Read Online Stealth by Margaret Duffy - Free Book Online

socializing and working undercover, the latter of which I understand he still does sometimes, Daws utilizes the persona of a genial old duffer and that was what we had mostly seen up until now. Underneath, the real man, that part of him that I distrust, if not dislike, is like polished steel. We got a glimpse of this now.
    â€˜Never heard of him.’
    Patrick merely smiled politely.
    â€˜No,’ Daws said with an air of finality. ‘What do you have on him?’
    â€˜His neighbour’s been murdered. She wrote to us several times to tell us that she’d been watching him and visitors to his house and in her opinion he was a criminal. I don’t yet have the full details of what she said as we’ve only just come back from France and it happened while we were away.’
    â€˜And?’
    â€˜Ingrid spoke to a wanted man in Cannes, Daniel Coates, who said that someone who lives in a big house in Richmond living an outwardly respectable life is heavily involved in serious crime. That’s almost certainly Trent.’
    â€˜Evidence?’
    â€˜Information courtesy of Clement Hamlyn, a crime writer.’
    â€˜I think I’ve heard of him. Yes, suspect kind of fellow, been to prison – a fact he seems to think warrants admiration.’
    â€˜That’s him. Hamlyn went to France under cover of attending a literary festival that finished last night. There’s very strong evidence to suggest that the real reason for his trip was to get money that he reckoned Coates owed him. Ingrid spoke to Coates, who said Hamlyn shot his mouth off. There was a stealth boat moored next to Coates’ catamaran that Hamlyn said was part of the mobster’s empire and there to intimidate him into paying up. That may or may not be true but as you must be aware, these craft have been used for drug-running.’
    Daws nodded slowly. ‘This is now your case?’
    â€˜As of an hour or so ago but we were already monitoring Hamlyn. The Met’s given everything they have on the neighbour’s murder to Commander Greenway.’
    â€˜I told Greenway it would take fifteen years off his life, employing you two.’
    â€˜I do believe he mentioned that to us, sir.’
    â€˜I’ll see what I can find out about this Trent character.’
    We lunched, talking of past cases, the protagonists – some of which Daws was keen to update us on – and more general matters.
    As we were parting Daws spoke softly. ‘You sailed a bit close to the wind with that last job.’
    â€˜I know,’ was all Patrick said.
    â€˜It was them or you.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜If you’d left to get help and the police had arrived shortly afterwards, before those other mobsters turned up, there would have been a bloodbath – theirs.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜If the gang had succeeded in killing you there would have been the same result.’
    â€˜That’s right.’
    â€˜I happen to know you’re feeling guilty about it.’ When he got no response Daws continued: ‘A gurkha has recently been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for taking on thirty Taliban single-handed in Afghanistan and killing or wounding the lot. You’re hard-wired to be a soldier, nothing’s going to change that, and you took on over thirty mobsters, who in my view were drugs- and drink-soaked vermin, single-handed, most of whom were arrested shortly afterwards and a few killed or wounded. I wanted you for the job for that very reason. Get over it, Patrick!’
    When we were outside on the pavement Patrick said pensively, ‘Leopard, non-changing spots, for the use of?’
    I gave him a hug. ‘Some leopard.’
    Obviously, we could not arrive at home after an absence, unpack work-related impedimenta and just get on with it. For one thing there was a deluge of delighted young people demanding our attention, parents to hear all the latest news and gossip from, a