Page 88 of M for Murder

‘We’re investigating…’ Boaz started to explain but was stopped mid-sentence by Agnes Barnes who was waving her hand in the air like a schoolgirl who knew the answer to a question.

‘Mr Sutton, Mr Sutton. I think I know a way to find out the names of those children.’

Max looked at her, glad for the reprieve. ‘How is that, Ms Barnes?’

‘The old news files in the back room of the library. Helen White’s case was well publicised. I’m sure if you go through the back copies of the old newspapers, you’ll be able to find out the names of her children. There might even be some news about the adoptions.’

Max grinned broadly at her. ‘Ms Barnes, you’re a peach.’

Agnes smiled, flattered. ‘Why, thank you, Mr Sutton.’

She glanced up at Doctor Turner, patting the empty red vinyl seat beside her.

‘Are you going to join us for coffee, Doctor?’

Doctor Turner shook his head. ‘No thank you, Agnes. I have patients to see. In fact, I really should be going.’ He glanced briefly at both Max and Boaz. ‘Gentlemen.’

Max nodded to him, watching him exit the diner.

‘Well, that’s strange,’ Agnes said, furrowing her brow.

‘What’s strange, Ms Barnes?’ he asked, turning back to look at her.

‘Doctor Turner running off like that. He came into the diner, but he didn’t order anything.’

‘Maybe he lost his appetite,’ Max suggested, looking at the big glob of blueberry jam that had just dribbled out of Boaz’s mouth and down onto his chin.

‘Maybe.’ Agnes looked thoughtful for a moment as she stared out of the diner window at the crystal blue water in the bay below. ‘Very peculiar,’ she muttered. ‘Very peculiar indeed.’

Eager to get back to the library and hunt out the newspaper reports, Max reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty. ‘Come on, Officer Boaz, eat up. We have work to do.’

‘You’re going back to the library already?’ Agnes asked, her grey eyes wide with surprise.

‘That’s right, Ms Barnes. We need to make a start on those newspapers.’

‘But we haven’t talked about Myron White yet.’

Max looked at her, curious. ‘Myron White?’ he questioned.

‘Helen’s husband,’ Agnes elaborated.

‘What about him?’

‘Well I thought that was what you wanted to talk to me about. I thought you wanted to know what happened to him.’

‘You said he died, right? In some kind of accident?’ Boaz piped up, cramming his mouth full of doughnut.

Agnes nodded. ‘That’s right, Mr Boaz. He was hanged.’

‘You mean it wasn’t an accident?’ Boaz said, spitting dough across the table. ‘He killed himself?’

‘No, he didn’t kill himself. It was an accident. Some of the students put a noose around his neck. They were just trying to scare him. But he slipped and fell.’

‘Really?’ Max said, becoming interested. ‘And why were his students trying to scare him?’

Agnes Barnes signalled to a passing waitress.

‘I think we’re going to need another pot of tea over here, Lucinda. And another coffee and milk shake for the gentlemen.’