“I thought that, like a lot of men, he was very smart about business and very stupid about almost everything else.”
“You mean about Sarah?”
“Yes. She obviously didn’t love him.”
Stone nodded. “I think you’re right; she was under a lot of pressure from her parents to marry him. I don’t think she would have gone through with it.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because Sarah impressed me as someone who would not have let an opportunity like James get past her.”
“That’s a pretty cynical view. How well do you know Sarah?”
“Not all that well, but I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
This conversation was going nowhere, Stone thought. He decided to change the subject. “Do you know someone named Stanford Hedger?”
Lance turned and looked at him for a moment. “No, I don’t,” he said. Then he got up and walked back into the house, leaving Stone on the garden bench.
22
STONE RETURNED TO THE CONNAUGHT, and as he entered, he caught sight of Ted Cricket sitting in the lounge, having a cup of tea. Stone joined him.
Cricket looked grim. He reached into a pocket and handed Stone a single sheet of paper.
Stone unfolded it.
The fingerprints on the wallet were checked against all available databases. Only in the United States was there an apparent match, but no identity was provided. Instead, a message appeared onscreen, stating: “This record is unavailable, for reasons of national security.” I have returned the wallet to the Green Street house, as per your instructions.
This letter constitutes my resignation from the assignment. Mr. Cricket will present you with my bill. Please do not contact me again.
It was signed by Bobby Jones.
“I understand about the fingerprints,” Stone said to Cricket, “but what’s wrong with Bobby?”
Cricket handed him another sheet of paper, outlining Jones’s fee and expenses. “He’d be grateful for cash,” Cricket said.
“Of course,” Stone replied, reaching for the envelope containing Bartholomew’s expense money. He handed Cricket the cash, including a generous bonus. “Thank him for his help, will you?”
“Of course.”
“Now tell me what’s going on with Bobby.”
“When Bobby returned the wallet, he was apparently followed from the house by two men. They dragged him into an alley and beat him badly.”
“Jesus, is he all right?”
“He will be, eventually. He’s in hospital at the moment.”
“I want to go and see him.”
“He doesn’t want to see you, Mr. Barrington. He regards the beating as a message from Mr. Bartholomew to stay away from him and from you.”
“I’d like to pay any medical bills.”
“We have a National Health Service in this country.”