Read Online Resolutions by Jane A. Adams - Free Book Online Page A

stems strapped tightly to green canes, and did nothing to rectify Mac’s opinion of the plant, though he had to admit that the flowers were interesting. Deep orange with freckled faces and very different from the ones he was used to seeing in the local supermarkets trapped in their plastic bags.
    Marlow gestured them to twinned captain’s chairs, preparing to seat himself in a somewhat more opulent example behind the desk.
    â€˜Would you like something to drink?’
    Both declined. The tea at the prison had been no better than the machine coffee, but both Mac and Alec had downed two mugs of the stuff while working their way through the visitation records. Mac felt he was already swimming.
    Ricky Marlow sat down, steepling his fingers and regarding the two of them with a degree of impatience. ‘I’ve agreed to see you,’ he said, ‘but I really don’t see what more I can say. Peel came into the Eagle and Dove, and I just happened to be there. Had I not been there, I would have been none the wiser regarding his presence in Pinsent. That being the case, I could have told you nothing; having happened to be there, I can still tell you nothing.’
    â€˜But you failed to report him,’ Mac said. ‘I find that a little hard to understand, Mr Marlow. You knew that he had committed murder. Mr Marlow, he killed a child.’
    Marlow gestured impatiently. ‘And you’re right, of course. I should have called the police the moment I saw him. Recognized him. The truth was I was taken aback. I could only think how angry I was that he’d put me in that position, come into one of my premises and sat there, sipping a drink, bold as brass. It was the sheer effrontery of it. I’m sorry to say that put everything else out of my mind. I just wanted him gone.’
    â€˜What did he say to you?’ Mac asked.
    â€˜I’ve already been over this so many—’
    â€˜Please, Mr Marlow,’ Mac said. ‘Go over it for me.’
    Marlow sighed, slumped back against the heavy leather, button back of his chair. ‘He said, “Hello, Richard.” I said, “What the hell are you doing here?” and he said he was having a drink. I told him he should go; he said he hadn’t finished his drink yet. I told him he could have a refund, that he should leave immediately. That went back and forth for a minute or so, and then he left. Nothing more.’
    Mac considered. ‘You say the exchange went back and forth?’
    â€˜Yes. It was boring. It was tedious. It meant nothing.’
    â€˜It meant nothing?’ Mac queried.
    â€˜I’m sorry?’ Marlow looked confused.
    â€˜You said it meant nothing. Not “we said nothing else” or “nothing more interesting”. You said the conversation, the exchange, meant nothing. That implies that something more was said than your simple request that he leave and his simple refusal to do the same.’
    Alec had raised an eyebrow, his expression quizzical. He too turned to look expectantly at Ricky Marlow.
    â€˜I didn’t mean . . . I didn’t think anything. I . . .’ Marlow frowned and began again. ‘He said he hadn’t finished his drink. I told him he could have a refund and he laughed. He said he wanted more than a refund and I told him he’d better think again.’
    â€˜Any reason he might think you owed him something?’
    Marlow shook his head impatiently. ‘None,’ he said. ‘Marstons – the architects Peel worked for – they did quite a lot of work for me. Designed the two wings on the house, the courtyard extension out back that we built so we could have a separate guest annex, and a few other bits on other properties. They did good work. Peel was a first-class designer and troubleshooter. It was standard practice to send him out with the first drafts of the architect’s designs to do any snagging. I’ve got to admit that’s partly