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EDWARD WAS SITTING alone with his beer when Charles appeared, striding past his guests as if they weren’t there. He stopped and came to attention.
“Where’s Thanongsak?”
Edward gestured at Thanongsak. “Talking sports cars with the local garage mechanic. Nice to see you.”
“I wonder if I might have a quick word.”
“Sit down. What are you having?”
“I meant inside.”
Edward was used to Charles treating him like a servant. It was one of the things he liked best about him. He followed him into his living room and sat on one of the armchairs and crossed his legs.
This was Charles’s lookout post and command centre for the day. A temporary net curtain hung across the window so he could spy on the guests. Normally, the view was of a vast lawn landscaped with statuettes, rockeries and oaks, cedars, and beeches. Today it was as if a thick mist had fallen.
A walkie-talkie stood upright on the coffee table. The ticking of the grandfather clock was dampened by the duet at the start of Rossini’s La Cenerentola. That and the CD player were Christmas presents Edward had given Charles years ago, before his discovery that he hated all music. He supposed this was the first time they had ever been used. So Charles was about to ask a favour.
“You know I’m going away tonight, don’t you?” Charles closed the door and poured himself a whisky. “Drink?”
“I’ve probably had enough. How long are you expecting to be in Australia? You didn’t say last time we spoke.”
“I don’t know. This is my niece’s heart we’re talking about. I want to see the operation’s done properly.”
“At the outside, then.”
“Once I open my wallet and start throwing my weight around I’m hoping she’ll be in and out double quick. But I’m allowing six weeks, just in case.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem for me.”
“It’s a mission of mercy. I’m not going because I want to.”
“I understand that. It’ll help take your mind off Vivienne too.”
“We’ve just buried Vivienne. As far as I’m concerned I never need think about her again.”
Edward put his hands up.
“I’m going to give you the keys,” Charles said, “and a set of instructions and I won’t see you again before I leave. You know where everything is in this house. I’ve got a set of keys for Thanongsak as well. The two of you are in charge. Do what you like. Don’t go wild but don’t worry unduly about breakages. My main concern is that no one forces an entry. That’s your number one priority.”
“Bring in the post, show a presence, switch on a light or two at night.”
“Would you mind coming here for a moment, please?”
Edward came to the net curtain. Crowds of mourners milled about on the path and the lawn, some only centimetres away.
“It’s all right, no one can see us. You see that man?” Charles indicated a stout, elderly man in a black suit, standing alone.
“Him? The suntanned man, with the large nose and hands? What about him?”
“He’s the local GP, Richard Appleton. Or one of them.”
“And?”
“And ... how can I put this? He’s not entirely compos mentis . He will come round to the house when I’m gone. Don’t let him in under any circumstances.”
Edward’s laugh was cut short by Charles’s glower.
“I’m serious, Edward. Your main function while I’m away is to protect this house. I haven’t been on an extended trip for over a decade and the only thing that’s persuaded me it’s safe now is the thought that you can be relied on to look after Black Gables for me in my absence.”
“I didn’t mean to make light. Yes, of course I’ll send him packing if he shows up and that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“What’s he done, exactly?”
“He’s a friend of Vivienne’s. For years now he’s been trying to poison relations between me and all mine. He waits until I’m out of the way then he goes to work. Unpleasant things. You don’t need to know the specifics, Edward. Lies designed to put Vivienne in a good light and me in a bad.”
“Vivienne had some interesting friends then.”
“‘Friend’ isn’t the word. Supplicant, more like. Not that he ever got his hands on her. No, she had a certain amount of taste, even if she was radically deficient in every other virtue. He’ll go into overdrive now she’s gone. Grief will make him. Keep him off the grounds. I don’t care how you do it.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling this to Thanongsak as well? Shall I go and get him?”
Charles looked into his whisky and put one foot on the fender. “I’m nowhere near finished yet. Thanongsak’s not here for a reason.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll come straight to the point. Is Thanongsak now, or has he ever, had a relationship - albeit ever so casual - with either my daughter, Valérie, or my granddaughter, Susan?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“I need you to do better than ‘think’.”
Edward shrugged. “Okay, I know so. He’d have said.”
“Because he’s quite a ladies’ man, isn’t he? And quite bitter, incidentally, though I’ve never been able to fathom why. There’s a research title for you. Why is Thanongsak Chongdee so bitter?”
“I’ve no idea,” Edward said.
“You haven’t noticed it.”
“I’m quite sure he hasn’t slept with your daughter or granddaughter.”
“I’ve asked him exactly the same question, by the way, about you. The point is you’re both fairly good looking. They’ve never even approached you?”
“I’ve never met either of them face to face. Given that they live a distance away and that they’re apparently barred from showing themselves in your house, why would I have?”
“Okay, forget you. They’ve never been to Thanongsak’s restaurant?”
“I think he’d have mentioned it to me, assuming he recognised them. We do tend to share things.”
“Of course you do. I suppose you think all this sounds a bit paranoid, do you?”
“The thought had occurred to me.”
“I might as well tell you why I’m so concerned. You see, they use ... sex to get men to do their bidding. And if they get into this house, trust me, I’ll never get them out again. I was nervous enough about inviting them over here today but they’re probably ‘entitled’. Of course, it’s still not over. There’s still the scene to come. After which, they’ll try to establish themselves. It’s imperative you don’t let them in here while I’m away. Under any pretext.”
“‘The scene’? I’m not sure I understand.”
Charles beckoned him back to the window. “You see those two burly men in suits? They’re professional minders. Bouncers, if you like. There are six others dotted around the grounds. They’ve got orders to keep an eye on Valérie and Susan and to pick them up bodily once they start causing trouble.”
“Is it so certain they will?”
“It’s guaranteed. Susan’s gone for her mother once already today with the heel of her shoe. I had to wrench it off her. They’re two of a kind. Two very plausible, depraved harridans whose sole pleasure, now that they’re beyond the possibility of salvation, lies in dragging others down into hell with them.”
“Sorry, I may be missing something here. If you’re prepared to put your trust in a private security firm today, why not hire the same people to look after the house while you’re away? Surely that would give you more peace of mind than relying on Thanongsak and I?”
“Don’t think I haven’t considered the idea, Edward.”
“And?”
“And it’s a non-starter. Acme Security Inc might agree not to allow Susan and Valérie in, but their employees on the front line are always going to be open to offers. Come on, think, man. Imagine you’re a bouncer. You’ve got an immensely attractive woman in front of you, she wants to take you to bed straight away, and you’ve actually got a bed to hand, right behind you. All you have to do is unlock the door or even break in, assuming you’re that frenzied. The owner’s away for six weeks. He’s never going to know, is he?”
“Are you sure you’ve got them right?”
“Why wouldn’t I have?”
“You haven’t seen them for some time. They’re barred from the house. Apart from that, you hardly ever mention them. All I’m trying to say is - ”
“Is, how do I know they’re that bad? Because I hear about them. I hear about their exploits. From mutual acquaintances. Trusted acquaintances.”
“But maybe it’s all exaggerated. Oughtn’t you to give them the benefit of the doubt? They’re your daughter and granddaughter, after all, and - ”
“And blood’s thicker than water. Is that it?”
“I’m not trying to play down your concerns, but what’s the harm in talking to them? Look, it’s none of my business, I know. I’m simply asking. Just talking to them once, for your own sake?”
“You can’t talk to them. No one can.”
“Why not?”
“Let me tell you about them. Valérie’s a crook. The less said about her, the better. But at least she’s straightforward. Providing you expect to be robbed, raped and dumped in the canal, she’s plain sailing. Susan’s the really dangerous one. There’s no telling what she’ll do next. Valérie wants her to pick up the maternal mantle. Queen of the Damned: high heels, long fingernails, wolves’ teeth. Not a chance. Not in the long run, anyway. Vivienne did for that little project. Vivienne tried to make her into a ‘good person’, you see. Fat chance. She just made matters worse. Messed her mind up.”
“Maybe she isn’t as far gone as you think, I don’t know.”
“She’s already spent God knows how many years on a funny farm, somewhere in France. She’s only twenty-seven. And she’s not getting any better. It’s only a matter of time before she becomes a total liability, even to her wretched mother. No, give her a few years and she’ll be banging about in a padded cell twenty-four seven.” He picked up the decanter and poured himself another whisky. He wiped his face.
“You’re crying,” Edward said.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for loonies. I was one myself, once. I’ve left her everything in the will, you know. Valérie’s not getting a penny. Susan’s going to need looking after for the rest of her life. I want the best for her. As you rightly say, she is my granddaughter, degenerate or not.”
“Shouldn’t you try to do something now? I mean, isn’t the will leaving it a bit late?”
Charles scowled and drew himself up. “This is my time of life, Edward. I’ve waited sixty years for Vivienne to die, and now she has, I’m not going to burden myself worrying about her bloody useless sprogs. I’ve rewritten the will and that’s my lot. They made their beds, they can lie on the nails.” He let out a stream of air.
“No further questions,” Edward said, after a pause.
“Thank you.”
“Okay, I’ll make sure they don’t get into the house. And the GP: Appleton, whatever his name is. I’ll even stay on the premises myself if you like.”
“Would you? God, I was hoping you’d say that. Please tell me you’re serious.”
“It’s not a problem. I can bring over my books and whatever equipment I need to help me with the paper I’m working on, tomorrow.”
“That’s a massive weight off my mind, really.”
“Is there a connection between your daughters and Appleton? I mean, might they try to act together?”
“Not that I know of. But nothing’s impossible. If in doubt, err on the side of caution, that’s the thing. I’ve filled the fridge-freezer with food, by the way. Theoretically, you need never leave the house.”
Edward smiled. “I take it you were anticipating my offer?”
“I was hoping. I wasn’t going to ask directly.”
“What time does your plane leave?”
“Nine. Be here at eight and I’ll give you the keys and show you where all the knobs and switches are.”
“Eight. In that case, I’d better go and pack a suitcase.”
“Oh, and Edward?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”
