Read Online The Diamond Rosary Murders by Roger Silverwood - Free Book Online

came to be found dead, floating in the swimming pool?’
    ‘No, but it’s dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. I can’t get over it. And it’s difficult to understand. It must have been an accident. He was a very good swimmer.’
    ‘Did he swim a lot?’
    ‘Several times a week. For an hour or so, usually at the weekend, sometimes in the evening.’
    ‘Did he ever mention anything about a recurring dream he was having?’
    Saw’s eyes narrowed. ‘No,’ he said.
    ‘Can you tell me if there was anything in his family or social or business life that was troubling him?’
    ‘That’s not easy to answer, Inspector. He was divorced and didn’t have any children, so he didn’t have a family life. He had no friends, was not a member of any association or club, so he didn’t have a social life either. His sole interest was the business. He was, of course, very progressive. He liked to make things happen. So the business was always in a state of development, and inevitably, problems, questions and difficulties arose every day. But he thrived on it, and he was used to it, and he usuallydealt with them effortlessly and methodically as they came along. I am not aware that there was anything particular bothering him.’
    Angel nodded. ‘He was a man of method?’
    ‘Absolutely. He wrote everything important in his diary. Although he had an excellent memory, he never relied on it. Appointments, follow-up dates and so on. If someone promised to do something or have something delivered by a certain day or time, he would note it in the appointment diary. And if it wasn’t kept to, whoever it was was for the high jump.’
    Angel nodded. He pursed his lips. Meredith had said that he thought something
was
troubling his employer. He needed to find out more about that nightmare. He also needed to know what had passed between King and the superintendent.
    ‘Well, thank you very much, Mr Saw. If you think of anything, please let me know.’
    Harry Saw nodded. ‘I certainly will.’
    ‘Would you be kind enough to ask Mrs Johnson to see me, please?’
    ‘I believe that she is in the kitchen. I will phone her and ask her to come up,’ Saw said and he went out.
    Angel leaned back the chair and began to think out the questions he needed to ask the woman.
    There was a quick knock on the door, a rattle of the doorknob and the door opened. A man looked round the room. It was DS Crisp. When his eyes met Angel’s, he gave him a breezy smile. ‘There you are, sir,’ Crisp said.
    Angel’s top lip tightened across his teeth.
    Trevor Crisp had been on his team for six years and generally Angel considered him to be a good detective. However, he frequently disappeared for hours at a time without ever giving a satisfactory explanation. When pressed, he inevitably gave a tomfool reason that could never be proved and this was guaranteed to make Angel furious.
    ‘Where the hell have you been?’ Angel roared. ‘On your holidays ? Come in, and close the door. You’re like the Scarlet Pimpernel. I can never bloody well find you.’
    ‘And
I’ve
been looking for
you
, sir.’
    ‘All this time? Well, I assure you, I have not been playing “Hide and Seek”. I told Ahmed to ask you to meet me here more than an hour ago. Didn’t you get the message?’
    ‘I got caught up with Ben Hill, the butcher. He had—’
    ‘I don’t care who you got caught up with. And I know about his losing a bucket worth £68, if that was all it was about. You could have got a PC to deal with
that
. When I say I want you here, Crisp, I want you here, lad. Right?’
    ‘It was difficult, sir,’ Crisp said.
    Angel’s eyes flashed. He stood up. ‘Life
is
difficult! It always will be. It’s all about decisions, priorities and options. I’m not difficult to work for, but when I ask you to do something I expect you to do it, not get diverted by a butcher bleating about a stolen bucket – or anybody else, for that matter. Now let’s get on. This case is about the death