The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4 by David Carter (best finance books of all time .txt) 📕

had happened to her. Some said she had been sold into prostitution, some that Brinton had taken her home for his own; and some, the scarier ones, said that she had been murdered and dumped in the river.

Most of the girls working on the production line that day had witnessed the beating, either in full or in part, as she was dragged away, kicking and screaming. After that, the girls went on a major go slow. It was the first and only time the workforce at Minstrel Electronics had considered a strike.

Later that day, Pryce put in an appearance in the assembly plant, something he rarely did. He lay down the law. He made it crystal clear, Monica translating his rough words, and they couldn’t have been clearer. For every day that work was delayed: one unit would be culled, removed from the floor. They would not be told where the girl was taken. They would not be told what had happened to her, but they were told they would never see her alive again. They were also told that the culling would begin with the youngest one there, and they’d work their way up. It was the units’ own decision, and a simple one at that. A clear choice: Work, or the culling would begin.

Within three hours production rates had returned to normal. Some said that Yet Kwai Dang had it coming. She’d come from a family of gangsters, she’d told them all about it. She’s been handy with knives; that much was obvious; she’d even threatened one or two of the others. Some now said they were happy she’d gone. Jia Li didn’t agree. She liked Yet Kwai, and she wanted to know where she was now, she wanted to know what had happened, and perhaps through helping Shu and her friend, she might accomplish that. Jia Li agreed to help.

Shu obtained an unused packing box and took it back to the dorm, not without great risk to herself. That night, for the first time, they would try and get Jun Woo inside it.

Sixty-Four

Karen found a quiet place in spoke 1 in the restaurant and bar area and pulled out her phone and rang the boss. In the Chester HQ, Walter picked up the burbling phone.

‘Guv?’

‘Yep.’

‘I’ve spoken to Kitnap.’

‘And?’

‘You’re not going to believe this.’

‘You are full of surprises today, go on.’

‘He’s offered to make good any losses.’

‘What!’

‘As I live and breathe.’

‘What, for all the money Rushnell made off with?’

‘The very same.’

‘And how is he going to do that?’

‘Not sure, but he was most insistent about it.’

‘I suspect that guarantee holds about as much water as a new sieve.’

‘Maybe. Anyway, I am seeing him again later. He still wants to talk to me about something else.’

‘What about?’

‘I don’t know, but I am thinking of asking him to put it in writing, about the cash.’

‘Not worth the paper it would be written on, how many times have I told you, he relieves people of their money, not bails people out.’

‘Maybe, Guv, but it’s got to be worth a try, if he’s genuine.’

‘If.’

‘What would be the effect on the case if all the money was recovered?’

‘Well, I say again, “if”, but if it happened Mrs Cresswell for one would be a happier woman, and the charges might eventually be of a lesser grade. Donald could get away with a lighter sentence.’

‘That’s what I thought.’

‘Do we know where Donald is now?’

‘No. They say he was taken to the railway station at his request, and has presumably jumped on a train.’

‘Do we know where he’s been hiding?’

‘Yeah, sorry Guv, didn’t I say? He’s been living in Napoleon’s house in Cheshire.’

‘So, they have been deliberately harbouring a wanted man?’

‘They say they weren’t there most of the time, they were on tour and had no idea he was wanted.’

‘Where have they been, on Mars?’

‘No, Scotland.’

‘He is one slippery customer.’

‘He is that, Guv. He has an answer for everything, and he’s so goddamn sincere about it, it all comes with a greasy smile and platitudes aplenty.’

‘Sounds like the archetypal form of a top rank conman to me.’

‘You have no idea how much money is involved here, Guv. They are planning on opening another huge facility in California. It’s going global.’

‘Well, I know one thing, Karen, everyone can’t be making money, figures don’t lie. Usually at the bottom of these things you find gazillions of unhappy folks who are left out of pocket. That’s what I am expecting.’

‘Yeah, you could be right.’

‘So, you’re seeing him later?’

‘Yes.’

‘Ask him for a cheque.’

‘Ha hah! That would stump him.’

‘I’m serious.’

‘See what I can do. How are you getting on back there?’

‘Pretty good, I have a real feeling about this electronics line of enquiry, it’s just there is so much of it. Hector has roped in Gibbons, Jan, and Jenny, to come in tomorrow.’

‘How did he manage that?’

‘Hector Browne’s natural selection programme, he calls it.’

‘Good luck with that. Do you want me to come back too?’

‘No, you stay there. You seem to be making progress, albeit of a weird kind, see what else you can find out, see what other mischief Kit Contrick is up to, and try and nail him down on returning the missing cash, and if he hears from Rushnell, seeing as they are such great buddies, make sure he tells you.’

‘Sure, Guv.’

‘And watch him! He’s slippery.’

‘I know that, Guv.’

‘Keep me posted.’

‘Will do,’ as Karen saw Greg hustling across the room toward her.

‘Where have you been?’ he said. ‘I’ve been looking for you all over.’

‘Trying to find out where Donald went.’

‘And did you?’

‘They took him to the station to catch a train.’

Greg shrugged his disinterest.

‘Can we get back to enjoying our weekend now? Get ready for dinner later. Start to have some fun? Meet some new people. Forget about crime-fighting for twenty-four hours?’

Karen knew she could never do that, as she stood up and said, ‘Sure, Greg,’ though her mind was already elsewhere, and then she said, ‘I still have this meeting with Kit at six.’

‘Do you