Read Online A Maze of Murders by Roderic Jeffries - Free Book Online Page A

– almost certainly foreign – were a large number of uniformly bound volumes that had the dusty look of books respected but seldom read. On the tiled floor was a large carpet that to judge from the crude patterns and colours had been made in the local factory before it had been forced to close many years before because of the cheaper and more sophisticatedly patterned carpets which had come in from the Peninsula.
    He heard a sound and turned to see a man enter. ‘Señor Clough? I’m sorry to bother you, but I wish to ask some questions.’
    â€˜You speak English! A necessary prerequisite to my understanding the questions, let alone answering them.’ He was tall, well shouldered, and had a trim waist; his dark hair was thick and neatly trimmed; his face was oval, his eyebrows marked, his nose aquiline, his mouth full and firm, his jaw square; he had a moustache, not so small as to look an affectation, not so overgrown as to be ridiculous. He wore an open-neck shirt and fawn flannels which possessed the quality, which only money could buy, of being both casual and smart.
    A man who could be as sharp as he was pleasant, was Alvarez’s immediate assumption. Also one who was showing the touch of condescension that so many English did. This caused him no resentment. The man who condescended often failed to look where he was treading. ‘I will try to be as brief as possible, señor.’
    â€˜There’s no call to rush. Sit down and let me get you something to drink before you tell me what the problem is. What would you like?’
    â€˜May I have a coñac, please, with just ice.’
    Clough left the room, to return with a tray on which were two glasses. He handed one to Alvarez, lifted up the second, put the tray down on a stool, sat. ‘Your good health.’
    â€˜And yours, señor.’
    Clough drank. ‘Do you smoke?’
    â€˜Occasionally, despite the doctor’s advice.’
    â€˜Ignore that. Doctors spend their lives wrestling with other people’s problems so they lead a miserable life and their only relief is to try to make everyone else’s life equally miserable. There are cigarettes in the box by your side.’
    Alvarez opened the chased silver box, brought out a cigarette, lit this with the small silver lighter to the side of the box.
    â€˜Tell me, Inspector, have I inadvertently broken one of the many thousands of rules and regulations?’
    â€˜Nothing like that, señor. I just need to discover if you have been acquainted with two people.’
    â€˜Their names?’
    â€˜Neil Lewis is the first.’
    â€˜I knew a Mark Lewis, but that was back in England ten years ago and, after he and his wife split up, I don’t think I ever saw him again. My wife was very fond of Angela and inevitably during the break-up started seeing things from her point of view, which naturally upset Mark. It’s a sad fact that it’s virtually impossible to stay friendly with both sides. But then there isn’t much room for neutrality anywhere, is there?… All of which has absolutely nothing to do with your Neil Lewis. No, we have not knowingly met anyone by that name, although I can’t say for certain because at parties one is never quite sure whom one has met.’
    â€˜He was on holiday in Port Llueso and on Thursday night disappeared from a boat anchored in the bay. There’s been no sight of him since, so it has to be presumed that he drowned.’
    â€˜I’m sorry to hear that. Couldn’t swim, I suppose. It really is quite extraordinary how many presumably intelligent people set sail on boats without a second thought when they can’t swim a stroke.’
    â€˜I understand he was a strong swimmer.’
    â€˜Then why did he drown?’
    â€˜That is a question I am trying to answer.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, but I can’t help you … What made you think I might have known