The Stratford Murder by Mike Hollow (best thriller novels of all time .TXT) 📗

manager’s office and his secretary at hers, typing.

‘Excuse me, Mr Conway,’ said Jago, ‘but I need to have a word with Miss Carlton. Do you mind if I take her out for a few minutes? We won’t be long.’

‘Out? But I’m sure there’s nothing she would say that she can’t say in here.’

‘I need to speak to her in private.’

‘But she’s busy. She’s typing some urgent correspondence for me.’

‘Mr Conway, I’m investigating the murder of one of your employees. I’m asking you for the sake of politeness, but if you prefer, I’ll just tell you. I’m taking Miss Carlton out for a talk and I’ll return her to you as soon as possible.’

‘Oh, I see. Very well, then. But be as quick as you can.’

‘Come along, Miss Carlton. I expect you could do with a cup of tea.’

Cynthia got her coat and hat, and left with the two detectives. A few doors down the road from the cinema there was an ABC tea shop that didn’t look too busy.

‘Actually, Inspector,’ said Cynthia once they were inside, ‘if you don’t mind, I think I’d rather have a hot chocolate.’

‘Certainly. And something to eat?’

‘Well, I shouldn’t, but … perhaps a little toasted tea cake.’

‘And perhaps—’ Cradock began.

‘Yes, I know,’ said Jago. ‘Perhaps a little something for you too.’

‘Thanks very much, sir.’

Cradock settled for a plate of ham sandwiches and a pork pie with his cup of tea, but Jago preferred just a slice of Dundee cake.

‘Now, Miss Carlton,’ Jago began, ‘tell me, please – how long have you worked at the Regal?’

‘Ooh, I don’t know, it must be three years, I think. It was before Mr Conway came, when the old manager was still there – a right one he was. Mr Conway was like a breath of fresh air. At first, anyway. This tea cake’s lovely, you know.’

‘Good. And what did you do before that?’

‘I worked for the Gas Light & Coke Company. I was just a typist then, at Beckton gasworks, but now I’m a secretary – much more responsibility. It’s people like me that keep places like the Regal going. Not that I’ll be there for ever, of course. I’ve got plans, you see.’

‘I’m sure. Now, the set of keys that you hold for the cinema – do you have any reason to believe they could’ve got into anyone else’s hands recently?’

‘No, they’ve been with me all the time. I keep them in my handbag.’

‘And I assume you still have them.’

‘Yes.’ She opened her handbag, pulled out some keys on a ring, and dangled them in front of him. ‘See? I don’t think Mr Conway would ever say I was anything less than a very trustworthy employee.’

‘Thank you. How do you get on with Mr Conway? Personally, I mean.’

‘He’s all right.’

‘He seems a very enterprising man.’

‘Oh yes, very enterprising. He’ll try anything.’ She snapped her handbag shut and hung it on the back of her chair.

‘What’s he like to work for?’

‘He’s very particular, wants the Regal to be the best cinema in the area. I think he sees himself sailing on to greater things in the future, so he wants everything he touches to be a success.’

‘He told us he runs a tight ship.’

‘Yes, he talks like that – likes to be in command, if you know what I mean. He gets all the doormen and usherettes lined up every day for a uniform inspection, like an admiral on a battleship. Always keen to check everything’s where it should be – he expects them all to be up to scratch.’

‘And Joan Lewis – was she up to scratch?’

‘As far as he was concerned, I’d say very definitely yes, she was.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean he had his eye on her, and I don’t mean he thought she tore her tickets in half neatly. He has an eye for the ladies, does our Mr Conway, and he had his eyes on her.’

‘Are you suggesting there was some sort of relationship between them?’

‘I’m not suggesting anything, Inspector. But we learn things in life, don’t we? And something I’ve learnt is that he’s one of those men who’ll chase anything in a skirt – and these days in trousers too, as long as it’s a pretty girl who’s wearing them.’

‘But she was a married woman.’

‘Yes, but you know what they say. While the cat’s away …’

‘Do you have any evidence for that?’

‘No, but I know Mr Conway. Let’s just say he and I have a little history, and I’ve probably got to know him better than the rest of the staff have. If you ask me, it’s a pity they haven’t taken him for the army. That might’ve given him something different to think about.’

‘He told us he’d been exempted from military service.’

‘Oh, yes, I expect he told you about his spot of heart trouble.’

‘That’s right. He said he’d failed the medical examination.’

‘Yes, well, I reckon he failed it because when they looked for his heart they couldn’t find one. Will that be all, Inspector?’

‘For the time being, yes, thank you.’

‘So, Peter, what do you make of it all so far?’ said Jago when Cynthia had departed for the cinema. ‘We’ve got a young woman murdered. Her husband’s in the army, missing in France, possibly captured, possibly worse. Her mother-in-law doesn’t think much of her character or her sense of responsibility, but her boss at the cinema seems to have thought highly of her.’

‘Maybe it wasn’t just her character he was thinking of, sir,’ said Cradock.

‘Quite. Then we’ve got her sister, Beryl.’

‘She seems a sweet girl.’

‘Yes, I suppose she would, to you. Like a younger sister, eh?’

‘No, just a younger member of the public, sir.’

‘Good. Now, it seems Beryl wasn’t especially close to Joan, and her mother-in-law Audrey certainly wasn’t, from the sound of it. That leaves this Carol Hurst as the only close friend anyone’s mentioned, so we’ll need to find her. That kitchen’s troubling me too.’

‘Whose kitchen?’

‘Joan’s. We had a good look round, but there were no photos, no letters,