Charlie Cochrane [Cambr

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

pressed his lips together, his face growing as hard as the horse brasses which graced the restaurant.
It was immediately apparent to Jonty that he d get no more from him, no matter how hard he tried. It
was now a matter of finishing their coffee, shaking hands and parting.
As the train wended its way back to Cambridge, Jonty began to speculate again. Even if they had a
potential solution to who had killed Jardine, the murder of Taylor himself remained a mystery. If he had
killed his lordship, then revenge by a member of Jardine s family became a possibility, although that all felt
too disconnected. The solution must be simpler.
A vague recollection of what Mrs. Ward had said about Kermode s mother flitted through Jonty s
mind, making him wonder whether she might have seen fit to take a poker to the head of the man who d
hurt her beloved boy. She certainly seemed likely to have had the gumption, and it would explain the man s
reluctance to discuss the second victim. Whatever the truth, they still hadn t got to the bottom of this
wretched case.
www.samhainpublishing.com 71
Chapter Eight
There had actually been two letters from Collingwood delivered to Forsythia Cottage, one addressed
to Dr. Coppersmith alone, which he d squirreled away. According to the solicitor s sources, Rhodes was
alive, well and living in Epsom, not far from the racecourse. He was within easy distance of the railway, in
the house of a devoted maiden aunt who kept a carriage and probably let her nephew have free rein of it.
Orlando had immediately made what would, no doubt, turn out to be either an inspired or disastrous
decision. He wouldn t tell his lover.
Jonty was fragile at present, despite all his bravado and insistence that he had to confront his own
demons. Orlando was determined that he alone should make the running here only when he d seen
Rhodes and drawn the man s fangs would he allow Jonty to get anywhere near him.
If there was anything left of him to get near. Orlando hated his lover s old schoolmaster even more
than he hated the boys who d carried out the assaults. They might just, hypothetically, with a fair wind,
have left the boy alone had Rhodes not egged them on. And Rhodes had been in loco parentis, a position
that shouldn t have been abused, especially not on his Jonty.
So he d invented the nonexistent mathematical seminar and felt satisfied he d pulled the wool over his
friend s eyes on that one. The plan, as he assembled it, was to spend a day or two snooping around Epsom,
talking to Rhodes and his neighbours, then beating the man s head to a pulp. Or that would be the ideal
plan murder really shouldn t feature, not least because Jonty would spifflicate him. He d have to restrain
himself, reluctantly, when the time came.
When the time did come it caught Orlando by the lee. Meeting Taylor had left him surprised,
preconceptions all askew, but meeting the ringleader of the repellent gang of three shook his ideas to
pieces. The attractive house up on Epsom Downs, where old Miss Rhodes lived with her favourite nephew,
impressed him a neat, well-kept property with pleasant views and even more pleasant servants. Orlando
had expected Rhodes to be a snivelling wretch, like the man he d met in London, but Jonty s old
housemaster was far from that. He was charming, handsome still in middle age, attentive to his aunt and to
their unexpected guest.
Orlando simply announced to the butler that he was here on behalf of Mr. Collingwood and left the
rest to speculation. Rhodes welcomed him in, offering tea and chatting as if they were old friends, then
letting the old lady act as hostess, something which she obviously relished.
Lessons in Power
The conversation flowed with relative ease, the only uncomfortable moment being when the
chatelaine started, out of the blue, to relate an encounter she d had with a ghost, a tale which appeared to
unnerve Rhodes, possibly because it demonstrated his elderly relative s slightly tenuous grasp of reality.
He invited his guest into his study, So that we may discuss business, Aunt, ushered the man into a
comfortable chair then sat at his desk, smiling with great charm. If Orlando hadn t known the whole sordid
truth, this fa�ade would have taken him in no wonder Rhodes had got away with things so easily.
I m here to see if you can be of help regarding the tragic murders of two of your old pupils, Orlando
began, more civilly than he felt.
Lord Christopher Jardine and the Honourable Timothy Taylor? If there is anything I can do to help
bring their murderers or perhaps murderer, single, I might infer from your tone to justice, I would be
honoured so to do.
Then you might begin by answering me a question. Where were you on the morning of Sunday the
tenth of March?
I was here. Rhodes s sweeping gesture seemed to take in the whole estate. My aunt will verify
that. As she wasn t well enough to go to church, I stayed with her. I won t ask you why you need to know
the answer. I have read about the detective exploits of Dr. Coppersmith and Dr. Stewart.
Orlando bridled at the blatant mention of Jonty s name, but still made a mental note to check all the
train timetables, to see how quickly a trip to London and back could have been made on the Sunday
morning Taylor was killed. He didn t think there was any point in talking to Auntie. She appeared to be
having a few problems remembering what had happened ten minutes since, let alone a week or more.
And had you seen Mr. Taylor at all, recently? Orlando produced an impressive-looking notepad and
pen, unscrewing the lid of the latter in a theatrical manner as he prepared to make observations. It diverted
his immediate thoughts away from those concerning Rhodes s nose and contact with his fist. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pokrewne