Dear Diary
I thought with Foyle dead, his attempted escape from jail foiled by his foster mother who had him cremated, life would be better, and for a little time it was, but then – oh diary – he wasn't dead, he wasn't cremated. I don't know how he managed it but he must have roused from the induced sleep when she went to identify him and overpowered her – she was the one who was cremated and if it wasn't for Dot's dogged determination we would never have known.
It was Guy and Isabella's engagement party, to be held at Aunt P's and a fancy dress party. Guy is a rascal, very naughty, huge fun, exasperating and rotten to his brother Arthur. One of the maids was found floating in the pool, she was found by Arthur but Aunt P neglected to tell either me or Jack – I know she wanted to protect him but she should have trusted us. Arthur wouldn't hurt a fly, he adored Marigold (the maid) but with his instabilities I think Aunt P thought he might incriminate himself – what I found by the pool, hidden under the hedge, was a partially eaten toffee apple; it had to be Arthur's he has such a sweet tooth, and he kept going on about the 'woodcutter' and took us to the arboretum where, he insisted, the woodcutter gave him the treat and sent him away, he even said the woodcutter was the one who took Janey. Aunt P wanted to protect him but I knew he knew something very important. So many people lied, Guy, Brown the stable hand and Marigold's father (he beat her) and Isabella wouldn't say anything but flirted with Jack; the housekeeper left quite suddenly and Jack had to ask me to do the interview because she would only talk to a woman – apparently she went into Guy and Isabella's room and found them and Marigold having 'fun'. He really should have locked to door. Mrs T wouldn't actually say who the other person was but when I found expensive French undies in Marigold's things I soon worked that one out. Guy is only really interested in his own pleasure and never mind the rest – including his poor mother!
We did have a bit of light relief, I offered Aunt P the use of Mr B to do the catering for the party and the Raggers as footmen – Bert was not impressed! But they stood firm and I wanted them to look after Jane who was dressed as Red Riding Hood. Ha! She got one over on Isabella, Isabella showed off her costume, a nude one piece with a fig leaf where it mattered, Jane asked if she was Eve from the garden of Eden but the airhead said she was Lady Godiva – Jane put her right on that, Lady Godiva didn't have a fig leaf – she was 'au naturelle' – and Jane told her so. Fortunately for Aunt P she kept the fig leaf. Anyway, back to the light relief, Guy had a box of fudge which he gave to Mr B for safe keeping and told his mother it was made with figs, which she hates – Mr B tried a few pieces – it was laced with hashish – Aunt P was scandalised – Mr B was off his head, running around the pool jacket off, tie lost, waistcoat undone, shirt-tails out and trousers rolled up – it was hilarious – he was brought down with an impressive rugby tackle by Bert. We sent him home to sleep it off.
Arthur wasn't invited to Guy's party, which was mean, if you ask me, I asked Jack to attend with me, I was spooked, I admit it, with Arthur talking about the woodcutter, and Janey, and the toffee apple – there was one left when Janey disappeared. Jack said he would come along when he had finished at the courthouse – the poor man, having to deal with me and getting divorced – I had no idea he was going through that, and no, he didn't have to tell me, all I knew was that he was separated from his wife. I'm afraid I teased Jack, left him to change into a Mark Anthony costume (I was Cleopatra) but I was back rather quickly, there was an envelope in my room and – oh diary! I didn't know what to think, what to do, all I knew was Jane was in danger, the envelope contained Janey's ribbon – I know it was her's I have the other one that was dropped at the scene all those years ago. Jack believed Foyle was dead, he told me and I believed him, why shouldn't we but it was darling Dot who followed her instincts. She sifted through the ashes from the crematorium and she and Hugh, who had been dragged unwillingly into his sweetheart's investigating, found a melted glass eye; Foyle's foster mother had a glass eye, I knew he didn't have one and that was how we found out Foyle was still alive.
I felt sick, I sent Jane home when we found her as she had gone wandering, following the wolf costume which she assumed was Arthur who had been a bit sneaky, but Arthur had given his costume to Foyle – or the woodcutter. It was then that Dot and Hugh arrived with the news that Foyle had yet again cheated death.
Jack and I raced home but Jane was fine, she and Mr B were having a late supper – he was a bit peckish a side effect of including in hashish.
I know now I have to be on my guard, Foyle will stop at nothing to finish what he started but he won't win, I won't let him win, I will have justice for Janey and the other girls that went missing.