Authors: John Creasey

Tags: #Crime

The Blood Diamond (19 page)

BOOK: The Blood Diamond

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âTring would think so. A very slick piece of forged documentary evidence, my sweet, and I wouldn't have stood a chance if they'd been sent to the Yard, even if I'd been covered with glory over this affair. Mr. Harding was not a nice man.'

âHe must have been mad.'

âWas that madness? Well, perhaps, a form of obsession. He'd married a prominent member of the Adalgo family, who died years ago.'

Lorna said: âI'm glad he's dead.' She jumped up. âI'm going to make a bonfire of these.'

Mannering watched her as she stood at the domestic boiler in the kitchen, and flames roared up the chimney. She stirred the ashes with a poker, and let the front of the boiler fall with a crash.

âGoodbye to all that,' murmured Mannering. âMy sweet, I haven't told you lately that I think you're the most wonderful woman in the world. But when you hear a shot, you ought to run away from it, not towards it.'

âWhen you start running away, I'll join you. John, what will happen?'

âNext to nothing. A sensational story in the Press, some half-truths about the Adalgo family and a possible purge in Spain. Marjorie and Paul will probably be hanged, Lopez certainly will be. I shall offer the Adalgo to the exiled Spanish Government and have an idea they'll be glad to have it.'

âOr you could throw it away.'

Mannering laughed. âIt did cost a packet, you know. Penny for your thoughts.'

âAbout Josh. Will he be all right?'

âI expect Bristow to release him as soon as he gets back to the Yard. Forsythe heard quite a bit of the story, and Marjorie was beginning to crack before we left. She'll tell him everything before long â if only to save her neck from being stretched. She was quite the oddest piece in the puzzle, our not-so-naive Marjorie. The Hardings gave her an alibi, of course, for the night of Bray's murder. Not bad. On the whole, they did a good job.'

âGood!' cried Lorna.

Mannering said: âIn its way. As for Josh, we know why the Adalgo fascinated him, now. We also know why he was just the model for you â the tragedy, in an ordinary man, of being caught up in great affairs.'

âYou knew who he was, didn't you?' Lorna asked.

âI was late with it. But once I knew the Adalgo family was involved, and Larraby had come across them before, it hit me between the eyes. Hence the vain hunt for a picture of their Dukeships!'

It was midnight before they had a visitor; then it was Bristow. Mannering let him in, and he strode briskly across the drawing-room, smiled at Lorna, and said brightly:

âWell, John? How's the knee?'

âSo we're all pals again?'

âNow that I'm satisfied you weren't playing the fool, why not? I thought you'd strong royalist tendencies over this job. I couldn't imagine anything else which would make you play the fool with that diamond. Why did you?'

Mannering shrugged: âIt had all the makings of a nice little puzzle.'

âI think you had an idea what kind of puzzle. Well, forget it. We've everything tidied up. Marjorie Addel has made a full confession. Paul Harding is stubborn, but he'll talk before it's over. The only thing he's opened his mouth about is a dossier on a certain Mr. Mannering, which was supposed to be in his father's bedroom. Remarkable thing, it wasn't there when we searched.'

âProbably it never existed. Harding talked a lot of hot air.'

Bristow laughed. âYou'll do!'

âHow's Tring?'

âNot too bad,' said Bristow. âConscious and muttering dark threats against the Harding family. He's changed his target for venom. Tring's all right, his chief trouble is that he's an obsession against you in certain moods. He seems to think that you saved him from becoming a corpse this time, so he'll spend the rest of his days in the force looking for another obsession. We found a lot of stuff at the house about a royalist plot in Spain â and that's why I'm here.'

âOh?'

âIt's off the record,' Bristow said. âForsythe got some background stuff for a story, but that's about the end of it. I'm here to make it clear that you're requested not to make any statement affecting the Adalgo family, to the Press.'

âIf that's the only reason for coming, it was a waste of time. It's not in my mind to talk.'

âOh, a pleasant half hour with the Mannerings is always good for me,' said Bristow, genially. âThere's one other trifling thing. Marjorie has told us about Josh Larraby's early past and his half-brother. I've seen Josh.'

Lorna said sharply: âHave you released him?'

âOh, yes, he's loose somewhere. I think you backed the right horse, although if it hadn't been for Josh Larraby, I would have had less doubt about your motives. It was so obviously a phoney set-up that I couldn't believe you'd just taken pity on the chap.'

âThat's the difference between a human being and a policeman,' said Lorna tartly.

âAll right, all right, I asked for that. What did you know about him, John?'

âNot much â not anything like enough. I know a great deal, now. He'd rejected what Harding had the nerve to call his birthright but he couldn't keep away from the Adalgo. I often wondered why, I don't wonder now. He had his pride: I believe he would have served ten years rather than betray the family. What about the Duke who ran away? Any idea where he is?'

âNo, and I don't want to know. It's being handled at a higher level than Scotland Yard, now, and it can stay there. Hallo, visitors at this time of night?' Bristow looked round as the front door bell rang. âI must be off!'

Mannering let him out; and let Larraby in.

Lorna saw who it was from the drawing-room door, hurried across and took his hands â and then quite spontaneously, kissed him on the cheek.

The private view of the Royal Academy was crowded. Josh Larraby, neatly dressed and with his hair shorter and carefully brushed, wandered about the big rooms of the gallery, gradually drawing nearer to the large group which stood in front of his own portrait. He looked at it, over the heads of the crowd. He was still sad; and the Mannerings, watching him from the other side of the room, saw him peering at every woman who came in.

They saw his eyes light up.

A neatly dressed, middle-aged woman, with a girl in her teens whose likeness to Larraby couldn't be mistaken, saw the portrait as they came in. The girl said:

âMum, it
is
Dad's picture!'

The woman said gruffly: âI can see for myself, can't I?' She looked round, and saw Larraby.

Lorna held Mannering's hand so tightly that it hurt.

âWill sheâJohn, it's all right,
look!'

Mrs. Larraby went straight up to Josh, who held out his hands. They gripped, and looked at each other for a long time, while tears glistened in the girl's eyes. Then Josh said in a clear, carrying voice: âI still feel the same about you, Lil.'

The Mannerings didn't hear the woman's reply, but they saw the radiant smile which stole the sadness from Larraby's face.

Series Information

Published or to be published by

House of Stratus

Dates given are those of first publication

Alternative titles in brackets

'The Baron' (47 titles) (writing as Anthony Morton)

'Department 'Z'' (28 titles)

'Dr. Palfrey Novels' (34 titles)

'Gideon of Scotland Yard' (22 titles)

'Inspector West' (43 titles)

'Sexton Blake' (5 titles)

'The Toff' (59 titles)

along with:

The Masters of Bow Street
This epic novel embraces the story of the Bow Street Runners and the Marine Police, forerunners of the modern police force, who were founded by novelist Henry Fielding in 1748. They were the earliest detective force operating from the courts to enforce the decisions of magistrates. John Creasey's account also gives a fascinating insight into family life of the time and the struggle between crime and justice, and ends with the establishment of the Metropolitan Police after the passing of Peel's Act in 1829.

'The Baron' Series