Read Online Carnage on the Committee by Ruth Dudley Edwards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ruth Dudley Edwards
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Mystery Fiction, Murder, Murder - Investigation, Amiss; Robert (Fictitious Character), Amiss, Literary Prizes, Robert (Fictitious Character)
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Dervla, is a Knapper-Warburton judge. Susie Briggs spoke to her earlier this evening.'
'It's, like, weird,' confessed a worried-looking, pretty, curly-haired redhead with a bare midriff. 'It's, like, aaaaggghhh!'
'Do you think the committee will be able to function in the light of this tragedy? Especially if Lady Babcock's death turns out to be connected to the Warburton.'
Dervla looked hunted. 'I'm, like, whatever,' she proffered.
'Thank you, Dervla.' Susie Briggs faced the camera. 'Like Dervla, the rest of the committee are determined on business as usual.' A photograph of a vast head topped with wild white hair took over the screen. 'Geraint Griffiths, the well-known commentator, rang our newsroom to denounce what he described as a clear conspiracy to stifle free speech and intimidate the judges. Asked to explain what he meant, he said that all would become clear in time.'
'Thank you, Susie. Speaking in the House today, the Chancellor emphasised that...'
Mary Lou pressed the 'off' button. 'Back to work. Jack.'
The baroness surveyed the pile to the right of her chair. 'I'm usually given to tears only at the opera,' she said, 'but I'm on the verge of bursting into noisy, self-pitying sobs.'
'Troutbecks get on with it, Jack. Remember?'
The baroness managed a wan smile as she picked up the top book.
6
'It's me, darling,' said an excited Pooley. 'I've got terrific news.'
'You're coming here for the weekend?'
'Wish I were.'
'The Warburton's been cancelled?'
Pooley's forehead furrowed. 'No. Why would that be good?'
Mary Lou sighed, it would prevent Jack from running amok. I think she's about to declare war on the entire literary establishment. And she won't be using conventional weapons. More those of mass destruction.'
'Robert mentioned he didn't think she was keen on modern fiction.'
'Robert sure got that right, honey. But what's the terrific news?'
'It's the old team on the job. Jim's been asked to step in and I'll be his right-hand man.'
'How did he wangle that? Isn't a solitary murder a bit beneath him these days?'
'The Met gets very jittery when cases are high-profile. And this is high-profile. And requires tact, which even Jim's detractors admit he has in abundance. Will you tell
Jack? It might cheer her up a bit.'
'I'll tell her. Though I doubt if anything could cheer her up the way things are. When are you getting started?'
'I'm just going into Jim's office now, darling. Will ring when I can. Bye.'
'I photocopied the Who's Who entries of Hermione Babcock and her husband,' said Pooley to Detective Chief Superintendent Milton, as they sat in the back of a car on their way to north London to interview Sir William Rawlinson.
'Anything interesting?'
'Interesting-ish.' He held out two sheets of paper. 'Do you want to read them?'
Milton squinted at the tiny print. 'I can't. Forgot my glasses. Read them to me.'
'"Babcock of Islington, Baroness created 1997 (Life Peer) of Bloomsbury in the County of London; Hermione Joan Babcock (Lady Rawlinson); writer; born 27 November 1943, daughter of the late Revd Reginald Michael Massingham and the late
'Could you make it a bit more selective and digestible, Ellis?'
'Sorry, sir. She married first in 1964 Ralph Babcock; they were divorced in 1975 having had a son and daughter.'
'Oh, so it wasn't her maiden name.'
'No. But by the time she was divorced presumably she was well-known enough to be stuck with Babcock.'
'It must have been rather irritating; Massingham's rather more attractive, don't you think?'
Pooley nodded. 'And so is Rawlinson. She married William Rawlinson the year of her divorce and he was knighted in 1986.'
'I don't know how these things work, Ellis. You do. She remained Mrs Babcock for proffessional reasons while first being Mrs and then Lady Rawlinson, but later became Lady Babcock. Is that right?'
'Ms Babcock, I expect, sir. She was the type. Anyway, she was educated at grammar school and Oxford, where she got a first-class BA in English
'It's, like, weird,' confessed a worried-looking, pretty, curly-haired redhead with a bare midriff. 'It's, like, aaaaggghhh!'
'Do you think the committee will be able to function in the light of this tragedy? Especially if Lady Babcock's death turns out to be connected to the Warburton.'
Dervla looked hunted. 'I'm, like, whatever,' she proffered.
'Thank you, Dervla.' Susie Briggs faced the camera. 'Like Dervla, the rest of the committee are determined on business as usual.' A photograph of a vast head topped with wild white hair took over the screen. 'Geraint Griffiths, the well-known commentator, rang our newsroom to denounce what he described as a clear conspiracy to stifle free speech and intimidate the judges. Asked to explain what he meant, he said that all would become clear in time.'
'Thank you, Susie. Speaking in the House today, the Chancellor emphasised that...'
Mary Lou pressed the 'off' button. 'Back to work. Jack.'
The baroness surveyed the pile to the right of her chair. 'I'm usually given to tears only at the opera,' she said, 'but I'm on the verge of bursting into noisy, self-pitying sobs.'
'Troutbecks get on with it, Jack. Remember?'
The baroness managed a wan smile as she picked up the top book.
6
'It's me, darling,' said an excited Pooley. 'I've got terrific news.'
'You're coming here for the weekend?'
'Wish I were.'
'The Warburton's been cancelled?'
Pooley's forehead furrowed. 'No. Why would that be good?'
Mary Lou sighed, it would prevent Jack from running amok. I think she's about to declare war on the entire literary establishment. And she won't be using conventional weapons. More those of mass destruction.'
'Robert mentioned he didn't think she was keen on modern fiction.'
'Robert sure got that right, honey. But what's the terrific news?'
'It's the old team on the job. Jim's been asked to step in and I'll be his right-hand man.'
'How did he wangle that? Isn't a solitary murder a bit beneath him these days?'
'The Met gets very jittery when cases are high-profile. And this is high-profile. And requires tact, which even Jim's detractors admit he has in abundance. Will you tell
Jack? It might cheer her up a bit.'
'I'll tell her. Though I doubt if anything could cheer her up the way things are. When are you getting started?'
'I'm just going into Jim's office now, darling. Will ring when I can. Bye.'
'I photocopied the Who's Who entries of Hermione Babcock and her husband,' said Pooley to Detective Chief Superintendent Milton, as they sat in the back of a car on their way to north London to interview Sir William Rawlinson.
'Anything interesting?'
'Interesting-ish.' He held out two sheets of paper. 'Do you want to read them?'
Milton squinted at the tiny print. 'I can't. Forgot my glasses. Read them to me.'
'"Babcock of Islington, Baroness created 1997 (Life Peer) of Bloomsbury in the County of London; Hermione Joan Babcock (Lady Rawlinson); writer; born 27 November 1943, daughter of the late Revd Reginald Michael Massingham and the late
'Could you make it a bit more selective and digestible, Ellis?'
'Sorry, sir. She married first in 1964 Ralph Babcock; they were divorced in 1975 having had a son and daughter.'
'Oh, so it wasn't her maiden name.'
'No. But by the time she was divorced presumably she was well-known enough to be stuck with Babcock.'
'It must have been rather irritating; Massingham's rather more attractive, don't you think?'
Pooley nodded. 'And so is Rawlinson. She married William Rawlinson the year of her divorce and he was knighted in 1986.'
'I don't know how these things work, Ellis. You do. She remained Mrs Babcock for proffessional reasons while first being Mrs and then Lady Rawlinson, but later became Lady Babcock. Is that right?'
'Ms Babcock, I expect, sir. She was the type. Anyway, she was educated at grammar school and Oxford, where she got a first-class BA in English
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