Tainted Ground by Margaret Duffy Read Free Book Online Page A

Manley and Keith Davies, were invited to the parties?’
    â€˜Couldn’t tell you. Didn’t even know what they were called.’
    â€˜The residents’ names are all listed outside the main door by the intercoms.’
    â€˜Never looked at ’em.’ Brandon, who had remained standing, now sat down lumpishly in an armchair. ‘Is that all your questions?’
    â€˜Would you mind telling me what you did before you retired?’
    â€˜I do mind as it’s none of your damned business but I’ll tell you anyway. I was fortunate in being left a fairly large sum of money as a young man and having a good head for money matters I was able to put it to use. Stocks, shares, financing various projects for other people. That kind of thing.’
    â€˜I see. Have you noticed any strangers hanging around lately?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Where were you on Thursday night?’
    â€˜Why here, of course. I’ve told you, the wife’s ill. I can’t bloody well go anywhere right now.’
    â€˜Are you quite sure you didn’t hear anyone living above you leave the building on Thursday night?’
    â€˜I’ve just said so, haven’t I?’
    â€˜Would it be all right for Ingrid to have a quick word with your wife?’
    A pair of bloodshot, somewhat piggy eyes appraised me. ‘Two minutes, then. First door on the left.’
    The door was actually slightly ajar. I knocked.
    â€˜Do close it, my dear,’ said a quiet voice when she had bidden me enter. Then, as I approached the bed, ‘I did hear most of it, the acoustics of this place are rather weird. There, take a seat.’
    I sat on the pink upholstered chair indicated, the hand that had pointed to it be-ringed and elegant.
    â€˜Marjorie Brandon,’ said the lady. ‘I’m sure you’re not really his training adviser.’
    â€˜His wife, actually,’ I said. ‘But brought in to help because of previous experience.’
    â€˜Don’t say another word,’ she whispered in conspiratorial fashion. ‘I like your husband’s voice. I was on the stage, you know. He’s a man used to giving orders and he uses his voice like a weapon if he has to, like all the best actors.’
    She was a perceptive person.
    â€˜I’m not feeling all that bad,’ Mrs Brandon went on. ‘I came for a lie down as shingles makes you feel weak and tired. Do you think you could be really kind and get me some orange juice from the fridge? William’s never had to look after me even the smallest bit before and forgets to ask when he makes himself a drink. Poor William, he’s gone to seed terribly. You’d never guess in a million years how handsome he used to be.’
    I found myself wondering if he had been a selfish pig in those days too.
    â€˜You want to know about those people upstairs,’ said Mrs Brandon when I returned with the juice. ‘Thank you, you’re an angel. I’m afraid I can’t really be helpful. I did speak to Janet a few times and said good morning to begin with to the men but they always ignored me so I stopped. The younger one looked a bit of a thug. I’m not really a snob but I wondered what he was doing here – it didn’t seem to be his kind of place. I felt sorry for Janet though as even though they were living in this lovely part of the world and so must have been reasonably well off – I don’t think either she or her husband went out to work – she never looked happy.’
    â€˜Did you hear anything strange going on upstairs on Thursday night?’
    â€˜No, you don’t here. It’s all quite well insulated. You don’t even hear people going up and down the stairs. Just voices sometimes if they’re laughing and joking a bit loudly. Oh, and the parties on the top floor when they have the windows open. It doesn’t really bother me as it doesn’t happen very often and people must