慡ounds great,?says Judy as she parks in front of the library. 慠emember to let the interviewee get a word in edgeways, won抰 you.?
Tony lapses into silence but is soon chatting to the librarian, Emma, about green library cards and Charing Cross.
慖 worked for Westminster Libraries for while,?says Emma. 慉 funny little place in Mayfair. Interesting readers though.?
Emma is originally from Scotland.
慖t was a bond I had with Avril,?she says. 慦e were both from near Edinburgh. I just can抰 believe she抯 gone.?
慉vril抯 death must have been a shock to you,?says Judy. They are in the children抯 section because the library isn抰 open yet. It feels odd, talking about death whilst sitting on squashy cubes surrounded by primary-coloured book covers: Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, Spot, Dear Zoo, Happy Birthday, Tiger Twins.
慖t was a terrible shock,?says Emma, the words bringing out her Scots accent. 慉vril always seemed so cheerful. I looked forward to her days.?
慔ow many days did she work in the library??asks Judy.
慗ust two days a week. Usually Mondays and Thursdays. She was a volunteer. We抮e relying on them more and more these days. There aren抰 enough trained librarians to go round.?
慦hat do the volunteers do??asks Judy.
慉ll sorts,?says Emma. 慡ometimes they deliver books to housebound readers or help with children抯 activities. Avril did general administrative work ?putting protective covers on books, that sort of thing ?but she also helped out with IT support. She was proud of being a silver surfer.?
慔ow did she seem when you last saw her??says Judy. 慏id she seem anxious or depressed??
慛ot at all,?says Emma. 慖 saw her on Monday. She seemed her usual self.?
According to the post-mortem, Avril died sometime on Monday night or early on Tuesday morning. She was found by Tina the next morning. In a locked room.
慍an you remember what you talked about??asks Tony. Obviously aimless chat is one of his specialist subjects.
慦e were laughing about something we saw on TV,?says Emma. 慖 can抰 remember what.?She looks from Tony to Judy. 慖s it true? That she committed suicide? That抯 what people are saying but I just can抰 believe it.?
慦e抮e still investigating,?said Judy. 慖抦 sorry. I know it must be distressing. Did Avril ever mention anyone or anything troubling her? Anyone hanging around the house, for example??
慛o,?says Emma, wide-eyed. 慉vril got on with everyone.?
慖s there anyone that we should be talking to? Her daughter mentioned someone called Hugh that Avril used to meet here??
慜h, Hugh Baxter. He抯 another volunteer. A lovely man. Very interested in local history and all that. I think he抯 a bit sweet on Avril. He抣l be devastated when he hears.?
慏o you have an address for Hugh??asks Judy.
Lovely man or not, he抯 going on their list.
Hugh Baxter lives nearby so Judy and Tony leave the car and walk. It抯 midmorning and the streets are very quiet. Tony stops to talk to a cat sunning itself on a wall but otherwise there is not a living creature to be seen. Is everyone staying inside because of the threat of coronavirus, thinks Judy, or is Hunstanton always like this?
Hugh抯 house is an end-of-terrace cottage. The brickwork looks slightly shabby but the garden is immaculate. A birdbath stands in a perfect circle of lawn and early daffodils are pushing their way up through the soil.
慚y uncle Wang Lei loves gardening . . .?Tony begins but Judy silences him with a look. The door is opened by a white-bearded man in the sort of clothes Judy抯 grandfather wears for relaxing: shirt, tie, cardigan, neatly pressed trousers and slippers.
Judy had thought she would have to break the news about Avril. This is something she has been trained to do but it抯 never pleasant. However, it抯 clear that Hugh already knows. When Judy says why they have come, he rubs his eyes.