only clearing the roof by a few yards.

‘Dotty’s a schoolteacher,’ Harold said. ‘Brought her out of retirement to help with the evacuees.’

‘More tea?’ Dotty asked.

I handed her my cup for a refill.

‘Have you talked to any of the others?’ Gooch asked.

‘What others?’ Margaret and I said at the same time.