Dark Room

'Yes sir,' said Maddocks evenly. 'Coincidence. It's not something that we, as policemen, can readily ignore. Our experience shows that where there's smoke there's fire.' He smiled slightly. 'Or to put it another way, where there's Miss Kingsley there is also a sledgehammer.'

'Are you suggesting she wields the damn thing herself?'

'I'm not suggesting anything at this stage, sir, I am merely drawing your attention to the coincidence. You would be foolish to pretend it doesn't exist.'

'Well, it certainly wasn't Jinx who took a swing at me last night. She's not big enough or strong enough, and judging by the build and the height, it was a man.'

'We understand you had a visit from her father's solicitor yesterday.'

'It wasn't him, either. Inspector. He's a tiny little chap with dainty feet and hands. I'd have recognized him immediately, ski mask or no ski mask.'

Maddocks smiled. 'I was thinking more in terms of Mr. Kingsley himself. Perhaps you said something to the solicitor that his boss didn't like.'

'I wouldn't know. I've never met Mr. Kingsley, so I've no idea what he looks like.' He thought for a moment. 'In any case, I'm sure it was a young man, and Mr. Kingsley's sixty-six.'

'What about Fergus Kingsley? He's on your list.'

Alan nodded. 'Yes, he was about the right size. So was the waiter who served me at dinner, but my conversations with both were perfectly friendly and I can't see either of them taking the trouble to hang around the clinic waiting to belt me.' But was that right? He had run up against Fergus twice now, and neither time had he felt comfortable with him.

Maddocks saw the sudden thoughtfulness in Protheroe's expression. 'Tell me what you and Fergus Kingsley talked about,' he invited.

'Nothing very much. He was waiting beside my car when I came out. He expressed an interest in buying it, as far as I remember, then asked me to meet his brother. I explained I was in a hurry and suggested we leave it to another time. Then I left.'

Fraser looked up with a frown. 'But you weren't in a hurry, sir. According to the report we've seen, you decided to go for a drive and treat yourself to a decent meal because it's some time since you've had an evening off.'

Alan gave another amiable chuckle. 'So I made a polite excuse and left. Is that so odd? I'd spent a long time talking to his father's solicitor, I was hungry, and I had promised myself a slap-up meal. At the risk of sounding churlish, I didn't particularly want to spend another half hour making small talk with a total stranger.'

'You've never met Miles Kingsley then?'

'No.'

'But both brothers have visited their sister here.' It was a statement rather than a question and Alan wondered how Maddocks knew.

'As I understand it, Miles came last Wednesday at about nine o'clock when I was off duty. Fergus came on Saturday.'

'So they both know their way around.' Another statement.

Alan frowned. 'Fergus spoke to Jinx in the garden, so presumably he could find his way back to the tree they sat under, and Miles, who saw her in her room, could probably find his way back there. Does that amount to knowing their way around? I wouldn't have thought so.'

'I was thinking more in terms of the layout of the driveway, sir.'

'Oh for God's sake!' Alan snapped impatiently. 'Any moron can wait in the bushes near a gate in the hopes of someone driving in. You don't need to be acquainted with a place to follow a car going at five miles an hour, which is all I was doing because I didn't want to wake the patients by crunching the gravel.' He sighed heavily. 'Look, unless you've got something a little more concrete to put to me, I really can't see the point of continuing. My own view is that you should put your suspicions to Miss Kingsley herself, to her father, and to her brothers.' He nodded towards The Times. 'In fact, if, as you are implying, there is such a strong link between all three murders, I share Sir Anthony's and Mrs. Harris's surprise that you haven't done it already.'

'You're very defensive of this family, sir. Is there any particular reason for that?'

'Such as?'

'Perhaps you're more partial to Miss Kingsley than you pretend and perhaps that's why someone saw fit to attack you with a sledgehammer.'

Alan smoothed his jaw reflectively. 'But wouldn't I have to have told someone I was partial to her to provoke such a response?'

'Not necessarily, sir. You looked pretty matey to me when you were spouting Greek at each other. Perhaps someone else sussed that your feelings aren't quite as reserved as you say they are.'

Alan's booming laugh brought a responsive twitch from Fraser's lips. 'I'm afraid I was teasing you, Inspector, when I said it was all Greek to me.' He stood up. 'I am doubtful, ipso facto, whether any conclusion you've drawn can be relied upon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have patients to see.'

Outside, Maddocks scowled angrily as he reached into the car for the handset. 'Put me through to Detective Superintendent Cheever,' he grunted into the mouthpiece, 'and tell him it's urgent, girl. DI Maddocks and I am at the Nightingale Clinic in Salisbury.' He drummed his fingers impatiently on the roof. 'Yes sir ... No, look, we've run into a spot of bother here. The doctor's playing hard to get and the whole setup stinks. He and the girl were having a very cozy little chat when we arrived and our view is he knows a damn sight more than he's telling ... Yeah, Fraser agrees with me.' He glared at the Sergeant, demanding support. 'No, I think we should talk to her now. We're on the spot, she's seen us, and she knows Wallader and Harris are dead. If we leave it any longer she'll have a solicitor in tow guarding her interests. Matter of fact, I'm amazed her old man hasn't parked one here already, although maybe he's set the doctor up as watchdog.' His eyes gleamed triumphantly. 'Will do, sir.' He listened for a moment. 'Yes, got it. Letters from Landy ... abortion '84 ... Wallader or Landy the father.'