Chapter Twenty-Eight
"You will never guess who I saw making a fool of himself at Calypso's last night!" Clarrie delighted in telling her flatmate over breakfast.
"Who? I didn't realise you were out last night. I certainly didn't hear you come in" Julia sipped her cup of tea.
"Your Tim Grey!" Clarrie said with glee "He was with that usual crowd he and Larry hang out with. Drinking for England he was, and making quite a nuisance of himself! Got thrown out in the end, and when we were leaving I saw him being put in the back of a police van!"
"What?!" Julia groaned "He seems to be on a self destruct regime since Larry left."
"Sebastian was saying he'd seen him in a fight!" Clarrie was really getting into her stride now. "Said he tried to take on John Fleming, of all people!" She whispered "That man is the size of a house!" She bit her bottom lip.
"I'd better go and see if he's alright" Julia said worriedly.
"So, you're official then?" Clarrie asked, digging for more gossip.
"No, but that doesn't stop me worrying about a friend, does it?" Julia asked pointedly before walking out. Clarrie just smirked.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
"Well, well, well. Good Morning Mr Grey" Inspector Grey greeted a bleary-eyed Tim in his cell.
"Could you not speak quite so loud. I've got a splitting headache." Tim moaned quietly while trying to shield his eyes.
"Yes, well, when you try to drink your way through all the bars in the City in one sitting, what do you expect?" The Inspector crossed his arms. "Now, I need you to start talking. And I don't want any of your usual nonsense. How long have you had this letter?" He held up the letter from Tim's pocket.
"What letter?" Tim replied sulkily.
"Don't play dumb with me!" The Inspector said loudly. Tim winced. "This is important information pertinent to an ongoing investigation. Obstructing the law is a serious charge! Now, I will ask again: How long have you had this letter?"
"I've been away for a few days in Yorkshire. It was waiting for me when I got back" Tim said through gritted teeth.
"Why should I believe that? The postmark on this letter is nearly two weeks old." the Inspector pressed.
"Believe what you like. I opened it yesterday." Tim grumbled.
"Have you tried to contact him?" the Inspector asked.
"I never want to see him again!" Tim ground out.
"Why? You must have made a pretty penny of your own from all his schemes" the Inspector threw at him. "We've seen paperwork that has your signature on. How do you explain that?" He leant down towards Tim to look him in the face.
Tim scoffed "The only papers I signed are worthless." He shook his head. "Just like my brother. I did invest with him, and he's taken it all and run off to a new life." He looked up "Whoopy-doo for Larry. Got all the cream again!" The bitterness was unmistakeable.
Inspector Money looked at him suspiciously "Well, I'm not so sure. You can sleep off that booze and cool your heels here for the day. We'll see what the Judge has to say in the morning." And with that he left.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
Lady Marjorie was eating a leisurely breakfast in bed and catching up with her correspondence. She was looking forward to a long, luxurious bath this afternoon before attending a tiresome engagement this evening.
She was enjoying a particularly catty letter from an old school friend when she heard distant noises in the house and sighed.
"Mummy! Mummy!" Julia barged her way into her Mother's bedroom without invitation "Where's Daddy? You've got to help!"
"Julia" Lady Marjorie said sedately "Must you be so excitable? I was having a nice quiet Sunday morning to myself…"
"I'm not stopping Mummy" said Julia plumping herself onto the bed "I just needed to see Daddy about something. Where is he?"
"Your Father is already at his Club, and won't be home until he has to change for our engagement this evening" Lady Marjorie informed her daughter calmly "Why all the panic?"
"You remember Tim Grey?" Julia began.
"I thought you'd moved on from him after that display at the Ritz?" Lady Marjorie queried.
Julia huffed "I have! But he's still a friend! And he's in trouble. I need Daddy to help him!" She looked at her hands "Can you call him at the Club for me?"
Lady Marjorie looked dubious.
"Please?" Julia begged.
"What is it that you think he can do? What kind of trouble is he in?" Lady Marjorie gave the impression of unconcern, while wondering if there was any gossip value in what her daughter was mixed up in.
"He got into a spot of bother last night at Calypso's…" Julia started.
"What's Calypso's?" Lady Marjorie asked "That seedy place in Moorgate?"
"It's a night club. Clarrie said he got into a fight and got arrested. I've been to his flat and he wasn't there, just a policeman standing guard on the door. He said Tim is still in custody" Julia tried not to look at her Mother's disapproving face. "They wouldn't let me see him, so I don't even know if he's alright" Julia started to look upset.
"And what do you expect your Father to do about it? He can't interfere with the Police." Lady Marjorie said dismissively.
"I thought he might know a lawyer who can get him out? Or a Commissioner? Or something?" Julia dabbed at her eyes "He's probably in a cold cell, in last night's clothes, without any decent food. Please"
Lady Marjorie sighed. "I will call him, but I doubt he will do anything in a hurry" she said as she shook her head and reached for her robe.
-TW- -TW- -TW-
"I want a watch on that P.O. Box as soon as possible. Anyone picks anything up from it, I want to know and I want them trailed. I want to know who is operating that box" Inspector Money directed Sergeant Bailey. "We'll get a search warrant for Tim Grey's flat first thing in the morning."
"I've got just the chap to go into Mount Pleasant Sir" Sergeant Bailey commented "He's not done a plain clothes job for us before, so no one should notice him in the least."
"Good. Get him in today, if possible" The Inspector nodded. "Once we've searched the flat, we'll think about whether or not we need to send a fake piece of mail to spring that trap." He nodded to dismiss Bailey and sat back in his chair feeling they were at last getting somewhere.