A Mind to Murder by P. D. James Read Free Book Online Page B

mean that something serious was wrong?”
    The group secretary thought for a moment before replying: “I took it seriously. That’s why I came round tonight.”
    “And you have no idea at all what it might be?”
    “None, I’m afraid. It must have been something that she learned about since Wednesday. I saw Miss Bolam then at the House Committee meeting in the late afternoon and she told me afterwards that things were pretty quiet here at present. That is the last time I saw her, incidentally. She was looking rather well, I thought. Better than for some time.”
    Dalgliesh asked the group secretary what, if anything, he knew of Miss Bolam’s private life.
    “Very little. I believe she has no near relations and lives alone in a flat in Kensington. Nurse Bolam will be able to tell you more about her. They’re cousins and Nurse Bolam is probably the nearest living relative. I’ve got an idea that she had private means. All the official information about her career will be on her dossier. Knowing Miss Bolam, I expect her file will be as meticulously kept as any other staff dossier. It’ll be here, no doubt.”
    Without moving from his chair he leaned sideways, jerked open the top drawer of the filing cabinet and inserted a chubby hand between the manilla folders.
    “Here we are. Bolam, Enid Constance. I see she came to us in October 1949 as a shorthand typist. She spent eighteen months in Group Headquarters, was transferred to one of our chest clinics on 19th April 1951 on Grade B and applied for the vacant post of administrative officer here on 14th May 1957.The post was then Grade D and she was lucky to get it. We hadn’t a very strong field, I remember. All administrative and clerical jobs were regraded in 1958 following the Noel Hall report and, after some argument with the Regional Board, we managed to get this one graded as general administrative. It’s all down here. Date of birth, 12th December 1922. Address, 37a Ballantyne Mansions, SW8. Then come details about her tax code, national insurance number and incremental date. She’s only had one week off sick since she came here and that was in 1959 when she had flu. There isn’t much more here. Her original application form and letters of appointment will be on her main dossier at Group Headquarters.”
    He handed the file to Dalgliesh, who looked through it and then said: “This states that her previous employers were the Botley Research Establishment. Isn’t that Sir Mark Etherege’s show? They dabble in aeronautical research. He’s Dr. Etherege’s brother, isn’t he?”
    “I think Miss Bolam did mention to me when she was appointed to this post that she knew Dr. Etherege’s brother slightly. Mind you now, it can’t have been more than that. She was only a shorthand typist at Botley. It’s a bit of a coincidence, I suppose, but then she had to come from somewhere. I seem to remember it was Sir Mark who gave her a reference when she applied to us. That will be on her Group dossier, of course.”
    “Would you mind telling me, Mr. Lauder, what arrangements you propose making here now that she’s dead?”
    The group secretary replaced the file in the cabinet. “I don’t see why not. I shall have to consult my committee, of course, as the circumstances are unusual, but I shall recommend that the senior medical stenographer here, Mrs. Bostock, takes over in an acting capacity. If she can do the job—and I think shecan—she’ll be a strong candidate for the vacancy, but the post will be advertised in the usual way.”
    Dalgliesh did not comment but he was interested. Such a quick decision on Miss Bolam’s successor could only mean that Lauder had earlier given some thought to it. The approaches of the medical staff may have been unofficial, but they had probably been more effective than the group secretary cared to admit.
    Dalgliesh returned to the telephone call which had brought Mr. Lauder to the clinic. He said: “The words Miss Bolam used