shouting at a couple of the dossers from the nearby halfway house, his oversized Adam’s apple bobbing up and down thirteen to the dozen.
‘It’s a very big operation,’ Mayflower continued, determined not to be put off by Carlyle’s snide response. ‘We employ something like a thousand staff, give or take, across a wide range of professions, whose varied skills include catering, gardening and furniture restoration. There are even two employees whose job it is to look after the three hundred clocks.’
‘I see.’ Outside, Trevor had flounced off and the drunks were now arguing among themselves.
Mayflower was on a roll: ‘There are five departments in the Royal Household. There is the Private Secretary’s Office, the Master of the Household’s Department, the Privy Purse and Treasurer’s Office, the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, and the Royal Collection Department.’
A thought belatedly popped into Carlyle’s head. ‘So you work with SO14?’
‘Yes!’ Mayflower’s eyes danced with glee, like a teacher who had just got through to a particularly slow pupil. ‘The Royal Household appointed a Director of Security Liaison a few years ago. I believe we have a number of acquaintances in common, such as Mr Adam and Mr Dolan.’
Slowly Carlyle re-established eye-contact. ‘Why are you here?’
Mayflower picked up the second slice of toast. ‘Carole Simpson asked me if I could be of assistance.’
‘You know Commander Simpson?’
‘Oh, yes!’ Mayflower waved his piece of toast in front of his face. ‘I’ve known Carole for a very long time. She is a wonderful woman.’
Carlyle said nothing.
Mayflower nibbled again on his toast. ‘Such a shame, what happened to her husband.’
‘Yes.’
‘And for this latest. . upset to happen to her, just when it looked as if she was getting things back on an even keel.’
Carlyle’s eyes narrowed. He knew he was being toyed with. ‘What happened?’
‘Didn’t you know?’ Mayflower asked, as if amused. ‘Joshua was beaten up last month by one of the other inmates. Nothing too serious, but he was in hospital for a few days. The prison authorities then insisted on having him handcuffed to his bed — outrageous! Carole was mortified, and rightly so.’
‘Oh.’ Carlyle felt a slight pang of guilt. All the extra aggravation he’d caused Simpson in the last few weeks, while she’d had this stuff on her plate.
‘He was teaching a maths class,’ Mayflower said cheerily, ‘and apparently he shouted at one of the more stupid pupils, who took offence. He’s always been too arrogant for his own good, that fellow. But, even so. . Carole has been in quite a state about it all.’
‘I can imagine.’
Mayflower put a tactful hand on Carlyle’s forearm. ‘Don’t say I mentioned it.’
‘No.’
‘I don’t suppose she’d want many people to hear about it.’
‘No.’
‘And,’ Mayflower removed his hand and took a sip of his tea, ‘she’s worried about you too, you know.’
The inspector was genuinely surprised. ‘She is?’
Mayflower placed his cup back on its saucer. He glanced at the urn, but said nothing. ‘This case of yours — very nasty.’
‘She told you about it?’
‘She mentioned some of the details.’ The sparkle went out of Mayflower’s eyes and he was all business now. ‘Obviously, anything to do with the Palace is of interest to me.’
‘Simpson doesn’t seem to think it has anything to do with the Palace,’ Carlyle said, aware of sounding churlish.
‘Carole is a very open-minded and fair person,’ Mayflower said evenly. ‘She also has a great deal of faith in you, and respect for your judgement.’
Feeling himself redden slightly, Carlyle said nothing.
‘At the same time,’ Mayflower continued, ‘she told me that you can be a bit of a bull in a china shop.’ Carlyle started to protest, but the other man held up a hand. ‘You simply can’t take that approach at the Palace. You will get nowhere.’
‘I used to work there.’
‘I know.’ Mayflower crossed his arms and sat back on his bench, his point made as far as he was concerned. ‘And look how that ended. A particularly unhappy chapter of your career, as I understand it.’
‘That would be a fair description of it,’ Carlyle sighed.
‘So, this is where I come in. I can help you satisfactorily pursue your investigation, while ensuring that the interests of the Royal Household are also properly looked after.’
‘And what if the two collide?’
‘Inspector,’ Mayflower said firmly, ‘I can assure you that if there is anything at all to your suspicions regarding Thomas Dolan and the Earl of Falkirk, you will have my full support and assistance in ensuring that they are brought to justice.’
‘Falkirk?’ Carlyle asked, fully engaged now.
‘Carole says that you have some serious concerns about our Mr Elstree-Ullick.’ Mayflower looked around theatrically. ‘Between us, I too have concerns. They may be the same concerns, or they may be different, but the basic point is that Gordon and his cronies could end up doing a great deal of damage to the Royal Household.’
That’s hardly my primary concern, Carlyle thought. But he bit his tongue. ‘Do you have any evidence?’
‘I like to think that I operate with a light hand on the tiller,’ Mayflower replied, ‘but I hear things and I have seen things.’
‘What kind of things?’
‘Well. . he treats the staff terribly. He ran over one of the bodyguards in his Aston Martin a few months ago, broke the poor man’s leg. Did he apologise? No. Did he agree to be interviewed about it by the police? Hardly. He acts as if he is above the law.’
‘Isn’t he?’ Carlyle asked. ‘That’s exactly what it sounds like.’
‘He most certainly should
The inspector raised an eyebrow. ‘The Queen is immune from prosecution?’
‘Yes. British justice is administered in the name of the monarch. The sovereign not only has immunity from prosecution, but it has also become accepted that he or she cannot be required to give evidence in court. Historic precedent and tradition aim to protect the dignity of the monarch, and therefore the process that dispenses justice in her name.’
Carlyle frowned. ‘So if the old girl lost it one day and started down The Mall taking out tourists with an Uzi, she would be able to get away with it.’
Mayflower smiled indulgently. Simpson had already warned him that the inspector could be most trying, and he was determined not to be riled by Carlyle’s childishness. ‘An arresting image, Inspector, but it’s hardly a plausible scenario, is it?’
Carlyle’s frown deepened. ‘But what about the principle?’
Mayflower laughed. ‘What a strange policeman you are, Inspector!’
‘What else does Falkirk get up to?’ Carlyle asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.
‘He is a very colourful character. There are lots of unaccredited guests, drinking parties, young girls. .’
‘How young?’
A pained expression crossed Mayflower’s face. ‘Younger than you would have thought necessary, by all accounts.’
Having no time for the cryptic, Carlyle changed tack. ‘I’ve spoken to Falkirk,’ he said abruptly. ‘And he did not cooperate in any way.’
‘So I heard.’ Mayflower pursed his lips and steepled his fingers in prayer. ‘Maybe we could talk to him together?’
