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Authors: Sara Sheridan
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sunglasses from her handbag, arming herself for the sunshine as she turned towards the door in a perfumed swish. She’d had quite enough of aggressive men for one day.
‘No,’ McGregor caught her by the wrist, ‘I didn’t mean to be unreasonable. It’s only, what were you interested in exactly ? I don’t understand. First you were at the boxing last night and now this.’
Mirabelle looked pointedly at his hand, which was still grasping her arm. The Superintendent quickly removed it. ‘You’re not a freemason, are you?’ she said.
McGregor shook his head. ‘My father didn’t hold with it.’ His voice was solemn.
‘I thought not. I hoped not, actually, given how things stand. Well, I’m sure this won’t come as a shock to you. You might not hold with the tenets of freemasonry, but most of the Brighton police force does.’
McGregor laughed. ‘Some of them, probably. Everyone’s allowed a hobby. It’s the same at home. What’s that got to do with anything? It’s only a few police officers in a gentlemen’s club.’
‘It’s rather more than a few, Superintendent. If my information is correct, which I believe it is, it’s by far the majority of the Brighton force.’
‘Even so, there’s no law against it. The old duffer in there is pretty unfriendly but he’s upset. The masons are harmless, Mirabelle. What is it you think you’re on to?’
‘Joey Gillingham’s death, of course. And now Mrs Chapman. She’s your second corpse with a link to this place, or at least a link to freemasonry.’
‘There’s no link between Gillingham and the masons.’
Mirabelle sighed as if her patience was being tried. ‘I beg to differ. My guess is that’s why your men removed Joey Gillingham’s body yesterday and Bill Turpin thinks so, too. It’s a logical explanation. Something about the body struck a chord with them because they were freemasons. I don’t know what it was and I don’t know why they felt they had to act, but I think it’s why they whisked Joey Gillingham away.’
‘Robinson?’ McGregor sounded incredulous, but his eyes were thoughtful, as if he was working through the idea. ‘Well, it would certainly explain how he’s managed to hold onto his position all these years. He’s a terrible detective, if I’m honest. Are you sure?’
‘I’m more sure now. I don’t believe in coincidences, and if some poor woman dies in suspicious circumstances the day after Joey Gillingham’s body is removed for what I believe are masonic reasons, and that woman dies in a masonic lodge, then my money is on there being a connection between the two deaths, or rather murders. It’s something to do with the masons.’
‘But Joey Gillingham can’t have known Mrs Chapman. She’s just a charwoman. These are two completely different crimes, Mirabelle, if that’s what Mrs Chapman’s death even turns out to be. One murderer’s a slasher. The other’s a poisoner, and that’s only if the poor woman didn’t do it herself. I can’t see any concrete connection between the two victims and certainly not anything masonic. I mean, a cleaning lady from Brighton and a sports journalist? How would a cleaning lady even meet Joey Gillingham? Why would he be interested in her? I think you’ve got it wrong.’
Vesta stepped forward, furious. ‘Because she’s a cleaner? Or because she’s old? My mum’s had jobs as a cleaner and for that matter she’s probably about the same age as the woman in there. They’re people, you know – cleaners and old ladies.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said McGregor. This was all going wrong. It seemed he always sounded like a fool in front of Mirabelle Bevan. ‘What I meant was that Joey Gillingham was a single chap in his late twenties and he lived on the other side of London, in Gravesend. Mrs Chapman was, what, in her fifties? She was a cleaning lady from Brighton. I doubt the two of them knew each other socially. I doubt they had a romance. I doubt . . .’
‘Where did
‘No,’ McGregor caught her by the wrist, ‘I didn’t mean to be unreasonable. It’s only, what were you interested in exactly ? I don’t understand. First you were at the boxing last night and now this.’
Mirabelle looked pointedly at his hand, which was still grasping her arm. The Superintendent quickly removed it. ‘You’re not a freemason, are you?’ she said.
McGregor shook his head. ‘My father didn’t hold with it.’ His voice was solemn.
‘I thought not. I hoped not, actually, given how things stand. Well, I’m sure this won’t come as a shock to you. You might not hold with the tenets of freemasonry, but most of the Brighton police force does.’
McGregor laughed. ‘Some of them, probably. Everyone’s allowed a hobby. It’s the same at home. What’s that got to do with anything? It’s only a few police officers in a gentlemen’s club.’
‘It’s rather more than a few, Superintendent. If my information is correct, which I believe it is, it’s by far the majority of the Brighton force.’
‘Even so, there’s no law against it. The old duffer in there is pretty unfriendly but he’s upset. The masons are harmless, Mirabelle. What is it you think you’re on to?’
‘Joey Gillingham’s death, of course. And now Mrs Chapman. She’s your second corpse with a link to this place, or at least a link to freemasonry.’
‘There’s no link between Gillingham and the masons.’
Mirabelle sighed as if her patience was being tried. ‘I beg to differ. My guess is that’s why your men removed Joey Gillingham’s body yesterday and Bill Turpin thinks so, too. It’s a logical explanation. Something about the body struck a chord with them because they were freemasons. I don’t know what it was and I don’t know why they felt they had to act, but I think it’s why they whisked Joey Gillingham away.’
‘Robinson?’ McGregor sounded incredulous, but his eyes were thoughtful, as if he was working through the idea. ‘Well, it would certainly explain how he’s managed to hold onto his position all these years. He’s a terrible detective, if I’m honest. Are you sure?’
‘I’m more sure now. I don’t believe in coincidences, and if some poor woman dies in suspicious circumstances the day after Joey Gillingham’s body is removed for what I believe are masonic reasons, and that woman dies in a masonic lodge, then my money is on there being a connection between the two deaths, or rather murders. It’s something to do with the masons.’
‘But Joey Gillingham can’t have known Mrs Chapman. She’s just a charwoman. These are two completely different crimes, Mirabelle, if that’s what Mrs Chapman’s death even turns out to be. One murderer’s a slasher. The other’s a poisoner, and that’s only if the poor woman didn’t do it herself. I can’t see any concrete connection between the two victims and certainly not anything masonic. I mean, a cleaning lady from Brighton and a sports journalist? How would a cleaning lady even meet Joey Gillingham? Why would he be interested in her? I think you’ve got it wrong.’
Vesta stepped forward, furious. ‘Because she’s a cleaner? Or because she’s old? My mum’s had jobs as a cleaner and for that matter she’s probably about the same age as the woman in there. They’re people, you know – cleaners and old ladies.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said McGregor. This was all going wrong. It seemed he always sounded like a fool in front of Mirabelle Bevan. ‘What I meant was that Joey Gillingham was a single chap in his late twenties and he lived on the other side of London, in Gravesend. Mrs Chapman was, what, in her fifties? She was a cleaning lady from Brighton. I doubt the two of them knew each other socially. I doubt they had a romance. I doubt . . .’
‘Where did
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