Over My Dead Body (Detective William Warwick #4)(8)

‘I left the urn to Detective Inspector William Warwick in my will, which I think might help him to make up his mind.’

? ? ?

‘Beware,’ said William, as he took a seat in the corner of an alcove opposite the fledgling detective. ‘If I were a contract killer, I would have known exactly where to find you at this time of day, which would make bumping you off that much easier. If you’re going to be a detective, you can’t afford to be a creature of habit. In future, James, I’ll expect you to find me. And I’ll never be in the same place twice.’

‘But a contract killer isn’t likely to be on board a luxury cruise liner.’

‘Unless his victim is on the way to New York, leaving us with over two thousand suspects.’

‘I saw you having breakfast with your wife this morning,’ said James, wanting to move on.

‘Never assume anything,’ said William. ‘Always open any investigation with a blank page.’

‘But you introduced her as your wife.’

‘Proves nothing.’

‘She was wearing a wedding ring.’

‘Married women have been known to have affairs.’

‘I don’t think a mistress would have ordered breakfast for you,’ said James, fighting back.

‘A fair assumption, but not beyond reasonable doubt. What’s the equivalent legal term in America?’

‘On the balance of judgement,’ replied James. ‘I also noticed that your wife appeared to be more interested in our table than yours,’ he continued, not allowing him to change the subject.

‘That’s called marriage,’ said William with a chuckle. ‘But I confess, she’s already turned your family into a gothic novel, with the juicy details supplied by our waiter.’

‘Franco,’ said James. ‘He’s served on my grandfather’s ships for over thirty years. No one knows the company, or the family, better. My grandfather offered him the chance to be the ma?tre d’ on The Pilgrim, our flagship vessel, but he turned the old man down.’

‘Why would he do that?’ asked William.

‘He told me he didn’t want to lose contact with the passengers, but I suspect it’s more likely he didn’t want to forgo the tips he picks up on every trip.’ James paused. ‘I doubt if Franco is his real name, and he sure isn’t Italian by birth.’

‘Proof?’ demanded William.

‘The accent slips occasionally, and I once asked his opinion of Caruso, and it was clear he’d never heard of the great tenor.’

‘Reason for suspicion, but not proof. Although I do think he’s hiding something.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘I’ve seen that look before when someone discovers I’m a copper.’

‘He did a short spell in prison before he joined the company,’ said James. ‘But even my grandfather doesn’t know about that.’

‘How did you find out?’

‘I was once on a voyage out of Southampton, when he asked to change tables.’

‘Did you find out why?’

‘One of the passengers came from somewhere called Hackney, and I saw a look of recognition on his face when he spotted Franco. I arranged for him and his wife to sit at the captain’s table one evening, in exchange for information. Even Franco doesn’t know I know. Mind you, there but for the grace of God goes my grandfather. Several well-chronicled near misses and one appearance in court, when the jury concluded “Not proven”.’

‘A less than subtle Scottish judgement. It usually means that both the judge and the jury aren’t in much doubt that the accused is guilty, but there isn’t enough evidence to convict. However, if you want to scale the heights your grandfather has reached, I suspect you’ll have to take the occasional risk along the way, especially when you start out with nothing.’

‘Grandpa started out with less than nothing. When his father died, he left his wife and two children with debts of around a hundred pounds. Just imagine how much that would be in today’s money. It took her years to pay it off, which was probably the reason she died so young.’

‘It may also explain why he’s so tough on his own children.’

‘Evidence?’ demanded James, imitating his tutor.

‘Franco told me that your uncle Hamish was recently sacked as deputy chairman of the company at the recent AGM. To be fair, I think the word he used was “replaced”.’

‘That’s common knowledge,’ said James. ‘It was well covered by the press on both sides of the Atlantic. I heard my father telling Mother that only the laws of libel prevented the papers from publishing the whole story.’

Franco appeared carrying a tray with a coffee and a hot chocolate.

‘Shall I tell the Chief Inspector the whole story about why my father became deputy chairman, Franco?’ said James, as the hot chocolate was placed on the table in front of him.

‘As long as you leave me out of it,’ said Franco, before disappearing even more quickly than he had materialised.

‘I doubt if you, or your father, know the whole story,’ said William. ‘I suspect the chairman has secrets he intends to take to his grave.’

‘Great-Aunt Flora will know the whole story,’ said James confidently.