Orders to Kill by Edward Marston

Author:Edward Marston
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2021-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Keedy had spent so much time on the telephone in Marmion’s office that his ear was buzzing. He was glad to be interrupted by the inspector’s return and was on his feet at once.

‘How did Alice take the news?’ he asked. ‘Did she send a message for me? What did the police in Wells say about Paul? Is it true that you told Chat that this case took priority? Did he put pressure on you? Is Alice thinking about going to Somerset with her mother? What exactly is happening?’

‘Let me get my breath back, Joe,’ said Marmion. ‘The last couple of hours have been rather hectic for me.’

‘Then come and sit down.’

Keedy vacated the seat behind the desk so that Marmion, weary and careworn, could take his seat. The inspector needed a few minutes to regain his concentration.

‘I’m his father, Joe,’ he said, eventually. ‘I want him back home where we can look after him. But I must be realistic. It may never happen. Paul has rejected us as a family. We can hardly force him to come back to us.’

‘And even if you could,’ said Keedy, ‘there’d be endless difficulties. If Paul has been living rough, he will not fit back easily into normal life.’

‘There’s no such thing as normal life for Paul. He must be one of many rudderless soldiers invalided out of the army and sent home with damage we can never understand, let alone try to heal.’ He slapped the desk. ‘Right, that’s enough about family problems. Let’s get back to the job we are paid to do.’ He glanced down. ‘I see that you’ve got a list of garages here. Most of them are ticked off.’

‘That means I’ve contacted them,’ said Keedy, ‘but to no avail.’

‘What else have you been doing?’

Keedy told him about the visits he had made, then moved on quickly to an account of his telephone conversation with Cassandra Mandeville. He was hoping that she might accidentally have met one of their suspects. Marmion was curious.

‘It’s a long shot, Joe,’ he said, ‘but we’ve been lucky with those in the past.’

‘If it is the man we want, he must live in or near to Camden Town.’

‘Why?’

‘The Arts Theatre is well known in the area but less so outside it. They have limited funds so are unable to advertise widely. In other words, the people who go to their exhibitions tend to be local.’

‘What interests me is this painting of the Battle of the Somme.’

‘It sounds weird to me,’ said Keedy, pulling a face. ‘Paul actually fought in that battle and he never mentioned seeing Christ on a cross there.’

‘Was that painting actually sold?’

‘No, it wasn’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘Mrs Mandeville said that most people were rather horrified by it. When a vicar came in, he called it obscene and wanted it taken down. He had an argument with the artist about it.’

‘Who won the argument?’

‘Mrs Mandeville did. Having accepted the painting for display, she defended her decision fiercely. I’ve only spoken to her on the phone but I’d think twice about having a row with her.

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