Hollow Vengeance by Anne Morice

Author:Anne Morice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2021-05-09T16:00:00+00:00

‘She is recovering from a nasty bout of flu,’ I explained re-entering the room a few minutes later, with the brandy bottle in one hand and a glass of water in the other, ‘and a close friend has just died very suddenly, so the smallest shock is liable to unnerve her.’

Elsa was now sitting up, although still pale and distraught looking. She accepted the glass of water and sipped it very slowly, presumably to give herself a little time to think, in the event of the Inspector finding my explanation inadequate to account for her passing out at the mention of her son’s name.

Perhaps he did not, though, because he said mildly, ‘I am sorry to hear that and very sorry indeed to be the cause of further distress, but, as I told you, my business is really with Mr Marcus Carrington and I was told that I might find him here this evening. Is he at home, by any chance?’

He was altogether a reassuringly mild looking man, although not lacking in authority. I judged him to be about fifty, and he was below average in height and on the burly side, with a round head and crinkly brown hair. There were a lot of crinkles round his eyes too and deep horizontal lines on his forehead, which suggested that smiling came naturally to him, although he was not doing any now.

‘Not here just at the moment,’ I replied, since Elsa still seemed incapable of speech, ‘He’s gone to . . . see some friends, but he’ll be back soon, I expect. Can I give him a message?’

‘What time do you expect him, then?’

‘I’m not sure. Around nine, wouldn’t you say, Elsa?’

She nodded. ‘About then.’

The Inspector, who had not taken his eyes off her, even while ostensibly speaking to me, was looking thoughtful.

‘I see. Well, if he should be back any earlier, would you be kind enough to ask him to give me a ring? The number’s on this card and I’ll be in my office till eight-thirty or so. Failing that, first thing in the morning?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘It’s quite important,’ he added, moving to the door. ‘Don’t get up, either of you, I’ll see myself out.’

I thought he must then have broken into a sprint because we heard the sound of a car engine seconds before he should, by rights, have reached the front door. Unfortunately, it was the wrong car and two minutes later he was back.

‘Your son has just returned, Mrs Carrington and I’ve asked him to accompany me to the station. Just a small matter I want to clear up and it shouldn’t take long. Very sorry to have disturbed you. Good evening!’

‘What do you suppose that’s all about?’ I asked.

‘I don’t have to suppose anything. I know only too well what it’s about.’

‘Oh, really? Is that why you were looking so worried yesterday?’

‘Yes, I was so desperately afraid something like this would happen, and now it has, you see!’

‘You’ve left me far behind, Elsa, because today you’d stopped looking so worried and yet, as you correctly point out, now it has happened.

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