Free [Wexford 01] From Doon & Death by Ruth Rendell Page B

an ashtray.
    ‘I’m sick and tired of all this ’ Missal shouted. 'We can't even have a quiet evening with our friends without being hounded. I'm sick of it My wife has given you her explanation and that ought to be enough.'
    This is a murder enquiry, sir ’ Wexford said.
    'We were just going to have dinner ’ Helen Missal spoke sulkily. She smoothed her blue skirt and fidgeted with a string of ivory beads. ‘I suppose we'd better go into your study, Pete. Ihge'll be in and out of the dining-room. God! God damn it all, why can't you leave me in peace?' She turned to Quadrant's wife and said: 'Will you excuse me a moment, Fabia, darling? That is, if you can bear to stay and eat with the criminal classes.'
    'You're sure you don't want Douglas to go with you?' Fabia Quadrant sounded amused, and Burden wondered if the Missals had warned them of the impending visit, suggested perhaps that this was to enquire into some parking offence. 'As your solicitor, I mean ’ she said. But Wexford had mentioned murder and when he lit that cigarette Quadrant had been frightened.
    ‘D on't be long,' Missal said.
    They went into the study and Wexford closed the door.
    ‘I want my lipstick back,' Helen Missal said, 'and I want my dinner.' Unmoved, Wexford said, 'And I want to know who you went out with when you lost your lipstick, madam ’
    It was just a friend ’ she said. She looked coyly up at Wexford, whining like a little girl asking permission to have a playmate to tea. 'Aren't I allowed to have any friends?'
    'Mrs Missal, if you continue to refuse to tell me this man's name I shall have no alternative but to question your husband.'
    Burden was becoming used to her sudden changes of mood, but still he was not quite prepared for this burst of violence.
    'You nasty low-down bastard!' she said.
    'I'm not much affected by that sort of abuse, madam. You see, I'm accustomed to moving in circles where such language is among the terms of reference. His name, please. This is a murder enquiry.'
    'Well , if you must know it was Douglas Quadrant'
    And that. Burden thought, accounts for the choking act in the other room
    'Inspector Burden ’ Wexford said, 'will you just take Mr Quadrant into the dining-room (never mind about Miss Wolff ’ s dinner) and ask him for his version of what happened on Wednesday night? Or was it Tuesday afternoon, Mrs Missal?'
    Burden went out and Wexford said with a little sigh, 'Very well, madam, now I'd like to hear about Wednesday night all over again.'
    ' What’ s that fellow going to say in front of my husband?'
    Inspector Burden is a very discreet officer. Provided I find everything satisfactory I've no doubt you can convince your husband that Mr Quadrant was consulted simply in his capacity as your solicitor.'
    This was the line Burden took when he went back into the drawing-room.
    ‘Is there some difficulty about Mrs Missal, then, Inspector?' Fabia Quadrant asked. She might have been asking some minion if he had attended to the wants of a guest. ‘I expect my husband can sort it out ’
    Quadrant got up lazily. Burden was surprised that he offered no resistance. They went into the dining-room and Burden pulled out two chairs from the side of the table. It was laid with place mats, tall smoky purple glasses, knives and forks in Swedish steel and napkins folded into the shape of water-lilies.
    'A man must live ’ Quadrant said easily when Burden asked him about his drive with Helen Missal. 'Mrs Missal is perfectly happily married. So am I. We just like to do a little dangerous living together from time to time. A drive, a chink ... No harm done and everyone the happier for it ’ He was being disarm ingly frank.
    Burden wondered why. It didn't seem to tie up with his manner when they had first arrived. Everyone the happier for it? Missal didn't look happy ... and the woman with the rings? She had her money to console her. But what had all this to do with Mrs Parsons?
    'We drove to the lane ’ Quadrant