Read Online House of Bones by Graham Masterton - Free Book Online

He needed the sun.”
    â€œCan you think of any reason why anybody should have suggested that Mr Rogers was still there?”
    â€œNot at all. I suppose it may have been a practical joke.”
    â€œIf it was, I don’t think it’s particularly funny, do you?”
    â€œNo, I don’t. Unless it was a competitor, trying to stir up trouble for me.”
    â€œOh, yes? And why should they want to do that?”
    Mr Vane gave one of his yellow grins. “Estate agency isn’t as dull as it appears, Inspector. There’s plenty of cut and thrust. Agencies stealing each other’s clients from under their noses – agencies undercutting each other’s percentages.”
    â€œSounds like pretty hair-raising stuff,” said Carter.
    â€œOh, it can be, it can be. And people do bear grudges.”
    Carter flipped open his notebook. “So Mr Rogers came in here, borrowed the key to 66 Mountjoy Avenue, and went off to look at it? But when you came back to the office, Mr Cleat, anddiscovered what had happened, you went after him, to stop him?”
    â€œThat’s right. 66 Mountjoy Avenue isn’t yet fit for inspection. I would have been doing the owners a disservice if I had let Mr Rogers see it in that condition.”
    â€œSo he didn’t actually enter the property?”
    â€œAbsolutely not, no.”
    John could feel Mr Rogers’ ring in his pocket, and he was tempted to bring it out and show that Mr Cleat was telling a lie, but Lucy must have read his mind. She gave him a quick shake of her head and mouthed the word “no”.
    Inspector Carter said, “Who dealt with Mr Rogers when he came to pick up the key?”
    â€œYoung John here. It was his first day. He shouldn’t really have given him the key – but Mr Rogers was very insistent.”
    â€œGet into trouble, did you, John?” asked Carter.
    â€œMr Vane was very understanding,” put in Mr Cleat, before John could answer.
    Carter said, “What sort of a state was he in, Mr Rogers? Was he agitated, at all? Or anxious?”
    â€œHe was normal, that’s all,” John told him. “He was in a hurry, you know. But he didn’t look worried or anything.”
    â€œSo he didn’t look as if he was going to top himself? Drown himself, or throw himself in front of a train?”
    John shook his head.
    â€œAll right, then,” said Carter, putting his notebook back in his pocket. “Thanks for your cooperation, Mr Vane. I think you’re probably right. Whoever made that phone call was just trying to stir up a bit of trouble for you.”
    Mr Vane gave him another grin. “Believe me, Inspector, if I ever find out who it was, I’ll wring his neck for him.”
    At four o’clock, Mr Vane and Mr Cleat left the office together. As soon as they had gone, John took out the ring.
    â€œWhat’s that?” asked Liam. “You’re not going to propose to me, are you?”
    â€œIt’s Mr Rogers’ wedding ring. We found it at 66 Mountjoy Avenue. So Mr Cleat was telling a lie.”
    Liam came over and examined the ring closely. “Are you sure that’s his? Why didn’t you tell the police about it?”
    â€œWhat, and get the sack?” said Lucy.
    â€œLucy’s right,” said Courtney. “And apart from that, Cleaty and the police are like
this
—” he crossed his fingers. “He’s a mason and a Rotarian and member of the Neighbourhood Watch committee. If he says that Mr Rogers didn’t go into the house, and you say he did, who do you think the police are going to believe?”
    â€œYou need more evidence,” said Liam.
    â€œWell, I think there’s something really weird going on with Mr Vane’s special list,” said John. “You know that house where they’ve found all those skeletons? That was one of Mr Vane’s houses, too.”
    â€œThat house in Norbury? I