Under Attack by Edward Marston

Author:Edward Marston [Marston, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749021283
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2017-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

It was mid morning when Marmion got to the Club Apollo. He wanted to be there before luncheon was served and, hopefully, before Jonathan Ulverton turned up. He was keen to look at the place for himself without being supervised by the man who was now its sole owner. What struck him when he was let into the building was the absence of music. The club felt empty without it. Saul Rockwell came out to welcome the inspector and provide an explanation.

‘The quartet won’t be here until this evening,’ he said.

‘I didn’t come to listen to them.’

‘Mr Ulverton is here, if you wish to speak to him. He stayed the night.’

‘I’d value a moment with you first,’ said Marmion, annoyed that the owner would soon interrupt them. ‘I gather that you were in the navy?’

‘That’s right, sir.’

‘Which ship did you sail in?’

‘I ended up in HMS Dreadnought,’ said Rockwell, straightening his shoulders. ‘She was a wonderful vessel. When she was launched in 1906, she put all the other battleships in the shade. In terms of speed and firepower, she had no equals.’

‘It sounds as if you enjoyed your time aboard her.’

‘I’ve nothing but good memories, Inspector. But those days are gone. I got married and looked for a position that was more suitable. Sergeant Keedy will have explained how I ended up here.’

‘You obviously like it.’

‘I couldn’t wish for a better job.’

‘Why do you think you were chosen to be the steward?’

‘Who can say?’ asked Rockwell with a shrug. ‘Mr Donohoe saw something in me and made me an offer. I’d like to claim that my effortless charm won him over but I fancy that he simply wanted someone who wouldn’t fiddle the accounts or run off with the silver. My naval experience helped. It proved I was reliable.’

‘What’s so special about this place, Mr Rockwell?’

The steward chuckled. ‘You mean, apart from me?’

‘Why are people so keen to become members?’

‘They like music and they want somewhere to hide.’

‘From what?’

‘From whatever it is that they want to escape. One member told me he’s in hiding from his wife and another said he was dodging his creditors. It was a third one who had the best answer. He claimed that he just wanted somewhere to stay until the war was over.’ He raised a meaningful eyebrow. ‘Don’t we all?’

‘What about the musicians?’

‘Oh, they’re not actually members.’

‘No, but I daresay that Mr Donohoe and Mr Ulverton chose them with great care. They’d want the best they could get.’

‘That’s why they employed the Malvern Quartet.’

Marmion was taken aback. ‘Do they come all that way just to play here?’

‘They don’t live in Malvern,’ said Rockwell. ‘It happens to be where their leader was born. Three of them have been together for donkey’s years. When their viola player died, they replaced him with a woman, Dulcie Haddon. Her father is the leader of the quartet, Nigel Haddon.’

‘It must be difficult for her,’ said Marmion, ‘being the only woman in an all-male environment.’

‘I doubt if she even notices, Inspector.

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