The de Vere Deception (David Thorne Mysteries Book 1) (17 page)

            The voice on the other end was short and stern. “What’s the problem, Franco? Can’t you and Tomas do your job? You’re making me look bad. I can’t believe I’ve hired two incompetents that have allowed him to escape. If you don’t get him before he goes back to England, this will be your last job for me.”

The bellman gave Thorne a surprised look when he saw the clothing spread haphazardly on the bed. Thorne handed him a ten-pound note. “Just a little lover’s spat. Nothing serious. Can you show me a good way out? She may be waiting in the lobby or out the side door.”

            The bellman smiled knowingly. He grabbed the luggage. “Follow me.”

            Thorne followed the bellman down the back stairs to the ground floor, and went through a gift shop to a service corridor that led to a narrow alley. The bellman pointed to a large rear door. Thorne thanked him and went out, passing a young man unloading boxes from a truck. He asked the young man how to get to the street behind the hotel, but the young man just smiled, and with a shrug, said something in Dutch.

            Thorne looked up the alley in both directions. It was dark and here was no one in sight, and he walked quickly to the end of the alley and out onto the street. He remembered he had left his gun in the glove compartment of the rented car at the airport parking lot in London. He wished he had it with him now. He found another hotel, The Edgarton Arms, three blocks from Hotel Julien and settled in for the night.

The following morning Thorne had a late breakfast. He opened his laptop and searched for a cross reference for the address of the house he had written down the previous day. The name Leopold Darver came up. He Googled the name and found the phone number of Darver Investments and Consultants. A woman’s voice answered in cultured English when he called the office. “Good morning, Darver Investments.”

            “Mr. Darver, please.”

            “Mr. Darver is busy at the moment. May I tell him who’s calling?”

            “Please tell him it’s the Stratford associate.”

            Darver came on the line. “This is Darver. Who is this calling?”

            Thorne tried to affect a British accent. “You haven’t met me and I don’t think it’s necessary to exchange names. I know you were concerned about our inability to find the item when you were in Stratford last night.
I want to assure you
we’re still searching. In the meantime, the contact who accompanied you to the castle has advised me you might wish to handle other items suitable for the Antwerp market.”

            “Is this Mr. Hollister?”

            Thorne grimaced. Darver had just confirmed Freddie was involved. Thorne tried to maintain his composure. “No, he had to go out of town, but I am one of the partners.”

            Darver was blunt. “Your partners didn’t deliver the goods when I was there, and I feel we’ve done all the business we’re going to do there. I don’t have the time, nor inclination, as I’ve already spent two days on travel and mere conversation. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all it was—conversation. Any future business with your partners—or you—if there’s any business to be done—will be here in Antwerp. Is that clear?”

            “I fully understand, and my partners want to apologize for your inconvenience. That said, we do have other items we can present to you.”

            Thorne didn’t know if Franco and Thomas were connected to Darver, or if Darver may have also been alerted to Thorne’s trip to Antwerp by the other two men from the castle. Thorne added, “I’m still in London, but could catch a shuttle and fly over and see you this afternoon, if you have the time.”

            Darver paused before answering. “I don’t do this type of business in the office. Meet me at the International Restaurant on Hoveniersstraat, across from the Thierstandt Showroom in the diamond district at three o’clock and bring the items. Ask for Mr. Roosten. I have a private area in the restaurant where I can look at the goods.”

            Hoping Darver might reveal the names of the men with him in the castle two nights ago, Thorne asked, “Shall I bring my partners, those you met at the castle?”

            “I’m only interested in seeing the items,” Darver said. “I’ll do business with the person who brings the items. You can tell your partners whatever you want.”

            He paused again before asking, ”Are you familiar with an American in Stratford who may be in Antwerp? We received word he might be coming this way.”

            His guess was right about Darver being alerted about his presence in Antwerp. “No,” Thorne said casually. “There was an architect around. I do think he might be a Yank. I think he’s working on the castle with Mr. Bada. I saw him in the castle a few minutes ago. Why?”

            “No reason,” Darver said. “Just curious. I’ll see you there at three o’clock.”

            Thorne sat in the hotel room looking out the window, thinking of his next move. The ruse to get the names of the other men with Darver and Hollister in the castle hadn’t worked.

            This was the reason he had followed Darver to Antwerp in the first place. He had nothing to give Darver, and realized he’d have to try one last ploy to get the names before returning to London. He called back and got Darver on the phone.

            “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Darver, but a family problem has come up and I won’t be able to come to Antwerp this afternoon. Perhaps if you could tell me the name of one of the other partner you’d like to see, I could send him—”

            Darver said sarcastically. “They probably won’t show either. Look, I don’t know who you people are and I’m no longer interested. All of you seem a little flaky to me.” The line went silent.

            Thorne assumed this was confirmation Darver didn’t know the name of any of the participants except Freddie. He dialed the transportation service and asked the driver to bring the car around for the trip to the airport.

Chapter 36

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Friday, December 17

3:30 PM

Thorne returned to Stratford after the afternoon flight from Antwerp, and stopped by a Chemist’s shop to pick up strong pain pills for the pain in his side. When he arrived at the manor house, he walked straight down the hall to his room without speaking to anyone. As he passed the parlor, he saw Gweneth and Neville Forestal sitting alone by the fire in deep conservation. Their heads were close together, and they were holding hands. Forestal looked up as Thorne passed and smiled.

            Thorne continued down the hall to his room and wondered if the forceful Forestal would be the right person for Gweneth. He was not sure about the man—and about his disapproval of a bookstore and research center in the castle. There would obviously be conflict within the Bada family once he and Gweneth were married. Forestal had played with Freddie, Gilbert and Gweneth when they were children. Other than that, there was little information about his relationship with the Bada family.

            In spite of his concern for Gweneth, he was preoccupied with bigger problems. He had to make a decision about what to do with the necklace. The harassment by Roberts and Kelly concerned him. He knew he had to be prepared for another meeting with the two.

            Once inside his room, he dropped his carry-on bag on the floor next to the bed and turned on the lights. He chuckled as he assessed the bumps and cuts on his head from the blows he had received in recent weeks. He was still sore from the blows to his kidney and ribs he had received from Franco and Tomas. He resolved there would be no more and from here on out, the shoulder holster would be a permanent fixture. He undressed and took a hot shower before laying on the bed and drifting off to sleep.

A light knock on the door woke him. A woman’s soft voice said, “Dinner will be served in an hour, Mr. Thorne.” Thorne thanked her and said he wouldn’t be there for dinner that evening.

            He switched on the bedside lamp and his eyes went to the Milton volumes on the top shelf. He could not decide what should be done about the necklace. Bada and the others had mentioned nothing about it in all their conversations about the search for the documents. He was also concerned about Freddie’s duplicity? He lay back down on the bed. turned off the lamp. and contemplated what he should do before going back to sleep.

Thorne had taken the pain pills, but still slept fitfully and was not rested the following morning because of the pain. He was the first to arrive in the castle’s construction office, and sat trying to concentrate as he pored over the plans for the addition to the castle.

            As he sat at his desk in the Great Hall, staring at the fire flickering in the large fireplace, he was preoccupied with conflicting thoughts about Freddie.

            Neville Forestal came bounding in, all energy and goodwill. “Hello, Mr. Thorne. Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

            Thorne gave him a wan smile. “Good morning, Mr. Forestal.”

            Raskin came next, followed by Blackstone, Kirk-Halstrom, and the Clerk of Works.

            Raskin took Thorne aside and said gravely, “Freddie’s at hospital. He had an accident yesterday in the queen’s Keep. Evidently, a pallet fell from the upper floor while he was working at the large table on the ground floor of the Keep. He has internal injuries, and the doctors don’t expect him to live.”

            Thorne and Raskin left the others and went down the hall to Thorne’s small office. Raskin looked back up the hall to see if they were alone. He closed the door behind him. “An inspector from the police has been questioning anyone who may know anything about the incident. He’ll be out here today and will want to talk to you.” He paused before continuing. “Where were you the past two days?”

            “I went down to London the day before yesterday and shopped for jewelry for a friend back in the states. Didn’t Gil tell you?” Not knowing whom to trust, he omitted revealing his trip to Antwerp. “I came back yesterday afternoon.”

            Raskin frowned as he left the office. “I don’t know what’s going on with this inspector. Just be prepared for questions from him.”

            Thorne closed the door and went to his desk. He was glad he had used his real name on the flight and at the hotels in Antwerp. He began to search the Internet for the names of jewelry stores in London and Antwerp, just in case he was asked where he had shopped.

Just before noon, there was a light knock on the door. He opened it to find a compact man in a well-worn, all-weather Burberry and a felt hat. The man showed him a badge and said, “Mr. Thorne is it? I’m Inspector Colin Hammersmith. May I come in and speak with you?”

            His well-worn trench coat and gray felt hat, identified Inspector Hammersmith as a typical public servant. His blank face had a protruding chin with yesterday’s stubble, and quiet eyes that surveyed the office from under the brim of his hat. He was of average height, but powerfully built, and his demeanor was one of quiet confidence without emotion.

            Thorne looked into the deceptively quiet eyes and knew this reserved, unobtrusive man was anything but a blank face. He was dead serious and would leave few stones unturned. Thorne waved him to a chair in front of the small desk.

            Hammersmith removed his hat and coat and looked around the office. “Small rooms these,” he said. “Not a great deal of room to work in.”

            Thorne smiled, trying to appear relaxed. “I find it sufficient. What can I do for you Inspector?”

            “Just a few questions if I may, Sir. You weren’t around when I came by yesterday.”

            Thorne shrugged before repeating as much as possible the same thing he’d told Raskin. “I went on holiday down to London for a couple of days. I was shopping for jewelry for a friend.”

            Knowing his whereabouts the past two days could be checked, and he casually added the information about the trip to Antwerp.

            He mentioned Harrods and said, “One of the clerks I spoke to suggested I could find great bargains in diamonds across the channel in Antwerp. I had never been there, so I took a quick flight over.“

            “How long were you in Antwerp?”

            “Just overnight. I came back yesterday afternoon.”

            “I suppose you’ve been told Mr. Frederick Hollister was critically injured yesterday?”

            “Yes, Mr. Raskin told me when he came in this morning.”

            Hammersmith quickly switched back to his questions. “Where did you stay when you were in Antwerp?”

            Knowing the Inspector could track his every move, Thorne told him about checking into the Hotel Julien and how he thought he might have been followed by muggers. He told Hammersmith about feeling uncomfortable in the Hotel Julien and changing to lodgings at The Edgarton Arms, where he spent the night. He told of catching an afternoon flight back to London and returning to Stratford after having an early dinner in London. Hammersmith took notes as Thorne spoke, nodding all the while in agreement with his story.

            “What airline—that is, what flight did you return on.”

            “I returned on British Airways. I’m not sure of the flight number, but we arrived in London shortly after one o’clock.”

            Hammersmith looked at his watch. “I have business to attend to. Could I see you again this afternoon, after lunch perhaps?”

            “Of course. I’ll have lunch here and make myself available. Do you have a specific time you’d like to talk to me?”

            “I’ll try to call the office here and let you know.”

Chapter 37

After Inspector Hammersmith left, Thorne went in search of Raskin. He found him in the Great Hall deep in conversation with Kirk-Halstrom and Blackstone while the others discussed inspection reports on the demolition of portions of the stone wall. Forestal was explaining the town’s requirements for record keeping procedures to the Clerk of Works as Thorne entered. Forestal nodded recognition as he and the Clerk went outside to get reports from the demolition contractor.