‘What happened yesterday, Steve?’
‘Well, now – let me think…’ Her eyes clouded as she stared at the half-drawn curtains. ‘I’m not sure where to begin…’
‘Suppose we begin at the very beginning. You set out to meet me at the airport, just as you planned…’
‘Yes, that’s right. I arrived there with plenty of time to spare, and parked the car. A man in uniform, one of the airport officials, came up to me. He checked the number of my car, and asked if I was Mrs Temple. He told me your plane had arrived ahead of schedule and you were waiting for me in the Concorde Lounge.’
‘Would you recognise this man again?’
‘I doubt it.’ She shook her head. ‘He asked me to follow him to another car just outside the car park. I thought he was taking me to another building some distance away. In the back of the car was a woman wearing air hostess’s uniform. I sat beside her and the man climbed into the driving seat and we drove off. We’d been going for about a minute when the woman suddenly pushed a pad over my face and I felt a jab in my right arm. I’m afraid I don’t remember anything else – about the journey, I mean. When I came to I was in a darkened room. I felt absolutely awful. Everything was going round and I wanted to be sick. After a while a man came into the room and gave me a drink. I don’t know what it was, but it certainly made me feel better.’
‘Was this man the phoney airport official?’
‘I couldn’t see him very well, but I don’t think he was. For one thing, his voice sounded different.’
‘And what did he say?’
‘He said there was nothing to worry about – that I wasn’t in any danger and later on they’d be releasing me.’
‘Did you ask why they’d kidnapped you?’
‘Yes, and he said: “We did it as a warning, and to prove that it was possible, Mrs Temple.” ’
She felt his grip on her hand tighten, saw the line of his mouth harden.
‘Go on, Steve.’
‘Well, I was left alone for ages after that. It must have been two or three hours later before another man came into the room. I think this was the man at the airport; he was about the same height and he sounded rather like him.’
‘But you’re not sure?’ he said sharply.
‘No, Paul, I can’t be a hundred per cent sure. Anyway, this man also assured me that there was nothing to worry about and that they were going to send me home. About half an hour later they drove me down to Euston and allowed me to make the telephone call.’
‘But didn’t they give you any idea what this was all about – why they’d abducted you?’
‘Not the slightest. Don’t you know, Paul?’
‘I haven’t a clue. I’m not investigating a case at the moment. I’m not mixed up in anything – you know that, Steve.’
‘If only I could remember more details…What the people looked like…’
‘Don’t worry about it, darling.’ He released her hand and stood up. ‘You’re all right, that’s the main thing.’
‘Yes, well – you must have been pretty worried.’
‘Oh, not really, darling.’ He kept his expression dead-pan. ‘I just went berserk.’
Steve laughed, watching him affectionately as he moved towards the hanging cupboard that filled one whole wall.
‘By the way, I put your new coat in the wardrobe.’
‘My coat?’
‘Yes. We found it in the back of the car when we collected it from the airport.’
‘But I didn’t take a coat with me,’ Steve said, puzzled.
‘Yes, you did, darling. Here it is.’ Temple slid the white door back on its runners, reached inside and took out an overcoat on a hanger.
He held the coat up for her to see. It was in classic style, of fawn cashmere, with a tie-belt and sleeves trimmed with leather buttons. What surprised him was the weight of the material.
‘That’s not my coat!’ Steve exclaimed.
‘But it is, Steve! It was in the back of your—’
‘I don’t care where it was! It’s not my coat!’
Temple found it hard to understand why she was so vehement in repudiating this fashionable garment.
‘Are you sure, dear?’
‘I’m positive!’ More quietly she asked: ‘Is there anything in the pockets?’
He carefully checked both pockets. ‘No, nothing.’
Steve pointed a finger towards the top of the coat. ‘There should be a maker’s name on the back of the collar somewhere.’
‘Yes, I’m just looking for it.’ Temple took the coat off the hanger and looked inside the collar. ‘Ah, here we are!’
He turned the label towards the light to read the name. ‘Margo…’
Superintendent Raine took his mackintosh off and handed it to Charlie, who hung it up in the little cloakroom. Through the closed door of the sitting-room he could hear someone playing the piano – one of Chopin’s Nocturnes. Despite his air of businesslike efficiency Raine was a sensitive man and a lover of music. From the style of the playing he was able to recognise a woman’s touch.
The music stopped when Charlie knocked on the door and went in to announce the visitor. A moment later Temple himself appeared.
‘Hello, Superintendent!’ he welcomed Raine warmly. ‘Come along in!’
The Temples’ coffee cups had been put back on the silver tray and a brandy glass was on the table beside Paul’s chair. The book he had been reading had been placed on the arm, with the cover uppermost. It was the novel that had recently won the Booker McConnell prize.
Steve had come out from behind the baby grand piano.
‘Good evening, Mrs Temple.’ Raine gave her a courtly bow. ‘You look better than you did a week ago.’
‘Yes,’ Steve smiled. ‘I’m fine now, thank you very much.’
‘I just happened to be passing and I thought I’d drop in and have a word with you.’
‘Glad to see you.’ Temple indicated a chair. ‘Sit down. Can I get you a drink?’
‘No, thank you. I’m afraid my day’s work is not done yet.’ Raine sat down, as usual leaning slightly forward. ‘Well, we don’t seem to have got very far during the past week. We’ve made enquiries about the coat, but we’ve drawn a blank. We’ve failed to find the owner, or even the shop where it was bought.’
‘What about the makers?’
‘We can’t even locate the makers. According to all accounts, there isn’t a coat firm called Margo – not in this country, at any rate.’
‘I see.’ Steve and Paul exchanged a glance. ‘Did you check with the airport people?’
‘Yes, and we’ve had no luck there either, I’m afraid. I suppose you haven’t had any bright ideas, Mr Temple?’
‘No, I’m afraid I haven’t, except that…Well, I think the people who kidnapped Steve were labouring under the delusion that I was just about to investigate a case of some kind.’
‘And you think the Mrs Temple incident was a warning to keep out?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Well,