Eden Read Online Free PDF Page B

one sticking up for me.’
    â€˜I’ll speak to my friend about it. The editor might be happy to print your side of the story.’
    â€˜Would he show the article to me before it was published?’
    â€˜She. I believe she would. I’ll ask her. Could the photo have been taken on the day Carmichael died?’
    â€˜Not from here,’ Margot said emphatically. ‘I’d never do that to a client. Never. Just because I run a club, people assume that I’ve got no moral standards.’
    â€˜Would you mind telling me what happened that afternoon?’
    After giving me another long look, this time accompanied by a wary frown, Margot explained that soon after Denise had gone into the room with Carmichael, there’d been a phone call from the holiday camp where Denise’s daughter was staying. The girl, whom Margot referred to as Rebecca, had sprained her wrist. She was upset, and Denise had left Carmichael to speak to her.
    â€˜Did he always see Denise?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜How long was he on his own?’
    â€˜About ten minutes.’
    â€˜Did he already have his dress on?’
    â€˜Yes, he did.’
    â€˜Did Denise shut the door?’
    â€˜It was slightly open.’
    â€˜Did you hear any noise?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Where were you?’
    â€˜Here at my desk.’
    â€˜Where did Denise go to talk on the phone?’
    â€˜The room next door.’
    â€˜Did anyone come to the front door? Did the phone ring?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜What were you doing during that time?’
    Margot flushed and looked embarrassed, as if this small detail was the odd one. ‘I was doing the crossword in the newspaper.’
    â€˜Who else was here?’
    â€˜That’s it.’
    â€˜Just you and Denise?’
    â€˜And Ed, of course.’
    â€˜Wasn’t it unusual to have just one girl on?’
    â€˜January’s our quietest time.’
    â€˜What time was it?’
    â€˜When Ed arrived? Around four-thirty. A bit after.’
    â€˜Had he made an appointment?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Was that usual?’
    â€˜Sometimes he made appointments, sometimes he just turned up.’
    â€˜Did he always wear the dress?’
    â€˜It was his dress. He brought it with him.’
    â€˜Why didn’t he leave it here?’
    â€˜He liked to wash it himself.’
    â€˜And the wig?’
    â€˜That stayed here. It’s mine. I mean, it’s the club’s property.’
    â€˜Other clients used it?’
    â€˜From time to time.’
    â€˜But Carmichael always did?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Where’s it kept?’
    â€˜In its box. It’s a valuable wig. Real hair.’
    â€˜Where is it now?’
    â€˜The police still have it. And the dress.’
    â€˜What happened when Denise went back to Carmichael?’
    â€˜She called out. Screamed. I ran in. Ed was lying on the bed. We tried to revive him, but we couldn’t. I phoned the ambulance.’
    â€˜Had he seemed upset?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Had he been drinking?’
    Margot paused, then said, ‘About as much as usual.’
    â€˜Apart from his heart, did you know of any other health problems?’
    Margot shook her head.
    â€˜How long had he been a client?’
    â€˜For about three years.’
    â€˜Did he visit other clubs as well?’
    â€˜No.’
    I wondered how she could be so sure.
    â€˜What about Ken Dollimore? Has he ever been a customer?’
    â€˜I know my local politicians. Clients use false names, but they don’t often go to the trouble of disguising themselves.’
    â€˜Perhaps not as a client?’
    â€˜I have never met Ken Dollimore.’
    â€˜But you knew he was Eden Carmichael’s close friend.’
    Margot studied me before replying. ‘You’re mistaken,’ she said finally, ‘if you think a client would discuss politics with any of the girls here.’
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