TWENTY-SIX

      ‘I’m certainly glad you’ve recovered from that nasty little attack upon your person, Mr Deravenel,’ Inspector Laidlaw said in his hearty voice, shaking Edward’s hand with a firm grip. ‘I’m afraid we came to a dead end on that, sir, no suspects, as you know. Mind you, we’ve not closed the case. It remains open.’

      ‘I’m perfectly certain you’ll never be able to pin it on anyone, Inspector Laidlaw,’ Edward replied and chuckled. ‘Those boyos were long gone that very night, wouldn’t you say?’

      ‘I would indeed.’

      ‘Now, Inspector Laidlaw, I would like you to meet my colleagues, Alfredo Oliveri and Robert Aspen. They both worked rather closely with Aubrey Masters, for a number of years. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you have, as will I.’

      ‘Pleased to meet you, gentlemen,’ Inspector Laidlaw said, shaking Alfredo’s hand and then Rob’s. ‘I do have a few things I would like to discuss with you both, and Mr Deravenel.’

      The four men were standing in the middle of Edward’s office at Deravenels, and he now said, ‘I think we might be more comfortable over there near the window where we can all sit down.’ As he spoke he walked across the room and seated himself on the sofa; the other three men followed and each took an armchair arranged in a grouping close to the big leather sofa.

      ‘By the way, Inspector, do you have the results of the autopsy yet?’

      ‘Yes, I do, Mr Deravenel. Mr Masters died from the ingestion of digitalis.’

      ‘Isn’t that a heart medicine?’ Rob Aspen asked in surprise, looking at the Inspector. ‘I didn’t think one could die from it. My mother has a heart problem and the doctor prescribed digitalis last year.’

      In his late thirties, Rob Aspen was a pleasant-looking man who appeared much younger than his years and wore his clothes with a bit of a dash. Women found him attractive, wanted to mother him, but so far he had eluded all of them and was still single.

      ‘It is indeed a heart medicine, Mr Aspen,’ the Inspector answered. ‘And that was one of the things I wanted to talk to you all about. Did Mr Masters suffer from a heart condition, do you know?’

      ‘I don’t think so,’ Alfredo answered, ‘but then Aspen would know better than I, because he works here in London all the time. I go back and forth to Italy, to Carrara, to be exact.’

      Rob exclaimed, ‘I’m pretty certain he was in the best of health. He appeared to be, at any rate. On the other hand, how can I be sure? We were business colleagues not close friends, and he did not confide in me. Surely Mrs Masters would know about his health?’

      The Inspector nodded, leaned back in the armchair, a reflective look on his face. After a moment’s considered thought, he continued slowly, ‘Mrs Masters insists that her husband did not have a heart condition, and therefore was not taking digitalis. She was most definite about this. I’ve also spoken to his physician, Dr Fortescue, and went to see him at his surgery. In fact, we had a long chat. The doctor cannot explain the reason Mr Masters took digitalis. He, too, is most baffled. Certainly he did not prescribe it, because Mr Masters did not have a heart condition. The doctor was most firm about that.’

      ‘Could there be another doctor involved, Inspector Laidlaw?’ Edward asked, giving the policeman a hard stare. ‘Perhaps Aubrey Masters wanted a second opinion, if he thought he had a health problem, and certainly he wouldn’t have wanted to offend Dr Fortescue. Or perhaps he didn’t want his wife to know he had developed a heart condition, and secretly went to see another physician or specialist.’

      ‘Or any kind of condition,’ Rob volunteered.

      ‘What are you suggesting, Mr Aspen?’ the Inspector asked, his eyes on the other man.

      ‘It’s something I’ve just remembered—’ Rob left his sentence unfinished, shaking his head. ‘No, no, it’s a long shot, I’m sure there’s nothing to it.’

      ‘To what?’ the inspector asked.

      ‘A remark Masters made to me about six months ago. I thought it was an odd comment, and quite out of character, not at all like him. Out of the blue one day, he muttered that life was so much easier for women, that all they had to do was lie down, whereas men had to stand to attention.’ Rob shook his head. ‘I was being something of a dunce that afternoon, I suppose, because I didn’t get the innuendo at first, not until he chuckled and winked at me. Frankly, I was astonished. I realized he was making a reference to his…sexuality, or perhaps I should say lack of it. About a week later I took some papers to his office, but he was out. I placed the files on his desk and it was then I noticed a writing pad on which he had drawn a number of hearts in red pencil, doodles really, and just below the hearts was the name Dr Alvin Springer. I thought nothing about it at the time, it just came back to me now.’

      ‘I will have that name checked out, Mr Aspen. Thank you very much indeed,’ Inspector Laidlaw said. ‘There’s a possibility that Dr Springer is a heart specialist, in view of those scribbles.’

      ‘It might be a clue, yes,’ Rob responded. ‘On the other hand, the doctor could be one who specializes in sex therapy. There are a few now practising in London, I hear from a friend of mine, who suffers from…well, er, shall we say a certain inadequacy. He has also been going to a psychiatrist, and, in fact, Dr Springer might well be a doctor who treats problems.’

      Edward, who had been swallowing sudden and unexpected laughter, now glanced at Inspector Laidlaw. Immediately he saw the laughter in the policeman’s eyes, although his expression was one of total solemnity.

      Rising, Edward walked over to his desk, trying to turn his spluttering laughter into coughing. A moment later, fully in control he said, ‘Do excuse me, I’m so sorry.’

      The Inspector looked across at him, obviously suppressing his laughter, and said, ‘Do you need a glass of water, sir?’

      Edward walked back to the sofa, shaking his head. ‘No, no, thank you, I’m fine.’

      Laidlaw now said, ‘Mr Aspen, you’ve been very helpful, and I will personally speak to Dr Springer.’ Clearing his throat several times, he then went on, ‘I don’t suppose any of you would know if there was—well, another woman in his life?’

      Edward thought he would burst into laughter at the preposterousness of this idea, but he managed to control himself, as did Oliveri and Aspen. Both of them looked as amused as he was; they simply shook their heads, as did Edward, and kept their faces straight.

      After a moment, Edward turned to the Inspector. ‘If