company.'
During the five-minute wait Tweed had wrestled with the problem of whether to break the news about Harvey Boyd's death. It seemed quite the worst time but the police would be in touch with him anyway — and probably soon.
`Thank you,' he said, tucking the envelope inside the sports jacket underneath his trench coat. 'There is one more thing I ought to tell you before we go. And it's very bad news.'
Andover opened his mouth to say something, then clamped it shut without saying anything. Paula could have sworn his lips had formed the name Irene. Andover stiffened himself, nodded to Tweed.
`Well? Spit it out.'
`It concerns Harvey Boyd, who, I gather, is a distant relative of yours?'
Paula felt sure this time that a mixture of emotions had flashed across Andover's face. Relief. Then regret that he had felt that sensation. He nodded again, waited.
`Harvey Boyd is dead,' Tweed told him. He explained what had happened in as few words as possible. Watching their host, Paula saw an odd pensive expression. `... so soon,' Tweed concluded, 'the police will arrive to inform you.'
`Not here! I won't have a lot of flat-footed policemen trampling over all the place, invading my privacy.'
Andover's tone was brusque, almost rude. Staring at his visitors, he frowned.
`Tell you what,' he went on rapidly. 'The Rover is in that garage...' He indicated two closed wooden doors let into the side of the house. 'I'll drive over to Colonel Stanstead. He's the Chief Constable and we know each other.'
`You could do that,' Tweed agreed.
`I'll call him on the way, tell him I'm coming. Yes, that's the answer.' He paused. 'Harvey was a good chap. Just came out of the SAS a few months ago. People say the younger generation has gone soft. Don't know what they're talking about.'
`We'd better go,' Tweed decided. 'Very sorry to be the bearer of such sad tidings.'
`Sooner hear it from you than anyone else.' He reached out, took Tweed by the arm, guided him towards the house out of earshot of Paula. 'So they've got Harvey too.
`Who are "they"?' Tweed asked quickly.
`Time for you to get round to the Brigadier's. If he's not in try Willie Fanshawe. He lives just beyond the Brig.'s place, Leopard's Leap . Willie's house is The Last Haven . Another old China hand.' He paused again, glanced to where Paula was getting into the car. He's trying to make up his mind about something, Tweed thought. Andover whispered the words.
`No ransom at all has been demanded...'
He turned away before Tweed could speak, walked swiftly back to the house. His head drooped, his shoulders were quivering. Tweed heard the slam of the front door closing and then he climbed in behind the wheel. Paula was waiting in the front passenger seat.
Did you see that?' she asked. The poor devil was crying on his way back to the house. A strong man like that. He must be going through hell. Shouldn't we inform the police?'
`Not yet. It's obvious Irene is the victim of some hideous kidnap plot. Andover's last words to me were "No ransom at all has been demanded." I find that sinister. Plus the macabre business of her amputated arm being sent to him.'
He started the engine, anxious to get clear before Andover emerged to drive to see Colonel Stanstead. At the exit, he paused. To his right Newman appeared on the far side, waved to show his location, where he had hidden his Merc. Tweed drove right, turned off the road down what was little more than a wide path. Newman's car was parked out of sight from the road behind a copse of evergreens. He climbed into the back of the Escort as Tweed switched off the engine.
`This file isn't safe,' Tweed commented.
He extracted it from under his sports jacket. Paula said she'd keep it in her executive case. Tweed handed it to her and she slipped the envelope inside, locked the slim case.
`Don't let that out of your hands,' Tweed warned. `As if I would,' she chided him.
`And, Bob,' Tweed continued, 'we expect Andover to drive away soon to
During the five-minute wait Tweed had wrestled with the problem of whether to break the news about Harvey Boyd's death. It seemed quite the worst time but the police would be in touch with him anyway — and probably soon.
`Thank you,' he said, tucking the envelope inside the sports jacket underneath his trench coat. 'There is one more thing I ought to tell you before we go. And it's very bad news.'
Andover opened his mouth to say something, then clamped it shut without saying anything. Paula could have sworn his lips had formed the name Irene. Andover stiffened himself, nodded to Tweed.
`Well? Spit it out.'
`It concerns Harvey Boyd, who, I gather, is a distant relative of yours?'
Paula felt sure this time that a mixture of emotions had flashed across Andover's face. Relief. Then regret that he had felt that sensation. He nodded again, waited.
`Harvey Boyd is dead,' Tweed told him. He explained what had happened in as few words as possible. Watching their host, Paula saw an odd pensive expression. `... so soon,' Tweed concluded, 'the police will arrive to inform you.'
`Not here! I won't have a lot of flat-footed policemen trampling over all the place, invading my privacy.'
Andover's tone was brusque, almost rude. Staring at his visitors, he frowned.
`Tell you what,' he went on rapidly. 'The Rover is in that garage...' He indicated two closed wooden doors let into the side of the house. 'I'll drive over to Colonel Stanstead. He's the Chief Constable and we know each other.'
`You could do that,' Tweed agreed.
`I'll call him on the way, tell him I'm coming. Yes, that's the answer.' He paused. 'Harvey was a good chap. Just came out of the SAS a few months ago. People say the younger generation has gone soft. Don't know what they're talking about.'
`We'd better go,' Tweed decided. 'Very sorry to be the bearer of such sad tidings.'
`Sooner hear it from you than anyone else.' He reached out, took Tweed by the arm, guided him towards the house out of earshot of Paula. 'So they've got Harvey too.
`Who are "they"?' Tweed asked quickly.
`Time for you to get round to the Brigadier's. If he's not in try Willie Fanshawe. He lives just beyond the Brig.'s place, Leopard's Leap . Willie's house is The Last Haven . Another old China hand.' He paused again, glanced to where Paula was getting into the car. He's trying to make up his mind about something, Tweed thought. Andover whispered the words.
`No ransom at all has been demanded...'
He turned away before Tweed could speak, walked swiftly back to the house. His head drooped, his shoulders were quivering. Tweed heard the slam of the front door closing and then he climbed in behind the wheel. Paula was waiting in the front passenger seat.
Did you see that?' she asked. The poor devil was crying on his way back to the house. A strong man like that. He must be going through hell. Shouldn't we inform the police?'
`Not yet. It's obvious Irene is the victim of some hideous kidnap plot. Andover's last words to me were "No ransom at all has been demanded." I find that sinister. Plus the macabre business of her amputated arm being sent to him.'
He started the engine, anxious to get clear before Andover emerged to drive to see Colonel Stanstead. At the exit, he paused. To his right Newman appeared on the far side, waved to show his location, where he had hidden his Merc. Tweed drove right, turned off the road down what was little more than a wide path. Newman's car was parked out of sight from the road behind a copse of evergreens. He climbed into the back of the Escort as Tweed switched off the engine.
`This file isn't safe,' Tweed commented.
He extracted it from under his sports jacket. Paula said she'd keep it in her executive case. Tweed handed it to her and she slipped the envelope inside, locked the slim case.
`Don't let that out of your hands,' Tweed warned. `As if I would,' she chided him.
`And, Bob,' Tweed continued, 'we expect Andover to drive away soon to
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