by David Adkins
*
It was just gone 11 am when I stepped out on to the Strand. In just under a month my world had been completely turned on its head. It was almost impossible to take it all in. I looked across at the very grand Savoy Hotel and smiled. I would soon be able to afford a room in there I thought to myself.
I arrived at Ladywell Station a couple hours later and decided to take a lunch time stroll through Ladywell Fields along by the River Ravensbourne. It had developed into a fine almost spring-like day after a wintry start and walking by the river gave me a chance to clear my head before reaching home. When I eventually arrived home I made myself some sandwiches and settled down for what should be a quiet and peaceful weekend. It seemed to me that the amazing events of the past few weeks would reach a climax in the next few days. Would Smith really put a cheque for £55,000 in my hand and would Cassie Mitchell really agree to go to California with me? I was sure of both, which left me in high spirits.
Both on Saturday and Sunday I was tempted to ring Cassie at her lodgings in Tottenham Court Road but desisted because I did not want to appear desperate. I was craving her company for I could think of little else but Cassie after that wonderful night I had spent with her, but there was no need for her to know I was that desperate. I might seem like a pest if I started ringing her. I told myself I would see her on Tuesday and she said she would see me after her evening performance at the Gaiety, which probably meant another night in her bed. Being in love was wonderful… but I was finding it very difficult at times. So the weekend passed with me trying to relax and listening most of the time to the wireless with one brief exception. The restful weekend was interrupted by a telephone call on Sunday morning which I answered with enthusiasm thinking it may be Cassie. “Is that Mr Coulson?” It was a male voice.
“Yes, how can I help you?”
“My name is Colin Sugar and please don’t say how sweet it is to hear from me,” he joked.
“I wasn’t about to say that and you are?”
“I am a reporter for the News of the World.”
I groaned inwardly. Was this the start of the pressure on me that Smith had warned me about? “How can I help you?” There was no keenness in my tone.
“I was in the public gallery during the trial of Max Lucas. I see the potential for a great story here and I think you might be able to help me with it.”
“What story?” I asked.
“Can you see the headline, Mr Coulson? Who is the mystery woman? Our readers would find such a headline most gripping and tantalizing.”
“No, I cannot see the headline,” I corrected him. “Now if you will excuse me I have things to do.”
“There could be a nice fat fee in it for you if you would help.”
“I cannot help,” I assured him.
“Don’t be too hasty, Mr Coulson. I will call on you tomorrow evening if I may? I know your address.”
“Don’t bother for you will be wasting your time.”
“It is no bother I can assure you. I will see you tomorrow, goodbye Mr Coulson.”
He had gone and I was left holding the phone. I shrugged as I placed the receiver down. It will be a bother Mr Sugar and you will be wasting your time. I went back to listening to the wireless and tucked into my meal.
It was a relief when I got out of bed on Monday morning with the knowledge that things would soon be moving forward again. As I took the train into London I contemplated that I would not be doing that many more times in the future. I arrived at my office at 9 am and settled down at my desk. Most of the staff had already arrived and were seated at their desks but James arrived shortly after me.
“I won’t be in the office tomorrow until the afternoon, so I would like to take you out for a farewell lunch today,” he invited me.
“An excellent idea,” I agreed.
The morning passed slowly and I was beginning to despair of Smith showing up. My fears proved unfounded when Smith appeared just before noon. He was his usual efficient self and greeted James with a handshake and me with a knowing smile. “You can use Victor’s office,” said James.
“Thanks,” I said and showed Smith into Victor’s plush office.
“It will not take long,” Smith said acknowledging James’s words.
I closed the door behind us and we sat down facing one another with Smith smiling like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.
“This silence and your expression are making me feel ill at ease. I hope everything has gone according to plan Mr Smith.”
“Steve, there is no need to worry. My expression comes from the habit of interviewing people and putting them on the back foot. You will be glad to know I no longer need to place you on the back foot.”
“I am pleased to hear it.”
He placed two things on the glass table between us. One was an envelope and one was the document which I recognized as the Official Secrets Act document. “One is for you and the other is for you to sign.”
I opened the envelope and found within a cheque made out to me for £55,000. “That looks in order,” I said breathlessly.
“It is less messy to give you that than to eliminate you, providing it has the same result.”
“It will,” I assured him.
“£55,000 is a small price to pay to avoid any difficulties arising with regard to whom we employ to help safeguard our country. Do not let me down, Steve.” He levelled a hard glare in my direction. “I am also certain that you know what the circumstances of any indiscretion would be. However, you have agreed to move abroad as soon as feasible which gets you further out of reach of any temptation.”
“A reporter from the News of the World has already contacted me.”
“I am not surprised. They will be persistent but have nothing to do with them. I will be watching you until you leave the country so make it very soon. When you are gone it will be one less thing for me to worry about.”
I nodded. “I have a few things to sort out and then I will be on my way.”
“Sign the document, Steve.”
I started to read it.
Smith looked amused. “It is the same document as you read before.”
“I trust you Mr Smith,” I said and signed the document after a quick perusal.
“We have finished our business then.” He offered me his hand.
I hesitated.
“You are not getting on your moral high ground again.”
“No, I am remembering those two punches you threw at me while I was being held and the threats you made to Cassie Mitchell.”
He laughed. “You hit me first and wasn’t it all worth it?” He gestured at the cheque in my hand.
I took his hand and shook it. “Goodbye Mr Smith.”
He got up and left the office without saying another word and I was left staring at the cheque in my quivering hand. I was now in possession of a small fortune. This small document in my right hand was about to change my life forever.
Lunch with James was a pleasant affair. We did not speak of the Max Lucas case and all the repercussions both good and bad from it. We both knew that this was now a taboo subject. The only thing I did say on the subject was to warn James to throw away that list of three people who the Bruitts had represented and forget about them. He agreed that he would do so, for he had no wish to be further involved in whatever had been going on. We reminisced on past events and happy joint experiences until it was time to part. I would miss James Butler for we had been good friends. I shook his hand warmly and we went our separate ways.
My way took me straight to my bank where I deposited my cheque. The girl at the till raised her eyebrows at the sum of money on the cheque. “Would you like to see the manager, sir?” she asked.
“Not at the moment but I will wish to do so shortly. I will ring the bank and make an appointment when I am ready.”
“He will see you promptly and at your convenience,” she assured me smiling.
I smiled to myself, sure that he would. I am now a man of pr
ominence and means.
There was nothing to do now but to return home. When I got back to Lewisham I would go to the nearest estate agent to home and put my house on the market. I would pay them to look after matters entirely for me and to recommend a solicitor. As a priority I had to make sure that all my funds could be transferred abroad easily as I needed them. I would have to look into that.
With this business successfully conducted it was late afternoon when I, at last, entered my house. Things were happening at a breathtaking speed but I would not be totally happy until the cheque had cleared and the money was in my account. This, however, was a minor worry for I was now confident enough to tell Cassie as soon as I saw her that I had come into money and I wanted her to go with me to California to start a new life together. It was my belief that living near Hollywood might well appeal to her.
At seven o’ clock there was a knock at my door. With all the excitement of the past day I had quite forgotten that the man from the News of the World had said he would call that evening. I opened the door, determined to get rid of him as quickly as possible. A small swarthy man was standing on my doorstep with a notepad in one hand and a briefcase in the other. He was obviously intending to conduct more business than I was prepared to entertain.
“I am Mr Sugar. Colin Sugar of the News of the World,” he announced himself.
“I really do not have anything to say to you,” I shook my head. “I warned you that you were wasting your time.”
“You may surprise yourself and there may be rewards to follow. You should listen to what I have to say, Mr Coulson.”
“I have no wish to listen to what you have to say.” I started to close my door.
“Then I shall have to see what Cassandra Mitchell has to say.”
“Leave Miss Mitchell out of this for she cannot help you,” I warned.
“I cannot do that for I have a puzzle to solve and I must speak to whoever might help me solve it and you did refer to Cassandra Mitchell in court.”
I sighed. “Come in and I will try to answer your questions.” I invited him into my lounge and offered him a seat. I then sat down myself. “Now how can I help you?”
“I was in the gallery at the Max Lucas court case and I have written a short article on it for my newspaper. However, it has the promise of being an intriguing and much bigger story. The police wrongly charged Max Lucas without enough evidence to convict him. As I was listening it became more and more obvious that the murder of Rupert Nesterman was committed by a dark-haired German woman and an unidentified accomplice. No motive is known and the police are obviously baffled. A beautiful woman who commits a murder will be of enormous interest to our readers for she is a woman of mystery. Mr Coulson, I intend to find out who she is and why she killed Nesterman. You are an obvious starting point because you are the only person who has really spoken to this woman. Those two waiters did not really speak with her and neither did Max Lucas. So here I am, Mr Coulson.”
I breathed a sigh of relief for he had not connected the Russell Square murder with the Mayfair Hotel murder. I realized that lying low was essential for this man was probably the first of many who would be knocking on my door seeking a story. “I said everything I know in court,” I assured him.
“You don’t mind if I ask a few questions though?” he persisted.
“Fire away,” I said.
“Did anyone else such as Cassie Mitchell or your lawyer colleague, James Butler, meet the woman at any time?”
“No, definitely not,” I replied.
“So you were the only one. How did she know you were working on the case?”
“I have no idea.”
“How did she know your address?”
“I have no idea. I can only assume she was doing her research.”
“So she did not want Lucas to hang for a crime she had committed and so she came to you. This does not sound like the action of a cold-blooded killer.”
“I guess not,” I agreed.
“Take me through your conversation with her please.”
“It was only short and it is as I told it in court and you were there. I do not intend to go through it again for there is nothing more to add.”
“She comes to you and says her bit and then disappears into thin air.” He shook his head. “Did she have any identifying features?”
“Not that I noticed. Her hair was long and dark and she was very pretty but apart from that she was quite average in height and build.”
“Did she come by car?”
“If she did then she did not park it outside my house. I looked out of the window after she left and she had started to walk back towards the main road.”
“And she never contacted you again.”
“No, she did not.”
“And all she said was that she and her accomplice had murdered Rupert Nesterman and the Lucas story was true.”
“Yes apart from telling me that she and Nesterman had gone in the Food Basket Restaurant and Pete’s Bar earlier in the evening.”
He stroked his chin. “They both happened to remember her and Nesterman despite all the customers they must have every day.”
“Williams told me he remembered them because of an accident when she knocked her plate off the table and Bannister told me he remembered her because she was a very beautiful young woman and she was with a much older man.”
“It still does not ring true, Mr Coulson. It just does not ring true. There is also another thing that is bothering me.”
“What is that?”
“The prosecution was most half-hearted.”
“Perhaps he wasn’t very competent,” I offered.
“Did she say anything else?”
“Not that I can remember.”
“What did you say her name was?”
“She only gave one name, Smith.”
“She certainly is a woman of mystery. Here is my card, Mr Coulson, so if you do think of anything else please give me a ring.” He stood up.
“I will, but I am sure there is nothing else.”
“I mean to track her down, Mr Coulson. It is a pity you could not have been of more help for there would have been something in it for you, something very worthwhile.”
I shrugged and stood up. “I will show you to the door, Mr Sugar.”
He offered his hand and I shook it. “I think I need to approach this from another angle and I may be back in touch.”
With that I closed the door behind him. I did not like the fact that I had felt bound to tell a few lies. I wondered what he meant by another angle but I was confident he would get nowhere. I just hoped he would not pester Cassie. I did not think he would for there was no need as I had assured him she had never met the woman. I hoped I would not hear from him again for I had much to do in the coming days without suffering any extra hassle from him. Smith was right, the sooner I left the country the better.
Chapter 14
Tuesday 6th to Monday 12th March
As I sat in my office the next morning I could not help reflecting that it had only been a month since I had met Cassie for the first time at the Lyons Tea House, which seemed to me almost unbelievable for so much had happened since we had first met and in such a short period. Had I really known Cassie for such a short time? I looked at my watch and realized I only had half an hour until Cassie was to meet me. On her arrival I decided that I would tell her that it was our anniversary and then I would take her out and buy her a present to celebrate. Jenny Morgan and the rest of the staff were working hard and, of course, neither James nor Victor was expected to arrive in the office until the afternoon. I settled back to wait.
When the clock in our office reached midday she had still not appeared and I was frustrated for I had so much to tell her and I was wondering what had happened to her. I could wait no longer and I left the office and crossed the road to the Gaiety Theatre for my first thought was that she might be there still trying to further her career. Once again I entered through the side e
ntrance and spoke to the attendant on duty. “My name is Steve Coulson and I wish to speak with Sid Bishop please.”
“Is it important?” he asked.
“It is very important,” I replied.
“Wait here, sir.”
I was only kept waiting for a few minutes when the jovial, rotund General Manager approached me. “You wish to speak with me urgently,” he said, retaining his friendly smile. “We spoke before. You are Cassie’s boyfriend.”
“That’s right and I am worried about her. I have not seen her since Saturday morning and I have not been able to contact her.” I elaborated a little to give my statement a sense of urgency.
“Saturday morning was the last time I saw her as well,” he said. “But I am sure you are worrying without reason for it is just a few days and she is an impulsive girl.”
“I thought she was spending the weekend at the Gaiety Theatre,” I said puzzled.
“She does not work here anymore.”
“Yes, but I thought you were going to re-employ her and that is why she was spending the weekend at the theatre.” I was getting even more puzzled.
“We did talk about that possibility on Saturday morning but she seemed to be joking to me and she certainly did not return after she left here.”
“What time was that?”
He pondered for a moment. “She left here at about 11.30 on Saturday morning and I have not seen her since. Now I have a rehearsal to organize Mr Coulson. My advice to you is not to worry and she will soon be back in touch.” I watched as he walked back into the interior of the theatre leaving me standing close to the exit door. It seemed Cassie had not done as she had intended to do with regard to re-employment. I wondered why and where she had been since Saturday morning. She would probably have returned to her flat and so I decided that would be my next destination. Once again I walked along the Strand and up Charing Cross Road into Tottenham Court Road until I reached the building where just a few days ago I had had such a wonderful time.
The door of the building was unobtrusively located next to the electrical stores. This time I knocked on the large metal knocker rather than creep furtively inside. As last time I knocked the door was opened by Cassie’s plump landlady. She addressed me in her squeaky voice. “How can I help you, sir? Wait a minute I have seen you before. You are Cassie’s gentleman friend, step into the hall.”
