loyally, âGood idea.â
âAnd I should say that dealing with something like this would be right up Howard Airâs street, wouldnât you?â said Marcus.
Howard Air, a high-profile member of Berebury Town Council, was a successful businessman and local politician. And while he did not know anything about art â and never failed to say so â even Marcus Fixby-Smith had to concede that the man did seem to know his way around.
Hilary nodded. âI would.â
âMoreover,â he added cynically, âif thereâs any public relations mileage to be had out of any of this, then heâll want to make the most of it. After all, he wrings every drop of goodwill out of his connections with the Lake Ryrie project.â
Howard Air was a prominent supporter of an animal rescue reserve in the Kingdom of Lasserta, as well as being associated with the local centre.
Hilary Collins contented herself with saying, âHoward Air certainly wouldnât want to hear anything about the museum at second hand.â She personally supported a lion at the Lake Ryrie Reserve with a small monthly donation. A photograph of the magnificent beast stood on her desk where others had pictures of their spouses and children.
Fixby-Smith grimaced. âMy guess is that heâd reckon learning about trouble from anyone else was a networking failure.â Howard Air, as Marcus Fixby-Smith knew only too well, was not one to go in for failure. On the complete contrary, as the museum curator for one would have been the first to admit. His committee chairman had been singularly good at attracting new funding for the Greatorex Museumâs various exhibitions, especially the experimental ones. It was this last that had really earned Howard Air the curatorâs respect.
Hilary Collins had let her gaze drift in the direction of a nearby Roman stele. âI dare say he doesnât have too many disappointments in that line.â
Fixby-Smith lifted his elbows off the stone sarcophagus and straightened up. âNo, but even Philistines canât win them all, Hilary.â
âWhat do you mean, Marcus?â Her mind strayed again to the inscription on the stele: she really must find the time to take another look at it. The Romans in Calleshire would be an interesting subject for schools.
âHe lost that little Chardin oil which I told him he ought to bid for. It was rather nice, I thought. It went to some gallery in France.â He grinned. âI had thought any painting with oranges and apples ought to go down well on his office wall.â
Howard Air and Company Ltd were big importers of fruit and vegetables for the wholesale market which supplied the county of Calleshire.
âPity,â said his assistant. âHe could have used it in his advertising.â
Fixby-Smith shot her a sharp glance. The thing about Hilary Collins was that you never knew whether she was joking or not.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Howard Air was actually talking about advertising at the time, but not of either his own business or the museum. He was over at the village of Edsway.
âI think weâll need some better posters soon, Alison. Got to keep a high profile for the Lake Ryrie Project. They need every penny we can send them.â
Alison Kirk looked despairingly round the ramshackle Calleshire Animal Sanctuary which she and her sister, Jennifer, ran in spite of great financial difficulties. âOf course, Howard, I do understand.â She sighed. âThereâs so much need everywhereâ¦â
âBut here in Calleshire,â he reminded her gently, âthereâs no danger of any of your animal species becoming extinct.â A chorus of barking dogs in the background endorsed this. âNow, out in Lassertaâ¦â
âOf course.â She turned a tired face towards him. âWe had more trouble here last night, Howard. The police were very kind