Missing Person (25 page)

‘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.

‘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 Simms, 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?

‘Very important, if my stepfather happened to be in the back of the car.’

‘Silly question of mine,’ said Captain Arnold. ‘Are you up against dirty work at the cross-roads, Mr Adams? If so, don’t you need to inform the police? There’s a station in Farnham, and your mother must be a desperately worried woman.’

Boots said it looked as if the police might have to be called in. However, had Captain Arnold noticed which direction the car took? Yes, said the Captain, it was turning left to Guildford as it passed him.

‘And would you have noticed what kind of car it was?’

‘That’s an easy one, old chap,’ said Captain Arnold, ‘I’m a car enthusiast. It was a wine-coloured Austin Cambridge saloon.’

That was something, thought Boots. Most cars, except the specialist kind, were black. Guildford, therefore, was worth a visit. It was a major Surrey city, and a likely place in which to hole up. Assuming Edwin had been in that car, then it was for the purpose of taking him somewhere and doing what to him? I’m going to settle, thought Boots, for an abduction relating to his years in Intelligence. And who would think of looking for him in Guildford? It’s a shot in the dark, but we’ll go there, and Polly can make use of her fascinating eyelashes. She can ask policemen on point duty if they can remember seeing a wine-coloured Austin Cambridge saloon in yesterday afternoon’s traffic. What’s a copper worth if his training hasn’t sharpened his powers of observation?

‘Well, thanks very much, Captain Arnold,’ he said. ‘Good of you to put up with my questions.’

‘Only too pleased, my dear fellow,’ said Captain Arnold, and smiled as he added, ‘I think you were
good
enough yourself to wait until I’d finished a very enjoyable breakfast. Damn civilized of you. My regards to your worried mother, and I’m at your service today if you need my help. I take a very poor view of buggers who make off with a lady’s husband, if that’s what’s happened.’

‘We’ll get to work on the possibility,’ said Boots, and returned to his table. Polly was at reception, using the phone there to call the school. Boots took Chinese Lady and Rosie out of the restaurant to the lobby, where they picked up Polly and then went up to his room. There he told them of the small amount of information given to him by Captain Arnold. Chinese Lady, under increasing strain, was dubious about the meaning of a woman being in the car. I can’t hardly think that a woman would be wicked enough to help take Edwin away, she said, and how could they have taken him, anyway? Edwin’s a strong man and a sensible one.

‘But it’s all we’ve got, Mrs Finch,’ said Polly, ‘the possibility that somehow or other he was persuaded to get into the car and was then driven away.’

‘Oh, help,’ said Rosie, ‘he’d have been furious. Daddy, what do we do now?’

‘Go to Guildford and try to find out if anyone noticed the car,’ said Boots.

‘And if someone says yes, they noticed it passing through yesterday, where will that get us, old sport?’ asked Polly.

‘It may not have gone all the way through the city,’ said Boots, ‘it may be parked somewhere.’

‘Daddy, we’re going to look at every street in Guildford?’ said Rosie.

‘It’s work for the police,’ said Polly.

‘Well, we’ll have a go first,’ said Boots, ‘but before we do I’d better ring Emily and Sammy.’

He did so, from the lobby call-box. Emily was as dubious as Chinese Lady about Mr Finch having been taken away in some strangers’ car, and couldn’t think what good it would do to chase about Guildford. Still, she said, I’ve got to believe in you, Boots, and I know you’ll have the sense to go to the police if you feel you’re not getting anywhere. And she asked if Chinese Lady was bearing up. Well, you know Chinese Lady, Em, said Boots, she’s an old soldier. She’s biting her lip and giving me what for now and again, but she’s bearing up. Well, I hope so, said Emily, she must be going out of her mind with worry. And what’s Polly doing? Lending support, said Boots, and Rosie’s a godsend to all of us. That girl’s a dear, said Emily, so just find your stepdad and make her happy.

Sammy’s response was to tell Boots to go ahead, to do what he thought best, and not to contact the coppers until there was no option. Keep it in the family, he said. My idea precisely, said Boots. What a palaver, said Sammy, our respected stepdad going missing in what looks like a serious way. Makes no sense to me. Get on with it, Boots, Susie sends you her best.

Mr Finch had been given quite a decent breakfast. The woman brought it up to him, telling him to enjoy it while he was still alive. And she spoke in German. Afterwards, the two men addressed themselves to him as he lay on the bed, his legs chained and the handcuffs around his wrist. His mouth was free, however, but he understood the threat he was under. He’d had experience of men like these, with their steely eyes and their incorruptible dedication to whatever cause they were serving. They wouldn’t hesitate to cripple him for life or even strangle him.

‘You were born Paul Strasser, that is accepted?’

‘Yes,’

The man who had struck the chopping blows did most of the talking, and in a calm, dispassionate way. No good would have come of you denying your German origins, he said, for we know all there is to know about you. Is there any need for questions, then? asked Mr Finch. There’s need for some, said the chopper. For instance, do you concede you betrayed your Fatherland by going over to the British and taking with you information entrusted to you? Do you concede, in fact, that you’re a disgusting traitor?