Death of an Old Goat (25 page)

‘Alone? Are you off your rocker? Look, mate, I'm a married man. I've got two daughters at home — depending on me.' (Royle did this line very badly indeed.) ‘Course, I'm as brave as the next man — especially when the next man is you — ' he gave a coarse laugh — ‘but I'm not going to go to his study and practically present my throat to him and say, “Have a slice if you feel like it, old man.” '

Bill was getting more and more desperate. What is more, he rather resented the crude slur on his courage, which was as great as the next man's, especially when the next man was Royle.

‘Look, if you're not game, I'll do it.
Provided
,' he put in hastily, ‘
provided
you're willing to have me watched day and night after I've done it. You'll need to have two or three men in the college grounds, and I want your best men at that. The next time there's a party, or when it's non-resident Fellows' night at Menzies College, I'll bring up the subject of scouts. I'll make it pretty clear to him
that I know his background. I guarantee it'll drive him off his rocker, and that's how we'll get him.'

But they never did fix the murder of Professor Belville-Smith on to Mr Doncaster in a court of law. It was for the murder of Bill Bascomb that he was caught and sentenced later in the year.

Published by Scribner

Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 1977 by Robert Barnard

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electric or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictitious.

First published in the United States of America in 1977 by the Walker Publishing Company, Inc.

ISBN: 0-8027-5365-5

ISBN: 978-1-4767-3399-9 (eBook)