Gently in Trees by Alan Hunter Read Free Book Online

percentage, yes, I would have found him that, and Adrian wouldn’t have gone back on me.’
    ‘Didn’t he mean a week when he said a week?’
    ‘Yes – of course – but he was angry.’
    ‘You thought you could get round him.’
    ‘Yes – a percentage! Believe me, it would have been all right.’
    Gently slowly shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘It wouldn’t have been all right. Stoll wanted his money, not a percentage, not a Houdini stunt with figures. You could trust him, maybe, to sit on the report till the time limit was up, but after that he was going to act, and there was only one way to stop him.’
    ‘Please, no!’ Walling wailed. ‘How can you say that, when you didn’t know him?’
    Gently grunted. ‘You knew him. And you were ready to believe he’d broken his word.’
    ‘But you tricked me into it!’
    ‘You still believed it. Stoll’s word wasn’t to be trusted. And you couldn’t find the money anyway. So how else was the plot going to end?’
    Walling raked at his hair again. His wrinkled face looked clownishly woebegone. His short legs hung down pathetically, the feet barely touching the carpet. He gulped a breath.
    ‘How could it have been me, when I was at Brighton the whole weekend?’
    ‘At Brighton?’
    Walling winced, and threw an apprehensive look towards the door.
    ‘I drove down after breakfast on Saturday. I didn’t arrive back till late on Sunday. Please, that’s the truth – Nigel can verify the times.’
    ‘Didn’t he go with you?’
    ‘No – no. This was a little trip on my own. Adrian had upset me very much, you know, and I wanted a quiet weekend to soothe me down.’
    ‘I see,’ Gently said. ‘All on your own. And of course, you can tell us where you stayed.’
    Walling cast another look at the door. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Yes. It’s just a little place I know.’
    ‘Then suppose you let us know it, too.’
    ‘Well, it’s a small place – very small.’
    ‘Too small to have an address?’
    ‘No – no!’ Walling swallowed. ‘It’s just – private. That’s all!’
    He stared appealingly at Gently, who returned the stare stonily. Hastily Walling grabbed a pad and ballpen from the desk and scribbled something down. He tore off the sheet and handed it to Gently. It read:
    ‘Vivian Chance, Flat 3, Kyles Court.
    PLEASE don’t mention in front of NIGEL !!!’
    Silently, Gently passed the sheet to Lyons, who glanced at it, then tucked it away in his wallet. Walling watched them eagerly, his pale eyes pleading.
    ‘So you are known at this – small place?’ Gently said.
    ‘Yes—yes. You’ve only to ask.’
    ‘You met several people who could identify you?’
    Walling’s hand fluttered. ‘Well . . . the one.’
    ‘Just . . . the
one
?’
    ‘I-I didn’t go out much! I went down to soothe my nerves, you know. To relax. The sea air. This p-place has a marine view.’
    ‘And you think we’re going to swallow that?’
    ‘But please—it’s true! Nigel will tell you when I was away. And you can inquire at the—the hotel. Please! The m-m-manager will give his word!’
    Lyons said casually: ‘I think it stinks.’
    ‘Oh, dear God!’ Walling wailed.
    ‘I don’t think the manager’s word is going to help much,’ Gently said. ‘The way you are placed, it will take more than that. Somebody followed Stoll out to the forest. Somebody put him to sleep for good. Somebody with a very strong reason. And we have one man’s word that you were in Brighton.’
    ‘It isn’t going to stand up,’ Lyons drawled.
    ‘It certainly won’t convince a jury,’ Gently said. ‘I don’t know what the Fraud Squad have in mind for you, but I think they’re probably wasting their time.’
    Walling dragged agonizedly on his hair. ‘No!’ he cried, his reedy voice hitting sudden falsetto. ‘You can’t believe that – it’s too completely incredible! I would never have dreamed of killing Adrian.’
    ‘Then who would?’ Lyons asked boredly.
    ‘Who—who?