Read Online The Toff and the Kidnapped Child by John Creasey - Free Book Online Page B

possible, but extremely difficult, to get a drugged person on to an aircraft, and there aren’t many drugs injected into the blood stream which put you out for a short period – usually they keep you under for hours. If you were really going to leave the country, would you make it so obvious? If your husband were going to kidnap Caroline, would he use a Colfax car and make it so clear that everyone would jump to the conclusion that he was responsible? The man you’ve told me about would have more sense than that.”
    There was new eagerness in Eve’s voice.
    â€œWhat are you trying to say?”
    â€œI still don’t think the evidence implicates your husband,” Rollison said. “When you first came to see me it was to look for him, now it’s to look for them both. We might find them together, too. If they’re not in this country, I’ll be astonished. Eve, do you know this Leah’s address?”
    â€œWhy do you keep harping on her?”
    â€œShe’s the only name I’ve got of anyone who might know where Ralph’s gone, if he’s in hiding.”
    â€œYou just said that you didn’t think he was involved, and that if we find one we might find both. You’re not consistent. It isn’t any use guessing.”
    â€œTell me what else we can do,” said Rollison grimly. “Tell me any other line we could follow, and I’ll follow it. The police will cover all the obvious channels; we need to get on to something they’re not likely to find. Leah, for instance, or any other of Ralph’s girl friends.”
    â€œHow do you think I know where to find them?” Eve demanded bitterly. “They weren’t exactly social acquaintances.”
    â€œNone of them?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, didn’t you know any of them socially? Or, at least, don’t you know where to find a single one of them?” When Eve didn’t answer, he went on: “The police will work on the Colfax angle, they’ll be after the people in the Super Snipe and the driver of the Hillman, so it will be wasting time for us to cover the same ground. Is there anyone who knew or knows Ralph who might be able to help?”
    â€œI’ve thought about it until my head goes round and round, and I can’t think of anyone,” Eve answered, almost desperately.
    â€œWhat about his men friends?”
    â€œHe had no real friends, just a lot of acquaintances.”
    â€œSurely someone knew him well?”
    â€œRichard,” Eve said, and it was the first time that she had used his Christian name, “not long after we were married Ralph told me that he would probably never have married me but for my money. He said that at the time he honestly thought that he was in love, but that it had been a mistake to tie himself down – he simply hadn’t the right temperament. He told me he liked new faces, new people, and constant change. His work helped him – travelling as a top-line advertising consultant, and meeting big business men from all parts of the world. In a way I felt almost sorry for him. He was never in one place for long; he seemed to be always chasing happiness. It didn’t hurt any the less because I could see that he was driven to it by some inner compulsion, that he didn’t live the way he did only for the sake of it. I honestly believe he tried in the first few years of our marriage; the years when Caroline was young, and when I was deeply in love with him. He just won’t make close friends or permanent associations. He lives by himself and for himself. That’s why I couldn’t believe at first that he knew anything about this. I was sure he wouldn’t want to saddle himself with Caroline. He was beginning to enjoy taking her out to dinner or luncheon, because she was becoming less of a schoolgirl and more of a young woman, but I can’t believe he would want her with him all