False Impression Read online

  Bea took a deep breath. ‘The police can find him if anyone can, but the sooner they know what you know, the sooner they can get started.’

  It seemed to her that the police wouldn’t take Leon’s concern for Adamsson seriously. Yes, they might try to contact him, but that wouldn’t be their first line of investigation. Orlando, however, was a different matter. His father had been killed. They’d think he would profit by his father’s death.

  Orlando was obviously thinking along the same lines. ‘It looks like I’m for the high jump. I found my father dead but didn’t ring the police. I have no alibi, and I can’t prove I received any texts on my smartphone. The police will be bound to think I killed him for the title and the lolly, and that Mrs Whatsit was collateral damage because she happened to spot me doing him in. But, if he’d lived, I stood to gain a nice lump sum at the end of my six months’ courtship of Dilys. As it is, I’ll get diddly-squat and a title which I do not intend to use.’

  ‘That’s your best argument yet,’ said Bea.

  Dilys drifted into the kitchen to put some coffee mugs into the dishwasher, but this time she didn’t drift out again. ‘Have you decided yet, Orlando?’

  Orlando put his arm out, and she came to stand beside him, placing her hand in his.

  ‘Dear Dilys,’ said Orlando. ‘You know the best and the worst of me. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t given me shelter last night. Of course you’re right, and I must go to the police with what I know.’

  Bea warned him, ‘Be prepared, Orlando. They’re going to tear you to pieces and put the fragments under the microscope. Leon, do you have a solicitor, and can you get him to go to the station with you? And Orlando, do you have one?’

  ‘I’m shaking like a jelly,’ said Orlando. ‘I’ve never needed one before.’

  Dilys said, ‘Use mine. The family one, not the one for business. He’s an old dear, used to sit me on his knee and pretend he was a horse and jogged me up and down when I was little.’

  He was probably a hundred years old. How like Dilys to rely on someone inappropriate! Bea set her teeth, but Orlando brightened up. ‘Could I? What’s his name? Can you give him a ring?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Dilys, taking out her old mobile phone.

  Leon got up. ‘Bea, may I use your personal phone downstairs?’

  ‘You can use the one in what used to be Maggie’s office. It has its own outside line.’

  She led the way downstairs, and he followed.

  He wanted privacy. He was going to exclude her. For selfish reasons, because he had always been a loner? Or because he was trying to protect her from whatever danger it was that threatened him?

  Because he was in danger, wasn’t he? The others hadn’t seen it, but she had.

  Bea told herself to be calm. All this was taking time out of her day’s work … but the virus had already taken a chunk out of her day, hadn’t it? Downstairs in the main office, all was quiet, if not exactly as per normal. Some of the girls were on their mobiles, some busy with paper files. Carrie was talking in a low voice to Keith, who appeared to be the calm eye in the centre of the storm. Keith moved at his own pace. Unflappable. Slow but sure.

  Bea fetched the keys from her office, let Leon into Maggie’s room and indicated the whereabouts of the outside line.

  Carrie met her as she came out. ‘Keith’s taking an age.’

  Bea nodded. ‘But you’ve got everyone working. Housekeeping. All very necessary. Any horrible hiccups?’

  ‘Nothing that we haven’t been able to reschedule. A woman failed to turn up for an interview with you at three—’

  Bea clapped her hand to her head. ‘I forgot.’

  ‘Well, it didn’t matter, did it? Keith thinks we ought to upgrade again.’

  ‘Painful, but necessary. Can you discuss when he wants to do it?’

  A phone rang. In Bea’s office?

  Carrie said, ‘It’s your private line. It’s been ringing on and off all day. Someone wanting Mr Leon. I’ve tried to answer it as much as I could. They won’t leave a message. I said he wasn’t here at first, but now he’s come …?’

  ‘I’ll tell him.’ Bea made no move to do so.

  Carrie said, ‘Trouble? Can I help?’

  ‘At the moment, no. But thanks for offering.’

  Carrie stiffened her shoulders. ‘About Dilys …’

  ‘You’d prefer she didn’t try to help any more?’

  ‘Don’t get me wrong. She’s had a bad time, but she’s not exactly clued up about modern technology, is she?’

  ‘I’ll try to keep her out of your hair.’ Bea closed the conversation by walking off into her office. The phone had stopped ringing. She sat in her chair, looking at it. Then checked to see who had been calling. Holland Holdings. Of course.

  She went to the window and looked out over the garden and up through the bare branches of the tree to the spire of the church beyond. A bright-blue sky, beginning to fade with the onset of the dusk. The afternoon had fled away, and soon it would be night.

  She tried to pray, but her mind was such a jumble of impressions that she couldn’t think constructively.

  Danger.

  Definitely.

  Leon put his arms around her from behind. ‘I’ve found out which police station is dealing with the problem and said I was coming in. My solicitor will meet me there. Keep some supper for me?’

  FIVE

  Wednesday afternoon

  Leon contacted his solicitor and went to the police station with Orlando. And then there was peace and quiet.

  Comparatively. Bea stood by the window in her office, looking up at the sky, trying not to think.

  Someone crept in behind her. ‘Excuse me. Is it all right if I …?’

  A member of staff looking for something? Bea nodded. Didn’t turn round. Felt for a hankie. No pockets. Bother.

  The phone tinkled. Stopped. Footsteps retreated.

  She was alone again. Good. She found a pack of tissues in her top drawer, blew her nose. Sniffed. An alien scent. Medicinal?

  Carrie came in. ‘Have we the keys to Maggie’s old office? The girl wanted to go in there, but I think Mr Leon must have gone off with them. I told her to do it next time.’

  ‘What girl?’

  ‘The one who came to disinfect the phones.’

  Bea shook her head. ‘I’m missing something here.’

  ‘You know? The new service for cleaning phones. Protects us from cold germs and stuff. We used to have them do it years ago at my other place. I thought they’d gone out of business, but apparently not.’

  Bea stared at Carrie, trying to think. Her brain was made of treacle, and thoughts swam slowly around and around. ‘To the best of my knowledge, I haven’t signed any contract with such a service. Not that it’s a bad idea. Did you sign up for it on my behalf?’

  Carrie shook her head. ‘Why would I do that? I thought you had. The girl showed me her copy of the contract, and it’s signed over our office stamp.’

  Bea let herself down into her chair and looked at her shiny, just cleaned phone. It gleamed back at her. Potentially dangerous.

  She said, ‘I’ve just had a thought …’ She indicated that Carrie should follow her and led the way into the main office. Most of the girls had gone by now, though a couple were still putting on their coats while they discussed having a night out. Dilys was tipping the contents of waste paper baskets into a black plastic bag.

  Keith was still there. He lifted his hand. ‘Once more round the Wrekin, and I can reset. Should be out of your hair in ten. Maybe twenty.’

  ‘That’s great,’ said Bea, watching the last two girls leave. They climbed the stairs to street level and disappeared. Bea beckoned to Carrie to follow them into the well at the bottom of the stairs.

  Carrie said, ‘You wanted to speak to the phone-cleaning girl? She must be long gone.’

  ‘And left what behind? Can you get Keith to come out here for a moment?’

  ‘Why?�
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  ‘Just do it, will you?’

  Carrie frowned, but did as Bea asked.

  Close to, Keith was so large that he blocked out the light from the street lamp nearby. And, wouldn’t you know, Dilys came too.

  Bea said, ‘A girl came to clean the phones this afternoon. I didn’t authorize her to do so. Do you think you could check to see if she left something behind?’

  Keith half closed his eyes. ‘You’re talking bugs? You think someone wants to listen in on your conversations?’

  Dilys squeaked and covered her mouth with both hands.

  Carrie gave her a look, but refrained from comment.

  Bea nodded. She hugged herself. It was chilly out there without a coat. ‘Could you check the phone in my office first?’

  Keith plunged back inside, closely followed by Dilys.

  Bea said, ‘Carrie, we need to find out who used our agency stamp on the authorization for the phone cleaning service.’

  Carrie clicked her fingers. ‘I wonder … Jennifer?’

  Their newest employee. Bea recalled a thin, young to middle-aged woman with knowing brown eyes, excellent references. ‘Why Jennifer?’

  A shrug. ‘I don’t know. Yes, I do. Her eyes and ears are everywhere. She listens to other people’s conversations but never joins in. Keeps herself to herself, as they say. Also, she wouldn’t stump up when we were collecting for the girl who left when her husband got a job up north. I was going to say something to you about her not fitting in, but she’s efficient enough and it didn’t seem important. Do you want me to go through her desk?’

  ‘Please.’

  Carrie went back inside, and Bea followed her. It really was too cold to stand outside without a coat.

  Carrie delved into the desk space that Jennifer used.

  Dilys watched her, wringing her hands. ‘Oh dear, I’ve brought such trouble on you! I didn’t mean to, honestly!’

  Bea forced herself to smile. ‘Nonsense, Dilys. This has nothing to do with you.’

  ‘If I hadn’t let Orlando stay, none of this would have happened.’

  ‘I’m not so sure about that.’

  ‘The thing is, he’s such a sweet person and his family treat him so badly so I …’ She gestured, helplessly.

  Bea could see that there might well be some fellow feeling between those two misfits. ‘How are things between you two?’

  ‘He did ask me to marry him. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I had to say “No”. I don’t love him like that. I think of him like a brother, sort of. Not that I ever had a brother. But he’s been so kind to me, letting me talk and telling me about his family. You can’t imagine what a relief it is to talk to someone who understands. It’s helped me to get over things. He’s nice to go out with now and then. Not often, of course. I don’t really like being out late at night, but we go shopping for this and that, especially cheese, which he loves. He says he must have been a mouse in a previous incarnation, not that I believe in such things, and then we have a nice lunch out, nothing expensive, you know? He says he’d like to take charge of my wardrobe, too, but I couldn’t let him do that because I know he’d spend far more than I can afford …’

  The gentle moan went on and on. Bea stopped listening.

  Keith appeared in the doorway to her office, holding something up in his hand. ‘It’s safe to talk. This sort only picks up phone conversations. Can you spring to some overtime? I’d like to see what else has been left behind.’

  Bea hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath. ‘Overtime, plus a bonus. Yes. Thank you, Keith. I don’t know what we’d have done without you.’

  He seated himself at the first desk and attacked the telephone.

  ‘Got it!’ Carrie held up a form. ‘Copy of the contract with the phone cleaning company. She’s filled in the name of the company herself. She has a distinctive hand, prints everything. Someone has signed it with a squiggle which could be yours at a pinch, Mrs Abbot, if you don’t look too closely. I suppose she copied your signature from a letter somewhere. Eureka!’ She held up the office stamp. ‘I keep this in my top drawer, which is always locked. I wonder how she got that.’

  Dilys wiped tears away. ‘Well, you do leave your keys in the lock on your drawer sometimes. I had to get at the cash box the other day to buy some more coffee. You were interviewing someone, so you gave me your keys and told me to leave them on your desk, so …’

  Carrie paled. ‘I did, too!’

  Bea said, ‘No worries, Carrie. We have to trust one another in here or life’s not worth living. Dilys, you are splendid. You really do keep your eyes open, don’t you? Have you ever seen Jennifer doing something that you thought wasn’t right?’

  ‘You mean, like when she stays behind at night and looks in other people’s drawers? I was cleaning up one night and saw her. She said she was looking for her pen that she’d lent someone. Then she told me off for not cleaning the toilet properly, so I went back and did it all over again, though really I thought it was all right. But she’s very fussy about such things, and you can’t be too careful about hygiene, can you?’

  Keith moved on to another phone. He frowned at Bea. ‘Don’t you have a proper cleaner, Mrs Abbot? I thought that Dilys was a relation of yours.’

  Bea felt guilty. She really hadn’t looked after Dilys properly, had she? ‘Yes, Keith. You’re right. Sort of. Carrie, what’s happened to our regular cleaner?’

  ‘Sprained her ankle or something. I was going to ring round, but Dilys offered to help out. I did try to tell you, but you were busy and it didn’t seem important.’

  ‘I like to help,’ said Dilys.

  Keith said, ‘This phone’s clean, but I’d better check them all, hadn’t I?’

  Bea thought of Leon’s chauffeur leaving him without notice, about the brakes failing on the Rolls, and the courtesy car which had refused to start. Had their cleaner been got at, as well? And if so, did it mean the agency was now in the line of fire?

  But why? Because Bea was friendly with Leon? Was that fact really sufficient for her agency to be targeted? Surely not. But, if it was the case, then what was going to happen next? Was she, too, going to be run down in the street? Gracious heavens, where was all this leading?

  Finally, Keith said, ‘I think these are all clean. I can’t see any other bugs which might have been left at the side or under desk tops, but I’ll have a quick scan round with my little machine. Then, if you can run to it, a cup of tea?’

  Dilys said, ‘I’ll make it.’ Then, hands to mouth, mumbling, ‘Only, I haven’t finished the cleaning.’

  Bea winced. ‘Leave the cleaning, Dilys. Carrie will find us another cleaner tomorrow. Someone we’ve used before and can trust.’ She shot a look at Carrie, who had gone pink and who nodded agreement. ‘What we need now is a council of war, with Keith.’

  ‘Including me?’ said Dilys, ready to be told that she wouldn’t be needed.

  ‘Definitely with you,’ said Bea. ‘Tea and biscuits in my office, as soon as Keith has finished. That is … Carrie, Keith? Can you spare the time?’

  ‘Fifteen minutes,’ said Keith, and was as good as his word.

  Tea. Biscuits. Draw the curtains against the dusk.

  ‘The thing is,’ said Keith, taking two shortbread biscuits in one hand and waving his mug of tea in the other, ‘telephone bugs are illegal.’

  ‘I know,’ said Bea, looking in her top drawer to see if she could find some aspirin. ‘We really can speak freely now?’

  Keith crammed the biscuits into his mouth and nodded. ‘’Effnittly.’

  Carrie sipped tea, frowning. ‘Someone wants to learn the agency’s secrets. Planning to pinch our customers? Do you think that virus was all part of it?’

  Dilys looked as if she were about to cry. ‘Oh, but that was all my stupid fault and it was Orlando’s phone it was on and he didn’t know there was a virus, honestly.’

  Bea gave up the search for her aspirin and rubbed her forehead.

&nbs
p; Keith took another two biscuits, eyeing her over his mug of tea. ‘Mrs Abbot, you are going to report the bug to the police, aren’t you? Because if you aren’t, I’m supposed to do so. And if I don’t, I’ll be in trouble.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll report it,’ said Bea. ‘I’ve got a detective inspector coming round this evening, and I’ll tell him all about it. Perhaps you can give me a statement to pass on to him? He can contact you direct if he needs clarification.’

  ‘What’s it all about?’ Carrie was not going to be put off.

  She wanted answers, but Bea didn’t have any.

  Dilys said, ‘Do you think Daddy organized it?’

  The others regarded her with open mouths.

  Dilys blushed, but persisted. ‘Well, I know Daddy doesn’t like Uncle Leon coming here because he thinks Mrs Abbot is bad for him, but—’

  ‘What!’ from Bea.

  Dilys gave a nervous start. ‘Oh, I don’t think you are, really, and neither does Aunt Sybil. But when Daddy gets an idea into his head … and everyone around him is so anxious to please that I thought … It did cross my mind … Though probably it’s very silly of me, because I know I haven’t any head for business—’

  Bea said, ‘You think your father might set out to bug this agency because he disapproves of Leon coming here? Really?’

  Dilys wriggled. ‘Daddy’s not used to people standing up to him, you see. He’s been such a powerful man for so long that … And Uncle Leon has only been back in our lives for a short time, and then there was the board meeting when they all turned against Daddy and Uncle Leon took over almost half of his companies, and Daddy was really, really upset about it.’

  This was not how Bea had understood the matter. ‘Dilys, your father’s getting on in years, and he agreed that for the sake of his health he should wind down his activities.’

  ‘That’s what they all said—’ with a dark look – ‘but it was a fait accompli or a putsch or whatever it is that they call it, so he had to give in and pretend he liked it. But he felt it tremendously … Oh, not at first, when he was really rather relieved, but later, making a joke of it, pretending he didn’t really care, but I thought he did, really. I’m sure Uncle Leon has done his best, but he doesn’t understand that he’s not up to the job.’