The Stratford Murder by Mike Hollow (love books to read txt) 📕

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, it’s a kind of investment, I suppose, but judging by what Joan said he was more like a moneylender. You know, special loans for people who can’t borrow money from the bank, and special interest rates to go with them. I believe they call it lending money on note of hand.’

‘Yes.’

‘And that was where the trouble started for Audrey, from what I can tell. You see, according to Joan, he made pots of money but he didn’t like the thought of the taxman getting his greedy hands on it. He must’ve had some very clever ways of keeping it quiet, because when he died Audrey had no idea where he’d salted it away or how to find it. They lived in a big fancy house in Windsor Road – you know, those nice detached ones – but she had to sell it and move to the one in Carnarvon Road where she lives now. That’s not exactly a hovel either – I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at it – but it’s not a patch on what she used to have. I feel sorry for her, really.’

‘I see. Now, there’s just one more thing I’d like to ask you about.’

Jago picked up the suitcase and opened it on the table, then took out the tunic.

‘I wonder whether you can tell me what this is, Miss Hurst. Have you seen it before?’

‘Yes, I have.’

‘Can you tell me about it, please?’

‘Yes. I went round to see Joan one day because I was going to a dance and didn’t have anything to wear. I thought she might have a dress I could borrow. We were that alike in build we could pass for each other in the dark. She said to have a look in the wardrobe and help myself. So I had a look, and I noticed this hanging up right at one end. I didn’t know what it was, so I pulled it out and said, “What’s this?” She said it was Richard’s. It was a kind of uniform for some group he belonged to. It had a funny name I’d never heard of. I can’t remember what it was now. Something like the Kitty Kat Club, but more like made-up words, nonsense.’

‘Was it Kibbo Kift?’

‘That sounds like it. Meant nothing to me, but she said it was something Richard had been involved in when he was younger, a bit like the Boy Scouts. He liked it, but there was a spot of trouble when Charlie found out more about it.’

‘Charlie?’

Carol laughed again. ‘Ah, yes, I believe Audrey likes to call him Charles, but Joan said when he was doing his “investor” work he was just plain Charlie Lewis. Anyway, to start with, Charlie and Audrey thought it was just the same as the Boy Scouts, like I said – you know, camping, making fires in the woods and cooking on them, with a bit of tying knots and whittling thrown in – but when Charlie looked into it more he discovered it had some funny ideas he didn’t agree with.’

‘Funny ideas?’

‘Yes, politics, and that sort of thing. To be honest, I haven’t a clue what it was all about, but it was something to do with economics and money, and he clearly didn’t approve of it. Maybe he thought it was going to poison Richard’s mind, but I don’t know. It’s the sort of thing Mr Pemberton would be able to explain – there’s nothing he doesn’t know about money. I may work in a bank, but that doesn’t mean I know about things like economics. Social credit, that’s what Joan said it was called. Charlie may have thought Richard would grow out of it, but it seems he didn’t, and that’s why they fell out.’

‘And what did Joan think of these ideas?’

‘I’m not sure she really understood them. A bit over her head, I reckon. I think she went along with what Richard wanted to do, at first anyway.’

‘It’s been suggested that Joan hid this uniform of Richard’s because she didn’t want Audrey to get her hands on it, but Audrey seems to think it’s hers and Joan stole it from her. Do you know why that would be?’

‘I’m not sure. I told you Audrey was a possessive mother, didn’t I? Maybe she thinks Joan stole Richard from her. That old uniform’s a part of Richard’s childhood, when he belonged to her, so if she gets it back, she gets him back, out of Joan’s hands. Like when soldiers capture the other side’s flag in a battle, you know? And Joan might’ve wanted to stop Audrey getting her hands on it for the same reason – at least at the beginning, when Richard went off to France with the TA. Towards the end, though, I think it might’ve been just to spite Audrey.’

Carol’s eyes darted across Jago’s shoulder as the door opened behind him. He looked round to see Pemberton entering the room and rose from his chair.

‘Am I interrupting you?’ the manager asked. ‘It’s just that—’

‘We were just finishing, thank you,’ said Jago. ‘Miss Hurst has been most helpful. And thank you, Mr Pemberton, for sparing her to talk to us.’

Carol got to her feet. Jago thought she looked a little flustered, as if worrying that she’d spoken to him for too long or said too much.

‘I’ll get back to work now, then,’ she said hesitantly. ‘If there’s anything else you need to know, just ask.’

She made her way quickly to the door and slipped out past Pemberton without another word.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The bank manager stood by the door, regarding Jago with an inquisitive gaze as if to ask if he might similarly be dismissed and return to his duties, but Jago motioned to the chair that Carol Hurst had just vacated.

‘Mr Pemberton,’ he said, as the manager sat down, ‘Miss Hurst was just talking to us about something called social credit, which she felt