An Unkindness of Ravens Read Online Free PDF

you have any thoughts on that one?’
    ‘He wouldn’t have had the opportunity. He never went near any books, so to speak. Do you want me to have our chief accountant up? I mean, as far as I can see, any fiddle he was up to would have to be an expenses fiddle and Ken Risby would be the man to tell you about that.’
    Gardner made a call on the internal phone. While they waited for Risby Wexford said, ‘There is nothing small, portable but of considerable value he could have stolen? No cheque coming into his hands he could have falsified? No forgery he could have perpetrated?’
    Gardner looked simply bewildered. ‘I don’t think so. I’m sure not. I mean, I should know by now. Good God, the man’s been gone over three weeks.’ He jumped up. ‘Here’s Ken now. He’ll tell us.’
    But Risby was not able to tell them much. He was a thin, fair man in his thirties, with a nervous manner, and he seemed as shocked by Wexford’s suggestion as Gardner had been. You’d think the pair of them lived in a world where fraud had never been heard of, Wexford thought impatiently, and every businessman was a sea-green incorruptible.
    ‘He was a mite heavy on his expenses sometimes but that’s all, that’s positively all. He never had the handling of the firm’s money. What makes you think he’s done something like that?’
    ‘You think about it. Look at it for yourself. For five years the man’s been lying to his wife about his position with this firm. What salary was he getting, by the way?’
    ‘Twenty-five thousand,’ said Gardner rather grudgingly.
    More than Wexford had expected, 5000 pounds more. ‘And lying about that too. You can bet on it she thinks he was getting less than half that. One day he tells her he’s going to Ipswich, a place he doubtless hasn’t set foot in for five years, and off he goes, dumps his company car in the street, and disappears. Apart from getting the lady he’s in cahoots with to phone here and say he’s ill and apart from writing his resignation he’s never heard from again. And you ask me why I think he’s been up to something? Tell me about the man. If he’s not a man who’d steal or forge, is there some other disgraceful thing he might have done?’
    They looked at him. Having no imagination, they didn’t know and couldn’t hazard guesses. Wexford had plenty of imagination and very little knowledge of marketing.
    ‘For instance, he couldn’t have been selling this paint of yours at prices over the odds and pocketing the difference? Something like that?’
    Gardner, who had looked as if he would never smile again, burst out laughing.
    ‘He never actually sold anything, Reg. It doesn’t work like that. He never handled money. He never handled money in any shape or form.’
    ‘You make him sound like royalty,’ said Wexford. ‘Anyway, will you, Mr Risby, have a good look at your books for me, please? Do a supplementary audit or whatever.’
    ‘Really not necessary, I assure you, not necessary at all. I’d go into court at this moment and swear there’s not a squeak of a discrepancy in my books.’
    ‘I hope you’ll never have to go into court on this matter, but don’t count on it.’ Risby’s eyes opened wide at that one. ‘And do as I ask and check the books, will you? And now,’ Wexford said to Gardner, ‘I’d like to see that letter of resignation Williams wrote to you.’
    Gardner called his secretary in to find it. Wexford noticed he called her Susan, and what was less expected, she called him Miles. The letter was typed and by someone not accustomed to frequent use of a typewriter.
     Dear Mr Gardner,
    This is to give you notice of my resignation from Sevensmith Harding from today. I am afraid it is rather sudden but is due to circumstances beyond my control. I shall not be returning to the office and would prefer you not to attempt to get in touch with me.
    Yours sincerely, Rodney J. Williams
    PS. I will contact the Accounts Dept. about my