London Calling by Sara Sheridan Read Free Book Online

standing only yards away from Jack’s grave. The woman hadn’t appeared the slightest bit bereaved.
    ‘I expect so,’ she snapped.
    ‘So, for whom are you waiting in Duke’s bar? Lucky bugger! Come on – confess! What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you since things wound up at Nuremberg. Pretty grim, wasn’t it?’
    ‘I’m not waiting for anyone – I just fancied some jazz, Eddie. I’ve heard there are some smashing clubs up here around Soho.’
    Eddie took a slug of his martini. ‘Oh God! You’re in absolutely the right place. Actually there’s no need to go as far as Soho. It’s splendid! There are a couple just round the corner. There’s even one on Jermyn Street opposite my old man’s tailor. It’s on the left in a basement and there’s another up on Piccadilly. Have you ever been? It’s marvellous! You sit in the dark, smoking. The drink is variable, of course – some places better than others. Anyway, you sit in the dark, in a very small space in the smoke, and the music is incredible. It’s different every time – that’s what gets me. It’s not like going to a dreary old-fashioned concert. The musicians just take off ! These black guys come over from the States and what they can’t do with a horn or a set of drums!’
    ‘Is it dangerous, Eddie? I mean, for a woman on her own?’
    ‘I’ll take you! I insist!’
    ‘So it is dangerous?’
    ‘Well, not for you, Mirabelle. I mean, you’re fully trained, aren’t you?’
    ‘I only worked in the office,’ Mirabelle cut in. ‘I never went on operations.’
    ‘Yes, but even so. I’m sure you picked up a thing or two. You always knew what was what, and people who know what’s what don’t land themselves in trouble. Or at least they don’t land themselves in trouble they can’t get out of. Mostly the jazz clubs are not half as bad as people say. They only say those things because they don’t know. I’ve seen a couple of fights breaking out but no worse than you’d find in a pub. They say a lot of the musicians use cocaine – you know, the stuff the dentist gives you for toothache. Creative types, of course.’
    ‘It’s only that I heard about a deb who went missing a couple of days ago. She was in a jazz club somewhere in Soho?’
    ‘Rose something or other? Yes, I read about that. The Standard ran a whole shock-horror about it. Terrible business. Can you imagine young girls out late at night like that? I mean to say, that’s the scandal. I couldn’t make out if the kid had a chaperone or not. I’d hate to think of my little nieces … Well, they’re probably on the young side for that kind of thing, but still. Who lets their daughter out to a jazz club, green as grass? Those places might not be the dens of iniquity everyone says they are but they’re definitely dives. No wonder the girl got into trouble.’
    ‘Actually, she wasn’t alone. She was with Commander Blyth’s daughter, I think.’
    ‘Paul Blyth? Oh God, I hadn’t heard that. Poor chap will be frantic.’ Eddie Sipped open his cigarette case and offered Mirabelle a smoke. She leaned towards him as he gave her a light. She scarcely ever smoked these days but Eddie had American cigarettes. The musky taste emboldened her.
    ‘So what are you really doing here?’ she whispered.
    Eddie’s eyes twinkled. He lowered his voice. ‘Thing is, the palace staff come in when they get off duty. Officers, mostly. There’s nothing like a military man, even out of uniform. And apart from anything else, it’s so convenient for the park.’
    ‘Oh Eddie!’ Mirabelle laughed. ‘You haven’t changed a bit!’ He always sailed close to the wind – and got away with it.

Chapter 6 
The best thing for a case of nerves is a case of Scotch.
    The whisky sours were stronger than expected and as Mirabelle checked her appearance in the mirror of the Ladies she realised that she was rather flushed and swaying slightly. The small crackers had not provided adequate ballast.