An Air That Kills by Andrew Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

consequences.
    Suddenly the pity of it became unbearable. Part of the pity was for Thornhill himself and part of it was for whatever had happened at the Rose in Hand all those years before.
    He raised his hands, balled them into fists and hammered them against the steering wheel.

Chapter Five
    When the phone rang, Charlotte left the room to answer it. Jill heard the voice of her hostess in the distance, but could not distinguish the words.
    Philip sidled back to the trolley where the drinks were.
    â€˜Top up your glass?’
    Jill smiled and shook her head.
    With his back to her, Philip poured himself some gin. He turned back to Jill and raised his glass.
    â€˜Cheers.’
    She smiled dutifully at him, raised her glass and took an unwanted sip of sherry.
    â€˜So what are you going to do if you’re not going to be Bystander?’ he asked. ‘Carry on as before?’
    â€˜I don’t think so. In fact I know so. I’ve resigned.’
    â€˜With nothing to go to?’
    â€˜I feel like a change, that’s all. Perhaps I’ll freelance for a while.’
    â€˜Rather you than me.’
    Charlotte came back into the room; Jill knew from her face that something had pleased her.
    â€˜Do you know an Inspector Thornhill, Philip?’
    â€˜He’s a new chap. CID, isn’t he? I haven’t met him yet.’
    â€˜He wants to come and interview me,’ Charlotte announced. ‘It seems that they’ve found some old bones at Templefields. He’s on his way.’
    Philip glanced at the clock as he sat down. ‘Bit late, isn’t it? We’ll be having dinner soon. Couldn’t it wait till the morning?’
    â€˜Actually it was my suggestion.’ Charlotte sat down and picked up her sherry. ‘He was quite happy to leave it till the morning.’ She sipped her drink and peered over the rim of her glass at her husband. Her eyes were bright and shrewd. ‘But I thought it would be something for the Gazette . If there’s anything worth having, one wouldn’t like the Post to get it first.’
    Philip shrugged. ‘You’ve got a point, I suppose. But on Jill’s first evening . . .’
    â€˜But I’d be interested—’ Jill began.
    Charlotte overrode her. ‘Jill knows what it’s like, darling. I’m sure she won’t mind a bit. I’ve had a word with Susan and asked her to put dinner back twenty minutes. Nothing’s going to spoil.’
    Philip shrugged. ‘You know best in that department.’
    â€˜Besides, it sounds as if I was right. I said this would happen, you know. That dreadful man George – bulldozing his way through that wonderful collection of old buildings. Heaven knows what he’s going to destroy.’
    â€˜I told you Charlotte’s got a bit of a bee in her bonnet about local history,’ Philip said. ‘She did a couple of articles for the Gazette .’
    â€˜Most people don’t even realise why it’s called Templefields,’ Charlotte explained to Jill. ‘It was originally owned by the Knights Templar. There’s said to be medieval masonry in some of the cellars though I must admit I’ve never seen any myself. It may go back even further. The Romans were at Lydmouth, you know.’
    â€˜I didn’t know you wrote for the Gazette ,’ Jill said.
    â€˜Not as a journalist, dear. I’m the secretary of our little local history society. I was writing in that capacity.’
    Charlotte, Jill remembered, had read history at Oxford just before the war.
    â€˜I’ll get a pad,’ Philip said. ‘I’m sure Thornhill won’t mind.’
    Glass in hand, he got up and left the room. Charlotte’s face acquired a knowing expression. The silence lengthened.
    â€˜Poor old boy,’ Charlotte said at last, bending towards Jill and speaking in a hushed voice. ‘We lost our senior reporter on the Gazette last week. Heart