Free Vorpal Blade by Colin Forbes Page A

fox. But when he'd gone over to look at the Turner painting on the wall at the office he'd treated Paula with a gentlemanly courtesy. His hawk-like visage had melted into an expression of kindness, his voice had softened. In a brief minute he had become a different personality. Men and women are so complex, Tweed thought.
    Now who had he missed out in his review of the charac ters involved in the unfolding grim drama? He couldn't think who it was as he sank into a deep undisturbed slumber.

    As he descended the steps into the street, slippery and wet, the next day, his new neighbour, an attractive and intelligent widow called Mrs Champion, came out of her doorway. She looked across and gave him a warm smile.
    'Isn't it a pity, Mr Tweed, that we never get time to have a chat. About the world situation or something a little less ponderous. Now I'm rushing off to my work.'
    'Yes, it is a pity. Perhaps one evening . . .'
    He stopped speaking as a free taxi came along and he hailed it for her. She thanked him with another warm smile, got inside, closed the door. He stood, watching the cab retreating swiftly. He'd been on the verge of inviting her out to dinner, then he saw another taxi coming, hailed it, jumped inside, asked the driver to take him to Park Crescent. He'd suddenly remembered he had two unknown people coming to visit him, the thoughts he'd had in bed before falling asleep. Mrs Champion became only a forgotten encounter.
    'More trouble,' Newman announced as he walked into his office.
    'Thanks a lot,' said Tweed, as Monica helped him off with his coat. He sat at his desk, glanced at Paula seated behind her desk. 'What is it, then?' he asked.
    'We've had Professor Saafeld on the line. I took the call. He's fuming. A car was parked just beyond his house all night. One man behind the wheel. He stormed out in the morning to ask the driver what the hell he was up to. When he threatened to call the police the driver reluctantly produced a folder identifying himself as an officer of Special Branch. Then he drove off.'
    'They really are closing a net round all of us,' Tweed replied with an expression of satisfaction. 'They keep giving themselves away. Something very big is worrying the government. Sleep well, Paula?'
    She hesitated, then gave a brief version of the nightmare which had woken her up. She said the trouble was that her mind was too active at the moment.
    'It was that ghastly painting in Marienetta's studio which triggered that off. It really was quite horrible. Something else I thought off while I was taking my second shower. That episode when Sophie made her speech—'
    'Half-seas over,' Newman interjected.
    'No,' said Paula. 'That's the point. I had a good view of her and she drank almost nothing. Except water.'
    'Come off it,' Newman protested. 'She was drinking glass after glass.'
    'She appeared to be,' Paula insisted. 'But when no one at her table was looking she emptied nearly all the wine into that huge tub beside her - the one with the tree creeper in it. She's clever. Then she pretends to be tiddly when she makes her speech. Why?'
    'You tell me.'
    'All through the dinner she chatted but her cold grey eyes were sweeping the room methodically, checking up on who was there.'
    'Gives us rather a different view of Sophie,' Tweed said thoughtfully. 'I was near her and didn't spot her trickery.'
    The phone rang. Monica listened, called out to Tweed. 'A Mrs Brucan is waiting downstairs to see you.'
    'She was coming at eleven o'clock.'
    'It is eleven o'clock,' Paula told him. 'You arrived late.'
    'I should have realized. Mrs Champion, my new neigh bour, was leaving at the same time. She goes off at ten thirty to her fashion design business.'
    'Tweed,' Paula said, studying a pen she was twirling between her fingers, 'she's that rather beautiful widow who waved at us when we were getting a meal one evening. I thought so. You really should ask her out.'
    'Mrs Bruchan is the first on the agenda today.'
    'The lady