'My suite is the one at the end on the left, overlooks the River Frome. Eve's is the one on the other side of the hall.'
'See you in the morning for breakfast – if that isn't getting in the way of a friendship,' Newman suggested. 'You need some female company.'
'I'll join you for breakfast.' Philip paused. 'I've only just met her. She's attractive but I keep getting danger signals flashing. And she told me she was – I'm quoting her exact words – 'I'm in security. And it's rather special…' I got the impression she'd let that slip out.'
'Said something similar to me.' Newman slapped him on the back. 'It's just possible she's on our side.'
'Then why is she so aggressive?'
'Because she's clever and that attitude makes for a good cover. Sleep well…'
The outer door to the hall, illuminated by bright lamps, closed and locked automatically. Reaching Eve's closed door, Philip paused. Would she think he was trying to move too fast? But it had been her idea. He rapped on the door which was unlocked and opened a few inches almost at once.
'Just saying good night.' Philip told her.
'Good night to you. I'll be up at seven o'clock. You sleep in and we'll meet later.'
The door was closed and he heard her lock it. Inside his own suite he began exploring again. He'd spent only a few minutes inside earlier, opening his case, hanging up jackets and trousers. Jean had always told him to do this. 'Even if you're in a rush, do open your case and take out the things which could get creased…'
At the recollection of this memory his eyes filled with tears. He could hear how she spoke, a rather deep timbre, but her voice was soft and she had always spoken so clearly.
'Get a grip on yourself, you bloody fool,' he said to himself.
He hurried to the bathroom, turned on the cold water tap, and sluiced his eyes and face with water, drying himself vigorously with a towel. He knew what the trouble was. This was the first time since she had died he had come away on his own and stayed by himself in a hotel. Except for his vengeful excursion into Europe, hunting down the men who had killed her.
All thoughts of Eve had gone out of his head. Still feeling alert he prowled round the spacious suite – Tweed had been generous in choosing his accommodation. Entering the suite he walked straight into a large and comfortable living room with French windows looking out on the River Frome. One of the staff had closed the curtains. At the end of the room he turned into a corridor with the bathroom leading off it and the large double bedroom beyond.
He lit a cigarette, prowling from one room to another restlessly. In the living room he pulled back the curtains to look at the river which ran only a few feet beyond. In the moonlight he saw a towpath skirting the far edge.
A large man on a bicycle was riding along the towpath away from Wareham. He was staring across at the Boathouse. A very big man indeed, wearing a windcheater and a deerstalker hat pulled well down over his forehead. Impossible to see his face.
Suddenly the light on his machine was switched off. He had been cruising slowly past but now he increased speed, vanished. Philip's sixth sense came to life. He closed the curtain after checking the door locks. Then he toured the suite, checking all the window locks.
He forced himself to take a quick shower despite a wave of fatigue which unexpectedly came over him. Slipping into pyjamas, he flopped into bed, read a few pages of a paperback, then switched off the bedside light. Why was he oppressed with a sense of imminent doom?
3
Newman also was alert, restless, after he had left Philip. He wandered back through the garden where the lawn was coated with a white frost. The temperature was very low but cold stimulated him.
'I wonder if Tweed is still up.' he mused to himself. 'I'll give him a ring from that phone box Philip described, bring him up to date if I catch him
He entered through the lounge doors, thought of going up to his room, decided his windcheater would protect him enough. The night man behind the counter gave him a key to get back in.
'Feel like a walk. Not sleepy.' Newman remarked and closed the door, locking it as he stood in the cobbled courtyard.
He met them as he walked into the old square. Wareham was a town of Georgian houses, originals. They were cluttered all round the square. A group of six motorcyclists sat astride their machines near the exit from the square into the South Street.
As he appeared they began drinking beer from cans and several lit cigarettes. Why did he get the impression they were putting on an act as soon as he appeared? One, who had his gloves tucked under his arm, was blowing on his cold hands. Several wore their large crash helmets, watched him through huge goggles.
'You won't find any street ladies in this dump,' one of them called out in a sneering tone.
'You never know.' Newman replied amiably and kept walking.
He turned right into the deserted South Street and saw the phone box. Once inside he lifted the receiver, inserted coins, and dialled Park Crescent. Three of the motorcycle gang had wheeled their machines into South Street and stood watching him. After dialling Newman turned with his back to the phone so he could watch the gang. If they started anything he'd crack a few skulls with the barrel of his Smith amp; Wesson . 38. Monica took the call, put him straight on to Tweed. Newman reported tersely, hung up the phone.
He walked back slowly, hands swinging slowly by his side. His very deliberate march seemed to worry them. They backed away to their original position. Newman walked on back to the Priory. A crop of the usual macho types. Then he remembered the motorcyclist Philip had told him had followed Eve and himself back from Kingston.
Tweed put down the phone after listening to Newman. He told Paula and Monica the gist of Newman's conversation. It's going to be an all-night session, Paula had been thinking.
'Well, at least I'm glad Philip at long last appears to have found a woman friend,' she commented.
There could be something significant about Eve Warner's reference to being in security.' Tweed remarked. 'And her reference to it being 'special'. I just wonder.'
'Wonder what?' Paula probed.
'She could just be Special Branch.' Tweed glanced at the wall clock. 1.30 a.m. 'I think I'll call my old contact in that outfit, Merryweather. Like Philip, he's an owl. Doubt if it will work but it won't if I don't try. Could you get him, Monica? If he's there…'
'What is it, Tweed, at this hour?' Merryweather demanded when Tweed picked up his phone.
'Come off it, Sam.' Tweed chided him. 'You can't work until night has fallen. And you are there behind your desk. I need a favour.'
'You always do. What is it?'
'I'm going to give you a name. If she's employed by you I don't expect you to tell me.' Tweed paused to let that sink in. 'But if she is not on your staff it would be a great help to me to know. Her name is Eve Warner.'
Now it was Merryweather's turn to pause. Tweed waited patiently, winking at Paula. It was a very long pause before the reply came.
'Tweed, if I tried to get the name of someone on your staff – or tried to check that they were not on your staff -would you tell me? Like hell you would.'
'This is serious. I'm working on something which has involved three murders in the past few hours.'
Try Scotland Yard. I can recommend Chief Inspector Roy Buchanan,' Merryweather added wickedly.
'You're a big help.'
'I always try to be. Keep in touch. Good night. Or rather good morning…'
Tweed put the phone down, shook his head.
'He wouldn't cooperate?' Paula enquired.
'There was a very long pause before he stonewalled me. It could be significant. Or he may have been reading a document. He does that, I know, when he's talking on the phone. So we just don't know.'
'Did Bob give you any opinion of this Eve Warner?'
'No, for some reason he was terse, as though he also had something else on his mind.'
