Indian Summer by Maureen Reynolds

Author:Maureen Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781845024505
Publisher: Black & White Publishing
Published: 2012-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

The housekeeper opened the door when they arrived at the house. Once again, Charlie was struck by her white face and red-rimmed eyes.

‘Mr Bergmann is in the lounge,’ she said, walking quickly ahead of them. ‘He’s not long home from the hospital and he’s still not fully recovered.’

The man was sitting in a large wing-backed chair by the window. He was dressed in a quilted dressing gown and he still had the bandage and padding around his head. He looked gaunt and even thinner than Charlie remembered him. The housekeeper had lit a fire in the stone fireplace and even though it wasn’t that cold, it made the room feel cosier. A tray with a teapot and cups sat on the low table but the cup still had liquid in it, as if he hadn’t drunk any. He turned his head when the men entered but there was no expression on his face.

Charlie and Williamson asked if they could sit down and the man nodded wearily. Mrs French had closed the door behind them and had obviously gone to the kitchen to keep out of the way.

Charlie handed over the four new keys. ‘Did you put all the jewellery from the window and shelves in the safe every night?’

He nodded.

‘We can’t open the safe because there is no key but you will have to arrange to get someone qualified to open it, Mr Bergmann.’

Again, he nodded wearily.

‘We think the safe is empty but can’t prove it until it’s opened. I want you to tell me what you had in your briefcase.’

Charlie produced a set of photos that showed the jewellery stolen during the three raids a few weeks ago.

‘Did you buy any of these items?’ he asked.

Eric took the photos and glanced at them but shook his head. ‘I’ve seen these photos as the police brought them round after the robberies. I didn’t buy or see any of these.’

‘Well what did you buy?’

Eric pulled his dressing gown around him as if he was cold. ‘A few weeks ago a young, well-dressed man came into the shop. He had some items for sale that he said belonged to his late grandmother and he wanted to pawn them. There was a good quality emerald brooch, two diamond rings and a Rolex watch. A few days later he turned up with the brooch but this time with rubies, three diamond rings and another Rolex watch. I gave him a hundred pounds for them and he went away quite happy, saying he would redeem them shortly. Then last week he came in with some more smaller pieces of jewellery and said he had made up his mind to emigrate to Canada and would I consider buying everything. I said I would value his items and if he came back on Saturday I would offer him a price.’ He stopped and took a sip from the cold tea.

‘And did you buy it?’

He nodded. ‘I valued everything to around a thousand pounds and I offered him five hundred pounds for the lot.

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