No Wind of Blame Read online

  ‘Oh, not now!’ Vicky replied, not looking at him but at the Inspector. ‘I can’t think of anything but this afflictive murder!’

  ‘Well, it’s about that. I think you ought to know. I may say that I’m absolutely horrified!’

  This was arresting enough to drag Vicky’s attention from the Inspector. She bent an inquiring gaze upon Alan. ‘About Wally’s murder?’

  ‘In a way. I mean, it’s something I’ve found out, only I can’t tell you here.’

  Vicky saw that the Inspector had made himself known to Steel, and that both he and Steel had moved out of earshot. She said: ‘Well, all right, but let’s go into the lounge, if there is one, only I must tell Hugh, because he thinks he’s looking after me.’

  ‘I can’t see what you can possibly have to say to Vicky!’ exclaimed Janet, when Alan informed her that she would have to leave the King’s Head without him.

  ‘It’s just as well that you can’t,’ said Alan darkly.

  ‘Oh, Alan, I do wish you wouldn’t be so theatrical!’ Janet said. ‘You know how Father hates it!’

  ‘Father!’ he said, with a crack of bitter laughter.

  ‘Well, I’m sure I don’t want to pry into any secrets. I’ve got some shopping to do anyway,’ said Janet.

  Vicky found Hugh talking to his father in the hall of the hotel. He was not much impressed by the news that Alan had important tidings to disclose, for he held a poor opinion of that young gentleman, but he agreed to await the outcome of the interview.

  ‘Because if he really has discovered a clue, or something, I shall immediately tell you,’ said Vicky. ‘And if it’s anything incriminating about Robert, we must suppress it, because it will upset all my plans if he’s arrested. Oh, I do think Janet is a calamitous female, don’t you?’

  ‘What was that she said?’ asked Sir William, looking after Vicky’s retreating form in some bewilderment. ‘Extraordinary girl! Times have certainly changed since I was a young man!’

  Vicky, meanwhile, had led Alan into a leather-upholstered room leading out of the hall. It smelled of stale smoke, and was such a gloomy apartment that it was not surprising that no one ever sat in it. The discovery that the few weary flowers in a vase on the mantelpiece were made of paper pleased Vicky so much that she seemed to be in danger of forgetting the serious nature of Alan’s business. He recalled her to it by saying in a sepulchral tone that he knew why Wally Carter had visited his father on Sunday.

  This at once claimed Vicky’s attention. ‘Alan, do you really? Tell me instantly!’

  Alan, however, did not mean to be baulked of his dramatic effects. He said: ‘God knows what I’ve done to deserve such a father! If it weren’t for Janet, of course, I’d sooner starve than live under his roof. I mean, when one has ideals—’

  ‘I know about them,’ interrupted Vicky. ‘Go on about your father!’

  ‘I only heard of it in the most roundabout way,’ said Alan. ‘Though, I need hardly say I had my suspicions, and as a matter of fact I told Father that nothing would induce me to meet Samuel Jones. I’m afraid I let him have it from the shoulder, which shocked Janet, but you know how I feel about that kind of worn-out shibboleth, Vicky. Why one should be expected to respect a man simply because he happens to be one’s father—’

  ‘Oh, Alan, do get on!’ begged Vicky. ‘Wally and your father had got a deal on, hadn’t they?’

  ‘Of course, if you already know about it—’

  ‘No, I don’t, but Mary guessed it. And if you don’t stop reciting this voluminous prologue, and tell me what you’ve discovered, I shall go into a screaming fit! Do be more congruous, Alan darling!’

  ‘Well, you’ve heard about the new building scheme, haven’t you?’ said Alan, rather sulkily.

  ‘Here, in Fritton? Yes, they’re going to build a sort of ghastly garden-city all over Valley Reach, or something.’

  ‘That’s just where you’re wrong, because they’re not going to build over Valley Reach at all. I happen to know the Council has chosen quite a different site. Mind you, it’s absolutely secret so far!’

  ‘Well, I don’t care,’ said Vicky impatiently. ‘Is there any point to it? Because Hugh’s waiting for me.’

  ‘The point is that that swine Jones is a member of the Council. Also, he’s as thick as thieves with my father. Mind you, I can’t actually swear to this, but from what I know of Father I don’t think there’s a doubt I’m right. Do you know Frith Field?’

  ‘Yes, of course I do.’

  ‘Well, a friend of mine, whose name I can’t tell you, happens to know that that’s the site they’ve chosen for the new building scheme. It isn’t publicly known yet, but naturally Jones knows. And I happen to have discovered that Father’s negotiating to buy some of the land!’

  Vicky frowned. ‘Why? Oh, I see! I suppose it’ll suddenly be much more valuable! How on earth did you find out about it?’

  ‘Actually, through a chap I know who’s Andrews’s clerk. I dare say you don’t know whom I mean, but Andrews is my boss’s rival. Get it?’

  ‘Well, not utterly,’ confessed Vicky.

  ‘How was Father going to pay for that plot of land?’ demanded Alan. ‘He had to borrow a hundred from Carter only a couple of months ago, so I’d just like to know where the price of this land is supposed to be coming from! Why, it’s as plain as a pikestaff ! Obviously he’d put the scheme up to Carter, and they were going into some kind of a partnership over it, Carter putting up the cash, and Father and Jones getting a fat rake-off for having let him in on it, I dare say.’

  ‘Oh!’ said Vicky, digesting it. ‘I wouldn’t wonder if you’re right, only I don’t immediately see that it’s going to help. I rather hoped there was something frightfully tortuous on, which would bring on an utterly undreamed-of suspect, and solve everything.’

  ‘You don’t seem to see how damnable it is!’ said Alan. ‘It’s absolutely disgusting, and when I think of my father going in for that kind of dirty work it makes me feel like cutting away from him altogether.’

  ‘Oh, is it dirty?’ said Vicky innocently. ‘Would you mind frightfully if I told Hugh Dering? Because at the moment the police think Percy Baker was blackmailing Wally, and this seems to show that he wasn’t at all. You don’t know Percy, and I don’t really feel I can explain him to you, but he’s a garage-hand, and I do rather feel that it’s bad luck on him to be suspected of something he didn’t do.’

  ‘With me,’ said Alan grandly, ‘the State comes above every other tie. Naturally I shall confront Father with my suspicions, and if some unfortunate devil is being ruined through his filthy dealings I shall go to the police myself, and tell them all I know. Of course, it won’t be very pleasant for me – in fact, it’s practically crucifying myself but—’

  ‘Darling Alan, I should hate you to crucify yourself, besides it isn’t in the least necessary, and I don’t think it’s the done-thing to sneak about your father to the police. So I shall just tell Hugh, and see what he thinks we ought to do about it.’

  ‘I don’t see what it’s got to do with him,’ said Alan discontentedly. ‘As a matter of fact, I haven’t got much use for him. He’s one of those hearty, old school-tie fellows who make me rather sick.’

  ‘Well, I dare say you make him feel a bit squeamish, if he’s noticed you, which I rather doubt,’ retorted Vicky.

  This unexpected championing of Hugh had the effect of putting Alan so much on his dignity that he needed no urging to go away, but said in an offended voice that it was obvious he was not wanted, and he only hoped that Vicky would not regret having succumbed to the glamour of an old Etonian tie.

  So when Vicky joined Hugh at one of the little tables which were dotted about the hall of the hotel, she naturally had a good look at the tie he was wearing, and said in a tone of considerable astonishment: ‘Is that an old Etonian