My father was deliberate, coldly official. The glib phrases were uttered. Statement taken down no compulsion solicitor
Roger Leonides brushed them all aside[95] with the same characteristic eager impatience.
I saw the faint sardonic smile on Chief Inspector Taverners face, and read from it the thought in his mind.
Always sure of themselves, these chaps. They cant make a mistake. Theyre far too clever!
I sat down unobtrusively in a corner and listened.
I have asked you to come here, Mr Leonides, my father said, not to give you fresh information, but to ask for some information from youinformation that you have previously withheld.
Roger Leonides looked bewildered.
Withheld? But Ive told you everythingabsolutely everything!
I think not. You had a conversation with the deceased on the afternoon of his death?
Yes, yes, I had tea with him. I told you so.
You told us that, yes, but you did not tell us about your conversation.
Wejusttalked.
What about?
Daily happenings, the house, Sophia
What about Associated Catering? Was that mentioned? I think I had hoped up to then that Josephine had been inventing the whole story; but if so, that hope was quickly quenched.
Rogers face changed. It changed in a moment from eagerness to something that was recognizably close to despair.
Oh, my God, he said. He dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands.
Taverner smiled like a contented cat.
You admit, Mr Leonides, that you have not been frank with us?
How did you get to know about that? I thought nobody knewI dont see how anybody could know.
We have means of finding out these things, Mr Leonides. There was a majestic pause. L think you will see now that you had better tell us the truth.
Yes, yes, of course. Ill tell you. What do you want to know?
Is it true that Associated Catering is on the verge of collapse?
Yes. It cant be staved off now. The crash is bound to come. If only my father could have died without ever knowing. I feel so ashamedso disgraced
There is a possibility of criminal prosecution?
Roger sat up sharply.
No, indeed. It will be bankruptcybut an ho nourable bankruptcy. Creditors will be paid twenty shillings in the pound if I throw in my personal assets, which I shall do. No, the disgrace I feel is to have failed my father. He trusted me. He made over to me this, his largest concernand his pet concern. He never interfered, he never asked what I was doing. He justtrusted me And I let him down.
My father said dryly:
You say there was no likelihood of criminal prosecution? Why then had you and your wife planned to go abroad without telling anybody of your intention?
You know that too?
Yes, Mr Leonides.
But dont you see? He leaned forward eagerly. I couldnt face him with the truth. It would have looked, you see, as if I was asking for money. As though I wanted him to set me on my feet again. Hehe was very fond of me. He would have wanted to help. But I couldntI couldnt go onit would have meant making a mess of things all over againIm no good. I havent got the ability. Im not the man my father was. Ive always known it. Ive tried. But its no good. Ive been so miserableGod! you dont know how miserable Ive been! Trying to get out of the muddle, hoping Id just get square, hoping the dear old man would never need to hear about it. And then it cameno more hope of avoiding the crash. Clemency my wifeshe understood, she agreed with me. We thought out this plan. Say nothing to anyone. Go away. And then let the storm break. Id leave a letter for my father, telling him all about ittelling him how ashamed I was and begging him to forgive me. Hes been so good to me alwaysyou dont know! But it would be too late then for him to do anything. Thats what I wanted. Not to ask himor even to seem to ask him for help. Start again on my own somewhere. Live simply and humbly. Grow things. Coffeefruit. Just have the bare necessities of lifehard on Clemency, but she swore she didnt mind. Shes wonderfulabsolutely wonderful.
I see. My fathers voice was dry. And what made you change your mind?
Change my mind?
Yes. What made you decide to go to your father and ask for financial help after all?
Roger stared at him.
But I didnt!
Come now, Mr Leonides.
Youve got it all wrong. I didnt go to him. He sent for me. Hed heard, somehow, in the City. A rumour, I suppose. But he always knew things. Someone had told him. He tackled me with it. Then, of course, I broke down I told him everything. I said it wasnt so much the moneyit was the feeling Id let him down after hed trusted me.
Roger swallowed convulsively.
The dear old man, he said. You cant imagine how good he was to me. No reproaches. Just kindness. I told him I didnt want help, that I preferred not to have itthat Id rather go away as Id planned to do. But he wouldnt listen. He insisted on coming to the rescueon putting Associated Catering on its legs again.
Taverner said sharply:
You are asking us to believe that your father intended to come to your assistance financially?
Certainly he did. He wrote to his brokers then and there, giving them instructions.
I suppose he saw the incredulity on the two mens faces. He flushed.
Look here, he said, Tve still got the letter. I was to post it. But of course laterwithwith the shock and confusion, I forgot. Ive probably got it in my pocket now.
He drew out his wallet and started hunting through it. Finally he found what he wanted. It was a creased envelope with a stamp on it. It was addressed, as I saw by leaning forward, to Messrs Greatorex and Hanbury.
Read it for yourselves, he said, if you dont believe me.
My father tore open the letter. Taverner went round behind him. I did not see the letter then, but I saw it later. It instructed Messrs Greatorex and Hanbury to realize certain investments and asked for a member of the firm to be sent down on the following day to take certain instructions re the affairs of Associated Catering. Some of it was unintelligible to me, but its purpose was clear enough. Aristide Leonides was preparing to put Associated Catering on its feet again.
Taverner said:
We will give you a receipt for this, Mr Leonides. Roger took the receipt. He got up and said:
Is that all? You do see how it all was, dont you?
Taverner said:
Mr Leonides gave you this letter and then you left him? What did you do next?
I rushed back to my own part of the house. My wife had just come in. I told her what my father proposed to do. How wonderful he had been! Ireally, I hardly knew what I was doing.
And your father was taken illhow long after that?
Let me seehalf an hour, perhaps, or an hour. Brenda came rushing in. She was frightened. She said he looked queer. II rushed over with her. But Ive told you all this before.
During your former visit, did you go into the bathroom adjoining your fathers room at all?
I dont think so. Nono, I am sure I didnt. Why, you cant possibly think that I
My father quelled the sudden indignation. He got up and shook hands.
Thank you, Mr Leonides, he said. You have been very helpful. But you should have told us all this before.
The door closed behind Roger. I got up and came to look at the letter lying on my fathers table.
It could be a forgery, said Taverner hopefully.
It could be, said my father, but I dont think it is. I think well have to accept it exactly as it stands. Old Leonides was prepared to get his son out of this mess. It could have been done more efficiently by him alive than it could by Roger after his deathespecially as it now transpires that no will is to be found and that in consequence Rogers actual amount of inheritance is open to question. That means delaysand difficulties. As things now stand, the crash is bound to come. No, Taverner, Roger Leonides and his wife had no motive for getting the old man out of the way. On the contrary
He stopped and repeated thoughtfully as though a sudden thought had occurred to him: On the contrary
Whats on your mind, sir? Taverner asked.
The Old Man said slowly:
If Aristide Leonides had lived only another twenty-four hours, Roger would have been all right. But he didnt live twenty-four hours. He died suddenly and dramatically within little more than an hour.
Hm, said Taverner. Do you think somebody in the house wanted Roger to go broke? Someone who had an opposing financial interest? Doesnt seem likely.
Whats the position as regards the will? my father asked. Who actually gets old Leonides money?
Taverner heaved an exasperated sigh.
You know what lawyers are. Cant get a straight answer out of them. Theres a former will. Made when he married the second Mrs Leonides. That leaves the same sum to her, rather less to Miss de Haviland, and the remainder between Philip and Roger. I should have thought that if this will isnt signed, then the old one would operate, but it seems it isnt so simple as that. First the making of the new will revoked the former one and there are witnesses to the signing of it, and the testators intention. It seems to be a toss-up[96] if it turns out that he died intestate. Then the widow apparently gets the lotor a life interest at any rate.
So if the wills disappeared Brenda Leonides is the most likely person to profit by it?
Yes. If theres been any hocus-pocus, it seems probable that shes at the bottom of it. And there obviously has been hocus-pocus, but Im dashed if I see how it was done.
I didnt see, either. I suppose we were really incredibly stupid. But we were looking at it, of course, from the wrong angle.
Chapter 12
There was a short silence after Taverner had gone out.
Then I said:
Dad, what are murderers like?
The Old Man looked at me thoughtfully. We understand each other so well that he knew exactly what was in my mind when I put that question. And he answered it very seriously.
Yes, he said. Thats important nowvery important, for you Murders come close to you. You cant go on looking at it from the outside.
I had always been interested, in an amateurish kind of way, in some of the more spectacular cases with which the CID[97] had dealt, but, as my father said, I had been interested from the outsidelooking in, as it were, through the shop window. But now, as Sophia had seen much more quickly than I did, murder had become a dominant factor in my life.