At last he had her. He became aware his clasped hands had been tightly clenched. He relaxed, leaned closer to her. `So how do you know that?' he snapped. `It's in the newspaper. Today's. Paula can show you.'
Tweed sighed inwardly. She had trumped his ace. Rapidly he listed the other occupants of the manor. While she waited Lavinia leant back and put her arms behind her neck, then stretched her body. A normal reaction, Tweed told himself quickly. She had remained previously in exactly her original position. It was a natural act of exercise. She then leant across the table, her hands lightly interlaced. `I get the impression there is intense rivalry, verging on physical violence at times. What is their relationship? Crystal and Leo,' he said. `Brother and sister.' She smiled to show she wasn't making fun of him. 'The trouble is Crystal is the younger, twenty-eight. She always thinks Leo gets more attention from her father. She doesn't like it.' `Why not?' `Because…' She smiled again. 'She expects plenty of attention from men.' `At times Crystal seems almost savage.' `That's simply her vitality.' `Mrs Grandy,' he said suddenly. 'I admit I've overlooked her. Presumably Bella had her vetted before she employed her. Where does she come from?' `No one knows. She appeared in Gladworth five years ago. She's a marvellous cook, always punctual, acts also as the housekeeper. At 5 a.m. a small group of girls come in from Gladworth. They clean the whole house, leave by 6.30 a.m., which is probably why you've never seen them. We are well organized here.' `One last question, Lavinia.' Tweed paused to see her reaction.
He waited. She waited. Her blue eyes seemed to swallow him up. He was developing a tingling sensation. Thank God we're in a public room, he thought. `One last question,' he repeated. 'You know these families and everyone else in this vast mansion better than I ever will' He paused. 'So who do you think is the most likely suspect responsible for the murders?'
As soon as he'd asked the question he regretted doing so. It was inappropriate, to say the least. She was a suspect as were all the others in the place. Why had he done it? Some invisible bond seemed to have brought them together. `I've thought and thought about that,' she said slowly. Tut thinking as hard as I can I don't find myself pinpointing one person. Sorry.' She stood up, smoothed down her skirt. 'And now I think I'd better ask Paula to come down to see you with the newspapers.
He stood up to thank her. She was round the table and next to him in a flash. They were about the same height. `Thank you for your patience and consideration,' she said. She kissed him briefly, full on the mouth. 'I do like you,' she said and strode on her long legs to the door.
30
Tweed felt exhausted. He walked over to the drinks cabinet, took out a glass and the cognac bottle. He poured himself a modest drink. He had not slept well. The faces of the different inhabitants of the manor had kept appearing. Which one?
The door opened quietly and Paula came in, the sheaf of newspapers tucked under her arm. She paused as Tweed turned, sipped at his drink. She chuckled. `She road-blocked you, didn't she?' `The most unsatisfactory interrogation I've ever conducted. Yes, she road-blocked me every time,' he admitted as he sat at the table. `I thought she would,' Paula observed, sitting opposite him. 'She's the cleverest person living here. Shall I wait before I show you the papers?' `No. My head has cleared. Show me them now.' `Typically, Lavinia arranged the papers in date order, so the most recent comes last…'
Tweed took the pile of newspapers from Paula and began to skim through the front pages of each paper. The headlines were huge.
RICHEST BANKER IN WORLD HORRIFICALLY MURDERED MAIN CHANCE'S BELLA MAIN: THROAT BRUTALLY SLASHED LADY OF NIGHT MURDERED BY SAME METHOD AS BELLA MAIN
`Oh Lord,' Tweed muttered, 'and now we have Drew Franklin after us. How the devil did he find out so quickly about Mrs Carlyle? In three days he's blown the lid off the case. We can expect trouble from London.'
The phone rang. Tweed glanced at Paula, picked it up. It was Lavinia, calm as ever despite the news she had to impart. `Commander Buchanan is on the line. He does sound a bit worked up. I'll put you through then get off the line.' `Yes?' said Tweed. `What the devil's going on down there?' Buchanan shouted. 'Have you see the papers, the headlines? All hell is breaking loose up here. I've had a cabinet minister on the phone – he is probably a discreet depositor in the Main Chance. He urged me to take you off the case, to hand it over to Chief Inspector Hammer. I refused his request, explained you now knew more about the case than anyone. But have you a suspect? Can you break the case in the next twenty-four hours? The City are getting nervous. Somehow they have picked up a rumour that a fabulously rich foreigner is going to bid a fortune for the bank. That would put whoever it is in a position to use Main Chance to buy up some of the big British banks. This case is now becoming international. Tweed, are you still there?' `Yes,' Tweed replied calmly. 'Have you got the spleen out of your system? I've sent my Director, Howard, reports early in the mornings. You know he never gets to bed early. And he's good at soothing down politicians, so suggest he has a chat with this anonymous cabinet minister. I have no more to say. Thank you for the call.' "There's a lot of detail in the text,' Paula told Tweed. `Bob Newman, a top reporter, is a friend of Franklin's. Maybe he could get Drew to go easy.' `Not possible,' said Newman who had entered, had heard her suggestion. 'Drew is a friend of mine but basically he's a reporter. He won't soft-pedal a big story like this for anyone. He's a real professional.' `We're in a real mess then,' Paula commented. `No, we're not,' Tweed said decisively. 'The problem is still the same. Clearly Drew has an informant here, so who is it? Someone Drew offered a tempting sum of money to tell him when given a hint of the scope of the story.' `So what do we do?' `Nothing about the leak. For the moment. But I'm going to continue stirring everybody here up. Something is going to break…'
He stopped talking as Harry hurried into the library and began speaking quietly close to Tweed. `Something's happening. You know that arched entrance we found had been unblocked? Well, outside now there's a trail of dried blood leading along the path to that big chalk pit.' `Alert the whole team.' `I have done. They're all on their way there.' `So are we.'
Marler, holding his Armalite, and Newman were on the manor side of the arched gate when Tweed arrived with Paula. Harry pushed past them, peered out, Walther in his hand. He nodded. All clear. `The path leads direct to the big chalk pit. Abandoned long ago would be my guess.' `We'll follow it,' Tweed ordered. `Could be another trap,' Harry warned. `Good. Time we met the enemy face to face.'
Harry led the way, crouched over the trail, followed closely by Tweed and the rest of the team. The weather had changed drastically. The sun was gone. In its place a still white mist enshrouded The Forest. Trees were vague silhouettes. Tweed paused, bent down, ran his finger lightly over one of the occasional large dried splashes of blood. He sniffed it, cleaned his finger quickly with his handkerchief. `Funny sort of blood,' he told Paula and Marler who had now caught up with him. 'Not like human blood.'
Then he began running to catch up with Harry. Behind him Paula marvelled at the speed and agility Tweed was moving at. Not long ago they had attended a refresher course at the secret training mansion hidden away in Surrey – climbing ropes, crawling through large drainpipes and all the rest. They always called the chief trainer Sarge but the normal trainer had been on holiday. In his place was another tough Sarge who liked martial arts. Tweed disliked martial arts, regarding them as a waste of time. As the new Sarge was dancing about prior to attack Tweed had leapt straight at him fist clenched, hitting him a heavy blow on the jaw. The trainer collapsed, was taken to hospital with a broken jaw. End of course.