The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker Read Free Book Online Page A

dark double-breasted blazer with a crest on the pocket, a thick white turtleneck sweater, gray flared slacks, and black ankle boots with a lot of strap and buckle showing. His hair was blond and no doubt naturally curly; it contrasted nicely with his tan. He was a slender man, shorter than I by maybe an inch and maybe ten years older. Under the tan his face had a reddish flush which might be health or booze.
    "Spenser," he said, and put out his hand, "kind of you to come."
    I shook hands with him. He wasn't being the top-exec-used-to-instant-obedience. He was being the gracious-man-of-affluence-putting-an-employee-at-ease.
    He said to his wife, "I'll have coffee, Marion."
    She rose and poured him coffee. She put several small triangular sandwiches on a plate, put the coffee cup in the little depression on the plate that was made to hold it, and placed it next to a red leather wing chair.
    Orchard sat down, carefully hiking his trouser legs up at the knee so they wouldn't bag. I noticed he had a thick silver ring on his little finger.
    "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Spenser, but I don't like to stay out of work if I can help it. Married to the job, I guess. Just wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly."
    He took a delicate sip of coffee and a small bite of one of the sandwiches.
    "I wish to hire you, Mr. Spenser, to see that my daughter is exonerated of the charges leveled against her. I was able to have her released on bail in my custody, but it took a good deal of doing and I had to collect a number of favors to do it. Now I want this mess cleared up and the suspicion eliminated from my name and my home. The police are working to convict. I want someone working to acquit."
    "Why not have Terry join us?" I said.
    "Perhaps later," Orchard said, "but first I want to speak with you for a time."
    I nodded. He went on.
    "I would like you to give me a complete rundown of the circumstances by which you became involved with Terry up to and including last night."
    "Hasn't Terry told you?"
    "I want your version."
    I didn't want to tell him. I didn't like him. I did like his daughter. I didn't like his assumption that our versions would differ.
    I said, "Nope."
    "Mr. Spenser. I am employing you to investigate a murder. I want a report of what you've discovered so far."
    "First, you may or may not be hiring me. You've offered. I haven't accepted. So at the moment I owe you nothing. That includes how I met your daughter, and what we did."
    "Goddammit, Spenser, I don't have to take that kind of insolence from you."
    "Right," I said, "you can hire another Hawkshaw. The ones with phones, are in the yellow pages under SLEUTH."
    I thought for a moment that Orchard was going to get up and take a swing at me. I felt no cold surge of terror. Then he thought better of it, and leaned back in his chair.
    "Marion," he said, "I'll have some brandy. Would you join me, Mr. Spenser?"
    I looked at my watch; it was two thirty. He really handled stress well. I decided what the flush under the tan was.
    "Yeah. I'll have some. Thank you."
    Marion Orchard's face looked a little more tightly stretched over her good bones as she went to the sideboard and poured two shots of brandy from a decanter into crystal snifters. She brought them back to us, handed one to me and one to her husband.
    Orchard swirled it in his glass and took a large swallow. I tried mine. It was the real stuff okay, barely liquid at all as it drifted down my throat. A guy who served brandy like that couldn't be all bad.
    "Now look, Spenser. Terry is our only child. We've lavished every affection and concern on her. We have brought her up in wealth and comfort. Clothes, the best schooling, Europe. She had her own horse and rode beautifully. She made us proud. She was an achiever. That's important. We do things in this family. Marion rides and hunts as well as any man."
    I looked at Marion Orchard and said, "Hi ho, Silver."
    Orchard went on. I was not sure he'd heard