Blood Line Read Online Free PDF

key in the front door. Dealing with this chorus of lamentations at amazing speed, he removed Faro into the surgery and closed the door very sweetly but firmly on the hand-wringing female members of his family.
    To Vince's enquiry, 'How did this happen?' Faro replied, 'On Castle Rock. Stepped back too smartly. Didn't realise I was so far off the ground.' So disgusted was he by the morning's farcical events, and in general with the whole business, that he grumpily resolved to keep his suspicions of an assassin to himself.
    Truth to tell, he couldn't bear one more mocking, disbelieving glance. Especially from Vince, who merely nodded, removing the boot from his stepfather's bruised and rapidly swelling ankle as gently as possible. 'Well, was it worth it? Did you find any clues?'
    Mollified, from his pocket Faro brought forth the clay pipe and the handkerchief with its coins.
    'That doesn't tell us very much, Stepfather. Hardly worth an injured ankle.'
    'But I also found this.' And savouring his triumph, Faro handed him the Queen Mary cameo.
    Vince turned it over. 'Looks very old. Are those real rubies and diamonds, do you think?'
    'I do. Realise what this means, lad?'
    'You think the dead man dropped it. And that he'd stolen it from the royal apartments?'
    'I was about to check that with Sir Eric when this damned thing happened.' And watching Vince minutely examine the jewel, he continued, 'Tell me, do you recognise it?'
    Vince shook his head. 'No. Should I?'
    'Think hard, lad. You're sure you've never seen one like this before?'
    'Quite sure, Stepfather. Why do you ask?'
    'Because when I found it I thought that I had. That sometime I'd held a jewel exactly like this in my hands.'
    Vince shook his head. 'Then it must have been long before we met.' Producing bandages from the cupboard, he said. 'By the way, I went to Kennington & Jenner's. At the crack of nine, I presented myself to Mr Banks. He was very disappointed when he learned that I wasn't wanting a tropical outfit...'
    'The jacket - what did he say?' Faro interrupted impatiently, biting his lip at the pain as Vince gently manipulated his ankle.
    'Some little success, Stepfather. The admirable Mr Banks checked the reference number in his little book and found that it was made specially for a very good customer, Sir James Piperlee - his place is near Glencorse.'
    'Well done, lad. When do we go? Ouch!'
    'Sorry, Stepfather, I'm being as gentle as I can.'
    'Broken, is it?'
    Vince laughed. 'Of course not. Bad sprain, that's all. You'll be right as rain in a couple of weeks. But you're to keep off it until then. Rest's the only cure.'
    'Rest? And what about Sir James Piperlee?'
    'Oh, I dare say he'll still be around.'
    'We're wasting valuable time, lad.'
    Vince went on with his bandaging. 'Nature has laid down through the ages her own rules regarding healing flesh - and that includes broken bones and sprained ankles. She has her own timetable for everything. There are no exceptions and she can't be hurried. So, like other mortals, Stepfather, you must learn to bear it all patiently as possible...'
    'Look, you've said it was just a sprain,' Faro interrupted irritably. 'A sprain's nothing serious, but this is bloody painful. Are you sure you've got it right?'
    Vince sat back on his heels and regarded his stepfather candidly. A moment later he went again to the cupboard and returned with the brandy bottle.
    'Just exactly what I need,' said Faro with a sigh.
    'Yes, and in this instance purely medicinal, so don't enjoy it too much. You're fairly shaken, aren't you?' And as Faro handed him back the empty glass, 'I suspect that you're not telling me everything. You're not usually careless, or prone to step off rocks without first looking right and left very cautiously. So how about telling me exactly what happened, and how you came by this? The truth now - did you fall - or were you pushed?'
    'A rock was hurled down at me. I stepped aside - and fell. Someone tried to kill me,