'Sorry, Miss?'
'Oh, nothing, Billy. Nothing at all. Let me know if I can be of any help with Doreen.' She looked down at the map and circled Priscilla's name. 'And in the meantime, I'll see if Mrs. Partridge has managed to wheedle an introduction to Lady Petronella!'
Billy stood up and stepped towards his desk. 'You shouldn't have any trouble getting her on the dog and bone. I did the job over at her house to last a lifetime, and she can hear the ring from any room in that house.'
Maisie smiled as she moved from the case map table to her desk in the corner. 'You're a good man, Billy. Now then, let's see if we can cover more ground in this case-I want to know who attacked me and why, and I want to know why half the people I've spoken to seem to be lying to me. Call that a gut feeling.'
As she was about to take her seat, the telephone on her desk rang.
'Miss Dobbs-Detective Inspector Caldwell here. Have you a moment?'
'Of course, Inspector. Do you have some news for me?'
'Some good and some not quite so good.'
Maisie sat down, curious regarding possible developments in the case, while at the same time pleased that relations with Caldwell seemed to be moving in a positive direction. Even on the telephone she felt his manner was more conducive to collaboration than it had been in the past.
'I'm not sure which I'd like to hear first.'
'Let's start with the good: We've found your case.'
Maisie shivered. Her senses heightened to the darker side of Caldwell's purpose for calling.
'And now you have to tell me about the circumstances in which it was recovered.'
'I'm afraid so.'
'Go on.'
'The police were called to a flat just off the Edgware Road where a disturbance had been reported. I'll be frank, it was a miserable cold-water flat, a right slum-and I've seen a few glory holes in my time, I can tell you. Anyway, the men had to force entry-the door was locked-and when they broke in they found the body of a man, close to which was your case.'
'Have you identified him yet? And what was the cause of death?'
'Multiple wounds to the skull, your usual blunt object wound-might have been a cosh, a poker, you name it. Something heavy, no doubt about it. Dr. Barrow-the examiner-will be able to give more information, though I can tell you now, he's no Maurice Blanche, so we don't expect the same sort of breadth of speculation in the report that we were used to when your former employer was advising us. I can tell you there was extreme loss of blood, and most of it seems to have washed across your nice leather case, I'm afraid.'
'Oh-'
'And the deceased goes by the name of-' Maisie heard Caldwell turn pages as he looked for the name. 'Sydney Mullen.'
'Mullen?' She looked across the room at Billy, whose eyes were wide.
'Small-time market trader and even smaller-time crook. More of a tea boy to certain higher-up villains over in the East End that we'd like to have longer let's-get-to-know-you conversations with, if only we had something to pin on them. Know him?'
'Not personally. But he knew Michael Clifton in the war. He owed his life to Clifton.'
'That's all I need, a bloody maze to get lost in.'
'I know how you feel, Inspector.' Demonstrating a willingness to collaborate might not be such a bad thing, thought Maisie. 'I'll do my best to find a way through at this end. Has a motive been established?'
'Could have been someone he was working for, come to see what he'd brought in from his day's work. He could have owed money to the sort of person you should never owe money to. Who knows, with a fellow like that? Our men are talking to the neighbors, and they're looking for anyone he associated with. Seems he'd been seen with a woman lately. Bit of a nice-looking woman, according to a report. Apparently she was nicely turned out, even if her clothes weren't brand spanking new.'
'Did she have dark hair?'
'Yes, she did. Know anything?'
'It might be nothing, but Mr. Clifton said he saw a man and woman arguing in the hotel foyer on the day of the attack. He remembered her dark hair.'
'The hotel should have their names.'
'I don't think they were guests. But they were there for a reason-you don't just wander into the Dorchester unless you are staying there or meeting someone. In any case, they were asked to leave, I understand. That sort of racket isn't appreciated by guests at the Dorchester.'
'I could have done with a different sort of crime to launch my promotion.' Caldwell sighed. 'What would you like me to do with this document case, when we're finished with it?'
'Was it empty?'
'There's a Victorinox knife-a good one, I can see. And a small bag of tools. I won't ask what you might use these for. No papers, but a couple of those medical masks.'
'A pair of rubber gloves?'
'No, but now I know why we didn't find any dabs other than those of the deceased.'
'And the case is badly stained.'
'Put it this way, Miss Dobbs. My wife accuses me of being a hoarder, of keeping things that are old, don't work, or are beyond repair-and I would throw this in the dustbin without looking back, particularly with that man's blood all over it.'
'Then please dispose of it when it has served its purpose as far as Scotland Yard is concerned.'
'Sorry about that. After all, it meant a lot to you.'
Maisie nodded. 'Yes. It held a lot of memories, but at least they can't be stolen or destroyed. I'd like the other items back, though-the knife was a gift from my father.'
'Right you are. In the meantime, I'll keep you apprised of the Cliftons' progress. I know you're working in their best interests. The elder son will be here soon; however, one more thing-don't be surprised if you receive a visit from an American embassy official. The fact that two American citizens were attacked has given rise to their own internal investigation, and I've already had representatives from the embassy under my feet.'
'Forewarned is forearmed, Inspector. Thank you.'
'Now then, I've got work to do here.'
'Thank you for your telephone call, your consideration is much appreciated.'
Maisie replaced the receiver and turned to Billy.
'Mullen copped it then?'
'Yes. Blunt object to the head, significant loss of blood, and most of it drenched my document case.'
'Aw, that's rotten, Miss.'
'Mind you, I have the examiner's name. We might need to see him at some point. In the meantime, Billy, I'd like you to see what you can turn up on Mullen. I know Caldwell is being very accommodating, very friendly, but that's not to say he'll share and share alike with the most pertinent information. And you think you can see those other women on your list by the end of tomorrow?'
'Yes, Miss.'
'Good. I suppose you'll start with the watering holes in the search for more on Mullen.'
'I keep it to a half a pint for me, and as much for the other blokes as it takes for them to totter down memory lane and reveal all.' Billy tapped the side of his nose and winked in a conspiratorial fashion. 'That's one thing about us East Enders, Miss, we've got the gift of the gab, and we're good at telling stories. I just have to find the blokes who are good at the telling-as long as it's the truth. Being a Londoner, I can always tell. Might even be a gut feeling.'
'And you'll let me know if there's anything I can do for Doreen?'
Billy pulled his coat from the hook behind the door and turned to Maisie as he placed his cap on his head. 'I'm sure she'd like to see you, Miss, if you can spare the time. It always meant a lot to her, that you came over to Shoreditch for our Lizzie, and that you did so much for her.' He looked down at the floor. 'And it meant a lot to me, that you sorted it all out for Doreen, that you got her out of that terrible asylum and into a decent hospital with a doctor who could really help her. So, if you can come over, I'd-'
