A Maze of Murders
Page 17
Alvarez engaged first gear and drove off. He had cause for pride. Because he had finally uncovered the truth, he could free Vera from the mental torture to which she had been subjected. He could also ensure that Clough did not have the chance once again to plan her murder, thereby finally getting his hands on her fortune. But all this at what pain to himself?
* * *
He entered the house and carried on through to the dining-room where he brought a bottle of brandy and a glass out of the sideboard. He poured himself a drink, went through to the kitchen for ice. When he returned, Dolores, wearing a dressing-gown over a lace-edged nightdress, stood in the far doorway. ‘Do you have to swill down still more drink?’ she demanded angrily.
‘Yes,’ he replied simply.
Her expression changed to one of concern. ‘I thought when you left here…’ She stopped.
‘So did I.’
She sat on the nearest chair. ‘It was so wonderful to see you smile and hear you whistle and sing … I need a drink.’
He went back into the kitchen for water, brought a glass out of the sideboard, poured into it a generous brandy, added water and ice, passed it to her. He drained his glass, refilled it. Slowly, a little of the pain lifted. By writing him that note in sharp defiance of Clough’s orders, Phoebe was telling him that while initially her affection had been bought, soon it had become a willing gift …
There was a shout from the stairs. ‘Where are you? What’s going on?’
Jaime appeared in the doorway, tousle-haired and wearing only pyjama trousers. ‘Well, bury me tomorrow if you’re not both boozing! Happy days!’ He hurried forward to the sideboard.
About the Author
Roderic Jeffries was born in London in 1926 and was educated at Southampton’s School of Navigation. In 1943 he went to sea with the New Zealand Shipping Company and returned to England in 1949 where he was subsequently called to the Bar. He practiced law for a brief period before starting to write full time. His books have been published in many different countries and have been adapted for film, television, and radio. He and his wife live in Mallorca, and have two children. You can sign up for email update here.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
AN ARTISTIC WAY TO GO
AN ARCADIAN DEATH
DEATH TAKES TIME
MURDER CONFOUNDED
MURDER’S LONG MEMORY
A FATAL FLEECE
TOO CLEVER BY HALF
DEAD CLEVER
DEATH TRICK
RELATIVELY DANGEROUS
ALMOST MURDER
LAYERS OF DECEIT
THREE AND ONE MAKE FIVE
DEADLY PETARD
UNSEEMLY END
JUST DESERTS
MURDER BEGETS MURDER
TROUBLED DEATHS
TWO-FACED DEATH
MISTAKENLY IN MALLORCA
DEAD MAN’S BLUFF
A TRAITOR’S CRIME
A DEADLY MARRIAGE
DEATH IN THE COVERTS
DEAD AGAINST THE LAWYERS
AN EMBARRASSING DEATH
THE BENEFITS OF DEATH
EXHIBIT NO. THIRTEEN
EVIDENCE OF THE ACCUSED
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
About the Author
By the Same Author
Copyright
A MAZE OF MURDERS. Copyright © 1997 by Roderic Jeffries. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
ISBN: 0-312-18135-3
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers
First U.S. Edition: January 1998
eISBN 9781250101822
First eBook edition: September 2015