The Imbroglio at the Villa Pozzi (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 6) by Clara Benson

nothing he can do to stop her practising as a medium, and so I think he desperately wants her to be guilty of defrauding people out of their savings so he has an excuse to drum her out of town.’
    ‘And of that there is no evidence.’
    ‘Not as far as I can see. Of course, the logical thing to do would be to go and talk to everyone who has ever sat for the Quinns, but I can hardly ask a lot of complete strangers about their financial arrangements, can I? What could I say? “Tell me, has anybody persuaded you into changing your will in their favour lately?” Why, it’s unthinkable. No, I believe I shall have to retire from the investigation—such as it was, since I seem to have spent most of it in enjoying myself. If Jonathan wants to find some evidence of fraud then I don’t think I can help him.’
    ‘No,’ agreed Elsa. ‘If they really are guilty of something then it will be a job for the police.’
    ‘I suppose I had better break the news to Jonathan this afternoon,’ said Angela.
    ‘I hope Miss Quinn will be all right,’ said Elsa. ‘She did look remarkably unwell. I wonder what she saw, and who needed help.’
    ‘Well, whoever it was, it’s too late, apparently,’ said Angela.
     

NINE
     
    The heavy grey clouds had been drifting slowly across from the other side of the lake all morning, and by early afternoon the sun had gone completely and the air was heavy and still, with the threat of rain. Raymond Sheridan had promised to send a message if he thought the weather was not good enough for the picnic, but they had heard nothing, and so Angela and Elsa duly presented themselves downstairs in good time to be conducted to the Villa Pozzi by Mr. Morandi in his motor-car, since it was far too hot to walk even the half a mile or so from the Hotel del Lago.
    The villa stood on the outskirts of Stresa, and was set a little back from the lake, at the top of a long drive. Angela looked about her as they drove through the grounds, admiring the lush vegetation, tall trees and expansive grassy areas. The effect was formal without being too stiff, and it certainly looked as though plenty of hard work had gone into creating and maintaining it.
    They passed a little octagonal summer-house, whose windows and doors were shut up tight as though for the depths of winter, and continued up the straight road, then drew up by a fountain which stood in front of the house. There they alighted and Angela now saw the Villa Pozzi properly for the first time.
    ‘As you can see,’ said Mr. Morandi, who could never resist an opportunity to show off his knowledge, ‘the building is in the early Palladian style, but to a smaller scale. It does not have the adornment or grandeur of the later Palladian architecture—it has none of the columns and pediments that so characterized Palladio’s later work, for example—and is in fact quite plain.’
    Angela regarded the house with interest. It had a creamy yellow façade and a red roof, and was graceful in its symmetry. A long flight of steps at the front led up to the entrance, which was concealed under a loggia of three arches. It was larger and much more impressive than Angela had imagined, although she noticed that here and there the paint was peeling and some of the brick-work was crumbling. Perhaps Mr. Sheridan had invested most of his time and money in the garden rather than the building.
    ‘Shall we go in?’ said Mr. Morandi.
    ‘Yes please,’ said Elsa. ‘I should like to have a few minutes inside and escape this horrid heat.’
    Indeed, even in the past hour the air seemed to have become hotter and more humid, and the sky darker and heavier. It hardly seemed the right sort of weather for a picnic.
    ‘Surely it must rain soon,’ said Angela.
    ‘Not before we have eaten,’ said Mr. Morandi gaily. ‘I shall not allow it.’
    They climbed the steps and passed through the loggia into the villa’s gloomy entrance-hall, where they found the Ainsleys waiting for them. It