He listened to a further question and replied testily: ‘Educated? Gracious, man — does it matter? She’s hardly likely to be taking part in a Platonic symposium in the company we have in mind. But if you need to know — according to her notes, she matriculated from a boys’ grammar school. Odd, that …’ He consulted his file. ‘Is that possible? Should have been followed up at interview … Not to be dismissed, those establishments … my best super is a product of one such. We’ll probably find they’ve taught her to conjugate a deponent verb and debunk the Phlogiston Theory in a hundred words. Let’s pray she’s not minded to do either on Saturday week. It would fall a bit flat.
‘Appearance? Again, acceptable. No, I’d go so far as to say attractive.’ He cleared his throat and admitted: ‘In fact, damned attractive. Hard to tell what’s under all that serge, of course. I had to use my imagination. Physical type is right — pony rather than the usual shire horse we have on our books. Well coupled up. Moves nicely. A grace that’s natural, you’d say, rather than imposed by deportment classes. Fair hair, fashionably cut. I have to say they’ll make a lovely pair.’
A further muttered question raised a blustering response. ‘Good Lord, man, I didn’t ask. I say — there is a limit!
‘Oh, yes, she has physical courage. Saw her damn nearly get herself knifed at Paddington. Excellent report in her file from her ju-jitsu instructor. And she’s resourceful. I’ll bear witness to both qualities. And, in Margery’s words, she’s “forthcoming”. By that my cousin meant the girl’s ready to speak up for herself.’ Joe grinned. ‘Some might say impertinent and undisciplined. No idea when to hold her tongue. Still, I keep reminding myself — and I remind you, James — it’s not a doormat we’re looking for. And perhaps we shall just have to accommodate and learn to manage a little female free-thinking. I’m ahead of you there — brought up by a suffragist mother and sister, I’ve been doing it all my life. But we have one problem, James, old man. When I said a moment ago that she’d left, I meant exactly that.’ He gave a shout of laughter. ‘So freely does the constable think, she’s just buggered off, leaving me with her resignation letter on my desk.
‘Yes! Yes! Flounced out! I didn’t know whether to have her arrested or give her a round of applause …
‘No, no need for the heavy hand. Not yet. I had the forethought to set a reserve bait. I think I’ve worked out what makes Miss Wentworth tick. She’ll be back in the net before you can say knife. No need for concern. I have our girl in hand. I think we can say with some confidence that it’s all on for Saturday week.’
He looked at his watch. ‘Now, James, I want you and whoever you’ve put in charge of next Saturday’s jollification … Rupert? Ah, yes — good man … to come up here to the ops room for a briefing and exchange of information and to meet your opposite number in the CID, Superintendent Hopkirk. Six suit you? Time we all shook the cards from our sleeves and laid them out on the table. Officers possibly in the line of fire — always a concern whether they’re male, doubly so when they’re female. And “Carnage at Claridges” is not a headline I want to see splashed across the Daily Mirror the next day.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘Well, what do you think, Phyl? And please don’t tell me he’s only after-’
‘I wasn’t going to. Give me some credit. In fact, I was going to say — you seem to have caught the attention of the one man in London who’s not Only After One Thing!’ Auntie Phyl put on the spectacles that dangled on her slim bosom and peered again at the florist’s card. ‘Hard to say what he is after, but whatever it may be, it’s not a girl’s most precious possession.’