The Carlswick Affair

by SL Beaumont

  Chapter 28

  “Oh, God,” James said as he leant against the car. “I never should have let her drive alone, after what happened to Michael.”

  Vince continued his search of the interior of the car and came out with Stephanie’s mobile phone in his hand.

  “Six missed calls. All from you, James,” Vince said, showing the phone to Max.

  One of the other men circled the car.

  “Sir,” he called in a heavily accented voice.

  Max and Vince hurried to where he was standing at the front of the car. His flashlight was focussed on the front right bumper. It was slightly dented, with black paint streaked across the shiny metal.

  “I think she hit a black vehicle,” he said. James looked at him, trying to place the accent.

  “Is this new?” Max questioned.

  “Yes. Her car didn’t have a scratch on it when it was returned from the repair shop yesterday,” Vince confirmed.

  “Sir,” another of the strangers called.

  Vince and the other man ran back towards the gate.

  “There is evidence of two vehicles stopping suddenly out on the lane. One on an angle in front of the other, about a hundred metres or so back up the road,” the man said.

  Max sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “There’s nothing more we can do here tonight.” He turned to James, “I think you need to come back to the house, there are a few things that we need to discuss.”

  He leaned over to close the door of the car. “Vince can come back and get the car in the morning.”

  “Hang on,” James said, stopping him. He reached down in the driver’s foot well and picked up the item that had caught his eye. He held it up to his flashlight. It was one of Stephanie’s long silver and purple earrings. He recalled seeing them in her ears earlier in the day; she must have lost it in the accident.

  “Steph’s,” he said simply to Max.

  “I know,” Max replied quietly. “I gave them to her.” He closed the car door and they walked silently out of the field, closing the gate behind them. It wouldn’t do for the farm manager to find that open in the morning and the stock out on the road.

  On the way to Wakefield House, James called Andy.

  “We found her car abandoned and hidden behind a hedge, with blood on the steering wheel. Her mobile was in it. Looks like she has been kidnapped,” he said in a rush.

  “No. Where are you?” Andy said, shocked.

  “On my way to her place,” James replied.

  “Okay. I’ll close the café and come as soon as I can,” Andy said.

  James disconnected the call and joined the men in the dining room. A map of the district was spread out on the table. Vince was speaking into a mobile phone in one corner of the room. From the conversation, it sounded like he was talking to the local police. Max crouched beside Stephanie’s grandmother, who was seated on the other side of the room. He was stroking her hand and talking quietly to her. She was shaking her head in disbelief.

  Vince came off the phone and walked over to James, slapping him on the shoulder. “James. Look, can you go and help Mrs Cooper to the kitchen. We are going to need coffee and sandwiches, while we co-ordinate the search.” He nodded to one of the men.

  Several minutes later, James returned to the dining room carrying a large tray.

  “…..this has to do with Knox and the painting. It’s too much of a coincidence. The raid last night has alerted Knox that we are on to him. We have to move now.” They stopped speaking as James came back into the room. As he set the tray down on the table, he felt all eyes in the room on him. Glancing around, he found himself surrounded.

  “Take his mobile phone and keep an eye on him. It’s possible that he is here spying for his family,” one of the men instructed.

  James held his hands in front of him and backed up towards a wall and called, “Mr Cooper. I have nothing to do with this. I care for your daughter. I would never do anything to hurt her.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I know you don’t trust me or my family, but you have to believe me.”

  Max stood and walked over to James. “What was it you mentioned earlier in the lane about me buying stolen art from your brother?” he asked.

  James hesitated unsure, whether to trust Max or not. “Stephanie was investigating a piece of art work that used to hang in our library. She believed it was a van Gogh stolen before the war by the Nazis,” he said.

  Max’s eyes narrowed. “And how exactly did she discover that? Are you sure you didn’t just tell her?”

  “I didn’t know. To me it was just a painting that has hung in the library all my life,” James said.

  “How on earth would Stephanie have realised that? I am afraid your story doesn’t stack up. You will have to do better than that.” Max turned away.

  “What he is telling you is true,” a voice said from the doorway.

  Everyone turned to look at Ellie Cooper who had returned from the kitchen.

  “It was me who told Stephanie and James about strange goings on at Knox Manor around the outbreak of the war. James here didn’t like my version of events,” she said, smiling at James, who hung his head sheepishly. “But I gave Stephanie my sister’s journals to read and I believe that she has continued investigating whatever it was at Knox Manor that got my sister killed all those years ago,” she said.

  All eyes in the room swivelled back to James.

  “We think my brother Alex has also discovered the painting’s provenance and is trying to sell it,” he said.

  There were nods and murmurs around the room.

  James continued. “What is your involvement, Mr Cooper, and who are all these guys? Stephanie wasn’t sure if you were working with or against Alex.”

  Max Cooper looked momentarily offended. “These men are from Scotland Yard’s Art Theft division and from Mossad’s war crimes unit. This is Detective Inspector Marks and Lt. Eli David,” he said, introducing two of the men.

  “We have been watching your brother for a while on suspicion of fencing stolen art, when Eli here contacted us to say they had a lead on a piece of Nazi stolen, Jewish-owned art and your brother’s name came up again,” DI Marks explained. “Max has been assisting Scotland Yard for years on fraud cases, and since he lives near Knox, we pulled him in to work with us.”

  The seriousness of the situation suddenly hit James. “I can see why you don’t trust me,” he said. He paused, thinking. “So it was you guys who came to my house last night.”

  DI Marks nodded.

  “Was it the van Gogh you were after or is there something else?” James asked.

  “We are not at liberty to reveal any details at this stage,” DI Marks said, eyeing James suspiciously. “Is there something else that we should be looking for?”

  “Stephanie,” James said, getting annoyed. “We are wasting time talking about me, when you guys need to be out there looking for her.”

  “That’s happening as we speak, but you can help us too. Is it possible that your brother has her?” DI Marks asked, calmly.

  James went to say no but paused, the word dying on his lips.

  “Alex had me trying to stop Stephanie looking into our family. He said she was drawing attention to him and he had a big deal on that he didn’t want jeopardised,” he said eventually.

  He received a number of disbelieving looks.

  “Okay. I know it looks suspicious, but if he wants to keep attention off himself, surely kidnapping Steph isn’t the way to do that?” James said.

  “Regardless, we need to establish Stephanie’s whereabouts today. Can you work with Vince?” Marks asked. James nodded as Vince beckoned to him. Together they spent the next ten minutes writing a time line on a whiteboard that had been wheeled in from the conference room.

  “I spoke to her on the phone at around four-thirty” Ellie came up behind Vince and James. She reached for James’s hand and gave it a squeeze. He looked at her, surprised, and smiled tentatively in return. She gave
his hand a tug and pulled him to one side.

  “I thought it wise, given the circumstances, not to tell Max that you spent the night here last night,” she said, quietly giving him a knowing look.

  James’s surprise was taken to a whole other level. “How?” he asked.

  Ellie smiled. “I may be old, but I see everything that goes on around here. If it’s any consolation – I believe you,” she said. “I trust Stephanie’s judgement and she has obviously put her faith in you.”

  “Thanks. Remind me not to ever underestimate you,” he replied.

  Max Cooper’s mobile phone rang loudly and the room instantly quietened. He answered it, listening carefully. DI Marks raised his eyebrows at him questioningly. Max shook his head.

  “I’m in Carlswick. Family matter. No, I won’t be back up to London for a few days. Can you cover until then?” Max spoke into the phone. “I’m sorry, but Stephanie’s missing, so my priority is finding her. The client will have to wait,” he said.

  He spoke for another minute or so and ended the call frowning. “Peter, my business partner,” he said by way of explanation.

  Flashing lights and the sound of tyres crunching on the gravel outside signalled the arrival of the local police. Ellie showed them in. One was carrying a brick in a plastic evidence bag. Andy was right behind then and James rushed over to greet his friend. Andy introduced himself to Max and Ellie, who both knew his father and asked after him.

  “Thank God you are here,” James whispered to him. “I think they were about to lynch me.” He quickly brought Andy up to speed.

  “Mr Cooper. Has anyone contacted Anna – Stephanie was staying with her over the weekend? Maybe she’s heard from her,” Andy suggested.

  “Good idea, Andy,” Max replied. “Do you have her number?”

  “I do, as it happens,” he said pulling his phone out of his pocket and tapping a quick text.

  DI Marks broke away from the huddle of people around the dining table.

  “Okay, boys,” he said. “I think we have a job for you.” He pointed his finger at James. “I am going out on a limb here and trusting you. If I find that trust to be misplaced, by God – you will go sky high.”

  James and Andy exchanged glances. James raised his chin defiantly and straightening himself up, looked Marks directly in the eye and said, “Okay – what do you want us to do?”

  James and Andy were dispatched to the manor with instructions to provide an immediate update on Alex’s movements.

  As they were leaving, James’s mobile rang.

  “Have you found her?” Michael asked in a quiet voice. “They just told me that Steph was missing.”

  “No. How are you feeling, mate?” James asked.

  “Like someone hit me around the head with a baseball bat. I am guessing that she brought you up to speed. Have you read David’s memoir?” Michael said.

  “No, but Steph read some the original at the library yesterday,” James told him.

  “I can’t remember much of what I read, I’m afraid, but he was investigating your family. There was something about the manor…” Michael trailed off.

  “Don’t worry – we’ll find her. Text me if you think of anything else,” James said.

  “Okay,” Michael frowned, desperately trying to grasp an elusive piece of information that stayed tantalisingly out of his reach.