Mr Finch fully understood. He knew the type. Again he nodded. A second man appeared. The handcuffs were removed and the chains unpadlocked. Fingers peeled off the sticking-plaster. Then he was taken to the lavatory next to the room. Back on the bed a few minutes later, the leg chains were re-fixed. His brain was clearing, and he was quite calm. He had his own kind of resilience. He gave himself over to thinking, but was not allowed prolonged reflection, and was forced to accept an injection in his arm that put him to sleep. His last thoughts before the drug laid total claim on his consciousness were of his wife Maisie and the fact that the man had spoken to him in German.
The light was turned out, and not long afterwards the house fell silent.
The waiting had placed an almost impossible strain on Chinese Lady, and she suffered it with tight lips. She felt Boots ought to have rushed about in a search for Edwin, asking questions of people. There must be some people in the area who had seen her husband, there must be some such people somewhere around. At the same time, however, she was not without faith in her son’s conviction that they had to talk to Captain Arnold.
The hours went by, and at ten minutes to midnight, Miss Jordan, who was still up, knocked again. A little ruefully, she informed Boots that Captain Arnold was still not back.
‘Although I like the sound of the gentleman,’ said Polly drily, ‘it’s a little inconvenient of him to stay out so long.’
‘He’s an unconventional type,’ said Miss Jordan.
‘I don’t mind the unconventional,’ said Boots, ‘I was simply hoping he’d favour an early night.’
‘And I was hopin’ a lot more could have been done than just waitin’,’ said Chinese Lady.
‘But, Nana, what could we have done when we haven’t known how to start?’ said Rosie.
‘It’s a headache to all of us, Rosie love,’ said Chinese Lady.
‘That car is our one hope,’ said Boots, not for the first time, ‘especially as we know it was the odd man out.’ He had spoken to the manager, and asked him if any guests had vacated their rooms this afternoon, guests who had cars. The manager, checking with Miss Jordan, said no. Well, then, said Boots, did any other people, in addition to his mother and stepfather, stop at the hotel just for tea? The manager, after further checking, said no. It was mostly on Sunday that motorists pulled in for tea. Boots said can I trouble you further by asking if anyone called this afternoon to enquire about rooms without actually making a reservation? Miss Jordan said no to that, which left Boots feeling only Captain Arnold could be of any real help. ‘That car,’ he said now, ‘contained a person or persons who parked here but didn’t use the hotel.’
‘Well, old thing,’ said Polly, ‘that’s suggesting the person or persons pulled in to sit and wait, don’t you see.’
‘Wait for what?’ asked Chinese Lady.
‘Ye gods,’ said Polly, ‘yes, wait for what?’
‘We’re keeping you up, Miss Jordan,’ said Boots.
‘I’ll stay up all night, Mr Adams, if that’s a help to you,’ said the receptionist.
‘I’d like to only know one more thing,’ said Boots. ‘Does your porter station himself at the entrance to the hotel all day?’
‘He’ll be there whenever guests are expected,’ said Miss Jordan, ‘but he has other duties that take him away. Why do you ask?’
‘I’m wondering if he was at the entrance when my mother and stepfather arrived, and if he saw another car pull in a little while after them,’ said Boots.
‘I’d have to ask him,’ said Miss Jordan.
‘I can answer that,’ said Chinese Lady. ‘He was in the lobby when Edwin and me walked in.’
‘Nana,’ said Rosie, ‘did you notice another car come in after you and Grandpa pulled in?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Chinese Lady.
‘Were there any cars behind you as you approached the hotel?’ asked Boots.
‘There was a bit of traffic all the time,’ said Chinese Lady. ‘Oh, lor’, are you sayin—’
‘Never mind,’ said Boots, not wanting too much to be discussed in front of Miss Jordan. ‘What are we left with at the moment?’
‘With the hope that Captain Arnold can tell us something about the car and who was in it,’ said Polly.
‘Just a description of the car would help if it was a little out of the ordinary,’ said Boots.
‘You’d need the help of the police then,’ said Miss Jordan.
‘We’ll see,’ said Boots, glancing at Polly. Such help might come from her father. Sir Henry knew something of Edwin Finch’s background, and he was also acquainted with the anonymous figureheads of British Intelligence. Such people, in view of Edwin’s work, would almost certainly conduct a search for the car. ‘Miss Jordan, as we’re stuck at the cross-roads, I think the most practical thing now is for all of us to go to bed and buttonhole Captain Arnold at breakfast. Or does he take breakfast in bed whenever he’s had a late night?’
‘He’s a regular guest here, a bachelor,’ said Miss Jordan, ‘but I’ve never known him to take breakfast in bed, however late he’s been overnight.’
‘We’ll wait until morning, then,’ said Boots.
‘Goodnight, sir,’ said Miss Jordan, ‘I do hope you all get some sleep.’
It was well after midnight when Chinese Lady finally went uneasily to bed, with Rosie lending her sympathetic company. Boots and Polly retired to their own rooms on the opposite side of the corridor. The rooms were adjoining, and Boots noted a communicating door. Knowing something of Polly and her devil-may-care attitude, he wondered if the communicating door had anything to do with the fact that she had booked the rooms herself. He tried the door. It was locked. He accorded it a brief smile. He undressed and put on a pair of pyjamas. The estimable Miss Jordan had somehow found clean nightwear for all of them. He got into bed, heaping the pillows to help him sit up and think. It would not go out of his mind, the certainty that the car seen by Captain Arnold held some clue to his stepfather’s disappearance. And with that certainty was the suspicion that the disappearance had something to do with Edwin’s cloak-and-dagger profession. Outside of that, nothing made sense.
About to douse the bedside light, he heard a soft sound. The communicating door opened and in came Polly, wearing a borrowed wrap and a bedtime smile. She looked admirably younger than thirty-three. Her hair style, her vivaciousness and her smooth skin had always favoured her in respect of her years.
‘I thought that door was locked,’ said Boots.
‘Oh, it was, darling, yes,’ said Polly, ‘but the key was on my side.’
‘What’s the idea?’ asked Boots.
‘Nothing important, old love,’ she said. ‘It’s more of a feeling.’
‘What kind of a feeling?’ asked Boots, eyeing her guardedly as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
‘The feeling that you cut short the conversation when you realized you’d arrived at the possibility that someone had been following your stepfather,’ said Polly.
‘Yes, I think my mother had seen that,’ said Boots, ‘and I felt it best to say no more in front of Miss Jordan.’
‘But that young lady has made herself invaluable,’ said Polly. ‘It’s the way you look at her.’
‘I’ve got that kind of look?’ said Boots.
‘Don’t play “Little Boy Blue” with me,’ said Polly, ‘you know damn well how to make young women like Miss Jordan go weak at the knees. Hell’s bells, don’t I do that sometimes when you condescend to look at me?’ Her wrap moved. She didn’t seem to move herself, but her wrap did. It parted at her thighs, and the sheen of grey silk stockings caught the light. A suspender clip winked. ‘God, me at my age, nearly thirty, having my knees give way.’
Boots let ‘nearly thirty’ pass.
‘You’re coming undone, Polly,’ he said. ‘As for the possibility that my stepfather may have been followed, that’s something best kept to the family. I’m against having people peering into the family window.’
/> ‘You’re against anything that might blow your family’s washing into the high street,’ said Polly. ‘God give me patience, how much longer do I have to wait?’
‘For what?’ asked Boots.
‘To get into bed with you.’
Boots, not unaware of how splendid her legs looked in their sleek silk stockings, said, ‘Well, Polly old love, much as I care for you, I don’t think we’d make a very good job of bedding down together, not while circumstances are as they are, bloody depressing.’
‘One day,’ said Polly, ‘you’ll run out of excuses. D’you find it easy to resist me?’
‘Is that a serious question?’ asked Boots.
Polly eyed the top two buttons of his pyjama jacket, both of which were undone, smiled her brittle smile and said, ‘Do you strip well, Boots?’
‘Not as well as I think you do, Polly.’
‘Then I can’t think of anything more serious than my question.’
‘I can think of my stepfather being followed here,’ said Boots. ‘Is that more serious than my saying no, I don’t find it easy to resist you?’
‘Then look here, dear old sport, can’t we get bosom to bosom beneath the sheets?’
‘Definitely not,’ said Boots. ‘Rosie’s across the corridor.’
‘That’s a wounding blow,’ said Polly, ‘it’s crippled me. Aside from that, why should anyone want to follow your stepfather and go off with him into the misty blue? He’s only a civil servant, isn’t he?’
Polly was ignorant of what her father knew about Edwin Finch.
‘There’s just a suspicion he might have been followed,’ said Boots. ‘The rest is a mystery. Shall we get some sleep, Polly?’
‘That’s all I’m going to get, I suppose,’ said Polly. Her brittle smile surfaced again. ‘But listen, even Emily should allow a lovely old soldier like you the pleasure of one concubine, and believe me, no concubine would be more of a pleasure to you than I would. But not tonight, it seems. Oh, well, here I am, a scorned woman again.’ She kissed him and went back to her room, and the communicating door closed. His mention of Rosie had been a singular deterrent. The girl, perhaps unable to sleep, might just take it into her head to look in on her father to find out if he was sleepless too. Rosie, whenever things weren’t right, would always turn first to Boots. It would have been frightful, Polly thought, if the girl had found her in bed with him.
Not for the first time, she took her frustrations to bed with her.
Chapter Sixteen
‘TILLY?’
‘Oh, me gawd,’ breathed Tilly. It wasn’t yet eight o’clock and she hadn’t finished dressing. She moved fast and put her back against the door of her bedroom in case the sneaky swine caught her in her underwear again. ‘Go away,’ she hissed.
‘No problems, Tilly,’ said Dan, talking cheerfully to the door, ‘just thought I’d let you know Cassie’ll be turnin’ up as usual to look after the girls for the mornin’. That reminds me, did I mention to you her dad’s goin’ to ask a niece of his to do a full-time job with them?’
‘No, you didn’t mention it,’ said Tilly, fumbling at her hooks and eyes. ‘Why, you artful old codger, you asked me to do that.’
‘Irons in the fire, y’know, Tilly. A bloke has to think of that, specially as Cassie’s dad hasn’t had any reply yet from his niece.’
‘Lord give me strength,’ said Tilly, ‘I’m first reserve, am I? You’ve got a hope, Mr Rogers.’
‘Call me Dan.’
‘Don’t try and worm yer sneaky way into me affections,’ said Tilly, ‘it won’t work.’
‘Well, you know me, Tilly, sold on Elvira’s affections.’
‘More fool you,’ said Tilly, her corset now nicely in place, her proud bosom comfortably tucked away but not at the expense of its rounded shape. ‘That woman’s got no affection for anything or anyone except ’er barmy tightrope. I’d tell you not to marry ’er if it wasn’t for the sake of yer little angels. Well, that’s all, you can go now.’
‘Yes, I’ll be away as soon as Cassie arrives,’ said Dan. ‘Just thought – um – well, if you could do me a little favour again and keep your ears open for what me girls might get up to after Cassie’s gone, I’d be grateful to me dyin’ day.’
‘Your dyin’ day could be tonight if you land me with Bubbles and Penny-Farvin’ again, d’you ’ear? I can’t believe you’d do it again.’
‘Only for this afternoon, Tilly, take me word,’ said Dan, ‘I’m confidently hopin’ Cassie’s dad will come up trumps with his niece tomorrow. Believe me, Tilly, when a bloke’s havin’ problems, it’s a relief I’ve got a reliable and ’elpful lady like you in me domain. I’ll see you as soon as I get home this evenin’. So long now.’
‘Come back, you ’orrible ape!’ yelled Tilly, hearing him going down the stairs. ‘Oh, I’ll do for you, once and for all, you ’ear me?’
Dan heard her all right, but kept going.
Tilly fumed.
‘Oh, ’ello, Mr Rogers,’ said Cassie on arrival.
‘Mornin’, Tilly,’ said Dan.
‘How’d you do,’ said Penny-Farving.
‘We like yer,’ said Bubbles.
‘That’s nice,’ said Cassie. ‘Mr Rogers, I’m ever so sorry, but me dad ’ad a letter from his niece first post this mornin’, and in it she said she couldn’t look after yer girls as she ’ad a job comin’ up.’
‘Never mind, can’t be helped,’ said Dan, a philosophical character as well as a cheerful one, ‘and I wasn’t takin’ it for granted, Cassie.’
‘Well, p’raps Alice won’t be long now gettin’ to be your daily help again,’ said Cassie, who never looked on the dark side any more than Dan did. ‘’Ave you got someone for this afternoon?’
‘Tilly’s promised to keep an eye open,’ said Dan. ‘Well, more or less, and she’s a nice obligin’ young lady.’
‘And ever so good-lookin’,’ said Cassie. ‘Bubbles, stop breakin’ your toast up. It’s for eatin’, not throwin’ at yer sister.’
‘But she frew some of hers at me,’ complained Bubbles.
‘Did you?’ asked Cassie of Penny-Farving.
‘Only a little bit,’ said Penny-Farving.
‘Mr Rogers, shall I give ’er a little smack or will you?’ asked Cassie.
‘Um – well, I’m off now, Cassie, I’ll leave it to you,’ said Dan, dodging that one by departing. So Penny-Farving received a little smack on her hand from Cassie.
‘Crumbs,’ said Penny-Farving, ‘that nearly ’urt.’
‘The next one will,’ said Cassie, who had a dreamy imagination, a soft heart and a lot of commonsense hidden away.
Captain Arnold, RE retired, began his breakfast at his favourite corner table at half-past eight precisely. He’d had a late night, not having got back to the hotel until past two in the morning, his friends in Guildford having given him a very convivial evening. He was, however, ready to tackle a good breakfast, his constitution being excellent, and by nine o’clock he had partaken healthily of bacon and eggs and toast and marmalade. He poured himself a final cup of tea.
Miss Jordan arrived at his table.
‘Excuse me, sir,’ she said, ‘but may I introduce you to Mr Adams?’
Captain Arnold looked up and took note of a distinguished-looking chap.
‘Morning, Mr Adams,’ he said.
‘How’d you do,’ said Boots. He had left Chinese Lady, Rosie and Polly at a table on the other side of the restaurant, with Polly due to phone the school and give a reason why she and Rosie would be absent today. ‘D’you mind if I sit down with you?’ he asked Captain Arnold.
‘Help yourself, old chap,’ said Captain Arnold.
‘I’ll leave you to each other,’ said Miss Jordan, and returned to reception.
‘You’ve something on your mind, Mr Adams?’ said Captain Arnold.
‘Yes, and I wonder if you can help me,’ said Boots. ‘First, that’s my mother over there, with my daughter. The lady with them is Polly Si
mms, daughter of General Sir Henry Simms.’ Boots thought he might as well mention he had connections.
‘Sir Henry Simms?’ Captain Arnold looked impressed. ‘The corps commander who made himself unpopular with Haig by having a stand-up row with him after the first battle of the Somme?’
‘The same,’ said Boots. ‘His daughter can also hold her own. However, to get to the point. Do you recognize my mother as the lady who spoke to you when you were tinkering with your car yesterday afternoon?’
Captain Arnold, vigorously masculine in appearance, took a look at Chinese Lady, who gave him a little nod.
‘Yes, I recognize her, Mr Adams. She was a little worried. Very unfortunate, I thought. Seemed to have mislaid her husband.’
‘Not out of carelessness,’ said Boots.
‘No, certainly not, by George,’ said Captain Arnold. ‘Bad form if I implied that. Did he turn up?’
‘No,’ said Boots, and pointed out that they hadn’t a clue as to why and how he had disappeared. All they did have was the knowledge that Captain Arnold had seen a car driving out as he drove in. Captain Arnold said that was correct. Boots asked if he had also seen who was in the car. Captain Arnold said he hadn’t made that kind of observation of the car, but he thought a man was at the wheel, a woman beside him. Just a brief glimpse. The car was being driven in a hurry, as if the occupants hadn’t paid their hotel bill. ‘There was a woman?’ said Boots.
‘I had this glimpse, old chap,’ said Captain Arnold, ‘and I’d say yes, there was a woman in the passenger seat.’
‘Anyone on the back seat?’ asked Boots.
‘Didn’t notice, didn’t look. My plugs were oiling up. What’s the suggestion, that your father was in the car?’
‘My stepfather,’ said Boots.
‘Does he do that kind of thing?’ asked Captain Arnold. ‘Go off without notifying his family?’
‘No,’ said Boots, and asked if Captain Arnold could describe the driver of the car and the woman beside him. Captain Arnold said he couldn’t, since he hadn’t taken a deliberate look, merely an automatic glance as a fellow might when passing another car that was in a hurry. A momentary image of a man and a woman, that was all he could recollect. How important was it?
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