Chelsea Mansions by Barry Maitland

Author:Barry Maitland
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2011-09-12T22:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-THREE

The owner of the house in Hackney in which Harry Peebles had died was Angela Storey, who was serving six months in Holloway for the theft of seventy-eight thousand pounds from her employer, a car dealership. Kathy, wanting to know exactly how Peebles’ use of the house had been arranged, went to see her, and found her to be a pleasant young woman, eager to talk about her situation.

‘It was my own fault, I know. After Mum passed away I moved back home to be with Dad, and then when he died of a heart attack last year I was on my own. Dad left me the house, in Ferncroft Close, and a bit of money. It was the first time I’d had any to spare, and I went a bit mad. I started gambling on the internet, in a small way at first, then more and more. Soon I ran out of Dad’s money but I didn’t stop. I got into debt, only it was hard to meet the repayments on what I was earning in the office at Meredews. Then it occurred to me one day how easy it would be to create a new supplier account and pay myself a bit extra. I ended up with five false accounts before they found out. The money’s all gone. Stupid really. Dad would be horrified to know that both Kenny and me are doing time.’

‘Kenny’s your brother?’

‘Yes, he’s in Barlinnie Prison, in Scotland. It was the drugs with him. When Dad found out he disowned him, and Kenny left London and went up to Glasgow with a mate, a scaffolder like him, but they got into trouble up there. Anyway, when I got a message from him asking if a friend of his from Scotland could stay at the house for a few days I couldn’t very well refuse, could I? I mean, by rights the house is half his anyway.’

‘Did you know this friend?’

‘No. Kenny just gave me his name and I contacted Mrs Taylor next door, who’s got the key, to say it was all right for him to stay. It’s terrible what’s happened. A drug overdose, wasn’t it? I should have known, I suppose, if it was a friend of Kenny’s.’

‘I’ve got a book of photographs here, Angela, that I’d like you to look at and tell me if you’ve seen any of the men before, okay?’

Angela looked doubtful. ‘Will it get Kenny into trouble?’

‘No, not at all. We just want to trace the people that Harry Peebles may have met while he was in London.’

‘Oh, I don’t know . . .’

‘I do appreciate your help, Angela, and I’ll certainly report to the governor how cooperative you’ve been.’

‘Well, let’s take a look then.’

Kathy opened the album of mug shots and Angela began to scan them, slowly turning the pages. Eventually she stopped at one picture.

‘Oh,’ she said with a smile. ‘I know him, but he would never have met with someone like Harry Peebles.’

‘How do you know him, Angela?’

‘He was my dad’s boss.

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