A Bespoke Murder (16 page)

They had clearly made efforts on his behalf. The place had been thoroughly cleaned, the meal was excellent and the conversation never flagged. Keedy always enjoyed seeing his colleague in his domestic setting where Marmion could relax, smoke his pipe and put the world to rights from his armchair beside the fireplace. Ellen and Alice were so hospitable that he almost felt like a member of the family. There was one proviso to the visit. Ellen insisted that it was a social occasion and that the detectives were not allowed to talk about their work. It was a condition to which both men readily acceded.

When the meal was over and the hours had rolled by, Alice offered to do the washing-up and Keedy insisted on helping her. Alone with him in the kitchen, Alice broke the embargo.

‘What was it like when you went after those two men?’

‘I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about work.’

‘That was Mummy’s idea,’ she said, ‘not mine.’

‘Hasn’t your father already told you?’

‘He’s told me bits of what happened, Joe, but I had the sense that he was holding a lot back. What he did mention was the fight you had with one of the men.’

He was modest. ‘It was over so quickly, Alice.’

‘I don’t believe that. Tell me what happened.’

While she washed the dishes and he wiped them dry, Keedy gave her an abbreviated but straightforward account of their visit to Ypres. He admitted how shocked he was by what he saw at the front and how he feared for the lives of some friends who were fighting there. One particular man came to mind.

‘I wondered if Palm Tree was still alive,’ he said.

‘Who?’

‘His real name was Detective Constable Ralph Palmer but we called him Palm Tree because he was so tall and skinny. The day that war was declared, he resigned his job and joined the 5
^th
Field Company, Royal Engineers. They’re real heroes, Alice.’

‘Are they?’ she asked.

‘They were the unit that dug our army out of Mons then provided them with trenches during the long retreat. They blew up bridges to hinder any pursuit, then they had to rebuild them when the Germans drew back and our lads were able to reclaim territory that they’d just given up. And all this, remember,’ said Keedy, taking another wet plate
from her, ‘was done in full view of the enemy infantry. Palm Tree and his company deserve medals.’

‘Where are the Royal Engineers now?’

‘They’re where we left them, Alice – in Flanders. They dug those trenches in Ypres.’

‘Did you never have the urge to join up yourself?’

‘Of course,’ he said, ‘but I’d just been promoted and I felt there was important work to be done on the home front. Well, the current investigation is a case in point.’

‘You’ll never catch
all
the people in that mob.’

‘That won’t stop us from trying.’

‘What about the killer?’

He was adamant. ‘Oh, that’s one crime we
will
solve.’

‘How can you be so categorical?’

‘I’m working with your father,’ he said, grinning. ‘And Inspector Marmion has never failed yet. You should know that.’

As they chatted happily, their shoulders touched and both of them enjoyed the proximity. Keedy had always been attracted to Alice but had held back from seeking a closer acquaintance with her because of the age gap between them and because he felt that her father would disapprove. For her part, Alice was very fond of him, though she had never entertained serious thoughts about a closer relationship. Working side by side with him, however, she was increasingly drawn to Keedy and hoped that the pleasure was mutual. It was not the most romantic setting. With her hands in a bowl of water, she could never be seen at her best, and he was hardly at his most dashing while buffing plates with a tea towel. Yet it was companionship of the most satisfying kind. They were at ease with each other.

‘Have you decided to join the WEC yet?’ he asked.

She pulled a face. ‘I can’t make up my mind, Joe.’

‘That doesn’t sound like you. Your father says that you’re the most decisive woman he’s ever met.’

‘What that amounts to is that I argue with him a lot.’

‘It’s good to have a mind of your own.’

‘Not every man thinks that about a woman. A lot of them prefer quiet and submissive types who wouldn’t say boo to a goose.’ She handed him the last saucer. ‘What about you, Joe?’

‘Oh, I could never be interested in any woman afraid to stand up to me,’ he said, drying the saucer before putting it on the pile. ‘An occasional argument adds spice to a friendship.’

‘It always ended the friendships that I’ve had with men,’ she admitted.

‘Then perhaps you chose the wrong kind of men.’

Facing each other as he spoke, they were only inches apart and each felt the urge to reach out and embrace the other. Keedy gave her a dazzling smile and her eyes twinkled in response. There was far more than companionship now. There was affection and need. Before either of them could make the first move, however, the door opened and Marmion put his head into the kitchen.

‘Come on, you two,’ he said, pipe still in his mouth. ‘We’ve got the cards out. It’s time to play.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

She met him for lunch in a small café recommended by her sister. Gill had suggested a drink at a pub but Irene preferred to keep him away from alcohol because it melted his inhibitions in a way that she found rather alarming. A chat over a wholesome meal and a cup of tea was much safer. Irene was smartly dressed and Gill had his best suit on once more. He’d even acquired a flower for his lapel and looked quite raffish. She made it clear from the start that she intended to pay half of the bill, thus liberating her from any feeling of obligation. After some token protests, Gill agreed.

‘What brought you to London?’ she asked.

‘
You
did, Irene,’ he replied with a chortle.

‘Don’t be silly.’

‘It’s partly true. I’ve got men friends here – I’m staying with one at the moment, as it happens – but, knowing that
you’d
moved to London helped me to make my decision. I’d be able to see you again. That
doesn’t mean I’m going to pester you,’ he added, raising his palms in a placatory gesture. ‘You’re entitled to your privacy. I know that. I just hoped that we could … well, meet up now and then to talk about old times.’

‘As long as that’s all it is, Ernie,’ she said, levelly.

He put a hand to his heart. ‘On my word of honour.’

Not wishing to start an argument, Irene forbore to point out that she’d heard him make and break such solemn vows before. She let it pass, feeling that she had made her position clear and resolving that any future meetings with him would be few in number. Gill would not be allowed to upset the equilibrium of her new existence.

‘No thought of going back to sea, then?’ she asked.

‘Not a hope,’ he said. ‘My sailing days are over. There’s always work for a barber ashore. In fact, I’m going to see someone about a job this afternoon.’

‘Why didn’t you stay in Liverpool?’

‘It was time for a change, Irene.’

‘But you had family there.’

‘A brother and two sisters,’ he confirmed. ‘I never got on with any of them, to be honest. So I thought I’d give the Big Smoke a chance and see what it had to offer – apart from you, that is.’

‘Now, now, Ernie,’ she scolded. ‘Control yourself.’

‘It was meant as a compliment.’

‘You’re a bit too ready with your compliments – and I’m not the only woman who’s aware of that. You scattered them about like confetti on the
Lusitania
.’

He smirked. ‘I’ve always had a soft spot for a pretty face.’

‘Let’s go back to Liverpool,’ she said. ‘You once told me it was the
best city in the world and that you’d never leave it. What changed your mind?’

‘Oh, it was lots of things.’

‘What did you do after we parted company at the docks?’

‘First of all, I followed you,’ he recalled, ‘then I went back to my digs and dumped all my stuff there. After that I walked to the pub where my friends go and spent the evening having pints bought for me. They all wanted to know what happened when the ship went down. I was treated like a hero.’

‘That’s what you are, Ernie.’

‘I don’t feel it. I was lucky, that’s all.’

‘We both were,’ she said, soulfully.

‘Anyway,’ he went on, ‘when I had enough beer inside me, I was raring to go. They told me that most of the Germans had been either burnt out or chased out but I knew of a family that’d sort of slipped through the net. They’d been there for donkey’s years, you see, and changed their name so long ago that people forgot they were still foreigners. I knew the truth,’ he said, tapping his chest, ‘and I wasn’t going to let them get away.’

‘What did you do?’

‘We paid them a visit, Irene.’

‘I hope there was no violence.’

‘Let’s say that we did what needed to be done,’ he told her. ‘They won’t be able to hide behind the Union Jack anymore. Britain belongs to the British. Huns are not wanted.’

‘There’s been far too much senseless brutality.’

‘What about that blinking torpedo?’ he retorted, banging the table. ‘That’s what
I
call senseless brutality. Think of all those dead bodies floating in the sea – men, women and children murdered on the orders
of some cruel German admiral. So don’t you criticise me, Irene. At least we gave people a chance to defend themselves.’

She was uneasy. ‘What exactly happened?’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Go on – tell me. When I left you in Liverpool, you were spoiling for a fight. Where did you find these people?’

‘Forget them,’ he said, evasively. ‘They’re not even worth talking about. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. Talking of which,’ he continued as he speared a chip with his fork, ‘I don’t think much of this cod. We had far better grub on the ship.’ He nudged her arm. ‘In fact, we had far better
everything
.’

‘Those days are over, Ernie.’

‘A man can have his memories.’

‘Provided he knows that they
are
only memories,’ she said.

He cackled. ‘I’ll win you over one day, Irene.’

‘Don’t you even dare to try.’

‘Oh, come on – is this the kind of life you
really
want?’

‘Yes, it is,’ she affirmed, chin out.

‘What – sharing a house with your spinster sister and a blind woman with one foot in the grave? You were born for better things than that. My guess is that you’ll be bored stiff within a week.’

‘Then your guess will be wrong.’

‘What the hell are you going to do all day?’

‘Have no qualms on that score. I’ll soon be working in a toy factory. That will keep me out of mischief.’

‘I love mischief,’ he said, laughing. ‘Whenever I get the chance, I enjoy causing trouble. I went to a meeting last night of people who think like me – good, honest, British citizens who are fed up with being told what to do by the government and are ready to stir things
up on their own. We hit and run – just like I did in Liverpool.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘It wouldn’t interest you, Irene. You’re too law-abiding.’

Her face puckered with concern. ‘Have you committed a crime?’

‘I done my country a service,’ he boasted, ‘and I had a good laugh while I was doing it. That’s all I’m ready to admit.’

Slicing off a piece of fish, he thrust it into his mouth and munched away. Irene was disturbed. A meal that had been quite pleasant had turned into a cause for alarm. Ernie Gill was a diehard Liverpudlian who’d sworn time and again that he would never leave his native city. Yet here he was, strutting around London in his best suit and revelling in the idea of making mischief. What was his real reason for leaving Liverpool and what sort of trouble had he created since he’d arrived in the capital? On balance, Irene decided, she did not want an answer to either question. It was best not to know.

Harvey Marmion was collating all the information gathered by his team of detectives. He was so immersed in his work that he didn’t hear the knock on the door and was only aware of his visitor when Joe Keedy’s shadow fell across the desk.

‘Good morning, Joe,’ he said, looking up.

‘I hear that we’ve found one of our mystery men.’

‘That’s right. His name is Howard Fine and he’s the young tailor who worked briefly at Mr Stein’s shop. He’s definitely not our killer. When his former boss was being stabbed, Fine was in Brighton with his family.’ He glanced at the sheet of paper in front of him. ‘According to this, he has a perfect alibi.’

‘He needs interviewing nevertheless.’

‘Yes, I’m having him brought in today.’

‘What about the other former employee?’ asked Keedy. ‘You know – the man who left after a big row?’

‘We’re still looking for him.’

‘He was called Porridge or something like that.’

‘Cyril Burridge,’ corrected Marmion with a laugh. ‘People who knew him say that he was a first-rate tailor with many productive years in the trade.’

‘Then why did he suddenly disappear?’

‘We’ll ask him when we find him, Joe. We’ll also ask him why he and Stein fell out after such a long time together. David Cohen, who managed the shop, said that Burridge seemed set to spend the rest of his life working in Jermyn Street.’

‘So what went wrong, Inspector?’

‘The only person who can tell us that is the man himself.’

‘If he’s that experienced,’ said Keedy, ‘he must have found a job elsewhere by now.’

‘Oh, he has. Burridge was snapped up by one of Stein’s bitter rivals in Savile Row. It was the first place our lads looked but it seems that Burridge is on leave at the moment.’

‘Where has he gone?’

‘Nobody seems to know,’ replied Marmion. ‘When they called at his house, there was nobody there.’

‘Do you think he’s gone into hiding?’

‘It’s beginning to look like that, Joe.’

He handed a report about the man to Keedy who flicked through it before putting it back on the desk. In his opinion, Burridge had to be considered as a suspect. He reasoned that someone who had been in the business for so many years would be familiar with Stein’s routine and very much aware of what the safe in the upstairs room
had contained. Another factor weighed with Keedy.