Read Online The Parliament House by Edward Marston - Free Book Online Page B

me how Sir Julius has a positive gift for making enemies, some of whom would like to see him forcibly removed from the Parliament House.'
        'Then Mr Everett is to be pitied even more.'
        'He is, Jonathan. He took the bullet that was supposed to kill another man. That means we have a second reason to catch the villain.'
        'A second one?' said Bale.
        'He needs to pay dearly for one murder, and be prevented from committing another. As long as the man is at liberty, Sir Julius's life is in danger.'
        'Have you warned him?'
        'I tried to,' admitted Christopher, 'but he refused utterly to believe that someone would wish to kill him. Indeed, he was so indignant that I should ever suggest such a thing that he threatened to ban me from his house. You can imagine how difficult that would be for me.'
        'Yes,' said Bale, knowing of his attachment to Susan Cheever. 'It could make things very awkward. But, if you were unable to convince him that he was in jeopardy, why did you not ask his daughter to take on the office? From what I recall of the young lady, Miss Cheever knew how to deal with her father better than anyone.'
        'That's certainly true.'
        'Then entrust the task to her.'
        'I dare not do so,' explained Christopher. 'It would only cause her grief and expose her to the sort of hurtful rebuke that I suffered. Susan would be terrified whenever her father stirred from the house.'
        'He needs someone to keep watch on him.'
        'He's too perverse to allow it.'
        'Then what are we to do, Mr Redmayne?'
        'Pursue the killer relentlessly and hope that we can overhaul him before he makes a second attempt on Sir Julius's life.'
        'So my efforts today were in vain?'
        'I take the blame for that, Jonathan. I should have stopped you.'
        'What I should have asked Mr Polegate was whether or not he told those three friends of his that Sir Julius would be among the guests at his house yesterday.'
        'That, too, would have been a futile exercise.'
        'Why?'
        'Because I suspect that it was not Francis Polegate who let the cat out of the bag,' said Christopher, seriously. 'Sir Julius himself would have told many people where he would be that day, though only a foolhardy man would dare to ask him who they were. I'd not be equal to the task. He'd bite my head off again. Then, of course, we have to consider his daughter. Susan may well have mentioned to friends that she would be going to Knightrider Street with Sir Julius.'
        'You might have done the same, Mr Redmayne.'
        'I did - no question about it.'
        'Do you have a record of the people to whom you spoke?'
        'No,' said Christopher. 'I let slip the information in a coffee house when I was talking to a client of mine. Several people could have overheard the name of Sir Julius Cheever and taken an interest. Do you see what that would mean?'
        'What?' asked Bale.
        'Indirectly, I'd be responsible for the death of Bernard Everett.'
        'I think that very unlikely, Mr Redmayne.'
        'Unlikely, perhaps - but not out of the question.'
        'You'd be wrong to let it prey on your mind. The chances are that this is nothing to do with a remark you made in a coffee house. All you need to think about,' said Bale, solemnly, 'is how we can track down the villain who fired that shot.'
        'We'll find him,' vowed Christopher, gritting his teeth. 'I owe it to Mr Everett's family. And I owe it to Susan to make sure that her father doesn't suffer the same fate. We've testing days ahead, Jonathan. I know that we've had some success in the past but this case - I feel it in my bones - will really put us on our mettle.'
        
        
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