‘I’d just like to be left alone, Bertram,’ she said.
‘Then you shall be,’ he told her, backing away. The doorbell rang down below. ‘We’re not expecting anyone, are we?’
‘No…and whoever it is, I don’t want to see them.’
‘You won’t be disturbed, Agnes, I promise.’
Reader left the room and padded downstairs. He was taken aback to see the maid showing Colbeck into the drawing room. After dismissing her with a wave, he went in to meet his visitor.
‘Good afternoon, Inspector,’ he said.
‘I’m sorry to intrude on you again, Mr Reader,’ said Colbeck, ‘but I really need to speak to Mrs Reader.’
‘She’s not available at the moment, I’m afraid.’
‘Then I’ll have to wait until she is available, however long it takes. Perhaps you could convey that message to her.’
‘My wife is asleep.’
‘I’ll still be here when she wakes up.’
Colbeck was polite but purposeful. The banker could see that he wouldn’t leave the house until he’d spoken to Agnes.
‘May I know what this is all about, Inspector?’ he asked.
‘That’s a decision only your wife can make.’
‘I don’t like mysteries.’
‘I love them, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘Solving them always gives me a sense of deep satisfaction.’
‘Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?’
‘No, Mr Reader. It needs to be resolved before the inquest.’
The banker stared at him and there was a silent battle of wills. Determined not to bother his wife, Reader was at the same time curious to know why Colbeck was there. For his part, the inspector was inscrutable. His non- committal smile gave nothing away, except the fact that he intended to stay indefinitely. In the end, Reader weakened and edged towards the door.
‘I’ll see if my wife has woken up yet,’ he said.
‘Thank you, sir. I’d be most grateful.’
Reader went out and was absent for a long time. Colbeck was able to take a good look at the room. Its paintings and ornaments had dazzled Leeming but Colbeck was more interested in the furniture. Coming from a family of cabinetmakers, he had an eye for superior craftsmanship. He was admiring a Jacobean court cupboard when Reader finally reappeared with his wife. Agnes was composed.
‘I believe you wish to speak to me,’ she said.
‘That’s right, Mrs Reader. It’s on a private matter. You may or may not wish your husband to remain.’
‘My wife has no secrets from me, Inspector,’ said Reader.
Agnes studied the visitor’s face. ‘In this instance,’ she said, sensing what might have brought Colbeck there, ‘I think I would like you to leave us, Bertram.’ He was clearly hurt. ‘I’ll tell you everything that passes between us.’
‘If that’s what you wish, my dear, that’s how it will be. But I won’t be far away. Should you need me,’ he went on, tossing a glance at Colbeck, ‘you only have to call.’
Crossing to the double doors on the other side of the room, he opened them wide and stepped through into the library. Colbeck waited until he heard the doors click shut once more. Agnes pointed to the sofa and he sat down. Eyes never leaving his face, she chose an armchair. She looked calm and poised.
‘Certain letters have come into my possession,’ he said, quietly.
‘You had no right to read them,’ she protested. ‘That was a private correspondence.’
‘It also happens to be evidence in a murder investigation, Mrs Reader. That being the case, I had every right to examine them.’
‘It was that bitch of a housekeeper, wasn’t it?’
‘That’s immaterial,’ said Colbeck. ‘The fact is that I read the letters and they were able to fill in a number of blank spaces for me. When I heard that Mrs Tarleton used to visit Edinburgh to see her cousin, I assumed that she stayed at the cousin’s home. That was not always so, was it? On at least three occasions, you and she shared a room at a particular hotel.’
‘There’s no need to repeat it,’ she snapped. ‘And if you expect me to feel guilty about it, you’ll be disappointed. Miriam and I had a very special friendship. Talking about it the way you do only serves to cheapen it.’
‘I make no moral judgement, Mrs Reader, and I think you’ll find that you can rely on my discretion. I came here for two reasons. First, I wanted to see if you’d resort to denial.’
‘That would be an insult to both of us, Inspector. Why deny something that was so beautiful?’
‘I respect that.’
‘You said that there were two reasons.’
‘The second one is perhaps more important. Who else knew about your friendship with Mrs Tarleton?’
She was firm. ‘Nobody knew,’ she said. ‘We were extremely careful. The colonel was too bound up in his own affairs and my husband allows me complete freedom.’
‘Presumably, Mrs Tarleton wrote you letters?’
‘You’re not going to see those, Inspector.’
‘I don’t wish to do so.’
‘They’re very precious to me. Nobody else will ever see them.’
‘I’ve brought your letters with me,’ he said, patting his pocket. ‘You’re welcome to have them back with my assurance that I’m the only person to have read them.’
‘What about Mrs Withers?’
‘She was too shocked to see more than half a page.’
Agnes weighed him up with a shrewd glance, wondering how much she could trust him. She was thankful that he’d come alone and not brought the sergeant with him. Discussing the matter with one man was a trial. To have had the two of them there would have been insufferable. Colbeck had spoken gently and without comment. She felt that he understood her position.
‘Could I please ask you to destroy those letters?’ she asked.
‘I’ll burn them as soon as I leave here.’
‘Thank you, Inspector.’
‘You might like to know that I haven’t shown them to Sergeant Leeming nor confided anything of their contents.’ He looked towards the library. ‘The question now arises as to what you tell your husband when I go.’
‘Leave that to me,’ she said, complacently. ‘I’m used to making up stories for Bertram. He believes everything I tell him.’
‘That’s not true!’ yelled Reader, flinging open the double doors and standing there with a pistol in his hand. ‘I stopped believing you months ago, Agnes.’
‘Bertram!’ she cried, jumping up. ‘Have you been listening?’
‘I heard every word.’
‘Put that pistol down, sir,’ said Colbeck, rising slowly to his feet. ‘We don’t want to have an unfortunate accident.’
‘It won’t be an accident, Inspector. It’s something I should have done long ago.’ A pleading note dominated. ‘I tried so hard, Agnes. I hoped that when Miriam died, we could start afresh and put all this behind us, but that’s never going to happen, is it? Alive or dead, she’ll always be there between us.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, watching the pistol with alarm. ‘You weren’t supposed to know. I wanted to spare you that pain.’
‘You gave me more than enough pain as it was,’ he said, waving the weapon at her. ‘Is it too much to ask of a woman I marry that we live as husband and wife? Is it too much to ask of someone for whom I’ve done everything that she’s mine and nobody else’s?’
‘Please, sir,’ said Colbeck, going towards him with an extended hand, ‘let me have the pistol.’
‘Stand back or I’ll shoot,’ warned Reader, turning the weapon on him. Colbeck came to a halt. ‘I had a feeling
