A Painted Smile by Frances Fyfield

Author:Frances Fyfield [Fyfield, Frances]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780751555189
Publisher: calibre
Published: 2015-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

The day dawned. The rain eased and the sun came out. There was a jet moving over the blue sky, leaving a white trail that was more beautiful than anything in the room.

‘Where was I, Madame de Belleroche?’ Di asked, addressing the portrait that faced her desk. Madame had always been free with advice.

‘My dear child,’ Madame B said. ‘You were acknowledging the virtues of disguise, but you look the same to me. Put me wherever you want, as long as I’m seen in daylight.’

And I, Di said to herself, sometimes think that I would like to get paintings out of this house rather than bring any more in. Sometimes I relish the sight of an empty wall, almost as much as I dislike the idea of consigning anything to the basement. Madame B would not want to go there.

‘Di is taking me on an expedition,’ Sarah told her listless brother on the phone. ‘We have to do it. I have different motives to hers, to be sure, but I do not have it in me to have only one motive at a time. I have been a lawyer, a peacemaker, a bit of a tart, insofar as I am perfectly content to sleep with the enemy and talk into his ear if it helps. I have gained the attention of this Director; he is looking forward to seeing me. I need to practise the subterfuge that I was once good at before I lost the knack. This is playing with sparklers rather than fire.

‘So off we go to Kemsdown, this small, cathedral town where treasures by Toby Hanks have been taken from the Gallery store. Someone has to get into the store referred to by Winifred Doris, whoever she isn’t and however silent she is. We have to look out for the mechanical models used for advertising in case they have any significance, so Steven says, simply because Winifred Doris mentioned them and she never mentions anything by accident, and we have to tell him every detail of our plan.’

‘And your plan is?’ Saul asked. ‘Let me guess. You either seduce or intimidate the Director, while Di infiltrates the premises, right? That would be your style. I’m not sure I want to know.’

Sarah drove the hired four-wheel drive with verve. Her dress for today was full grey trousers, gripped at the ankle over her petite heeled boots and a military-style jacket. Finished with large antique earrings, it was combat style with glamour. She fluffed up her voluminous hair. ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Here we are. We’ve come to admire innovation.’

‘Don’t forget Winifred Doris,’ Di said, fingering the camera round her neck and hoisting her capacious canvas bag over her shoulder. ‘Don’t overdo it.’ Her clothes were dull and her eyes wore their cosmetic disguise, making for a pale and sulky effect.

There was an imposing flight of wide stone stairs leading into the Victorian buildings shared by the town hall, and the museum and gallery. There were five floors and

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