Cell by Colin Forbes Read Free Book Online Page A

swiftly. His mouth was wide and again thin, his chin suggested a touch of aggression.
    He was dressed in country clothes, a smart hunter's jacket and polo trousers tucked inside gleaming knee-length boots. Smiling, he ushered them to an enormously wide couch and sat next to Paula with Tweed beyond her.
    'I am so sorry to drag you down here but I do have a Cabinet meeting soon. Pure waste of time. Bores me stiff listening to gabble-gabble. Now, what would you like to quench your thirst? Tea, coffee - maybe something a little stronger?'
    Tweed refused anything and Paula followed suit. Warner looked over at the open door where Palfry stood waiting to bring refreshment, shook his head. Palfry dipped his head, withdrew, closing the door.
    'Good chap, Perry,' Warner remarked. 'Member of MENSA - not that it impresses me. But he's so reliable and has the memory of an elephant.' He was addressing his remarks to Paula. 'I have heard of the legendary Paula Grey. Makes me wonder whether I should talk to her rather than you, Tweed.' He said it with a smile.
    'If I am regarded anywhere as legendary it is exaggerated wildly,' she told him. 'Mr Tweed is the power.'
    'Then I will talk to both of you.' He looked across at Tweed. 'I hope you will not take what I say as personal.'
    'Depends what you say, Minister.'
    Paula was startled. Minister? Then she realized Tweed was using softening up tactics, something he rarely did.
    'It has come to my shell-like ear,' Warner began gravely, 'that you two have been poking about up at Carpford. I regard that as my private sanctuary.'
    'Surely you are worried about the mysterious disappear ance of your wife,' Tweed replied bluntly.
    'I am worried sick. It is so unlike Linda to take off into the wild blue yonder. And the police are hopeless. That chap Buchanan simply says he has no news yet. After three weeks. I ask you.'
    'Superintendent Buchanan is the cleverest and most determined policeman in this country. The car your wife was driving, which was found abandoned, has been subjected to the most thorough lab search. No clues at all found inside it. Have you yet had any kind of message demanding a ransom? If you have you must tell me - even if the caller told you that was the last thing you must do.'
    'No one has called.' Warner's voice had changed, was rasping. He was leaning against Paula to speak to Tweed and she caught a whiff of after-shave lotion. She knew he was quite unaware he was pressing against her as he continued vehemently. 'I have received no ransom demand. Dammit, man, if I had I would have told Buchanan. And, once again, why were you poking about down at Carpford?'
    'Because, at Buchanan's urgent request, I've reverted for the moment to my old role of detective. You should be grateful.'
    'Oh, I see.' He sat back. 'Someone told me you were once the star turn at the old Scotland Yard. Find anything? See any of the people up there?'
    'Olaf Margesson for one. He's a fanatic on religion. Do you know him?'
    'He's invited me over for the occasional glass of sherry. Don't understand your reference to religion. We talked mostly about cricket. Anyone else?'
    'Mrs Gobble.'
    'She's potty. Quite harmless though. So you got nowhere?'
    'I didn't say that. There are rumours that al-Qa'eda has arrived over here ..."
    The effect of Tweed's words was electric. Warner jumped up from the couch, marched back to his desk, sat in the high chair behind it. Paula was astonished at the change in his personality. He looked choleric, his voice grim.
    'Now listen to me, Tweed. I know you have in your outfit that foreign correspondent reporter, Robert Newman. If he tries to write about those rumours we'll put out a D notice, stop him in his tracks. It's an absurd idea. I will tell you some criminal organization from abroad may be trying to establish some system in Britain with the drug cartel in Colombia. That's absolutely off the record. Muzzle that wild dog, Newman. Do you understand me?'
    The couch they sat on faced