about.’
‘Oh, but for heaven’s sake! A dead body’s found somewhere, and so the police instantly turn on the one person present with a criminal record. I thought they were supposed to be getting more sensitive and imaginative these days. Why can’t they—?’
‘Jude, the police had no option.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Mervyn’s confessed to the murder.’
Chapter Seven
‘Is this Carole Seddon?’
‘Yes.’ She was slightly mystified, trying to think who she knew with an American accent.
‘Oh, hi. My name is Professor Marla Teischbaum.’
Carole was caught on the hop. She should have been prepared for a phone call like this. As it was, she couldn’t think of anything to say.
‘From the University of California. Berkeley.’ But the voice wasn’t Californian; it carried the nasal twang of New York. ‘You probably know my name.’
‘No, I don’t think I’ve . . .’
‘Then you’re the only Bracketts Trustee who doesn’t.’
Carole felt like a naughty schoolchild, caught out in her instinctive lie. She was normally better in control of herself, but the American’s forceful directness flustered her.
‘Oh yes,’ she said feebly. ‘Professor Teischbaum. Now you’ve put yourself in context, I know exactly who you are.’
‘I’m writing a biography of Esmond Chadleigh . . .’
‘I know that too.’
‘ . . . and I’d like for us to meet.’
Again Carole was uncharacteristically tentative in her reaction. ‘Well, I’m not sure . . .’
‘Listen, I know the official line on this. All you Trustees have been told about this crass American vampire who’s out to suck the lifeblood out of Esmond Chadleigh’s reputation . . .’
‘It wasn’t quite put like that.’
‘No, but basically you’ve been told you mustn’t talk to me. And I thought – because, if you like, I’m American and pushy – why should I just accept that? Why don’t I talk to the Trustees individually, and maybe explain what my agenda is on Esmond Chadleigh, and who knows . . . some of you might realize I’m not the monster I’ve been painted.’
‘I really don’t think I should talk,’ Carole floundered on. ‘Apart from anything else, I’m a very new Trustee. I don’t know much about the Bracketts set-up. And I’m certainly not a literary person, so I’m afraid my knowledge of Esmond Chadleigh is—’
‘All I’m asking is: could we meet, have a chat? I’m still going to do my biography if I get no co-operation at all from the Chadleigh family or the Trustees, but establishing a dialogue would seem to me to be a more civilized approach to the situation. I object to being branded as a muck-raking mischief-maker by people who’ve never met me.’
‘Well, I can see you have a point, but—’
‘Listen, Carole, I’d like to talk to you. Think about it for twenty-four hours. I’ll call you tomorrow. Tuesday. Goodbye.’
And the connection was broken. Carole thought of all the more assertive things she should have said during the conversation.
Immediately she rang the number of the Bracketts Administrative Office. ‘Gina, I’ve just had this Professor Marla Teischbaum on the phone.’
‘You too.’
‘She’s working through Trustees then, is she?’
‘Oh yes. Started at the top with Lord Beniston.’
‘Presumably no one’s told her anything?’
‘No.’
‘And presumably you want me to clam up too?’
‘Well, actually,’ said Gina, to Carole’s considerable surprise, ‘I’m not sure.’
‘Really?’
‘She won’t go away. I had her on the phone for an hour yesterday. Marla Teischbaum’s a tenacious woman. I think maybe we should chuck her something.’
‘In the same way you chuck a bit of meat to a circling shark?’
‘In exactly that way, yes.’ The Director made a decision. ‘Fix to see her, Carole.’
‘But I know virtually nothing about Esmond Chadleigh. Of all the Trustees, I’m the newest and the most ignorant.’ There was a silence, which
‘Oh, but for heaven’s sake! A dead body’s found somewhere, and so the police instantly turn on the one person present with a criminal record. I thought they were supposed to be getting more sensitive and imaginative these days. Why can’t they—?’
‘Jude, the police had no option.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Mervyn’s confessed to the murder.’
Chapter Seven
‘Is this Carole Seddon?’
‘Yes.’ She was slightly mystified, trying to think who she knew with an American accent.
‘Oh, hi. My name is Professor Marla Teischbaum.’
Carole was caught on the hop. She should have been prepared for a phone call like this. As it was, she couldn’t think of anything to say.
‘From the University of California. Berkeley.’ But the voice wasn’t Californian; it carried the nasal twang of New York. ‘You probably know my name.’
‘No, I don’t think I’ve . . .’
‘Then you’re the only Bracketts Trustee who doesn’t.’
Carole felt like a naughty schoolchild, caught out in her instinctive lie. She was normally better in control of herself, but the American’s forceful directness flustered her.
‘Oh yes,’ she said feebly. ‘Professor Teischbaum. Now you’ve put yourself in context, I know exactly who you are.’
‘I’m writing a biography of Esmond Chadleigh . . .’
‘I know that too.’
‘ . . . and I’d like for us to meet.’
Again Carole was uncharacteristically tentative in her reaction. ‘Well, I’m not sure . . .’
‘Listen, I know the official line on this. All you Trustees have been told about this crass American vampire who’s out to suck the lifeblood out of Esmond Chadleigh’s reputation . . .’
‘It wasn’t quite put like that.’
‘No, but basically you’ve been told you mustn’t talk to me. And I thought – because, if you like, I’m American and pushy – why should I just accept that? Why don’t I talk to the Trustees individually, and maybe explain what my agenda is on Esmond Chadleigh, and who knows . . . some of you might realize I’m not the monster I’ve been painted.’
‘I really don’t think I should talk,’ Carole floundered on. ‘Apart from anything else, I’m a very new Trustee. I don’t know much about the Bracketts set-up. And I’m certainly not a literary person, so I’m afraid my knowledge of Esmond Chadleigh is—’
‘All I’m asking is: could we meet, have a chat? I’m still going to do my biography if I get no co-operation at all from the Chadleigh family or the Trustees, but establishing a dialogue would seem to me to be a more civilized approach to the situation. I object to being branded as a muck-raking mischief-maker by people who’ve never met me.’
‘Well, I can see you have a point, but—’
‘Listen, Carole, I’d like to talk to you. Think about it for twenty-four hours. I’ll call you tomorrow. Tuesday. Goodbye.’
And the connection was broken. Carole thought of all the more assertive things she should have said during the conversation.
Immediately she rang the number of the Bracketts Administrative Office. ‘Gina, I’ve just had this Professor Marla Teischbaum on the phone.’
‘You too.’
‘She’s working through Trustees then, is she?’
‘Oh yes. Started at the top with Lord Beniston.’
‘Presumably no one’s told her anything?’
‘No.’
‘And presumably you want me to clam up too?’
‘Well, actually,’ said Gina, to Carole’s considerable surprise, ‘I’m not sure.’
‘Really?’
‘She won’t go away. I had her on the phone for an hour yesterday. Marla Teischbaum’s a tenacious woman. I think maybe we should chuck her something.’
‘In the same way you chuck a bit of meat to a circling shark?’
‘In exactly that way, yes.’ The Director made a decision. ‘Fix to see her, Carole.’
‘But I know virtually nothing about Esmond Chadleigh. Of all the Trustees, I’m the newest and the most ignorant.’ There was a silence, which
Similar Books
