Read Online The Ten Commandments by Anthea Fraser - Free Book Online
Authors: Anthea Fraser
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course, he'd known those concerned. But in any case, Philpott had probably met the crucial one during the last year of his life; it was doubtful if his affairs would have lasted longer than a few months. All the same â'
'Have you mentioned this to the police?' he asked.
It was Bradburn who answered. 'There didn't seem much point. It was all pretty vague, and we couldn't see what help it would be after all this time.'
'It might at least provide a motive.' Frederick turned back to Aileen. 'The police do know where you are?'
'Yes, but I'm of no interest to them; I told them all I knew.' She met his eye. 'Well, I did at the time. Ought I to contact them, do you think?'
'It would do no harm.'
'You think the same man might have done it, then?' It was the second time she'd asked that question, but Frederick was still not ready to answer it. Instead, he countered it with one of his own.
'Can you think of anything else your husband did that might have caused trouble or resentment? Had he, for instance, any particular prejudices â racial, perhaps, or even sexual?'
She started to shake her head, then paused, frowning a little. Frederick leant forward.
'You've remembered something?'
'Well, not really. I mean, it wasn't anything much â in fact. I'd forgotten all about it. Talking of Debs and Jerry must have brought it back.'
'Go on, Mrs Bradburn.'
She gave a dismissive little gesture. 'Really, it's nothing. Not even worth mentioning.'
'Please.'
'Well, it was one evening at the cricket club. We were sitting on the verandah after some match or other, and Trev and Jerry went inside for more drinks. When they came back, Trev was flushed and muttering something about "bloody perverts", and Jerry said he'd had to drag him away because he'd insulted some gay men at the bar. And that was it, really.' She paused. 'Sorry, but when you mentioned prejudices, it just reminded me.'
'Was your husband openly hostile to homosexuals?'
'Oh no, not at all. I think it was just that he'd been drinking, and he made some off-the-cuff comment which they reacted to.'
'Nothing like that ever happened again?'
She shook her head decidedly. 'Never.'
'And you never heard him make any racial comments which could have caused offence?'
She looked distressed and Peter Bradburn, frowning, moved to her side.
'No, definitely not. I feel awful, now, having told you â it gives quite the wrong impression of Trev. All right, he was a bit of a Jack-the-lad â more than I realized at the time â but there was nothing vindictive about him. Basically, he was â a nice man.'
She sounded close to tears, and as her husband bent to comfort her, Frederick nodded to Paul to switch off the recorder.
'I'm sorry, Mrs Bradburn, I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me.'
'I'm just sorry I mentioned it, that's all.'
'I shouldn't let it worry you. We all say things we don't mean, at some time or other.'
'Yes.' She brightened. 'I'm sure that's all it was.'
He rose to his feet. 'We've taken up quite enough of your time. I'm extremely grateful to you for being so frank with me.'
As they walked together back through the house, Bradburn remarked, 'You never made any comment on the photograph, Mr Mace. Was it any help?'
'Yes, indeed; that's why I asked Mrs Bradburn about her marriage.'
Bradburn turned to stare at him. 'You're telling me you could tell from Trevor's photo that he was unfaithful?'
'I got an impression, that's all. I assure you, Mr Bradburn, there's no magic involved. There are people who make a profession out of such studies, and they've solved some pretty complex cases on the basis of them.'
'Nice woman,' he commented to Paul as they got into the car. 'But for all her defence of him, I don't think I should have cared much for Trevor Philpott. And I was right, wasn't I, about the womanizing. If you can find me a photograph of Judd, we'll see if we have the same luck there. First, though, I'd like to visit the firm where
'Have you mentioned this to the police?' he asked.
It was Bradburn who answered. 'There didn't seem much point. It was all pretty vague, and we couldn't see what help it would be after all this time.'
'It might at least provide a motive.' Frederick turned back to Aileen. 'The police do know where you are?'
'Yes, but I'm of no interest to them; I told them all I knew.' She met his eye. 'Well, I did at the time. Ought I to contact them, do you think?'
'It would do no harm.'
'You think the same man might have done it, then?' It was the second time she'd asked that question, but Frederick was still not ready to answer it. Instead, he countered it with one of his own.
'Can you think of anything else your husband did that might have caused trouble or resentment? Had he, for instance, any particular prejudices â racial, perhaps, or even sexual?'
She started to shake her head, then paused, frowning a little. Frederick leant forward.
'You've remembered something?'
'Well, not really. I mean, it wasn't anything much â in fact. I'd forgotten all about it. Talking of Debs and Jerry must have brought it back.'
'Go on, Mrs Bradburn.'
She gave a dismissive little gesture. 'Really, it's nothing. Not even worth mentioning.'
'Please.'
'Well, it was one evening at the cricket club. We were sitting on the verandah after some match or other, and Trev and Jerry went inside for more drinks. When they came back, Trev was flushed and muttering something about "bloody perverts", and Jerry said he'd had to drag him away because he'd insulted some gay men at the bar. And that was it, really.' She paused. 'Sorry, but when you mentioned prejudices, it just reminded me.'
'Was your husband openly hostile to homosexuals?'
'Oh no, not at all. I think it was just that he'd been drinking, and he made some off-the-cuff comment which they reacted to.'
'Nothing like that ever happened again?'
She shook her head decidedly. 'Never.'
'And you never heard him make any racial comments which could have caused offence?'
She looked distressed and Peter Bradburn, frowning, moved to her side.
'No, definitely not. I feel awful, now, having told you â it gives quite the wrong impression of Trev. All right, he was a bit of a Jack-the-lad â more than I realized at the time â but there was nothing vindictive about him. Basically, he was â a nice man.'
She sounded close to tears, and as her husband bent to comfort her, Frederick nodded to Paul to switch off the recorder.
'I'm sorry, Mrs Bradburn, I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me.'
'I'm just sorry I mentioned it, that's all.'
'I shouldn't let it worry you. We all say things we don't mean, at some time or other.'
'Yes.' She brightened. 'I'm sure that's all it was.'
He rose to his feet. 'We've taken up quite enough of your time. I'm extremely grateful to you for being so frank with me.'
As they walked together back through the house, Bradburn remarked, 'You never made any comment on the photograph, Mr Mace. Was it any help?'
'Yes, indeed; that's why I asked Mrs Bradburn about her marriage.'
Bradburn turned to stare at him. 'You're telling me you could tell from Trevor's photo that he was unfaithful?'
'I got an impression, that's all. I assure you, Mr Bradburn, there's no magic involved. There are people who make a profession out of such studies, and they've solved some pretty complex cases on the basis of them.'
'Nice woman,' he commented to Paul as they got into the car. 'But for all her defence of him, I don't think I should have cared much for Trevor Philpott. And I was right, wasn't I, about the womanizing. If you can find me a photograph of Judd, we'll see if we have the same luck there. First, though, I'd like to visit the firm where
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