The Ten Commandments Read Online Free PDF Page A

follow; I think I told you I'd decided to include one unsolved crime? Well, that was it. I hoped, by working out possible motives, to come up with a new angle.'
    'And did you?' she asked, refilling his coffee cup.
    'I haven't started on it yet; all I've done is gather in the facts. But the press are speculating that this latest murder might be connected with it. You see, in both cases, the victim – a man in his forties – was found in a pub car park, bashed over the head.'
    'Good gracious,' Edwina said mildly.
    Frederick pushed back his chair. 'Excuse me, dear, I must catch Paul before he leaves the house.'
    Paul Blake was a part-time librarian, part-time researcher, and part-time secretary to Frederick – which, as he sometimes remarked, meant that he frequently worked overtime.
    To Frederick's relief, he answered the phone immediately. 'Mr Mace! I was just about to ring you.'
    'About the pub murder?'
    'Yes, I see they're comparing it with the Feathers case.'
    'Which,' Frederick reminded him drily, 'you tried to dissuade me from looking into.'
    'I didn't want us attracting the murderer's attention. Come to that, I still don't.'
    'Well, despite your qualms, you came up with some useful details, but I haven't had time even to glance at them. Are you rushing out, or could you give me a quick run-through?'
    There was a smile in Blake's voice. 'As you know, sir. I'm pretty flexible.'
    'Excellent. Then perhaps you'd refresh my memory – after a month away, I've forgotten the details.'
    Blake did so, summarizing the known facts and the lack of official progress.
    Frederick grunted. 'Um. We didn't make contact with the widow, did we?'
    'No, she'd remarried and moved away.'
    'But as far as we know, her first marriage was a happy one?'
    'According to all reports, yes.'
    'I wonder, though. I might be quite wrong, but when I first saw his photograph, Philpott reminded me of someone I once knew – chap called Roger Denby, who was a real ladies' man. It was something about the mouth and those heavy-lidded eyes.'
    'Well, the police didn't unearth anything, and their inquiries were more detailed than mine.'
    'Ah, but they hadn't the advantage of knowing Denby,' Frederick said.
    Blake laughed. 'All right, sir, I'll make some more inquiries and see what I come up with. How did the tour go?'
    'Very well, as far as I could judge. I'll tell you about it when I see you. There are a few notes to type up, too. However, my first priority is to prepare for the television interview. It's being recorded on Thursday.'
    'Lord, yes – I'd forgotten. And going out on Friday, isn't it?'
    'That's right, on this new Arts programme. And as soon as that's over – next Tuesday, to be exact – the local library has asked me to give a talk as part of their Festival of Literature. Which, as you'll appreciate, doesn't leave much time for writing during the next week or so.'
    'Well, good luck anyway. Shall I come and collect the notes?'
    'There's no hurry; it'll do when you call in with your findings.'
    'If any,' Blake said.
    'I have the greatest faith in you, Paul.' Frederick put down the phone, the words still echoing in his head, and acknowledged to himself they were no more than the truth. Paul Blake had made himself invaluable in a remarkably short space of time, someone who could be depended on to do whatever was asked of him.
    He sat back, allowing his gaze to wander through the study window, and was reminded of Edwina's comment when, all those years ago, he had positioned his desk immediately in front of it.
    'You'll never get any work done if you sit there – it's far too distracting!'
    For Brighton Villa was right in the centre of Ashmartin, overlooking both the green and the frontage of St Giles's church. There was always something to watch from its windows, and, sitting at his desk, Frederick felt he had his finger on the pulse of the town.
    The villa itself was a protected building, a tall, narrow house, graciously