MURDER IN PEMBROKESHIRE an absolutely gripping crime mystery full of twists (Tyrone Swift Detective , GRETTA MULROONEY [books to read now .txt] 📗

‘I might. He’s weaselly, though. You don’t always get a straight answer from Bryn.’

‘Jasmine assured everyone that it was untrue.’

‘Hmm. But . . . well, there’s nothing to stop them selling if they want to, and all of our tenancies come up for renewal in November. There has to be three months’ notice on either side.’

Swift stretched his legs and yawned. ‘Why would they want to sell?’

‘I’ve no idea. They’ve always seemed very settled and committed to the Tir Melys project. Although . . . I have wondered recently if their enthusiasm has flagged. Partly to do with Jasmine’s health. She seems to have lost some of her energy. It’s a shame that we haven’t developed more activities for the public to access. I can see Jasmine’s point of view, though. She maintains that we don’t want to spoil the natural beauty and peace that we have here with lots of coming and going.’

They didn’t sound very settled when I heard them this morning. ‘Maybe you should talk to Jasmine and Peter on your own or raise it again at the colloquy.’

‘Yes, I might do both.’ She glanced around. ‘I haven’t been in here for a while. Nothing’s changed. Afan liked to keep it simple — far too minimalist for me. My cottage has the same layout, but I like my decorations. Afan lived a bit like one of the hermits who used to inhabit the chapel. We had a good chat about tomato varieties the last time I came over. I’d have visited more often, but Kat wouldn’t have liked it.’

‘What’s it to do with Kat?’

Suki shook her head and sipped her drink. ‘She’d been courting Afan since she arrived here. He wasn’t interested, but the problem is that unless you’re really direct with Kat, she doesn’t get the message. We all tiptoe around her because of her lameness and then there’s her woodcarving . . .’

‘It’s not very good.’

‘It’s awful and embarrassing, but she’s convinced it’s accomplished. She’s never been able to sell any, except for the odd piece here and there. Guy being Guy, and proud of never mincing his words, told her that she should find a market with blind people — which was very cruel, but only what we were all thinking. Those two can’t stand each other.’

‘I’ve noticed Guy’s sharp tongue.’

‘He’s like that with everyone, although Elinor comes in for the unkindest comments. I don’t understand how she puts up with him and I’m puzzled as to why he married her, given that she seems to irritate him so much and he clearly doesn’t regard her as his equal.’

‘Maybe that’s the reason. He needed someone to patronise and torment.’

‘And she is a bit of a victim, our Elinor. Guy likes controlling her. He monitors her and snoops on her when she’s talking to people, despite apparently regarding her conversations as trivial.’

‘Tell me more about Kat and Afan.’

‘Kat saw me leaving here the evening I came over, and she pretty much warned me off seeing Afan. I tried to tell her that I had no designs on him, and anyway I have a partner. He’s in Italy at the moment, but we’ve been together for a while. I could see that Kat was jealous and annoyed, so I stayed away. It’s a small community and I didn’t want to cause any tensions. I wouldn’t want Kat as an enemy.’

Swift could see the problem — Suki was pretty and dainty, especially in her draped sari, and her pottery was skilfully made. ‘Does your partner usually live here with you?’

‘No, he’s based in Cardiff. He’s a scuba diver, so he travels a lot. He got a major contract to work in Genoa. He’ll be back at Christmas.’

‘You must miss him.’

‘Yes, I do. But overall, it works for us. Are you married?’

‘No. Almost, once.’ He often wondered how life might have been if Ruth hadn’t left him and they’d married. They’d probably have made a success of it, but in that alternative universe, Branna might not have existed and he couldn’t imagine life without her now. No point in tormenting himself with what ifs. He wrenched himself back to the here and now. ‘How did Kat acquire her limp?’

‘Oh goodness, she was keen to tell us all soon after she arrived here. She used to be a weightlifter and a gym trainer. She was using a squat machine, and the weight fell on her leg and broke it in three places. She had to have several operations, and in the end, they removed some bone, hence the built-up shoe. When she recovered, she came here. Her injury was awful, but she trades on it at times. I’ve noticed that her limp is more pronounced when she’s not getting enough attention. I suspect that she was a better weightlifter than woodcarver.’ She smiled wryly. ‘I’m sounding catty now, and I’ve probably shocked you, but she can be hard work.’

‘She seems very cut up about Afan.’

‘Hmm . . . well . . . she saw a rosy future. Sad, really. It was never going to happen.’

‘The French have an expression, “la douleur exquise”. It translates as “the exquisite pain”.’ Afan had told him that when he was grieving for Ruth. It had summed up his emotions exactly.

‘The French always do have the right expression for these things, somehow.’

‘Did Afan have a partner during the time he lived here?’

‘He never mentioned anyone, never brought anyone here.’ She laughed. ‘Bryn has a friend, Dilys, who visits him now and again. She’s from Swansea and she has a husband there. It’s obvious when she’s staying because there’s loud music from Bryn’s — blasts of Iron Maiden and Motorhead. Jasmine complained to him once and he told her not to be po-faced.’ She put her empty glass down. ‘What I said about Guy earlier wasn’t