Noonday and Night
From www.gladysmitchell.com "Dame Beatrice first makes the dubious acquaintance of a “monkey-like” little man named Vittorio when she is invited to examine Basil Honfleur’s antiques collection. Vittorio is introduced as Honfleur’s crockery scout, but soon after the meeting rumors spread that the scout may be trafficking in stolen goods. With a tactful warning to the collector, Dame Beatrice separates herself from the pair. A different matter brings the players back together, however: two bus drivers have gone missing from the coach tour company Honfleur oversees. One driver, Noone, disappears in Derbyshire, while a second, Daigh, never comes back to a coffee-stop in Wales. The coaches turn up eventually, but the drivers are not to be found. Dame Beatrice and secretary Laura follow the paths of the interrupted tours, and interview passengers along the way. The elderly detective is also careful to consider the popular castles and forts on the bus routes, as the bodies of Noone and Daigh—if the drivers are dead—must have been hidden somewhere. A more thorough inspection of the sites uncovers some grim evidence in the gatehouse of Hulliwell Hall, Derbyshire, and atop the Cathedral Close in Welsh Dantwylch. Events look particularly bleak for Basil Honfleur and his business when a third driver (named Knight) disappears in Scotland. The trail leads Laura to a dark village house, where she finds the body of a dead man inside. Surprisingly, the man is not identified as Knight, but as unscrupulous antiques dealer Vittorio. With that, Dame Beatrice soon uncovers the murderer at the end of the road."
