Chapter Eight
"Good afternoon Mr Bolton" Dickie said with a smile "Lovely to see a familiar face. It's been some time."
"Indeed m'lord" said the butler "I'm very sorry, but I can't let you in."
"I beg your pardon?" ask Dickie incredulously.
"My orders m'lord. You are not to be admitted under any circumstances. I'm sorry" Mr Bolton certainly didn't look sorry to Dickie.
"Whose orders Bolton? I understood that Larry is not at home." Dickie asked sharply.
"When the Master inherited the house he set a standing order that yourself and Lady Merton were not to be allowed access m'lord. It's more than my job's worth." With that he stepped back inside and closed the front door. If Dickie had to describe his parting face he would say it looked smug.
Dickie turned back to the waiting cab. "Well, slight change of plan, Driver. I've heard good things about The Savoy, shall we try there next?"
"A'right Guv!" said the cabby as he re-joined the traffic.
"I'm sorry Inspector, I failed" said Dickie from the desk phone in the Hotel. "Apparently Larry left orders I was not to be admitted, and unlike Cavenham, I don't have any rights of ownership."
"That's alright m'lord. I'll speak to the Chief about whether he wants us to request a warrant. I'll update you in the morning." The Inspector rang off.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
Dickie entered the smart building where Tim lived and asked the concierge to confirm his flat number. He'd decided not to call ahead in case Tim made a point of not being there to meet him. He'd rung an old pal in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and knew Tim had returned today. Dickie reached the flat and, after a deep breath, knocked.
"Hang on Charlie! I've only been home an hour! Give a fella a chance!" Tim answered the door with a towel over his head having clearly just got out of the bath. "Come in and fix yourself a drink: I still need to shave. What have you got lined up for my celebrated return?" Tim had headed back into the bathroom.
Dickie followed Tim into the flat and closed the door. "It's not Charlie, Tim. It's your Father."
The silence was deafening. Dickie just waited.
Finally Tim reappeared, his wet hair still tousled from the towelling. "On your own?" He sneered "Come running to me because you've been dumped?"
Dickie's face was hard "Not at all. We're very happy. Thank you for your concern." Tim had the grace to look a little uncomfortable. "I'm here because I need to talk to you urgently about Larry."
"Well, as you've probably guessed, I have a prior engagement. It'll have to wait" Tim replied with artificial cheer.
"I don't think so." Dickie added sternly "I fully expect your next unknown visitors to be the Police, and they may well have a search warrant with them. It doesn't need to take long, but I do need to talk to you."
Tim hesitated and looked at his Father with narrowed eyes "You've seriously set the Police on Larry? I wouldn't have thought you had it in you."
"Why would I need to set the Police on Larry? What do you know?" Dickie helped himself to a seat and gestured to Tim to follow suit.
"Only that Larry said you'd cut him off without a penny." Tim accused.
Dickie laughed "You honestly believed him? Tim I thought you had more sense." Dickie shook his head. "After the wedding I signed Merton House and the London accounts over to him entirely. I couldn't do the same with Cavenham because of technicalities in the Deeds, but we were joint signatories on the accounts. He had access to all the money except my personal wealth." Dickie appraised Tim. "And it's all gone Tim. Cavenham is effectively bankrupt."
Tim visibly swallowed "You're lying."
"I'm not." Dickie said gently. "All your life you've looked up to Larry, I know. But he was a bad example to follow. I couldn't think of a way to break your dependence on his good opinion. Now, from what I can tell, you are the one who has been dumped." Dickie stood and walked to the sideboard. He gestured to the decanter and Tim nodded.
"Two weeks ago a nursemaid turned up on our doorstep with a babe in arms. Apparently I was a Grandfather. Did you know? Did you know he hadn't told me?" Dickie could see that Tim was wary.
"He told me you didn't want to know. Said they'd invited you to the christening and you wouldn't come" Tim admitted.
"Well, we didn't know. It was quite the shock, I can tell you. The poor girl had been told we were expecting her and was most upset at the upheaval her arrival caused. She was carrying a letter from Amelia that implied they were going overseas on urgent business for the bank." Dickie kept his eye on Tim, but it seemed his son was giving nothing away. "Then just yesterday, an Inspector of Police turned up on my doorstep looking for Larry. They are investigating a fraud a Greenall's and couldn't find him."
"A fraud? Could be anyone? Why do you assume it's Larry?" Tim asked.
"I don't. It's the Inspector who was looking for him to ask him questions, that's all. Anyway, we went to Cavenham as I was trying to find out anything about when Larry and Amelia may be back. Not only did we find no information, we found evidence that the estate has been systematically drained. I've had to give Stevens money to effect urgent repairs and Mrs Pearce money to pay the staff." Dickie sighed. "When the Police come, I strongly suggest you help them in any way you can. You do not want to get tarred with the same brush as Larry. Aside from whatever criminal dealings there may be, it will seriously damage your career if you are seen to be mixed up in it in any way. For the time being there has been nothing in the papers, but I suspect there will be a search warrant issued for Merton House tomorrow and that may change things."
Tim looked up. "Once they get that, the gossip mongers will draw their knives."
"Exactly. You may want to warn your Boss as your name will probably be linked in print." Dickie looked at his second son with a touch of pity "Unless you know anything different, I can't find any evidence that Larry expects to return. I have a nasty suspicion that he has skipped the country. If you know anything about where he may be, you will very soon have to make a decision about whether you will continue to cover for him."
Tim nodded "I understand. But I do have an prior engagement" He stood. "I need to get dressed" Dickie understood he was being dismissed.
"Tim, I'm still your Father. That will never change. If you ever need to discuss things or you need my help, I will always be there. And as much as I know you dislike Isobel, she will help you too" Tim snorted. "But I will not allow you to denigrate her any longer. She deserves your respect as my wife, if nothing more: do you understand." Tim nodded reluctantly. "I'm staying at the Savoy while I'm in Town if you need me. I'm going to speak to Mr Greenburg at the bank in the morning, then I hope I can get home. Enjoy your evening" And with that Dickie let himself out.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
Dickie was just preparing to leave for the bank the following morning when his peace was rudely shattered.
"As I live and breathe, if it isn't Splinters!" a loud voice proclaimed from across the foyer of the hotel "Well, this is well met! What are you doing in a place like this, eh?! Has the old dragon thrown you out?" He laughed at his own joke.
"Hugh! Should have known it was you: no one has called me Splinters for a good 40 years!" Dickie shook his friend's hand vigorously "How the devil are you? Margaret well?"
"All well! Grandfather to three now!" Hugh Barrington-Smythe beamed "Look, can't stop, late for being somewhere. Come to dinner tonight. Margaret will be upset if I say I've seen you and didn't bring you home. Bring your wife if you must" He pulled a face.
"Ada died you know, about 5 years or so ago" Dickie informed him. "But I am remarried to a wonderful woman…"
"Good! Good! Bring her! Must dash" and as quickly as he had arrived, Hugh was gone, leaving Dickie looking after him slightly bemused. Nevermind thought Dickie I'll call his house after I've finished my business this morning and arrange another time for dinner. I want to be on a train North at lunchtime.