investigation to go further.’
She stiffened.
‘What progress?’
‘You hired me to find out if your daughter is being blackmailed and, if so, by whom,’ I said carefully. ‘I saw your daughter collect the money from the bank. I followed her to a slum quarter of the waterfront. She left her car and entered the Black Cassette Disco. She remained there for ten minutes or so, then left without the money.’
Mrs. Thorsen sat as if turned to stone.
‘The Black Cassette? What is that?’ Her voice was harsh.
‘It is an all-black nightclub. No whites are allowed.’
‘Yet you say my daughter went in there?’
‘Obviously she was paying someone in the club the ten thousand dollars. That doesn’t mean she associates with blacks, Mrs. Thorsen.’
‘Then what does it mean?’
‘For all I know she may be contributing to a black fund; helping certain blacks who are living rough. I don’t know. But I do know that this club is owned by Hank Smedley, the son of your butler.’
Once again she turned to stone. I had to admire her. I could see how shocked she was, but her self-control couldn’t be faulted.
She sat for three long minutes, staring down at her beautiful hands.
‘Hank Smedley,’ she finally muttered, not looking at me. ‘Yes, of course. He used to help in the garden. I noticed my daughter and he were getting too friendly. He used to play with her. This was Angela’s growing-up period. She liked to romp and be stupid, and Hank, who was ten years older than she, encouraged her. I complained to my husband. He got rid of Hank. For a time Angela seemed to miss him.’ She drew in a deep breath. ‘So it would seem that she still meets him, and now gives him money. How dreadful!’
‘It looks like that, but it may not be so.’
‘I must talk to my butler about this!’ Her voice turned savage and she glared at me.
‘It would be better, Mrs. Thorsen, for you first to talk to your daughter.’
‘To Angela?’ She gave a bitter laugh. ‘She wouldn’t tell me anything. I really believe she hates me.’
‘There are complications, Mrs. Thorsen. I haven’t been wasting your money,’ I said. ‘If you want me to go further with this, then it is up to you. Just tell me, and my agency will either close the case or continue it.’
‘What complications?’
I certainly wasn’t going to bring her son onto the scene at this stage.
‘Hank is dangerous, Mrs. Thorsen,’ I said. ‘I would like to find out what is going on in his club. The police have tried, but have got nowhere. If I can find enough evidence of wrongdoing, I want to put this man behind bars. This is now up to you.’
There was a cruel, hard look on her gaunt lace as she said, ‘Nothing would please me more than to know that useless scum is in prison! Very well! I don’t care how much it costs! Continue the investigation!’
‘I will do that, but only on one condition, Mrs. Thorsen,’ I said, getting to my feet. ‘I ask you to say nothing about this to your daughter nor to your butler. Is that understood!’
‘I leave it to you to put that animal behind bars!’ she said, and the viciousness in her voice was startling. ‘I leave it to you, and you take the responsibility!’
On that note, I left her.
CHAPTER 4
I sat in my car outside the Thorsens’ residence, listening to the steady rain drumming on the roof of my car. I turned over in my mind the conversation I had had with Mrs. Thorsen. At least she had given the agency the green light to go ahead with the investigation. As it was costing her, I decided she must get value for money.
I drove slowly along the high wall that encircled the estate. As I expected, I came on a narrow lane to my right, and I drove up it, still seeing the high wall. I hoped this lane would lead directly to the cottage where Angela Thorsen lived, and I was right.
Leaving the car on the wet grass verge and struggling into my mac, I walked up the short tarmac drive until I saw the
She stiffened.
‘What progress?’
‘You hired me to find out if your daughter is being blackmailed and, if so, by whom,’ I said carefully. ‘I saw your daughter collect the money from the bank. I followed her to a slum quarter of the waterfront. She left her car and entered the Black Cassette Disco. She remained there for ten minutes or so, then left without the money.’
Mrs. Thorsen sat as if turned to stone.
‘The Black Cassette? What is that?’ Her voice was harsh.
‘It is an all-black nightclub. No whites are allowed.’
‘Yet you say my daughter went in there?’
‘Obviously she was paying someone in the club the ten thousand dollars. That doesn’t mean she associates with blacks, Mrs. Thorsen.’
‘Then what does it mean?’
‘For all I know she may be contributing to a black fund; helping certain blacks who are living rough. I don’t know. But I do know that this club is owned by Hank Smedley, the son of your butler.’
Once again she turned to stone. I had to admire her. I could see how shocked she was, but her self-control couldn’t be faulted.
She sat for three long minutes, staring down at her beautiful hands.
‘Hank Smedley,’ she finally muttered, not looking at me. ‘Yes, of course. He used to help in the garden. I noticed my daughter and he were getting too friendly. He used to play with her. This was Angela’s growing-up period. She liked to romp and be stupid, and Hank, who was ten years older than she, encouraged her. I complained to my husband. He got rid of Hank. For a time Angela seemed to miss him.’ She drew in a deep breath. ‘So it would seem that she still meets him, and now gives him money. How dreadful!’
‘It looks like that, but it may not be so.’
‘I must talk to my butler about this!’ Her voice turned savage and she glared at me.
‘It would be better, Mrs. Thorsen, for you first to talk to your daughter.’
‘To Angela?’ She gave a bitter laugh. ‘She wouldn’t tell me anything. I really believe she hates me.’
‘There are complications, Mrs. Thorsen. I haven’t been wasting your money,’ I said. ‘If you want me to go further with this, then it is up to you. Just tell me, and my agency will either close the case or continue it.’
‘What complications?’
I certainly wasn’t going to bring her son onto the scene at this stage.
‘Hank is dangerous, Mrs. Thorsen,’ I said. ‘I would like to find out what is going on in his club. The police have tried, but have got nowhere. If I can find enough evidence of wrongdoing, I want to put this man behind bars. This is now up to you.’
There was a cruel, hard look on her gaunt lace as she said, ‘Nothing would please me more than to know that useless scum is in prison! Very well! I don’t care how much it costs! Continue the investigation!’
‘I will do that, but only on one condition, Mrs. Thorsen,’ I said, getting to my feet. ‘I ask you to say nothing about this to your daughter nor to your butler. Is that understood!’
‘I leave it to you to put that animal behind bars!’ she said, and the viciousness in her voice was startling. ‘I leave it to you, and you take the responsibility!’
On that note, I left her.
CHAPTER 4
I sat in my car outside the Thorsens’ residence, listening to the steady rain drumming on the roof of my car. I turned over in my mind the conversation I had had with Mrs. Thorsen. At least she had given the agency the green light to go ahead with the investigation. As it was costing her, I decided she must get value for money.
I drove slowly along the high wall that encircled the estate. As I expected, I came on a narrow lane to my right, and I drove up it, still seeing the high wall. I hoped this lane would lead directly to the cottage where Angela Thorsen lived, and I was right.
Leaving the car on the wet grass verge and struggling into my mac, I walked up the short tarmac drive until I saw the
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