Read Online Gently with the Ladies (Inspector George Gently 13) by Alan Hunter - Free Book Online
Authors: Alan Hunter
Ads: Link
shoulders. ‘In that case, it will follow the rule of succession.’
‘Meaning me?’
‘Your father or you.’
‘He won’t touch it. It’ll come to me.’
She snapped a lighter, lit the cigarette, rose and began pacing up and down. She seemed for the present to have forgotten Gently: her eyes were fixed and seeing nothing. The dressing-gown, its skirt swinging, showed belted thighs pressing past each other. As she paced she smoked fiercely, expelling the smoke through her teeth.
‘But why did she do it – what’s her game?’
‘Mrs Bannister . . . ?’
‘Of course! Don’t tell me she’d throw away money like that without some dirty trick behind it. So what is it?’
Gently said nothing.
‘Listen – what was that bitch doing on Monday?’
‘She was in her flat.’
‘Yes – and I’ll tell you something: the maid has every Monday off! Don’t you see? She was alone in there. She could have done it as well as Siggy. And they weren’t so sweet together, those two, they had their rows like everyone else.’
‘And you’re suggesting . . . ?’
‘She destroyed the will – that was an act put on to impress you. She could see you weren’t quite swallowing Siggy, so she had to duck out from under the will. Because Siggy might not have done it, might he? That’s why you’re still asking questions!’
‘You’re a perceptive woman, Miss Merryn.’
‘Oh, I’ve got La Bannister taped. And Siggy denies it?’
‘He denies it.’
‘I suppose he’d have to, the poor fool.’
She leaned her hip against the table and stared scathingly at Gently. Her body moulded in an elegant foundation garment, emerged through the separating dressing-gown.
‘Watch La Bannister,’ she said. ‘She’ll put one over you unless you’re careful. You’re only a man, understand me? She’ll know how to kid you along all right. A woman can always kid a man because he’s always ready to believe her: there’s always a bed just behind her, and saying Yes is the way towards it. Oh, I’m not saying that’s what you have in mind, but it’s the psychological attitude. The pattern. When you talk to a woman it’s always the first step up the stairs. So just watch out, that’s my advice, because I’m telling you – she’s a bitch.’
She pushed smoke through her teeth.
‘La B. was too much for Siggy,’ she said. ‘Clytie was still sleeping with him when dear Sybil arrived on the scene. She’s the one he ought to have bashed, because then he might have patched it up with Clytie. But he’s not the sort to work things out. He’s just impulsive and weak.’
‘Impulsive?’
She nodded. ‘There’s nothing solid in Siggy.’
‘You seem to know him pretty well.’
‘Pretty well.’ Her mouth twisted.
‘In fact . . . ?’
‘Nothing. I should think it’s obvious the poor fool had to talk to someone. That’s why he slept around so much. But I was different. I was always there.’
‘And you were his confidant.’
‘If you like. I understood him better than anyone. And I wasn’t surprised when I heard what happened. For him, I’d say it was the only way out.’
‘I suppose you didn’t see him on Monday, Miss Merryn?’
She hissed smoke down towards him.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Does he say I did?’
Gently shrugged without replying.
She made a gliding movement with her hips. ‘I’m a working girl, Superintendent,’ she said. ‘On Monday I had my two surgeries, facts which you can easily check.’
‘But in the afternoon?’
‘I was here resting. I like my bath in the afternoon. In fact, I was not long out of it when you came knocking at my door.’ She tilted the watch again, and sighed. ‘I’m afraid I must push you out, Superintendent. It’s time to dress and become formidable – that’s my profession as well as yours.’
Gently rose. She held out a hand with its perfect and finely-polished nails. When he ignored it she shrugged faintly and flickered a smile with her
‘Meaning me?’
‘Your father or you.’
‘He won’t touch it. It’ll come to me.’
She snapped a lighter, lit the cigarette, rose and began pacing up and down. She seemed for the present to have forgotten Gently: her eyes were fixed and seeing nothing. The dressing-gown, its skirt swinging, showed belted thighs pressing past each other. As she paced she smoked fiercely, expelling the smoke through her teeth.
‘But why did she do it – what’s her game?’
‘Mrs Bannister . . . ?’
‘Of course! Don’t tell me she’d throw away money like that without some dirty trick behind it. So what is it?’
Gently said nothing.
‘Listen – what was that bitch doing on Monday?’
‘She was in her flat.’
‘Yes – and I’ll tell you something: the maid has every Monday off! Don’t you see? She was alone in there. She could have done it as well as Siggy. And they weren’t so sweet together, those two, they had their rows like everyone else.’
‘And you’re suggesting . . . ?’
‘She destroyed the will – that was an act put on to impress you. She could see you weren’t quite swallowing Siggy, so she had to duck out from under the will. Because Siggy might not have done it, might he? That’s why you’re still asking questions!’
‘You’re a perceptive woman, Miss Merryn.’
‘Oh, I’ve got La Bannister taped. And Siggy denies it?’
‘He denies it.’
‘I suppose he’d have to, the poor fool.’
She leaned her hip against the table and stared scathingly at Gently. Her body moulded in an elegant foundation garment, emerged through the separating dressing-gown.
‘Watch La Bannister,’ she said. ‘She’ll put one over you unless you’re careful. You’re only a man, understand me? She’ll know how to kid you along all right. A woman can always kid a man because he’s always ready to believe her: there’s always a bed just behind her, and saying Yes is the way towards it. Oh, I’m not saying that’s what you have in mind, but it’s the psychological attitude. The pattern. When you talk to a woman it’s always the first step up the stairs. So just watch out, that’s my advice, because I’m telling you – she’s a bitch.’
She pushed smoke through her teeth.
‘La B. was too much for Siggy,’ she said. ‘Clytie was still sleeping with him when dear Sybil arrived on the scene. She’s the one he ought to have bashed, because then he might have patched it up with Clytie. But he’s not the sort to work things out. He’s just impulsive and weak.’
‘Impulsive?’
She nodded. ‘There’s nothing solid in Siggy.’
‘You seem to know him pretty well.’
‘Pretty well.’ Her mouth twisted.
‘In fact . . . ?’
‘Nothing. I should think it’s obvious the poor fool had to talk to someone. That’s why he slept around so much. But I was different. I was always there.’
‘And you were his confidant.’
‘If you like. I understood him better than anyone. And I wasn’t surprised when I heard what happened. For him, I’d say it was the only way out.’
‘I suppose you didn’t see him on Monday, Miss Merryn?’
She hissed smoke down towards him.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Does he say I did?’
Gently shrugged without replying.
She made a gliding movement with her hips. ‘I’m a working girl, Superintendent,’ she said. ‘On Monday I had my two surgeries, facts which you can easily check.’
‘But in the afternoon?’
‘I was here resting. I like my bath in the afternoon. In fact, I was not long out of it when you came knocking at my door.’ She tilted the watch again, and sighed. ‘I’m afraid I must push you out, Superintendent. It’s time to dress and become formidable – that’s my profession as well as yours.’
Gently rose. She held out a hand with its perfect and finely-polished nails. When he ignored it she shrugged faintly and flickered a smile with her
Similar Books
