Colin Forbes - The Main chance

Paula was smiling inwardly. Tweed had banned the modern machines from his office for the same reason. After all, overseas agents' lives were constantly at risk. `If you'll let me go on,' Lavinia said with another smile, `our records of depositors' amounts are typed on index cards. We employ two bright girls from Gladworth to do the work. They come in several days a week by the back door and work in the east wing. So far I've kept Chief Inspector Hammer out from that part of the building.' `No point in invading that area,' Tweed agreed. 'I'll have a word with Hammer. Going back to your system, surely you are putting a lot of trust in these two girls from Gladworth, even risk, considering the data they must know?' `We don't rely on trust.' Lavinia smiled again. 'They work from material I hand them. Each depositor's name is coded, and the amount deposited is coded. I carry the book with those codes everywhere with me.' Her blue eyes seemed even larger as she stared at Tweed with a mischievous expression. 'I even keep that book inside my pillow when I go to bed. So only someone with me might extract it from the pillow when I've fallen asleep.'

The last place Tweed looked at now was where Paula had settled by his side. He tried to think of something to say but nothing would come. `And now,' Lavinia said, standing up, 'if that is all, then I think I ought to leave both of you in peace. No one else will come up. I wish you positive thoughts.'

After she had closed the door she opened it again quickly. `If either of you need some bedtime reading matter I'd go to the bigger library downstairs. It is crammed with novels, the latest and classics. This library was Bella's collection of a range of obscure and strange volumes.' `Thank you,' Tweed said. 'Oh, we have not seen a single newspaper since we arrived.' `Bella didn't like them. Snape takes a whole variety and keeps them in his cabin in The Forest. 'Bye for now.' `This coffee is just the right temperature and so welcome,' Paula said after pouring two cups when Lavinia had gone.

Tweed drank half a cup and then wandered over to the glass bookcases lining part of one wall. He could glance quickly along a shelf and absorb all the titles. He stopped, put on latex gloves, unlocked a door, reached for a large leather-bound volume pushed further in between other volumes. Taking the volume to the table he laid it down, gently lifted the front cover and the book opened to a page in the middle.

Paula stood up, joined Tweed at the table. He had closed the book, showed her the title on the well- rubbed spine. Spanish Inquisition: Methods of Torture, he translated. Then he let the book open by itself at two pages in the middle. He was wearing latex gloves. `Oh, my God!' Paula exclaimed.

The right-hand page carried a series of illustrations, each showing from different angles drawings of a spiked collar which was almost a replica of the spiked wire collar which they had seen round the neck of Bella and, later, round the neck of Mrs Carlyle. One drawing showed the back of the collar with wooden handles to draw the collar tight. There was some text in Spanish. `So now we know where the killer got his idea for the fiendish weapon.' `Which narrows his identity down to someone inside the manor.' `Wish I could read Spanish,' Paula mused. `The pictures are sufficiently self-explanatory.'

Tweed asked her to give him a large transparent evidence envelope. She produced one from a compartment in her briefcase. He slipped the book inside, she sealed it, tucked it into an empty compartment in her case. `Fingerprints?' she suggested. `Yes. Give it to Harry. He always carries the kit. Mind you, I don't expect to find any. This killer has already shown how thorough he is.' `What a weird book for Bella to have in her library,' Paula commented. `I expect she bought them in job lots to fill the bookcases. Part of her showmanship to impress millionaire clients. When Harry has checked it for fingerprints I want you to bring the book back up here and slip it into place. There's a gap and I found the book pushed back about an inch between the others. As you shrewdly said, it narrows the suspect to someone in the manor. I've had enough of being in here.'

They were walking down the imposing staircase when they met Lavinia coming up. Tweed paused. `Lavinia, am I right in assuming the only entrance to the manor and its grounds is the main entrance gate?'

Now it is.' She smiled, her arms full of files. 'But ages ago there was a small pedestrian entrance at the far end of the wall, beyond where it curves away from the road. It was bricked up Heaven knows how long ago. A small arched gateway. Was it quiet for you in the smaller library?' `Yes, we just rested and talked, which made a change.'

At the bottom of the staircase Marler appeared from nowhere. He looked up to make sure Lavinia had gone, then told them. `Couldn't help hearing what Lavinia said. I'm sure she thinks what she said is so.' He paused. 'But it isn't.' `What do you mean?' Tweed asked sharply. `I've prowled The Forest inside the wall until I almost know every tree. Eventually this morning I found the second way in, what she called the small arched gateway. Bricked up? I think you'd better come and see for yourselves. You are in for a shock.'

Marler led Tweed and Paula through the kitchen, ignoring Mrs Grandy's protests. She showed her feelings by raising the meat cleaver she was using and thudding it down deep into an empty section of the heavy work table. `She'll have trouble hauling that out again,' Marler commented. `Wait a minute,' Tweed whispered to Marler and Paula ahead of him.

He lingered just outside the back door. He saw the ease with which Mrs Grandy took hold of the handle and lifted out the cleaver. He had realized she was a strong woman but this display of exceptional strength made him frown. He nodded to his companions to keep walking.

It was a long trudge through The Forest before Marler held up a hand. They paused and Marler explained, 'I left Harry to keep an eye on this second entrance. He has his Walther and some grenades. Don't want to startle him.'

Cupping both hands round his mouth he called out: `Harry, there are three of us coming. I've bought Tweed and Paula.'

His clear voice echoed through The Forest. They crossed a small clearing and there was the wall, curving away from the road a distance back. Tweed stared at an opening with a craftsman-like arch above it. On the manor side, neatly piled against the inner wall, were piles of old intact bricks, the material which had sealed the opening. `Well,' Paula said grimly, 'that knocks on the head my theory the murderer had to come from inside the manor.'

She had hardly finished speaking when Harry shoved Tweed against her violently. They both managed to keep their balance but ended up clear of the arched entrance. A second or two later a bullet, aimed from outside the arch, passed where Tweed had been standing. Harry's reaction was instantaneous. He had a grenade, taken from the deep pocket of his windcheater, in his right hand, had the pin withdrawn so it was live. `All right mate,' he said quickly. 'Want to play games?'

He lobbed the grenade into the centre of a clump of bushes on the far side of the entrance. There was a flash, a muffled thump. The next sound was the revving up of an invisible motorcycle, then of it racing full throttle across the open land beyond the deep tangle of bushes. The sound died swiftly. `Missed him,' Harry said philosophically. 'Sorry for the shove but I heard movement in the bushes over there.' `It simply means Tweed is still the main target,' Marler said. `Calouste; Tweed remarked, 'must think in some degree I'm in his way for his next move.' `Or,' Paula suggested, 'his informant inside the manor thinks you're now getting too close.' `Whatever.' Tweed shrugged. 'Harry, did you see the two so-called necklaces found inside Crystal's wardrobe?' `Yes, I'd walked in, seen them clearly. Then old Hammerhead very rudely told me to get out. I did so but my elbow accidentally jabbed him in the ribs.' `So how would you carry one of them round the manor without risk of its being seen?' `Easy. Big briefcase. Both insides lined with thin metal and sheets of leather so no noise as you cart it about.' `Thank you. Paula, let's get back to the manor. I want to subject Warner Chance to intensive interrogation…'