“I do,” she said. “If one of those two was a car thief, they could have driven away the Lotus during the afternoon and returned for their own car the following day.”
“A bit obvious, leaving their own vehicle overnight,” Diamond reflected. “A professional car thief wouldn’t be so stupid.”
“Maybe this was an opportunist crime,” Hen said. “They picked up her bag after she was dead.”
There was a flaw here, and Diamond was quick to pounce. “But they wouldn’t know which car the key fitted, unless they’d watched her drive in. Which brings us back to Bellman. He’s the only one who knew she owned a Lotus. Could he have nicked it after killing her and acquiring the bag?”
Hen was equally unimpressed. “And returned for his own car before the car park closed? I can’t think why he’d do it. If he’s the killer, it was jealousy, or passion, or frustrated pride, not a wish to own a smart car.”
Stalemate.
Hen promised to follow up on West and Patel when she got back to Bognor. Either could turn out to be a car thief. People had murdered for less than a Lotus Esprit.
“We made some headway,” Diamond said as a conciliatory gesture after they’d parked behind the police station. “It’s not all disappointment.”
“Far from it,” she agreed.
There was a gap while each thought hard for some positive result from the morning. Displacement activity was easier. Hen lit up a cigar and Diamond checked the pressure of his car tyres by kicking them.
Inside the nick, a sergeant from uniform spotted Diamond and came over at once. “Everyone’s looking for you, sir. You’re wanted at the Bath Spa Hotel.”
“Who by?”
“An inspector from Special Branch and a lady by the name of Val something.”
“Walpurgis?”
“That’s it.”
“What the hell are they doing at the Bath Spa?” He turned to Hen.
She shook her head.
“Want to back me up?” he asked her.
“Why? Feeling nervous?”
They returned to the car.
The Bath Spa, on the east side of the city in Sydney Road, vies with the Royal Crescent for the title of Bath’s most exclusive hotel. It is a restored nineteenth-century mansion in its own grounds, with facilities that include a solarium, indoor swimming pool and sauna. Diamond and Hen announced themselves at Reception and a call was put through to one of the guest suites. They weren’t invited to go up.
“The gentleman said he’s coming down, sir.”
“Special Branch being careful,” Hen murmured to Diamond. “I’m going outside for a smoke.”
Diamond took a seat in the drawing room under an oil painting of one of the Stuart kings. He wasn’t sure which.
The ‘gentleman’, when he arrived soon after, was in jeans and a black leather jacket, worn, without a doubt, to conceal a gun. He was chewing compulsively. “Tony,” he said to Diamond. “Special Branch.” Pale and red-eyed, he looked as if life in the security service was taking a heavy toll.
“My colleague smokes,” Diamond said. “She’ll join us presently.”
“I gave up,” Tony said, adding unnecessarily, “I chew gum.”
“Whose decision was it to bring Walpurgis to this place?”
“Her own. She expects the best.”
“I’m against it,” Diamond said.
“So was I,” Tony said with a persecuted look. “You haven’t met her yet.”
“Isn’t she aware of the risk?”
“I’m not sure if she’s aware of anything except herself.”
Diamond said he would collect Hen. Tony decided he’d left Anna Walpurgis alone for long enough. He said he would see them upstairs on the top floor in the Beau Nash Suite.
Before going outside, Diamond phoned Manvers Street and spoke to Halliwell. It was agreed that Sergeant John Leaman should be assigned to guarding Walpurgis for the time being.
“Some buggers get all the luck,” Halliwell complained. “Stuck in a posh hotel with a gorgeous bird like that.”
“I’m told it may not be so easy,” Diamond said.
He went into the grounds to find Hen.
Tony from Special Branch admitted them to the sitting-room section of the suite. There was no sign of the main guest.
“Taking a shower,” he explained. “As soon as she’s out, I’m off.”
“Anything we should know about her?” Diamond enquired.
“She’ll tell you.”
“Does she have luggage?”
“Five cases and a garment bag.”
“
“Can’t be seen in the same thing more than once.”
“Are you confident nobody knows she’s here?”
“In a word, no. Fortunately that’s not my problem any more. I’m told you volunteered to take her on.”
“I didn’t have this place in mind.”
“She did, as soon as Bath was mentioned.”
“Wise woman,” Hen said, to take some heat out of the exchange.
A door opened and, almost on cue, the wise woman emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white silk dressing gown and with nothing on her feet. She was stunningly pretty, with blue eyes and dead-straight blond hair. “Is it a party?” she asked. “Or maybe a wake, by the look of you.”
Before Diamond could introduce himself, Tony from Special Branch said, “I’m off, then.” He was through the door and gone.
Anna Walpurgis delivered her opinion. “Tosser. He shouldn’t be in the job. Are you the replacements?”
Diamond gave their names and ranks. “More of a welcoming committee,” he explained. “Someone else will be with you shortly.”
“Another kid, I suppose,” she said. “I so prefer mature men. You’re, like, over fifty, yah, approaching your prime? My husband-rest his soul-was well over sixty when I married him. And to save you asking, we were a perfect match and the sex was wicked. Do you like shopping?”
“Depends,” said Diamond.
“Don’t be coy, big man. I’m addicted. I want to hit those Bath shops before they close tonight. Milsom Street first, and no prisoners.”
“That may not be such a good idea,” Diamond started to say.
“Why? You know a better place for shops? I’m thinking clothes at this point.”
“I’m thinking safety, ma’am,” he said. “There’s a man who means to murder you.”
She flapped her hand. “Yeah, and like that’s the only threat I ever received in my life?”
“We take it seriously, and so should you.”
“The only thing I’m taking is a taxi to the town centre,” she said, refusing to be sidetracked. “After two weeks banged up, I’m suffering serious withdrawal from Harrods and Harvey Nicks. Don’t look so glum. It’s my AmEx Gold they’ll be swiping, not yours. What’s your first name anyway? Let me guess-something nice and codgery. Barnaby?”
“If we’re going to get on, Miss Walpurgis-”
“Anna.”
“If we’re going to get on, Anna, you’ve got to be serious about what’s happening. It’s not a good plan to go shopping. You’ll be recognised. It’ll get around that you’re in Bath. He’ll follow.”
She said as if she hadn’t heard, “Not Barnaby? How about Humphrey, then?”
“It may be necessary for you to stay here for the first night,” he explained. “After that, we move you to a
