The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas

Author:Kate Mascarenhas [Mascarenhas, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781789543803
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2020-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

*

The inventory was finally completed, and Larkin returned to the top floor. The police were there, discussing the break-in with Alastair. Of the other Sorcerers, only Barnaby and Dennis were present at their workbenches, and they had put down their dolls to listen.

“I take it the alarm is normally set at night?” the Inspector asked.

“Yes. I was last out yesterday, and I set it myself,” Alastair replied.

“I was with him,” Dennis added.

“But it was off when you arrived this morning?”

Dennis nodded. “It didn’t make a peep last night. Would a burglar know how to crack it?”

“Depends how dirty it was.” Larkin sat down at his own workbench. “You can work out a code from the cleanest keys – or that’s what I’ve heard.”

The Inspector and sergeant exchanged a glance.

“But why go to that trouble and not take anything?” Barnaby asked.

“They didn’t come to steal,” Naidu said. “Just to vandalise.”

“Local kids making trouble,” Alastair suggested.

“Maybe. Might also be an employee,” Walcott said, “as they were able to turn off the alarm before they were detected. And they seemed to know the CCTV blackspots.”

“Can you think of any employee who’d be likely to do this?” Naidu asked Alastair.

“Since your lot ransacked their houses, morale has been low,” Barnaby cut in drily. “Are you going to interrogate everyone again?”

The Inspector arched an eyebrow. “We’ll take statements from anyone who has relevant information. That will be considerably quicker and less painful with your help. So I’ll ask again – does any employee have specific cause for resentment?”

Larkin was tempted to respond: Briar Kendrick was sacked and has a history of destroying property. But Persephone would hear of it and he needed her to trust him. So he stayed silent.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Alastair said. “If this latest… incident… was an employee letting off steam, we have our own internal disciplinary procedures. You should never have been called, Inspector. I’m sorry my wife wasted your time.”

“She didn’t,” Naidu said. “A pattern’s emerging, Mr Kendrick; it’s unlikely to be coincidence that the eyot’s experienced this break-in so soon after the last. We have to at least consider they’re related acts of sabotage. Now, it may be that someone outside Kendricks is responsible – and if they’ve left any dabs on the window, we’ll have a new line to pursue. But Sergeant Walcott will be speaking to all residents to take down their whereabouts last night and check if they saw anything suspicious in the vicinity. I trust we can proceed with your co-operation?”

Alastair rolled his eyes, but nodded. The sergeant could use his office for the remainder of the day. Larkin was called first, to give Walcott his alibi.

“I was out cycling with Persephone Kendrick,” he said. “Then we returned to the Eyot Tavern around eight. It would be impossible for me to leave again without someone seeing because Margot Mayhew was hostessing one of the Kendricks Collectors’ evenings in the main bar. They go on till dawn. Another one is scheduled for tonight.”

“Who

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