The Vault (Peter Diamond Book 6) by Lovesey Peter

Author:Lovesey, Peter [Lovesey, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781569478134
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2003-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

All the ballyhoo about the vault meant that hardly any media attention was being given to Peg Redbird’s death. Out at Walcot Street, house-to-house enquiries were being conducted without any interference from reporters.

Before lunch, Diamond decided to take what the ACC termed as an overview. He went looking for Wigfull and found him downstairs in what had swiftly been set up as an incident room, with phones, computers and a board covered in maps and photographs.

“How goes it?”

“As well as I can expect at this stage,” Wigfull answered guardedly.

“Is the professor still in the frame?”

“Naturally.”

“You had another go at him, I heard.”

“I searched his hotel suite yesterday evening, yes.”

“For Mary Shelley’s writing box? No joy?”

“It was a long shot anyway, but it had to be tried.”

“If he nicked it from the shop, he’d be a fool to keep it in the hotel. He isn’t that.”

Wigfull shrugged.

“No news of the wife, I suppose?” Diamond continued to press for information. “Do you take her disappearance seriously?”

“Is that meant to be sarcastic?” said Wigfull. “Of course I take it seriously.”

“I mean when do you step up the search?”

“I’ll run this in my own way, if you don’t object.”

“Just enquiring, John. That’s my job. Has anything come out of the house-to-house?”

Wigfull gave a nod so slight he might have been watching a money spider crawl down Diamond’s shirt front.

Diamond pricked up his eyebrows. “A witness?”

“Good Lord, no. Nothing so helpful as that. Just a name.”

“Who’s this, then?”

“Oh, a fellow by the name of Somerset helps out in the shop. He was seen there on the day of the murder.”

“Acting suspiciously?”

“No, no. We’ve got nothing on him. By all accounts he was a big support to Peg. They got on well. I’ll be talking to him later. He may give me something on the professor.”

“So Joe Dougan is still your main suspect?”

“Definitely. Motive, opportunity.”

“Means?”

“She was cracked over the head with something. It could have been that precious writing box he was so desperate to own.”

“Which has disappeared.”

“For the time being, yes.”

“The box has disappeared. The wife has disappeared. How will you stop Joe from disappearing with them?”

“I’ve covered that. The hotel people will call me the minute he tries to check out. But I don’t think he will. He’s too smart.”

“You could ask for his passport.”

Wigfull sighed.

“All right,” said Diamond. “Do it your way.”

“This is a battle of wits,” said Wigfull. “I know he killed her, and he knows I know. He’ll put a foot wrong some time, and I’m going to keep going back to him until he does.”

“Like Columbo.”

“Who?”

“Detective Columbo on the telly.”

“I don’t follow you.”

“That’s his style,” said Diamond. “The battle of wits. He knows who did it before the first commercial break. He always gets his man in the end.” But he couldn’t help thinking that Columbo was light years ahead of Wigfull in wheedling out the truth.

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