The Camden Murder by Mike Hollow

Author:Mike Hollow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Hampstead was not a part of London that Jago was familiar with, and his knowledge of the area was scarcely increased by driving through it in the blackout with just the regulation single masked headlamp to light their way. He knew of its famous heath, of course, and of its popularity among the capital’s well-to-do as a place to live, but this evening it was simply another series of dark roads. The only visible feature to distinguish it was the size of the houses silhouetted in the moonlight which were appreciably bigger than anything to be seen in his native West Ham. With Cradock using a carefully screened torch to read Baring’s directions, they made slow but steady progress.

‘Now then,’ said Jago, not taking his eyes off the short patch of road he could make out ahead of them, ‘I can’t imagine the managing director of Baring and Sons living anywhere too poky, so it’ll probably be a big house, but if it is, don’t gawp. And even though Mr Baring said they don’t dress for dinner, it might still be a bit of a posh do. How are you with your knives and forks?’

‘Sir?’

‘You might find there’s more than one set by your plate, but if you do, just start with the outside ones and work your way in – if in doubt, follow me.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Cradock sounded puzzled. ‘How do you know things like that, sir?’

‘Because back in the Great War the army started running out of proper officers from the landed gentry and had to give commissions to oiks like me from the ranks. They packed us off to Officer Cadet Battalions and taught us a few social graces so we wouldn’t make fools of ourselves when we were dining in the officers’ mess. Not that it made gentlemen of us, of course, but it rubbed a few rough edges off – just enough so they could designate us as what they called “temporary gentlemen”.’

‘How long did that take?’

‘Four months.’

‘Not much chance of me picking up many social graces between here and Baring Towers then, is there?’

‘I shouldn’t worry if I were you – just don’t talk with your mouth full and try not to wipe your mouth on your sleeve. Besides, I shouldn’t exaggerate – it wasn’t only about knives and forks. They did teach us things that were actually of some use on the battlefield too, like map reading and tactics, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.’

‘And then they made you an officer?’

‘Yes. But I don’t think anyone ever regarded us as equal to the ones who’d gone to the right schools and been through the Officer Training Corps. They were the real officers – they’d been trained to command from an early age.’

‘Not people like me, then.’

‘No, Peter, not people like you. Now, how are we doing?’

‘Well, sir, maybe I could do with a bit of training in map reading too, but as far as I can make out from these

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