Beau Death

27

When Georgina had boasted about hobnobbing with her titled friends in Charlcombe she’d said the house was ultra-modern. Did ultra-modern houses have lodges? The substantial brick building just inside the gate, with mullioned windows, a crop of moss on the gabled roof and two ornate chimneys, couldn’t by any stretch of the imagination be called modern, let alone ultra-modern. The likely explanation was that Sir Edward Paris had bought the estate and left the original lodge untouched when he demolished the main house to build his own modern mansion.

Diamond sat in the passenger seat of Halliwell’s Ford Fiesta parked on the turf just off the drive. He’d phoned Ed Paris to say they’d arrived and were ready to speak to Jim Spearman. They’d watched two expensive cars come through the main entrance and disappear in the direction of the main house.

‘Partygoers, I suppose,’ he said, wanting to ease the tension that gripped him.

‘All right for some,’ Halliwell said.

‘You’re not jealous, are you? Knowing you, Keith, if you had an invitation you wouldn’t go.’

‘That’s beside the point, guv. If I was one of the idle rich, I’d find better ways of filling my time.’

‘It’s not all fun and games. If you’re a high-flyer, you go to parties and make sure you meet the right people. Georgina does it sometimes. She sees networking as an important part of her job.’

‘Nice work if you can get it.’

‘Networking, I said.’

‘Playtime.’

‘Networking,’ Diamond said for the third time. He was still on edge. His head turned as another car drove past. ‘I wonder if Georgina’s invited. She claims to be friends with Lady Sally.’

‘Do they know she’s a senior police officer?’

‘It must have been discussed.’

‘Sir Edward said he didn’t want police at his party.’

‘They might make an exception for assistant chief constables. Here’s someone arriving by taxi. I doubt if it’s her.’

They both looked at the back window of the London-style black cab, in case. Definitely not Georgina. They had a glimpse of fluffy blond hair.

‘Crumpet,’ Halliwell said.

‘Not so. That was a bloke and I know him,’ Diamond said — and his usual unflappable front fell down like a fence in a hurricane. ‘Newburn, the drug-dealer. What’s he doing here?’

‘Is he one of the Beau Nash lot?’

‘No, no. I can’t believe that.’

‘Must be there to pep up the party, then.’

The joke fell flat. ‘He’s a bloody menace. Should be locked up. I took a gun off him.’

Another vehicle was approaching.

‘What the hell...?’ Diamond swung round in his seat. ‘That was Paloma’s car, the Aston Martin. I’m sure of it. Did you see who was in it?’

The sleek yellow sports car had already zoomed past and up the drive.

‘Two women, I thought,’ Halliwell said, ‘one of them black.’

‘That’ll be Estella. Was Paloma at the wheel?’

‘It did look rather like her.’

‘What the fuck is she up to?’

‘Estella’s got to be at the party, guv. She’s the star guest. I expect she was told to bring a friend.’

Diamond’s hand went to his throat. ‘She didn’t tell me. I’m not happy with this, not happy at all. In fact I’m bloody alarmed. There are dangerous people here. Why in Christ didn’t she say?’

‘I don’t suppose she thought anything of it, a summer party with the Beau Nash set. There’s nothing we can do about it, is there?’

The answer was obvious in what Diamond said next. ‘Get Ingeborg on your phone. I want her here fast. And Leaman and Gilbert. Tell them to park off the road nearby and await further instructions. We also need back-up. Same instruction. Do it now.’

Halliwell did as instructed. A full-scale emergency was easier for him to handle than a playful dialogue about partying. He’d worked too long with the boss to doubt that he was dead serious now. And he knew better than to bombard him with questions. After a terse conversation with someone at Concorde House he said, ‘They’re on the way.’

‘And so is Spearman, blast him.’

The chauffeur was strolling along the drive towards them, confident, unhurried, staring ahead, deep-set eyes and high cheekbones accentuated by the midday sun. He was in a black waistcoat over a pale striped shirt that made Diamond the film buff think of the sinister gunslinger Wilson, played by Jack Palance in Shane.

Halliwell’s thoughts must have run along similar lines because he asked, ‘Will he be armed?’

Anyone who had seen the film would be unlikely to forget Palance making a performance of fitting a black glove to his shooting hand prior to drawing his gun and killing a man, one of the most spine-chilling sequences in all westerns.

‘Could be.’

‘Want me to frisk him?’

‘No. Keep it civilised, but be alert.’

They got out of the car and stood waiting. Spearman’s step didn’t quicken.

To fill the silence, Halliwell started talking. ‘He’s been around from the start. Remember sending me over to speak to him at Twerton the day the skeleton was lifted out of the loft?’

‘I do.’

‘And we had it confirmed that he worked for Lord Deganwy.’

‘Yes.’

‘He must have sussed what was going on, Sidney Harrod conning the old man and stealing his property. It would make anyone see red.’

‘You don’t need to go over this,’ Diamond muttered.

Nothing was said by Spearman until he stopped almost toe to toe with Diamond and said, ‘You wanted to see me.’

‘Can we go indoors?’

‘My house?’

‘That’s the plan.’

‘My wife and son are in there.’

‘It’ll be less public than here, with people driving past.’

Spearman appeared to decide this wasn’t where he would make his stand. Without another word he led them towards the red front door of the lodge and took out a key.

A blond boy of about five was in the hallway. Superman sweatshirt and joggers. He turned and shouted, ‘Dad’s home,’ and ran out of sight. They heard him speak to someone in another room, the shrill voice no longer understandable.

Spearman pushed open a door, stood back and tilted his head. ‘You can go in.’ From the way he spoke, it was clear he wouldn’t be joining them yet. Presumably he felt he should say something to his wife.

The way the interior was furnished didn’t tell them much. Two fabric-covered armchairs and a sofa. A foxhunting print over a stone fireplace. A few nondescript vases. No dust, but the place still had an unused look, suggesting the Spearmans observed the outmoded British tradition that front rooms are kept for formal occasions.

Uneasy seconds passed.

Diamond looked at his watch. His thoughts were divided. He was mystified and deeply worried about Paloma being at the party.

Halliwell became suspicious that they’d been duped. ‘He hasn’t done a bunk, has he?’

‘Unlikely,’ Diamond said. ‘He needn’t have come to meet us.’

There was a movement at the door. It wasn’t Spearman. The child walked in, hands in pockets, and his wide blue eyes assessed them.

This might be an opportunity. Diamond said, ‘Hi, Superman.’

‘Hi.’

‘What’s your real name?’

After hesitation: ‘Rufus.’

‘Good name. I like it.’

‘My dad says you’re policemen.’

‘We are.’

‘You’re not dressed like policemen.’

‘We’re plainclothes policemen.’

‘Like on the telly?’

‘Just like that.’

‘Why have you come to our house?’

‘To see your dad.’

‘Did he kill someone?’

Straight to it. Small kids don’t mince their words.

Diamond couldn’t allow himself to be so direct. ‘I haven’t heard that he did. What makes you say that?’

‘It’s what policemen do, catch people who do killing.’

‘You think so?’

‘Seen it on the telly.’

‘You don’t want to believe everything you see on the telly, Rufus. It’s mostly stories, made-up stuff.’

‘I saw a dead man. He wasn’t a story. He was real.’

‘Where was this?’ Diamond asked in the same even tone, trying to conceal his rocketing interest.

‘Through the window in the fence. My dad held me up so I could see.’

‘See a dead man?’

‘No, silly. See the houses being knocked down.’ He removed his right hand from his pocket, raised it high and swung it down so hard that he took a step forward. ‘Crrrrrrrash!’

‘Got you.’ Diamond was on to it.

‘The big ball crashed into the roof and made a hole. It’s called a reh... reh...’

‘Wrecking ball?’

‘Yes, and there was dust and I saw the dead man in a chair.’

‘You were actually there watching?’

‘I knew he was dead because he was a skeleton.’ The word came out as ‘skelington’ but there was no doubt what the boy meant. ‘It was dressed in funny clothes. When my dad saw it, he said we’d got to go.’

‘Good thing, too.’

‘I wasn’t scared.’

‘I believe you, Rufus.’

The boards in the hallway creaked.

‘That sounds like your dad now.’

Spearman came in, saw the boy and saw red. ‘What the hell...? Get out of here, Rufus. Go to your mother.’

Rufus didn’t stop to argue.

The full force of the father’s anger was turned on Diamond. ‘Is that legal, questioning a kid? You have no right.’

‘He walked in and started chatting. As a matter of fact, Mr. Spearman, Rufus was asking the questions, not us. And why shouldn’t he, two strange men in his home? He got us to admit we were policemen and wanted to know why we were here. They get ideas from the TV about what detectives do. These days it’s part of growing up. But we’re here to talk to you, not your boy. Sit down and let’s make a start. We can’t keep you too long from the party.’

Diamond at his most urbane. He seemed to have persuaded Spearman that the issue wasn’t worth pursuing. Shaking his head, the chauffeur did as he was asked, taking the sofa and leaving them to shift the armchairs to face him.

‘Sir Edward told us you once had a high-powered job up at Widcombe Hall with Lord David Deganwy.’

The dark eyes glinted some kind of assent.

‘You were a younger man then, on the brink of a good career.’

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Spearman said. ‘We all know what happened to me. I’d be a fool to think I paid my debt to society and the slate was wiped clean. It never is, as far as you lot are concerned.’

‘Do you want to tell us about it?’

‘Why bother, when you obviously know already?’

‘You’re wrong, as it happens,’ Diamond said. ‘We didn’t know you had a record until an hour or two ago, but we’re catching up.’ He turned to Halliwell. ‘Anything yet from the oracle?’

Halliwell had his phone out and was studying Leaman’s information from the newspaper files. ‘Assault on a security guard in the course of theft.’

‘A break-in?’ Diamond said with interest. ‘Where?’

‘It was never a break-in,’ Spearman said. ‘I had my own set of keys.’

Halliwell said, ‘Widcombe Hall.’

‘Where you worked?’ Diamond’s eyebrows peaked.

‘Where I used to work,’ Spearman corrected him.

‘I get it now. The estate was sold after Lord Deganwy died and the new owners didn’t change the locks and you didn’t hand over your keys. Naughty.’

‘I was going through a bad time.’

‘But you came into money. I’d call that a good time. I’ve seen the will. The old man left you ten grand.’

Spearman made a sound deep in his throat, a laugh like curdled milk going down a drain. ‘That’s what the damned prosecutor said in court. He didn’t tell them I was jobless and kicked out of my home.’

‘Your home?’

‘The converted coach house at Widcombe Hall. Okay, I could afford to rent in Twerton, but it was a rubbish place.’

‘Not the house where the skeleton was found?’

‘For Christ’s sake, no. Give me a break, will you? That’s South Twerton. I was the other side of the Lower Bristol Road. Moving from the Coach House at Widcombe Hall to that poky two-room flat was a shock.’

‘And you were unemployed?’

‘Estate steward jobs are few and far between. I tried. Oh yes, I tried looking for work, calling in favours from people I’d known. All they could offer was sympathy. I went to the job centre. Nothing. It wasn’t a downward spiral, it was a free fall.’

‘So you decided to make use of those keys?’

‘When I reached desperation point. I knew Widcombe Hall was going to be converted into a conference centre. The sale had gone through. You say you’ve seen the will. Everything except a few legacies went to the Electoral Reform Society, the entire estate and the contents worth millions. They wanted the money so they sold it straight away and when I thought about making my visit no one was living there, or so I believed, but the place was still stuffed with antiques. I reckoned if I let myself in and picked up some items of value nobody would notice.’

‘You didn’t know about the security man?’

‘Should have realised, but didn’t. I was naïve. I rented a van and drove in there bold as brass. I was shifting things into the van when the guy caught me red-handed. Came at me with a bloody great baton. In self-defence I hit him with a silver candlestick. Put him in hospital. Didn’t think he would already have phoned the police. Your lot stopped me before I drove out the gate.’

‘And you got three years? I’d say that was lenient.’

‘In Shepton Mallet clink? No, officer. That wasn’t lenient.’

Diamond didn’t argue. Shepton Mallet was the most depressing prison he’d visited. The oldest in Britain, dating from the seventeenth century, it had been closed in 1930 and then reopened during the war and brought into use again, finally decommissioned as recently as 2013. ‘Before we talk about your life since then, I’d like to hear about Lord Deganwy.’

‘David? We were on first-name terms. He didn’t stand on ceremony. He was a sweet man, a real gent, but I saw the change in him as the Alzheimer’s got a grip. It happened horribly fast. And he had no family to care for him. He brought in nurses. I didn’t see much of him in the last months. I was left to my own devices, managing the estate. It wasn’t huge, nothing like Longleat, or Prior Park, or even Widcombe Manor, but it was a full-time job. I didn’t have a lot of experience when he took me on, so I was grateful to him. Still am.’

‘Did you come across a man by the name of Sidney Harrod, who befriended him in the last year of his life?’

The eyes glittered enmity. ‘I know a bit about Harrod, yes.’

‘Tell us.’

‘He arrived out of nowhere, and he seemed to know David. I’d see his rusty van parked on the drive, not much of a motor for a guy who behaved like he was family. First I thought he might be some distant cousin, but it turned out they’d met through the Beau Nash Society. They’d go to pubs together and come back late. I’d hear them drive in. He used to strut around as if he owned the place. I was introduced, but he had no interest in me. All his focus was on David.’

‘You didn’t trust his motives?’

‘Didn’t trust his actions. I saw stuff go into his van. Chairs and a writing desk. They were Chippendale, worth thousands. I’m certain he was nicking them.’

‘Did you challenge him?’

‘I asked where they were going and he said they needed expert repairs. I asked if he was a furniture expert and he grinned and said he knew a man who was. I never found out where he lived.’

‘He lodged on the Moon Street estate and had a lock-up garage there. It wasn’t used for the van. Your theory about the furniture ties in with our information.’

‘Typical. He shifted quite a lot of David’s property and got away with it. I tried it one time only and got sent down for three years. What happened to him?’

‘Don’t you know?’

‘He cleared off while David was still alive, simply vanished as suddenly as he arrived. That’s the way his sort operate. He’s probably in another town right now, ripping off some millionaire. Losers like me are the ones who get caught.’

Was this an attempt to deceive, or was the man truly ignorant about Harrod’s fate? Diamond let it pass. ‘Did anyone else come visiting during those last weeks of Lord Deganwy’s life?’

‘Doctors and nurses mostly. I didn’t see all the comings and goings.’ Spearman leaned back on the sofa and clasped his hands behind his head as if it would aid the memory. ‘There was a professor from the Beau Nash Society. He only visited the once. Can’t remember his name.’

‘Professor Duff, I expect.’

‘That was him, yes. He came because they hadn’t heard anything from David and he was still their president. They didn’t know he was so far gone.’

‘Duff took over as the Beau. Dead now.’

‘Is he?’ Spearman couldn’t have sounded less interested in Duff’s death.

Diamond had learned enough for the time being about the year of Lord Deganwy’s decline. He was keen to move on. He had urgent personal concerns. ‘It’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it, that after you came out of prison you got a job with someone else from the Beau Nash Society?’

Spearman’s cheeks flushed. ‘What are you saying? That I’m up to my old games? You’re dead wrong there.’

‘I said no such thing.’

He carried on as if he hadn’t heard. He hadn’t listened for sure. ‘I went straight. You can ask Sir Ed. No way am I going back to prison.’

‘So what happened after your release?’

He shifted awkwardly on the sofa. ‘I don’t like the way this is going. I have a wife and son and a steady job now.’

‘And a roof over your head,’ Halliwell put in.

‘That’s no crime.’

Diamond was impatient. ‘Tell it like it happened.’

‘It was bloody tough when I came out. I was almost two years on the social. Jobseekers’ allowance. Did bits and pieces, couldn’t get steady work. Slept rough for a time. Sold the Big Issue on the streets. Then I had the good luck to meet Astra. She was on the staff at the job centre.’

‘Astra?’

‘My wife.’

‘Hang on. You married your advisor at the job centre?’

‘Not right away. That’s jumping ahead.’

‘Well, don’t. We’re trying to follow this.’

‘I was attending the centre for years and I got to know most of the staff in that time. Astra was the one I always hoped to get because she really cared. And she got me sorted at last.’

‘With the Parises?’

‘Not immediately. Jobwise, she sorted me out quite soon. I did some work on building sites, but I wasn’t up to it physically. Astra talked it over with me and we agreed an ex-con wouldn’t find a post as estate steward anywhere, but she had the smart idea of offering me as a driver to one of the big estates. I was used to working for that class of people and I had my licence. Astra’s mother happened to be a client of Lady Sally’s.’

‘A client? In what way?’

‘I don’t know if she uses the word client. It’s beauty therapy. Lady Sally looks after their faces. She’s a sociable lady with tons of energy and she told me she’s always worked with people. Just because she has a title, it doesn’t mean she sits by the pool all day. So Astra knew from her mum about Sir Ed being the Beau. She’s a big believer in making connections.’

Halliwell said without looking at Diamond, ‘Networking.’

‘Spot on,’ Spearman said, nodding his approval. ‘She told the Parises everything about my conviction and Sir Ed still agreed to take me on as their chauffeur, especially when he knew I’d been estate steward to David Deganwy.’

‘The Beau Nash connection helped?’

‘Certainly did. Sir Ed has been a member for a long time. He knew David and Professor Duff. Sometimes speaks about them in the car when we’re driving. He must have known that scumbag Sidney Harrod as well.’

‘Has he ever mentioned Harrod?’

‘No. I think he’d rather forget him.’

‘So how long have you had this job?’

‘Since 2006. When I joined them they were living out at Monkton Combe. Nice house and garden, but they moved to a place near Bathampton and I went with them and then made the move here. They never settle for long, but they always make sure I’m comfortable as well. I’m almost family now.’

‘And when did you marry Astra?’

His eyes lit up. ‘Six years ago last June. The Parises were brilliant about it. They let me borrow the Bentley for the wedding and Lady Sally did Astra’s make-up and made her dress. She’s a top quality needlewoman as well as everything else. They gave us a week in Paris as their present.’

‘You’re bloody lucky.’

‘You can say that again. While I was banged up in Shepton Mallet I’d never have believed how my life would change.’

‘Obviously they value what you do.’

‘I’ve always tried to be helpful. When they moved here and built the infinity pool I was able to give some advice because David Deganwy had one built when I was stewarding for him.’

‘They have an infinity pool?’ He’d seen such things on TV commercials.

‘Haven’t you seen it?’

Diamond shook his head. ‘This is my first visit here. All I’ve seen is the lodge.’ He could have added that he was desperate to know what was going on at the main house.

Spearman was talking about infinity pools. ‘They’re status symbols. People of their class get them built if they have the right kind of terrain. You need a really steep slope and that brings its own problems with the mechanics. They have to be anchored safely because they’re incredibly heavy. It works like a weir. You need a second pool at a lower level to catch the water constantly overflowing and a system of pumps and balance tanks to circulate it. The engineering is quite complex.’

‘You’re on the side of a valley here, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, with a great view. The pool is a feature, no question, but I’m the only one who uses it. Lady Sally sits beside it on a lounger sometimes, but Sir Ed doesn’t bother much with it. To him, it raises the value of the property and he’s happy with that.’

‘They’ll be showing it off to their party guests.’ Diamond was still in two minds.

‘You’re right. They sent me out this morning to buy some better sunshades.’

‘Do you know who’s been invited?’

‘Beau Nash Society people, mostly. It’s a sort of farewell do. He’s stepping down as the Beau and he tells me he’s pleased to be shot of it.’

‘His words?’

‘He may have added something colourful. He can be down-to-earth when he chooses. He reckons he’s done more than his share as chairman.’

‘President.’

‘Okay.’

‘Speaking of shots, does Sir Edward own a gun?’

Spearman looked startled by the question. ‘I’ve never seen him with one. There are no game birds here. The ground isn’t suitable for shooting. Most of the property is a sixty-degree slope and even more sheer in places, perfect for the pool, but useless for anything else. They let the lower part grow wild and nobody ever goes there.’

‘Down in the valley — that’s all part of the estate?’

‘If you can call it that. There’s a high wall to mark the limit of their land.’

Diamond was thinking hard, making connections, networking inside his own head. ‘Do you have any idea whether Sir Ed had an earlier marriage? Lady Sally is quite a bit younger than he is.’

‘Nothing wrong with that,’ Spearman said, straightening up on the sofa. ‘I’m nearly fifteen years older than my wife.’

‘It’s a question, that’s all.’

‘No idea.’

‘When they married, was he already the Beau?’

‘Must have been. They hadn’t been married long when I started work with them. He was already a big name locally. I expect he ploughed some of his money into the society.’ He looked at his watch. ‘I ought to be at the party handing out drinks. Can we draw a line under this?’

‘Soon as possible,’ Diamond said, and meant it. ‘There’s one more thing. Your boy Rufus was talking to us and if I understood him right you and he were at Twerton the morning the skeleton was discovered at the demolition site.’

He reddened again. ‘Kids.’

‘It wasn’t imagination. He said you lifted him up to one of the observation windows to see the wrecking ball at work. Is that right?’

‘We happened to be there, yes.’

‘In Twerton?’

‘I was having one of the cars serviced. There’s a very reliable motor mechanic there I’ve used for years. I took the boy with me to give Astra a break. We were killing time.’

‘Killing time?’

‘While the work was being done. He’s at the age of asking endless questions and he noticed people at the windows and wanted to know what was going on. I lifted him up for a look and it was bad timing because that was when the ball ripped open the roof and exposed the skeleton.’

‘Was he frightened?’

‘No, he took it in his stride. I got him away as soon as I saw the thing for myself.’

‘And you were there before we were called?’

‘Must have been.’

‘But two days later you were back with Sir Edward when the skeleton was lifted out. You’d managed to get inside the secure area. I remember seeing you both. I sent DCI Halliwell to speak to you.’

Halliwell confirmed it with a murmur.

Diamond added, ‘You can’t have forgotten. Sir Edward spoke to us later in the Archway café. Why the special journey for another look?’

Spearman didn’t seem to think of their presence as guilty conduct. ‘The papers were full of the story, weren’t they? Sir Ed wanted to see for himself so he asked me to drive him out there.’

‘Did he say anything to you about why he made the trip?’

‘I just told you.’

‘He didn’t make any link to the Beau Nash Society?’

‘If he did, it was all in his head. Nothing was said to me.’

This time it was Diamond who checked his watch. ‘You’d better get back to your duties serving the drinks. I’ll follow shortly. Mine’s a beer.’

Spearman frowned and shook his head. ‘Sir Ed doesn’t want you there. He made that very clear. That’s why he sent me to see you.’

‘Obstructing the police is an arrestable offence. Tell him that, if you want. I’ll have that beer in a tankard.’