The Man Who Couldn't Lose Read Online Free PDF

person.…’
    â€˜Was there anybody in particular?’
    â€˜He didn’t tell me everything. I don’t know. There might have been people from the old days.’
    â€˜What old days?’
    She shook her head. She looked as if she wished she hadn’t said that. Now she didn’t know what to say.
    Angel waited.
    She would have to say something. The eyelashes flickered again.
    â€˜Before I knew him,’ she said. ‘Horace would know all about that.’
    â€˜I’m asking you, Mrs Gumme.’
    â€˜I don’t know much about his past. I’ve known him ten years. He was fifty when I met him. Horace has known him thirty or forty years.’
    Angel wasn’t happy.
    â€˜Mrs Gumme, do you know of anybody who might have murdered your husband?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜You said he had been quiet last night.’
    â€˜Over dinner. He was. Yes. But I have no idea what was on his mind.’
    Angel rubbed his chin.
    â€˜Who would benefit most financially from his death?’
    The heavy eyelids flicked open. Her eyes flashed. Her mouth tightened.
    â€˜I would, I suppose.’
    Angel rubbed his chin.
    â€˜Did your husband have any family?’
    â€˜A son, Edmund. Lives in York somewhere. Met him once.’
    â€˜Only once?’
    â€˜The lad took himself away when Joshua’s first wife Myra died. Cut Joshua up quite a bit, he used to say, but he got over it. Joshua’s not spoken to him … they’ve not spoken to each other in years, as far as I know.’
    Angel thought it was sad.
    â€˜Do you have a phone number or an address?’
    She shook her head. Then she raised her eyelashes and said, ‘Tell you who will know. Carl Messenger. That’s Joshua’s solicitor.’
    Angel nodded. Then he nodded again. Slightly more energetically. He had heard of Messenger. He was thinking how appropriate it was for a slightly dodgy businessman to have a slightly dodgy solicitor.
    â€˜One last question for now, Mrs Gumme.’
    She looked up. She looked pleased and licked her dry lips.
    â€˜Yeah. Sure.’
    â€˜Did your husband own a gun?’
    She hesitated.
    â€˜Yes. I believe he did.’
    Angel thought this a strange reply.
    â€˜Either he did or he didn’t,’ he said evenly.
    â€˜Yes, he did, Inspector.’
    â€˜What make was it?’
    â€˜It was a Walther PPK/S .32 automatic. German.’
    â€˜Where does he keep it?’
    â€˜In his desk drawer. He used to carry it … sometimes.’
    â€˜Did he have a licence for it?’ He knew he wouldn’t have.
    â€˜I dunno.’
    â€˜What did he want it for?’
    â€˜What does anybody carry a gun for? He was a rich man … stuck in a chair. He was always careful. Didn’t want to be at a disadvantage.’
    â€˜Was he carrying it last night?’
    He noticed her hands were trembling.
    â€˜Must have been. When he didn’t come home that was one of the first places I looked. I knew if the Walther wasn’t there, he’d have been expecting trouble and he would have taken it with him. And that’s when I really began to be frightened.’

THREE
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    It was 8.28 a.m. when Angel arrived at his office. He was taking off his coat when Ahmed peered through the open door.
    â€˜Good morning, sir.’
    â€˜Come in if you’re coming,’ Angel said impatiently. There was a lot to do. He had a murderer to catch.
    Ahmed was carrying a newspaper.
    â€˜Have you seen this, sir?’ he said as he closed the door. ‘It’s about this Joshua Gumme murder.’
    He pushed the newspaper in front of him.
    Angel picked it up. It was the South Yorkshire Daily Times .
    Ahmed pointed to the bottom of the front page.
    There was a photograph of Gumme in his wheelchair, smiling benignly. Under the photograph it read:
    MAN WHO COULDN’T LOSE MURDERED!
GUMME THE GAMBLER DEAD
    The brutally assaulted body of Joshua Gumme, 60, was