CHAPTER XVI
A STRANGER
When they returned to the cottage Daisy organised things and they were soon sat around the wooden kitchen table drinking mugs of tea and making short measure of slabs of fruitcake.
"Daisy, this is really good cake!" Susan was clearly impressed. Nancy explained before Daisy could acknowledge the compliment.
"It should be, it's Cook's recipe, she actually let Daisy write it out when we went to Beckfoot years ago, I'd never known Cook tell anyone before!"
"She must have been impressed by you Daisy, she never told me anything!" Susan seemed slightly put out by this revelation. Dot joined in.
"Nor me!" Agreeing with Susan. Titty, as Titty would, became nostalgic.
"This is like old times, except no adventure."
"But a mystery." Dick once again spoke his thoughts out loud. Daisy interrupted him not wanting to return to that particular subject.
"Who wants more tea?"
As she stood up she saw the shadow of someone passing the kitchen window, then there was a knock on the open kitchen door.
Nancy got up before Daisy could say anything and a man in a dark unkempt suit stood there, he looked an official of some sort.
"Miss Blackett? Miss Ruth Blackett?"
"Yes, if you must, but I prefer Nancy."
"Of course, as you wish, may I come in?"
The others could tell from the conversation they overheard that the man had not identified himself, yet Nancy seemed more than willing to let him in.
As the man entered the kitchen it was obvious to all of them he was clearly taken aback as he glanced around the table and saw Susan. He stepped back. Dick recognized him at once.
"Superintendent Walker, my apologies Ma'am, I didn't know you were here." Susan's demeanour changed visibly to all of them. She sat up straight in her chair and looked directly towards the stranger, almost as if there was nobody else in the room.
"Clearly not." She did not ask the man to identify himself. "I believe you've met Mr Callum." She nodded towards Dick.
"Yes Ma'am."
"And these people as you no doubt know are Mr Callum's sister, my sister, Miss Blackett and her friend." Titty had to restrain herself from laughing at the formality of Susan's language and her the tone of her conversation with the strange man. She had never seen Susan, and rarely John, behaving as an officer.
"Yes Ma'am."
"I assume what you are here for can only be spoken of to myself, Miss Blackett and Mr Callum?"
"Yes Ma'am." He looked uncomfortable and it was clear that his arrival had lost its impact and he was reduced to a mere subordinate by the presence of a very senior officer. Susan turned to the others, but maintained her formal voice.
"I'm sorry, can you three go in the garden, we'll explain as much as we can when we've finished. Oh, and can you shut the door when you do." Daisy, Titty and Dot glanced at each other, stood up and made their way outside realising that such a request from Susan was serious and important, and this was no time to question her as much as they would have liked to have done.
Once the three of them had left the kitchen and shut the door Susan gestured to one of the now empty chairs.
"Sit down."
"Thank you Ma'am." He sat but clearly did not relax in front of this officer. Dick was surprised. He had only just learnt Susan was aware of his wartime activities, but what had all that have to do with him and Nancy?
"So you've found Miss Blackett, what next?"
"Well Ma'am we were concerned at her leaving Scotland suddenly and there being no trace of her, some thought the worst, but we knew little of Miss…" He stalled not knowing how to refer to her.
"Daisy?" Nancy gave nothing else away of Daisy's identity. "No, she knows nothing and has no part in it. Nor does Dick. He like you was tracking me down, I had no idea you knew of him either. The war I suppose," she turned away from him and looked at Dick, "at least I now know why you've never said anything Dick!"
"Not very exciting I'm afraid Nancy, I just used some old contacts to try and find you and they took an interest, and it seems they did in me as well." Susan interrupted.
"So you've found Miss Blackett, you know where she lives. You do realise we are all childhood friends. Other than my brother John, Commander Walker, none of them knows anything of this. As to my brother Roger, as I'm sure you also know he was invalided out of the service and the poor soul sometimes doesn't even know what day it is, and so knows nothing of this either."
"Yes Ma'am, we are aware and have most of what you say on record, I'm afraid it was Mr Callum that set alarm bells ringing with his background, and of course," he hesitated, "Daisy, is it?" Susan interrupted him once more.
"I think we can safely say you better keep her out of this, note her presence on Miss Blackett's file and that should be enough. Similarly, despite Mr Callum's background he knows nothing, he has stumbled upon it as a willing helper to his sister and my sister." There was an uncomfortable silence between Susan and the stranger.
"Of course Ma'am. If there is nothing else Ma'am I will leave you in peace and report back."
"As will I, I can assure you." Revealed Susan. The man rose from his seat, opened the kitchen door and left.
Moments later the other three returned to the kitchen, they found Susan, Nancy and Dick just looking at each other in silence. Titty spoke.
"Susan what is going on?"