'Tragic, sir. But why did Grant do it, do you think? What was in it for him?'
The A/C shrugged. 'Money probably. There are those who would like to see every last communist out of the country, and the White's plot, if successful, would certainly have achieved that. After the Coneybrook debacle, of course, his masters quickly became suspicious of him – though only with regard to his competence – and Underwood was deputed to keep an eye on him. Grant would have expected that, of course, given the circumstances. Nominally senior to him, Underwood was from a different department. They scarcely knew each other. A spy through and through, he quickly smelled a rat. He decided to play the idiot but keep a close watch on Grant's movements and those of some of his men. When I telephoned with Nash's suspicions, I was fortunate to get Underwood himself. Turns out I was pushing at an open door. He'd been waiting for Grant to catch himself out, but now he decided to strike.' The A/C chuckled. 'The rule, I suppose, is never to trust those at the top.'
'I'll bear that in mind, sir,' smiled Felix.'
'I'm sure you will. Now then — Miss Valentine. How's she doing?'
'Physically, she's recovering, sir. Otherwise not so well. Nash has taken time off to look after her. He won't let her go into a nursing home, though she really needs twenty-four hour care.'
The A/C nodded grimly. 'I think we owe them more than that. I have a certain flexibility in these things and I'll be having a word with him.'
*
Two years later, Clare Nash mounted her first exhibition, with a book soon following. To her many admirers her work was "inspired," to others "difficult," but few except Clare and her devoted John knew of the dark place whence it came.
The End
Dear Reader, I hope you enjoyed Death and a Snapper as much as I enjoyed writing it. It made a change for me to put a bit of action into it. Would you consider leaving a review and letting me know what you think? The easiest way is to put title and author into the Amazon search, then scroll down and click on the box 'Write a customer review.' Warm regards and thank you. Ralph Bentley.
Death and a Snapper (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 6) Page 11
