Jessup hesitated.
‘What I’m about to tell you now is not established fact,’ he went on after a moment. ‘It’s merely a suspicion. But I’ve reason to believe that Lin was party to the illegal trade in Chinese artefacts I told you about earlier—the ones Wing sold to collectors in this country. Stanley would have needed some sort of cover for his business as well as some means of smuggling the art objects into this country, and Lin was in a position to provide both. He runs a successful import company here in London. I knew that they were acquainted, and from what I was able to learn I felt reasonably certain that they were partners. Given my suspicions, I’ve always kept Lin at arm’s length and we’ve never done any business together. You can imagine my surprise then when I learned that he wanted to see me. But I was curious to know why and I told my secretary to invite him round. He arrived half an hour later—in some haste I might add—accompanied by a young man who he introduced as his nephew. I could tell at once from Lin’s manner that something unusual was afoot. Normally meetings with Chinese gentlemen of the old school proceed at a snail’s pace. Polite inquiries as to one another’s health and well-being, not to mention those of one’s family, are considered de rigueur before getting down to business. On this occasion all formalities were dispensed with. Lin asked me at once if I happened to know of the whereabouts of Stanley Wing.’
Madden’s eyebrows shot up.
‘Precisely. I was equally surprised. Before I had a chance to respond, however, he went on to explain that although he was aware that Wing no longer had any connection with Jessup’s, he knew that he had once been closely associated with the firm, and with my late father, and for that reason he hoped I might be able to help him in this matter. He was starting to sweat at that point and I noticed that he kept glancing at this young man he said was his nephew, as though seeking his approval. I guessed at once what must have happened: who had put pressure on him.’
‘You mean the Triads?’ Madden frowned. ‘I wasn’t aware they were active in London.’
‘They’re not, at least not to any great extent, and not yet. But I’ve heard rumours that moves are under way to establish a branch here. It’s the drug trade: big business for them. But quite apart from that their reach has always been long. Most of our Chinese came from Hong Kong originally. Nearly all of them have families living there. I couldn’t ask Lin outright if his had been threatened. But that was how I interpreted the situation. And of course it made sense that the Triads would come to him for information about Wing. They almost certainly knew of their pre-war connection.’
Madden scowled. ‘Tell me about this so-called “nephew” of his. Can you describe him?’
‘He was young, very sleek looking, and wearing what looked like an expensive suit. He didn’t speak during our meeting.’
‘Could he have come from Hong Kong with orders to hunt Wing down?’
‘Possibly.’ Jessup frowned. ‘But it’s more likely he was sent from Amsterdam. There’s a big Triad presence there. A lot of the heroin that reaches Europe comes through the port of Rotterdam. But he looked too young to me to be an enforcer: a Red Pole in the jargon they use.’ He grimaced. ‘He’s more likely to be his assistant; his jackal, if you like.’
He gnawed his lip.
‘There’s more,’ he went on. ‘I haven’t finished yet. I thought it rich that Lin should be asking me where Stanley was, given their past association. But I told him the truth: that I had no knowledge of Wing’s whereabouts, other than that he had recently been released from prison in Hong Kong; which, incidentally, seemed to come as no surprise to either of them. But then he said something that startled me even more. He asked me if I had any reason to believe that he might be here in London.’
Jessup studied his guest’s face.
‘You’re not surprised?’
‘Not really.’ Madden shrugged. ‘I thought from the start that he was probably the person behind all this. But when you told me he was in prison I had to abandon the idea. Now it’s beginning to make sense. But tell me—was Lin fishing, do you think? Was he just trying out the question on you? Or did he have definite information that Wing was in this country?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It matters, you see.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, if we knew for certain that he was here, it would tend to support at least one theory the police are working on now.’
Madden stopped. He had forgotten who he was talking to.
‘What is that, John?’
Madden hesitated. The ease he had felt in talking to his host had led him astray. But it was too late to back out now. Jessup was listening to him intently, waiting for him to speak.
‘It’s only a theory, Richard, an attempt to explain some of the facts as we know them. For heaven’s sake don’t take it as gospel.’
‘Go on.’ Jessup spoke tersely.
‘Let’s suppose for a moment that eleven years ago Wing tried to set up a blackmail scheme with Garner as its victim. He knew that he had married a wealthy woman and could probably get his hands on a large sum of money if pressed.’
‘Why pick on Rex?’
‘Well, for one thing, Wing had once done Garner a favour in Hong Kong. Isn’t it true he got him out of a bad situation with a woman and put him on a ship back to England?’
Madden paused. Jessup’s gaze had dropped.
‘I’m sorry, John. My father told me about that. It was years ago. I should have passed it on to you. It was just . . . I didn’t think it was relevant.’ He looked up.
‘No matter.’ Madden shrugged it off. ‘But the point is—did Garner ever repay the favour? Did he, for example, try to persuade you, his old friend, not to terminate Wing’s connection with the firm?’
Jessup shook his head. ‘Rex told me Wing had asked him to intercede with my father, but he’d turned him down flat. He said Stanley had made his own bed and could lie on it. He thought it was amusing to see him caught out for once. I always imagined that Rex would have to pay someday for the favour Wing did him. I couldn’t see Stanley playing the Good Samaritan ever. I’m sure he felt that Rex was in his debt.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ Madden had listened closely to his reply. ‘Well, if we follow the theory the police are looking at, it goes something like this. In order to make his plan work Wing needed to compromise Garner in some way. That was where Portia Blake came in. Wing was in England that summer and perhaps he found some way to engineer an affair between them. We know that he accompanied Portia to some of those parties you mentioned and he could quickly have seen the possibilities of involving her with Garner, who always had an eye for a pretty face. How he might have managed to persuade Portia to join in the scheme one can’t say; but presumably she was going to benefit from it, too, financially. So the hook was baited, and once Garner had taken it, Wing could have put the rest of his plan into action. He could have arranged things with your father so that he and the girl were invited to Foxley Hall at the same time as Garner and his wife, whose presence was essential if the plan was to work. Wing probably meant to apply the screw gently . . . delicately. He merely wanted to show Garner the danger he was in. But Portia Blake had other ideas, hence that scene at dinner, which pretty well blew the gaff on Wing’s plan, which in any case was finally put paid to the following day when the girl was murdered.’
‘I’m sorry, John, but I must interrupt.’ Jessup sat forward. ‘You keep saying the police think this, the police believe that. What do you believe? Does this theory of theirs hold water? Give me your honest opinion.’
Madden considered his reply.
‘As I’ve already made clear to the detectives dealing with the case, I have a problem with it. I find it hard to believe that Wing would have devised such an elaborate plan when the success of it must surely have been in doubt from the start. For all he knew Garner might simply have thrown it
back in his face; he could have told him to do his worst and Wing would have been left helpless. According to Mrs Castleton, Garner had his wife well under his thumb at that stage in their marriage. He could easily have talked his way out of what was only a minor indiscretion. The question is—did Wing have something else on him, some other hold, and was he prepared to use both in an attempt to extort money from his victim? We don’t know what happened to that girl Garner assaulted in Hong Kong. It’s been suggested he might have killed her and that Wing helped cover up the crime. I take it you can’t help with that?’
‘Good God, no.’ Jessup shook his head angrily. ‘If my father had known he would have told me; and he would never had stood by and done nothing.’
‘It’s pure guesswork at this stage, but without it, or something like it, the theory I’ve been outlining to you doesn’t seem to me to hold up. Mind you, that won’t stop the police from considering it at least.’
Madden paused to empty his glass. He saw that the expression on Jessup’s face had changed. A frown had settled on his brow. It was hard to tell what it signified . . . disbelief, perhaps?
‘Even if all you’ve said is true, what has it got to do with the present? There’s no point in anyone trying to blackmail Rex now.’
‘Not for being unfaithful to his wife—no.’
‘What do you mean?’
Madden took a deep breath.
‘Richard, I have to remind you again that this is all speculation, and I only bring it up because it’s another line of inquiry the police may well decide to pursue. They don’t know yet that Wing may be in London and could be the person behind this whole business. But once they do they’re likely to reason as follows. Wing is on the run from the Triads. Among other things he’s short of money. He’s never forgotten those months he spent in England, nor his failed attempt to blackmail Rex Garner, and at some point, perhaps when he was in prison, he realises he can put the same plot, or one very like it, into operation again. Only this time Garner has money of his own, thanks to the legacy left him by his late wife; and the threat Wing can dangle over him now is far more dangerous than the mere disclosure of some piece of marital misbehaviour. By sending that pendant to the police, he’s serving notice on Garner that he can tie him to the murder of Portia Blake.’
He stopped. He had seen the look of shock on the other man’s face.
‘Are you seriously suggesting that Rex might have killed her?’ Jessup had turned pale.
‘No, I’m merely explaining a line of reasoning that will almost certainly occur to the detectives examining this case.’
‘But how . . . I mean, even supposing it’s true, how could Stanley possibly have known that?’
‘Well, for one thing, he might have followed Portia that day when she left the house. He was furious over the way she had behaved at dinner the previous evening. He no longer trusted her and might have felt the need to keep an eye on her. If he did witness the killing, it would have been very much in character for him not to intervene or report what he had seen to the police, but rather look to see how he could profit from it. And it may well have been he who took the pendant from Portia’s body.’
‘Why should he have done that?’
‘Perhaps because he knew it was a gift from Garner and something he could use himself if he pressed ahead with his scheme.’ Madden shrugged. ‘In fact, the possibilities for blackmail must have looked even rosier to him in the wake of Portia’s murder until the unexpected arrest of Norris, which happened very soon afterwards, and the even more surprising news that he had confessed to the murder. It left Wing in a quandary. It was too late for him to point a finger at Garner, and in any case there would be no advantage to him in doing so. Unless he could think up some new plan he would have to accept failure. For the time being there was nothing he could do but return to Hong Kong.’
‘But if he was unable to move against Garner then, how is it possible he can do so now, more than ten years later?’
‘I don’t know.’ Madden shook his head. ‘Perhaps something has happened in the intervening years to change the situation, some new development, or perhaps he’s simply desperate, ready to try anything.’
Jessup sat biting his lip.
‘Could it really have happened that way?’
‘I’ve no idea. It’s only a theory, as I said.’ Madden was surprised by the effect his words had had on his host. Although the colour had returned to Jessup’s cheeks, his face still showed signs of the shock he had felt on hearing Madden’s revelations. ‘I’d suspend judgement on it if I were you.’
‘I just can’t swallow the idea that Rex might be a murderer.’
‘Then don’t,’ Madden urged him. ‘There’s no evidence as yet to suggest that he had anything to do with Portia’s death. Because of those stories appearing in the newspapers, the police have been forced to look at the case again, and this is just one of the ideas they’re playing with. For my money, Norris is still the most likely killer and it may well be that the Yard will come to the same conclusion in the end.’
‘But the pendant . . . these letters . . . someone must have sent them. And as you say, Wing could well have had a motive for doing so. And if he is in London and he did send them, then Rex is bound to come under suspicion.’
A further thought seemed to strike him then and he caught Madden’s eye.
‘My God, I wonder if he knows about this. He’s been up in Scotland for weeks. Is he even aware of what’s going on?’
‘You haven’t heard from him?’
‘Not a word. As I told you, we don’t see much of each other these days.’
‘Well, the police know that he’s due back in London soon. They mean to interview him when he returns. It might be best to wait until they’ve done that before you get in touch with him. And as far as the other matter you raised goes . . .’
‘The other matter . . . ?’
‘Your meeting with Lin. You said it raised difficult questions for you. What did you mean exactly, Richard?’
Jessup bit his lip. It was clear he was having difficulty answering the question.
‘It’s like this, John.’ Finally he spoke. ‘I don’t mind telling you my suspicions about Lin and his past relationship with Wing. But I’m not comfortable about passing them on to the police. They’re not proven, as I said, and I wouldn’t want to blacken Lin’s name without being certain. Is there any way of keeping him out of this?’
Madden shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. Wing’s possible presence in London can be inferred from the other information you’ve given me—I mean his release from prison in Hong Kong and his need to quit the colony in a hurry. The police here will quickly put two and two together, just as I did, and see that it was very likely he who sent the pendant and those letters to Derry and the newspapers. But the fact that Triad killers may be actively searching for him here can’t be kept from them. They must be told about your meeting with Lin. Why don’t you leave it to me to talk to them first? I know the detectives who are working on the case. I can explain the situation to them.’
‘Would you, John?’ Jessup’s relief was plain. ‘I’d be more than grateful.’
He shook his head. He seemed at a loss for words. Finally, with a sigh, he glanced at his watch.
‘An hour, Adele said. I think we’d better break for lunch.’
• • •
‘You said Wing had offended against the Triad laws in two ways, Richard. What did you mean by that?’
They were walking together along a valley walled by steep, wooded ridges. Madden had paused to put his question, and to glance back along the way they had come towards the house, where he could see in the distance the small figures of Helen and Adele Castleton walking arm-in-arm on the lawn as they talked. Lunch had been laid in a corner of the garden shaded by the spreading branches of yet another ancient oak and, seemingly relieved by
the opportunity offered to switch to a different topic, Jessup had eagerly engaged Helen on the subject of her work.
‘I’m all in favour of the National Health Service. In fact, I voted for the Labour Party after the war, much to the horror of my fellow club members, one or two of whom actually threatened to blackball me. But how is it working out in practice? I’ve heard mixed reports.’
In reply, Helen had outlined the changes the new system of health care had made to her life.
‘On the whole it’s functioning well enough,’ she said, ‘except that it tends to encourage people to drop in at their doctor’s surgery on the slightest pretext now that it costs them nothing. I’ve had more than one stubbed toe brought to me for urgent attention. In fact, because of the added workload I’ve more or less decided to look for a partner to share the practice with me. I’ve got my eye on a young man who works at Guildford Hospital but would like to move with his wife and baby son to the country.’
The enjoyment which both she and Mrs Castleton were taking in renewing their acquaintance had been plain to see. They had been talking animatedly when the two men had joined them and it was with some reluctance—or so it seemed to Madden—that they had adjusted to the more general conversation that had followed. For his own part, he had listened with pride as Helen spoke in her usual forthright manner about her work. Dressed in a white linen frock—it was one of Lucy’s creations—with only a red leather belt to lend a touch of colour, her beauty seemed no less compelling to him now that her hair was starting to grey than when they had first met, and he had taken quiet pleasure in the open admiration he had seen in Richard Jessup’s glance as he listened to her.
Lunch done, his host had proposed that they go for a walk, and with Mrs Castleton having decided that she and Helen should remain at the house so as to be there when the children came downstairs from their afternoon rest, the two men had set off through a gate at the bottom of the garden, Jessup carrying a shotgun broken at the breech in the crook of his arm.
The Death of Kings Page 19