Murdering Americans (23 page)

‘It’s possible.’

There was another silence. ‘Heck,’ said Freeman. ‘I can just understand why he might have thought he should knock off the Provost and Gonzales, because they were ruining the university, but Dickinson and Pappas-Lott were about to get their comeuppance from the revolution Ryan had put so much effort into.’

‘Maybe he needed to be the star. He always liked to be the centre of attention.’

‘
I
always like to be the centre of attention,’ said the baroness, ‘but I’m not prepared to risk death row to get it.’

There was a knock on the door. ‘Oh, thank God, that’ll be dinner. When we’ve regained some strength we’ll talk about what’s to be done next.’

Epilogue

‘No, I can’t say my visit to Indiana was an unmitigated success,’ said the baroness as she looked around the restaurant table. ‘I refuse to blame myself for hiring Mike and Vera, but the fact remains that they would be alive if I hadn’t. Also, I have reservations about shooting students, and Ryan’s arm was badly injured. Betsy has pointed out that I was fortunate I didn’t have to shoot him in the head. Ryan of course may not think so. I don’t think Indiana state prison is a pleasant place.’

‘We have triumphed in academic terms,’ said Amiss. ‘The latest report from Marjorie suggests Martin and Warren Godber are cleaning things up fast. Nearly all the parents are on our side, as are the alumni, who’ll be bankrolling the reforms.’

‘Well, I’m glad you sound as if you’re cheering up, Robert,’ said Rachel. ‘You’ve been beating yourself up ever since you got home.’

‘Jack,’ said Mary Lou, ‘how did you come to have a gun?’

‘Edgar had a Beretta Tomcat delivered to me after the Colt 45 was confiscated by the fuzz. Nice little light thing but effective and easily concealed in a handbag. And considering how lively Freeman campus was, I thought it sensible to carry it about.’

‘Even though you’d already been done once for violating the law?’

The baroness shrugged. ‘There would be a few more dead bodies if I hadn’t broken the law. That was the point Edgar Junior made extremely forcefully to the D.A., which is why I’m here rather than being cooped up along with Ryan or deported with instructions never to return.’

The waiter arrived with pad poised. ‘Still no sign of the gentlemen, Madam?’

‘We should start without them, don’t you think?’ said the baroness to Mary Lou.

‘Yes. They mightn’t be here for an hour. Or ever. Last heard of going into what was likely to be a long interrogation. Jim said he’d try to release Ellis early, but it doesn’t look promising. What about Myles? There isn’t a place laid for him. Isn’t he back?’

‘Not for another couple of weeks.’ The baroness turned to the waiter. ‘You can bring our starters now.’

Mary Lou put her hand on the baroness’s arm. ‘You’re very low, aren’t you?’

‘I heard today from Edgar, who got it from a police source, that Ryan had enough ammunition on him to kill an awful lot of people. His Glock packed fifteen bullets and he had three more 20-shot clips.’

‘Shit,’ said Amiss. ‘Sounds like aggravating factors to me.’

‘Certainly does,’ said the baroness.

The waiter arrived with the starters, and the baroness’s mood lightened. ‘There’s always food,’ she said. ‘Not to speak of drink. Do you like this wine?’

The other three grunted approval.

‘What’s the news of Betsy?’ asked Amiss. ‘Have you been in touch?’

The baroness swallowed her first bit of smoked duck breast and smiled broadly. ‘I certainly have. I’ve just fixed up for her to come to St. Martha’s next term to take up one of our remedial scholarships.’

‘Remedial?’ asked Rachel.

‘I instituted them a couple of years ago. They’re for people with brains who’ve been very badly educated. We reckon that within a year they’re fit to join the mainstream.’

‘How did she win that?’

‘Martin Freeman has just endowed four in perpetuity. The stipulation was that they would be reserved for Freeman students for the first four years. After that, if Godber does his stuff, they shouldn’t need them.’

‘Was there a competition?’

The baroness leaned forward and jabbed her finger at Rachel’s plate. ‘Eat up, eat up,’ she said, ‘and stop asking what I know are puritanical questions. Betsy’s bright enough to qualify and I’m a believer in enlightened nepotism. That’s why Mark and Joshua and Sue-Ellen—who are bright too—are getting the other ones. They’ve had a rough time and they need cheering up.’

She speared another piece of duck. ‘And so do I.’

Her phone rang. ‘Yes…yes…certainly…when?…right…I’ll book a ticket in the morning….’Bye.’

She beamed at her three friends. ‘I’m cheered up,’ she said. ‘That was Edgar. We’re going to meet in Las Vegas the day after tomorrow. A great blast of American vulgarity is exactly what I need. Waiter, we require champagne.’

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