Free The Mushroom Man by Stuart Pawson Page A

fifty-fifty .
    ‘Mrs Dewhurst was quite adamant about the marriage clause,’ Wylie told us. ‘She was determined that Georgina would not be brought up by a step-mother.’
    He was not so forthcoming when I queried him about Dewhurst’s efforts to raise the ransom money. I gave him the look that said I was thinking about pushing burning matchsticks under his fingernails and he opened up slightly. He confessed that, as trustees, his firm had given Dewhurstpermission to look for a buyer or do some hefty borrowing.
    ‘Can you do that?’ I asked.
    He looked embarrassed and fidgeted with a fountain pen. ‘We consider we are acting in the best interests of our clients,’ he said.
    ‘Both of them?’ I demanded.
    ‘Yes, Inspector, both of them. If a life is at risk we feel that we would not be acting as responsible trustees if we did not act to save that life.’
    ‘In that case I want you to withdraw the permission. We can supply the money.’
    ‘I’m afraid it may be too late for that, Inspector,’ he replied.
    I asked him for a copy of the will and we drove back to the office.
     
    Every morning the Superintendent holds what we call his morning prayer meeting. I informed the gathered brains of Heckley nick of the latest developments.
    ‘Suddenly it’s all falling into place,’ said Gilbert. ‘Do you think you’ve enough to bring him in? Maybe if we turned his love nest over, leant on his girlfriend…’
    ‘I’d rather not, if you don’t mind,’ I answered. ‘He’s been scrupulous so far, I doubt if he’s left any muck in his own kennel. Plus he’s got the press on his side. Arresting the distraught father wouldn’t begood for my image if it didn’t stick.’
    ‘You could be right, Charlie. If he doesn’t think he’s a suspect, let’s give him all the line he needs. Mind you, the Acting Chief Constable might not agree when I give him a progress report.’
    ‘Trevor Partridge,’ I replied. ‘Leave him to me. I got him that job. If Dewhurst is convicted on circumstantial evidence he’ll spend the rest of his life protesting his innocence, writing books and articles in his cell. Three-quarters of the population will believe him. And that’s providing we’d convinced a jury first. Let’s hang on and find some forensic. When he goes down, I want him to have lead in his shoes.’
    I was about to add that I didn’t think we’d have long to wait, but I was interrupted by a knock at the door. A uniformed constable poked his head round it.
    ‘Excuse me, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘Mr Priest, Miles Dewhurst is downstairs, asking for you. He looks a wreck.’
    Gilbert came with me. Dewhurst was unshaven and untidily dressed, displaying that careful indifference to personal appearance that takes years to cultivate. For a split second I wondered if that was why I disliked him so much. Not because I thought he’d murdered his daughter, but for his vanity. We sat him in an interview room and ordered tea.
    ‘She wasn’t there,’ he sobbed. ‘He promised she’d be there.’
    ‘Georgina?’
    He nodded.
    ‘I think you’d better start at the beginning, Mr Dewhurst. I take it you’ve had another approach.’ I glanced at the calendar on the wall behind him. It showed a picture of Fountains Abbey, and told me that this was the thirteenth day since the previous note.
    His elbows were on the table, with his hands clenched together, and his thumbs pressed against his lips.
    ‘Take your time, Mr Dewhurst, and tell us in your own words what happened,’ said Gilbert, soothingly.
    He lowered his hands. ‘He rang me. Last night. Asked if I’d got the money. Not all of it, I told him. He asked me how much and I said three hundred and fifty thousand. He said that would do.’
    ‘Did you have the money at home?’ I asked.
    He nodded.
    ‘What did he say next?’
    ‘He told me that if I did as I was told I’d have Georgina back by this morning.’ He started sobbing, and apologised for doing so. We waited