Vince May

PRESUMED DEAD

For the three women in my life: Sharon, Carina and Gemma.

Remembering all the good times we’ve shared in the mountains.

Prologue

Death in the mountains can come at you a thousand different ways. Alice Webley knew that. She’d spent years relishing the savage beauty of this hostile terrain. But nothing in her darkest dreams had prepared her for the savagery of her own fate.

Suddenly she’s awake. Something has her by the ankles. Hauling her face down towards the open door. A blast of freezing air hits her, bringing her to her senses. She realizes for the first time exactly where she is.

She’s being lifted, bent double. She screams his name trying to make him stop. Kicking and punching she tries to fend off the powerful hands propelling her towards the dark opening. But he’s much too strong.

Moments later she’s tumbling head over heels through space. Screaming as she falls into the black, freezing void.

Chapter 1

Ross Webley drummed his fingers impatiently on the side rail of the launch as it ploughed through the dark waters of Monte Carlo harbor, out towards his host’s yacht: one hundred and fifty feet of floodlit white steel and bronzed glass, riding gently at anchor in the bay.

This particular gin-palace was owned by Riccardo Bonatti, a wealthy and extremely shady businessman out of Miami who enjoyed hobnobbing with the rich and famous of Europe. Ross liked the totally amoral American because he knew, deep down, they were two of a kind. Both of them, beneath a thick, highly polished veneer of respectability and manners, were hard, ruthless men who never let anything or anybody stand in the way of what they wanted.

Ross felt comfortable around Bonatti and often flew down from his home in the UK for weekend parties. Tonight though, he was in no mood to party. He was already fuming at the time it had taken to get the twenty miles from Nice airport. Unlike any other taxi he had ever been in, the one he’d got only seemed to have two speeds, slow and stop. All Ross wanted to do now was get on board the yacht and into his room so he could do some private thinking.

Looking up ahead though, he could see Bonatti waving at him from the top of the gangway and a noisy party in full swing on the upper deck. Heaving an inward sigh at the thought of more delay, he smiled and waved back, slipping effortlessly into his public image of a wealthy international playboy.

As Ross reached the top of the gangway, Bonatti pumped his hand and slapped him on the back. ‘Good to see you again, you old son-of-a-gun! Where’s that beautiful young wife of yours? Didn’t you bring her along?’

Ross forced a smile as he shook his old friend’s hand. ‘No, we stopped off in Geneva on the way down. She’s hired a car and driven up into mountains. Wanted to do some walking rather than come down here.’

‘I think maybe Alice doesn’t approve of me,’ Bonatti observed.

‘Nonsense! She thinks you’re a fine fellow!’ Ross lied, remembering the last time Bonatti’s name had come up Alice had called him a greasy pimp.

Bonatti laughed and slapped him on the back again. ‘Come on, Ross, join the party. There are some people I want you to meet, and we’ve got roulette and backgammon going on the lower deck.’

‘Look, Ricky, I’d love to, but you must let me clean up and get changed first. I’ve been travelling all day and I smell like a buffalo!’

Bonatti made a show of sniffing his friend, then laughing heartily again, showed Ross to his quarters.

As soon as the crewman had deposited his luggage and the door to the luxurious stateroom was shut, the smile slid from Ross’s face and he delved franticly into his flight case. Pulling out a scale ruler and a walking map of the Mont Blanc region, he spread it out on the table and studied an area where he’d made some pencil crosses and lines.

Damn, he thought. There’s no way anyone’s going to believe she climbed all the way up that glacier on her own in what she was wearing. Then, looking closely at the map again and taking a measurement, his eyes narrowed as he did some mental reckoning. After a few moments, he reached into his pocket for his phone and dialed his wife’s cell phone.

The call was answered on the first ring. ‘We’ve got a problem,’ Ross growled. ‘Get your map out and I’ll tell you what you’re going to do about it.’

.

Consciousness came swimming back to Alice after a while. She lay utterly still, not daring to move, her breath coming in short gasps, hanging over her in white plumes on the freezing alpine air.

Wind resistance had slowed her forward momentum, and she’d barely started to accelerate in free fall before she’d slammed into the near vertical, snow covered ridge.

Bouncing, arms and legs flailing, she’d tumbled fast and relentlessly down the steep mountainside for over a thousand feet, grunting with each blow. Unable to stop. Incapable of helping herself. Flooding with pain. Dimly aware of the battering she’d been taking.

As the snowfield had gradually leveled off, she’d instinctively spread herself out flat, clawing at the soft snow, desperately trying to slow herself down. It hadn’t done much good.

She’d been spun, twisted, bounced and rolled for another six hundred agonizing feet before finally slithering to a halt, face up in the snow at the top of the glacier like a discarded doll.

She’d felt crushed, bewildered, ragged, abused… then mercifully thought had left her, and she’d felt nothing.

Now, in the perfect stillness, she could hear her heart pounding wildly and her breath rasping in her throat. She could see the bright moon and stars high above in the night sky, the silhouettes of mountain peaks all around her.

As her mind started to clear, she suddenly realized the enormity of what had happened. He tried to kill me! The words built up into a scream in her head. Ross tried to kill me! She closed her eyes, but in the giddying darkness behind her eyelids, all she could see was a snapshot of her last memory of him. His contorted face bathed in red light. His demonic eyes. She searched her mind for some small crevice to crawl into. Somewhere to hide from the violence, the hatred she’d seen. But her head was hurting so much it was all she could do to stay conscious.

An earlier version of herself, the Alice Webley of a few years back, may have reacted differently. But now, as she lay there sobbing uncontrollably, she slowly started to realize something: there was nothing more he could do to her. She was no longer afraid of him.

The idea started as a tiny flame somewhere deep inside her then quickly flared and ignited her anger. He’s done his worst, played all his cards, shot his bolt, and he’s lost! He’s also not going to get away with this, she thought, gritting her teeth. I’ll be damned if I let him get away with it! Who the hell does he think he is?

She opened her eyes. ‘Move,’ she ordered herself aloud. ‘You have to move.’ Carefully, she flexed each leg in turn, then each arm. There didn’t seem to be any damage, at least, she didn’t feel any sharp pains as she moved. Just an overall aching and stiffness that made her feel like she’d been hit by a truck. The only thing that really worried her was that she couldn’t move her right arm.

She sat up stiffly. After a few moments she realized her telescopic aluminum walking pole was strapped to her right wrist and she’d been laying on it. Then, looking down at her legs and along her arms, she saw that she was wearing all her walking gear, right down to her rucksack and Baby G watch! The last thing she remembered, she’d been wearing a lemon yellow skirt and jacket with matching stilettos!

Looking around, she tried to figure out where she was. Stretching high above was the almost sheer face she’d just fallen down. Far to her left and right were outcrops of jagged rock, whilst below all she could see was a gentle white slope, disappearing out of view into the darkness. She could tell by the sheer scale of the landscape and the feel of the air that she was in the Alps, but where exactly, she didn’t have a clue. There was one thing she was sure about though: realistically, she was going nowhere but down.

Carefully she rolled over, and with a groan, stood up leaning heavily on her walking pole. Her legs and pole sunk straight into the soft snow. It was obvious she wasn’t going to be able to walk on this stuff. She started to make her way down the incline on her bottom with a shuffling motion, digging the heels of her boots into the snow to control her speed as she went.

As she gradually slid and shuffled down the slope, the snow started to get harder and more crystalline until it finally gave way to solid ice. Sliding down was easier now, faster, but she’d only gone a short way when she realized the surface of the glacier was embedded with small shards of granite that were ripping at her hands and the soft flesh of her buttocks.

She tried to stand again, but each time she took a step, her rubber-soled boots slipped and she fell. She realized walking was going to be impossible, so pulling the arms of her fleece jacket down over her hands, she set off down the ice on all fours, trying to avoid the worst of the sharp stones. She knew that if she followed the glacier down, it would eventually lead into a valley, and a valley in these parts invariably meant people and help.

She slipped and crawled and slithered for over an hour, constantly looking down the slope in the hope of seeing some end to the massive river of ice. The protection of the fleece she’d pulled over her hands worked at first, but before long the cloth was shredded and her flesh was gashed and bleeding. On top of that, despite all her exertion, the intense cold was starting to affect her. She was deeply chilled. Her bare legs, her hands, her face, especially the tips of her ears and nose, were painfully frozen and she was starting to become disorientated.

Once she thought she saw a light below in the distance, but she slipped, and by the time she’d recovered it was gone. Then, after a few seconds, it was there again!

Soon she could make out a wooden hut perched on a huge pile of boulders with light streaming from its solitary window. The final path to the hut was up a steep stairway formed from flat granite blocks. Looking up with despair, she wondered how she was ever going to make it. Gritting her teeth, she eased herself down and sat on the bottom step, then gradually, one step at a time, hauled herself up until she was leaning against the small wooden door in a slowly accumulating pool of blood.

Mechanically, with the ground now tilting left and right below her, she raising a frozen, bloodstained fist and pounded on the door with what little strength she had left.

After a few seconds, Alice felt the door swing open. She was just trying to form the words, ‘Help me,’ when the floor of the hut came rushing up and hit her in the face.

Chapter 2

Philippe Dulac felt a massive adrenaline rush and lunged forward to catch the woman as she pitched forward into the hut, but was a fraction too late. Kneeling down, he slipped her backpack off, picked her limp body up out of the doorway then gently laid her in the warm bunk, which up until a few moments earlier, had been his. He could feel she was chilled to the bone, so covered her with blankets before putting a pan of water on his gas stove.

As it heated, he gently uncovered each of hers limbs individually and checked her over carefully for injuries. He figured she must have been in a nasty fall. The parts of her that weren’t cut or grazed, were covered in fresh bruises, and both her eyes were blackened.

Now that he was starting to recover from the initial shock of finding her at his doorway like that, he was mystified. How on earth did she manage to get all the way up here in ordinary walking boots, he wondered. He brushed the long, blond hair away from her face and washed the dried blood from under her nose and the corners of her mouth. After that, he lifted each eyelid, then manipulated her bruised jaw, checking for breaks. Nothing too serious, he thought, only cuts and bruises. She was lucky. The most important thing now is to get her warm. He noticed her wedding ring and judged that she must be in her early thirties. He also judged she must have been a very beautiful woman… before this.

As he touched her battered body and set about tending her wounds, she moaned and writhed in painful delirium, throwing her head from side to side. She was still freezing cold when he finished cleaning and dressing the worst of her injuries, so he took her boots off and carefully slipped her into his thick padded ski suit. He added a second pair of his own socks over hers, then climbing onto the bed beside her, covered them both with his sleeping bag and blankets.

Wrapping his arms around her, he carefully pulled her in close to his chest, trying to transfer as much warmth from his body into hers as he could. The warming-up process was obviously accentuating the pain in her damaged limbs, because she shuddered and moaned in agony before eventually falling into an uneasy sleep.

All the time she writhed in distress, Philippe comforted her by stroking her hair and whispering soothingly in her ear, like a mother comforting a sick child. When she eventually warmed up and lapsed into a more peaceful sleep, he started to relax, and before long, was asleep himself, still cradling her in his arms.

.

Ross was feeling much better following his telephone conversation. The problem he’d had earlier with Alice didn’t look like it was going to affect things much after all, and he was quite happy that now he’d brought Alex up to speed, things would be taken care of in the mountains and he could relax.

He’d decided on a stylishly cut dinner jacket and bow tie for the party tonight. What he liked to think of as his roguishly handsome, Rivera look. Checking his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he touched up his dark, wavy hair with a little gel and straightened his tie. Not bad, he thought, not bad at all for a man of fifty.

Venturing out on deck, he accepted a drink from a passing waiter then made his way up to the party and mingled with the other guests, most of whom he knew. He was just thinking about going below to try his hand at one of the tables when Bonatti strolled over to him with a small, bespectacled, prematurely balding man of about forty, and introduced him.

‘Ross, meet David Wiseman from New York. He tells me he’s your wife’s nephew.’ Having done his duty as host, Bonatti wandered off.

Ross didn’t like the look of those sharp little eyes and was uncomfortably surprised to find the man’s handshake less nondescript than his appearance suggested. He was immediately on guard. ‘I though I’d met all my wife’s family,’ he said, ‘and I don’t recall the name Wiseman.’

‘I guess maybe I didn’t make myself clear to Mr. Bonatti, David said with a broad Bronx accent. I’m not related to your present wife… I’m your first wife, Freda’s, nephew.’

Ross’s stomach did a back flip and his heart felt like it was bouncing all around the inside of his rib cage. Being a gambling man though, he had a well developed poker face and stayed as solid as a rock. The ice in his drink didn’t even clink against the glass. ‘This is a surprise,’ he said pleasantly. ‘I knew dear Freda had a brother who’d emigrated to the States, but I understood he’d died relatively young.’

Ross’s mind raced back twenty-five years, desperately trying to recall the details of Freda’s family and background, which he’d checked into very carefully when he’d met her. He could vaguely remember some mention of a nephew, but it hadn’t worried him at the time because he’d only been a young boy, not likely to make any trouble.

‘That’s right,’ David was saying. ‘Aunt Freda’s brother, Albert, was my father. He died when I was twelve. I only knew Aunt Freda for a little while, when she came over for the funeral, but she made a big impression on me.’

Just wants to reminisce a bit, Ross thought, still feeling cold with shock. Better indulge him, can’t do any harm. ‘She made a big impression on everyone she met,’ he said. ‘She was a lovely lady.’

David carried on, ‘I remember she stayed in New York for a month and took me everywhere. We went to the movies, the zoo…. even a baseball game. I guess she was trying to help me get over Dad. She would spend hours telling me stories about her home in Switzerland. I’m hoping to make it up there next week to take a look around. This is the first time I’ve been in Europe.’

‘It’s worth a visit. Lake Lucerne is a very beautiful place.’ He’s just a tourist, Ross told himself. Nothing to worry about. He doesn’t suspect anything. Better make sure though. ‘Are you over here for business or pleasure?’, he asked.

‘Business.’

‘Bad luck,’ Ross said sympathetically. ‘What’s your line?’

‘I’m with the FBI,’ David replied.

For the second time in five minutes, Ross was grateful for his cast-iron self-control. His insides felt like they’d turned to water, but without flinching, he managed to say, ‘Really? How interesting… and what have you found to investigate here in Monte?’

‘I’m not on an investigation, I’m part of a liaison team. We’re over here working with the French police to figure more efficient ways to detect international money laundering. We’re just about wrapped up now.’

‘So you’re a kind of financial policeman?’ Ross asked, relief flooding through him.

‘That’s right. I trained as an accountant, but after I qualified and got a job, I found it was pretty boring, so when the FBI started looking for people with financial skills to train as special agents, I applied.’

‘How interesting,’ Ross said, starting to dislike the little man intensely for the scare he’d thrown him.

David continued, ‘They put us through the same basic training as the regular agents, then after that we were sent on extra courses to learn how to spot financial irregularities.’

‘Confidentially,’ Ross said, deciding to pull the pompous little man’s leg, ‘there’re a few people on this boat whose finances wouldn’t bear close scrutiny, if you know what I mean… I say, You’re not under cover are you? Not after someone here, some master criminal?’

David took a slow sip from his drink, then looked up coolly and said, ’As a matter of fact, I came here tonight looking for you.’

Ross actually flinched this time. ‘Looking for me?’ he asked incredulously.

‘I spotted your name on the guest list in one of those society papers the other day, and managed to get myself invited as a guest of the American Ambassador. I was going to look you up while I was in Europe anyhow, you being my uncle and all, and this seemed as good a way as any to meet you.’

Ross’s shock turned to anger. I don’t need this, he thought. The last thing I want tonight is to be stuck with this little twerp playing Happy Families. He decided to break away. ‘Well it has been nice meeting you,’ he said, ‘but you must excuse me.’

‘Sure,’ David replied pleasantly, ‘I’m glad I was finally able to meet you.’

They shook hands, and Ross had just turned to walk away when David called, ‘Oh, Sir, there was just one question I had.’

Ross closed his eyes briefly and sighed, then turned back smiling and asked, ‘Really? What’s is it?’

David looked him straight in the eye and asked, ‘Where was Aunt Freda buried?’

Ross hadn’t seen that one coming and it caught him by surprise, but he recovered in an instant and replied truthfully, ‘In my family vault at the village church, in Minster at Stone, north of Hertford. Why do you ask?’

‘Because I want to go visit her grave and pay my respects,’ David replied. ‘Thanks for the information. Be seeing you.’ With that he turned and walked away.

Ross stared after the little man as he disappeared into the crowd. He knows, he thought, he knows! How the hell did he find out? It was over twenty years ago for God sake! I haven’t even thought about it myself for years… it’s ancient history!

He gulped his drink down and grabbed another as a waiter passed. He needed time to think. Going down one deck, he managed to get away from the noise of the party and stood at the railing, looking over the calm water towards the shimmering lights of Monaco. He could see cars high up on the Moyenne Corniche, the cliff road that followed the curves of the mountainside above the town where the Alps finally come down to meet the sea. He could see pinpoints of light standing out like jewels all over the hillside. Sweeping left and right into the distance were some of the most exclusive properties in Europe. He intended to own one of those properties before very long… and a yacht like Ricky’s… and a Learjet.

Then his insides churned with anger. He was angry with Alice for never letting him have what he wanted, angry with Freda and that pipsqueak nephew of hers, but most of all, angry with himself. You’re being a bloody fool, he told himself. You’ve had a rough day, your nerves are in tatters. There’s no way on earth Wiseman can suspect you over Freda’s death. It’s just his nasty little policeman’s demeanor.

Ross had had past experience with the police, and he didn’t like them. They could make the most innocent question sound like an accusation, and the most innocent man feel like a criminal.

Finishing his drink, he steadied himself against the railing, forcing his anger down. You’ve got nothing to fear from Wiseman, he told himself, nothing at all. He’s just another blundering American, he can’t touch you.

Fighting to calm himself, he looked at his watch: midnight. Another seven and a half hours to go, he thought, before Alex does the business. Then just a few weeks more, and I hit the jackpot.

Chapter 3

At precisely seven-thirty the following morning, Alex Crawford, wearing wig, sunglasses and a walking outfit identical to the one they’d dressed Alice in the day before, strolled downstairs into the hotel lobby and handed the key to the receptionist with a smile.

‘Thank you, Madame Webley,’ the receptionist said pleasantly. ‘I hope your throat is feeling better this morning.’

Alex replied with a smile and a little so-so wave of the hand.

Sauntering leisurely through the town, looking in shop windows, trying to be noticed by as many people as possible, Alex arrived at the Montenvers mountain railway station on the edge of town just in time to board the eight o’clock service. The bright red, two carriage, rack-and-pinion train slowly zigzagged its way up the steep mountainside, through tunnels and over precarious bridges, to the Mer de Glace terminus at over six thousand feet. The huge glacier, whose name means literally Sea of Ice, was a popular tourist attraction and useful setting-off point for high altitude walkers and climbers. Despite the early hour, the carriages were packed with tourists and a few climbers, anxious to make the most of the pure, early morning light and the clear mountain air.

When the train finally ground to a halt at the terminus, the crowd surged out onto the terrace overlooking the glacier, from which three paths led in different directions. The original plan had been to set off up the path towards a viewpoint known as Le Signal, but because of the problems Ross had had with Alice the night before, the new instructions were to follow the path leading in the opposite direction, down towards the glacier.

Setting off down the trail at a brisk pace, being sure to stay just in front of two male climbers, Alex walked for about quarter of a mile before stopping, then bending over in the middle of the path to tie a bootlace. The two climbers nudged each other and stared appreciatively at the long, slender legs and shapely backside blocking their way. Smiling and excusing themselves as they squeezed past, the two men carried on down the path towards the glacier, chatting happily as they disappeared around a corner.

After checking there was no one else in sight, Alex quickly removed the sunglasses, wig, fleece jacket and padded bra, stuffed them into the rucksack, then slipped into a pair of blue tracksuit bottoms and set off back up the path towards the rack-railway terminus.

Hardly anyone noticed the pleasant looking young man with short brown hair, wearing a white polo shirt and baggy blue trousers, as he rode the rack-railway back down to Chamonix, crossed the iron bridge to the SNCF mainline station then boarded the train for Paris.

.

It wasn’t until an hour or so later, that the warm sun streaming into the refuge hut brought Alice out of a deep sleep. She felt snug and comfortable under the pile of blankets, and for a few moments thought she was at home in her own bed.

Then she tried to move, which was a mistake. Pain washed over her and she suddenly remembered, with fresh horror, what had happened the night before. The burning rage she’d felt towards Ross, the rage that had driven her through the snow and across the ice, the rage that had saved her life, flared again.

She lay perfectly still for a few moments looking around, trying to take in her new environment. Slowly she moved each part of her body, testing it for function and pain. She was incredibly stiff and found every movement agony, but eventually managed to prop herself up on one elbow so that she could look out through the open door.

Just outside the hut she could see a tall, deeply tanned man wearing a white T-shirt and red climbing trousers. His braces hung loosely at his sides and he was drinking from a steaming tin mug. He kept looking up at the sky, cocking his head from side to side as if listening for a distant sound. Apparently feeling her eyes on him, he glanced over his shoulder into the hut, and seeing she was awake, quickly came inside and knelt on the floor next to the bunk.

‘So you are awake!’ he said in good English with a mild French accent. ‘How are you feeling?’

She studied his handsome features, the three-day-old stubble, the tousled dark hair, the worry lines on his forehead and the look of anxiety on his face. She tried to smile, but her chapped and split lips were too painful. Finally she just settled for saying hoarsely, ‘Not too bad. Thank you for helping me,’ as she lay back down flat on the bed, wincing with pain.

‘It was my pleasure,’ he said, brushing the hair from her face and gently feeling the temperature of her forehead with the palm of his hand. ‘You had me worried for a while last night. I thought I would never get you warm.’

She was overwhelmed by his kindness, and felt her anger ebbing away. Not knowing really what to say, she asked, ‘What’s your name?’

‘Philippe Dulac. What is yours?’

‘Alice Webley.’ Then she asked, ‘What is this place?’

Looking around him he replied, ‘This wooden palace is the Refuge de la Charpoua, high on the Glacier de la Charpoua, about seven kilometers from the town of Chamonix. It is one of many refuge huts placed throughout the mountains for climbers to use. But you do not look like a climber. Tell me, how did you manage to get this high up without any equipment?’

Alice shifted her gaze away from him and said, ‘I’d rather not say.’

Philippe looked rather taken aback by her reticence, but said cheerfully, ‘Well, do not worry, we will have you safe in a hospital as soon as the rescue helicopter arrives.’

Panic flared in Alice. She looked straight at him again and asked urgently, ‘Have you called them yet?’ She desperately wanted time to think things through before going back.

‘Cell phones do not work in most of these deep valleys, and the smaller huts do not have radios, but the helicopter patrols the area several times every day. When I hear them coming, I will signal to them. Do not worry.’

Alice relaxed a little, then asked, ‘How badly am I hurt?’

‘Nothing too serious, mainly bruises and some cuts on your hands and legs. I think you must have fallen.’

‘I fell all right,’ she said coolly. Then, after thinking for a few moments she added, ‘Look, I don’t think it’s worth bothering the helicopter rescue people. Couldn’t I just stay here for a little while, then walk down?’

‘Without crampons? You would never make it!’

‘Don’t you have any spare ones I could use?’ she asked.

‘There are a few spare pieces of climbing equipment here for people to use in an emergency,’ he admitted.

‘Fine then, that’s what I’ll do.’

‘But you are hurt,’ he protested. ‘I do not understand why you want to walk all that way when you could be flown to the hospital in just a few minutes!’

‘Call it pride if you want to. I got up this mountain, and I want to get back down it under my own steam.’

‘You are a very obstinate woman, Madame Webley,’ he smiled, ‘but I like your spirit. If you are going to stay here, it is on two conditions. One, that you let me look after you, and two, that if you are not fit to walk by tomorrow, you let me signal to the helicopter.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, with relief. ‘It’s a deal.’

‘Now, If I’m going to get you well enough to walk off this glacier, you are going to have to eat. I will make you some hot soup.’

.

Down on the yacht off Monaco, Ross had just surfaced following a very late night. After recovering from the scare David Wiseman had thrown him, he’d spent the next few hours drinking and playing cards. When he’d finally gone to bed around dawn, he’d drifted into a restless sleep. The image of Alice tumbling away from him into the darkness kept being intermingled with visions of Wiseman asking, ‘Where is she buried… where is she buried?’

By ten, he’d given up trying to sleep. He showered, shaved and made his way onto deck, looking, he hoped, very much better than he felt in his affluent yachtsman outfit; white deck shoes, cream Chinos, yellow polo shirt, navy blazer, and white peaked cap. He found Bonatti and a few of the resident guests sitting in deckchairs on the afterdeck under an awning, some eating their breakfast, others drinking theirs. Bonatti spotted him and called out, ‘Good morning, Ross! Come and sit here next to me, my friend.’

Ross exchanged pleasantries with some of the other guests, then took his place next to Bonatti and ordered coffee from a steward. He couldn’t face solid food. When the coffee arrived, he turned to his host and asked, ‘Ricky, do you remember that chap, Wiseman, you introduced me to last night?’

‘The little New Yorker with the glasses?’

‘That’s the fellow,’ Ross said. ‘ What do you know about him?’

‘Not much, he came with Henry White, the US Ambassador. He told me he was related to your wife, asked to be introduced to you. Is there something else I should know?’

Ross suspected some of his friend’s dealings, especially in the United States, wouldn’t stand up to the briefest scrutiny from the FBI. He’d decided during the early hours to use that knowledge to his advantage. ‘Nothing important,’ he said nonchalantly. ‘Oh, he did mention that he works for the FBI… as a financial investigator.’

Bonatti was visibly shocked, and asked urgently, ‘Did he ask you anything about me?‘

‘No. Well, not directly,’ Ross replied. ‘But he did say he was investigating someone down here for money laundering and tax evasion, and I got the distinct impression he was rather more interested in you than he pretended to be.’

‘Is he really related to Alice?’ Bonatti asked.

‘No, that’s another thing. He said he was my first wife’s nephew, but I certainly don’t remember him. You don’t think he could have just made that up to get on board, do you?’

Bonatti’s face darkened, the laughing bonhomie of the genial host replaced by a murderous hardness. ‘I’ll get him checked out,’ he said. ‘If it is me he’s after, he’ll wish he’d never been born.’

‘Let me know what you find out, would you? I’d be interested to know what he’s up to.’

‘Yes, I’ll do that, Ross,’ Bonatti said, ‘and thanks for tipping me off.’

Ross smiled with satisfaction as Bonatti excused himself and hurried away, saying he had a phone call to make.

If he knew Ricky and his associates, Wiseman was as good as dead.

.

By two that afternoon, the subject of their deliberations had just crossed to the north side of Lake Lucerne on a car ferry, following a five-hour drive via Milan from Monaco. After disembarking, David drove the final few miles into the lakeside resort of Weggis, and parked his hire car on the quay near an open-air bandstand where a three-piece orchestra was playing Strauss.

The scene could have come straight from the lid of a chocolate box. The flowerbeds, magnolias, palms and fig trees paraded a palette of colors in the warm September sunshine while a paddle steamer glided gracefully past on the tranquil lake against a backdrop of snow capped mountains. It was as beautiful and peaceful a place as he had ever seen, so he sat for a while listening to the orchestra and soaking up the afternoon sun, trying to relax.

He’d been looking forward to this trip to Europe for years, since before Aunt Freda had died in fact. While she was over in New York with them, just after his father’s death, she’d promised him a vacation at her chateau, or Schloss, as she called it, on the lake. But she’d died before he was able to come.

He could remember vividly how upset and disappointed he’d been, when a few months after her visit his mother had received a letter from Aunt Freda telling them that she was to be married to an English nobleman, Sir Ross Webley of Hertfordshire.

She’d sounded really happy and excited in the letter, and he’d been bitterly jealous. Looking back later, he’d realized it was just a silly schoolboy infatuation, but at the time, he’d been deeply in love with his glamorous rich aunt, and he hated the thought of losing her to another man.

Then, not long afterwards, they’d received another letter, this time from Aunt Freda’s lawyer here in Weggis, regretfully informing them that she had died from a heart attack whilst at her new husband’s estate in England. His mother had been very upset by Freda’s death and by the fact that they had not been left anything in the will, especially since Freda had been sending them money regularly and had promised to pay for David’s college education. She’d been sure there was something fishy about her sister-in-law’s death, but there’d been nothing she could do about it. David remembered how he’d cried for a week, then vowed that one day, when he was a man, he would go to Europe and find out what really happened to her.

But without Freda’s help, the following years had been tough, working his way through college, then finding a job and supporting his mother. He’d more or less given up the idea of ever getting to Europe when the chance of a trip at the Bureau’s expense had come up. He’d arranged to fly home a week after the rest of the team so that he could take his long awaited European vacation. Having his return airfare covered by the Bureau left him with just his hire car and accommodation to pay for the week, which he figured was a pretty good deal.

He’d intended to look Webley up when he got to England and couldn’t believe his luck when he’d found out the Englishman was going to be in Monaco at the same time he was there. He’d managed to arrange an invitation to the party on the rich Italian guy’s yacht through the embassy, but had been badly disturbed by the reception he’d been given by his uncle. It had been preying on his mind ever since.

He realized now, after thinking about it all morning, that he’d been very naïve. Aunt Freda had been such a wonderful person, he’d just assumed that the man she’d chosen to marry would be wonderful too. He’d built up a picture in his mind of Sir Ross as an elderly gentleman, living on a large country estate in regal fashion, who would accept the nephew of his dear departed wife as a long lost family member and invite him to stay.

Instead, his uncle had turned out to be a swarthy, smooth, rather petulant playboy, much younger than he’d expected, with the same guarded, nervous look in his eye as the hundreds of corrupt businessmen he’d dealt with during his time at the Bureau. Webley, he decided, was definitely a man with secrets that needed looking into.

By the time the orchestra finally packed their instruments away, David was thoroughly relaxed. He took a stroll around the town, and suddenly realized that he’d never been in such a peaceful, clean place in all his life. The people were happy and friendly, the children were well behaved, there was no litter or graffiti, no dog’s mess on the sidewalks, no gangs of kids hanging around making trouble, nobody who looked like he wanted to rip your head off. Walking the narrow streets, he felt completely safe for the first time in his life. This place, he thought, is the absolute antithesis of New York. No wonder Aunt Freda loved it so much.

It was after five when he finally made his way back to the car and drove two hundred yards along the quay to the waterfront hotel where he’d booked a room in advance. The Beau Rivage Hotel would normally have been way out of his price range at over two hundred dollars a night, but he’d decided that since he would only be here in Weggis for one night he would live in style, in memory of Aunt Freda. He pulled through the gates into the small graveled car park and was just getting out of the car when a wizened old man in a porter’s uniform approached saying, ‘Guten Abend, mein Herr.’

David couldn’t speak a word of German. ‘You speak English?’ he asked hopefully.

The old man smiled, ‘We all speak English here at the Beau Rivage, sir. Can I take your suitcase?’

David didn’t think the old man looked strong enough to lift the heavy case, but handed it over anyhow, and was surprised to see him carry it up the hotel’s steps and into the reception area with ease. Inside, a pleasant receptionist, who also spoke perfect English, greeted him and had him fill in a registration form before handing his room key to the porter.

While they were riding up in the lift, David wondered if the old man might know anything about Aunt Freda, so he asked, ‘Do you live here in Weggis?’

‘Yes sir, I have lived here all my life. It is a very beautiful place.’

‘It sure is,’ David replied. ‘I had an aunt who came from these parts, name of Freda von Alpenstein. Did you ever hear of her?’

‘You are the nephew of the Baroness?’ the old man asked incredulously. ‘From New York?’

‘That’s right! How did you know?’

‘I worked at the Schloss Alpenstein as chauffeur to the Baron and Baroness for many years,’ he said fondly. ‘When the Baroness came home from America after her brother had died, she spoke of nothing but her fine American nephew and how he would soon be coming to visit. I did not think it would take you twenty-five years to arrive!’

David was choked. So she’d really meant it about the vacation! And he couldn’t believe his luck, actually finding someone who knew her. He followed the porter out of the lift and down the hall to his room. Once inside, the old man put the suitcase down, and going to the balcony doors, opened them wide beckoning David to follow him out. The balcony overlooked the lake, which now had a golden hue on it from the setting sun. A pair of pure white swans glided by on the mirror flat water creating V shaped bow waves that glistened like fire as they caught the dying rays of the sun.

The old man was pointing along the coastline to a small wooded headland about a mile away. ‘You see where the land sticks out into the lake there? That is where the Schloss Alpenstein stands. If you look carefully, you can see part of it above the trees.’

David followed the old man’s finger and could see a gray pitched roof and two pepper-pot towers built from granite in the seventeenth century Swiss style. In the fading light, the chateau had a haunted air, but was everything he’d ever imagined it would be. ‘Who lives there now?’ he asked.

‘After the death of the Baroness, her husband put it up for sale and it was bought by a businessman, who converted it into a luxury hotel and country club.’

‘Do you think they would let me go and take a look around?’ David asked.

‘I do not see why not, but it is not the same as when the Baroness lived there,’ the old man said sadly. ‘All of her beautiful things are gone, and many parts of the Schloss have been changed.’

David stared out over the water at the building for a moment, then said, ‘I was hoping to find someone here who would be able to tell me a little about my aunt, especially about how she died. Can you stay and talk awhile? There’s so much I want to know.’

‘I am sorry sir, but I must get back to my work,’ the old man replied, but seeing the disappointment on David’s face, he added, ‘Tomorrow is my day off. Why don’t you come to my house and meet my wife? She was cook and housekeeper at the Schloss. I am sure that she would like to meet you.’

David was elated. ‘That would be great, thank you. You don’t know what this means to me!’

‘Very well, then. I will see you at ten o’clock. My address is number five Seestrasse, right here in the town.’

David thanked him again profusely and promised to be on time.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the gathering dusk, two hard looking men of Mediterranean appearance had just arrived in town and were checking the number plates on the cars in the hotel car park.

.

Back up in the mountains, Alice was feeling much better. Philippe had been as good as his word about looking after her. One of the first things he’d done after checking her dressings and giving her some painkillers, was to fix a makeshift toilet for her around the back of the hut, then he’d helped her out of bed so she could use it.

At lunchtime, he’d made her some stew and she’d managed to sit up in bed to eat it. After that, dosed up with painkillers again, she’d spent the afternoon napping, and was now lying half awake, thinking back over her fourteen year relationship with Ross, trying to figure out exactly what it was she’d done to make him want to kill her.

She’d first come to England as a twenty-one year old student, over from the States on an exchange at Cambridge. It had been during that time, at a weekend party on a country estate, that she’d first met Sir Ross Webley, a baronet and one-time subaltern in the Grenadier Guards. Ross was fifteen years her senior, but she’d been enormously attracted to him. To her, he was everything she expected a member of the British nobility to be: tall, dark and handsome, with a dashing air and a Guards and Eton accent.

As a man, he was in great demand by society, never failing to charm and amuse wherever he went. Those who had known him for a long time, pitied him the tragic loss of his first wife, and used that to explain his apparent lack of interest in women. He’d been a constant source of disappointment to the many debutantes and their ambitious mothers, who’d seen him as an extremely eligible bachelor. But he’d remained staunchly single. Until little Alice Sanderson had come along.

She remembered how she’d found him extremely exciting, a condition that had been enhanced by the fact that he’d never tried to take her to his bed. Most of the other men she’d been out with had a tendency to end each sentence with a proposition, but Ross had been different. She’d interpreted his reticence in that department as noble and chivalrous, the mark of a true gentleman. It hadn’t been long before he’d proposed, and she’d accepted, gladly.

Thereafter, a new life had started for her as Lady Webley. They’d honeymooned for a month in Monte Carlo, where Ross had lost a small fortune every night at the tables before crawling into her bed in the early hours of each morning, where they’d both stayed until noon each day. That part of the relationship had been worth waiting for and she’d been ecstatically happy and fulfilled. By the time the honeymoon was over she’d been in what Ross quaintly referred to as ‘a delicate condition’.

After their return to England, they’d divided their time between his house in London and his house in the country, although the country house wasn’t the original Webley family seat. The original had been an enormous estate in Hertfordshire, but over the years Ross had been forced to sell the manor house, the adjoining farmland then most of the other property the family had owned.

Finally, he’d been left with just the house in London and Moor End Farm, one hundred acres of rundown pastureland on the South Downs between Brighton and Eastbourne. Both properties had been in drastic need of a woman’s touch.

Alice employed an architect and set him to work restoring the London house to its original Victorian splendor, whilst she personally designed and supervised the modernization of the farmhouse. Ross had been happy to let her get on with it and allowed her to do whatever she wanted. She’d had all the old farm buildings, with the exception of the main house and the largest barn, demolished to make way for an airstrip for Ross. He was passionate about flying and she’d thought that if he could keep his aircraft at home it would save him the long drive to Redhill or Shoreham every time he wanted to fly. When it was complete, Ross had been delighted with what she’d done.

When their son, Charles, was born she’d been overjoyed and devoted all her time and energy to his welfare. She’d wanted to do everything for him herself and staunchly refused her husband’s suggestion that they employ a nanny. The early years had gone by reasonably quickly though, and the time had soon come for young Charles to go off to prep school. When he’d gone, Alice missed him dreadfully and with Ross away much of the time too, she’d felt at a loose end.

To keep occupied she’d busied herself with charitable work, which had eventually absorbed so much of her time that she’d started to become tired and run down. One day, Ross had surprised her by employing a fulltime secretary, who joined the household staff and lived in. It hadn’t been long before the new secretary was settled and everyone agreed that Alex Crawford was an absolute treasure.

After Alex’s arrival, Alice started having time on her hands again so took to spending weeks at a time in the States to be near her father, who was retired and suffering with ever declining health. They had spent hours in blissful companionship talking about the old days and all the things they used to do together when she was a little girl.

Another great source of happiness for Alice were her frequent visits back to Geneva, where she’d been at finishing school, and to Chamonix. She would often get Ross to drop her at Geneva when he was off on one of his trips, and from there, she would hire a car and head up into the mountains to walk, relax and enjoy the French cuisine. She’d become an accomplished high level walker and had grown to know the Chamonix valley and surrounding mountain trails extremely well.

Alice sighed deeply and opened her eyes, still no nearer to knowing the reason behind Ross’s murderous actions. Outside, the shadows had lengthened and the snowy peaks had taken on an exquisite pink hue. She carefully inched herself out of bed and joined Philippe just outside the hut, where he was sitting on a slab of granite staring at the starkly beautiful mountains.

‘This is always my favorite time of day,’ she said, easing herself down next to him.

‘And mine,’ he replied.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching as the pink peaks gradually turned a deeper red, then Alice asked, ‘Philippe, who is Luba?’

‘Why do you ask?’ he said softly.

‘During the night, when you were looking after me, trying to make me warm, I remember, you kept whispering that name.’

His gaze dropped from the mountain peaks, down onto the cold, icy glacier that stretched away before them. ‘Louisa, or Luba as I called her, was my wife,’ he said very gently. ‘She died on the ridge up there at the beginning of the summer when we were climbing the Aiguille Verte together.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Alice said, reaching out and squeezing his hand with her bandaged fingers.

Seeming not to notice, he continued, ‘We had reached the summit and were resting, enjoying the view. We had unhitched ourselves from our climbing rope and Luba said she wanted to take a photograph of me. She was a fine photographer. She put her rucksack down near the edge and it started to topple. She reached out to save it, but lost her balance and fell. They searched for three whole days but never found her. I searched for two weeks more after that, and I have come back here every weekend since and searched for her, dreaming of somehow, by some miracle, finding her alive. When the winter comes I will have to stop, but I will returned next year in the spring to search for her again.

‘She looked very much like you,’ he said, turning to look at Alice, ‘except she had darker hair. When I opened the door last night and saw you there in the shadows, for one crazy moment I thought she had come back to me. Then later when it was dark and I was close to you, I allowed myself to believe it for a while.’

Alice’s heart went out to him, but all she could think of saying was, ‘I really am very sorry.’ They sat in silence for another few minutes, then as the sun finally left the peaks and the shadows started to creep up from the valley leaving them in chilly darkness, they went inside.

The hut was really nothing more than a wooden shed about twelve feet wide by eight feet deep with a small window set high up in the rear wall. The only furniture was a table in the center and a pair of wooden bunk beds built against each of the two side walls. There was no heating and very few creature comforts. Philippe lit his gas lantern then prepared some dinner for them both on his Primus stove, which they ate in silence before retiring for the night, this time in separate beds.

.

Back down on the yacht off Monaco, Ross was enjoying dinner. He’d spent the day conspicuously on deck, in the swimming pool or in the salon playing cards, making sure that there would be plenty of witnesses to swear to his whereabouts during the day if the need arose. During the afternoon, he’d received a text message on his cell phone from Alex, which simply read ALL OK. That was their agreed signal, which meant he’d managed to lay the false trail into the mountains as planned, so that when Alice was reported missing, the rescue services would know where to start looking for her body.

Just as the main course was being cleared, Ross excused himself saying he’d promised to telephone his wife in Chamonix during the evening. He moved away from the table but stayed in the dining room. Taking out his phone, he sat at a small corner table and dialed Alice’s cell phone. After getting transferred immediately to voicemail, he dialed the hotel’s main number. When the call was answered, he said, ‘Madame Webley s'il vous plaît?’

The hotel operator connected the call to suite thirty-two and let it ring for half a minute before coming back on the line. ‘Madame does not answer, Monsieur.’

‘That’s very strange,’ Ross said, just loud enough for the others to hear. ‘Is she in the restaurant, do you know?’

‘One moment please, I will find the manager for you.’ Within seconds, the manager came on the line.

‘Monsieur Webley here,’ Ross said. ‘I am trying to reach my wife, is she in the restaurant do you know?’

‘I am sorry, Monsieur, but Madame is not in the hotel.’

‘Not in the hotel?’ Ross asked incredulously. ‘Has she gone out for the evening?’

‘No Monsieur, she went out early this morning dressed for walking, and has not returned.’

‘I see. Oh well, not to worry, probably met up with friends and is eating out. Get her to call me when she comes in, will you? She has the number.’

‘Yes Monsieur, I will put a message with her key.’

Ross thanked him, rang off, and then wandered slowly back to the dining table seemingly deep in thought. By this time, most of the guests had picked up on the conversation he’d been having and were bursting with curiosity. One of the women at the table asked, ‘Is everything all right Ross? You look worried.’

Ross looked up absently, ‘What… oh yes, fine. It’s just that my wife went out early this morning to do some walking in the mountains and hasn’t returned to the hotel yet. I’m a little concerned about her.’

‘I’m sure she’s perfectly all right,’ the woman said.

‘You’re probably right. She’s bound to be back soon.’ Ross said smiling. ‘I’ll give her another try later.’

With that, the conversation returned to more general and trivial things and Ross joined in, being careful to maintain a slightly worried look although inside he was elated. He’d achieved exactly what he wanted. A one hundred percent watertight alibi that covered him from the time his ‘wife’ was seen alive and well setting off on her walk, up until the time she was overdue back at the hotel. Just one more call to make, he thought, then it’s mission accomplished.

.

Up in the hut, Alice was having trouble sleeping. Her mind was a turmoil of thoughts about the way she’d survived the fall down the same mountainside that had killed poor Philippe’s wife. Somehow, the two events were inextricably linked and she felt a strange bond with the man on the other side of the small wooden cabin who had saved her life.

All day, while she’d been dozing on and off, she’d been thinking about Ross, going over and over their life together in her mind, trying to come to terms with what had happened. As the day had worn on, her white-hot rage had gradually cooled to an overwhelming desire for revenge, sweet revenge, served up cold and hard.

One thing she knew for sure, Ross would be certain she was dead. He couldn’t possibly think anything else after what he’d done to her, and that was going to buy her the time she needed to think very carefully about what she was going to do to him. She could, of course, just go to the police, but they would never believe her story, it was too incredible. And besides, Ross would easily bluff his way out of trouble, he’d been doing that all his life. No, she’d decided, she was going to have to handle his retribution personally.

She desperately wanted to talk about it, and instinctively felt that Philippe would understand. Finally making up her mind, she turned to face him across the dark cabin and whispered, ‘Philippe, are you awake?’

Philippe was immediately out of his sleeping bag and by her side with a flashlight in his hand. ‘What is wrong?’ he asked with concern. ‘Are you feeling pain again?’

‘No,’ she said, ‘but I need a friend to talk to. If you’re not too tired, I’d like to tell you what happened to me last night.’

‘Of course,’ he said, sitting down on the bed next to her, ‘I want to hear it.’

She started by telling him a little about her life, about Ross and Charles and her father. It was cold in the cabin and she’d only been speaking for a few minutes when she felt Philippe shiver. She was still wearing his all-in-one ski suit and was under several blankets and a sleeping bag, but he was just in his T-shirt and thin trousers. ‘You’re cold,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you come under these blankets with me?’

She turned onto her side to make room for him in the narrow bunk, and Philippe snuggled gratefully in beside her, pulling the blankets up around his shoulders. ‘Now, what were you saying?’ he prompted.

Being so close now she barely had to whisper. She hesitated for a few moments then said, ‘Last night, my husband tried to kill me.’

In the absolute silence all Alice could hear was her heart beating and Philippe’s slow steady breathing. After a few moments he asked, ‘He beat you and left you in the mountains to die?’

‘No… he didn’t beat me,’ Alice choked, ‘he threw me out of his plane.’ She burst into tears and buried her face against his shoulder.

Philippe encircled her with his arms the same way he’d done the night before, and drew her close. Her shoulders heaved and shuddered as her body was wracked with sobs. He stroked her hair and the side of her face saying, ‘It’s okay… it’s okay,’ until she eventually calmed down.

‘I’m sorry,‘ she sobbed, ‘I just can’t believe he could do such a thing.’

‘It is hard to believe,’ Philippe said softly. ‘Why don’t you tell me everything that happened?’

‘All right,’ Alice said, pulling away from him slightly and wiping her eyes with the back of her bandaged hand. ‘We got up yesterday morning and packed our suitcases ready to go on holiday. Ross was going to fly me to Geneva where I was going to hire a car and drive up here to Chamonix. He was going to carry on to Nice then Monaco.

‘I remember, I’d just finished packing and had come downstairs when he asked me if I wanted some lunch. I wasn’t really hungry but he insisted he wanted to eat before we left, so I sat in the sun on our patio drinking a glass of wine while he barbecued some steaks. I remember eating the steak, but that’s about all until I woke up in the back of his plane. I guess he must have drugged me.’

‘You don’t remember how you got into the plane?’ Philippe asked.

‘No… I vaguely remember being undressed, which must have happened because I was wearing a yellow skirt and jacket when we ate, and I remember being carried by my feet and shoulders, but that’s about all.’

‘So there was someone else involved also, you think?’

‘I think it was our secretary, Alex, holding my feet, but I’m not sure. There was something strange about him,’ she said, struggling to remember. ‘It all seems like a dream.’

‘This Alex,’ Philippe asked, ‘what is he like?’

‘Just an ordinary young man,‘ Alice said. ‘His full name is Alexander, but he prefers it to be shortened to Alex because he says Alexander makes him sound like a Russian ballerina. He’s about thirty, my height, very slim, short brown hair, very smart and efficient. He’s been with us for about five years.’

‘And you trust him?’

‘I always have, although I must admit when he first came to work for us I was a little wary about having a young man around the house, especially with my husband being away quite often. But there has never been any suggestion of anything improper in his attitude towards me, and he’s very fond of our son.’

‘Do you think maybe your husband has paid him to help kill you?’

‘Maybe, I just don’t know.’

‘Tell me, what happened when you woke up and found yourself in the plane?’ Philippe asked.

‘The door at the rear of the cabin was open and I was lying on the floor right next to it. There was a terrible noise and a rush of air. I remember it was dark except for a red light shining through from the cockpit. Ross was standing over me with his face all sweaty and contorted. He looked like the devil. He was struggling with something behind my back, then I remember he lifted me up, then everything was black and I was falling.’ Alice started to cry again.

‘And you landed on the glacier?’ Philippe asked with disbelief.

‘No,’ she said, drying her eyes again, ‘I must have hit the snow someplace very high up, because I remember tumbling and sliding down a steep slope for what seemed like ages. When I finally stopped I was on the snow at the top of the glacier, so I started to climb down.’

‘And that’s when you found the hut?’

‘That’s right, I kept seeing a light and just followed it right down.’

Philippe knew she’d definitely come to the hut from above because during the day while she’d been asleep, he’d followed the trail of blood and found that it led up towards the top of the glacier. He just couldn’t believe though, that anyone could survive being thrown from an plane. But if that hadn’t happen, how else could she possibly have got that high up?

‘The one thing I do not understand,’ Philippe said after a while, ‘is how your husband thought he could get away with it. I mean, how would he explain the fact that one minute you are in England, and the next you are high up in the Alps?’

‘I don’t know,’ Alice replied bitterly, ’but you can be sure of one thing, he wouldn’t have done this if he didn’t think he was going to get away with it.’

‘What do you intend to do?’ he asked eventually. ‘Go to the police?

‘They would never believe me.’

‘Probably not,’ he agreed. ‘Do you have another plan?’

‘That rather depends on you.’

‘On me?’ Philippe asked with surprise.

‘I was hoping,’ Alice started nervously, ‘you might be willing to let me stay with you for a while, until I can find out what Ross is up to and decide what to do about it.’

Philippe thought for a moment then said, ‘Of course I will continue to look after you for as long as you want me to. If you are feeling well enough tomorrow, we will walk down to the Montenvers station on the Mer de Glace where we can get on the train for Chamonix. I have my car parked there at the station and I will take you home with me to my house near Nîmes in the south. You will be warm and safe there for as long as you want.’

‘Thank you,’ Alice sighed. ‘You have no idea how grateful I am.’

They lay in silence for a long time after that, until Philippe realized she had fallen asleep. Being careful not to disturb her, he slipped out of her warm bed and crossed the dark hut back to his cold sleeping bag, where he lay awake long into the night, thinking.

.

Back down on the yacht, Ross was giving his final performance of the day as a worried husband. He’d been on the phone again to the hotel, getting the manager out of bed and insisting he contact the police and mountain rescue teams immediately.

Now he was being comforted by his friends and was telling them that he just didn’t know what he would do if any harm had come to his precious Alice.

He also told them he was leaving first thing in the morning to go and help look for her himself.

Chapter 4

Alice woke early on Tuesday morning as the first hints of watery dawn light filtered through the high window into the hut. At first, she was surprised to see Philippe back in his own bed, but then, as she lay thinking about him, she smiled and understood. He’s so completely opposite to Ross, she thought. Ross poses as a gentleman when he’s anything but, whereas Philippe is quietly strong, gentle and kind, and totally without pretension.

As if he’d read her mind, Philippe quietly got out of bed and came over to check on her. Seeing her awake, he crouched down beside her and smiled, saying, ‘Good morning, how are you feeling today?’

‘Much better thank you, still a little battered, but ready to start fighting back.’

‘That is good. Would you like a nice cup of coffee?’

‘I’d love one, but please, let me make it,’ she said, sitting up. ‘You’ve done so much for me, I’d like to do something for you.’

‘If you want to, but you must let me get the snow.’

By the time Philippe got back with the small kettle full of snow, Alice was out of bed and had put instant coffee granules into two tin mugs. It would take a while for the snow to melt, then eventually boil over the small Primus stove. While they were waiting they sat outside the hut in the early morning silence, watching the sunrise.

‘I wish I could stay here forever,’ Alice said dreamily, ‘far away from the rest of the world.’

‘You know, ever since you arrived the other night, I have been wishing the same thing,’ Philippe said, without taking his eyes from the snow-capped peaks, which were being set ablaze by the rising sun.

She looked up at him as he gazed sadly into the distance and was just about to reply when the shrill whistle of the kettle suddenly broke the mood. ‘Coffee’s up,’ she said, getting up stiffly and going back into the hut.

Philippe didn’t move, so Alice brought their coffee out and they went back to watching the sunrise, warming their hands on the steaming mugs. Finally, his distant mood seemed to pass and he said, ‘As soon as we have finished this, I think we should get started, that is if you are feeling up to it.’

‘I’m feeling fine,’ she said, ‘ready to leave whenever you are.’

.

The Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne, or the Platoon of High Mountain Police in Chamonix was buzzing with activity. Jean-Paul, the manager of the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, had telephoned the PGHM on their twenty-four hour emergency hotline shortly after midnight, as instructed by Ross, and reported Alice missing. They had sent an officer to the hotel within half an hour and Jean-Paul had let him into Alice’s room.

Everything in the room had looked perfectly normal to the two men. Alex had done an excellent job of hanging up clothes and laying out toiletries. They had found Alice’s yellow handbag tucked under some clothes in a drawer. In it were her cell phone and her passport, which they took away in order to copy the photograph.

Now, at just after eight a.m., the duty platoon of eight men was fully kited up and assembled in the drill hall at the PGHM headquarters for a briefing. The duty officer, Captain Jacques Batard, had distributed black and white copies of Alice’s passport photograph, which he’d blown up on the office photocopier, and was now calling for order.

‘Good morning gentlemen. Today we have a missing American woman, Madame Alice Webley, last seen at seven thirty yesterday morning leaving the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel dressed for walking. She did not leave word at the hotel of her intended route, but her husband has informed us that she had spoken of walking to the base of the Charpoua Glacier, so that is where we will concentrate our search today.

‘She is described as thirty-six years old, one hundred and sixty-eight centimeters tall, sixty kilos, with, as you can see from the photograph, distinctive long hair which is described as blond although it looks much darker in the picture. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, red fleece jacket, cream colored shorts and brown walking boots. She was also wearing a small rucksack, so could possibly have been carrying long trousers and a coat.

‘The helicopter is due to start making a search as soon as it is serviceable, which should be in about two or three hours when they have fixed a problem with the radio. Before then, I want every possible route from Chamonix up to the Charpoua covered on foot. I have also organized a local radio appeal for anyone who may have seen the lady in the past twenty-four hours. Any questions? No? Good, let’s get going then.’

The team split into four pairs and agreed the routes to be covered. Two pairs were assigned to walk the two steep paths, which zigzagged from the valley up to the Montenvers rack railway terminus at the Mer de Glace, frequently crossing the mountain-railway track. The other two teams were detailed to ride up the rack-railway to the Montenvers terminus and then to cover the paths leading away from there across the glacier. They checked each other’s kit before setting off at a quick march across Chamonix to the rack-railway station, where they would split-up and go their separate ways.

.

Down in Monaco, Ross was making a big show out of bidding his host and the other guests goodbye. He wanted to be absolutely certain that no one would forget where he’d been for the past thirty-six hours, and when he’d left. The women were all full of tearful admiration for him and the men were slapping him on the back, telling him not to worry. All the guests waved him off as he left in the launch to be transferred to the shore, where Bonatti’s chauffeur was waiting to drive him to Nice airport.

Ross had telephoned ahead with his flight plan and a request for his aircraft, a sleek, twin engine, Cessna Golden Eagle, to be refueled. When he arrived at the airport it was only a matter of minutes before he was airborne and heading for Geneva.

During the flight, Ross let his mind wander back to the time when he’d first heard about Alice through the social grapevine. Someone had mentioned that there was a beautiful, young, American heiress up at Cambridge, who’d been seen at the weekends around some of the more fashionable spots in London. He’d done his homework and had managed to find out that her name was Alice Sanderson, she was twenty-one years old and already had an annual income of several million dollars from various stocks and bonds that her multimillionaire father had given her.

He’d also found out that she was an only child and that her old man’s health wasn’t good. When he went, young Alice would become a millionairess many times over. All in all, Alice Sanderson and her old man had seemed like a very nice package indeed.

With that firmly in mind, and the fact that at his age he should really be thinking about producing an heir to the baronetcy, family duty and all that, he engineered a chance meeting with her at a country house party, then set about winning her hand in marriage. He really hadn’t had much of a problem either. By the time her course at Cambridge had finished and she was due to go back to the United States, she was putty in his hands. She flew home to talk it over with her father, then returned two weeks later with his blessing. They were married a short time afterwards.

Who’d have thought the old man was going to hang on for another fourteen years? Ross thought, shaking his head. If he’d died while Alice was still young, he’d have had no trouble parting her from her father’s money. But now she was older, wiser, and harder. He’d known for some time that the only way he’d ever get his hands on that money would be over her dead body.

.

Alice and Philippe, in the meantime, had been on the trail for over an hour. Philippe had found her some spare crampons and had fixed them to her boots. He’d also found her some spare trousers, a hooded jacket and some gloves, which she was glad of because although the sun was bright, a freezing wind had sprung up and as they walked over the ice, she felt cold.

The total distance from the Charpoua Hut to the Montenvers terminus on the Mer de Glace glacier was a little under three miles, but the trail was hard going and Alice was still suffering some pain and stiffness. Most of the trail was over sheer, hard ice.

First they had to make their way from the hut, down the steep, torturous slopes at the bottom end of the Charpoua glacier, then the trail was a little easier as they crossed diagonally the much flatter surface of the Mer de Glace.

Now they were nearly off the ice and could see the Montenvers terminus, with its observation terrace, far above them at the top of a steep winding path. So far, it had been all downhill, and although the going had been slippery, Alice had managed without too many problems. They stopped as soon as they left the ice to take their crampons off. Alice sat on a rock whilst Philippe knelt in front of her and unhooked the metal spikes from her boots. She was tired and cold and her spirits had been gradually falling as each step took her closer to the real world and to facing her problems.

Philippe took his own crampons off then asked, ‘Are you ready to go on?’

‘I guess so,’ Alice sighed, getting to her feet.

The rocky path to the Montenvers terminus zigzagged back and forth up the side of the valley. Philippe insisted that Alice walk ahead of him so that she could set the pace. They started off well, but Alice was soon flagging and had to stop for a rest. Philippe urged her on, and before long they passed the spot where Alex had done his quick change, then finally arrived at the terminus. Alice was exhausted and just stood shivering with her hood up whilst Philippe bought tickets for their descent to Chamonix.

They went through the turnstile onto the platform and got straight onto the waiting train although it wasn’t due to leave for another ten minutes. All of the human traffic at this time of the day was coming up to the Montenvers with the trains arriving full and leaving empty, so they had the carriage to themselves. Philippe got Alice installed in a corner, stowed their rucksacks, then snuggled up next to her trying to make her warm. Her nose and ears were blue with the cold so she kept her hood up.

‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.

‘Very cold and very tired,’ she said with a shiver. ‘That last part was steeper than it looked, I didn’t think I was going to make it.’

‘You did fine,’ he said, ‘I’m proud of you.’ He squeezed her hand through her glove then said, ‘Wait here a minute, I’ve just thought of something.’ With that, he jumped off the train and disappeared into the terminus.

Alice gazed after him wondering where he’d gone. After a couple of minutes he reappeared carrying two polystyrene cups full of thick, sweet, hot chocolate, which he’d got from the terminus café. He handed one to Alice and said, ‘Drink this, it will make you feel much better.’

She smiled for the first time since leaving the hut. Taking the cup between her shaking hands, she sipped the steaming liquid and closed her eyes with pleasure. It was like nectar. ‘Thank you,’ she said gratefully, ‘you’ve saved my life… again.’

The automatic doors hissed shut and the train jerked into motion. Soon they were heading down the steep single track towards Chamonix, leaving the beauty and sanctuary of the high mountains far behind them. Halfway down, the train stopped in a small siding to allow the upward bound train to pass. As the ascending train lumbered past carrying tourists, climbers and the four Gendarmerie Peloton men, no one took any notice of the couple cuddling in the other train. Further down the mountain they entered a layer of dark gray cloud, which was lying across the valley like a thick, dirty blanket. When they emerged out of the other side it was into gloom and rain, which dampened Alice’s spirits even further.

Finally, the train pulled into the station in Chamonix and Philippe held onto Alice’s arm as they got off and hurried across the road to the car park, where his BMW was parked. He helped her into the passenger side, adjusted the electric seat until she was semi-reclined and comfortable, then secured her seat belt. After stashing their rucksacks he started the engine, put the heating on full blast and switched the electric seat heaters on. Within a minute there was warm air flowing over Alice’s chilled body as she nestled back into the warm, cozy leather with her eyes closed.

‘Are you comfortable?’ he asked.

‘Mmm, yes… this is heaven,’ she said, smiling and snuggling deeper into her seat.

They glided smoothly out of the car park, over the level crossing and onto the road leading out of Chamonix. By the time they were on the Autoroute Blanche, the muted hum of the engine and the flip-flap of the windscreen wipers had lulled Alice into a peaceful sleep.

.

About the same time, over in Weggis, David Wiseman was just leaving the hotel to keep his appointment at the house of the porter and his wife. He’d read in his guide book that it was the done thing to take a gift if invited to the house of a Swiss, so he stopped at a little shop across the road from the hotel and bought a small bunch of flowers.

Seestrasse was easy to find, because as the name suggested, it was the street that ran along the side of the lake. Number five was a green-shuttered, whitewashed house in the middle of a small terrace of identical houses, which looked like they had been newly scrubbed. All the windows were dressed with delicate lace curtains and adorned outside with rustic wooden boxes, bulging with petunias and geraniums. The overall scene, as everywhere else in the town, was one of clean, neat efficiency.

David had also read in his tourist guide that the Swiss were sticklers for punctuality, so he paced himself and knocked on the door at precisely ten a.m.. The old porter came to the door immediately, shook his hand and invited him in. Now that he was out of uniform, he was like a different man, animated, talkative and friendly. He took David through to a small parlor, where an old lady was sitting at a pine table that was set out with cups and saucers.

‘May I present my wife, Frau Schutz?’ he asked David. Then turning to his wife he said, ‘My dear, this is Mr Wiseman from America, the Baroness’s nephew.’

David shook the old lady’s hand and gave her the flowers saying slowly, ‘Very glad to meet you, these are for you.’

‘Thank you Mr Wiseman, they are lovely. I am pleased to meet you too. Would you like tea, or maybe some coffee?’ the old lady asked.

David was amazed yet again at the way everyone in town seemed to speak perfect English. ‘Coffee would be good, thank you.’

She handed the flowers to her husband who took them out into the kitchen then busied himself making a pot of coffee. Turning back to David, she said, ‘I knew someone would come.’

He was taken aback by her intensity. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I knew someone would come here sooner or later asking questions about the Baroness.’

‘Why do you say that?’ David asked.

‘Because there are questions about the Baroness that remain unanswered, even after all this time, and it is the duty of her family to find the truth.’

Ah, David thought. This is what I came for. ‘What truth?’ he asked innocently, ‘what do you mean?’

‘The truth about her death, of course.’

‘But I thought she died from a heart attack,’ David said, leading her on. ‘That’s what we were told.’

The old woman snorted. ‘Heart attack? Nonsense… she was as strong as a horse.’

‘What are you getting at?’ David asked.

Frau Schutz leaned forward and lowered her voice. ‘I believe that English husband of hers killed her.’

‘Killed her?’ David asked, feigning incredulity. ‘But why? What possible reason would he have to do that?’

‘For her money, of course,’ the old woman said as if speaking to a dense child. ‘He thought the Baroness was a very wealthy woman, but he didn’t get as much as he had bargained for.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Maybe I had better tell you the whole story,’ she said, leaning back in her chair.

‘I wish you would,’ David said, reaching into his jacket pocket for his notebook and pen.

Just then, her husband came back into the parlor carrying a tray with a coffeepot, milk jug and sugar bowl. ‘What have you been telling him, Mama?’ the old man asked. ‘You promised not to start all that crazy talk again.’

‘It is not crazy talk,’ Frau Schutz snapped. ‘I know what I know, and it is my responsibility to tell Mr Wiseman the truth.’

The old man shook his head in resignation and said, ‘I will be in the garden if you want me. I can not stand to listen to this story again. Please excuse me Mr Wiseman.’

When he’d gone, the old woman poured the coffee then started speaking. ‘When the Baron died, oh… thirty years ago now, the Baroness was devastated. The Baron had been a highly respectable banker, respectable and boring. They had never traveled very far, they had very few friends and no social life at all. They had been good companions to each other and were growing old and fat together, but when he went, the Baroness really did not know what to do with herself. For the first few months we were all very worried about her. She would just wander around the Schloss or sit doing nothing. Then there was a change.

‘Suddenly, it was if she had decided to make a new life for herself. She started to take regular exercise and she asked me to prepare more salad and vegetable dishes and to cut down on potatoes and pastries. Within six months she was riding the rack-railway from Vitznau to the top of Mt Rigi and walking back down to Weggis at least twice a week, and had lost twenty kilos in weight.

‘The doctor was very pleased with her, he had been trying to get her to lose weight for some time. When she had her regular check up, he told her that since she had lost all that weight, her heart was now good for another thirty years. That must have given her a new lease of life because suddenly she gave away all her clothes and had a complete new, fashionable wardrobe made. She also had her hair remodeled into a modern style.

‘After that, we didn’t see very much of her for a time. She went travelling around the world, and by the time she got back, she had made so many friends that she was always being invited away for weekends and short holidays. She took to spending a lot of time on the French Riviera and started gambling in the casinos. Although the Baron had left her well provided for with a regular income, she was spending more than the investments were earning and so to get extra money she started selling some of the antique furniture in the Schloss.

‘She found a furniture dealer in Lucerne who would buy the antiques and supply her with identical replacement reproduction pieces. That way she found she could raise a lot of money but still keep up appearances in front of her friends. When all the furniture had been sold and replaced, she started selling the pictures, again to the same dealer who would have them copied so that she always had a replacement to hang. Within five years, she had gambled away nearly everything of value in the Schloss, all she had left were her jewels. That was when she met Sir Ross Webley, while she was away on one of her gambling trips to France.’ She spat his name out with disgust.

‘I remember the first time I saw him,’ she continued. ‘The Baroness had invited him and a few other friends for the weekend. He was very young, less than half the Baroness’s age, and oily, you know, like a gigolo. At the end of the weekend, the other guests left, but he stayed. The Baroness took him walking in the hills and they went swimming and sailing on the lake. He followed her around like a puppy and she acted like a schoolgirl, making a complete fool of herself. One night she had a little too much to drink and confided to her personal maid that Webley was very rich, and that if she could marry him, it would mean an end to her financial worries.

‘To the rest of us staff, it looked the other way around. If he was as wealthy as he claimed, tell me, what would he want with a plain, middle-aged woman like the Baroness? She obviously thought that he loved her, but that is not how it seemed to me. Every time he was alone, I would see him walking around the rooms, looking at the furniture and paintings, almost as if he was taking inventory.

‘Anyway, after a month, the Baroness announced that she was going on a short holiday to England to stay on his estate. That was the last time we ever saw her.’ The old woman paused to wipe her eyes.

David waited patiently for a moment, then asked, ‘What happened next?’

‘About a week later, we received a telegram saying the Baroness was to be married in England and instructing us to pack up all her clothes and jewels and have them sent to Webley’s estate by airfreight. We did as we were told, then we heard nothing more until a few weeks after that when Webley and the Baroness’s lawyer came to the Schloss. They called all the staff together and told us that the Baroness had died shortly after the wedding from a heart attack.’

‘Just like that?’ David asked.

‘Yes, just like that. Naturally, everyone was very upset, especially when the lawyer told us that the Baroness had made a new will leaving everything to her husband. You see, many of us had been at the Schloss since the Baron and Baroness were first married, and it would have been normal for the long serving staff to have received something.’

‘This new will,’ David asked, ‘when was it made?’

‘I never saw it, but when I went to see her lawyer later, he told me it had been made in England between the time of the marriage and the time of the Baroness’s death. He said that Webley’s lawyers had made it and that Webley had brought it with him, along with a copy of the death certificate.’

‘So what happened after that?’ David asked.

‘After the lawyer had given us the news, he told us that Webley was now our master and asked that we all co-operate with him, then he left. Webley waited until he had gone, then stood up in front of us all and told us that he was selling the Schloss and that we were all on one week’s notice.’

‘One week! After over twenty five years of service?’ David asked with disbelief.

‘One week. That is all he gave us, no bonus, no thank you, nothing. Carl, that’s my husband, and me just walked out and never went back. We heard later that Webley instructed an auction house in Zurich to sell everything, including the Schloss, then he went home and we never saw him again.

‘The only consolation for us was that from what we heard, he made hardly any money out of the sale. All the antiques and pictures were worthless reproductions and the Schloss itself was in need of much serious repair work. The Baroness had not spent a centime on maintaining the old building since the Baron had died, so when it was finally sold to developers, it was for very little money.’

‘What about all the Baroness’s jewels?’ David asked. ‘They must have been worth a small fortune.’

‘We think he must have sold them too.’

‘You’re probably right.’ David thought for a moment then asked, ‘You say you went to see the Baroness’s lawyer afterwards? Why was that?’

‘To tell him that something was not right about the Baroness’s death. It was all too convenient for her new husband.’

‘What did he say?’

‘He did not believe me. He showed me the copy of the death certificate, and that clearly said she had died from a heart attack. He said it was all just very unfortunate and even suggested that it was the Baroness’s own fault for marrying a young man, which I thought was disgusting. I asked him if he had checked with the lawyers in England to make sure the new will was genuine. He told me not to teach him his business, and besides, he had no reason to doubt the word of Sir Ross Webley, who, he said, was a fine gentleman.’

‘A fine gentleman?’ David scoffed. ‘I’ve got to say, the more I hear about it, the more suspicious her death gets. I might have a word with this lawyer myself if he’ll see me. Is his office here in town?’

‘It used to be, but he has been dead for over ten years now. His son took over the business and moved it to Lucerne, but he would not be able to help you, he was not even working with his father when this all happened.’

David was disappointed. ‘I guess there’s not much more I can do here, but I’m going over to England to visit her grave later this week. I’ll see what I can find out over there.’

The old woman smiled. ‘You do that. Do it for the Baroness. She became a foolish woman after the Baron died, but she did not deserve to be murdered.’

David stood to leave then realized he hadn’t touched his coffee, which was now cold. ‘Sorry, I guess I was so wrapped up listening to you that I forgot to drink it.’

‘Never mind, it’s not important. The important work for you lies in England.’ She got up, wrote her telephone number on a small piece of paper, and as they said goodbye, pressed it into his hand. ’If you find anything, please call me and let me know before you leave for America.’

He promised he would.

Frau Schutz called her husband in to say goodbye, and as the old man was showing him to the door, he said quietly, ‘Do not take too much notice of what my wife has just told you. She has been going on about the Baroness like this for years.’

‘You never know,’ David said, ‘she could be right.’

‘Maybe, but I doubt it. That kind of thing only happens in stories.’

David laughed. ‘You’d be very surprised. Living over here you’re insulated from the horrors of the world. Where I come from this kind of thing happens every day.’

‘Then I am very glad I do not live in your world, Mr Wiseman,’ the old man said, shaking his head.

They shook hands and parted. David crossed the street and walked slowly back to the hotel along the lake shore thinking about what the old woman had told him. Add all that, he thought, to the impression I got of Webley the other night, and you could easily start to believe there’s something to it. He decided to reserve judgement until he got to England and could ask a few more questions.

He got back to the hotel and checked out. His plan for the day was to visit the Schloss, then drive on up to Calais where he would stay over before catching a morning ferry to Dover. As he pulled out of the hotel car park, the two men who had been watching him all morning followed at a discreet distance.

.

Back in Chamonix, the rain was now torrential and the clouds were so low that the top of the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, the tallest building in town, was lost to view. Ross arrived at the headquarters of the PGHM and was shown into the duty officer’s room. The uniformed man obviously recognized the solider in Ross, because he stood up and saluted. Ross shook his hand then asked in his best schoolboy French, ‘Parlez-vous anglais?’

‘A little, Monsieur,’ Batard replied, sitting back down behind his desk.

‘What’s the status on the search for my wife?’ Ross asked, sitting opposite him.

‘You told the manager at the hotel that Madame was planning to walk to the Charpoua Glacier, so this morning we have started our search there. We have established that she took the train from Chamonix up to the Montenvers terminus on the Mer de Glace, several of the staff remember seeing her. After that, she could have walked onto the glacier or back down to the town.’ He stood up and stepped over to a large-scale map hanging on the wall. ‘We have already covered the two paths from Chamonix to the Montenvers terminus, here and here,’ he said, tracing the winding paths on the map with a wooden pointer. ‘We have also covered the paths from Montenvers down onto the Mer de Glace, here and here. My men have discovered no sign of her at all.’

‘What about the helicopter?’ Ross asked. ‘Have you called that in yet?’

‘The helicopter has done one flight along the length of the Mer de Glace and up the Charpoua Glacier, but the visibility became too bad to continue so it has returned.’

‘Yes, I caught a bit of that weather on my way into Geneva this morning. Any idea how long it’s forecast to be bad?’

‘This time of year, Monsieur, it can last for days or even weeks. The weather in the mountains is very unpredictable. This morning when my men set off it was bright sunshine, now they are reporting blizzard conditions on the Mer de Glace with heavy snowfall higher up.’

‘But they’re still up there searching, aren’t they?’ Ross asked anxiously.

‘Yes, but not for much longer. The fresh snowfall makes it very dangerous because the snow that is already up there cannot support the weight of the new snow, then we have avalanches. Your wife is classified as Missing at the moment, so we go on searching, but if she is not found by nightfall, I will have to reclassify her as Missing, Presumed Dead, and call my men back.’

‘But you can’t just give up!’ Ross protested. ‘She may be lying hurt somewhere. You must go on searching!’

‘Look, Monsieur,’ Batard said sympathetically, taking his seat again and leaning across his desk. ‘If your wife was hurt sometime yesterday on the glacier and spent the night up there in the open without special clothing, she is very unlikely to have survived.’

Ross bowed his head and looked as sad as possible, but inside, his brain was working overtime. The spot he’d original chosen to dump Alice had been perfect. She would have hit the steep mountainside directly above a treacherous, high level path, then bounced and slid another eight hundred feet down into a rocky ravine, where her broken, twisted body would have come to rest among the boulders near a well used trail. Whoever found her there would assume she’d fallen from the upper path. But something had gone wrong.

Just as he’d been sliding her out of the door, her rucksack had caught in the doorframe and with all her kicking and fighting it had taken precious moments to free her, during which time the autopilot had flown the plane more than two miles. He’d worked out she must have ended up somewhere near the Charpoua Glacier, but God alone knew exactly where. I’ve got to get them to carry on the search, he thought, before she gets buried under all the new snow. No dead body means no official record of death, no reading of the will, no probate and no money. If they don’t find her now, it won’t be until the spring thaw next year, which will be much too late. I want that money now!

Batard was speaking again. ‘I am afraid I can not order my men to continue the search in these conditions, but if they choose to volunteer, then that is a different matter. They may want to stay out for a little longer, they are very dedicated.’

Ross’s head snapped up, ‘Volunteers! I think you’ve got it! There must be plenty of guides and climbers around here who would be willing to search if I put up a big enough reward, but it would need coordinating properly.’

‘If you can get me the men, I am happy to organize the search for you,’ Batard said. ‘But I must warn you, the longer she is out there, the less chance we have of finding her alive.’

‘I understand,’ Ross said sadly, ‘but I can’t just do nothing, can I?’ Then, after a short pause he rubbed his hands together and said, ‘Now, to business. What’s the best way to get our volunteers?’

Batard thought for a moment then said, ‘I will telephone La Compagnie de Guides, they will let all their members know. To reach other climbers it would probably be best to make an announcement on CHUT FM, the local radio station, I will call them also. How much were you thinking of offering as a reward?’

‘I want as many men as possible… and dogs, we must have lots of dogs. Let’s say ten thousand Euros. Do you think that would be enough?’

‘Ten thousand Euros?’ the officer spluttered. ‘For that kind of money Monsieur, you will have every person in the valley volunteering!’

‘Maybe so, but we need to cover every inch of that glacier in the shortest possible time, so I want at least a hundred good men,’ Ross commanded, the old military training beginning to show. ‘I’ll leave it up to you to choose the ones you want, just make sure they’re the best.’

‘Leave it to me, Monsieur. I will start making calls right away.’

‘Right, I’m going to check into my hotel, then I’m going to the bank to get the money transferred, then I’ll be back.’

Batard was picking up his phone as Ross left to make the short drive through pouring rain to the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, where he was welcomed by the grief-stricken manager and handed the key to Madame’s room.

.

The call for help and the mention of a reward had been made on CHUT FM during the traditional French two-hour lunch break, and the response had been phenomenal. By three in the afternoon all the roads leading to the PGHM headquarters on the north side of Chamonix were gridlocked, with the local gendarmes running back and forth, blowing their whistles.

Fortunately, Ross had decided to walk up there after he’d left the bank, but still had to fight his way past hundreds of young men who were milling around the building, pushing and shoving in the closest Frenchmen could get to an orderly queue.

Many of them had brought their dogs; Labradors, Huskies, St Bernards, who were adding to the mayhem by barking, howling and whenever the opportunity arose, snapping at each other. He finally managed to find Batard, who was looking very harassed. ‘How are we doing?’ Ross asked.

‘As you can see,’ he said, raising his hands in typical Gallic fashion, ‘we have far more people than we can use. The problem is that many of those I am rejecting say they are going to search anyway. Everyone wants that money.’

‘The more men we have on the job, the better chance we have of finding her,’ Ross said cheerfully. ‘What’s the weather doing up there now? How soon can we get going?’

‘The wind has dropped a little but it is still snowing hard higher up. The first team will be leaving in about an hour. We are just trying to get enough lanterns organized, so we can carry on after dark. I plan to set up a forward command post at the Montenvers Hotel as soon as I am finished here.’

‘Very good,’ Ross said. ‘I’ll make my way up there later and join you. I want to be there when they find her.’ With that, he fought his way out of the building and walked back to the hotel. Better have a bite to eat before I go, he thought. Can’t feign grief on an empty stomach.

.

Meanwhile, up near the summit of the Aiguille Verte, the soft snow coating the near vertical face that had broken Alice’s fall was becoming dangerously unstable with the added weight of the fresh snowfall. Here and there, huge areas, which had been clinging precariously to the rocks all summer, finally lost their battle with gravity and came crashing down the mountainside in spectacular avalanches, depositing tons of snow, ice and all manner of other detritus onto the Charpoua Glacier.

Chapter 5

It was nearly three hundred miles from Chamonix to the village just outside Nîmes, in the south of France, where Philippe lived. He’d been taking it easy on the autoroutes, letting the big BMW coast smoothly along under cruise control, a little below the speed limit. As they had come down out of the mountains and started heading south, they had left the bad weather behind and Philippe now had the air-conditioning on to keep them comfortable.

Alice had slept from the moment they left Chamonix, and sitting back with his feet off the pedals, holding the steering wheel between finger and thumb, Philippe had had plenty of time to relax and think during the long drive. He kept looking down at Alice, reclined in the seat beside him, thinking over and over again that she was the most, vulnerable creature he’d ever met. For some reason, he felt incredibly protective towards her. Every time he thought of her husband, his anger flared and he wanted to kill him with his bare hands.

He could vaguely remember a story he’d heard years before, something about an ancient belief that if you saved a person’s life, you then owned that person and were responsible for them forever. That first night, when she’d fallen through the cabin door at his feet and he’d bathed her wounds and cradled her in his arms, he’d allowed himself to believe that the gods of the mountain were somehow making recompense for Luba. The mountain taketh away, and the mountain giveth. Blessed be the name of the mountain. Looking down on her again he wished it were true, but he knew that in reality, as soon as she was physically fit and psychologically ready to face her husband, she would be gone from his life forever.

The late afternoon sun swept across Alice’s face as they turned off the autoroute at the Nîmes-East junction, stirring her from her slumber. At first she didn’t know where she was, then she looked up at Philippe and remembered.

‘Hello,’ he said, smiling. ‘Did you sleep well?’

Alice put her hands above her head and stretched like a cat. ‘Wonderfully,’ she said, with a dreamy smile. ‘Where are we?’

‘Nearly home, just another five minutes.’

Alice straightened her seat back and looked around as they followed a narrow road for about a mile before coming to the small village, which was nothing more than a church, a few houses, a general store, a boulangerie and a bar tabac. Carrying on out the other side, they were soon in an arid scrubland where the road carved a swathe through brown, sun-parched bushes and stunted trees. After another mile and a half, Philippe turned right into a driveway and pulled up at a set of iron gates, which were just swinging open under remote control, activated from the car. Once through the gates, they followed the driveway up hill slightly, around a curve to the left, then parked outside a single story, white stucco house with a red tile roof.

‘Here we are,’ he said, ‘home sweet home.’

‘It’s very pretty,’ Alice said, craning her neck to look around.

‘It used to be a hunting lodge,’ Philippe explained. ‘When I bought it, it had no electricity or heating, and the only water was from a hand pump outside the kitchen door. But now you will find all the comforts of home.’

Philippe jumped out of the car and went around to the passenger side to help Alice out. They were still wearing their thick jackets and the heat hit Alice like a hammer blow as he opened the car door.

‘Whew! It’s a bit warmer here than Chamonix,’ she exclaimed.

‘Come on inside, it will be much cooler there.’ Philippe opened the front door and they went in. All the shutters were closed and the inside of the house was cool and dark, lit only by thin shafts of sunlight penetrating the louvres. He led the way through a large kitchen and living room towards the back of the house, where there were two bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet. He showed Alice into the back bedroom then opened the window and threw open the shutters. The room was fairly small and had two single beds, a small dressing table with a stool, and a chest of drawers. The window looked out onto a large back garden planted with pine trees, which cast patches of dappled shade onto the parched earth.

Turning back to Alice, Philippe said nervously, ‘This is my guestroom. It is yours for as long as you wish to stay. You are very welcome.’

Alice came to him and taking both his hands in hers, looked up into his dark eyes and said warmly, ‘You are the kindest person I have ever met, thank you.’

They smiled at each other for a moment, then Philippe broke away saying, ‘I expect you would like a nice long soak in the bath. I will run it for you.’ With that, he went along the passage and into the bathroom.

Alice heard the water splashing into the bath and was just taking her jacket and fleece off, wondering what she was going to do for clothes when Philippe came back into her room with a pink toweling bathrobe. ‘Here you are,’ he said, handing her the robe. ‘I have put some clean towels in the bathroom and while you are having your bath, I will put some more of Louisa’s things out for you.’

‘Thank you,’ she said again. ‘I know how hard this must be for you. I’m very grateful.’

Philippe looked sad for a moment, then brightened and asked. ‘How about some dinner after your bath? You must be starving.’

‘Mmm, I could eat a horse!’

‘I don’t have a horse,’ he said seriously, ‘but I make a great spaghetti bolognese, if that would do.’

She laughed. ‘That’ll do fine.’

‘I’ll wait until I hear you get out of the bath before I start it, then you can take as long as you want.’

‘Okay,’ she said, ‘see you later, and thank you again.’

.

Alice sank down into the steaming bath water and started thinking about Ross again. The one thing she just couldn’t get her head around was the fact that he’d actually tried to kill her! Maybe I’m in denial, she thought, but I just can’t believe he would do such a thing! She went back over the years of their life together for the fiftieth time in the past two days, trying to find a reason.

She remembered how she’d been supremely happy during the first few months of their marriage, except in one important respect. As soon as she’d discovered she was pregnant, Ross had refused to share her bed on the basis that any marital activity, as he put it, might harm the unborn child. She’d found it very difficult to be angry with him because his motives had been so pure and noble, and she’d thought he was making such a supreme sacrifice. She’d been bitterly disappointed though, after such an active and exhilarating start to their married life. Every time she raised the subject, he’d promised that once the child was born, things would return to normal.

After Charles was born though, and the doctor had given her the all-clear, she’d gone to Ross, only to be disappointed again. Finally, she’d confronted him, and had been shocked when he’d broken down and wept. He’d told her it was the worry of not having any money that was preoccupying him, and that if only he didn’t have so many financial worries, he’d be a different man, the man she wanted him to be.

Although they’d never discussed it, she’d always assumed that he had a steady income from some source or other. He’d always seemed to have plenty of money. When he cried in front of her, confessing he was virtually bankrupt and up to his ears in debt, her heart had gone out to him. The following day, she’d cabled her lawyer in the States and made him a gift of half of her stocks and bonds, which had immediately given him a personal income of over a million pounds a year.

He’d been grateful and happy with that initially, and even made the occasional effort to visit her room, but it wasn’t the same as Monte. He started spending more and more time away. Before long his debts had mounted again and he’d come to her for more. She’d lost count of the number of times since then that she’d bailed him out of trouble with various gambling houses.

In the end, she’d been forced to accept that he just wasn’t interested in her physically. At first that made her question her own sexuality. Then it made her angry. Then she’d just been sad. But she’d stuck at her marriage and been faithful and giving, trying to make the best of it. In fact, she’d thought things had started looking up recently.

Just before the school holidays, Charles had asked if he could have two of his friends to stay, because their parents were abroad. The three young teenagers had arrived down from Eton like a whirlwind, and just as she’d been wondering how on earth she was going to cope on her own, Ross had cancelled all his gambling trips and stepped in.

He’d spent nearly the whole summer with them at the farm, swimming with the boys, carrying them around on his shoulders, wrestling with them and generally fooling about. They’d adored him, and he’d often taken them off for joyrides in his car or for flights in one of his planes from the private airstrip behind the house. And at night, he’d been more attentive towards her too, on quite a few occasions.

It had been a wonderful summer and she could see no reason why now, just as things were starting to come right, that he should dump her out of his plane like a sack of trash.

Alice stayed in the bath until the water was nearly cold, soothing her aching bones and soaking her cuts and bruises. Eventually, she let the water out then stood up and turned the shower on to wash her hair. She went back into her bedroom wearing the bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head like a turban to find that Philippe had been as good as his word. On the bed were four separate piles of clothing. There were knickers and bras, T-shirts and blouses, jeans and trousers and some summer dresses.

On the dressing table, she found a hairbrush and comb, a hair dryer and some basic items of makeup and hair care. The makeup and hair things were all brand new. Tears came to her eyes as she looked at all he’d done for her. She was deeply touched.

After she’d dried her hair and tied it back in a loose ponytail, she tried to patch up her face a little with some makeup, then went through the clothes for something to wear. She was nervous of wearing Louisa’s clothes, conscious that although Philippe had given them to her, it might upset him, but she really didn’t have any choice. Most of the things looked like they would fit her okay, thought the trousers and jeans were too long and the bras were two cup sizes too small. I guess Louisa must have been taller and thinner than me, she thought.

In the end, she chose one of the simple summer frocks and wore it with clean knickers but her own bra. Although she hated putting something back on that she’d already worn for three days, it was better than going without because she certainly did not want to appear improperly dressed in front of Philippe.

When she finally came out of her bedroom and padded barefoot through the house, she found him in the kitchen stirring a saucepan of bubbling bolognese sauce. He’d obviously showered, shaved and changed because his hair was clean and nicely combed back and he was wearing a white open neck shirt with navy blue slacks. The white shirt showed his deep suntan off to perfection and was protected from the volcanic bolognese sauce by a blue and white striped chef’s apron. Alice thought he looked very attractive.

Cool evening air streamed in through an open window and mixed with the wonderful aroma of onions and garlic. A small table with a red and white check cloth was laid for two with a single candle, a bottle of red wine and a basket of sliced French stick. A portable CD machine played Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Philippe didn’t hear her come in.

Alice stood watching him for a few moments, drinking in the scene, then said, ‘Mmm, that smells good.’

He stopped stirring the saucepan and came slowly towards her. ‘You look wonderful,’ he breathed, then, taking her hands he asked ‘How are your cuts and grazes?’

‘Much better thank you, all nice and clean. I think the best thing is to let the air get to them now.’

He looked at her hands, then at her knees and said, ‘I think you are right. They are healing nicely.’ Letting her hands go, he went back to stirring his saucepan.

‘Thank you for all those things you left out for me,’ she said. ‘It was very kind of you.’

‘I hope the makeup and hair things were all right, it was all they had in the village shop.’

‘You went out specially to get those things for me?’

‘Yes, and to get some fresh bread. You can not eat in France without fresh bread.’

‘That’s true,‘ she said, wandering over to the table and helped herself to a piece of the bread. ‘I love French bread.’

‘I’m glad you found something that fitted you,’ Philippe said, looking at the dress. ‘Tomorrow, I will take you into Nîmes and you can choose some clothes for yourself. I’m sure you would prefer to wear your own things.’

‘No,’ she protested, ‘you’ve done too much for me already. I’ll just wash out my shorts and top and make do with those until I go home.’

Putting his wooden spoon down again, he came and stood in front of her and said, ‘Now look, I know it is important for a woman to have nice clothes and to feel good in what she wears, and I am sure you do not feel comfortable in Louisa’s things. It would give me great pleasure to take you shopping, please don’t deny me that.’

‘You are the most considerate man I have ever met,‘ she said, smiling.

‘Good, it is settled then. Tomorrow after breakfast, we go to Nîmes. Now, Madame, your dinner is ready.’

Alice sat down at the table while Philippe dished up two steaming bowls of spaghetti bolognese. The food and wine were delicious and they were both too busy eating to say very much during the meal. After they had emptied their bowls and loaded the dishwasher, they took their wine outside and sat on the veranda in the cool night air, looking up at the moon and stars. There was perfect silence, except for the occasional sound of a distant car, snaking its way along the road, piercing the darkness with yellow pools of light.

Alice sipped her wine appreciatively, letting warm contentment flood over her. ‘You know Philippe,’ she said softly, ‘you’ve told me hardly anything about yourself. Whenever we’ve spoken, it’s always been about me.’

‘What do you want to know?’ he asked.

‘Everything. I want to know everything about you.’

‘Let’s see,’ he started. ‘I am forty one years old, I am the senior partner in a firm of architects in Nîmes, I live in this house and my hobby is mountain climbing.’

‘Is that it?’ Alice asked.

‘What else do you want to know?’

‘Where you were born, what you were like as a little boy, where you went to school, when you got married… everything.’

They talked long into the night about their lives and the way they felt about things. Alice told him about her early life in the States, how her mother had died shortly after she’d been born, how her father had brought her up with the help of an English nanny, about her university days, her charity work, and sadly, about her father’s recent death.

Philippe told her all about his early childhood in Nîmes, his time at university in Paris, the climbing expeditions he’d been on, his early jobs, about setting up his architect’s practice, about buying and rebuilding the house they were sitting outside, and about his five year marriage to Louisa. He told her how he’d wanted children but Louisa had been against it because it would have meant her giving up climbing. It had been a real disappointment to him.

All the time that Philippe was speaking, Alice listened and asked questions. She found him fascinating. Intelligent yet simple, strong yet gentle, willful yet kind, but above all, she found him considerate and sensitive. He was all she had ever wanted in a man, almost the complete opposite of her husband, whom she’d grown to regard as insensitive, selfish and grasping.

It was after two a.m. before they turned in. Philippe locked up while Alice rinsed the wineglasses, then they walked to the back of the house together, where Philippe wished her goodnight at her bedroom door then went into his own room, closing the door behind him.

She smiled to herself as she got ready for bed. How completely typical of him not to press his advantage, she thought dreamily, which is just as well. After all that wine and the moonlight, I wouldn’t have taken much persuading! With that thought, she climbed into her own bed and turned out the light.

By the time Alice was asleep, the search parties in Chamonix had completed a sweep of the Mer de Glace both up and down from the Montenvers terminus. The weather conditions had been appalling, with visibility down to just a few feet, and the searchers were exhausted. In order to ensure that the entire area was thoroughly searched, two teams of men with dogs were spread across the full width of the glacier, just feet apart, and equipped with lanterns and poles for probing the thick snow and the ice crevasses.

One team had worked their way up the glacier as far as the point where it split into two smaller floes and became too steep to traverse, whilst the other had worked down the ice until it petered out and melted into the river Averyon.

Now they were packing up for the night. Their next job was to work their way up the Charpoua Glacier, but because of the avalanches, that was far too dangerous a job to tackle in the dark, even for ten thousand Euros. They would be back at first light.

Chapter 6

David Wiseman left the small hotel in Calais town center in time to catch the eight a.m. ferry to Dover. He’d read in his guidebook that the white cliffs of Dover were well worth seeing, so had decided against using the Channel Tunnel. He checked his hire car in at the rental desk in the ferry terminal, then bought a ticket and joined the boat as a foot passenger.

One of his tails had followed him in and had been standing behind him in the queue at the ticket counter to see what he bought. When his turn came, he bought two tickets for the same ferry: one for a foot passenger and one for a car with driver. He quickly went outside to give his partner the car ticket then hurried back into the terminal, just in time to follow David onto the courtesy bus that took them out to the ferry.

Alice slept late, and the first thing she registered when she woke up was the delicious smell of coffee. Gasping for a cup, she quickly threw on her bathrobe, rinsed her face, dragged a comb through her hair and padded into the kitchen.

There were fresh bread and croissants on the table and a percolator full of dark, steaming coffee on the stove. Philippe had a newspaper spread out on the side and was scanning it intently when Alice came in and wished him a cheery good morning.

Instead of looking up at her and smiling as she’d expected, he looked deeply concerned and said, ‘I think you had better sit down. There is a story about you in the paper.’

Alice sat at the table looking anxious while Philippe folded the paper then handed it to her. The first thing she saw was her own face staring out of the page at her. She recognized it instantly as her passport photograph, she’d always hated it. She wondered how they had got hold of it. Above it, the headline AMERICAN HEIRESS MISSING IN THE ALPS leapt out of the page. Frowning, she started to read aloud in French. ‘A massive search was launched yesterday for Lady Webley, believed to be lost or injured somewhere near the Mer de Glace glacier, south of Chamonix in the French Alps. Alice Webley is the wife of British nobleman Sir Ross Webley, and owner of the massive American Sanderson Corporation, conservatively estimated to be worth five hundred million US dollars.

Lady Webley was seen at seven thirty a.m. on Monday leaving her hotel in Chamonix. Workers next saw her on the Montenvers rack railway around eight a.m. as she traveled up to the Mer de Glace. The last positive sighting that the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne have been able to establish was at around eight forty five a.m. on a path leading down onto the Mer de Glace, where she was noticed by two climbers.’

Alice looked up at Philippe, totally perplexed. ‘What does it mean?’ she begged, close to tears. ‘I was with you in the refuge on Monday morning. These people couldn’t have seen me. Why are they lying?’

‘We both know you were not at the hotel or on the Montenvers train on Monday,’ Philippe, who had had more time to think about it, said. ‘But if your body was to be found on the glacier, your husband had to get you up there somehow legitimately. Remember, we wondered how he intended to explain your sudden transportation from England to the mountainside? Now we know.’

‘You think he bribed people to say they saw me?’ she asked incredulously.

‘No, he was far cleverer than. Read the next part.’

Alice read on. ‘Lady Webley had only been in Chamonix since Sunday afternoon, when she arrived alone from England. Staff at the hotel say Lady Webley stayed in her room all Sunday evening, then left early on Monday morning dressed for walking. She wasn’t reported missing until late on Monday night when her concerned husband raised the alarm after being unable to contact her by telephone from Monte Carlo.’

She looked questioningly up at Philippe again.

‘Your husband is a very clever man,’ he said. ‘He obviously got someone to impersonate you on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning so that he would have a perfect alibi and the authorities would know where to look for your body.’

‘But who could he have got to do it?’ Alice asked, then, furrowing her eyebrows she said, ‘Wait a minute… something’s coming back to me. Remember I told you how I thought that Ross and Alex had carried me by my feet and shoulders, and that there was something strange about Alex? Well I remember now. Alex was wearing my yellow suit and a blond wig!’

‘Surely you are not saying a man could have impersonated you?’ Philippe scoffed. ‘I do not believe it. You are much too feminine. No man could ever come close!’

‘Thanks for the compliment,’ Alice said, ‘but you don’t know Alex. When he first came to work for us, I suspected he was just a tiny bit effeminate. To be honest, I thought Ross had chosen someone like that specially so that I would feel safe when he was away, I was flattered. Now I come to think of it though, he’s about my size and I can easily see him being able to pass for me in the right clothes and a wig.’

‘But what about your beautiful eyes?’ Philippe persisted. ‘He could never imitate those!’

‘Sunglasses!’ Alice said triumphantly. ‘Let’s face it, every woman with long blond hair and sunglasses looks exactly the same. It’s the classic stereotype! Even men with sunglasses and long blond hair sometimes get whistled at in the street. All anyone ever sees is the hair and the glasses, not the face or the figure.’

‘Maybe you are right, but for now it does not matter anyway. What matters is that he has established a perfect alibi for himself and no one is going to believe he tried to kill you.’

‘You’re right,’ Alice sighed. ‘But you know, I still can’t believe he did it. What possible reason could he have?’

‘I can think of about five hundred million reasons,’ Philippe said menacingly.

‘You’re kidding. You think it’s my money he’s after?’

‘Certainly, what else? How long ago was it that you inherited your father’s company?’ he asked.

‘About four months,’ Alice answered slowly. ‘It was just before the school holidays.’

‘And how long do you think it would have taken him to plan the perfect murder?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Then I will tell you… about four months.’

Alice looked away, trying to come to terms with what he was saying. ‘But I’m always giving him money! If he wanted more that badly, why didn’t he just ask me for it?’

‘Because he wanted it all, not just some of it,’ Philippe said. Then shaking his head, he added, ‘He must have an incredible ego.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because only someone with a massive ego would put his wishes above the life of another person, and, he is supremely confident. Read the rest of it.’

Turning back to the paper, Alice read, ‘Monsieur Webley hurried back to Chamonix on Tuesday to help in the search for his wife, but found that due to bad weather conditions on the glacier, the search was about to be suspended. Determined to find her, Monsieur Webley put out a radio appeal for volunteers to form a search party and offered a reward of ten thousand Euros. Answering his call, hundred of men with dogs are now scouring the Mer de Glace in search of Madame Webley and the reward money. As darkness fell last night, no sign of the missing woman had been discovered.’

‘You’re right,’ Alice said angrily. ‘He’s so damn sure I’m on that glacier and so desperate to prove me dead so he can collect the money, he’s willing to do anything, including risking other people’s lives. But it’s going to backfire on him.’

‘In what way,’ Philippe asked.

‘Because he’s given me the perfect excuse to divorce him, and he won’t get a dime.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Philippe said quietly, sitting down opposite her. ‘Like I said before, no one is going to believe you survived being thrown out of a plane. When you do eventually go home, he will just look like a concerned husband who has been searching for his lost wife, not a murderer. You, on the other hand, could be made to look very bad.’

Alice was shocked and asked. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Imagine what a clever lawyer could do with the situation,’ he said. ‘While the loyal Sir Ross desperately searches the mountains for his lost wife, sparing no expense, offering a large reward, the unfaithful Lady Webley is shacked up in the south of France with another man.’

‘That’s outrageous!’ Alice snapped.

‘Maybe, but he could easily turn the whole thing around and divorce you for adultery. He could claim half of your company and maybe even get custody of Charles.’

‘But nothing has happened!’ Alice insisted.

‘We know that,’ Philippe said, ‘but who are they going to believe, a seemingly adulterous wife making wild accusations of attempted murder, or a dedicated, heroic husband?’

‘There must be some way of proving what he did to me,’ Alice said angrily. ‘We can’t just let him get away with it! If he ever got his hands on Sanderson’s it would be a disaster! It’s not so much the money I’m worried about, it’s the stability of the company and the job security of thousands of people, I have a responsibility to them. He would spend money like a drunken sailor and the company would be bankrupt within a year! And another thing, the only way he’d ever get Charles is over my dead body!’

‘Calm down,’ Philippe said. ‘We will find a way to stop him. We have a little time to think about it while they search the glacier. After all, they are not going to find you, are they? Let’s have our breakfast, do some shopping, then we can talk about it again later. I am sure we will be able to think of something.’

Alice sighed and put the paper down. ‘Okay,’ she said, ‘you’re the doctor.’

.

By coincidence, David Wiseman was reading a translated version of the same syndicated story in The Times while he ate his breakfast on the Calais-Dover ferry. To say he was both shocked and highly suspicious would have been an understatement. He put the paper down, took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to get his thoughts in order.

Ever since he’d left old lady Schutz in Weggis, his FBI-trained mind had been going over and over what she’d told him, trying to rationalize her very strong arguments. He could easily believe, having met Webley, that he was capable of murder. He’d met his type plenty of times before. And now, he thought, the second wife, who just happens to be worth five hundred million dollars, has mysteriously disappeared. That’s mighty convenient for Webley.

He put his glasses back on and re-read the story, hoping to pick up something he might have missed, but there was nothing. He knew for sure that Webley was on the boat on Sunday night, because that was where he’d met him. He was also sure Webley would have a watertight alibi for the whole of Monday. That meant there had to be someone else involved, someone who could bump his wife off and make it look like an accident. But one thing was certain, from what he’d learnt and seen of Webley, this was no accident.

He was still thinking it through when the announcement was made asking all foot passengers to make their way to the rear of the ferry for disembarkation.

The two men who had been following David had switched roles during the sailing. The man who had been driving the car now followed him onto the courtesy bus and into the terminal building, where he stood in line at the Avis car rental desk while David filled out a form. As soon as the tail had noted the registration number of the rental car, he hurried out of the door and joined his colleague in their car outside. David came out a few minutes later struggling with his luggage, and after looking around for a moment, headed across the road to the small lot where the rental cars were parked. He soon found the blue Rover, stowed his luggage, and gingerly pulled away from the ferry terminal in the unfamiliar right-hand-drive car, following the signs for London. His tails followed, still at a discreet distance.

.

Back up on the glacier, the search was going slowly. At first light, the teams had traveled up the mountain on a train laid on especially for them, and had reassembled at the Montenvers Hotel, overlooking the Mer de Glace. The dogs had been tied up outside in the driving snow whilst the men crowded into the hotel’s restaurant for a briefing. They had been told the plan was to walk to the base of the Charpoua Glacier where it joined the Mer de Glace, then to spread out along its width and to climb, searching as they went.

By mid morning, they had managed to cover the first hundred yards or so of the Charpoua Glacier, but in near whiteout conditions. The men moved slowly up the steep ice, one step at a time, gently probing the snow filled crevasses with long poles whilst the dogs sniffed and snuffled around them on the ends of their leads.

The search was being hampered here and there by the recent avalanches, which had deposited huge mounds of snow on the glacier. The men had to probe through each mound carefully, sinking long poles down through the snow until they hit the solid ice of the glacier. It was slow and dangerous work.

Someone from the radio station in Chamonix had tipped the rest of the media off about the search, and a growing band of journalists, including a camera team from one of the national television companies, had invaded the Montenvers railway terminus and hotel. There was an air of excitement and expectancy among the ghouls from the press as they crowded around Jacques Batard from the PGHM, who was coordinating the search by radio. Each one, it seemed, was determined to be the first to get photographs or live footage when the body was finally found and brought up off the glacier.

.

The shopping trip to Nîmes city center was going well. Alice had managed to get toiletries, plenty of underwear, two dresses, two shirts, a jacket, a pair of black jeans, a handbag, some open toed shoes and a pair of black boots. For a few hours, she’d allowed herself to forget her troubles and to enjoy shopping with a man, something she did very rarely.

She kept trying things on in the shops then coming out of the dressing rooms to get his reaction. Sometimes it was a nod of approval, and other times it was a shake of the head. She soon realized that he had an eye for fashion and knew what he liked. She suddenly realized she’d never had this kind of companionship before and couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed herself more

By lunchtime, they were both tired and hungry, so Philippe suggested a bistro he knew called Le Lisita, opposite the huge Roman amphitheater, right in the middle of the city. They sat in the afternoon sun at a table on the sidewalk, from where they could admire the magnificent architecture of the amphitheater. She allowed him to order for her, again, something she hadn’t done for years, and they enjoyed the bistro’s specialty, capon in a delicious white wine and cream sauce. After the meal, they had coffee and Alice sat back in her chair, quietly content.

‘This has been the nicest day I’ve spent in a long time,’ she said with a sigh.

‘For me also,’ Philippe said. ‘What a pity we will soon have to come down to earth and face reality.’

‘Can’t we leave that for now?’ she pleaded, ‘I’d like to pretend for a just little longer.’

‘And just what is it you are pretending?’ he asked softly.

Alice thought for a moment, then looking down at the table she said almost timidly, ‘That this is my real life, here, with you, and that everything that has happened over the last few days has just been a bad dream.’

Philippe reached over and ran his fingertips down her cheek saying slowly, ‘Maybe when the bad dream is over and everything is sorted out, this could be your real life… our real life.’

Alice sat with her head bowed for a few moments longer then looked up, smiling through her tears. ‘If only I was that lucky,’ she said.

They finished their coffee, and after Philippe had paid the bill, set off along Boulevard Victor Hugo to get some last bits and pieces of shopping, before returning to the car.

Later, on the way home, Philippe suggested they stop at the Carrefour hypermarket on the outskirts of the city for some groceries. He parked the BMW, collected a trolley, and they strolled happily through the entrance, chatting about what they would like for dinner. The supermarket was laid out so that the initial point of entry was the electrical section, with rows of television sets and stereo units on display. They had only been in the shop a few seconds when Alice stopped dead, put her hand to her mouth and staring at the bright row of live television sets groaned, ‘Oh my God!’

Philippe followed her line of vision and saw immediately what had caused her reaction. All the televisions were tuned to the same station and were all showing the image of a body, wrapped in a red blanked, strapped to an aluminum stretcher. Half a dozen men wearing climbing gear and helmets were manhandling the stretcher up a steep mountain path in what looked like a blinding snowstorm. The words Live from Chamonix were printed across the top of the screen, and although there was no sound coming from the televisions, they both knew exactly what they were looking at.

Philippe abandoned the trolley in the middle of the isle and ran to the nearest set. Kneeling down and fumbling with the controls, he managed to turn the volume up just in time to hear a commentator say, in a sad, melodramatic voice, ‘So here they come, those brave rescuers who have been scouring the Charpoua Glacier in appalling conditions since dawn this morning. They bring with them the body of a woman, believed to be Alice Webley, the American heiress who went missing while out walking on Monday.’

Philippe’s mouth dropped open and the color drained from his face. ‘They’ve found her,’ he said incredulously, staring at the screen. ‘They’ve found Louisa.’

Alice put her arm around his shoulder and hugged him tightly. ‘Come on,’ she said, ‘let’s get out of here.’

Philippe let her lead him to the exit like a zombie, but as soon as they were outside, he broke into a run for the car. He was inside with the engine running before Alice caught up and jumped in beside him. ‘I’ve got to get over there,’ he said as they sped out of the car park. ‘I’ve got to get to Chamonix and claim her body before they release it to your husband.’

‘Slow down a minute,’ Alice said firmly, ‘there’s no rush. I’ll just make a couple of phone calls, tell them it’s not me they’ve found, and once they realize there’s been a mistake they’ll hold on to her until you get there.’

Philippe hit the brakes and pulled the car into the side of the road. ‘No, I can not allow you to do that,’ he said resolutely. ‘It would ruin your reputation and your chances of a fair divorce. I will go to Chamonix and claim Louisa’s body without bringing you into it. Then we will decide together what to do to get you free of your husband.’

‘I don’t give a damn about my reputation,’ Alice started vehemently, ‘This is more important than…’

Philippe held his hand up cutting her off. ‘No, my mind is made up. I am going to drop you at the house where you will promise me not to make any telephone calls. Then I am going directly to Chamonix.’

Chapter 7

As the stretcher-bearers reached the top of the path in semi-darkness and driving snow, they were blinded by camera flashes and the arc lamps mounted on top of television cameras. Batard was waiting for his men on the observation terrace and had to fend off the jostling reporters who were all shouting questions and trying to shove dictaphones and furry microphones under the stretcher bearers’ noses.

The gang of rescue workers who had been bringing up the rear, helped him by surging forward and linking arms to form a safe corridor for the stretcher party who were making their way to the train. Batard saw the stretcher safely onto the train, had a few words with his men, then made his way back to the Montenvers Hotel, where Ross was waiting.

Louisa Dulac’s body had been found around noon under two feet of snow, roughly half way up the Charpoua Glacier, not far above the refuge hut where Philippe had nursed Alice. Louisa had been carried down onto the glacier during the night by an avalanche from her former resting place, high on the mountainside, where she had lain buried, undisturbed and frozen in the snow for three months.

A yellow Labrador named Miel had first detected her. He’d been working his way up the glacier in near blizzard conditions with his owner, Christian Lochet, a mountain guide from Chamonix, when he’d caught a faint scent of her under a freshly deposited mound of snow. He’d snuffled and pawed at the spot to indicate that there was something there until his master noticed and went over with his pole. Carefully probing the pile of snow, Lochet had soon found there was an area about the size of a human body where his pole would only go a little way in. He’d dropped to his knees and had dug the snow away by hand until he’d uncovered Louisa’s frozen corpse.

After that, he’d used his whistle to attract the attention of the other searchers, and together, they’d signaled for a stretcher to be brought up and had loaded her onto it, after first wrapping her in a red blanket.

Ross had heard the news on Jacques Batard’s radio along with everyone else who was crowded into the Montenvers Hotel. When the news came, there had been a mass exodus from the hotel and a stampede to the observation terrace, but they need not have rushed. It had taken the stretcher-bearers followed, by the rest of the search team, nearly three hours to bring Louisa up to the terminus.

Ross had been asked by Batard not to come to the observation terrace, and had been happy to comply with the Captain’s request. Instead, he’d gone to his comfortable room on the top floor of the hotel, from where he could see the action both through his window and on the television. As the stretcher came into view, he stood at the window and raised his brandy glass in a toast. ‘To you, my dear,’ he said aloud, before gulping down the neat liquor. After that, he turned the television off and sat down quietly to wait for Batard.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Ross called, ‘Come in.’

Jacques Batard opened the door and walked into the room with his hat in his hand and a somber look on his face. ‘Well Monsieur, that is that. My men are taking her down to the hospital now. I am very sorry.’

Ross was giving his best impression of a man devastated by bad news. ‘Did you see her?’ he asked quietly.

‘Yes Monsieur.’

‘How did she die?’ Ross asked earnestly. ‘She didn’t suffer at all, did she?’

‘From what I could see, Monsieur,’ Batard said gently, ‘she must have fallen. Her head and face are badly injured.’

Ross buried his face in his hands and wailed, ‘Oh my God.’

‘Please Monsieur, I do not think she would have suffered.’

‘But how could it have happened?’ Ross pleaded, ‘Why did it happen?’

‘All we can think is that Madame must have decided to follow the path up the glacier and that she slipped and fell.’

Ross considered this for a moment then said, ‘So you are saying it was just a simple accident, an act of God?’

‘Yes, Monsieur, sadly we have many such accidents in the mountains every year,’ Batard said, shaking his head.

Ross made a great display of sobbing into his hands for a while longer, then looked up again and asked, ‘What happens now?’

‘Madame’s body will be taken to the mortuary at the hospital in Chamonix.’

‘Will there be an autopsy?’ Ross asked.

‘No Monsieur, that will not be necessary. A doctor will carry out a brief examination, write a report, then sign the death certificate, that is all.’

‘Thank God for that,’ Ross sighed. ‘I wouldn’t want her mutilated any more than she has been already.’

‘I understand Monsieur. Do not worry, in cases like this where the cause of death is obvious and there is no suspicion of anyone else being involved, we do not request an autopsy.’

‘When will I be able to take her home?’ Ross asked. ‘I’d like to get her away from here as soon as possible.’

‘As soon as the doctor has made his report and you have signed all the necessary paperwork, she can be released to you. We will try to get it all done tonight so you can take her first thing in the morning,’ Batard said.

‘I would be very grateful,’ Ross said with a brave smile.

‘There is just one other thing, Monsieur.’

A spasm of fear went through Ross. ‘What’s that?’ he asked, outwardly calm.

‘You must make a formal identification of the body.’

Ross relaxed and said, ‘Of course, I was forgetting. When do you want me to do that?’

‘As soon as you can, Monsieur. The doctor can not complete the death certificate without it.’

‘I’ll just pack up my things here and go straight down to the hospital then,’ Ross said. ‘Better to get it over and done with.’

‘Quite right Monsieur. I actually need to be there myself when you make the identification, so why don’t you go back to the Jardin du Mont Blanc and I will pick you up from there in about two hours, say at six?’

‘Six would be fine,’ Ross said. ‘I’ll be waiting.’

Batard saluted and was halfway out of the door when he stopped and turned back saying, ‘Oh, I nearly forgot!’ He came back into the room looking rather embarrassed and shut the door. ‘I hate to mention money at a time like this, but what arrangements have you made for paying the reward?’

‘The reward?’ Ross asked blankly.

‘Yes Monsieur, the reward you offered for finding Madame.’

‘Oh yes, I’d forgotten all about that,’ Ross said. ‘I’ve lodged the money with the Credit Agricole des Savoie bank in Chamonix. If you give me the name of the chap who found her, I’ll phone an authorization through, then he can go along and pick it up.’

‘Thank you Monsieur, I will write his name down for you. When can I tell him to go to the bank?’

‘I’ll phone them straight away,’ Ross promised. ‘He can go any time.’

Batard wrote Christian Lochet’s name on a piece of paper torn from his notebook, then saluted again and was gone.

As soon as the door was closed, Ross stood up and locked it, then he got his cell phone out. First he called the bank and gave them Lochet’s name and the authority to release the money. He thought it better to get that settled before he forgot it, because he didn’t want any trouble from Batard. The next call he made was to Alex, who was by now back in London. He answered it on the first ring.

‘We’re in business,’ Ross said simply.

‘Yes, I know, I’ve just been watching it on BBC News twenty-four, they were showing it live. Where did they find her?’

‘Exactly where I thought she would be,’ Ross said triumphantly, ‘half way up the glacier.’

‘Weren’t they suspicious as to how she got that high up?’ Alex asked with concern.

‘Not a bit. They reckon she walked up there, then slipped and fell. What else could they think… that she flew?’ Ross laughed at his own joke.

‘Very funny,’ Alex said. ‘What’s the next step?’

‘I’ve got to identify the body and sign a few forms, then they’ll release her. You know what to do your end, don’t you?’

‘Yes, I’ve already got a medevac plane on standby at Biggin, ready to fly out to Geneva.’

‘Good, get back to them and tell them to be down here first thing in the morning. After you’ve done that, find an undertaker and get them to meet the plane at Biggin tomorrow around noon.’

‘Check.’

‘Then book me a seat with British Airways to New York on Saturday morning and tell Scott Carver, the C.E.O. of Sanderson’s, to call an emergency meeting of the board of directors at their head office at midday on Saturday.’

‘Okay, will do. What about the funeral?’ Alex asked.

‘I’ll organize that when I get back from the States. I’ll have to go up and see the vicar at Minster at Stone personally to arrange for the family vault to be opened so she can be buried there. There’s no rush, we’ve got all the time in the world to give her a good sentimental send-off once we’ve got her home. The important thing is getting that death certificate and getting her away from here before they look too closely at her injuries and start asking questions.’

‘You think they might get suspicious then?’

‘I doubt it, but I don’t want to take any chances. Tripping over and banging your head is a bit different from being dropped three thousand feet onto solid ice. I’m hoping they’re not going to look at her too closely.’

‘Let me know how you get on,’ Alex said. ‘When are you planning on coming back?’

‘As soon as I’ve got her loaded on the medevac plane in the morning, I’ll fly straight back to the farm and then drive up to town. I should be with you shortly after lunch.’

‘Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then… don’t forget to call me again later on, will you?’

‘I won’t. Speak to you later, bye.’

Once Ross had hung up, he quickly packed the few things he’d brought with him into his small overnight bag then made his way downstairs. He reached the ground floor and was about to walk into the lobby when he realized that it was packed with reporters, no doubt waiting to ambush him for his reaction to the discovery of his wife’s body. Having had to duck out the back way from many a casino in the past, Ross put his experience to good use and scooted down the hall and out through the kitchens. When he got to the railway terminus, there was a train about to leave with the last few rescue workers on board. He found a seat on his own and rode down the mountain to Chamonix, lost in the thought of half a billion dollars.

.

David Wiseman had been having a tough day driving on the English roads. The trip from Dover to Central London, where he had a room booked at the County Hall Premier Inn, next to the London Eye, was only seventy-six miles and should have taken him around two hours, but he’d got hopelessly lost. He’d started out all right and had found his way onto the M20 motorway without any problem, but then he took a wrong turn and ended up on the M25 London orbital motorway, or, as the locals called it, the biggest parking lot in Britain.

He’d crawled clockwise around the M25 for over three hours and had done one and a half circuits of London before the awful truth that he was going in circles had dawned on him. He’d then decided to abandon the motorway and had taken the next exit, which happened to be for Watford, in north London, and had started asking for directions. He’d been directed virtually street by street through Harrow, Wembley, Ealing, Chiswick, Kensington, Brompton, Westminster and eventually to his hotel in Southwark, where he’d just arrived, after nearly six hours on the road, completely exhausted.

During the drive up from Dover, he’d managed to totally confuse and bewilder the two men who were tailing him. They had been tearing their hair out with frustration as David had taken wrong turning after wrong turning, doubled back on himself, gone the wrong way up one way streets and even, at one stage, driven the wrong side of a keep-left sign. By the time they reached the hotel and saw him check in, they were both considering a change of career.

David had intended to drive out to Minster at Stone, which was near Hereford, that afternoon, but since he’d only just arrived at his hotel and it was starting to get dark, he decided to postpone the visit to his aunt’s final resting place until the following day. Instead, he grabbed an early dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, then fell asleep in front of the television set in his room.

.

Philippe’s journey had been going a lot better. He’d dropped Alice off at his house at around three-thirty and was now well on his way to Chamonix, where he expected to arrive by eight p.m. at the latest. Ever since he’d set off, he’d been thinking about Louisa. The shock of seeing her body being stretchered off the mountain had soon been replaced by a deep sorrow. He’d told himself over and over again during the past three months that she was dead, and he thought he’d come to terms with it, but now, actually knowing for sure, was like losing her all over again. The only balm he had was Alice. The way she had come into his life just three days ago, and everything that had happened since, seemed to him to be nothing short of a miracle.

Thinking forward now, he wasn’t sure how he was going to tackle the authorities when he got to Chamonix. It was going to be tricky insisting that the body they had recovered from the mountain was not Alice’s without being able to give any plausible explanation or proof. One thing he did know for certain though, was that he would keep his promise to Alice, no matter what.

Each time he thought of Alice he felt a warm glow, which calmed and strengthened him. He kept thinking of her back in Nîmes, waiting for him to come home, fantasizing about how she would rush to the door to welcome him, how she would hug and kiss him and say she’d missed him. He wanted her desperately and wished now that he’d let her come with him, just for company. He decided to give her a call, and punched the car-phone controls on his steering wheel. It rang five or six times until Alice finally answered it.

‘Hello?’ she said timidly.

Philippe’s heart leapt as her voice filled the car. ‘Hello Alice, it’s Philippe,’ he said into the hands-free microphone above his head.

‘Philippe, oh I’m so glad you called,’ Alice gushed, ‘I’ve been so worried about you.’

‘Worried about me… but why?’

‘You were so upset when you left here, I was just worried something might happen to you… you might have an accident or… I don’t know, I was just worried that’s all. I wanted to call you but I didn’t have your number.’

Philippe was touched, and said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just called because I wanted to hear your voice.’

‘That’s nice,’ Alice said softly. ‘I wish you had let me come with you.’

‘I wish that too, now. I’m sorry I acted the way I did earlier.’

‘That’s okay, I understand.‘

‘What are you doing with yourself?’ Philippe asked.

‘Nothing much, just sitting around.’

‘Why don’t you make yourself something to eat, you have got to build your strength back up you know. There are lots of things in the freezer.’

‘I might make something later,’ she said. ‘I don’t feel like it right now.’

‘Just make sure you don’t forget,’ he said. ‘Remember, it is my job to look after you, I don’t want to come home and find you have wasted away.’

Alice laughed. ‘I don’t think there’s much chance of that!’

There was a pause between them, then Alice asked, ‘Will you give me a call when you get there, just to let me know you’re safe?’

‘Of course I will, and if you look in the notebook that is in the drawer under the telephone, you will find my cell phone number in case you want to call me.’

‘Thank you,’ Alice said. ‘Speak to you later, take care.’

‘You too, au revoir.’ Philippe punched the disconnect button on his steering wheel.

Alice stood holding the telephone, staring off into space for a few seconds before placing it back on the cradle. Ever since he’d dropped her at the house with her shopping and sped away, she’d been feeling uneasy and worried, worried about Philippe, worried about young Charles and worried that her husband was about to have her declared dead and ruin her company. How, she wondered, would the headmaster at Eton tell her son that his mother had been found dead on a mountain? How would he feel? Her heart went out to him, but she knew she must play the game, Ross’s game, a little longer if she was going to save her company and the jobs of all those thousands of people who relied on her for their livelihood.

After she put the telephone down, she wandered outside and sat on the veranda for a while, but it wasn’t the same without Philippe. Getting up, she went back into the house and spotted her shopping bags on the kitchen table, just where she’d dumped them earlier on. She decided she’d better take them through to her bedroom and put her new things away, but before she could do that, she would have to move the clothes that Philippe had given her when she’d first arrived. She opened the drawers in her room and put Louisa’s clothes in a neat pile on her bed, then picked them up and went through into Philippe’s room.

It was the first time she’d been into his room, and its beauty and simplicity immediately struck her. The floor was polished wood, just like her floors at home, and there were brightly colored scatter rugs here and there. A small door led off to an en-suite bathroom, which was cool and pleasant with marble tiles on the floor and walls. The big double bed had a rustic antique pine frame, which matched the rest of the farmhouse style furniture in the room. On one of the bedside cabinets there was a silver-framed photograph of a tall, slim woman with long brown hair wearing climbing gear and leaning against a rock with a wonderful mountain view behind her.

Alice put the pile of clothes on the bed then picked the photograph up and studied it. This must be Louisa, she thought. As she looked at the other woman’s dark, handsome features, she suddenly felt an enormous pang of pity for Philippe. How long had he spent out there on the mountain looking for her? How must he have felt, week after week, trekking through the snow, searching, hoping to find just some sign of her? And how must he feel now to have her taken away by someone else, someone like Ross? The thought of Ross made her feel vicious. I hate that bastard, she thought vehemently, I hate him for what he did to me, for what he’s doing to poor Philippe and for how Charles must be feeling right now. I’m going to get even with him if it’s the last thing I do!

.

The subject of Alice’s intentions was at that moment enjoying a drink in the bar of the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, waiting for Jacques Batard to turn up. Ross had been feeling particularly pleased with himself ever since his earlier conversation with Batard when he’d realized he was going to get away with it. He’d gone straight to the bar as soon as he’d arrived back at the hotel and had been drinking steadily ever since. The hotel staff had looked on with sympathy as he’d downed the best part of a bottle of brandy. ‘Poor Monsieur,’ they had said to each other, ‘drowning his sorrows. Such a beautiful woman, such a waste.’

But Ross was far from sorrowful. This was his own personal, private celebration, a celebration of five hundred million dollars that were coming his way. He’d drunk to his new Learjet, to his new yacht, to his new villa in Monaco, to having as much cash as he wanted, to unlimited credit at any gambling house in the world. By the time six o’clock came and Batard walked into the bar, Ross was, by his own admission, a bit squiffy. But surely that was understandable for a chap in his position, wasn’t it?

Batard seemed to think so, and took it in his stride when Ross hailed him. ‘Ah, there you are my friend, come and have a drink.’

‘No thank you Monsieur, I have a lot of work to do tonight before I get off duty. Are you ready to go to the hospital?’

‘Suppose we better get it over with,’ Ross said, climbing unsteadily to his feet.

Batard had a car parked outside, and opened the front passenger door for Ross. Going around to his own side, he jumped in and they were soon heading across town to the hospital.

The mortuary was located in the hospital basement and the two men rode the lift down in silence. When the lift opened, Batard let the way through a pair of swing doors into the morgue, where they were instantly enveloped by the sickly, penetrating smell of formaldehyde. In the middle of the room, there were two stainless steel autopsy tables on wheeled bases, both of them empty. Harsh overhead fluorescent lights reflected back from the scrubbed floor and white-tiled walls into Ross’s bleary eyes, making him squint.

A morgue attendant led the way to a wall of refrigerated body vaults, and, pulling back a heavy metal clamp, swung one of the doors open and slid a body pan draped with green sheeting half way out. The brilliant light in the room accentuated the contours of the body under the sheet and for the first time in this whole affair, Ross felt a twinge of nervousness run up his spine. The morgue attendant stood back to let Batard and Ross stand one either side of the tray.

As Batard lifted the sheet and folded it neatly back, just below the shoulders of the naked corpse, Ross caught his breath and stared down with horror on the bloated, blue lipped, half-crushed face, surrounded by light brown hair. Of all the things he’d been expecting to see, the body of a complete stranger was not one of them. Suddenly, his throat filled with bile and his legs gave way. He staggered backwards into the arms of the morgue attendant who guided him over to a steel chair and sat him down, forcing his head down between his knees. He spat the mouthful of bile out onto the floor.

Batard flipped the sheet back over Louisa and rushed around to Ross. ‘Are you all right Monsieur?’ he asked with concern.

Ross didn’t move for a while. After he’d recovered from the initial shock, his mind started working at full pelt. Who the hell was that on the tray? Could he get away with identifying her as Alice? He thought it was worth a try: after all, if anything happened, he could always say he’d made a mistake. He slowly lifted his head and looked up at Batard. ‘I’m all right thank you,’ he said. ‘It was just the shock of seeing her like that… she was so beautiful when she was alive… and now…’

‘I understand,’ Batard said sympathetically. ‘It must have been a terrible shock. If you will just sign the official identification document, we can get out of here and I will take you back to your hotel.’

Ross took the clipboard Batard offered him and signed the form confirming that he, as her next of kin, officially identified this body as Alice Webley. The deed was done. Now he’d have to make sure no one found out.

As soon as Batard dropped him outside the hotel, Ross rushed up to his room, locked the door, poured himself a drink from the mini-bar then sat on the edge of the bed and dialed Alex’s number on his cell phone.

The moment Alex answered he said, ‘We may have a problem.’

‘What? What’s gone wrong?’ Alex asked desperately.

‘It wasn’t her.’

‘What do you mean, it wasn’t her? Who wasn’t who?’

‘The body in the morgue, the one they brought down off the mountain, it wasn’t Alice.’

‘Have you been drinking?’ Alex asked.

‘Yes, but not enough to make me see things that aren’t there. I promise you, that was not Alice they found today.’

Alex paused for a moment to take it in, then asked, ‘What did you say when they showed her to you?’

‘Nothing. I felt a bit queasy and had to sit down. They took that as confirmation of her identity, asked me to sign a form, and that was it.’

‘So you identified her as Alice?’ Alex asked incredulously.

‘That’s right, and we’ll be fine provided the rightful owner doesn’t turn up.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘What I mean is that the sooner we get rid of this body, the safer we’ll be. I don’t want someone turning up claiming I’ve got his wife or daughter in my family vault. If they exhume the body and can prove it’s not Alice by DNA testing, that will invalidate her death certificate and cause all sorts of legal problems with ownership of the corporation.’

‘What are we going to do then?’ Alex asked.

‘Get her cremated as soon as possible. I don’t want to go off to the States on Saturday to take over control of Sanderson’s with the wrong woman lying at the undertakers. Until she goes up in smoke, we’re vulnerable.’

‘But what happens if Alice’s body turns up later on?’ Alex wailed. ‘What will we do then?’

‘I’ve already thought of that. I simply say I was distraught and had had a few to drink when I went to the hospital. I made a mistake and I’m very sorry. We then get a new death certificate for the real Alice, and that’s that,’ Ross said triumphantly.

‘So you want me to arrange to have her cremated on Friday?’ Alex asked flatly.

‘That’s right. I know it will be difficult, but phone around, see who can take her at short notice. There are plenty of crematoriums around London. Once you’ve got it fixed up, let the Head at Eton know so he can arrange a pass for young Charles to attend the funeral.’

‘Aren’t people going to think it a bit strange that you find your wife on Wednesday, fly her home on Thursday and cremate her on Friday? A man in your position would be expected to send out invitations, arrange a…’

‘I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks or expects,’ Ross snapped. ‘There’s too much money involved to take any chances. I want to get things rolling at Sanderson’s on Saturday, and I want that body out of the way first.’

‘All right,’ Alex sighed, ‘I’ll do the best that I can. See you tomorrow.’

Ross switched off his phone, swung his legs up onto the bed, and laid there with his hands behind his head, contemplating his own brilliance.

.

Philippe rolled into town about half an hour later, just before eight o’clock, and went straight to the headquarters of the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne. He asked to see the duty officer and was shown into Jacques Batard’s office. Batard was still hard at work typing his report on the Webley case into his computer terminal. He knew Philippe, as most of the Platoon did, because of his frequent visits to the PGHM headquarters demanding renewed searches for his wife. In fact, Philippe was regarded as something of a pain in the backside by the Platoon.

Batard greeted him courteously and shook his hand. ‘Now, Monsieur Dulac, what can I do for you.’

‘I’ve come about the woman you found on the Charpoua Glacier today,’ Philippe said eagerly.

‘What about her?’ Batard asked.

‘I think it was my wife, Louisa.’

‘No Monsieur, it was not your wife. The woman we found today was the wife of Monsieur Webley, an American woman who went missing on Monday.’

‘How do you know?’ Philippe asked belligerently.

‘Because she has been identified by her husband,’ Batard said, as if explaining something to a particularly dense child.

‘How do you know he wasn’t lying?’ Philippe asked.

Batard looked at him with disbelief. ‘Look Monsieur, I was there when he made the identification. The man nearly fainted. He was so badly shocked that he puked. I’ve been to lots of these identifications and I can tell you, that was his wife he saw, no doubt about it.’

Philippe though for a few moments then asked, ‘Would it be possible for me to see the body?’

‘No Monsieur, it would not,’ Batard said firmly. ‘The cause of death has been established by the doctor, the body has been identified, the death certificate has been issued and now the case is closed.’

Philippe changed his tack and said reasonably, ‘Look, her husband really might have made an honest mistake. What about if I give you a photograph of my wife and a fuller description of what she was wearing, right down to the make of her boots and the color and size of her underwear, would you at least double check?’

Batard sighed, ‘I really do not have time for this Monsieur, I’m sorry about your wife, I know how you feel, but the woman we found today was not her. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work to do before I can go home. Goodnight.’

‘But surely it wouldn’t hurt to just call the hospital and…’

Batard cut him off firmly, ‘I said goodnight Monsieur. Now, are you going to leave, or do I have to call my sergeant?’

Philippe sighed then got to his feet. ‘Tell me just one thing before I go,’ he said wearily. ‘Who found her?’

‘I don’t suppose it will do any harm to tell you since it is common knowledge anyway,’ Batard said, ‘Christian Lochet.’

‘Where could I find him?’ Philippe asked.

‘Probably in one of the bars drinking his reward money,’ Batard replied, ‘but he won’t be able to tell you anything new.’

‘We’ll see,’ Philippe said, walking out of the office without saying goodbye.

Batard watched him go, then shook his head. ‘Poor bastard,’ he said to himself, ‘I hope he finds her one day, or he’s going to end up going crazy.’

Back outside, the rain that had been falling persistently for two days had finally stopped, but the thick, low cloud still hung in the valley ready to provide another soaking. Philippe drove down into the center of town and parked in the pay-and-display near the community center. He gave Alice a quick call to let her know how he’d got on with Batard, then set off to comb the bars of Chamonix for Monsieur Christian Lochet. Every bar in town was buzzing with the story of the rescue, and it didn’t take him long to find out that Lochet had come down off the mountain, gone straight to the bank to claim his reward, then set out on a bender.

Philippe tracked him down fairly quickly to a crowded bar in a back street off the Rue des Moulins, a favorite haunt for the mountain guides. The bar was typical of those all over France, with a wooden counter along one wall, small round tables dotted here and there and loud music blaring from a jukebox. Philippe walked in, elbowed his way to the counter, and attracted the attention of the barman with a wave. Shouting to be heard over the music, Philippe asked, ‘Christian Lochet, is he in here?’

The barman indicated to the rear corner of the bar with a jerk of his head.

‘I’ll have two beers,’ Philippe said, sliding a ten Euro note onto the bar.

The barman grunted and pulled two half-litre pots. Philippe took his change, picked up the glass tankards then headed towards the back of the bar where a man was sprawled asleep across a table. Philippe shook him by the shoulder until he raised his head, looking up with bleary, unfocused eyes.

‘Are you Lochet?’ Philippe asked.

‘I was,’ the man slurred, ‘but I’m not sure now.’

‘I’ve bought you a drink,’ Philippe said, putting the pot of beer down in front of him and taking the seat opposite.

Lochet was a small, deeply tanned, wiry man of about thirty, typical of the tough Chamonix mountain guide breed. He grabbed the tankard and drank deeply from it before banging it back down on the table. ‘That’s very kind of you,’ he said, wiping the froth from his top lip with the back of his hand.

‘I hear it was you who found the body today,’ Philippe said conversationally.

‘No,’ Lochet said with his eyes half closed. ‘It was Miel.’

‘But I was told…’ Philippe started but was cut off.

‘The best mountain dog in the whole of France,’ Lochet said, bending down and reaching under the table.

Philippe looked under the table and saw a big yellow Labrador asleep with his head between his paws, lying across his master’s feet. Lochet was gently fondling his ears.

‘This dog,’ Lochet said proudly, sitting up again, ‘earned me ten thousand Euros today. You tell me Monsieur, have you ever heard of a dog like that before… eh?’

Philippe had to admit that he hadn’t. ‘He is a very fine dog,’ Philippe said. ‘Tell me, where did he find the body?’

Lochet recognized in Philippe someone who hadn’t heard his story, so launched into it with relish. ‘We were at about three thousand meters altitude, above the Charpoua hut on the glacier when Miel started to dig like this.’ He gave an impression of a dog digging by scratching on the table with his fingers. ‘There had been an avalanche and he was digging in the snow that had come down from higher up. Well, I got my pole and soon found there was something under there, so I dug with my hands and voilà, there she was.’

‘What was she wearing?’ Philippe asked.

Lochet frowned then said slowly, ‘A white short sleeved shirt, tight turquoise leggings that came just below her knees and small, lightweight turquoise climbing boots. We wrapped her up in a blanket as soon as we found her.’

Philippe closed his eyes as he remembered Louisa wearing exactly those things the last time he’d seen her. After a moment he asked, ‘And what color hair did she have?’

‘Brown, light brown, just like in the photograph we were given,’ Lochet replied.

‘What about her face?’ Philippe asked. ‘Did her face look like the woman in the photograph?’

Lochet’s eyes were rolling around but he eventually managed to focus and looked directly at Philippe. ‘Look Monsieur, if you really want to know, half her face was smashed in. She could have been my own mother and I wouldn’t have recognized her.’

Philippe felt a wave of nausea pass over him and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Lochet was asleep on the table with his head resting on his arms. Philippe looked down at him and started to think. Batard knew that Alice had been described as wearing shorts and walking boots, so he obviously hadn’t seen the lower half of the body when it was brought off the mountain. After that, it had been stripped and cleaned up at the hospital, therefore he probably hadn’t seen the leggings and climbing boots at all! That must be it! If he could just get Lochet to describe exactly what she’d been wearing to Batard, then surely Batard must question the identification. It was his only chance.

Philippe decided he needed to get Lochet sobered up, so he reached down under the table, stroked the dog, then swiveled his collar around until he could read the address off the identity tag. Once he had it memorized, he shook Lochet awake, dragged him to his feet, and supporting him under one arm said, ‘Come on, I’m taking you home.’

Chapter 8

By eight o’clock on Thursday morning, Ross had checked out of the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, taking his own luggage with him, but leaving instructions with the manager to have Madame’s things packed and held until they were sent for. He couldn’t be bothered to struggle with the extra luggage as he had a busy day ahead of him.

By eight-fifteen, he was at the hospital arranging the release and transportation of his ‘dear wife’s’ body. The hospital administrator was very sympathetic and obliging, and in no time, his staff had her packed into a sealed body bag, placed on a stretcher and loaded into a private Blue Cross ambulance ready for the trip to Geneva airport. Ross signed the release papers, collected the death certificate and settled the hospital bill before leaving with her personal effects in a black plastic bag.

By nine, the ambulance, which was in fact a converted estate car with the rear windows blacked out and a blue light on the roof, pulled out of the hospital’s basement car park. Ross was waiting at the top of the ramp in his hire car and they set off in convoy down the Autoroute Blanche in the pouring rain towards Geneva airport. He reckoned they would be airborne by eleven at the latest.

.

Philippe slept soundly on Christian Lochet’s sofa until being woken up just after nine by Miel the Labrador, who obviously decided that he needed a wash, so was licking his face. At first, Philippe didn’t know where he was or what was happening, but then, looking around, he remembered. He pushed the dog away and sat up, rubbing the slobber off his face.

The previous evening had been a nightmare. He’d managed to get Lochet out of the bar without much trouble, but as soon as the fresh air had hit him, he’d passed out and Philippe had ended up having to carry him back to his apartment over his shoulder. As soon as they had got through the front door though, Lochet had miraculously come to, and had insisted on playing the genial host, plying Philippe with cheap red wine, refusing to take no for an answer. He’d finally passed out again at around midnight and Philippe had managed to get him onto his bed before collapsing exhausted onto the sofa.

Now there were deep, rasping snores coming from the direction of Lochet’s bedroom. Philippe looked into the room and found him just as he’d left him, fully clothed, lying on his back, arms and legs spread out as though he’d just fallen through the ceiling. Shaking his head, Philippe went through to the kitchen, made two cup of strong coffee, then went back to wake his host up.

‘Lochet… LOCHET,’ Philippe shouted, kicking the leg of the bed. ‘Come on, it’s time to get up.’

Lochet stirred and brought a hand up to rub his face. After a moment, he opened one eye, stared at Philippe and asked, ‘Who the hell are you?’

‘Philippe Dulac, don’t you remember? We met last night at the bar.’

‘No I don’t remember,’ he said irritably. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘You passed out, I brought you home,’ Philippe explained.

‘Then you decided to stay the night, eh?’

‘I need to talk to you.’

Lochet swung his legs off the bed and sat up. ‘Is that coffee you’ve got there?’ he asked.

Philippe handed him a cup, then shifting some clothes to one side, sat down on an old horsehair armchair, which Lochet obviously used as a wardrobe. ‘Don’t you remember anything we spoke about last night?’ Philippe asked.

‘No, can’t say I do,’ Lochet said, rubbing the stubble on his chin then sipping his coffee. ‘What’s this all about?’

‘To cut a long story short, I believe the woman you found up on the glacier yesterday was my wife, who went missing in the summer, not the American woman who was lost on Monday. I want you to come to the Platoon headquarters and help me prove it.’

‘You’re crazy,’ Lochet said disparagingly, ‘It was the American woman.’

‘How can you be so certain?’ Philippe challenged.

‘Because I’ve got ten thousand Euros in my bank account that say it was the American woman,’ Lochet said aggressively, ‘and I’m not about to do or say anything to change that.’

‘But surely you must have been suspicious when you found her. You were all told she was wearing shorts and heavy walking boots, yet the woman you found was wearing leggings and lightweight climbing boots.’

‘Who told you that?’ Lochet asked aggressively.

‘You did… last night.’

‘I was drunk last night,’ Lochet said defensively, ’I didn’t know what I was saying.’

‘You’re not drunk now, and it’s your duty to come with me to clear this up,’ Philippe insisted.

‘Nothing doing,’ Lochet snapped. ‘I did my duty up on that mountain yesterday and the day before. I found the missing woman and I got the reward. That’s the end of it.’

‘That’s not the end of it though,’ Philippe said. ‘Don’t you see? They’ve got my wife down there in the hospital and they’re going to let that stinking Englishman take her away from me.’

Lochet softened a little and said, ‘Look, I’m sorry about your wife, but you must understand my position. ten thousand Euros is more money than I’ve ever had in my life. I can’t risk losing it.’

Philippe thought for a moment then had an idea. ‘What if I guaranteed the money for you?’ he asked. ‘Would you come with me if I promised to give you ten thousand myself if it does turn out to be my wife and not the American woman?’

‘Twenty thousand,’ Lochet said flatly.

‘What?’

‘I’ll come with you if you guarantee me twenty thousand.’

‘Done!’ Philippe said, jumping up and shaking his hand. ‘Come on, let’s go.’

‘What… now?’ Lochet protested.

‘Yes now… come on.’ Philippe virtually dragged him out of the apartment and across town to the Platoon headquarters. After a brief difference of opinion with the sergeant, they were shown into Batard’s office.

Batard looked up from what he was doing at the two men, both unshaven and disheveled, then closed his eyes and shook his head. After a few moments he addressed Philippe in a weary voice asking, ‘What is it now Monsieur Dulac?’

‘There is something about the woman they found yesterday that you should know,’ Philippe said eagerly. ‘I have brought Monsieur Lochet along to tell you about it.’

Batard stood up. ‘Now look, I told you last night that the case was closed. You are wasting your time…’

‘But if you’ll just listen…’ Philippe cut in, but he was immediately cut off again.

‘No, you listen,’ Batard said, pointing his finger and raising his voice. ‘The woman’s body was positively identified by her husband. I was there and I was satisfied with his identification. This morning the body was released, and by now, it will be out of the country. Watch my lips and try to understand what I am saying to you. The…case…is…closed!’

Philippe stood in shocked silence for a moment, not quite able to believe what he’d heard. ‘She’s gone?’ he asked eventually in a weak voice.

‘Yes Monsieur,’ Batard said, a little more gently. ‘I’m sorry you’ve been upset, but she’s gone, and that’s the end of it. The case is closed.’

Philippe turned and wandered absently out of Batard’s office then out of the Platoon headquarters, followed by Lochet.

‘Look, I’m sorry I couldn’t help,’ Lochet said, putting his hand on Philippe’s shoulder. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes… I’m okay,’ Philippe said wearily.

‘What are you going to do now?’ Lochet asked.

‘Go home I suppose,’ Philippe said, flipping the collar of his jacket up against the cold wind and setting off down the hill towards the town center.

‘Take it easy,’ Lochet called after him.

When Philippe got back to his car, he shrugged his coat off, started the engine, then called Alice. When she answered, he said simply, ‘Alice, I have failed.’

‘Oh Philippe, I’m so sorry,’ she said with real compassion. ‘What happened?’

‘They wouldn’t listen to me,’ he said wearily. ‘They let him take her back to England this morning.’

‘Come home,’ Alice said. ‘Come home to me. We’ll find a way to get her back.’

Philippe smiled. ‘I am on my way.’

‘I’ll be waiting, take care.’

Philippe hung up, slipped the car into gear, then set off for home as the rain started again, beating a tattoo on the roof. He thought about the drive ahead of him and knew, the closer he got to Alice and home, the warmer it would become.

.

About the same time in England, the weather was bright and fine as David Wiseman sat on the train heading for Hertfordshire. Following his driving debacle of the previous day, the first thing he’d done after breakfast was to call Avis and have them collect the car from his hotel. He’d decided to give up trying to drive on the crowded, badly signposted roads of England and to stick to trains and taxis for the rest of his visit. He’d almost regretted that decision when he arrived at Kings Cross railway station and tried to figure out where he had to go to catch the train for Leeds. The man in the ticket office assured him that the Leeds train passed through the village of Minster at Stone, which was where he wanted to go, but didn’t tell him how to find the Leeds train. After asking a number of surly railway employees, he was finally directed to the right platform and was now on his way.

David always read the New York Times at home and had taken to reading the London Times since he’d been in England. He’d picked up a copy in the station, and as the train passed out of the grimy suburbs of north London and into the countryside, he unfolded the paper and scanned the front page. A headline on the bottom right hand section immediately caught his attention. LADY WEBLEY FOUND DEAD ON GLACIER. Folding the paper in half, he read on. The body of Alice Webley, wife of Sir Ross Webley, was found yesterday afternoon on the Charpoua Glacier in the French Alps. Lady Webley had been reported missing late on Monday after she failed to return from a day’s walking in the mountains. Alice Webley, whose maiden name was Sanderson, had recently inherited the three-hundred-million-dollar Sanderson Corporation from her father, who died earlier in the year. Sir Ross is now expected to take over responsibility for the company.

David put the paper down slowly and stared sightlessly out of the window. It’s all working out pretty well for Webley, he thought. His wife’s father dies leaving her a fortune, then, a few months later, she dies in what looks like an accident and Webley inherits the whole works. He was getting the same feeling that he’d had on the ferry when he first read the report about Lady Webley going missing. He just knew there was more to it than a simple accident, there had to be. As far as he was concerned, the whole thing stank to high heaven.

He sat staring out at the countryside, his mind a torrent of speculation, as the train rolled north at a leisurely pace through Cuffley, Bayford, and numerous other small villages before eventually starting to slow for Minster at Stone. As they approached the village, David saw the imposing presence of the minster or church, for which it was named, standing proudly on the banks of the River Rib beside a ruined abbey, dominating the village and surrounding lowlands. The train came to a halt at the deserted station where David stepped off and headed for the exit. He’d just walked through into the empty ticket hall when his two tails jumped from the slowly accelerating train and ducked into the waiting room. Finding no one to hand his ticket to, David left the station and headed towards the center of the village on foot along a pleasant leafy lane, which curved gently away from the railway and joined what turned out to be the High Street.

There were very few people about, and in the warm September sunshine, the village had a peaceful, sleepy air that he liked. It was another one of those places where he instinctively felt safe and well, a bit like Weggis, but nothing like as pretty. He walked on down the High Street past a small newsagent’s, a butcher’s shop, a general store and a public house called The King’s Head, before finally coming, at the far end, to the old wooden gates of the church. There was a wooden canopy built over the gates, which sheltered a notice board giving the times for services during the week and a small cubbyhole containing free leaflets about the church. There was also a sign inviting visitors to call at the vicarage with any queries relating to the church or the services.

David took a leaflet then pushed his way through the gates, looking up in awe at the magnificent double transepts, which had obviously been conceived on the scale of a cathedral. Referring to the leaflet, he discovered that following a fire in 1188 and the collapse of the central tower in 1213, the church had been rebuilt, starting around 1220, in the Romanesque style. He looked around him, shaking his head in wonder. It blew his mind to think that this place had been standing for over two hundred years before Columbus had discovered America.

From what he could see, the entire church was surrounded by a large graveyard. Some of the stones were old and weathered, some were bright and new. There were all kinds of memorials to the dead, from tiny flower urns to huge Victorian edifices featuring angels elaborately carved in white marble. He followed a gravel path, which meandered among the graves, and started looking for the Webley family vault. After half an hour he’d managed to cover just a fraction of the cemetery, so decided that maybe the best course of action would be to seek help from the vicar. He retraced his steps to the entrance then following the directions given on the sign by the gate, crossed the road to the vicarage.

His ring on the doorbell was answered by a stout woman in her mid fifties, dressed in tweeds with a flowery apron tied around her midriff. ‘Could you tell me, is the vicar available please?’ David asked politely.

‘Certainly, certainly,‘ the woman said in a deep resonant voice, throwing the door open wide. ‘Do come in, my husband is writing his sermon at the moment, I’ll show you through to his study.’ She set off into the house, then looked back over her shoulder and said, ‘I must apologize for answering the door my apron, but I’m in the middle of arranging some flowers for the church.’ David smiled and followed her into the house, closing the door behind him. They went down a dark passageway towards the rear of the house, then the woman stopped abruptly, knocked on a door and entered. The vicar, a thin, white haired man of about sixty, was seated behind a huge oak desk in the middle of the paneled room, surrounded by open books, writing on a pad.

‘Gentleman to see you, Peter,’ she said, showing David in then closing the door behind him.

The vicar stood up, smiled and held out his hand. ‘Delighted to meet you, er, Mr…?’

‘Wiseman, David Wiseman.’ They shook hands.

‘Ah, a cousin from across the water, splendid, splendid,’ the vicar said jovially. ‘Sit down Mr. Wiseman. Now, what can I do for you?’

David sat, then cleared his throat. ‘I believe my aunt was buried in your churchyard about twenty-five years ago. I was wondering if you would be able to help me find her grave?’

‘Certainly, certainly,’ the vicar said, reaching over to retrieve a large ledger from the side of his desk. Opening the volume, he looked up and asked, ‘What was the dear lady’s name?’

‘Freda Webley, Lady Freda Webley.’

The vicar’s jovial air disappeared, to be replaced by a look of sadness as he slowly closed the ledger and folded his hands over it. ‘I don’t need the church records to help me find her,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘A sad case, terribly sad. She’d only been married a matter of weeks you know, and she was so happy and full of life.’

‘You knew her?’ David asked with surprise.

‘Yes, yes. I hadn’t been here long when Sir Ross arrived back from Europe with your aunt. He invited me up to Webley Manor to discuss the question of their betrothal in the church. I’m afraid he became rather angry when I pointed out that it was impossible for him to marry a lady of a different faith in an Anglican church. She was a Jew, you know, got out of Germany just before the war.’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘Of course, of course. Anyway, I told them that if the lady cared to convert to Sir Ross’s faith, then I’d be more than happy to act as her mentor and guide her through the procedure, but it seems they were in a hurry, or at least Sir Ross was.’

‘How do you mean?’ David asked.

‘She seemed quite keen on the idea of conversion and said she would come and see me the following day to discuss it further, but she didn’t keep her appointment and the next thing I heard, they had gone down to London and been married in a registry office.’

‘Did you see her again after that?’

‘No, they had only been back a few days before she fell ill, then it was only a matter of weeks before Sir Ross came to see me with the dreadful news that she had passed away. It seemed that one moment we were discussing their wedding, and the next we were discussing her funeral. It was dreadful, perfectly dreadful, and now, judging by the Times this morning, I shall be receiving another visit from him.’

‘Why do you think he’ll come to you?’ David asked with surprise.

‘To discuss the family vault, of course. I expect he will want to lay his good lady to rest there.’

‘Even though he isn’t lord of the manor any more and doesn’t even live near here?’

‘Yes, absolutely. Sticklers for tradition these old families, you know. The Webleys have been buried at the Minster for over three hundred years, I can’t see Sir Ross breaking that tradition now.’

‘Speaking of which, would it be possible to see the Webley vault?’

‘Of course, of course,’ the vicar said, getting up from behind his desk. ‘That’s what you came for after all, wasn’t it? Let’s go over there now.’

With the vicar leading the way, they went out of the house and across the road to the churchyard. Once through the gates, they headed around to the south side of the church, where the more elaborate memorials stood on a sunny patch of grass that led to the ruined cloister arcade of the old abbey.

‘Wow!’ David exclaimed. ‘What did that place used to be?’

‘That was Stone Abbey,’ the vicar explained. ‘It was founded by King Henry II in 1163 as a priory for the Augustinian monks who were largely responsible for rebuilding the church. It fell into disuse after the Dissolution in 1539. Not much of it survives now, except the cloister arches and the remnants of one or two processional doorways.’ David shook his head with wonder.

They followed a winding path between the memorials until the vicar stopped in front of what looked like a stone shed with a shallow pitched roof. It was made entirely from discolored white marble and had Grecian style corner columns and the Webley family crest elaborately carved on the solid door, which was protected by a heavy, rusted iron gate, securely padlocked across its face. The entire edifice looked scruffy and unkempt with moss growing in clumps on the roof and a thick tangle of ivy around the entrance. ‘Here we are,’ the vicar said, ‘the Webley family vault.’

David stared in disbelief. ‘It’s kind of small, isn’t it? I was expecting something much bigger.’

‘This is only the entrance you understand,’ the vicar explained. ‘The vault itself is underground and is quite large. It was originally built in 1686, just after King James II awarded a title, the village, the manor house and all the surrounding lands to an ancestor of Sir Ross’s for his support in crushing the revolt of the Duke of Monmouth.’

‘You mean the king just gave the Webley family this whole area for helping him out?’ David asked incredulously.

‘That’s the way it used to happen in those days,’ the vicar explained. ‘Most of the wealthy families in this country received their lands and titles through services to the monarchy.’

‘And my aunt is down there in the vault?’ David asked.

‘Yes, along with Sir Ross’s parents and countless other ancestors. They were interred within a few years of each other you know, the parents and then your aunt… sad times, sad times,’ the vicar said, shaking his head. ‘The vault hasn’t been opened since then, thankfully.’

‘So it’s not possible to go down there,’ David said with disappointment.

‘Oh no,’ the vicar said with some distaste. ‘The vault is only opened on the death of a Webley in order to inter the body.’

‘I see,’ David said, then looking at the structure again, he asked, ‘it looks kind of abandoned, doesn’t anyone ever come and visit it at all?’

‘Sadly not. Since Sir Ross sold the Manor and moved away, he hasn’t been here once to my knowledge. I keep track of him by reading the papers, but I haven’t seen him in person for the best part of twenty years.’

‘That’s disgraceful,’ David said with disgust. ‘Would you mind if I tidied it up a little while I’m here? I hate to see my aunt’s final resting-place in such a mess.’

‘Not at all, you carry on, but you will have to excuse me, I must get back to my sermon.’

‘That’s fine, thank you for all your help and the interesting information. You have a fine place here.’

‘We are rather proud of it,’ the vicar said, ‘even though pride is a sin.’

‘That reminds me,’ David said, ‘there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. Do you happen to know the name of the doctor who attended my aunt when she was sick?’

‘The Webleys always had Doctor Mason from the village, didn’t trust anyone else.’

‘Does he still live here in the village?’ David asked.

‘Certainly, but he doesn’t practice any more, except for one or two special patients. He must be over seventy by now. He still lives in his old surgery in the High Street, three doors up from the pub. You can’t miss it.’

‘Thank you again for all your help, and I’m sorry I interrupted the work on your sermon.’

‘Don’t apologize, dear boy,’ the vicar chuckled. ‘I’m sure my parishioners will secretly thank you if it ends up five minutes shorter. Well, must be off, it was nice to meet you.’

David watched as the vicar ambled off down the path chuckling to himself, then took out the Swiss Army Knife which he’d bought earlier in the week, stripped off his jacket, and set about the ivy and moss which was threatening to engulf his aunt’s vault.

.

Half an hour later, under the bewildered gaze of the two men watching discreetly from the other side of the graveyard, he had the vault looking much better. He’d cut away all the ivy to reveal the Webley family crest and motto, and had scraped most of the moss from the marble, leaving it all in a neat pile beside the path for the resident gardener to dispose of. Satisfied with his work and feeling that he’d paid just homage to his aunt, he sat cross-legged on the grass in the shade of a nearby oak tree contemplating all he’d learnt from the vicar. The fact that Webley had not been to visit the grave in over twenty years didn’t surprise him at all. In fact, it reinforced his opinion of the man. And the way Webley had seemed to rush Aunt Freda into marriage just before she got sick was suspicious also. He wondered what, if anything he would learn from the doctor about that.

With that in mind, he got to his feet, put his jacket on, took one last look at the vault then set off towards the churchyard entrance and the High Street. Five minutes later, he was knocking on the doctor’s front door and was getting no response. He was about to knock again when an old woman walked by and said without stopping, ‘If it’s the doctor you’re after, he’s probably in the King’s Head.’

‘Thank you, ma’am,’ David called after her, then walked the short distance to the pub. Although it was only a little after eleven-thirty, there were already several old men sitting up to the bar enjoying a drink. David walked in and said to the barman, ‘I’m looking for Doctor Mason? I was told he might be in here?’

The most dignified of the old men at the bar, a ruddy-faced cherub of a man wearing a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows, turned to him and said, ‘I’m Mason, what can I do for you?’

David held out his hand to the doctor and said, ‘My name is David Wiseman, I’m Lady Freda Webley’s nephew.’

The doctor looked thoughtful as he shook hands then asked, ‘What brings you to our village, Mr. Wiseman?’

‘I’ve come up to visit my aunt’s grave and to try to speak with anyone who might remember her.’

‘I remember Lady Freda very well,’ the doctor said solemnly.

‘Is there someplace we can talk in private?’ David asked. ‘There are some things I need to know.’

Addressing the barman, Mason said, ‘Another whiskey for me and whatever Mr. Wiseman is having, in the snug if you please.’

David asked for a Coke, then followed the doctor into the snug bar at the back of the pub. Their drinks arrived a few moments later. Seated across a small table from each other in one corner, Mason sipped his drink then asked, ‘Now then, what was it you wanted to know?’

‘I was wondering if you might have any idea what brought on the heart attack that killed my aunt?’ David asked.

‘That’s easy,’ Mason said. ‘It was an epileptic seizure.’

‘Epileptic seizure?’ David repeated incredulously. ‘But the death certificate just said she died from a heat attack.’

‘I don’t know where you got that idea from,’ Mason said confidently. ‘I wrote out and signed the death certificate myself, and it most definitely stated the cause of death to be cardiac failure following a severe attack of grand-mal epilepsy. I remember it distinctly.’

‘But my aunt didn’t suffer from epilepsy,’ David insisted. ‘As far as I know, she’d never had a day’s illness in her life.’

‘Nonsense,’ Mason scoffed. ‘Sir Ross himself told me she had a long history of severe epilepsy, that it ran in her family, and that her brother had died during an attack just the year before.’

‘Her brother,’ David said emphatically, ‘was my father, and I can guarantee you he was not an epileptic and that it does not run in his family.’

Mason looked dazed and confused for a moment, then asked, ‘But what possible reason could Sir Ross have had for lying about it? The lady was definitely suffering convulsive seizures, I witnessed one of them myself!’

‘What were the seizures like?’ David asked.

‘The onset of the attack I saw was signaled by screaming followed by a loss of consciousness. She stopped breathing and her entire body was gripped by a spastic muscular contraction, which made her face livid and her back arch. After that, her back muscles contracted and relaxed so violently that we were forced to pin her down to stop her injuring herself. When the convulsion finally subsided, she was exhausted and slept heavily.’

‘And how were you treating her?’

‘There’s no specific cure for epilepsy, but seizures can be prevented or reduced in frequency by using anticonvulsant drugs. I tried her on several: phenobarbital, ethosuximide, and valproic acid.’

‘And did she respond to any of them?’ David asked

‘No,’ Mason said gloomily. ‘I have to admit she just kept getting worse. I had spoken to Sir Ross several times about getting her to a clinic for some special tests. I particularly wanted to have an electroencephalograph examination.’

‘What’s that?’

‘It’s a device that records the patient’s brain waves allowing diagnosis and study of the disease in the individual.’

‘And what did Webley say about it?’

‘He thought she would be better off at home than in a clinic.’

‘Then what happened?’ David asked.

‘I had been going up to the Manor every day for about two weeks, and she was getting steadily worse. She’d reached the point where she was suffering repeated convulsions interspersed with bouts of delirium, confusion and depression. On the day of her death, I visited in the afternoon and she was so bad that I insisted to Sir Ross that she be moved to a clinic. He finally agreed to let her go and asked me to fix it up for the following day. Unfortunately, about ten o’clock that night, I had an urgent telephone call from the Manor and rushed up there at once, but I was too late. Lady Freda had suffered a massive seizure and her heart had given out.’

David thought for a few moments, recalling his basic training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, where they’d covered recognition of the affects of poisoning, then asked, ‘If you hadn’t been told she had a history of epilepsy and she’d presented the same symptoms, what would you have looked for?’

‘I don’t follow you,’ Mason said.

‘Say you were called to see a perfectly normal, healthy woman who had suddenly started having convulsions and seizures, would you automatically think she was epileptic?’

‘Of course not. I would consider epilepsy as a cause, but I would look at other possibilities too.’

‘Like what?’ David asked eagerly, leaning forward.

Mason realized where the conversation was going and didn’t answer.

‘Like what, Doctor?’ David asked again, more forcefully.

‘Like systemic poisoning,’ Mason answered reluctantly.

‘Exactly,’ David said, leaning back in his chair. ‘But you didn’t look for poisoning in this case, did you, because you’d been told she had a history of severe epilepsy. Then when she died, the cause was obvious, no need for an autopsy, you just wrote out a death certificate and that was that.’

‘No. I won’t believe it,’ Mason exploded. ‘If what you say is true, it means Sir Ross murdered her right under my nose.’

‘That’s what I think he did,’ David said. ‘Tell me, if he’d been feeding her tiny amounts of one of the systemic poisons like potassium cyanide or strychnine, would the symptoms have fitted?’

Mason rubbed his hands over his ruddy face before answering. ‘Strychnine would certainly have given similar symptoms,’ he admitted. ‘In very small doses, it causes extreme excitation of the nervous system, which can trigger off convulsions. If given in a larger dose, it paralyses the brain’s respiratory center causing death.’

‘Thank you doctor,’ David said softly. ‘You’ve told me everything I need to know.’

‘What are you going to do now?’ Mason asked.

‘Go to the police, of course. I’m positive that Webley murdered my aunt and stole her money. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t get away with it.’

Mason took a large swig from his glass. ‘I’ll deny ever having spoken to you of course,’ he said, looking David directly in the eye.

‘But why?’ David asked incredulously. ‘Doesn’t it worry you that one of your patients was murdered right in front of your eyes?’

The doctor shook his head in exasperation and, raising his voice, said, ‘Firstly, I do not believe she was murdered. She showed all the classic symptoms of epilepsy and that is what I treated her for. Secondly, the members of the Webley family have a long and honorable reputation and are very highly regarded in this village. I am absolutely convinced that Sir Ross had nothing whatsoever to do with his wife’s death, and I wouldn’t insult him now by suggesting otherwise.’

‘Have it your own way,’ David said, ‘but I’m still convinced he did it, and as soon as I get back to London, I’m going to Scotland Yard.’

Mason stood up abruptly and said, ‘In that case, I feel we have nothing further to say to one another. Good day.’ With that, he marched back into the public bar and took up his original place with his friends.

David finished his drink, placed the empty glass on the bar with a ‘thank you’ to the barman, then walked out and along to the station to catch the next train back to London.

.

Around the same time, a little south of London, the medevac aircraft touched down at Biggin Hill. After clearing the main runway, it taxied to its company hangar and came to a halt on the apron outside to await the arrival of the customs inspector. Parked alongside the hangar, outside the company’s offices, was a black, unmarked undertaker’s van with two somber looking men sitting in the front seats.

Alex Crawford had been waiting with the customs inspector in the company office, and as soon as the pilot shut the engines down, they walked out to the aircraft and climbed on board. Ross had handed the pilot a large manila envelope containing all the necessary documents relating to the transportation of the body, which he now handed to the customs inspector. The inspector examined the paperwork closely, gave the body bag a cursory glance, then signed the necessary clearance documents and handed them over to Alex. As he was climbing off the aircraft, Alex leaned out of door behind him and signaled to the undertakers, who drove their van around and reversed it up to the aircraft. Less than five minutes later, they had the body loaded and were on their way back to London with Alex following in his own car.

.

A little further south still, Ross dropped the Golden Eagle gently onto the airstrip at Moor End Farm. He taxied up to the large barn, where Harry Perkins, an ex-RAF fitter he employed part-time to look after his fleet of aircraft, stood waiting with the battery operated tug, ready to haul the aircraft inside.

‘Afternoon Harry,’ Ross said cheerfully as he swung the split doors open and climbed out of the aircraft.

‘Good afternoon sir,’ Harry replied awkwardly. ‘We were all terribly sorry to hear about Her Ladyship. A tragic loss sir, tragic.’

Ross saw Harry was near to tears and suddenly remembered he was supposed to be in mourning himself, so instantly adopted a sorrowful look. ‘Very kind of you to say so, Harry,’ he said, doing his best to sound choked as he unlocked the luggage compartment.

Harry carried Ross’s bags to a Range Rover and loaded them into the back. ‘I don’t suppose you’ll want the Eagle for a while,’ he said as he slammed the back door of the Range Rover.

‘No, not for a week or so at least,’ Ross said, climbing into the driver’s seat. ‘Just give her the once over, top up her tanks and tuck her up in the barn if you would. I’ll let you know when I’m going to need you again after that.’

‘Very good, sir,’ Harry said as the Range Rover pulled away from the barn and followed the track down to the house.

When he got there, Ross didn’t even bother going into the house. Instead, he went straight to the garages, put the Range Rover away, transferred his luggage into his Jaguar XK8, then set off immediately for London.

Chapter 9

Of the three parties heading for London, David Wiseman, complete with his two tails, was the first to arrive. He grabbed a taxi outside Kings Cross and was back at his hotel within fifteen minutes. Digging out his wallet, he hunted through it for the slip of paper that Frau Schutz had given him in Weggis. After some difficulty with the dialing codes and a little help from the international operator, he was finally connected with the Schutz household.

‘Hello, Frau Schutz? This is David Wiseman calling from England.’

‘Ah, Mr. Wiseman, tell me, have you discovered anything?’ she asked eagerly.

‘I think so, but I need to ask you a couple of questions if that’s okay?’

‘Of course. What is it you want to know?’

‘Firstly, did my aunt Freda suffer from epilepsy?’

‘Epilepsy?’ Frau Schutz repeated with surprise. ‘Certainly not! She never had a day’s illness in her life.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ David sighed. ‘Now, this next question is very important. You told me the death certificate stated she died of a heart attack, but can you remember exactly what it said on the certificate?’

‘You mean the exact words?’

‘Yes, the exact words, if you can remember.’

‘I remember perfectly,’ Frau Schutz said with authority. ‘It said cardiac failure. I was not sure what that meant at the time so I went home and looked it up in my dictionary.’

‘And you’re sure those were the exact words? Nothing else?’

‘Absolutely… now, what is all this about? What have you found?’

‘I spoke with the doctor who attended her during the last week of her life and who wrote out the death certificate. He told me that the Baroness died of cardiac failure following a severe attack of grand-mal epilepsy, and that is what he wrote on the death certificate.’

‘But I don’t understand,’ Frau Schutz said.

‘I think I do,’ David said confidently. ‘Webley started poisoning the Baroness shortly after they were married, probably with some kind of rat poison that they already had on the estate. She started to have seizures because of the poison, so Webley hit upon the idea of cooking up a story about her being an epileptic to cover up what he was doing. When he had the local doctor believing it, he just gave her an extra large dose that killed her. The doctor thought it was heart failure due to an epileptic fit and made out a death certificate without any fuss.’

‘But how do you explain the change to the death certificate?’ Frau Schutz asked.

‘That’s simple. If he’d shown a death certificate mentioning epilepsy to anyone in Weggis that knew her, there would have been immediate questions asked. All he did was blanked out the part after cardiac failure in the cause of death box on the certificate before it was photocopied.’

‘I knew it!’ Frau Schultz cried triumphantly. ‘Did I not say she was murdered?’

‘You did, and I’m now convinced you were right.’

‘What about the will? Have you found out anything about that?’

‘Not yet, but you can bet your bottom dollar it was forged after her death,’ David said. ‘I don’t believe she would have forgotten all her loyal staff.’

‘What are you going to do now?’

‘I’m going to try to see someone at Scotland Yard this afternoon. There is just one more thing I need from you first, though. You remember you told me the Baroness’s lawyer died and his son took over his business?’

‘Yes, he moved it to Lucerne.’

‘I need to contact him to see if he still holds his father’s records,’ David explained. ‘Do you happen to know his name or the name of his company?’

‘Of course. The Baroness’s lawyer’s name was Franz Vogler and his son was named Joseph. I believe he is in partnership now with a man named Zimmer. If you wait a moment, I will give you the number from the telephone directory.’

After a few moments, with the sound of paper rustling in the background, Frau Schutz came back on the line and said, ‘Yes, here it is, Vogler und Zimmer, Lawyers.’ She gave him the number then said, ‘Thank God you came. Now maybe justice will be done.’

‘I certainly hope so,’ David said. ‘Thank you for all your help.’

‘Thank you Mr. Wiseman. God bless you.’

As soon as she’d hung up, David cleared the line and dialed another number, this time his own office in the States. He wanted to speak with his immediate superior and friend, Dan Piatowsky. His call was answered by his section’s secretary.

‘Hi Patty,’ he said cheerfully, ‘this is Dave Wiseman. Give me Dan, will you?’

‘Sure thing, Dave, hold on a second.’

There was a short delay before Dan Piatowsky’s deep voice came on the line. ‘Hey, Davy boy! How’s it hanging?’

‘Hi Dan. I got a problem over here and I need you to do me a favor,’ David said urgently.

Catching the tone in his voice, Piatowsky instantly became professional and reaching for his pen said, ‘Shoot.’

‘I need to speak with someone in the homicide department at Scotland Yard. You’ve got a contact there, don’t you?’

‘Sure, but they don’t call it homicide, they call it CID, that stands for Criminal Investigation Department. You want me to fix up a meet for you?’

‘If you could, today if possible, tomorrow at the latest. I fly out of here on Saturday.’

‘What gives?’ Piatowsky asked.

‘You know I was coming to England to visit my Aunt Freda’s grave?’

‘Yeah, I remember.’

‘I found out she didn’t die from a heart attack. I’m pretty sure her husband killed her.’

Piatowsky let out a long whistle. ‘Let me make a couple of calls and get back to you. What’s your number?’

David gave him the number then hung up. Fifteen minutes later, Piatowsky called back to let him know he’d arranged an appointment with Chief Inspector Hubbard at New Scotland Yard for three that afternoon. David thanked him, then took his notebook out and set about writing up a set of comprehensive notes for his meeting with the police.

.

Around the same time, Philippe was just pulling up outside his house. He hadn’t spoken to Alice during his drive home, preferring to wait until he saw her to talk face to face. The weather during the whole journey had been lousy, and although it wasn’t actually raining in Nîmes, it was overcast and unseasonably chilly. The weather forecast he’d heard on the radio predicted that the area of low pressure affecting the alpine region would spread south to cover the northern Mediterranean. It looked like they were right.

Before he’d even turned the engine off, Alice came out of the house and trotted down the steps to meet him. She was wearing a clinging, short sleeved, knee length dress made from dark blue cotton, which was more like a long polo shirt than anything else. Her hair hung loose on her shoulders and although she was wearing no makeup and was still covered in purple and yellow bruises, Philippe thought she looked stunning. She ran around to his side of the car as he got out and slipped her arms around his waist, kissing him on both cheeks in the traditional French style.

‘What a welcome!’ he said, returning her embrace. ‘You look fantastic.’

‘I’m sure,’ she said with a little laugh. ‘I’m covered in bruises and I look like hell… but thanks anyway.’ Alice broke away and said, ‘Come on, I’ve made us some lunch, you must be half starved. I’ll bet you haven’t had anything since this time yesterday.’ She linked her arm through his and they walked side by side around the car, up the steps and into the house.

Once in the kitchen, Philippe was amazed to see the table laid for a huge lunch. There was pâté, ham, tomatoes, three types of cheese, fresh baguettes, wine, and on the stove, something that smelled delicious bubbled in a saucepan. He turned to Alice with genuine wonder and asked, ‘You did all this for me?’

‘Of course, I knew you’d be hungry,’ she said.

‘But how? Where did you get all these things from?’

‘I hope you don’t mind, but I found some coins in a jar on the side there and walked into the village.’

‘I don’t mind, that is what the money was there for,’ he said frowning, ‘but to walk to the village, it is five kilometers there and back and you are not strong enough…’

Alice silenced him by putting her finger up to his lips, then said, ‘Stop worrying about me, I’m fine now, strong as I ever was. Come on, sit down and eat your lunch.’

Philippe shook his head saying, ‘You are incredible. Do I have time to get cleaned up a little before we eat?’

‘Sure, take all the time you want, this will keep.’

Philippe went through to his bedroom and was back in less than fifteen minutes, washed, shaved, changed and groomed. As he sat down, Alice ladled sautéed duck in a rich sauce with peas and bacon out of a saucepan onto his plate. He bent over the food and breathed in deeply through his nose, savoring the aroma, then said, ‘This smells delicious, it must have taken you hours to prepare.’

‘It took me about twenty seconds to open the can,‘ Alice said, taking her place opposite him, ‘then about ten minutes to heat it up on the stove. And now you know the secret of my success in the kitchen.’

They both laughed, but the mood soon became somber as over the long, leisurely lunch, Philippe told her about his trip to Chamonix and his abortive attempt to get past Batard.

‘I couldn’t believe it when he said Louisa was gone,’ Philippe told her. ‘What do you think your husband intends to do with her?’

Alice thought for a moment then said, ‘He’ll probably have her buried in his family vault, that’s what he did with his first wife, and I know that’s what he intends for himself.’

‘His first wife?’ Philippe asked with surprise. ‘I didn’t know he was married before.’

‘Yes, it was a long time ago. She was much older than him and died not long after they were married.’

‘Oh… and this vault, where is it?’

‘In a churchyard in a village called Minster at Stone, but don’t worry,’ Alice said positively, ‘we’ll get her back long before he has a chance to bury her.’

‘I’m glad you mentioned that,’ Philippe said, ‘because I have been thinking very hard all the way home, and I think I have a plan that will get you your divorce without any demands from your husband, and get me Louisa’s body back.’

Alice became instantly alert. ‘Tell me about it,’ she said.

‘From what you have told me about your husband, there are only two things that he really fears; loss of his social position and loss of his freedom. You told me that many times he begged you to pay his debts so that he did not end up in the hands of the police or in the newspapers.’

‘That’s right, those were the debts he ran up by buying expensive goods on credit. I also had to save him from his gambling debts because those guys can’t go to the police, they have their own way of dealing with people who won’t pay.’

‘Okay, so now we know what he is afraid of, we use that to blackmail him. This is my plan. We slip quietly over to England and you go to see him privately. You tell him you were found in the mountains by a couple, a man and a woman, who took you home and nursed you back to health. You tell him that they took you to their lawyer, and that you have made a sworn statement about his attempt to murder you. You tell him that if he will give you a quick divorce with custody of Charles and no demands for a share of your company, you will say you got lost in the mountains and were helped by those people, and not mention what he did to you.’

Alice thought about it for a moment then said, ‘But that would mean him getting away scot-free with trying to kill me. I want to make him suffer for what he did to me… and for what he’s doing to you.’

‘Don’t you see,’ Philippe said, ‘if he loses your support and your money, he will suffer a great deal. He will have to sell what is left of his property and will very soon be bankrupt. That is the best punishment you can give him.’

‘You’ve got a point there,’ she said with a frown,’ but there’s a problem, he’s a professional gambler, remember. He’d see right through me in a second, he’d know I was bluffing. What if he tried to kill me again? I’m already officially dead, so he’d have nothing to lose, and he’s got a terrible temper.’

‘I thought of that, and it is very simple. You take with you a copy of the statement and show it to him. That way he must believe you. You also tell him that if you do not report back to your lawyer within twenty-four hours, he has instructions to take the statement to the police. And one last thing, I will be nearby, and I will not allow him to hurt you.’

‘Are you suggesting we go find a lawyer and actually make a statement?’ Alice asked incredulously. ‘What about this imaginary woman who has saved my honor? Where do we get her from?’

‘No, I am not suggesting we go to a lawyer,’ Philippe said. ‘Your husband can play dirty, so can we. I have a computer and all the necessary equipment here to make our own lawyer’s statement, complete with official looking stationary and photographs of your injuries. We forge the whole thing.’

Alice thought about it then said, ‘You know, it might just work, but how am I going to get into England? I don’t have a passport.’

Philippe got up from the table, disappeared into his bedroom for a few seconds, then came back and handed Alice a French passport. ‘We travel as man and wife,’ he said.

Alice opened the passport and saw Louisa’s face staring out at her. ‘It would never work,’ she said emphatically. ‘I don’t think I look anything like Louisa.’

‘That might not get you through immigration control at an international airport,’ he said confidently, ‘but at a small airport or on the ferry where they hardly ever check EEC passports, you could get through easily, you speak perfect French. The other thing is, your face is covered with bruises. If there is a problem over the photograph, we could say you have been in a car accident, they would accept that.’

Alice looked at the photograph again, then stood up and walked to the mirror hanging next to the kitchen door and examined her own face. After a few moments she turned to Philippe, a cunning smile tugging at her lips. ‘You know,’ she said, ‘I think it might just work. How soon can we get over there? He’s probably started spending the money already.’

‘We can do the statement this afternoon and fly to England first thing in the morning if you want. There is a very good air taxi service based at a small aerodrome just a few kilometers from here, I have used them many times in the past for business. They can fly us directly to a small airport in England, then we can hire a car.’

‘That sounds great,’ Alice said. ‘You get started on making up a fake letterhead while I clear away the lunch things.’

.

Ross parked his Jaguar in the mews behind their London townhouse, then entered the house by the upper rear entrance which led directly into his study, where Alex was already waiting.

The townhouse, built in the eighteen-forties, was situated in a crescent, a quiet refuge of serenity and rural charm on the east side of Regent’s Park. On the front elevation, the beautifully restored Victorian façade stood behind a small garden wall and was protected from the prying eyes of the general public by a tall hedge. The front door was several feet above street level, up a set of steps whilst another set of steps led down to the servant’s quarters below. At the rear, doors from the kitchen and the floor above, led into a small, split level garden then on through a gate into a mews, where the former stables had been converted into garages for the residents.

‘How did it go?’ Ross asked, without even saying hello. ’Have you got her safely tucked up somewhere? Is the cremation booked up?’

‘I managed to get a slot at Northolt crematorium for one o’clock tomorrow afternoon,’ Alex replied. ‘She’s at an undertaker’s in Greenford at the moment, about two miles from the crematorium.’

‘Good work,’ Ross said, slapping him on the shoulder then walking to the drinks cabinet and pouring himself a large brandy. ‘Do you want a drink?’

‘No thank you,’ Alex replied. ‘I’ve still got work to do.’

‘What work? I thought you just said it was all set.’

‘Nearly, but before you can get a body cremated, you need an Authority to Cremate, which we don’t have.’

Ross stopped as he was about to take a gulp of his brandy and let his arm drop. ‘What, pray, is an Authority to Cremate?’

‘It’s a three-part form issued by the Home Office. It has to be signed by two doctors and the medical representative of the crematorium.’

‘So let’s get one of these forms and find two doctors that are willing to sign it.’

‘It’s not that simple,’ Alex said. ‘The first part of the form has to be filled in by the doctor who dealt with the person when they died. He has to give details of any treatment the patient received and the cause of death.’

‘But he’s down in Chamonix!’ Ross exclaimed.

‘Exactly. Now I’ve spoken to the undertaker and to the crematorium and explained the circumstances. They are prepared to accept the French doctor’s report in lieu of part one of the form, provided it is presented with a certified English translation.’

‘Brilliant, so all we have to do is to get it translated,’ Ross said with relief.

‘I’ve already got that underway. I’m picking it up from the translator at three o’clock this afternoon.’

‘You’re a treasure. Now, what about the second doctor?’

‘That part is much easier. The undertaker works with a local practice. Whenever they need a part-two signature, they just ring up and one of the doctors come over. They give the body a quick examination to confirm the cause of death, sign the form and collect their fee.’

‘I assume you’ve got that lined up as well?’

‘Just as soon as I get over to the undertaker with the English translation, the other doctor will come out and do his bit.’

‘Well done, you,’ Ross said, raising his glass in a toast and gulping down half the contents. ‘Now then, what about young Charles? Did you speak to his headmaster?’

‘I’ve arranged to pick him up after I’ve been to Northolt this afternoon and bring him back here for the night. Then, since you’re off to America on Saturday morning, I thought it would be best if we dropped him back at Eton directly after the funeral, it’s only about fifteen miles.’

‘That sounds like a good idea, I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow afternoon. I want to drive down to the farm and collect some papers… I was bloody silly really, I could have got them earlier but I was in such a rush to get up here that I completely forgot.’

‘I could get them for you if you like,’ Alex offered.

‘No, it’s all right, I want to go down myself, but you can come as well if you want, help me tie things up.’

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door and Mrs Holland, the family’s London cook and housekeeper walked in. She was a short, fat, normally jolly woman who was deeply religious. Today she was far from jolly and looked distinctly red around the eyes. ‘I saw you come in, sir,’ she said, ‘and I just wanted to let you know how deeply sorry we all are about Her Ladyship. Such beauty, such vitality, snuffed out in the prime of her life…’ She broke down and dabbed her eyes with a sodden handkerchief.

Ross put on a deeply solemn air and said, ‘Thank you Mrs Holland, it is certainly a grievous loss, but as it says in the good book, in the midst of life, we are in death. Who are we to question His motives?’

‘Quite so, sir,’ she said, sobbing into her handkerchief. ‘The good always die young.’

Ross walked over to her, put his arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the door. ‘Why don’t you go and have a lie down for a little while? We shan’t be needing you until dinnertime.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ she sobbed, ‘I think I’ll do that.’

Ross closed the door quietly behind her then brightened up instantly and turned to Alex saying, ‘Now, hadn’t you better be getting off to the translator?’

.

Back in France, Philippe was just finishing the bogus letterhead. He’d decided to base it on his own company’s stationary and had retained his own name and the genuine telephone and fax numbers just in case Ross decided to check up. Philippe figured that if Ross telephoned the office and asked for Monsieur Dulac, the receptionist would give him an absolutely genuine response by saying that he was not in the office at present, but would call him back if he cared to leave his name and number.

While he’d been working on the letterhead, Alice had been sitting on the sofa with a pad, writing a detailed statement on what had happened to her since the previous Sunday. It seemed incredible to her that it had been only four or five days since she’d met Philippe. She felt as if she’d known him all her life. She looked over to where he was sitting at his desk in the corner of the living room, concentrating on his computer screen, and felt a warm glow of affection towards him. She thought he looked tired and haggard after his long night with Lochet, but the plan he’d come up during the drive back from Chamonix was a good one. The addition of the imaginary woman to defend her honor and protect her against a counterclaim by her husband was a stroke of genius and completely typical of him.

Feeling her eyes on him, he looked over and smiled. ‘That’s done,’ he said as the printer started to whir and spat a piece of paper out onto the desk. He picked it up, looked at it critically, then carried it over to where she was sitting and handed it to her. ‘Not bad, do you think? Once I have scanned the report to make it look like it has been photocopied, no one will ever know it is not genuine.’

She took the sheet and looked at it closely. ‘That looks great,’ she said.

‘How are you getting on with the statement?’ he asked.

‘Just about finished,’ Alice said, handing him the pad. ‘I’ve written it exactly as it happened, except I’ve substituted the imaginary Monsieur and Madame Auvray everywhere you should have appeared.’

‘That is good. Now all we need are the photographs of your injuries and I can get on with typing it. I have my camera here so whenever you are ready, we can take them.’

They had discussed the photographs earlier and decided that they needed shots of Alice’s face taken from the front and each side, a shot of the front and backs of her legs, and a shot of her shoulders and back.

‘I’ll go and get ready now,’ Alice said, getting up off the sofa and going through into the bathroom. Once in there, she locked the door then peeled the clinging blue dress off over her head. Next she brushed her hair then wrapped it into a rope and pinned it up high on the back of her head. Finally, she took a large bath towel and wrapped it around her body just under her arms. She’d been brought up to believe modesty was a very important virtue in a woman, and she wasn’t about to go prancing around in broad daylight wearing just her underclothes in front of a man she hardly knew, no matter how much she liked him.

When she was ready, she stepped out of the bathroom and went through to the living room. Philippe had cleared the furniture away from one wall and had removed the pictures, leaving a completely bare, white backdrop for the photographs. He had his digital camera set up on a tripod and was ready to start. He asked Alice to stand with her back against the wall, then took a face on, head and shoulders shot. Next he had her turn to the left then the right and repeated the process. After that she hitched the towel up and he photographed the cuts and bruises on the front and backs of her legs. Finally, she turned to face the wall and allowed the towel to fall away from her back while holding it tightly against the front of her body.

When he’d taken the final shot of her shoulders and back, she hurried into the bathroom and put her dress back on and brushed her hair out again. By the time she came back, Philippe had downloaded the photos onto his computer and was cropping them to show just what was needed. She pulled up a chair and sat beside him while he saved the photos then started to type up the statement.

.

Back in London at exactly ten minutes to three, a taxi dropped David Wiseman in Broadway, close to New Scotland Yard. He’d always imagined that British police stations were little, old-fashioned places with a blue lamp hanging over the entrance, but now he was standing in front of a huge glass rectangular building with a big revolving sign outside. He walked in through the glass doors and was surprised to find the lobby just like any city office buildings. There was a steady stream of men and women busily chatting to their companions, making their way between the entrance and the lifts, those on their way in showing passes to a uniformed officer as they went.

David approached the reception desk, where two young women were on duty, gave his name and asked to see Chief Inspector Hubbard, telling the girl that he had an appointment.

‘If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here,’ she said, pointing towards a row of chairs along the left-hand wall.

He sat down and watched as the receptionist spoke into the telephone. After a few moments she hung up and called across to him, ‘He’ll be with you in a few minutes.’

David thanked her then sat quietly watching the lifts. His only experience of English policemen was from the movies, where they were usually portrayed as rather stupid and pompous. He reckoned Hubbard would have him wait exactly ten minutes before making an appearance, just to stamp his authority and to show that he was a busy man. To David’s surprise though, a young woman appeared out of one of the elevators exactly six minutes later and made her way across to him.

‘Mr Wiseman?’ she asked.

David leapt to his feet and said, ‘Yes ma’am, that’s me.’

‘If you’d like to follow me, Chief Inspector Hubbard will see you now.’ She led him across the entrance hall back to the lifts, flashing her pass as she went. They rode the lift up to the sixth floor in silence then she guided him along a corridor and past several offices before coming to a halt outside a door marked with Hubbard’s name and rank. She knocked, and after receiving an answer, walked in and announced, ‘Mr Wiseman, sir.’

Hubbard was seated behind his desk but stood up and held his hand out as soon as David walked in. He was a big, hard looking man of about fifty, with short blond hair and the crisp manner of a Marine Corps officer. David had met his type many times before in the FBI, and forgetting his preconceptions, felt immediately confident about getting some action from this man.

‘Nice to meet you, Mr Wiseman,’ Hubbard said, shaking his hand. ‘So sorry to keep you waiting. Please have a seat.’

‘It was very nice of you to see me at such short notice,’ David replied, sitting in a chair directly in front of the desk.

Hubbard sat down and picked his pen up, ready to make notes. ‘Now, I believe you’re with the FBI, is that right?’

‘Yes, sir, I’m an analyst, but my visit here is strictly personal.’

‘I see,’ Hubbard said, making a note. ‘Something about a suspicious death, isn’t it?’

David pulled his notebook out and spent the next half-hour giving Hubbard a detailed and professional account of all he’d learnt about his aunt’s death. Hubbard took copious notes during the narrative and occasionally stopped David to ask a question or to confirm the spelling of a name.

When he’d finally finished, Hubbard sat back in his chair and said, ‘It’s a very interesting story Mr Wiseman, but there is very little in the way of proof.’

‘What about the death certificate?’ David asked. ‘What possible reason could Webley have had for changing it if he wasn’t trying to hide something?’

‘We don’t have any proof that the death certificate was altered, do we?’ Hubbard pointed out. ‘The only evidence is the memory of an old woman who claims to remember exactly what was written in a foreign language on a certificate she saw only briefly, twenty-five years ago.’

‘I believe her,’ David said obstinately, ‘and if Vogler und Zimmer still have their records from that time, it should be easy enough to prove.’

‘Maybe so, but assuming we did find a discrepancy in the death certificate, what do you expect us to do about it?’

‘Exhume her body of course, and check for poison.’

‘We can’t go around digging people up on that kind of evidence!’ Hubbard exclaimed. ‘Webley is a knight of the realm, a respectable citizen who has never been in any trouble to the best of my knowledge. He’d cause one hell of a stink if we opened up his family vault and started poking around at his deceased wife!’

‘There must be something you can do,’ David said. ‘I’m convinced Webley murdered my aunt and stole all her money by forging her will.’

‘Look, I respect your instinct,’ Hubbard said firmly, ‘but all I can do to start off with is to ask Vogler und Zimmer if they still have the copy of her death certificate in their archives. If they have, I’ll get them to fax it to me then I’ll get a copy of the original from the Family Records Office here in London and compare them. If I then think there was a deliberate attempt to mislead the Baroness’s lawyer, I’ll get one of my men to discreetly investigate her will. If that turns out to look suspicious, then we may have grounds to proceed further.’

‘That’s a hell of a lot of ifs,’ Davis said angrily. ‘How soon will you be able to get started?’

‘I’ll have someone phone Vogler und Zimmer this afternoon,’ Hubbard promised, standing up to signal the end of the meeting. ‘If you care to leave your number, I’ll let you know how we get on.’

David was very disappointed by the reception Hubbard had given his story. He gave Hubbard his cell phone number then said, ‘There was one other thing I wanted to discuss with you, if you have a few more minutes.’

Hubbard sighed, then sat back down in his chair signaling David to carry on.

‘Have you seen the stories in the papers over the past couple of days about Lady Webley?’ David asked.

‘Yes, killed in a climbing accident in the Alps, wasn’t she?’

‘Walking, I think it was. Anyhow, don’t you think it’s kind of convenient for her husband that she has a fatal accident so soon after inheriting a corporation worth five hundred million dollars?’

‘Are you trying to imply that Webley murdered her too?’ Hubbard asked with amazement. ‘You really have got it in for him, haven’t you?’

David ignored his remark and carried on. ‘I don’t think he killed her personally, he’s much too smart for that, besides, he’s got a watertight alibi. I do think he arranged it though. How else could he have told them exactly where to look for her body? Don’t you think it would be worth just asking to see a copy of the French police report, bearing in mind what I’ve told you about my aunt?’

‘Mr Wiseman,’ Hubbard said slowly, ‘I cannot go around persecuting innocent people and wasting police time on the sort of evidence you have given me. If there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Lady Webley, I’m sure the French police would have brought it to our attention. Now, if you don’t mind, I am extremely busy.’

David got up slowly from his chair. ‘I know I’m right,’ he said, looking Hubbard directly in the eye. ‘He can’t be allowed to get away with murder just because he has a title.’

‘I couldn’t agree with you more,’ Hubbard said, standing. ‘Believe me, if there’s a case to answer, I’ll make sure it’s properly dealt with.’

They shook hands then Hubbard had him shown down to the entrance lobby, where he wandered dejectedly out through the doors and onto the street to look for a taxi.

Back in his office, Hubbard assigned a young female detective constable to telephone Vogler und Zimmer in Lucerne. The news was good. With typical Swiss efficiency, they had all the records going back to the beginning of the original Herr Vogler’s practice and would fax the death certificate over within the hour. Hubbard then dispatched the same DC across London to the Family Records Center in Myddelton Street, with a priority request for a copy of the original death certificate as filed by Doctor Mason.

By six in the evening, Hubbard had the two death certificates lying side by side on his desk. After studying them for a few minutes, he picked up the telephone and dialed the number David Wiseman had given him. When David answered, he said, ‘Mr. Wiseman? Hubbard here.’

‘Hello, Chief Inspector,’ David said. ‘I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.’

‘We’ve managed to get copies of your aunt’s death certificate from both the Swiss lawyer and the Family Records Center.’

‘So soon? That’s fantastic!’ David blurted. ‘Was I right about the differences?’

‘Yes, it seems that what you told me earlier was correct. There is definitely a discrepancy between the two documents in the cause of death box. Part of the entry has been obliterated on the Swiss copy.’

‘Then we’ve got a case?’ David asked eagerly.

‘I didn’t say that,’ Hubbard said flatly. ‘We must consider all the options first.’

‘What options?’ Davis asked. ‘The guy changed the death certificate, that’s all there is to it!’

‘Maybe he changed the certificate, or maybe it was a faulty copy. Photocopier machines weren’t as good back then as they are now.’

‘Aw come on, who are you trying to kid?’ David scoffed. ‘We both know how that copy got changed, and it wasn’t by a faulty photocopier! Now, what are you going to do about it?’

Hubbard thought for a moment then said, ‘First thing in the morning, I’m going to take your story and the two certificates to my immediate superior, Commander Mycroft, with a recommendation that we exhume the body and carry out a forensic post-mortem.’

David let out a long sigh of relief. ‘Thank you, Chief Inspector. That’s all I wanted to hear.’

.

Much later, back in France, by the time Philippe and Alice had finished typing and proofreading the statement and had inserted all the photographs, it was cold and dark. They had been so engrossed in what they were doing that neither of them had noticed the time. As the final version was printing, after being scanned to make it look like a photocopy, Alice rubbed her bare upper arms with her hands and shivered.

‘You are cold,’ Philippe said with concern. ‘Would you like me to light the fire?’

There was a large, stone fireplace at one end of the living room with a pile of logs stacked up next to it. ‘That would be lovely,’ Alice said. ‘I think I’m still a bit chilled from being on that mountain.’

Philippe slipped down the hall into his bedroom, then came back a few moments later carrying one of his own fleece jackets. ‘Here, put this on,’ he said, holding it up so she could slip her arms into it easily.

It felt good. Soft and masculine scented as she turned the collar up and snuggled into it. ‘Thank you,’ she said with a smile. ‘You’re so kind.’

Philippe got down on his hands and knees in front of the grate and set about lighting the fire. ‘While you’re doing that,’ Alice said, ‘I’ll find us something to eat if you like. How hungry are you?’

‘After that lunch,’ he replied, ‘not very.’

‘How about some bread and cheese and a bottle of wine? We could eat it in front of the fire.’

‘That sounds perfect,’ he said as the kindling caught alight and an orange tongue of flame started licking around the logs.

By the time Alice came back into the living room with the food and wine on a tray, the fire had caught hold nicely and the room was lit by the dancing orange glow of the flames. Philippe had moved the big leather sofa around so that it was facing the fire and was sitting with his eyes closed, slouched in one corner, stretching his long legs out towards the flames. Alice pulled a coffee table over in front of the sofa, put the tray down, then sat and poured them each a glass of wine.

‘This is nice,’ she said, spreading some Camembert onto a chunk of baguette.

Philippe opened his eyes and sat up, reaching for his wine. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘I haven’t felt this relaxed for years.’

‘You look tired,’ she said.

‘I feel tired,’ he admitted, ‘and drained. It has been a difficult couple of days, but somehow I feel I have turned a corner.’ He helped himself to some bread and cheese then laid back into the soft leather of the sofa as he munched contentedly.

They ate, sipped their wine and chatted for a while, then Alice took the tray back to the kitchen, tidied up and put what was left of the cheese away in the fridge. When she came back into the living room, Philippe had swung his legs up and was sound asleep with his head resting on one of the arms. She leaned over the back of the sofa and looked at his face, peaceful now, softly lit by the flickering orange firelight. After a few minutes lost in thought, she walked through into her bedroom and came back with a blanket, which she gently tucked around him, letting her fingers rest lightly against his cheek for a moment.

After that, she cleared away their wineglasses and the empty bottle, put the guard in front of the fire, then took herself off to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long and difficult day.

Chapter 10

Alice slept very badly. Although she wasn’t afraid of him, even after what he’d done to her, she was worried about facing her husband down. Maybe it was because he was so much older than her, or maybe it was his air of seedy grandeur, but whenever they had confrontations he always managed to make her feel like a little girl. Not this time though, Alice told herself over and over again. This time I’m in the right and I’m going to stand up to him. She kept repeating it to herself like a creed until she was convinced that that was how it was going to be.

The other thing preying on her mind was leaving Philippe and this house. The plan was that he would take her to see Ross and would hang around outside until she gave him a sign to let him know she was safe, then he would return home, leaving her in England to sort out her life. He’d been kinder and more considerate to her than anyone had ever been in her adult life, and in the short time she’d known him, she’d become very fond of him indeed. She tried to analyze her feelings, just in case she was misinterpreting her gratefulness towards him, but decided no, she didn’t feel the way she did just because he’d saved her life, it was much, much deeper than that.

She smiled as she lay in bed thinking of him. Although he had a successful business and was reasonably wealthy, he led an extremely simple life. He wasn’t one of those men who live for their work and spend every waking hour at the office. On the contrary, he’d built his business up to a point where it ran smoothly without the need for his continual involvement, so he was free to live out of town in this simple old hunting lodge and spend time in the mountains whenever he wanted. She kept imagining herself living here, married to Philippe, loving him, being his constant companion, giving him the children he so desperately wanted, and that thought gave her strength. If she was ever going to have a decent, normal life, she was going to have to face up to Ross and demand the divorce on her terms.

By six a.m., when the alarm on her watch went off, Alice had firmly resolved in her own mind what she wanted for the future and what she had to do in order to get it. With a steely determination she got out of bed ready to face what she thought was going to be one of the most difficult days of her life. She slipped into her bathrobe and went through the living room into the kitchen to brew some coffee. Philippe was still sound asleep on the sofa so she left him until the coffee was ready, then took a cup through and woke him gently.

Philippe blinked and looked up at her with a lopsided grin. ‘Hello,’ he said sleepily, ‘what time is it?’

‘A little after six, we’ve got plenty of time. Here, I’ve made you some coffee.’

He swung his legs around and sat up, taking the coffee mug from Alice, who sat down beside him. ‘Thank you, ‘ he said gratefully, taking a sip. ‘Sorry about falling asleep like that last night, you must think me a very poor host.’

‘Not at all,’ she said, ‘you were very tired.’

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Not very,’ she admitted, ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about facing Ross.’

‘Do you still want to go through with it today?’ he asked. ‘Or would you rather wait until after the weekend?’

‘I want to do it today,‘ Alice said with determination. ‘I want that divorce so much I can hardly see straight.’

Philippe patted her leg through her bathrobe. ‘That’s my girl… the sooner we get this over with, the better for both of us. And don’t forget your promise. As soon as the divorce comes through, you and Charles are coming back here for a holiday.’

‘Don’t worry,’ she said, slipping her hand over his, ‘I won’t forget, that’s one thing you can rely on.’

They looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments, then Philippe retrieved his hand from under Alice’s and said, ‘We had better start getting ready, we are due out at the airport by seven-fifteen.’

By seven-thirty, they were boarding the twin engine Piper Seneca air taxi at Nîmes-Courbessac aerodrome for the three-hour flight to Biggin Hill airport, south of London. The pilot had chosen Biggin Hill because it was the nearest small airport to Central London with customs and immigration facilities. Alice was certain they would find Ross at the London house.

They strapped themselves in and got comfortable while the pilot stowed their bags in the luggage compartment. Alice had borrowed a small suitcase from Philippe and had packed all her things, including her still unwashed walking kit and all the new clothes and cosmetics he’d bought her in Nîmes. Philippe took just an overnight bag. He’d decided that as soon as the mix-up over Louisa’s body had been sorted out, which should only take a day or two, he would accompany it home to Nîmes by scheduled airline.

Once the luggage was loaded, the pilot did his checks and in a very short space of time they were airborne and heading north towards England in beautiful, clear weather. As they climbed, with the Alps clearly visible to the east still shrouded by angry looking clouds, Philippe watched Alice closely as she stared out of the window at the mountains. ‘How do you feel to be flying again?’ he asked gently.

She turned and smiled, then took his hand and said, ‘Not too bad. At least I know you’re not going to throw me out.’

.

At around the same time, Vic Hubbard was sitting up to the kitchen table at his home in Pinner, scanning through the morning paper while his wife bustled around, tidying their breakfast things. This was a routine he followed every day before his lift to New Scotland Yard arrived in the form of Detective Sergeant Paul Butcher.

He was on his second cup of tea when his eye was caught by a small item buried deep in the Daily Mail. Someone at Biggin Hill had tipped off a local reporter who had dug around a little then sold the tidbit to the Mail, but the editor had obviously not thought it very newsworthy and had relegated the item to the bowels of the paper. To DCI Vic Hubbard however, the story was of major significance. ‘That’s interesting,’ he murmured as he started reading.

‘What’s that dear?’ his wife asked absently.

‘Listen to this. Body of Baronet’s Wife Returned… The body of Lady Webley, killed earlier this week in a climbing accident in the Alps, was flown back to Biggin Hill yesterday (Thursday) and taken directly to Stanley Brown & Sons Undertakers in Greenford. A private service is due to take place this afternoon at Northolt Crematorium.’

‘Isn’t she the wife of Sir Ross Webley,’ she asked, ‘the man you were telling me about last night, the one that American has accused of murder?’

‘Yes she is,’ Hubbard said vaguely, reading the article over again. When he’d finished, he frowned and asked, ‘Now why would he be having her cremated when he’s got a perfectly good family vault? And why at Northolt… that’s miles away from the family home? And why so soon?’

‘I’m sure I don’t know. I expect he’s got his reasons.’

‘I’m sure he has, but it doesn’t smell right to me,’ Hubbard mused. ‘His wife is reported missing on Tuesday, they find her body on Wednesday, he has it flown home on Thursday and cremated on Friday. Those look to me very much like the actions of a man who is trying to hide something. Maybe Wiseman was right after all.’

Just then, a car horn tooted outside. Hubbard got up, folded his paper, and slipped his thin overcoat on. The day had dawned dull and drizzly and the weather forecast had predicted heavier rain later. He kissed his wife goodbye, then headed out of the front door and climbed into the passenger seat of the unmarked police Peugeot.

‘Morning, boss,’ DS Butcher said as he slipped the car into gear and pulled smoothly away from the curb.

‘Morning, Paul, I want to make a little detour this morning. Do you know Greenford at all?’

‘Know it like the back of my hand,’ Butcher said. ‘My mum lives there.’

‘Do you know an undertaker’s called Stanley Brown & Sons?’

‘It’s in King’s Avenue, just off the Greenford Road… what’s up?’

‘I want to drop in on them to discuss a body that’s due to be cremated later on today. It’s just a hunch, but I think something fishy is going on.’

The eight-mile journey across west London took them over thirty minutes in the rush hour traffic, and by the time they got to Greenford, the undertaker’s was open for business. A young woman, who introduced herself as Angela Brown, a partner in the firm, greeted them as they arrived and showed them through to a tastefully decorated lounge area, which was obviously designed for dealing with grieving relatives. Hubbard and Butcher sat at either end of a sofa while Angela Brown took an armchair opposite them.

‘Now, Chief Inspector,’ she said confidently, ‘what can I do for you?’

Hubbard came straight to the point. ‘I understand you received the body of Lady Webley yesterday, is that correct?’

‘Quite correct, we are taking her to Northolt at about quarter-to-one this afternoon.’

‘Tell me, is it usual for you to turn a body around so quickly?’

‘Not usual, but not unheard of where there are special circumstances.’

‘And are there special circumstances in this case?’ Hubbard asked, taking his notebook and pen out of his pocket.

‘Yes, I understand the deceased’s husband is leaving the country tomorrow for an indefinite period.’

‘Is he now?’ Hubbard said thoughtfully. ‘And I suppose he wanted the cremation to take place before he went.’

‘That’s right, the whole thing has been a rush job.’

‘And how did you come to be involved?’

‘We were recommended to Mr Crawford by the crematorium at Northolt.’

‘Mr Crawford?’ Hubbard asked, noting down the name. ‘Who’s he?’

‘He’s the Webley’s private secretary. He’s the one who has done all the organization for the funeral.’

‘Why did he choose Northolt Crematorium, any idea?’

‘Apparently,’ Angela Brown explained, ‘he’d been phoning all over London trying to find somewhere that could do the job before the weekend, and Northolt just happened to have a vacant slot at one o’clock today.’

‘So he grabbed it and then had to find a local undertaker,’ Hubbard finished.

‘That’s right. He telephoned yesterday morning to ask if we could collect a body from Biggin Hill that same day and have it ready for cremation by one o’clock today. It was a terrible rush but we never like to turn business away.’

‘What about the Authority to Cremate form?’ Hubbard asked. ‘Has that all been completed properly?’

‘There was a bit of a complication with that,’ Angela Brown admitted. ‘Because she died in France, the death certificate and doctor’s report from the hospital were all in French and the medical representative from the crematorium wouldn’t accept them unless they were translated into English. Mr Crawford had certified translations made yesterday afternoon, then we had one of the doctors from the practice across the road fill in the second part of the form.’

‘Would it be possible to see the translation of the French report?’

‘The original is back with the crematorium now but I have a copy.’ She left the room and was back within thirty seconds with the report, which she handed to Hubbard.

Hubbard scanned the translation and copied the name of the doctor and the hospital’s details into his notebook before handing it back. ‘What about the local doctor?’ he asked. ‘Can we see him?’

‘I don’t see why not, his surgery is just across the road.’

‘I think I’d rather see him here, if you don’t mind,’ Hubbard said firmly. ‘Could you phone him and ask him to come over please.’

‘Look, what’s all this about Chief Inspector?’ Angela Brown asked indignantly. ‘I really am very busy.’

Hubbard looked directly at her and said in a level voice, ‘I am not at all satisfied that the cause of death recorded on this form is accurate, and I want to speak to the doctor who examined her here.’

Angela Brown caved in and went to make the call. While she was gone Hubbard turned to Butcher and asked, ‘What do you make of it, Paul?’

‘If you ask me, it stinks,’ Butcher replied. ‘She was the wife of a baronet. You don’t normally get that type stuffed in a black sack and tossed over the nearest wall, which is effectively what’s happening here.’

‘Exactly, it’s all far too rushed for my liking,’ Hubbard said.

Angela Brown came back a few moments later and said, ‘Doctor Sharif will be over in a minute, he’s just got to finish with a patient.’

‘Thank you,’ Hubbard said. They waited in awkward silence for a few minutes, then the front door bell sounded and Angela Brown went off and returned with the doctor. Hubbard introduced himself and Butcher, then as soon as the doctor was seated got down to business saying, ‘I understand you signed the second part of the cremation form for the body of Lady Webley yesterday afternoon.’

‘That is correct,’ Sharif replied slightly indignantly. ‘Is there anything wrong?’

‘Nothing wrong, I’d just like to ask you this. Were you satisfied that the cause of death as stated by the French doctor was accurate?’

‘As far as I could tell. It is very difficult to ascertain the cause of death just by looking at a body. In many cases you have to take it on trust that the doctor who has been dealing with the patient has got it right.’

‘And you felt the French doctor had got it right?’

‘I could not see any other obvious causes. There were no knife wounds or bullet holes if that is what you are asking,’ Sharif said.

‘One last question,’ Hubbard said. ‘Weren’t you surprised that there had been no post-mortem carried out?’

‘Not really,’ Sharif said, shaking his head. ‘The French doctor seemed satisfied that she died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall. Judging by his report, he sees it quite often.’

Hubbard got up and put his notebook away. ‘I think that just about wraps it up. Thank you for coming over Doctor, and thank you Mrs. Brown. You’ve both been very helpful.’

Angela Brown showed them to the door, but just as they were leaving, Hubbard stopped and said, ‘Just one more thing, Mrs Brown. If you speak to Mr Crawford again, don’t mention we’ve been here asking questions.’

‘Of course not, Chief Inspector,’ she replied, closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were back in the car, Butcher asked, ‘Northolt Crematorium?’

‘No. Back to the Yard.’ Hubbard said. ‘I want to do some phoning around and find out what kind of man this Webley really is.’

.

Later in the morning, at precisely eleven-thirty, down in north Kent, the French air taxi popped out of the bottom of the clouds at eight hundred feet, perfectly aligned with the approach lights for the active runway at Biggin Hill. The weather had grown progressively worse during the trip north and the last half-hour had been bumpy and uncomfortable as they had flown through solid cloud.

Alice breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the jolt and rumble of the wheels hitting the runway. She’d been on the verge of reaching for a sick bag for the past fifteen minutes. As they taxied towards the terminal beneath a gloomy sky, she looked out of the window at the rain beating down on the asphalt and wished she’d dressed in something a little warmer.

The morning had been so clear and bright back in Nîmes that she had decided to wear a thin, short sleeved, knee length cotton dress with open-toe sandals. Fortunately, she’d also brought along a blazer style jacket that went nicely with the outfit, but she was hardly dressed for this weather. Philippe, on the other hand, wearing Chino’s, a lightweight cotton shirt and sports jacket would be just comfortable. He’d also had the foresight to bring along a folding umbrella each, saying that he never set foot on English soil without one.

The pilot parked the Seneca on the apron directly outside the executive terminal. A marshal came out to the aircraft carrying a large golf umbrella, and after helping Alice and Philippe down from the rear passenger door, sheltered them as he showed them into the building, where they waited just inside the door while the pilot retrieved their luggage. While they were waiting, Philippe noticed that Alice was shaking, so he put his arm around her shoulders and asked in French, ‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m not sure if it’s the cold or my nerves,’ she replied, snuggling into him.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘there won’t be any trouble. We’ll be through in a couple of minutes.’

The luggage was soon brought in, and the marshal then led them through a door marked International Arrivals. As they went through into the small customs area, a uniformed official came out from a back room and gave their passports a cursory glance before waving them on without any questions. They thanked him then Philippe carried their luggage as they went on through the far door, which led into the main part of the terminal where there was a seating area with round wooden tables, a bar and an information desk.

Alice took herself off to the toilets to freshen up while Philippe went to the information desk to collect the keys for the hire car he’d asked the air taxi firm to book for him in advance. By the time Alice joined him, he’d signed all the forms and was ready to go. They had agreed that it would be best if Alice surprised her husband by just walking in on him. That way, they figured, she would have the best chance of catching him off his guard and getting him to agree to her demands. Alice was almost certain he would be in London, but in order to be completely sure before driving all that way they had planned that Philippe would telephone the London house, ask for Ross, then hang up before he came on the line. If he were told Ross wasn’t there, then he could at least find out when he would be back.

They walked over to the telephone kiosks at the side of the terminal building. Philippe picked up the receiver and slipped his credit card into the slot while Alice dialed the number. After a few moments he winked at her and said, ‘It’s ringing.’

A few seconds later, Philippe started to speak. ‘Hello, is it possible to speak with Sir Ross Webley please?’ he asked pleasantly. Alice watched perplexed as his face grew worried. ‘I see…’ he was saying, ‘where is that? Yes… of course. I’m sorry I bothered you… later this afternoon? All right… thank you… good bye.’ He hung the receiver up slowly and turned to Alice.

‘What?’ she said anxiously. ‘Who was it… what did they say?’

‘It was a woman,’ Philippe said slowly. ‘She said Sir Ross wasn’t taking any calls this morning because it was the day of his wife’s funeral.’

‘Today?’ Alice asked incredulously. ‘Up at Minster at Stone?’

‘No,’ Philippe said, still dazed. ‘She said the ceremony was to be held at Northolt Crematorium in west London at one o’clock. She said if I wanted to, I would be able to contact Sir Ross later this afternoon at his country house, but after today, he would be away in America for some time.’

‘A crematorium?’ Alice asked aghast, ‘then America?’ ‘We’ve got to stop him!’ She looked at the large clock hanging in the terminal building, which read eleven forty-five. ‘Come on,’ she said, grabbing his arm and propelling him out of the telephone kiosk. ‘We can easily make it to Northolt by one o’clock, it’s not that far from here.’ They hurried out of the terminal building and quickly found their hire car in the car park outside. Alice decided that since she knew her way around London and was used to driving on the left, that she would drive.

Philippe tossed their luggage into the car while Alice quickly checked the courtesy map that had been supplied with the car. As soon as they were both strapped in she accelerated out of the airport area and joined the A233 heading towards Central London. Once they were on their way and Alice had had time to think, she said, ‘I wonder what his game is? Why a cremation, why not the family vault?’

‘That’s easy,’ Philippe replied, still sounding a little dazed. ‘He wants to burn Louisa’s body in order to get rid of the evidence. Once she is burned, he can go to America and claim your company in safety, without the possibility of someone saying he got the wrong body.’

Suddenly the implication of what was happening hit Alice. This was Philippe’s wife they were talking about. That bastard husband of hers had just dealt him another devastating blow. Philippe had planned to bring her body back to France and lay her to rest in the small churchyard near their home. If Ross got away with cremating her, that would never happen.

She thought about stopping at a telephone box and phoning the crematorium to have the service delayed, but decided that it was highly unlikely they would take any action on the strength of a phone call. No, I’ve got to get to the crematorium in person, she thought. I’ve got to make sure they don’t destroy her body… for Philippe’s sake. He’s suffered enough already. With that thought, she floored the gas pedal and overtook a long line of cars that were slowing them down. Once she was back on clear road, she glanced across at Philippe and saw he was staring blankly into space, as if mesmerized by the windscreen wipers flipping back and forth in front of his eyes. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said reassuringly, ‘we’ll get there in time.’

Alice decided to follow the route she knew well into Central London, then turned west onto the A40, which led straight to Northolt. The combination of bad weather and heavy traffic made the trip particularly slow and tedious, and by the time they got to the Northolt turnoff on the A40, it was already one-fifteen.

Throughout the ninety-minute trip, Philippe had been quiet and withdrawn, saying only a few words in reply to Alice’s attempts at conversation and reassurance. She’d driven like a demon: speeding, overtaking whenever possible, cutting-up other drivers and jumping traffic lights, but it hadn’t helped much. She’d become more and more frustrated as the time ticked away and had cursed herself for not taking the longer but probably quicker route around the M25.

Finally they were off the A40 and with Philippe craning forward to help with the navigation, they followed the local signs for the crematorium. The rain was still beating down ten minutes later as they finally swung in through the crematorium gates and followed the curving, tree-lined driveway up to a modern stone building, just in time to see a small group of mourners, dressed in black, huddling under umbrellas, emerge from the chapel. Behind them, above the building, a fine skein of gray smoke curled upward from a tall redbrick chimney and disappeared into the murky sky. Alice took the whole scene in at once and her heart sank.

She stood on the brake pedal, abruptly pulled the car into the side of the driveway, and turned the engine off. ‘We’re too late,’ she said flatly, looking down at her hands. ‘I’m sorry Philippe, I’ve failed you.’

Philippe stared out through the rain-splattered windscreen towards the group of people, then swung his gaze up to the chimney, reaching the same conclusion as Alice. ‘You know those people?’ he asked softly.

‘My husband, my son, Alex Crawford and Mrs Holland our housekeeper… Oh Philippe,’ she choked, bursting into tears and burying her face in her hands. ‘I’m so sorry… it’s all my fault.’

Philippe slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her face close into his chest. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said softly as she sobbed against him. ‘You are not to blame.’

‘But it does matter,’ Alice insisted through her tears. ‘That was Louisa… your wife… I know how much you wanted her to be buried at home.’

‘Look,’ he whispered, lifting her wet face and putting his cheek against hers, ‘the living are more important than the dead. It is not your fault, you did your best. When all this trouble is sorted out, I will be able to at least have her ashes.’

Alice brought her arms up around his neck and clung to him in silence for a few moments until her tears subsided, then slid back into her own seat, gratefully taking the handkerchief he offered. They sat and watched as the group of mourners walked slowly to the car park, where Ross and Charles got into Ross’s Jaguar, while Alex Crawford helped Mrs Holland into his Toyota Corolla. Alice’s heart went out to young Charles. She could see he was being incredibly brave and grown up, and she wanted to jump out of the car and gather him up in her arms and comfort him, but that would have to wait until she’d sorted his father out. As she thought about Ross, her sorrow gave way to anger and she was gripped by a powerful desire to strangle him.

The two-car motorcade with the Jaguar in the lead, turned out of the car park and headed down the drive to where Alice and Philippe were parked. Alice hid her face with the handkerchief as they passed, then started the car and swung around in a U-turn to follow. ‘Where are we going now?’ Philippe asked.

‘You said that Ross was going to be at the country house later this afternoon? Well, that’s where we’re going. I’m going to tell him exactly what I think of him and the games he’s been playing.’

‘Do you think he will go there with your son?’

‘No, he plans to go away tomorrow and Charles was wearing his school uniform, so it’s my bet that Ross will drop him at Eton then carry on down to the farm alone. Alex will probably go straight back to London with Mrs Holland.’

They followed the two cars back towards the A312 and sure enough, Alex turned north towards the A40 and London while Ross turned south towards the M4 and Windsor. Alice followed the Jaguar at a discreet distance until suddenly, just before they were due to turn onto the M4, Ross indicated and turned left into the car park of a pub-restaurant. ‘Ross must be buying Charles lunch before he takes him back,’ Alice said, cruising on past the restaurant. ‘That’s very big of him. We might as well carry on down and wait for him.’

‘Don’t you want to stop somewhere for some lunch?’ Philippe asked.

‘Not right now. I don’t think I could swallow anything at the moment.’

‘Calm down,’ he said. ‘Being angry won’t help. You need to be calm and thinking clearly when you see him later.’

‘I know,’ she replied, gritting her teeth, ‘but when I think about what he’s done to you over the past few days, it makes me so mad I could kill him.’

.

Eighty miles and one-and-a-half hours later, just after three o’clock, Alice and Philippe were on the A27 passing south of the town of Lewes in East Sussex, with under ten miles to go to Moor End Farm. Access to the property was via a B road that ran from the A27, through a small village, then on to a dead end track that led to the farm. A footpath also led from the edge of the village, over some fields to the back of the property. During the journey down from Northolt, Alice had told Philippe all about the place.

Just after they’d been married, she’d had the old farmhouse completely gutted and re-fitted to her exact specification. She’d had a large gravel drive laid at the front, and out the back, on the south facing side, she’d had a ranch style patio and kidney shaped swimming pool installed. The pool was heated and had underwater floodlights. When she swam at night, usually alone, it was like being in a beautifully warm, exquisite blue lagoon.

Inside the house, she’d had polished wood block flooring laid in all the ground floor rooms, which she’d complemented with brightly colored scatter rugs. The old square staircase had been ripped out and replaced with a new one featuring a sweeping curved handrail of polished oak with delicately carved spindles and newel posts. The hall at the bottom of the stairs led all the way from the front to the back of the house, where it opened onto the patio with a series of folding glass doors.

The grounds weren’t big enough to have any shooting, but Ross kept a pair or Purdey shotguns, which had belonged to his father, and was sometimes invited to neighboring farms to go after pheasant or duck. Alice had been worried about young Charles getting his hands on them, so she’d had a concealed gun safe installed behind a panel in her husband’s oak-lined study, where they were kept locked away. Although she knew the combination to the safe and sometimes kept pieces of jewelry in it, she never touched the guns. Her father had taught her to shoot at an early age, but she hadn’t enjoyed it. She didn’t like the noise and she hated the thought of killing animals for sport.

Upstairs, she’d spared no expense either. Knocking two of the original six bedrooms into one, she’d created an enormous master bedroom. The king-size bed sat on a raised, carpeted plinth with delicate oriental fabrics hanging from an iron ring fixed to the ceiling, to form a medieval style canopy. Unfortunately, it had never turned into the love nest she had intended.

By the time they reached the turn-off, Alice had decided that she couldn’t bear to wait at the farm for Ross to arrive, so suggested that they carry on down into Newhaven for a late lunch. She would have suggested Lewes, but she often shopped and ate there and was known at most of the restaurants. Newhaven, on the other hand, was safe because she very rarely went there.

They managed to find a small restaurant that served food all afternoon, ordered a meal, then settled down to wait. They reckoned that Ross would be about two hours behind them, allowing for lunch and the diversion through Windsor to Eton. That would make his arrival time at the farm about five o’clock. They decided to give him until six, just to make sure.

Chapter 11

Back in London, the telephone rang on Detective Chief Inspector Vic Hubbard’s desk. He snatched the receiver up, ‘Hubbard.’

‘Hello Vic? Simon here. We’ve got her, and I’m about to make a start if you want to sit in.’

‘Right. I’ll be around straight away. See you in a minute.’ Hubbard hung up the phone, quickly tidied his desk, locked the files he’d been working on in one of his drawers, then slipped his coat on and set off for Westminster Hospital on foot.

As soon as he’d got back to his office earlier in the day, he’d kept his promise to David Wiseman and gone straight up to see his boss, Commander Alan Mycroft. He’d briefed Mycroft on the whole Webley affair, and had been given the green light for a forensic post-mortem. He’d then made arrangements to recover the body, and requested Dr Simon Reynolds, a highly respected forensic pathologist, to do the job.

Hubbard had been present at dozens of post-mortem examinations. When he was a young copper, it was considered part of the training to be thrown in at the deep end with a PM. It had never bothered him. Nowadays though, the youngsters were treated more gently and attendance was voluntary. A standard post-mortem, carried out in order to find a cause of death, usually took about ninety minutes, but a forensic post-mortem was a far more detailed affair and could last up to five hours.

The hospital was about half a mile from New Scotland Yard, and Hubbard covered the distance in just under fifteen minutes. He went in through the main entrance in Dean Ryle Street, then made his way down into the basement, where the mortuary was located.

Before entering the post-mortem room, he knew he would have to put on a surgical gown, hat, mask and white Wellington boots. He went into the anteroom and had just removed his coat and jacket ready to get changed when Simon Reynolds came through from the PM room.

‘Ah, there you are,’ Reynolds said, pulling his surgical mask down from around his nose and mouth. ‘I was just coming out to give you another ring.’

‘What’s up?’ Hubbard asked, immediately alert.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but the body that was delivered just now isn’t Lady Webley.’

‘What?’ Hubbard blurted angrily. ‘Don’t tell me those idiots up there have sent us the wrong one.’

‘No, it’s the right body. All the paperwork the French doctor filled in ties up: description of the body, description of the injuries, cause of death… it’s just not Alice Webley.’

‘How do you know?’ Hubbard asked incredulously.

‘Because I know Dr Charles Fawcett, the Webley family’s private doctor. He practices in Harley Street and has been looking after the Webleys for years. When you told me the name of the deceased earlier on, I gave Charles a call to find out if she had any pre-existing medical conditions. I thought it would make the PM a bit easier if I had a little medical background. Anyway, he told me that apart from an appendectomy five years ago, Lady Webley enjoyed excellent health. He’d last seen her in February for her annual check-up.’

Hubbard’s mind was already in overdrive as he said, ‘And the body in there doesn’t have an appendectomy scar, right?’

‘Come and have a look for yourself,’ Reynolds said, turning towards the door. ‘No need to change, I haven’t opened her up yet.’

Hubbard followed him through the double swing doors into the main post-mortem room, where the naked body of a woman with terrible head injuries lay on a stainless steel autopsy tray in the middle of the harshly lit room. Reynolds pointed towards the lower abdomen on the right side and said, ‘This is where I would expect to see a scar from an appendectomy.’

Hubbard looked closely, but there was clearly no scar.

‘Anyway,’ Reynolds continued, ‘after I’d made that discovery, I got back on the phone to Charles for a more detailed description of Lady Webley.’ He picked an aluminum clipboard up from the side and read, ‘Age: thirty-six. Height: five foot six. Weight: one hundred and thirty pounds. Hair: natural blond. Eyes: green.’

As he read the items from the list, Hubbard looked down at the body and mentally checked the details.

‘And this lady,’ Reynolds was saying, ‘is about the right age but is five foot nine, weighs one hundred and twenty pounds, has light brown hair and brown eyes.’

Hubbard carried on looking at the dead woman and his mind whirled. No wonder Webley had wanted a quick cremation, he thought, and more to the point, what has he done with the real Lady Webley? ‘Any clue as to who this might be?’ he asked.

‘I don’t think she’s English,’ Reynolds replied. ‘Maybe French or Italian.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Mainly her coloring, she’s got a definite Mediterranean look about her.’

Hubbard thought for a moment, then asked, ‘What about the cause of death?’

‘From the brief examination I’ve given her so far, I’m reasonably confident she’s a genuine accident case. The injuries are consistent with a fall onto rocks from height and the amount of bleeding and bruising around the head wound and the fractures in the left arm and leg are consistent with death occurring within seconds of the injury.’

Hubbard said nothing. He was staring at the body again, his mind racing.

‘Do you still want a full PM carried out?’ Reynolds asked.

Hubbard looked up and said thoughtfully, ‘No. I think you’re right in what you say about her being a genuine accident case. When we eventually find out who she is, we don’t want to send her home in little pieces, do we?’

‘That’s what I thought,’ Reynolds said.

‘Can you keep her on ice for me while I launch an investigation?’ Hubbard asked.

‘Anything to oblige the Metropolitan Police.’

‘Thanks,’ Hubbard said as they walked back through to the anteroom. As Reynolds was changing, Hubbard asked, ‘This doctor friend of yours, Charles Fawcett, is he likely to say anything to Webley about your questions?’

‘No, I swore him to secrecy, and besides, he can’t stand him.’

‘Really, why is that I wonder?’ Hubbard mused.

‘Charles thinks he’s an upper class twit and a lay-about who’s never done an honest day’s work in his life,’ Reynolds confided, ‘and, judging by some of the complaints he’s had to treat, he suspects him of being a bit of a sexual deviant. Apparently, he was forced to resign his commission in the Guards in order to save himself being cashiered, after he’d thrashed a naked recruit nearly to death with a riding crop during a sadistic initiation ritual.’

‘Was he now? Well that all ties up with what I’ve heard from a couple of other people. What about Lady Webley, does Fawcett like her?’

‘He thinks she’s a doll, much too good for her husband, and certainly not involved in any of his funny bedroom business. He was very upset by the news of her death.’

‘That’s interesting,’ Hubbard said. ‘I haven’t come across one single person yet who’s had a good word to say about Sir Ross Webley.’

‘Maybe you should try talking to his bookmaker,’ Reynolds said with a grin.

Hubbard got back to New Scotland Yard at four-thirty, and went straight up to see his boss. Knocking on Mycroft’s office door, he walked in and took a seat in front of the Commander’s desk.

‘You look excited,’ Mycroft said, glancing up over half-moon glasses from a report he was reading, ‘What have you got?’

‘I’ve just come back from the Westminster,’ Hubbard said. ‘The body Webley submitted for cremation is not that of his wife.’

Hubbard suddenly had Mycroft’s full attention. ‘What?’ Mycroft exclaimed, taking his glasses off and laying then on his desk. ‘How did you work that out?’

‘Simon Reynolds knows the Webley’s GP. He got a description of Lady Webley that is nothing like the body we picked up from Northolt.’

‘And you’re sure there hasn’t been a cock-up at the undertakers or the crematorium?’ Mycroft asked.

‘Absolutely certain. Now, the question is, what has Webley done with his wife?’

‘What indeed?’ Mycroft asked. ‘You’d better bring him in, I think. There are a few things he needs to explain.’

‘My thoughts exactly. Apparently he’s leaving the country tomorrow, so I want to pull him straight away, if that’s all right with you.’

‘Fine, fine. And when you’ve got him, you had better lift his passport until we get to the bottom of this. We don’t want him doing a Lord Lucan on us, do we?’

Hubbard smiled. ‘There is something else I think we ought to get underway, now we’ve got an excuse.’

‘The exhumation of his first wife?’ Mycroft asked.

‘Exactly.’

Mycroft thought for a few moments then said, ‘Now we’ve got reason to believe that he’s responsible for the disappearance of his second wife, I think we’re justified in pursuing the suspicions we have concerning the death of his first. Leave it with me. I’ll speak to the head of Hertfordshire CID and the regional coroner, get it underway as soon as possible.’

Satisfied, Hubbard thanked him then went back to his own office, phoned his wife to let her know he would be home late again, then called DS Butcher and told him to meet him downstairs with the car in five minutes.

Fifteen minutes after setting off, they were standing on the steps of the Webley residence, waiting for the door to be answered.

‘Compact but bijou,’ Butcher commented wryly, looking up at the splendid Victorian façade, soaring above their heads.

Hubbard smiled, then instantly straightened his face and whipped his warrant card out as a short, fat woman who had obviously been crying, opened the door.

‘We are police officers. DCI Hubbard, DS Butcher,’ he said, holding up his card and indicating towards his colleague. ‘We’d like to have a word with Sir Ross Webley if we may.’

‘I’m sorry sir,’ she said, ‘the master’s gone down to the farm, then he’s off to America in the morning.’

‘Are you expecting him back tonight?’ Hubbard asked.

‘I don’t think so sir, he took all his luggage with him and said goodbye before he left. Mr Alex would know, you could ask him.’

‘Mr Alex?’

‘Mr Alex Crawford, Sir Ross’s secretary.’

‘Is he in?’ Hubbard asked impatiently, looking past her into the house.

‘No sir, he brought me back after Her Ladyship’s funeral, collected some bits and pieces, then said he had some things to do and went out.’

‘And when was that?’

Mrs Holland frowned then answered, ‘About half past two I think. He said he’d be back later on.’

‘But he didn’t say when?’

‘No sir.’

Hubbard thought for a moment then got his notebook out and said, ‘Could you give me the address of the Webley’s farm please.’

Back in the car, Hubbard said, ‘Fancy a drive to the seaside?’

Butcher smiled and slipped the car into gear. ‘I can’t wait to see his face when he finds out we’re on to him.’

‘How long do you reckon?’ Hubbard asked.

Butcher thought for a moment then said, ‘If we push it and use the blues and twos ‘till we’re out of the smoke, hour and a half tops. Should be there by half six.’

‘Let’s go then,’ Hubbard said, hitting the switch to activate the blue lights and sirens.

As they pulled away from the house on Regent’s Park, Alex Crawford was already down at the farm and had just finished preparing things for Ross, whom he expected at any moment.

.

Philippe and Alice enjoyed their late lunch, which was excellent. The restaurant was virtually deserted so no one had minded them staying on, sitting at a corner table. A waitress appeared occasionally to top up their coffee cups, but apart from that they were left alone.

Another half hour passed then Alice looked at her watch and said, ‘Five thirty, we’d better get moving.’

Philippe called the waitress over and paid the bill, then they made their way outside and hurried to the car. It was still raining. Thick, iron-gray clouds poured in from the English Channel blocking out most of the evening light, bringing with them a false dusk. Alice started the car and they drove the eight miles north to the farm in silence. They passed through the local village, but stopped short of the farm track, parking the car in a lay-by where a stile marked the beginning of the footpath that led to the rear of her property. The cinder path was well maintained and used regularly by staff who worked at the farm.

Philippe had insisted on being close by when Alice tackled her husband, but though it best, for her sake, if Ross didn’t actually see him. For that reason, they had decided not to drive up to the front of the house. Instead, they intended to park in the lay-by and approach the house from the rear, by walking along the cinder track. That way, Philippe could wait just outside the back door and would be available if needed. They locked the car, climbed the stile, then set off along the track towards Moor End Farm, grateful for Philippe’s umbrellas.

The house looked dark as they drew near, but as they climbed up onto the patio and peered in through the glass doors, they could see some light spilling down the stairs from the galleried landing above. ‘Looks like he’s upstairs,’ Alice said.

She led them around to the kitchen door, then retrieved the key from underneath a plant pot that was sitting on the window ledge. Next to the back door, there was a second door leading into a small outhouse that had originally been the outside toilet. Now it was used as a vegetable store.

Alice handed her umbrella to Philippe, and pointing to the outhouse door said, ‘You can shelter in there if you want, it will be warmer, I won’t be long.’

‘No, I will wait next to the open door,’ he said, ‘just in case you need me.’

She unlocked the kitchen door and went to go through, but then stopped and rushed back to him. Standing on tiptoes, she reached up and hugged him. ‘Wish me luck,’ she murmured.

He held her trembling body close for a few seconds. ‘You have nothing to be afraid of, I will be just here,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Just remember everything we have talked about.’ She nodded, then slowly released her grip. They stood looking into each other’s eyes for a few moments. ‘Have you got your envelope?’ he asked.

She patted her jacket and felt the statement they had written sitting in her inside breast pocket. ‘Got it right here,’ she said.

‘Then go and give him hell,’ Philippe said.

A look of determination came over Alice’s face. She turned and slipped through the back door.

The dull, watery light, filtering through the windows into the house was enough to illuminate the ground floor to the extent that Alice could see where she was going. As she made her way through the kitchen and out into the hall, she could see the light from above was coming from the master bedroom. There was also a strange, rhythmic, animal like noise coming from that direction. Alice stood at the foot of the stairs and listened. At first, she didn’t recognize what she was hearing, then with a sudden shock of realization, she knew exactly what was going on.

He’s got a woman up there! Alice’s inner voice shrieked incredulously. Only a few hours after my funeral and he’s in bed with another woman! How much lower is he going to sink? She slipped out of her shoes and started to make her way slowly up the curved staircase, her mind whirling. I knew it… I knew it all along! I wonder who she is? I wonder if I know her? This is going to be perfect, catching him with another woman, in flagrante delicto, more ammunition for the divorce.

She reached the top of the stairs and turned left towards the master bedroom, which was at the far end of the galleried landing. The noises from the bedroom started growing louder and the tempo quickened as she crept along with her back to the wall. Just as she got to her own bedroom door, the noises from inside seemed to reach a crescendo, and as she stuck her head around the door frame, the full, shocking reality of the situation hit her like a hammer blow.

In a split second the scene was imprinted on her mind like a flash photograph. The noose around Alex’s neck, tied on a thick rope which passed through the iron ring on the ceiling where her delicate fabrics used to hang. The handcuffs. The blond wig. The women’s underwear he was wearing. The riding whip her husband was using. The way they were locked together in a disgusting, degrading, outrageously unnatural act. And the smell…

Alice’s hand flew to her mouth as acid spurted into the back of her throat. In an instant she’d turned and dashed down the landing, through her son’s bedroom and into his bathroom. Sinking to her knees in front of the toilet she whipped the lid up and sent her lunch splattering against the porcelain, coughing and gagging as the acid seared the back of her throat.

Slowly the spasms in her stomach subsided and she sank back on her haunches, wiping her mouth on a piece of toilet paper. Her face was flushed and burning and she could feel the sweat on her forehead standing out in beads. She closed her eyes and slumped sideways against the wall, covering her face with her hands and started to cry uncontrollably.

After a while, the tears stopped but she stayed huddled there, shocked and numb, until a distant humming noise broke through into her consciousness, making her mind start to work again, pulling her slowly out of her dark emotional vacuum. She couldn’t place it at first, then suddenly realized it was the sound of the power-shower in her en-suite bathroom making the water pipes vibrate. One of them must be taking a shower, she thought, which must mean they’ve finished… thank God, I could never face that sight again.

Abruptly the sound stopped. Things started to fall into place in Alice’s mind. Lots of little things. Remarks and looks that had passed between Ross and Alex that she hadn’t understood. The way they were often away from home at the same time. The way Alex had just appeared overnight as their secretary. Of course, she would have been suspicious if her husband had suddenly introduced a woman into the household. But Alex, gentle, friendly, effeminate little Alex? She’d accepted him without question.

And what a fool they’d made of her! Carrying on right under her nose! She couldn’t believe she’d been so blind… but then, what wife would suspect her husband of that? Then she remembered the summer holidays. Charles and his teenage friends, the way Ross had been all over the boys in the swimming pool, the wrestling matches, the presents, the outings, the treats. That made her feel sick again, sick to her stomach. She was suddenly seized by an iron resolve to give them both exactly what they deserved.

She stood up weakly, and going to the sink, splashed cold water on her face, rinsed her mouth and tried to gargle some of the acid out of the back of her throat. She dried her face on the towel then stood looking at herself in the mirror. The woman that stared back was cold, hard and determined. ‘You know what you have to do,’ she said aloud. ‘You’re already dead and gone, remember? You can be back in France by midnight and no one will ever know.’

With eyes glazed like a sleepwalker, she marched out onto the landing, down the stairs, and into her husband’s oak paneled study. Behind the door, she slid one of the panels aside which automatically caused a small strip-light to come on, illuminating a gray, steel cabinet about four feet high by two feet wide with a heavy handle and combination lock dial on the front. She spun the dial then selected four numbers, reversing the direction of rotation between each, before grasping the handle and swinging the heavy door of the gun-safe open.

Just as she was reaching for one of the Purdey shotguns, she heard her husband’s voice and footsteps on the polished wood of the upstairs landing. He was saying goodbye and something about tidying up. She quickly grabbed two shells from a box in the bottom of the safe, and breaking the Purdey, expertly slipped them into the breech. She snapped the gun shut, slipped the safety catch off, then stepped back into the shadows of the study behind the large antique desk, from where she had a clear line of fire from the bottom of the stairs to the front door. She hefted the big gun up to her shoulder assuming the stance her father had taught her, and with her finger resting lightly on one of the triggers, waited for her husband to come into view.

With a final remark and jaunty wave towards the bedroom, Ross trotted lightly down the stairs and into Alice’s line of vision. She followed his head with the shotgun sight as he slipped into his coat and collected his keys and briefcase from the hall table. Her finger slowly tightened on the trigger until suddenly her inner voice started shrieking at her to stop.

You can’t do it! What about Charles? Do you want him to lose both parents in one week? What about Philippe? Do you think he’ll want you after you’ve killed a man in cold blood? Don’t be stupid! Put the gun down!

Snapping out of the daze that had gripped her since she’d been upstairs, Alice abruptly released the pressure on the trigger and let the barrels of the gun droop towards the floor as her husband stepped out through the front door.

She stood there in shocked silence for a few seconds as she listened to his car door slam, then the sound of the engine and the swish of the gravel as he accelerated away. I can’t believe what you nearly did! the voice scolded. Slowly, with badly shaking hands, she slid the safety catch back on and laid the gun across the desk as she sank into the padded swivel chair and buried her face in her hands.

You nearly did it that time! You nearly blew your whole life! Before she’d come here, before she’d seen them together like that, all she’d wanted was to divorce him and see him go bankrupt. But now that wasn’t enough. She wanted revenge. Slowly dropping her hands and opening her eyes, she looked down onto the desk, with its familiar arrangement of writing paper, envelopes and a pot of pens. Then her gaze strayed out into the hall to the stairs and her eyes narrowed as she had a new idea.

Picking the gun up, she walked out into the hall, up the stairs and straight into the master bedroom. The room was empty, but she could hear the sound of the power-shower operating in the en-suite and saw the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it fully open with the barrels of the gun, she glanced in and saw Alex standing in the cubicle with his back towards her, letting the steaming torrent of water wash over the red weals on his back and buttocks.

Revolted, she stepped over to the dressing table and sat on the stool with the gun across her knees, facing the bathroom door, waiting for him to come out. When she heard the shower stop and the cubicle door click open, she swung the gun around and rested it across her forearm so that it was pointing at the door, then double-checked the safety catch was on. A few seconds later, Alex came wondering out of the bathroom door with a small towel wrapped around his waist, rubbing his face dry with another.

‘Hello Alex,’ she said in a cool, level voice.

Because of the towel over his face he hadn’t seen her, but as soon as he heard her voice he visibly jumped and whipped the towel away from his eyes. ‘A… A… Alice,’ he stammered in shocked surprise, staggering back a step. ‘How…how?’

Alice helped him out. ‘How am I here? How did I survive? That’s easy,’ she said, her voice suddenly becoming hard, ‘when you drop me, I bounce. Didn’t you know?’ She lifted the gun to her shoulder and aimed directly at his head.

‘It wasn’t my idea, I swear it,’ he jabbered, looking at the gun, ‘you’ve got to believe me… Ross made me help him… I didn’t want anything to do with it…’ He fell to his knees and put his hands up to his face crying, ‘Don’t shoot, please don’t shoot.’

Alice let the gun drop slightly, then said disparagingly, ‘I’m not going to shoot you, you pathetic little man… provided you do exactly what I tell you.’

‘I’ll do anything, anything you want,’ he sobbed.

Laying the gun down on her knees, Alice reached into her inside pocket and pulled out the brown envelope containing the statement she and Philippe had made. ‘You see this?’ she asked, removing the document from the envelope and unfolding it. ‘This is a sworn statement I made to a lawyer in France that tells exactly how you and Ross tried to kill me.’ Alex went to move forward so she quickly dropped the statement onto the dressing table and hoisted the gun again. He sank back onto his knees.

‘Now what I want you to do,’ she said, pointing the gun directly at him, ‘is to write your version of the story down for me and sign it. After that, we’re going to call the police and have them come over.’

Realizing that he probably wasn’t in imminent danger of being shot, Alex started to become belligerent. ‘And what if I don’t want to?’ he asked. ‘What will you do about it?’

‘I’ll blow your head off,’ she said quite simply. ‘Then I’ll find Ross and do exactly the same to him. Remember, I’m officially dead. You cremated my body this afternoon. No one would ever think of blaming me.’

Alice’s cool manner and obvious determination convinced him that she meant exactly what she said. Resigned, he said, ‘All right, I’ll do it.’

‘Good,’ she said briskly. ‘Now you get dressed, then we’ll go downstairs to the study.’

Alex stood up walked to one of the chairs where his clothes were neatly folded in a pile. He was just about to reach for them when Alice said, ‘Not them. I want you put on what you were wearing for my husband.’

He looked around at her with a shocked expression. ‘You saw?’ he asked incredulously.

‘Oh yes, I saw,’ she spat, with a look of utter disgust. ‘Now do it!’

‘But why?’ he wailed.

‘Because you and Ross have humiliated me,’ she snapped. ‘Now it’s payback time. I want the nice policemen to see exactly what you’re like.’

Slowly, Alex walked across to the bed, and turning his back, dropped his towel and slipped the suspender belt up over his hips. Next, he put on stockings followed by a short silk negligee, which barely covered his backside. Turning to Alice, he asked sarcastically, ‘Happy now?’

A wave of revulsion shook her body as he faced her with his genitals dangling beneath the negligee, but she held herself in check. ‘Not quite… you’ve forgotten your wig and handcuffs.’

Resignedly, he pulled the wig on then picked the handcuffs up from the bedside table and slipped them onto his wrists.

‘That’s better,’ Alice said, ‘now we’re ready to go. You lead the way.’ She followed him out of the bedroom and along the galleried landing, holding the long gun at waist height.

He kept glancing back and had obviously seen her fingers were nowhere near the triggers, because just as they reached the top of the stairs, he stopped abruptly, swung around and grabbed the gun by the end of the barrels, yanking it out of Alice’s hands.

Alice was caught entirely by surprise and staggered forward onto her knees as the gun was wrenched from her grip. Looking up, she saw the gun sail upwards as Alex reeled back towards the head of the stairs holding the tip of the barrels at arm’s length between his manacled hands.

Then the weight of the large stock got the better of him and the wooden end of the gun came crashing down onto the landing like a cleaver, narrowly missing Alice’s head as she ducked to one side.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion for Alice. The gunstock hit the floor right next to her head with a splintering crash, the firing mechanism gave a sharp click, then both cartridges discharged simultaneously with a deafening roar.

She swung her head up, away from the gun just in time to see a blinding flash of light as the full force of both barrels lifted Alex gracefully off his feet and blew him backwards over the banister.

Suddenly things were happening in real time again. The gun dropped onto the floor beside her with a clatter, acrid smelling smoke filled the air, and although Alice’s ears were ringing, she clearly heard the sickening thud from down in the hall as Alex’s body slammed onto the woodblock flooring.

Totally unable to believe what had happened, she jumped to her feet and raced down the stairs to where Alex’s body lay face-up in a pool of blood, his tattered, manacled arms extended over his head like a boxer’s victory salute.

The sight was so horrible that her only instinct was to get away. She turned on her heel and sprinted across the hall and into the kitchen, where she ran full tilt straight into Philippe, who had heard the shot and was on his way in, fearing the worst.

As Philippe grabbed her in the half-light, she let out a piercing scream before realizing who it was, then she clung to him and started crying hysterically.

‘What is it? What has happened?’ Philippe asked, shaking her by the shoulders. ‘Tell me!’

‘It was an accident,’ Alice choked, barely able to speak. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt him!’

Philippe moved her to one side then went through into the hall to see for himself what had happened. Alice, still sobbing uncontrollably with her hands up to her mouth, followed gingerly. ‘Who is it?’ he asked.

‘A… A… Alex,’ she stammered, then she seemed to find her voice. ‘I didn’t mean for him to get hurt,’ she blurted, ‘I was just trying to frighten him when he grabbed the gun and it hit the floor and went off! It shouldn’t have happened! I had the safety on! I wasn’t going to hurt him!’ She burst into tears again, covering her face with her hands.

‘Where is your husband?’

‘He’s gone,’ she sobbed, ‘about ten minutes ago.’

Philippe turned back to her and put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Come on,’ he said, propelling her towards the kitchen. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

Alice cried uncontrollably all the way back to the car and was so wracked with grief and shock that she could hardly walk. Philippe had to half carry her along the cinder track and lift her over the stile whilst trying to shelter her under one of the umbrellas from the pouring rain.

Finally back at the car he opened the passenger side door and as he bundled her in, she immediately turned sideways away from him, brought her knees up and curled into a ball. As she did that, Philippe noticed her bare feet were filthy and bleeding. ‘Where are your shoes?’ he asked urgently. She lifted her head out of her arms and looked at him blankly. ‘Your shoes,’ he shouted, trying to get through to her, ‘where did you leave them?’

‘In the house,’ Alice said vaguely. At the bottom of the stairs.’

‘They will have to stay there,’ he said. ‘You’ve got some more in your case.’ He slammed the passenger door shut, went around to the driver’s side, slid the seat back as far as it would go, then jumped in throwing the sodden umbrellas onto the back seat.

He’d just started the engine when Alice suddenly grabbed his arm and shrieked, ‘The statement! I’ve left the statement behind.’

‘What?’ Philippe said with disbelief, ‘Where did you leave it?’

‘Upstairs, I think… in the bedroom.’

.

Philippe immediately switched the engine off and opened his door. Whilst he was prepared to risk leaving a pair of shoes at the house, there was no way that document could be left. There was enough evidence in those few pages to put Alice behind bars for life.

‘Where are you going?’ she asked anxiously.

‘Back to get that statement,’ he said, grabbing an umbrella and climbing out of the car. ‘Wait here until I get back, I will not be long.’ Alice put her head back down on her arms as he shut the car door.

Philippe leapt over the stile and sprinted along the track towards the house, his mind working even faster than his legs. He had to figure out what had happened, for his own peace of mind, and he had to make sure there was nothing left at the house that could possibly connect Alice with the shooting.

He pulled up abruptly at the back door, then entered the house quietly, just in case Ross had come back, but he found everything just as they had left it minutes before. He decided his first priority was to get that statement, then he would have a look around.

Quickly climbing the stairs, he followed the light along the landing and into the master bedroom. The noose hanging above the bed, the whip, the jar of lubricating jelly on the bedside table, all told an immediate story, one that he’d suspected after his talks with Alice, but hadn’t liked to mention. He looked around and quickly found the statement on the dressing table where she’d left it. He folded it roughly, stuffed it back in the envelope then tucked it securely into the breast pocket of his jacket. Next he grabbed the towel from the floor beside the bed and went out onto the landing.

The gun was lying just where it had fallen, and using the towel, Philippe picked it up and polished it carefully to remove any fingerprints. As he was rubbing the triggers, he noticed they were locked and that the safety catch was still on. So, she was right, she did have the safety on, he thought with relief. Sliding the breech release lever over, he broke the gun, ejected the shells and polished them too, slipping them back in when he’d finished. The action of opening and closing the breech had re-cocked the gun, so he decided to do a little experiment. I have to be sure, he told himself.

Leaving the safety catch on and holding the weapon by its barrels, he tapped the wooden stock against the floor. Nothing happened. He tapped a little harder. Still nothing. Next he held the butt about a foot above the floor and let it drop. Sure enough, there was a loud metallic click as the worn mechanism released the hammers and they made contact with the now spent cartridges. Satisfied, he laid the gun back down where he’d found it, threw the towel back into the bedroom, then went downstairs to look at the body.

By this time, it was virtually dark in the house, so he found a light switch and flicked it on with his elbow. The downstairs hall was bathed in light and everything Alice had told him tied up perfectly with what he saw. The insides of both of Alex’s arms were in tatters from the wrists right up to the armpits, so he’d obviously been holding the gun as it had gone off. The chest, where he’d taken the full force of both barrels, was nothing but a soggy mess.

He noticed the blood soaked wig, the stockings, the suspender belt, and was just wondering about the handcuffs when his attention was suddenly caught by the swish of a car pulling up on the gravel outside the house. The sound made him involuntarily spin around and stare at the front door, and in doing so, he put his right foot straight down in the pool of blood that he’d been carefully trying to avoid.

Not wanting to hang about to see who had just arrived, Philippe wiped his bloody shoe on one of the scatter rugs, picked Alice’s sandals up from the foot of the stairs then made a hasty exit through the kitchen, wiping the door handle with his handkerchief as he went.

Chapter 12

The trip down from Regent’s Park took nearly an hour and three-quarters, fifteen minutes more than DS Butcher had estimated. First, they’d had problems getting out of London with the Friday afternoon rush of people going home, then when they’d finally arrived in the local area, they’d had trouble finding the farm.

As they slid to a halt in the gravel outside the farmhouse they saw that the lights were on. Butcher looked at his watch, ‘Quarter to seven, I hope we’re in time for dinner.’

Hubbard got out of the car and winced as the cold rain splattered against his face. Together they walked up to the front door and rang the bell. After waiting impatiently a few seconds for a reply, Hubbard rapped on the door using the big, iron doorknocker. Still no answer.

‘Have a look around, Paul, see if there’s a back door,’ Hubbard said.

‘Sure thing, Boss.’ Butcher turned the collar of his jacket up and headed off to the right, disappearing around the corner of the house as Hubbard sheltered in the entrance porch, cupping his hands together trying to see through the stained glass panels on either side of the front door. Moments later, the door swung open and Butcher appeared, his normally cheerful demeanor gone. ‘Better come in and have a look at this Boss,’ he said ominously.

Hubbard followed him into the house and immediately saw why Butcher had lost his sense of humor. He skirted around the body being careful not to disturb anything, then looked up towards the galleried landing above. ‘Looks like he’s come down from up there,’ he said.

‘Who is he?’ Butcher asked. ‘Webley?’

‘No, too young for a start. I suspect we’ll find this is the secretary, Crawford.’

‘Nasty,’ Butcher grimaced.

‘Let’s have a quick look upstairs, then we’ll have to call the local boys in,’ Hubbard said.

Upstairs, they found things just as Philippe had left them, and it didn’t take Hubbard long to get the picture. ‘Looks like an S&M session that’s got a bit out of hand,’ he said.

‘You reckon Webley was involved?’

‘Almost certainly. I’ve heard he likes a bit of that sort of thing. Anyway,’ he said, looking at the wet patches on the bed, ‘There’s enough DNA here to float a battleship.’

‘What do you reckon happened then?’ Butcher asked.

Hubbard thought for a few moments then replied, ‘Judging by the whip and the noose, I reckon Webley gets his kicks out of torturing then pretending to kill his playmates. The gun is just an extension of the same game, but this time he went a bit too far.’

‘Then he panics and scarpers hoping no one is going to find matey down there until he’s out of the country,’ Butcher offered.

‘Exactly, but we’re going to have a little welcome committee waiting for him at the airport.’ Hubbard led the way downstairs saying, ‘Get on your phone to the local CID. Tell them what we’ve got and tell them to get their best men up here with a scene-of-crime team. We’ll wait out in the car until they arrive.’

.

Philippe got back to the hire car panting, climbed in, and handed Alice her sandals. She took them from him without a word and dropped them onto the floor at her feet. He was glad to see she was sitting in her seat normally, rather than the fetal position she’d been in when he’d left her. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked

‘Numb,’ she said simply. ‘I’ve decided I’m going to go to the police. If I tell them it was an accident and explain what happened, I’m sure they’ll believe me.’

Philippe looked at her incredulously. ‘You must be joking,’ he said. ‘You and I both know it was an accident, but the police will never believe it. If you hand yourself in you will be put in prison, maybe not for murder, but certainly for manslaughter. Is that what you want?’

‘Of course I don’t,’ she cried, ‘but a man is dead, there will be an investigation. Sooner or later when they find out I’m alive, they’ll figure I had something to do with it, they’re not stupid! I don’t want to live the rest of my life waiting for a knock on the door!’

‘Maybe you will not have to,’ Philippe said softly. ‘If we can make it look like you have been in France all this time, there is no way they can prove you were there at the house at all.’

Alice thought about it for a few moments then asked hopefully, ‘Do you think that would work?’

‘I’m sure it would, provided it is what you want.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘As you said, a man is dead. How are you going to handle that? Are you going to be able to live with the fact that you were involved?’

‘How well you know me already,’ Alice said, reaching for his hand. ‘You’re right, of course. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to go on without doing the honest thing… but this is different.’ Her voice hardened as she spat out her next words. ‘He was a disgusting little pervert who’d already helped try to kill me once… and I’m pretty sure he would have tried again if he’d managed to get that gun off me. He caused the accident and he got exactly what he deserved!’

Philippe squeezed her hand and said, ‘I agree, and we can talk about it more later, but now let’s get out of here. What is the quickest way to the Eurostar station at Ashford?’

‘Back down onto the A27 then turn left,’ she said as he swung the car around and headed back the way they had come.

.

The local CID arrived with an ambulance and uniformed backup to seal the house and surrounding area, fifteen minutes after being called. Hubbard collared the most senior man, Detective Superintendent Mike Potter, showed him around and gave him a run down whilst the forensic team donned their white overalls and got to work.

‘So you reckon Sir Ross Webley is our perpetrator,’ Potter asked, once he’d heard all the facts.

‘That’s who my money’s on,’ Hubbard replied.

‘And you think he’s about to leave the country?’

‘So I’m led to believe.’

‘Then we’d better get an alert put out for him at all the airports and ferry terminals,’ Potter said decisively.

‘Already done,’ Hubbard said, ‘I called it in while we were waiting for you to arrive. I’ve got a team watching his house in London too. If he shows up there, they’ll grab him.’

Potter looked a little miffed, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t like the glamour boys from Scotland Yard interfering on his patch.

Hubbard was speaking again, ‘I don’t think he’ll try to get away tonight though. He’s due to fly out in the morning, and it’s my bet he’ll stick to that. He’s got no reason to think anyone is going to find out what’s happened down here straight away.’

‘Do you know what flight he’s booked on and which airport?’ Potter asked.

‘Not yet, but I’ve got a couple of my staff phoning around the airlines. We’ll know soon enough.’

Whilst they had been talking, the forensic biologist, Hugh Donaldson, had been examining the body. Now he came over and addressed Potter. ‘Dead less than an hour,’ he said, peeling his latex gloves off and dropping them into a plastic bag. ‘Shotgun wounds to the chest inflicted from below at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Looks like he was actually holding the end of the gun when it went off.’

‘Holding the gun?’ Potter said with surprise, ‘Could be a suicide then?’

‘I don’t think that’s likely,’ Donaldson replied. ‘Judging by the injuries up the insides of the arms, he was holding it by the end of the barrels. He’d have had no way of pulling the triggers.’

‘Maybe not,’ Potter mused. ‘Anything else?’

‘Yes, there are a number of fresh injuries on the back and buttocks, caused by a whip I’d say. And some fresh bruising and friction burn marks around the neck. Looks like someone tried to strangle him before he was shot.’

‘That ties up with what we’ve found upstairs,’ Potter said.

As they were speaking, Donaldson’s assistant approached them. ‘All right to kill the lights for a few seconds?’ she asked. ‘We’re ready to use the ultra-violet.’

Potter nodded his approval and they all moved over towards the staircase to watch. At the command, the lights were switched off and Donaldson’s assistant stepped forward holding an ultra-violet hand lamp on the end of an electrical flex. The lamp bathed the area with an eerie purple glow, which was designed to show blood and other bodily fluids that were invisible under normal lighting conditions.

‘Got something here sir,’ she said, pointing to smudges on the rug and a series of footprints that were now clearly visible.

‘Get them measured and photographed,’ Potter told her, then turning to Hubbard, he said, ‘Looks like our man went out through the back door.’

Hubbard was looking thoughtful. It was the first bit of evidence that didn’t tie up. Why would Webley leave by the back door when his car was bound to be at the front of the house? Why would he want to walk all that way in the pouring rain? His train of thought was broken when Potter said, ‘Let’s see what fingerprints have turned up.’

They walked through into the study, where the fingerprint expert had just finished with the gun-safe. ‘What have you got?’ Potter asked.

‘Two sets on the handle, man’s and a woman’s I’d say, judging by the size. Same man’s prints on the gun here in the safe, but none on the gun upstairs.’

‘What, none at all?’ Potter asked with surprise. ‘What about the cartridges?’

‘Both wiped clean,’ the expert replied. ‘Interesting point about the gun though, the safety was on, but it’s obviously been fired.’

‘Probably happened when it was cleaned,’ Potter surmised.

The two detectives walked out into the hall where the lights were now back on. ‘Looks like the suicide theory is out,’ Hubbard commented.

‘Looks like it,’ Potter admitted grudgingly, ‘and judging by the prints on that safe, Webley is our man, unless there’s an unknown woman involved.’

Hubbard stuck his head back into the study and addressed the fingerprint expert again. ‘Have you found the woman’s prints anywhere else?’

‘All over the place,’ he replied, ‘and the man’s. I reckon they must live here.’

‘Thanks,’ Hubbard said, then turning back to Potter, ‘I don’t think his wife’s involved. My guess is that she’s already dead, somewhere in the Alps.’

.

As the sixty-mile drive to Ashford progressed, Alice, very much alive, did the map reading, and in between, gave Philippe a detailed account of everything that had happened from the moment that she had entered the house. Often she had to stop as tears engulfed her, but getting the details out into the open and discussing it with a friend helped her a great deal. By the time they had been over it completely, she felt a lot better. She’d been particularly worried about the police finding her fingerprints on the gun-safe and brought it up again.

‘Would your fingerprints be on the safe normally?’ Philippe asked.

‘I guess so,’ she replied. ‘It was the most secure place in the house. I used to put my jewelry in there if we were going to be away for a while.’

‘There you are then,’ he reassured her, ‘they have no way of knowing if your prints are fresh or a few days old, not without special tests, which they would have no reason to do.’

‘I guess you’re right,’ she sighed. She thought for a few moments then said, ‘One thing I still don’t understand though, how could the gun go off if the safety was on?’

‘That’s easy,’ Philippe explained. ‘The safety catch just locks the triggers to stop you from pulling them accidentally. The mechanism inside the gun is still cocked and ready to fire. In an old gun, if the mechanism is worn, the firing pins can be released if there is a shock, like you would get if the gun was dropped. Many people have been accidentally shot over the years that way.’

Alice nodded her head as she understood what had happened. ‘I never knew that,’ she said. ‘I guess I should have taken the cartridges out to be completely safe.’

‘Don’t start blaming yourself again,’ Philippe said firmly. ‘It was an accident. It was not your fault. Now stop thinking about it and tell me how much further we have to go.’

.

They arrived at Ashford International Station shortly after eight o’clock, and just had time to drop the hire car keys in and buy two first-class tickets before boarding the 20:23 service to Paris. Once on board, they took turns to freshen up, then settled down to enjoy the complementary dinner, which was served airline style at their seats.

Although Alice felt hungry, when she started to eat, the fork shook in her hand and all she could do was poke the food around her plastic tray. ‘I don’t think I can manage this,’ she said, looking pale and weak.

‘You must eat something,’ Philippe insisted, ‘your stomach is empty.’

‘Don’t remind me,’ she said ruefully.

The drinks trolley came along. Philippe asked for two brandies and a bottle of red wine. Pouring one of the brandies out, he handed it to Alice. ‘Drink this, it will steady your nerves.’

She took the glass gratefully and drained it.

‘I think you had better have mine too,’ Philippe said, refilling her glass.

‘Thanks,’ she said, ‘I think I need it.’

After she’d drunk the brandy, Alice managed a little of her dinner, then they finished the bottle of wine between them. By the time they arrived in Paris at eleven-twenty local time, she was just a tiny bit tipsy, but glad to be that way because it softened the anguish she felt in her heart.

They found a taxi outside the Gare Paris Nord railway station and had it take them across the Seine to the Gare Paris Austerlitz, where Philippe bought tickets on the midnight train to Nîmes, managing to get them a couchette or berth each, albeit in separate, single sex compartments. They boarded the train and Philippe carried Alice’s case into her compartment for her, where three other women were already making themselves comfortable for the eight-hour journey.

After claiming her berth, they stepped outside into the corridor. ‘Sleep well,’ Philippe said, putting his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek.

Alice clung to him and whispered, ‘Thank you for looking after me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

They held each other a few moments longer, then Alice stepped into her compartment while Philippe set off towards the next carriage to find his.

As the train pulled out of the station dead on midnight, it was still only eleven p.m. in Pinner, where Butcher had just dropped Hubbard outside his house. Before they had left the farm at nine-thirty, the forensic team had managed to make a positive identification of the victim when they had found his photo-card driver’s license in his wallet upstairs. Hubbard had also asked Potter if he could get his fingerprint expert to e-mail the prints he lifted from the gun-safe and the handle of the whip directly to the lab at New Scotland Yard so he could look for a match as soon as Webley was picked up.

Halfway home, Hubbard had received the call he’d been waiting for. The team that had been phoning around the airlines had come up trumps. Webley was booked to fly British Airways to New York at ten in the morning, but Hubbard was going to make it his business to see he missed his flight.

As he got out of the car, he said, ‘See you in the morning, Paul, eight o’clock sharp.’

‘I’ll be here,’ Butcher replied, ‘handcuffs polished.’

As he pulled away, Hubbard trotted up the path and his wife opened the front door. The delicious aroma of cooking greeted him and he knew his dinner would be waiting. After what he’d seen this evening, he was very glad to be returning to his haven of normality.

Chapter 13

The sun was shining at the start of a beautifully warm day as the train pulled into Nîmes, a few minutes after eight a.m. local time. Philippe carried Alice’s case as they walked out through the glass doors of the station onto Boulevard Sergent Triaireinto, looking for a taxi. The journey had been smooth and comfortable, but Alice had had difficulty sleeping. The few times that she had managed to doze off, she’d woken again almost immediately with visions of Alex’s tattered body in her mind.

They managed to find a cab and within ten minutes were at the aerodrome, where they transferred into Philippe’s car. After stopping at the boulangerie in the village for hot croissants and bread, they finally arrived at the hunting lodge where Alice brewed fresh coffee while Philippe made a phone call, then they settled down to a traditional French breakfast.

‘It’s good to be back here,’ Alice said, dunking a piece of croissant into her bowl of coffee. ‘It’s so warm and relaxing… seems like a million miles away from England.’

‘I know what you mean,’ Philippe replied, lifting his bowl with both hands and taking a sip of coffee, ‘but don’t get too relaxed. As soon as we have finished this, we must pack and get on our way.’

‘Where are we going?’ Alice asked with surprise.

‘Back to Chamonix, back up on the mountain.’

‘You’re kidding!’ Alice exclaimed. ‘Why on earth do you want to go back there?’

‘So that you can be found… officially this time.’ Philippe explained, ‘I spent most of the night thinking about this, and I have come up with a plan that will give you a perfect alibi for yesterday, one that could never be broken.’

‘That sounds great,’ she said. ‘How does it work?’

‘There’s an old refuge called the Couvercle Hut about three kilometers to the south of the Charpoua Hut where we first met. It is in the next valley. The Couvercle is built underneath a huge granite slab, so it is barely visible from the air. It is positioned up on one of the high-mountain skiing routes, so it is only ever used in the winter. I know the rescue teams did not go that far up when they were searching for you, Lochet told me. There is a path that leads up to it from the Mer de Glace, but it is steep, and will be very dangerous after all the snow that has fallen in the past week.

‘If you had been thrown out of the aircraft just five hundred meters further south than you actually were, you would have fallen onto the other side of the peaks and ended up on the Glacier de Talèfre, just above the Couvercle Hut. Now my plan is this: We drive up to Chamonix this afternoon and climb up to the Couvercle Hut. I just checked and the weather is still bad in the area, so we should be able to get up there without being seen. When we get there, I’ll take all the climbing equipment and go back to the Charpoua Hut. Then we wait.’

‘What for?’ Alice asked.

‘For the weather to clear. As soon as the weather improves, which they say should be by tomorrow, the PGHM helicopter will start making regular patrols again and that is when they will find you.’

‘You think they’ll believe I’ve been in that hut for a whole week?’ she asked.

‘They will have no choice but to believe you. How could you have got all the way up there without any climbing equipment? There is always plenty of food and water stored in the huts for emergencies, and the Couvercle even has an oil heater, so you will be quite comfortable.’

‘And after they find me, how do I explain how I got up there?’

‘You tell them the truth… then swear out a complaint against your husband for attempted murder with the evidence from the PGHM to back you up… then you file for divorce.’

Alice thought for a few moments, then smiled. ‘It’s perfect,’ she said. ‘It solves all my problems at once!’

‘All our problems,’ Philippe replied. ‘Now eat up, we’ve got a long day ahead of us.’

.

Back in London, Butcher and Hubbard were just about to arrive at Heathrow’s Terminal Five. Hubbard had spoken with the head of the Airport Police the previous evening, and had told him he intended to make an arrest as the flight boarded. He’d also arranged for the Airport Police to provide some uniformed backup and for them to be on full alert for Webley from early this morning.

After parking in the short-term car park, they made their way up to the departure gate where there was already a strong police presence in the form of a male and female uniformed officer, each armed with light machineguns, and a senior, unarmed officer. Hubbard approached the senior man, introduced himself, then asked, ‘Any sign of him yet?’

‘No sir, but he’s checked in. He’s due here any moment now.’

‘Right, I don’t want to scare him off. Get your people out of sight, will you, but make sure they’re covering the exit in case he tries to leg it.’

The uniformed officer briefed his two staff while Hubbard and Butcher made their way to the desk where passengers were expected to show their boarding passes. Two young women in British Airways uniforms staffed the desk while a male supervisor wearing an airline captain-type uniform, complete with peaked cap, paced back and forth in the background. Hubbard approached the desk and signaled to the supervisor. As the man approached, Hubbard flashed his warrant card and said, ‘I take it you’ve been briefed about our operation this morning?’

‘Yes sir,’ the supervisor replied crisply. ’How do you want to play it?’

‘Probably the best way is if we sit nearby, then as soon as he tries to board, you give us a nod and we’ll make the arrest as quietly as possible.’

‘Right-oh, if you sit just over there, I’ll signal you as soon as he comes through.’

Hubbard and Butcher found a place to sit where they could see the desk, then waited patiently as passengers started to board, mostly couples and the occasional single man or woman, but no one remotely resembling the description they had of Webley. Then, at exactly nine-thirty, a tall, dark haired man, impeccably dressed in a hand-made business suit, approached the desk. As he stood speaking to one of the receptionists with his back to the two Scotland Yard men, the supervisor looked directly at Hubbard and gave an imperceptible nod.

‘We’re on,’ Hubbard said, getting up out of his seat and walking over to stand behind Ross.

‘Ross Frederic Arthur Webley?’ Hubbard asked.

‘That’s Sir Ross if you don’t mind,’ Ross said belligerently, spinning around to face the two policemen. ‘Who the hell are you?’

‘Police officers,’ Hubbard said, holding his warrant card up in front of Ross’s eyes. ‘I’m Detective Chief Inspector Hubbard, this is Detective Sergeant Butcher. You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…’

‘What?’ Ross exploded, his face turning scarlet, ‘On what charge?’

‘Suspicion of murder,’ Hubbard said simply.

‘That’s nonsense,’ Ross scoffed. ‘It was an accident, everybody knows that.’

Hubbard and Butcher exchanged a glance. ‘What was an accident?’ Hubbard asked.

‘My wife’s death, you fool. Now leave me alone before I have both your badges. I’ve got a flight to catch!’ Ross spat, turning his back on Hubbard and starting towards the gate.

Hubbard and Butcher reacted in unison, grabbing one of Ross’s arms each, pulling them up behind his back and quickly slapping handcuffs on, sending his briefcase and boarding card flying. On hearing the fracas, the armed officers rushed in and took up position either side of the prisoner.

Ross was outraged. ‘What the bloody hell do you thing you’re doing?’ he roared, struggling against the handcuffs.

‘I told you,’ Hubbard said calmly, ‘I am placing you under arrest.’

‘And I told you, my wife’s death was an accident.’

‘It’s interesting you should say that, but this has nothing to do with your wife. You are being arrested in connection with the murder of Alex James Crawford. Now listen carefully while I read you your rights.’

Ross stood in shocked silence, visibly deflated as Hubbard advised him of his rights. ‘Do you have anything to say?’ Hubbard asked as Butcher took his notebook out.

‘Alex?’ he asked incredulously, ‘Alex is dead? How did it happen?’

‘We were rather hoping you would be able to tell us that,’ Hubbard said, grasping his upper arm and leading him towards the exit. ‘Come on, we’ve got a car outside.’

All the fight had gone out of Ross as he was led from the gate in a daze, flanked by Hubbard and the two armed officers. Butcher brought up the rear with Ross’s briefcase.

Just outside, the resident Heathrow freelance reporter and photographer were hanging about like vultures, hoping to hassle someone famous, who they had heard was due to board the flight to New York. As soon as they spotted the armed police and the handcuffs on Ross, they were all over the small party like a rash.

The reporter trotted along beside Hubbard firing questions, all of which were answered with a crisp, ‘No comment.’ The photographer, who was obviously an expert at running backwards, fired off shot after shot with his digital camera until they reached the exit and Ross was bundled into the back of a police van.

As the van pulled away and the police officers dispersed, Hubbard and Butcher to the car park and the two uniformed officers back to normal duties, the reporter and photographer headed back up to the departure gate.

‘Who do you reckon he was then?’ the photographer asked.

‘Don’t ask me,’ the reporter replied, ‘but it should be easy enough to find out. Wait here.’

The resident reporter had been working Heathrow for three years and had cultivated a large number of useful friends and contacts, especially among the female members of staff, due to his roguish good looks and native cockney charm. He walked back to the departure gate and found just the two girls behind the desk, the supervisor was nowhere to be seen. Both receptionists looked up and beamed as he approached them.

‘Hello, girls,’ he said with a huge grin.’

‘Might have known you’d be somewhere close by,’ one of them said cheekily.

‘You know me, I can smell a story a mile off. Speaking of which, who was that bloke they just carted off?’

‘Bloke? What bloke, we didn’t see any bloke, did we Elaine?’ one of the girls said, turning to her friend.

‘Come on girls, don’t hold out on me. You know I’ll see you all right.’

‘Same arrangement as before?’

‘If you like.’

‘Okay, quickly then, before his nibs comes back. His name is…’

.

Less than half an hour later, the story, complete with photographs, was being sent to one of the news wire services by e-mail from the reporter’s laptop. He’d extracted Ross’s home address and telephone number from the girls on the British Airways desk and had interviewed Mrs Holland, the housekeeper, over the phone. She’d inadvertently given him rather more information than she’d meant to, and by the end of the call he had details of Ross, Alex Crawford, Young Charles, Lady Webley’s recent accident and the address of the farm. Combining this with what he’d learnt from the receptionists, he’d produced a lively and suggestive story which was bound to be snapped up by the editors of all the Sunday rags.

.

Back at Scotland yard, Hubbard was up in his office calling off the general alert for Webley, while Butcher supervised the booking-in procedure where the suspect was fingerprinted, photographed and allowed to make one phone call. After that, he was escorted to an interview room where he was left alone, sitting at a plain wooden table while an officer in the adjoining room kept him under video surveillance. Hubbard was in no particular rush to get the interview started. He knew it would be pointless to even try before the lawyer arrived anyway, Webley was far too sharp to start talking without his brief present.

As soon as the fingerprints had been taken, they were rushed to the lab and compared with those that had been sent up from the East Sussex Police. Hubbard was advised of the results as soon as the comparisons had been made, and was not surprised that they were a perfect match. The other interesting piece of information the lab had for him concerned the shoe prints. East Sussex Police had send photographs and measurements and the boys in the lab had identified the shoe type by its distinctive, wood-louse shaped tread pattern as a Hush Puppy, size ten.

Ross’s lawyer, Jeffery Barnes, finally arrived after having been dragged from the golf course, at about eleven o’clock. After spending a short time in private with his client he indicated that they was ready to start the interview. Hubbard and Butcher made their way down to the interview room and introduced themselves to Barnes, who immediately launched an attack. ‘Now look here, Chief Inspector, my client demands to know why…’

Hubbard put his hand up, cutting Barnes off short. ‘Please wait until the recording machine had been started,’ he said firmly.

They all sat down at the table, Barnes and his client on one side, Hubbard and Butcher on the other as Butcher inserted a freshly labeled CD into the recording machine, pressed the record button and clearly enunciated, ‘Saturday the fourteenth of September. Ross Frederic Arthur Webley interview number one. I am Detective Sergeant Butcher, also present are Detective Chief Inspector Hubbard and Mr Jeffery Barnes of Barnes, Ashcroft and Peterson Lawyers.’

The official oral labeling of the interview CD over, Barnes said, ‘Well, Chief Inspector? What is the meaning of this arrest?’

‘Last night, the body of one Alex James Crawford was found by myself and Sergeant Butcher at Moor End Farm, your client’s country residence. He’d been shot.’

Ross was staring at Hubbard incredulously. ‘Shot?’ he asked, ‘by whom?’

‘That’s what we intend to find out,’ Hubbard said menacingly.

‘You don’t think I did it, surely?’ Ross gushed, ‘I loved him! I would never have harmed a hair on his head!’

Barnes laid his hand on his client’s forearm. ‘Best not to say too much, old man,’ he advised. ‘Just answer their questions, then we’ll get you out of here.’

Hubbard continued, ‘Can you describe your movements from, let’s say, the time you left your wife’s funeral?’

‘I took my son to lunch, then dropped him back at Eton and drove down to my farm.’

‘Had you arranged to meet Mr Crawford there?’

‘Yes.’

‘For what reason?’ Hubbard asked.

Ross hesitated for a few moments, then said, ‘We were lovers, as I’m sure you know by now. We met in order to make love.’

Barnes was taken aback by this revelation and scribbled furiously on his yellow legal pad, trying not to look at his client.

‘When did you leave the farm?’ Hubbard asked.

‘About quarter past six, I think.’

‘And what about Mr Crawford? Was he alive when you left him?’

‘Of course he was,’ Ross shouted, then settling down slightly he added, ‘He was going to tidy up then go back to London.’

‘Which door did you leave the farmhouse by?’

‘The front, of course. My car was parked directly outside.’

‘Where did you go after leaving the farm?’

‘I had arranged to stay with friends who live in Sunbury, near Heathrow. Reggie and Janet Fortesque. They always have me to stay when I’m flying out of Heathrow. I leave my car in their garages and Reggie drives me up to the airport. Makes the journey much easier.’

‘What time did you arrive there?’ Hubbard asked.

‘About quarter to eight. I was just in time for dinner.’

‘Did you go straight there from the farm?’

‘Yes.’

‘You didn’t stop anywhere on the way?’

‘Just for petrol.’

‘Where was that and what time?’

‘The BP station on the A27, just past Lewes. It could only have been five minutes after I left the farm. If you let me have my wallet back, I’ll show you the credit card chit.’

‘We’ll look at that later.’ Hubbard made some notes then changed his tack. ‘Who knows the combination to your gun-safe?’

‘My gun-safe? Don’t tell me he was shot with one of the Purdeys!’

‘Answer the question please,’ Hubbard said firmly.

Ross hesitated then said slowly, ‘Just myself and my late wife.’

‘Are you certain about that?’

‘Absolutely, my wife and I were extremely careful about keeping it a secret. She was terrified that our son would find a way into it and get his hands on the guns.’

Hubbard changed tack again. ‘Do you own a pair of Hush Puppy shoes?’

‘Certainly not,’ Ross scoffed. ‘I have all my footwear handmade by a little chap in London.’

Hubbard made more notes then said,’ I’d like to leave it there while we check the things you’ve just told us. We’ll start again in half an hour.’

Butcher switched the recorder off and followed Hubbard out of the room. As soon as the door was shut he asked, ‘What do you reckon, Boss?’

‘I’ve interviewed a lot of villains in my time,’ Hubbard said thoughtfully, ‘and although I hate to say it, I think he may be telling us the truth.’

Butcher thought for a moment. ‘I suppose it’s possible someone could have broken in while they were upstairs, cracked the safe thinking it held the family jewels, then been disturbed by Crawford after Webley had gone.’

‘It’s possible, that might explain the Hush Puppies and why he went out the back door,’ Hubbard mused. ‘The other thing is, I can’t see that Webley had a motive. Let’s check up on his story anyway, then have another go at him.’

Half an hour later, they were back in the interview room with the CD recorder running. A search of Ross’s London home had revealed nothing incriminating and no shop bought shoes. The Fortesques had confirmed his story, also saying he’d seemed perfectly normal when he’d arrived. The credit card receipt they found in his wallet showed a time of 18:23, also confirming what he’d told them.

The lab had been over his clothes and the contents of his suitcases and had found no trace of blood and no Hush Puppies. Hubbard’s well-developed instinct was starting to tell him they had the wrong man, for this crime anyway. But there was still the question of his wife’s body. Why had he automatically assumed he was being arrested for his wife’s death, and why had he been so insistent that it was an accident?

‘Tell me,’ Hubbard started, ‘why did you have your wife’s remains cremated so quickly after your return from France?’

Ross was ready for this question, had been for days. ‘I had urgent business in the United States that would keep me there for some months,’ he said confidently. ‘It was a simple choice of having the ceremony immediately, or waiting until I returned. For my son’s sake, I thought it best to get it over with.’

It seemed reasonable enough, but Hubbard pressed on. ‘Who identified your wife’s body after the accident?’ he asked.

‘I did,’ Ross answered, confident that no one could now contradict him.

‘And you are certain that the body you identified was in fact that of your wife, Lady Webley?’

‘Absolutely certain. After all, a man should know his own wife, what?’

‘You would have thought so,’ Hubbard said. ‘What if I were to tell you that I have reason to believed that the body you put forward for cremation was not, in fact, your wife?’

‘I would say that you would have a hard job proving it now,’ Ross said with a smile.

Hubbard paused for a moment then said, ‘On the contrary. You saw an empty coffin cremated. The body we had removed from it before the cremation is now lying in the mortuary of a nearby hospital, and I, for one, am confident that it is not your wife. What have you got to say to that?’

Ross’s mirth changed instantly to shock, which he expertly covered, then delivered his pre-made excuse with a confidence borne out of years of lying. ‘I suppose I could have made a mistake,’ he admitted humbly, ‘she was pretty badly smashed up you know, and I’d had a few before going up to the hospital.’

For the second time, Hubbard was half inclined to believe what he was being told. He was also beginning to wonder if having the first wife exhumed was going to be a mistake, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop that now, the procedure was due to go ahead in a few hours’ time. Anyway, he was only about fifty percent certain about Webley. Either he was an innocent man, or he was the best liar he’d ever come across in thirty years on the force. Time to start again.

Hubbard went right back to the beginning and asked all the same questions again in a slightly different way, but after three solid hours, he’d still not managed to get Ross to make a single mistake or change his story on either subject one iota. Finally, by two thirty, Hubbard decided he was wasting his time, so after confiscating his passport, he released Ross pending further investigation. He also intended to speak to the police in Chamonix to find out more about the disappearance of Lady Webley, but that could wait until Monday.

Right now, all he wanted to do was to get home, spend a little time with his wife, then have his dinner before heading up to Minster at Stone for the exhumation, which was scheduled, like most exhumations, to take place in the dead of the night.

Chapter 14

Alice woke abruptly as Philippe stopped to pay the toll at the beginning of the Autoroute Blanche, just south of Geneva on the last leg of their drive to Chamonix. She’d been so tired after her sleepless night on the train that she’d nodded off almost immediately they had left the house.

They’d had a busy morning. Directly after they’d finished their breakfast, Philippe had announced that they must get rid of all the clothes they had been wearing the previous day, just in case they were ever linked to the farm. They had both gone and changed then he’d put every single item, including jackets and shoes, into the washing machine on a boil wash. While they were waiting for that to finish, he’d burned the bogus lawyer’s report and deleted the file from his hard disk. Once the washing machine had finished, he’d bagged the clothes and shoes up with his household rubbish and had driven it to the local tip, where he’d thrown it into the compacting machine personally.

While he’d been gone, Alice had treated herself to a long, hot bath, then had got dressed into her dirty, blood stained walking gear and the spare trousers which they had borrowed from the Charpoua Hut. She’d also looked out the hooded jacket, gloves and crampons they had borrowed, ready to take with her. After that, she’d carefully packed all her new clothes away into a suitcase, which Philippe had hidden in his own bedroom. Philippe had then changed into his climbing gear, packed an overnight bag, and by midday they had been ready to roll.

Just before they had left, Philippe had logged onto BBC Online on the Internet, looking for any news of the shooting. The BBC hadn’t, by that time, picked the story up, so there was no mention of it. Alice had told him he was wasting his time and explained that while they were away, their housekeeper only went in once a week, on a Wednesday, to do the dusting, so it was unlikely the body would be discovered until then. Philippe hadn’t told her about the car that had pulled up while he’d still been in the house. He hadn’t wanted her to feel pursued on top of all her other emotions.

Now, as they cruised smoothly up the Autoroute with the massive, snow capped peaks gradually enfolding them, Philippe told Alice the next stage of his plan.

‘Just before we get into Chamonix I’m going to drop you off,’ he told her. ‘Then I’m going up to see Batard, the head of the Platoon of High Mountain Police.’

Alice looked shocked. ‘What on earth do you want to see him for?’ she asked.

‘To let him know where I am,’ he explained. ‘When they find you, they are going to realize the mistake they made with Louisa’s body and will want to contact me. I just want to make it easy for them.’

‘I see,’ Alice said. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘I’ll drop you off at a lay-by just past the entrance to the Mont Blanc Tunnel, that’s about a twenty minute walk from the Montenvers rack railway station in Chamonix. You walk along to the station and buy a return ticket to the Mer de Glace. You should be able to catch the four thirty.’

‘Will you meet me there?’ Alice asked.

‘I’ll catch the same train, but we must not be seen together. If you see me, ignore me. When you get to the top, walk down the path towards the glacier, the one we came up, and wait for me.’

‘Okay, anything else?’

‘Yes,’ Philippe said, looking at her and smiling, ‘try not to look so beautiful. Remember, it was only a few days ago your picture was being shown to hundreds of rescuers, we can’t take the risk of someone recognizing you.’

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Alice said bitterly, ‘remember, I’m the classic stereotype. I look exactly like a thousand other women. No one sees past the hair and sunglasses.’

‘I do,’ he replied.

‘Thank you for that,’ she said, squeezing his hand. Then looking forward and up, through the windscreen, she said, ‘Anyway, judging by the weather up ahead, I’m going to have to have that jacket on with the hood up.’

‘That reminds me, I want to try to get the weather forecast from CHUT FM as soon as we are within range. We should be able to pick them up from here.’

Philippe switched the car radio on and punched the key he had permanently pre-programmed for the local Chamonix station. They were just in time for the four o’clock news and the French newsreader’s resonant voice filled the car. ‘The top story this afternoon is from England. Sir Ross Webley, the man who funded the massive search and rescue bid for his wife in Chamonix earlier this week, has been arrested for the murder of his secretary, who was found shot dead last night at the Englishman’s country house just hours after the cremation of his wife. Police from Scotland Yard arrested Webley this morning as he attempted to leave the country. Now for some local news…’

Alice let out a little cry. ‘They’ve arrested Ross!’

‘What did you expect?’ Philippe asked calmly.

‘I don’t know… I guess I hadn’t thought about it,’ Alice admitted.

‘I had,’ he said, ‘when you look at the evidence that was left all over the place, there is only one conclusion that the police could possibly come to.’

She thought for a moment then asked, ‘Do you think there’s enough evidence for them to convict him?’

‘I would have thought so,’ Philippe answered. ‘I think it is called poetic justice in English.’

‘Yes,’ Alice said, her lips contorting into a grim smile, ‘and it’s exactly what he deserves.’

‘By the time you have had him prosecuted for attempted murder, on top of what he is already facing, he will be away for a very long time.’

‘The longer the better as far as I’m concerned,’ Alice spat.

.

Back in London, Ross and his lawyer, Barnes were standing on the sidewalk just outside New Scotland Yard, trying to find a taxi. The rain that had been plaguing the country for the past few days had finally gone leaving the afternoon warm and bright. A black cab swooped into the curb and both men climbed into the back. They had decided to share a cab so that they could have a brief chat.

‘Thanks for getting me out of there,’ Ross said with relief, as soon as they were under way.

Barnes looked at him with puzzlement. The revelations about Ross’s homosexuality had been a shock, and he suddenly realized that although they had been friends for years, he didn’t know the man at all. ‘I’m worried about you Ross,’ he said. ‘Normally you’d be bellowing with righteous indignation in this situation. I say, there isn’t anything to these accusations is there?’

‘Of course not,’ Ross replied confidently. ‘I told you, Alex was alive and well when I left him, all I can think is that someone broke in after I left and shot him. I’m just a bit shocked by it all, to be honest.’

‘What about this business with your wife’s body? Do you think you may have made a mistake with the identification?’

‘It’s always possible, I suppose. I was in a hell of a state that night.’

‘Yes, I can quite imagine,’ Barnes replied sympathetically, thinking of his own wife.

‘What’s going to happen next?’ Ross asked.

‘They’ll probably want you back for more questioning on Monday, but don’t worry, we’ll make sure they don’t hold you,’ Barnes reassured him. ‘As far as I can see they’ve got nothing but circumstantial evidence.’

‘Plenty of people have gone to prison on circumstantial evidence,’ Ross observed.

Just then, the taxi pulled over to the side of the road and Barnes jumped up saying, ‘Ah, here’s where I get out.’ Turning to Ross, he said, ‘If you need me over the weekend, just call. Goodbye.’

The taxi pulled away and headed for Regents Park, where it deposited Ross outside his house. Ross had just paid the driver when the front door of the house flew open and Mrs Holland launched herself down the steps.

‘Oh Sir, thank goodness you’re home. We’ve had the police here searching everything and those awful newspaper reporters keep ringing up and knocking on the door. They say Mr Alex’s been shot! It’s not true, is it?’

‘I’m afraid it is true, Mrs Holland,’ he said remorsefully.

Mrs Holland burst into tears. ‘First Her Ladyship and now Mr Alex,’ she sobbed from behind her handkerchief as she followed Ross into the house.

She was beginning to grate on his already frayed nerves so he said, ‘Look Mrs Holland, I can see you’re upset. Why don’t you take some time off, eh? Get away for a little holiday somewhere.’

‘I couldn’t sir,’ she sobbed. ‘Who’d look after you?’

‘I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself, Mrs Holland, besides, I’ll probably go and stay with friends until this blows over.’

‘That’s very wise sir… well, if you’re sure, I had planned to stay with my sister for a few days while you were away.’

‘You get on your way then,’ he said, going into his study and shutting the door behind him. Suddenly, ensconced in privacy and away from the hostility of the police, the full horror of what had happened hit him. He slumped down in an armchair, buried his face in his hands and wept. Alex, dear Alex, what happened to you? His mind went back to the passion and newfound sense of freedom they had shared the previous afternoon. It had been difficult at times over the past five years, living in the same house as the person he adored and not being able to show that love, or even hint at it most of the time.

He got up, poured himself a large brandy, took the phone off the hook then slumped back down in his chair, thinking back to the first time he’d ever seen Alex, seven years ago on stage at the Chez Nous on Marburgerstrasse in Berlin. The Chez Nous was an outrageous drag club that was based on Isherwood’s seedy Berlin of the early 1930’s. Alex had been billed as Die Engländerin Rose, The English Rose, and it had certainly been an apt description.

Ross remembered how he’d been sitting in the dark, smoky club in among the fat German businessmen and their high-class whores, when the lights had gone out. A few seconds later a single spotlight had illuminated a figure on the stage, which had made him sit up and take notice. That had been his first glimpse of Alex. He’d been dressed in an incredible costume that was split right down the middle. One half was male and the other half female. On the male side of his body he’d been wearing a dinner suit and had short dark hair and a moustache. On the female side, he’d been wearing a beautiful blue, full-length satin evening dress with a slit up the side, which hugged his hip and revealed the occasional glimpse of a long, silky leg. The hair on that side was long and blond.

Ross remembered how he had been absolutely captivated by this vision of what, for him, was the ultimate erotic fantasy. He’d watched spellbound as Alex had performed a slow, seductive song in a husky, Marlene Dietrich style voice, and had become more and more aroused as he’d swung from side to side apparently changing sex with every turn. After the performance, barely able to contain his excitement, he’d bribed a waiter to take him backstage to meet Die Engländerin Rose.

Ross smiled as he remembered how they had hit it off immediately. After Alex’s final performance that night, through which Ross had sat absolutely riveted and extremely aroused, they had gone out for supper, then had gone back to Alex’s flat where they discovered that they shared similar and compatible sexual preferences.

It hadn’t been long before Ross had convinced him to leave the club and to come back to London, where they would be able to see much more of each other. Ross had fixed him up in an elegant flat and came to visit several times a week, mostly in the afternoons. Alex had soon found work in a drag club in Soho and their relationship had settled down into a comfortable and regular routine, with each falling more and more in love with the other.

After two years though, they had found that they simply couldn’t bear to be apart for more than a few hours at a time, and Alex had started insisting that Ross should make a choice between himself and Alice. As far as Ross had been concerned, there was no question which of them he preferred from a personal and sexual viewpoint, but there was the question of Alice’s money. If he’d left her and gone to live with Alex full time, he would have effectively been throwing away any chance of getting a share of her inheritance when her old man finally died.

He’d explained the situation to Alex, and after thinking about it, they had hit upon the idea of Alex moving in with him, under the guise of a personal secretary, and to make it perfect, Ross had told Alice that he’d done it for her. He smiled again as he remembered how grateful she’d been and how he and Alex had laughed about it behind her back.

After that, he recalled, things had been almost perfect. Alex had given up performing at the club and they had had the pleasure of seeing each other every day, but also the frustration of having to hide their feelings when other people were around. Initially, he’d kept the flat on so that they had somewhere to go where they could be assured of complete privacy, but then he’d planted the idea in his wife’s mind that she might like to spend more time in the States with her father. When she’d gone, the arrangement was finally perfect, and that’s how things had been up until earlier in the year when Alice had inherited.

He remembered how excited he’d been when he’d heard the news, and how he and Alex had started scheming and plotting, trying to figure out a way to commit the perfect murder. It had been Alex’s idea that he should impersonate Alice, and once they had worked the details out, he’d thrown himself into learning her mannerisms and copying the way she walked.

And now, after all they had been through together, all the time they had waited, all the plans they had made, Alex was dead. Ross was beside himself with grief. He poured himself another large brandy and sat cradling it between his hands as the tears rolled down his face.

.

Back in Chamonix, Philippe was being shown into Batard’s office. When Batard had heard who was asking to see him, he very nearly refused, but now, looking up as Philippe entered, he sensed a difference in the man.

‘Good afternoon Monsieur Dulac,’ he said courteously, standing to shake hands. ‘What can I do for you today.’

‘I just came to apologize for all the trouble I caused you earlier in the week,’ Philippe said humbly. ‘I realize now that you were right and that you were just doing your job.’

Batard was somewhat taken aback. ‘There is no need to apologize Monsieur.’

‘Thank you,’ Philippe said, looking down at the floor, ‘but I just wanted to make sure that you were still going to keep looking for my wife.’

‘Of course we are,’ Batard assured him. ‘The file is still open and we have a good description of her, but I must be honest, I don’t think we stand much chance of finding her now until the springtime.’

‘Maybe not,’ Philippe sighed, ‘but we must keep on looking. She’s out there somewhere.’ He put his hand out to shake again and said, ‘Well, I must go, thank you for seeing me.’

‘What are you going to do now?’ Batard asked, taking his hand.

That’s the question I was waiting for, Philippe thought. ‘I’m going back up onto the Charpoua of course.’

‘In this weather?’ Batard asked, looking out of the window at the leaden sky and light drizzle.

‘The forecast says it will clear within the next twenty-four hours. I want to be up there ready to start searching again as soon as it is clear.’

‘Take care of yourself,’ Batard said as Philippe left his office, ‘and good luck.’

A few minutes later across town at the Montenvers rack railway station, Philippe parked his car, put his rucksack on then walked to the ticket office. After buying his ticket, he went through the barrier and joined the tourists waiting for the next train to take them up to the Mer de Glace. He could see Alice at the far end of the platform wearing her little walking backpack over the red coat they had borrowed from the Charpoua Hut. She had the hood up for protection from the light rain and was standing in among a group of Japanese tourists who had just been offloaded from a coach.

A bell rang in the distance as the level crossing gates came down over the main road, then the bright red train appeared out of the trees and pulled slowly into the station. After disgorging its passengers onto the opposite platform, the doors opened on Philippe and Alice’s side and there was a mad rush for seats as the Japanese stormed the two small carriages. Unwilling to be caught up in the melee of flying elbows and cameras, Philippe and Alice ended up standing at opposite ends of the train in separate carriages.

The train finally pulled out of the station, across the main road, then started climbing up the steep incline through the dense pine forest that dominated the lower part of the valley. Each time there was a break in the trees that offered a glimpse back down towards Chamonix, now nestling in the distance like a model village, there was a mad rush to the windows and a flurry of camera flashes.

When the train finally pulled into the terminus overlooking the Mer de Glace, the weather was horrendous. There was a strong wind blasting up the valley carrying with it snow and sleet. The Japanese contingent, who were all woefully underdressed for the conditions, made a beeline for the restaurant where there was another skirmish over the seats. Alice let them go then disembarked and walked through the terminus and out onto the concrete viewing platform which overlooked the glacier, now invisible due to the driving snow. Turning right, she followed the path as it started to descend toward the glacier, then when she was well out of sight of the terminus, she stepped off the path and sheltered behind a large boulder to wait for Philippe.

Ever since he’d dropped her off and she’d walked along the road alone in the rain, she’d been thinking just how marvelous he’d been since they had met. The care and gentleness he’d shown when she was near to death up on the glacier, and later, these past few days, his ingenuity and the way he’d kept his cool and saved her from going to pieces after that horrific accident at the farm. She’d felt, back at the house before they had left for England, that she was falling in love with him, and now she was certain. She hoped and prayed that he felt the same way about her, and that after this was all over he would want her to stay with him.

Her train of thought was broken as Philippe walked past, not seeing her tucked behind the big rock. She called out to him, and as he turned, he said, ‘There you are. I was beginning to wonder how much further you would go.’

‘How did it go with Batard?’ she asked, as he joined her behind the boulder, out of the wind.

‘Fine, he knows where I will be if he wants me. Are you ready to go on? The sooner we get to the hut, the sooner we will be out of this wind.’

Alice nodded, then fell into step behind him as they made their way down the steep, treacherous path towards the sea of ice. When they arrived at the point where the rock path ended and the ice began, Philippe slipped his rucksack off and unpacked two pairs of goggles, two pairs of crampons and two ice axes. They found a convenient rock to sit on, then clipped the crampons to their boots. Next Philippe unpacked a short length of rope and tied one end around his waist and the other around Alice’s.

Alice looked down on him while he tied the knot. ‘Does this mean we’re engaged?’ she asked playfully.

Philippe looked up in surprise then smiled. ‘Come on, we’ve got a long way to go,’ he said, slipping his rucksack back on and picking his ice axe up.

Pulling their goggles down over their eyes, they stepped onto the hard, blue ice of the massive glacier. When they were half way across, they turned right and started to follow the path that would lead for three miles, straight up the center of the floe. At first the going was relatively easy. They had the wind behind them and their crampons gripped the slippery surface of the ice well, but after over an hour of trudging uphill in the howling wind, Alice started to stumble.

Here and there on the glacier the effects of wind, heat and water had carved massive séracs or pinnacles of ice. As they approached one that was near the path, Philippe led the way to it and made her rest in the shelter it provided. Crouching down in front of her he asked, ‘Are you all right?’

Alice peered out from underneath her hood and lifted her goggles, which were caked with snow. ‘I guess I’m not as strong as I thought I was,’ she said bravely.

‘Are you cold or in pain?’ Philippe asked with concern.

‘A little cold, but mainly just out of breath,’ she replied. ‘Being battered by this wind really takes it out of you. I’ll be okay in a minute.’

Philippe made her rest for ten minutes, then asked, ‘Do you feel strong enough to go on? It won’t be long before we’re off this glacier, then the path is more sheltered.’

She nodded gamely, replaced her goggles, then followed as he led them back to the path and onwards up the glacier. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, she told herself, left-right-left-right. With her head bowed and the wind tearing at her clothes she followed Philippe doggedly, forcing herself to go on, one step at a time, until finally they were off the ice and back onto solid ground. Philippe called a rest and she gratefully sank onto a rock in the shelter of a small cliff. She didn’t feel particularly tired, just weak and pounded after nearly two hours of exposure to the howling gale on the open ice. She looked up to her left and could see the snow covered path leading away steeply upwards, but fortunately, it was on the lee side of a ridge, so at least there would be some shelter from that awful wind.

They chatted a little, and when Philippe was sure that she’d got her breath back, he led the way as they set off on the last leg of their journey. Although the gradient was steeper, Alice found the going much easier now they were out of the worst of the wind. They climbed steadily for nearly an hour before Philippe stopped abruptly, just as they rounded a bend in the path. Alice had had her head down, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, and nearly walked straight into his back. He reached for her hand and pulling her up next to him, pointed through the growing gloom at what looked like a huge, polished biscuit tin tucked under a massive slab of granite.

‘The Couvercle Hut,’ he announced.

As they carried on towards the hut, Alice could see it was about eighteen feet square by ten feet tall, and was completely covered in bright polished aluminum sheeting with a radio antenna and a short, steel chimney protruding from the roof. It had been built on a manmade stone plinth but positioned underneath a natural outcrop of rock for protection. Whilst the side of the hut facing them was relatively sheltered from the wind, the far side was more exposed and she could see it was taking a pounding because of the flurries of snow that were billowing around the structure.

It was after half past seven local time and virtually dark before they finally reached the hut. They removed their crampons outside then Philippe shot the bolts on the heavy door and they staggered into the gloomy interior, gratefully shutting the weather out. They found a couple of hurricane lamps and lit them, then while Philippe went to work on getting the oil-fired stove alight, Alice had a look around.

She found it was a lot like the other hut on the Charpoua Glacier, but this one was bigger and had more than one room. In the main room, there was a wooden table and chairs, and eight bunks fixed to the two end walls. A two-way radio was mounted on a small wooden shelf, with wires leading down to a car battery that sat on the floor below. In another small room, there was a single toilet and a trough to wash in, complete with cold water supplied from an insulated tank high up on the wall. Finally, there was a small kitchen complete with a double gas ring fed from a cylinder, cooking utensils, a good supply of bottled water and hundreds of packets of dehydrated food.

Finishing her tour of inspection, Alice walked back into the main room and announced, ‘This is a regular home from home!’

Philippe had managed to light the stove and the well insulated room was starting to feel warmer already. ‘It’s not bad, is it?’ he said. ‘Why don’t you make yourself comfortable while I make us a hot drink?’

Alice took her jacket and boots off, then dragged a mattress and blanket from one of the bunks and threw it down in front of the old stove. When Philippe came out of the kitchen with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, he found her sitting cross-legged on the mattress in front of the stove with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, soaking up the heat.

‘You look comfortable,’ he said, smiling down at her.

She patted the mattress next to her and said, ‘Take your jacket off and join me, I’ve saved you a place.’ Philippe handed the mugs to her then slipped out of his jacket and sank down beside her, pulling the blanket around his shoulders too. She gave him his mug then cupped her own gratefully in both hands, taking a sip. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said dreamily, ‘thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he replied, smiling at the fuss she was making over a simple cup of hot chocolate.

They spent the next ten minutes sitting side by side under the blanket in the flickering light of the hurricane lamp, enjoying their drinks and listening to the wind howl around the hut, each lost in their own thoughts. The growing warmth, their closeness and the feeling that they were the only two humans alive on the mountain, seemed to slowly generate an electrical charge between them that they could both feel.

Finally, Philippe said awkwardly, ‘I’ve put some water on to boil so we can have some dinner soon. Are you hungry?’

‘Are you kidding?’ Alice asked with mock surprise, feeling just as awkward, ‘I’m half starved after that climb.’

‘Me too, I’d better get on with it,’ he said, getting to his feet and escaping to the kitchen.

Alice followed a few seconds behind him carrying a hurricane lamp. ‘Before you start cooking, could you spare a little of that hot water?’ she asked. ‘I’d like to freshen up before dinner.’

Philippe took a large saucepan down from the shelf and half filled it with boiling water. ‘Is that enough?’ he asked.

‘Plenty, thank you,’ she said, taking the pan and disappearing into the washroom.

.

Back in London, Ross was still drowning his sorrows in brandy. He’d got past mourning Alex and was now feeling thoroughly sorry for himself. All my plans, he thought dolefully, head in hands. The Learjet, the yacht, the place in Monaco, all put on hold for God knows how long until they either find Alice’s body or I can have her declared legally dead. It could be years! How the hell did the police find out that body wasn’t Alice? Suddenly he had another thought. Maybe they suspect me of killing her… and what about Alex? They obviously think I did that! If they tie the two together they might even convince a jury I’m guilty!

All at once, the prospect of going to jail seemed very real. With rising panic he jumped up out of his chair and started pacing the floor. They can’t do it, he told himself, can they? Even if they don’t get a conviction my reputation will be shot to pieces! The newspapers will have a field day, in fact they’ve probably already started digging! I’ll never be invited to another party again! Never be able to go anywhere without people pointing at me behind my back and saying, ‘There goes Sir Ross, they say he shot his male lover you know… yes my dear, that’s what I said, male lover!’

Ross had always sworn that if he ever had to give up the lifestyle he’d become accustomed to he would kill himself. Now that thought crept into his mind again. Walking slowly to his antique writing desk, he pulled the central drawer all the way out then reached into the opening and pressed a concealed lever. A secret draw, directly above, popped open, and there, wrapped in a piece of white linen was his service revolver, which he’d kept illegally ever since leaving the Guards.

He unwrapped the heavy pistol and fondled it affectionately. He couldn’t remember the number of times he’d wanted to use it on Alice over the past few months, as a quick route to her money, but that would have been messy and difficult to explain. Far better to plan things carefully and commit the perfect crime, he’d told himself. Suddenly he laughed aloud at the irony of it all. The perfect crime? Is that what it’s been? I can’t even bloody well prove she’s dead!

He looked down at the weapon in his hand then his face hardened. If I can’t prove she’s dead, he reasoned, the police can’t possibly prove I killed her either… and as for Alex, I know I’m innocent! Now he was getting angry. If they’re going to try to pin that on me, he thought viscously, they’re going to have a hell of a fight on their hands! ‘Just let ‘em try!’ he shouted aloud.

Having convinced himself that everything was going to be all right, he quickly wrapped the gun up, stuffed it back into the drawer then went to the telephone to call Jeff Barnes, but he wasn’t in. He’d just replaced the receiver after leaving a message for Barnes to call him back when the phone started to ring. Fearing it might be a reporter, he answering it cautiously saying, ‘Hello?’

‘Is that you, Ross?’ a familiar voice asked.

‘Yes, It’s me,’ he replied a little woozily, ‘who’s that?’

‘It’s me, Ricky, calling you from the sunny Riviera. I was sorry to hear about Alice. Are you all right, you sound terrible?’

‘Quite all right thanks,’ Ross lied, ‘just tired.’

‘I hate to be the bearer of bad news at a time like this, but you remember that little American we were talking about last week, Wiseman? Well, I think it’s you he’s after, not me.’

Ross suddenly started to pay more attention and tried to pull himself together. ‘What makes you say that?’ he asked.

‘After you tipped me off I put a couple of my men on his tail, and they’ve just come back to me with their report.’

‘And?’ Ross asked impatiently.

‘I won’t bore you by reading the whole thing out, but the gist of it is this. After leaving Monaco, he drove to Switzerland and stayed in a little town called Weggis, where he had a meeting with a couple named Schutz. After leaving them, he visited a lakeside chateau, then carried on and drove straight to Calais. He crossed to England, booked into a hotel in London then went by train to a village called Minster at Stone.’

Ross recognized the name Schutz, and listened with growing concern as his friend described Wiseman’s movements. ‘What did he do up there?’ he asked.

‘According to my men, he went to see the vicar then spent half an hour tidying one of the vaults in the churchyard… your family vault.’

‘That’s only natural,’ Ross said with relief, ‘his aunt is buried there after all. I expect he was just paying his respects.’

‘Maybe,’ Bonatti continued, ‘but you should hear the next part. Directly after leaving the churchyard he went to the local pub and had a heated discussion with a guy called Doctor Mason, then he went straight back to London. In the afternoon he went to Scotland Yard.’

‘Scotland Yard?’ Ross asked incredulously. ‘What was he doing there?’

‘I’m afraid my men couldn’t find out.’

Ross broke out in a cold sweat, then after a few moments asked, ‘When was this?’

‘Thursday afternoon,’ Bonatti replied.

‘And where is he now?’

‘Back in the States. He spent Friday going around the tourist attractions in London then flew back to New York early this morning.’

Ross’s mind was spinning. Surely Wiseman couldn’t have worked out what had happened to his aunt? And even if he had, the police wouldn’t listen to him… would they?

Bonatti was speaking again. ‘Ross… Ross, you still there?’

‘Sorry Ricky,’ Ross said, suddenly realizing he was still connected. ‘Just thinking. Thanks for the gen, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.’

‘I hope not. Anyway, see you later. Goodbye.’

Ross hung up then stood thinking for a moment. I must get up to Minster at Stone, he thought, and find out what that idiot Mason told him. Deciding to leave immediately, he slipped his jacket on and felt for his car keys. ‘Damn,’ he shouted aloud as he remembered he’d left the Jaguar at Reggie Fortesque’s place. Picking the phone up again, he dialed Reggie’s number.

‘Reggie? Ross here. Look old man, I’m in a bit of a fix and I need my car. You couldn’t run it over here for me could you? I’ll drop you back home straight away.’

‘Sorry old boy,’ Reggie replied cheerfully, ‘no can do. The police took it away this morning don’t you know.’

‘Took it away?’ Ross asked in disbelief.

‘Yes, stuck it on the back of a damn great lorry and carted it off. Said they wanted to test it for something or other, didn’t understand a word of it, not much I could do.’

Ross let the receiver drop from his ear as he thought about this latest development then hung up abruptly and headed out of the back door, down the steps, through the garden and into the garages in the mews. As well as the new Jaguar, he also had a bright red, 1960’s E-Type, which was kept in mint condition. Pushing the button to operate the electric garage door, he jumped into the vintage Jaguar, fired up the hugely powerful V12 engine, then spun the rear wheels as he accelerated out of the mews onto the dark London streets.

Chapter 15

By the time Alice had finished freshening up, dinner was nearly ready and the hut was filled with a delicious aroma. She walked through into the tiny kitchen, handed Philippe the saucepan she’d borrowed then said, ‘Mmm, that smells good, what is it?’

‘Pasta and stew,’ he replied, ‘I’m afraid that’s all there is. The skiers like heavy carbohydrate food.’

‘So do I,’ Alice confided, ‘when I’m not watching my figure. It’s a pity we haven’t got any wine.’

‘Ah, but we have!’ Philippe said. ‘Stir this for me while I get it.’

Alice stirred the stew while he went out into the main room and delved into his rucksack. After a few moments, he pulled a bottle of red wine from the bag with a flourish and said, ‘Voilà!’

Alice laughed and clapped her hands, ‘You’re a genius,’ she said as he carried it into the kitchen.

‘I’m afraid we’ll have to drink it out of mugs,’ he said.

‘Who cares? It’ll be more romantic that way,’ Alice smiled.

Philippe pulled the cork out of the wine with the corkscrew on his Swiss Army Knife while Alice dished the stew and pasta up onto a couple of tin plates and put them on the table. Seated opposite each other, Philippe poured the wine then proposed a toast. ‘To your future happiness,’ he said raising his mug.

‘Our future happiness,’ she corrected, clanking her mug against his.

They each took a mouthful of wine then tucked into their food with the raging appetite that climbing and thin mountain air always gives. Neither of them spoke for the first few minutes as they enjoyed the food, then Alice said between mouthfuls, ‘I was thinking earlier, how can we be sure nobody has been up to this hut in the past week?’

Philippe swallowed and said, ‘Because of the logbook.’

‘Logbook?’

‘Yes,’ he explained, ‘each of these refuge huts has a logbook. Anyone who visits or stays in a hut must write his name in the book. I looked at it earlier and no one has been here since September 1st when the helicopter crew replenished all the supplies for the winter.’

Alice nodded and carried on eating. After another few mouthfuls she asked, ‘What about that radio? Won’t they say I should have used it to call for help?’

‘I thought of that too,’ he replied, ‘but unfortunately there’s a loose connection in the wiring and it doesn’t work.’

‘How do you know?’ she asked with surprise.

‘Because I loosened it with my penknife while you were having your wash,’ he said with a grin.

Alice laughed, ‘Looks like you’ve thought of just about everything,’ she said.

‘I hope so. There is one more job we must do after dinner though. We need to dump a load of the food and water down the toilet.’

‘I get it,’ Alice said, ‘just to complete the illusion the I’ve been up here for a week.’

‘Exactly. These huts with toilets have a septic tank that is taken away by helicopter and disposed of properly so as not to pollute the mountains. Just in case anyone wants to check up, we have to use enough food and water, and put enough waste into the toilet to make it look like you have been here a whole week.’

After dinner, they washed the plates and saucepans then carried a dozen packets of dried food and five litre bottles of mineral water through to the toilet. Alice emptied the bottles of water into the wash trough while Philippe emptied the sachets of food down the toilet, flushing it after each one along with some toilet paper. When they had finished, they put the empty bottles and packets in a box in the kitchen then took what was left of the wine and sat back down on the mattress in front of the stove.

Now the time was drawing near when Alice knew he would have to leave her alone, she started to grow melancholy. ‘How long will it take you to get back to the Charpoua Hut?’ she asked.

Philippe thought for a moment then said, ‘About two hours I expect.’

‘Won’t it be dangerous in the dark?’

‘Not too bad,’ he said nonchalantly, ‘I’ve got a good lantern and I know the path well.’

They sat in silence for a while longer drinking their wine, not knowing what to say. Finally Philippe swallowed the last of his wine and stood up. ‘I suppose I had better be going,’ he said, taking his empty mug through into the kitchen.

‘So soon?’ Alice asked, getting up and following him.

‘I expect you’re tired and want to get to bed,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow.’

Something inside Alice snapped and tears filled her eyes. She threw her arms around him, burying her face against his chest and sobbed, ‘I don’t want you to go… please don’t leave me yet.’

Philippe brought his arms up and squeezed her tight, nuzzling his face into her hair. ‘Alice,’ he whispered, ‘there’s something I want to ask you.’

She stopped crying and looked up into his eyes, wondering if this was going to be the moment she’d been waiting for. ‘What is it?’ she asked softly, barely able to speak.

‘I was going to wait… wait until things were settled,’ he stammered, ‘but I must know now. When this is all over… when you have got your divorce… when you are free again… will you marry me?’

Alice felt a pulse of pleasure surge through her body. ‘I thought you were never going to ask me,’ she said, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

In response, he took her in his arms and kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. It made her legs go weak and her toes curl. When their lips finally parted, Alice kept her arms locked around his neck but pulled away a little so she could look at him. ‘I think I ought to tell you, there are one or two things you should know if you’re going to take me on,’ she said ominously, but with a smile.

‘Such as?’ Philippe asked, smiling back at her.

‘I’ve decided to put my father’s company in trust for Charles until he is twenty-five, then he will own it outright. I’ll be coming to you with nothing.’

‘Perfect, that’s exactly how I want you,’ he replied dreamily.

‘And I’m going to take Charles out of Eton and have him live at home from now on.’

‘Even better, you know I’ve always wanted children.’

‘And I want to get my hair cut short. I’m sick of being a stereotype.’

‘I will love you no matter how much hair you have,’ he said. ‘Anything else?’

‘Just this. I want to have two babies, one right after the other, straight away, before I get too old.’

‘I will give you all the babies you want,’ he said, pulling her back in close and kissing her again.

When their lips parted for the second time, Alice nuzzled into his neck and whispered, ‘You know, if things go on like this I might just change my mind about marrying you.’

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, nibbling her ear.

‘You promised to give me babies,’ she breathed, ‘and you haven’t delivered.’

Philippe didn’t need any more encouragement than that. With her arms still locked around his neck, he picked her up, carried her easily across the hut and laid her down on the mattress. Then, with the wind shrieking outside and the hut shuddering beneath them, Philippe took Alice in his arms and made the earth move for her, gently, passionately, over and over again, in ways she’d never even dreamed of…

.

Ross arrived at Minster at Stone and parked the E-Type in the High Street. Taking a flashlight from the car, he walked down to the dark churchyard and around the winding path to his family vault. To his immense relief, he found everything as it should be. He noticed that the entrance was clean and tidy, but the heavy, wrought iron gate was still securely locked in place with the chunky padlocks, now rusted solid, that had been fitted over twenty years earlier after his first wife’s funeral.

Feeling much better, he walked up to the doctor’s house, only to find after knocking repeatedly and ringing the bell that although there was a light on, no one was at home. After thinking for a moment, he decided to try the pub and made his way through the door into the warm interior.

As he walked into the public bar the landlord looked up and said with surprise. ‘Why, it’s Sir Ross isn’t it? We haven’t seen you around these parts in years. What can I get you? On the house of course!’

Ross could see the doctor wasn’t in the bar, but decided that although he really wanted to get out and find him, he also really needed another drink. Making his choice, he instantly switched into his condescending, hail-fellow-well-met mode that he always adopted when dealing with people he considered to be yokels. ‘That’s very kind of you Landlord,’ he said heartily, walking up to the bar. ‘I’ll have a large brandy if I may.’

Seated along the bar were the regulars, the same collection of old men who spent most lunchtimes and every evening in the pub. Now, they slid from their stools and crowded around Ross, holding out their hands. ‘Remember me sir?’ one of them was saying, ‘Forbes? I used to be one of your gardeners up at the manor.’

‘Of course,’ Ross lied, shaking the gnarled, arthritic hand enthusiastically, ‘how have you been keeping?’

One by one the old men introduced themselves and Ross pretended to remember each one. Although he felt he was wasting his time, he couldn’t resist playing the lord of the manor: it was a role he missed. Getting his wallet out, he slapped a fifty pound note down on the bar and said, ‘A round of drinks for my friends here Landlord, and one for yourself. While you’re at it put another large one in my glass too.’

The old men all smiled and said ‘God bless you, sir,’ as they raised their glasses and drank his health. Warmed by the brandy and the feeling of self-importance, he smiled back at them like a benevolent father.

When the accolades had died down and the old men had returned to their stools, Ross called the landlord over and asked nonchalantly, ‘Whatever happened to Doctor Mason?’

‘He was in earlier,’ the landlord told him, ‘but was called out to old Mrs Plummet. He should be back shortly.’

‘I didn’t realize he was still practicing,’ Ross said with surprise.

‘He’s only got a few patients now, mostly the old ones he’s been treating for years. All the younger people go up the clinic.’

Ross decided to wait in the pub and had had another two large brandies by the time Mason got back at around nine-thirty.

As the doctor walked in he saw Ross and stopped dead, looking like he’d seen a ghost. Within a second though, he’d regained his composure and called out a greeting. ‘Sir Ross, what a surprise! It must be what… twenty years?’

Ross stood up from the barstool a little unsteadily and shook the doctor’s hand. ‘At least… what will you have?’

‘A whisky, please.’

‘Landlord, a large whisky for the doctor, and another brandy for me.’

‘What are you doing in this part of the world?’ Mason asked.

‘As a matter of fact, I came up to speak with you,’ Ross said, making sure no one else heard. ‘Is there somewhere we can talk in private?’

Mason was nervous. He knew exactly what Ross wanted to talk to him about. In fact, he knew a great deal more than Ross did. On Friday afternoon, he’d been summoned to the coroner’s office in Hertford where he’d been questioned about the late Freda Webley and asked to repeat everything he’d said to Wiseman. After that, they had informed him that they intended to exhume Freda Webley’s body the following night, and that there would be a full autopsy performed. Since then, he’d been wishing he’d kept his mouth shut and dreading meeting up with Ross.

Mason glanced at the clock over the bar nervously, he knew the exhumation team would be arriving any moment and he really didn’t want to be around Ross when he found out what was happening. Seeing that he’d obviously had a few drinks already, Mason decided the best bet would be to get Ross out of the pub and back to his house where they could sit in the back room and hopefully avoid the activities in the churchyard.

‘Why don’t we get a bottle and go back to my house?’ Mason suggested as they finished their drinks.

‘That’s a good idea,’ Ross slurred. ‘Landlord, a bottle of brandy if you please.’ He paid for the bottle, bade farewell to the landlord and his fellow drinkers then followed Mason out of doors.

They had just stepped out of the pub into the cool night air when, to Mason’s horror, a convoy of police cars and vans sped by, heading towards the church.

‘I say,’ Ross remarked, craning his neck and standing on tiptoes to look down the road towards the church gates where the convoy had just pulled up. ‘What do you think they’re up to?’

Mason grabbed his arm saying, ‘Just chasing the local vandals I expect. Come on, let’s get started on this bottle.’

Ross shrugged him off. ‘No,’ he said firmly, ‘I want to see what’s going on.’

‘Give me the bottle, then,’ Mason said. ‘I’ll wait for you at my house.’

Ross handed him the bottle then walked cautiously towards the church. By the time he reached the end of the road, the vans had been unloaded and a pair of uniformed police officers had sealed the churchyard gates with blue and white plastic tape and were standing guard.

Staying in the shadows on the opposite side of the road he quickly made his way down towards the old abbey then crossed over and entered the abbey grounds. It was pitch dark and he was having difficulty seeing where he was going when suddenly, he heard the sound of a generator starting and the entire area was lit up from the direction of the church by brilliant arc lights. Holding his arm up against the glare, he ducked behind one of the ruined walls and made his way up the cloister arcade until he could see clearly into the churchyard.

Several men were milling about. One was wearing a white overall and was just pulling on a pair of thin rubber gloves while speaking to another, who Ross thought he recognized as Hubbard. He watched on in absolute horror as a team of men joined them, unfolded a large white marquee then erected it over the entrance to his family vault. Next, there was the sound of power tools and the unmistakable zing of a grinder against metal. They’re going into my vault, he thought incredulously. That means they must be investigating Freda’s death too! Oh my God… they’re going to get me this time for certain.

Unable to stand any more, Ross staggered back across the abbey grounds and out onto the road. He headed up the High Street towards his car, then remembered Mason. He had unfinished business there. He ran to the doctor’s house and pounded on the door. After a few seconds Mason opened the door. Ross pushed past him into the hall. ‘Where’s that bloody bottle?’ he demanded.

Mason, trembling with nerves, led him into the living room and poured him a large measure. Ross swallowed it down in one, then shouted, ‘What the hell did you say to that American? Do you realize the police are down there opening my family vault?’

Mason tried to calm him down by pouring him another drink. ‘Look here Sir Ross, I’m sure there’s nothing at all to worry about. It’s just a misunderstanding, that’s all. They won’t find anything…’

‘What do you know?’ he snarled, gulping his drink down. ‘Your bloody big mouth could send me to jail!’

Mason was suddenly alert. ‘What are you saying?’ he asked.

Ross’s eyes seemed to lose focus as he started to totter. ‘I’m not saying anything,’ he slurred badly, ‘especially not to you!’ Then, without warning, he half stepped and half fell backwards and plonked down heavily on the sofa.

Mason felt a bit safer now that Ross had vented his anger, but he was very curious to find out as much as he could. He refilled Ross’s glass then took the seat opposite him and said, ‘Why don’t you tell me what’s troubling you?’

Ross looked up at him through bleary, unfocussed eyes and slurred, ‘They’re trying to get me, one way or another they want to put me in jail.’

‘Who’s trying to get you?’ Mason asked in his best bedside voice. It had occurred to him that if he could extract a confession from Webley and report back to the coroner before the autopsy results were known, he might be able to save a little face at the inquest if it did turn out to be a poisoning.

‘The bloody police, that’s who,’ Ross slurred, his eyes rolling about in his head. ‘They’ve been hounding me all day!’ The effect of all the brandy mixed with half a bottle of whisky on an empty stomach finally took its toll and he slowly started to slide forwards.

Mason leapt to his feet just in time to save him from pitching head-first onto the floor, but he couldn’t save the glass, which dropped out of Ross’s hand spilling whisky on the carpet. With an effort, Mason pushed him back onto the sofa and loosened his tie. Ross mumbled something then started snoring loudly.

‘Well you’re not going anywhere tonight,’ Mason said aloud as he heaved his legs up onto the sofa and stuffed a cushion under his head. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later with an old blanket, which he draped over Ross before switching the lights off and retiring to bed himself.

Chapter 16

When Alice woke from a deep sleep, there was absolute silence in the hut. The storm had blown itself out during the night and now a watery, early dawn light was seeping in through the small window. She looked down at Philippe, who was still asleep, cradled in her arms, and said a silent prayer that they might be allowed to share this love forever, without end. She was sublimely happy and knew that she loved him with all her heart and soul. Softly, she kissed his forehead and he stirred, sliding up a little so that he could kiss her lips.

‘Good morning,’ he whispered, in a voice that was softer and more gently that the crumbling snow outside. ‘Thank you for last night.’

‘Thank you,’ she said softly, holding him close and kissing him.

‘What time is it?’ he asked, looking towards the window.

Alice slid her arm out from under the blanket and felt around at the side of the mattress for her watch. Finding it in among their discarded clothes, she said, ‘Just after six.’

‘I had better get moving,’ he said reluctantly, trying to sit up.

She clung to him for a few seconds longer, then finally, unwillingly, let him slip from her grasp. He collected his clothes from around the mattress then went into the washroom while Alice snuggled back down, pulling the coarse brown blanket up around her soft white shoulders.

When Philippe was dressed, he put a pan of water on the gas ring so that Alice would have warm water to wash in, then he made coffee while she took her turn in the washroom. By the time she came out, wearing just her shorts, polo top, fleece and socks, the coffee was ready and they sat at the table opposite each other to drink it.

‘Where are your trousers?’ he asked. ‘You should put them on, you’ll be cold.’

‘You’ve got to take them with you, remember? They came from the Charpoua Hut.’

‘Oh yes,’ he said gloomily, ‘I had forgotten.’

The prospect of being parted was starting to weigh heavy on them both again, so Alice decided to lighten the atmosphere by saying, ‘I hope I can get a nice quick divorce. I don’t want this baby to be born before we’re married.’

That did the trick. Philippe threw his head back and laughed aloud. ‘You think you’re pregnant then?’ he asked.

‘I’d be very surprised if I wasn’t,’ she smiled dreamily, ‘after the job you did last night. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m carrying quintuplets!’

They laughed together and held hands over the table while they finished their coffee, then Philippe got up and started to pack his rucksack.

‘How long do you think it will be before I’m rescued?’ Alice asked.

‘Now that the weather has cleared, they should start routine missions again,’ he told her. ‘There should be a helicopter flying past here about nine o’clock.’

‘What should I do when I see it?’ she asked.

‘The best thing to do is climb up the path onto the slab over the hut, then wave something to attract their attention. When they see you, stretch your arms out and wave them up and down, that means you want assistance.’

‘I hope it works,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to be stuck up here on my own for too long.’

‘Don’t worry,’ he reassured her, ‘you’ll be back in Chamonix in time for lunch.’

‘What are you going to do after I’ve been picked up?’ she asked.

‘Go back home and wait for you.’

He had a last look around the hut, picking up the empty wine bottle, the extra clothes Alice had worn and the spare crampons, then finished packing his rucksack. After that, he put his boots and jacket on, strapped the crampons in place, slipped his gloves on and was ready to go.

Alice put her boots on and went to the door with him. After a long, final embrace, she said, ‘Look after yourself.’

‘You too,’ he smiled. ‘See you soon, you and the babies.’ He patted her tummy gently, then turned and trudged down the path, pausing just once to wave as he turned the corner out of sight.

Alice watched him go with tears in her eyes, then went back into the hut and closed the door. ‘Come on,’ she told herself aloud, ‘get your butt into gear. It’s time to get this place cleaned up. You’re gonna be out of here in a couple of hours.’ Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she dragged the mattress back up onto the bunk then folded the blanket neatly on top of it. After that, she washed the coffee cups and tided the kitchen, collected her bits and pieces, stuffed them into her little backpack then sat down to wait, smiling as she reveled in her memories of the previous evening.

Philippe made good time to the Charpoua Glacier and was back in the hut by eight-thirty. He’d been worried about leaving a trail of footprints from the Couvercle Hut, but found that the snow on the path was frozen solid and that his crampons hardly made any marks at all.

All the way back he’d been thinking of Alice and the night they had just spent together. He was deeply glad that he’d had the courage to ask her to marry him, and even more glad that she’d accepted. He knew that he loved her beyond reason and that they were going to be very happy together. The worst thing now was going to be not seeing her for a while, going back to his house all alone to wait for her, wait until she’d done battle with that husband of hers and was free to be with him forever. God, how I wish her husband had been shot instead of the other man, he thought vehemently. Given half a chance, I’d do it myself!

After getting his breath back from the steep climb up the glacier, he carefully packed the borrowed clothes and crampons away under some supplies to make it look like they hadn’t been touched for ages, then set off again, to climb higher still up the huge river of ice.

Back at the Couvercle, Alice noticed the sun was starting to shine through the window, so she decided to climb up onto the great granite slab that covered the hut and wait up there for the helicopter to make its rounds. She turned the stove off, picked her rucksack up, then stepped outside, bolting the door behind her.

The path up to the slab was steep and slippery, but she managed to make it to the top without hurting herself. Once at the top, she found that despite the air temperature being below freezing, the early morning sun had already warmed the rock considerably, so she sat down and stretched her legs out to soak up the sunshine. She decided that the best way to make sure the helicopter saw her was to wave something big, so she delved into her backpack and took her plastic poncho and her telescopic walking pole out. By extending the pole and tying the bright purple poncho to its end, she made a very useful signal flag, which she lay on the rock next to her, ready for use.

Philippe had been climbing steadily for about twenty minutes when he first heard the distant beat of the rescue helicopter reverberating in the valley below. Turning around, he watched the blue and white machine come into view, following the centerline of the Mer de Glace as it snaked up the valley towards its source. He could just make out the observer sitting in the rear cabin with the door slid back, scanning the mountainside through binoculars. As soon as they go past the next ridge, he thought, they should spot her.

Sure enough, as he watched, the helicopter passed beyond the ridge that contained the glacier he was sitting on then suddenly veered to the left out of sight. With a sigh of deep satisfaction, he turned and started to climb again.

Alice jumped to her feet and slipped her backpack on as soon as the thumping reverberation of the helicopter started to echo up from the valley. It was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. As soon as the machine came around the corner, she waved the makeshift flag above her head for all she was worth, screaming, ‘Over here… over here!’ at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly, the helicopter seemed to stop in mid air, then it turned abruptly and headed straight towards her. Alice felt a surge of relief flow through her body as she dropped the flag and waved her arms up and down.

As the blue and white helicopter climbed up the valley towards her, the noise grew steadily louder until she thought her eardrums would burst. Hoping the pilot had got the message that she needed help, she stopped waving her arms, and stuck her fingers in her ears as the thunderous machine settled into a hover just yards from the edge of the slab that she was standing on.

The huge downdraft from the rotors blew her poncho and pole away and half blinded her with a blast of snow and loose stones, forcing her to stagger backwards and cower against the rock face behind her with her ears plugged and her eyes tightly shut.

As the flying debris pebble-dashed Alice’s bare legs making them sting painfully, the helicopter slowly edged in towards the slab, and with great skill, the pilot gently rested one ski against the rock as the observer jumped from the craft and headed towards her in a crouched run. He grabbed her by the arm and shouted something that she couldn’t hear, then led her back to the hovering helicopter with one arm around her shoulders, forcing her to bend almost double under the thrashing blades. As soon as they were both in the rear cabin, the observer made her sit in a small jump-seat then slid the door shut. Although the battering down-draught was blocked out, the noise level was still painfully high.

Alice watched, with fingers in ears, as the observer, who had been wearing a helmet with a curly lead attached, plugged it into an intercom panel. As the helicopter started to climb and bank to the right, he reached into a locker and came out with a headset, which he gently placed on Alice’s head, adjusting the boom microphone so that it was right in front of her lips. She breathed a sigh of relief as the terrible noise from the engines and rotors was blocked out, then heard a crackle as the observer plugged her headset leads into the intercom so that he could speak to her.

‘Are you all right, Madame?’ he asked in French. ‘Don’t worry, we will be at the hospital in five minutes.’

‘I don’t need to go to hospital,’ Alice protested. ‘Can’t you just take me back to Chamonix?’

‘I’m afraid not, Madame, it is our policy to take anyone we pick up in the mountains directly to the hospital for a check up.’

Alice saw that it was no use arguing.

‘What is your name?’ the observer asked conversationally.

‘Alice Webley,’ she replied.

The observer’s brows knitted. ‘That name sounds familiar… wait a minute, we were searching for you earlier in the week, then it was called off when…’ He stopped abruptly.

‘When what?’ Alice asked innocently.

But the observer wasn’t listening. He’d flipped a switch on the intercom and was speaking to the pilot who was craning his neck around, looking at her with amazement.

Down in Chamonix, Batard was sitting in his office going over some papers when there was a knock at the door and his sergeant poked his head in. ‘They’re asking for you in the control room sir,’ he said.

Batard heaved a sigh, got up from behind his desk and walked through into the control room, where the radio equipment was housed. The operator saw him come in and said, ‘The pilot of Rescue One wants to speak to you sir.’

Batard took the handheld microphone he was offered. Depressing the transmit key he said, ‘Batard here, go ahead Rescue One.’

The wall mounted speaker crackled into life. ‘Rescue One to base. You’re not going to believe this sir, but we’ve just picked a woman up from the Couvercle Hut. She says her name is Madame Alice Webley!’

Batard was dumbstruck. His mind whirled as he recalled the events of the past week. ‘Is she injured?’ he asked.

‘Doesn’t appear to be,’ the pilot replied, ’but we’re en route to the hospital anyway.’

‘Very good, I’ll drive over and meet you there immediately,’ Batard said, throwing the microphone down. Dashing back to his office, he grabbed his cap then ran out to his car and headed across town to the hospital, lights flashing and siren wailing.

.

Back in Minster at Stone, Ross woke to the sound of Doctor Mason clattering around in the kitchen making breakfast. Looking like death and feeling decidedly delicate, he stood up unsteadily and followed the sound. He could remember shouting at the doctor and felt he’d probably said far too much. He decided the best thing now was a damage limitation exercise.

Mason was standing in front of the cooker wearing an old brown dressing gown, frying bacon and eggs. The smell of the greasy food made Ross feel even worse as he sat down heavily at the kitchen table.

‘Like some breakfast?’ Mason asked cheerfully as he heard him come in.

‘No thank you,’ Ross replied groggily. ‘Just some tea if I may.’

‘Help yourself,’ Mason said, pointing to the teapot already sitting on the table under a knitted cozy.

He poured himself a cup while Mason slid the contents of his frying pan onto a plate then joined him at the table. Ross looked at the pile of greasy food and almost gagged.

‘Look, about last night,’ Ross started, ‘I’m sorry if I…’

‘Don’t say another word about it,’ Mason said genially, holding his hand up. ‘You’d had a few too many, that’s all. Could happen to anyone.’

‘Thank you for seeing it that way, ‘ Ross said humbly. ‘I’m afraid I was rather rude.’

‘Nonsense … you were upset. Quite understandable.’

‘Nevertheless,’ Ross insisted, ‘I had no right to speak to you like that… I apologize.’

‘Apology accepted, now, let’s say no more about it,’ Mason said, tucking into his breakfast. Ross tried not to watch him eat because it made him feel sick.

After the doctor had mopped the last of his egg yoke up with a piece of bread he said, ‘I shouldn’t worry about this exhumation business too much if I were you. They’re not likely to find anything.’

‘How do you mean?’ Ross asked innocently.

‘It’s been nearly twenty five years since she was buried,’ Mason replied, eyeing him shrewdly. ‘I don’t suppose there’s much left of her now, and besides, she was so full of the drugs I prescribed for her, they’ll probably never find the stuff you gave her.’

‘Who said I gave her anything?’ Ross asked angrily.

‘You did, last night. Up until then, I hadn’t believed it, but you gave yourself away by coming here and getting so upset.’

Ross jumped to his feet, sending his chair flying backwards across the kitchen and shouted, ‘It’s a lie…it’s a damn lie. I never gave her a thing, and if anyone tries to prove I did, it’ll be the worst for them.’ With that, he stormed out of the doctor’s house, strode along the road to his E-Type then sped away in a cloud of tire smoke, heading for London.

.

Back in Chamonix, Batard was at the hospital helipad speaking with his crew. ‘Did she tell you what happened to her?’ he asked.

The observer shook his head. ‘All she said was that she’d been in the Couvercle hut since Sunday night.’

‘Sunday night?’ Batard queried with surprise. ‘She means Monday night surely. She didn’t go missing until Monday!’

‘That’s what I said, but she insisted she’d been up there since Sunday night and that she would explain everything to you when you arrived,’ the observer replied.

‘And you’re sure she is Madame Webley?’

‘She looks just like the photograph you gave us.’

‘Where is she now?’ Batard asked.

‘The doctor is examining her. She said to go on up when you arrived.’

Batard dismissed his men then walked into the hospital. After getting directions from the receptionist, he rode the lift up to the second floor and went along to the private wing, where he found a woman doctor was just coming out of Alice’s room.

‘Have you been examining Madame Webley?’ he asked.

‘Yes, just finished,’ she said. ‘Nothing to worry about, just a few cuts and bruises, mostly healed up now.’

‘How old would you say the injuries are?’

‘The lady tells me they happened last Sunday, and I would have said that was right,’ the doctor said. ‘They look about a week old.’

‘Can I see her now?’ Batard asked.

‘I don’t see why not,’ the doctor replied. ‘She can leave any time she wants.’

Batard thanked her, then knocked and entered Alice’s room.

Chapter 17

Vic Hubbard and his wife were sitting at their kitchen table, leisurely eating breakfast and reading the Sunday papers. After the rigors of the exhumation the previous evening, he’d been looking forward to a day off.

The papers were full of the Webley story, and Mrs Hubbard had been quite excited to see a picture of her husband leading the prisoner away on the front page of hers. As well as the usual mix of fact and speculation concerning the killing, they had also managed to dredge up some background information about the victim that was news to Hubbard. The article told of Alex Crawford’s career as a drag queen and even featured an old publicity photograph of him in all his gear. Hubbard shook his head and thought, you can never tell nowadays, as he looked at the photograph of what appeared to be a stunningly beautiful woman.

It was shortly after nine when he finished his paper, and he was just thinking about getting the lawnmower out when his cell phone rang. Snatching it up from the side he could see it was Scotland Yard calling, and with a sigh, he answered, saying, ‘Hubbard.’

A female voice spoke. ‘Control here. Sorry to bother you sir, but we’ve had a call from the High Mountain Police in France. They insist on speaking to the officer in charge of the Webley case.’

‘Did they say what it was about?’ Hubbard asked.

‘No sir, they just left a number and asked that you call them back as a matter of urgency.’

Hubbard sighed again. ‘All right, you’d better give me the number and the contact name.’ He copied Batard’s name and direct-dial number down, rang off, then dialed. The call was answered immediately.

‘Batard.’

‘Good morning,’ Hubbard said. ‘Do you speak English?’

‘Yes, a little. Who is that please.’

‘My name is Detective Chief Inspector Hubbard from Scotland Yard in London. I have been given a message to call you concerning the Webley case.’

‘Ah, thank you for calling back so soon. I heard on the radio that you have arrested Monsieur Webley for murder. I have some very important information for you. We have discovered that the body Monsieur Webley identified and took away to England was not his wife. This morning, the rescue helicopter found the real Madame Webley on the mountain.’

Hubbard’s pulse quickened. ‘Have you been able to establish how she died?’ he asked.

‘How she died?’ Batard asked with surprise. ‘But she is not dead. I just drove her to her hotel!’

Hubbard was dumbstruck for a moment. He’d been certain that Webley had killed her! Then a new thought struck him. ‘Where has she been for the past few days?’ he asked.

‘That is why I wanted to speak to you urgently,’ Batard replied. ‘She told me that last Sunday night her husband drugged her then threw her out of his aircraft over the mountains. She says she fell down a steep snow face then managed to crawl to a refuge hut. She has been there ever since.’

‘Threw her out of a plane?’ Hubbard queried incredulously. ‘And she wasn’t injured?’

‘Oh yes, she was injured. She is covered in cuts and bruises which the doctor says are about a week old.’

‘But people don’t survive being thrown out of planes,’ Hubbard insisted. ‘Do you believe her story?’

‘Yes I do,’ Batard stated emphatically. ‘Many strange things happen in these mountains. I have known people to survive falling more than a thousand meters without a scratch, and others die after falling just three meters. Besides that, she had no climbing equipment and no proper clothing. It is not possible that she could have climbed up to the position she was in when we found her. She must have been dropped up there.’

‘Are you absolutely sure about that?’ Hubbard asked again. ‘It’s very important that we establish her whereabouts for the last three days.’

‘I can fly up to the area this morning and look around if you want me to,’ Batard offered, ‘but I am sure she is telling the truth.’

‘That would be very helpful if you could, and maybe call me back?’

‘Certainly.’

Hubbard’s mind was racing. ‘Now, you say she claims to have been thrown out of this plane on Sunday night? I thought I read reports in the newspapers that said she was seen on Monday at her hotel.’

‘That is correct, but it seems Monsieur Webley was very clever. He had someone dress like his wife so that she would be seen alive on Monday when he was in Monaco. Madame Webley says it was her secretary, Alex Crawford.’

‘That makes sense,’ Hubbard said, suddenly seeing the light. ‘Mr Crawford was shot dead on Friday.’

‘Crawford is a man? But that is impossible!’ Batard scoffed. ‘No man could pass himself as Madame Webley! She is a very beautiful woman.’

‘Maybe so,’ Hubbard insisted, ‘but Crawford was a professional female impersonator. There’s no doubt he could have done it… and it supplies the motive for his shooting.’

‘I do not follow you.’

Hubbard explained, ‘Once Crawford had impersonated Lady Webley and supplied her husband with the perfect alibi, Webley had no more use for him. In fact, the knowledge Crawford had could send him to prison for murder. Webley obviously decided to get rid of Crawford too.’

‘Madame Webley is very anxious to see her husband in jail. She is coming back here after she has had a bath and changed her clothes to make an official statement.’

‘Very good,’ Hubbard said. ‘As soon as you have her statement can you fax a signed copy of it to my office? We released Webley yesterday but in the light of what you’ve just told me, I want to re-arrest him and hold him on a charge of attempted murder while we investigate the Crawford shooting further.’

‘I will fax it as soon as it is finished. What is your number?’

Hubbard gave the numbers for his office fax and his cell phone, then said, ‘Now then, about the body Webley brought back with him. Do you know who she is?’

‘I have a very good idea,’ Batard replied. I believe she is a climber who went missing earlier in the year, Madame Dulac. He husband was in my office only yesterday.’

‘Have you got a description of her?’ Hubbard asked.

Batard swiveled around in his chair and reaching into a filing cabinet, pulled a file out marked Dulac, Louise. Flipping through the pages in the file he pulled the original missing person report out and started to read. ‘Louise Marie Dulac, age thirty seven, light brown hair, brown eyes, one meter seventy-five tall, fifty-five kilos, no distinguishing marks.’

‘That’s her,’ Hubbard said with delight. ‘Webley tried to have her cremated but we’ve got her safe at Westminster hospital. Can you find the husband and tell him he needs to come to England to make an official identification?’

‘Yes, that is no problem. I know exactly where he will be. Leave it to me.’

‘One last thing,’ Hubbard said, ‘have you got the telephone number of the hotel where Lady Webley is staying? I want to speak with her.’

Batard gave him the number, then after exchanging good-byes, rang off. Leaning back in his chair, he let out a long whistle. This was turning out to be a lot bigger than anything he’d ever dealt with before. His role as a captain in the PGMH was usually limited to investigating climbing and skiing accidents and dealing with missing persons. Violent crimes like attempted murder and shootings were very rare in the mountains.

Then he thought of Philippe Dulac, up there on the glacier, searching in vain for his wife. After all that has happened, he thought, I must break the news to him personally. I wonder if he will be relieved or sad, poor bastard. With that thought, he went through into the control room and summoned the rescue helicopter back to its base at les Gaudenays on the other side of town. After that, he pulled a flying overall on over his uniform, changed into some heavy boots then set off in his car to meet the helicopter.

.

Alice received an ecstatic welcome at the hotel. The manager wept with joy at seeing her alive, kissed her hand and escorted her to her suite personally. She was delighted to find they were still holding her luggage pending instructions from her husband, and was pleasantly surprised when the manager had it delivered to her suite, along with a bottle of champagne to celebrate her safe return.

As soon as the porter and waiter had gone, she sank down on the bed with a sigh of relief. The interview with Captain Batard had gone well, but it had been one of the trickiest half-hours of her life, especially when he’d told her all about Philippe and the mix up over his wife’s body. She felt exhausted.

Gratefully, she poured herself a glass of champagne and carried it out into the warm sunshine on the balcony where she held it up towards the Mer de Glace and drank a silent toast to Philippe. As she sipped the cool wine, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun on her face, she thought about Philippe up there on the freezing glacier and hoped he was all right. Then she thought about Charles and was suddenly anxious that he should be told she was alive and well. Quickly finishing her drink she went inside and was just about to put in a call to the headmaster at Eton, when the telephone rang.

‘Lady Webley?’ a man’s voice with and English accent asked as she picked it up.

‘Speaking,’ she replied.

‘My name is Detective Chief Inspector Hubbard, from Scotland Yard. I wonder if I might have a quick word with you.’

Alice’s heart gave a lurch. Here we go again, she thought. ‘Certainly Chief Inspector,’ she said crisply, ‘in fact you’re just the man I want to speak with.’

‘I’ve just spoken to Captain Batard and he tells me you want to bring charges against your husband for attempted murder.’

‘I certainly do,’ Alice replied adamantly, ‘and my secretary, Alex Crawford. They drugged me and tried to kill me.’

‘I’m afraid it won’t be possible to bring a charge against Crawford,’ Hubbard said, ‘he was found dead on Friday.’

Alice made an excellent show of being shocked. ‘Alex dead?’ she asked incredulously. ‘What happened, was he in an accident?’

‘Not an accident,’ Hubbard said somberly, ‘he was shot with one of your husband’s guns at your farmhouse.’

‘That’s awful,’ Alice said with a catch in her voice. ’Who did it, do you know?’

‘We’re working on that at the moment, but most of the evidence points towards your husband.’

‘Why would my husband want to shoot Alex?’ Alice asked innocently. ‘I thought they were partners in crime.’

‘I’m not certain yet, but I’ve got a good idea. Now, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?’

‘Not at all, Chief Inspector.’

‘How many people know the combination to your gun safe at the farmhouse?’

‘Just my husband and myself,’ Alice said confidently.

‘That’s what I thought,’ Hubbard said. ‘Do you know anyone who wears Hush Puppy shoes?’

Alice felt the cold hand of fear grip her heart as she thought of Philippe, but managed to keep it out of her voice, ‘Hush Puppies?’ she asked calmly. ‘No… I don’t think so. Why do you ask?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Hubbard said.

Alice was getting uncomfortable with the questions and decided the best form of defense was attack. ‘What do you intend to do about my husband trying to kill me?’ she asked assertively.

‘Batard tells me you’re going to give him a statement this morning. As soon as he’s faxed it to me, I intend to arrest your husband and charge him with attempted murder. I will, of course, need you to come here to make another sworn statement and answer some questions.’

‘Certainly Chief Inspector. I intend to travel back to England tomorrow, then go out to Eton to collect my son first thing on Tuesday morning. I could come to see you on Tuesday about mid-morning if that would be convenient.’

‘That would be perfect, thank you,’ Hubbard said. ‘As a matter of interest, why are you collecting your son?’

‘Because I have decided to take him out of Eton and keep him with me from now on,’ Alice said firmly. ‘You see Chief Inspector, I never wanted him to go away to boarding school in the first place, it was my husband who insisted, but now I believe by his actions, he has forfeited any say on the subject of our child’s upbringing.’

‘You intend to divorce him I take it?’

‘At the earliest possible moment,’ Alice spat.

‘It shouldn’t take long,’ he assured her, ‘you’ve got plenty of grounds by the sound of it.’

‘I certainly have,’ she said.

After that, they exchanged good-byes and rang off. Alice breathed a huge sigh of relief and poured herself another glass of champagne. He’s no fool, she thought to herself. I’m going to have to be very careful what I say on Tuesday. Then her thoughts went back to Charles, and delving into her handbag, she retrieved her address book and picked up the telephone.

.

Back in London, Charles’s father was still on his way home from Minster at Stone in the E-Type, still angry after his confrontation with the doctor. As he pulled up at the traffic lights outside Manor Park underground station, he glanced across at the news vendors stand and was aghast to see a billboard announcing, Baronet in Shooting Sensation. ‘Damn!’ he said aloud, slapping the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. As soon as the lights changed, he shot forward then pulled abruptly into the curb causing the cars behind to swerve and blow their horns.

Ignoring them, he jumped out of the car and ran back to the newsstand where he quickly scanned the headlines of the Sunday papers with mounting horror. Sir Slays Sexy Secretary proclaimed one, while another declared Baronet Blasts Boyfriend and another Knight of Passion. Furiously snatching up a copy of each of the nationals, he pushed a ten-pound note at the attendant, then without waiting for his change, dashed back to his car and sped away.

Driving home, he scanned the papers with growing fury. Ten minutes later he screeched to a halt in the mews, leaving the car outside his garage. He let himself in to the house through his study door, and going straight to the telephone, dialed the home number of his lawyer. As soon as it was answered, he barked, ‘Have you seen the papers this morning Jeff?’

‘Morning Ross,’ Jeff Barnes replied cheerfully, ’I though I might be hearing from you about now. Got quite a bit of exposure, didn’t you?’

‘This is no laughing matter,’ Ross exploded. ‘I want you to sue every one of them for libel! I want an apology printed in every single paper!’

‘Calm down Ross,’ Barnes said firmly. ‘First, the majority of what they have printed is true. You know that and so do I. They may have dressed it up a bit, but essentially they’ve got the facts right.’

‘But I didn’t shoot him!’ Ross insisted.

‘And if you read the articles carefully, none of them actually say you did,’ Barnes pointed out. ‘All they say is that you were arrested on suspicion of shooting him, which is true.’

Ross thought for a moment, then said, ‘All right, but what about all the references to my being a homosexual?’

‘That’s true as well, isn’t it?’ Barnes asked candidly.

‘Damn it, yes!’ Ross erupted, ‘but they have no right to spread details of my private life all over their filthy newspapers.’

‘I’m afraid they have,’ Barnes said soothingly, ‘it’s called freedom of the press.’

Ross crumpled. ‘What am I going to do?’ he asked, near to tears. ‘This will ruin me… I’ll never be able to hold my head up in public again.’

‘Look, Ross,’ Barnes said comfortingly, ‘don’t worry too much about it. Lots of people have been crucified by the press and survived. Remember, today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. It’ll soon blow over. What you should be more concerned about is proving yourself innocent of the Crawford shooting.’

By this time, Ross’s mood had swung completely and he was feeling thoroughly sorry for himself again. ‘I suppose I’d better tell you, we may have another problem to deal with,’ he said morosely.

‘What’s that?’ Barnes asked with concern.

‘The police exhumed the body of my first wife last night.’

There was silence on the end of the line for a few seconds, then Barnes asked cautiously, ‘What are you trying to tell me, Ross?’

‘I’m trying to tell you that they exhumed her body and they are going to try to prove that I killed her too.’

‘And did you?’ Barnes asked.

‘No I damn well did not,’ Ross shouted. ‘She died after an epileptic seizure. Anything they find in her body was given her by the quack who was treating her, not me.’

‘All right Ross, all right… calm down… this is what I want you to do. Sit down and write an account of the events leading up to her death. Include every detail, no matter how small. I want to be ready for them if they try to arrest you or bring charges.’

‘I’ll do as you say,’ Ross said dejectedly.

‘Good, and bring it up to my office first thing in the morning so we can go through it.’

‘All right Jeff,’ Ross said, now thoroughly crestfallen, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow… and thanks.’

‘See you tomorrow old man, g’bye.’

Ross placed the receiver back on the cradle then put his face in his hands and wept.

.

The blue and white rescue helicopter lifted off and headed south at low level up the center of the Mer de Glace with Batard on board, wearing the spare headphones so that he could speak to the crew. When they drew parallel with the Charpoua Glacier, he borrowed the observer’s binoculars and scanned the immense river of ice for Philippe, spotting him after a few seconds high up near the source, where the recent avalanches had dumped huge mounds of snow.

Less than a minute later, they passed out of sight of the Charpoua Glacier and rounded the ridge into the next valley where the Couvercle Hut was perched precariously high on the snow-covered mountainside. The pilot climbed the helicopter up the valley and brought it to a hover with one skid resting on the granite slab over the hut, just as he’d done earlier in the day, while Batard stepped out of the machine. As soon as he was clear, he gave the pilot the thumbs-up sign and the helicopter swooped away as instructed, with orders to return ten minutes later.

Alone now on the slab, Batard made his way down the slippery path and had a good look around the outside of the hut. He could see no signs of footprints on the trail leading up from the valley, and when he tried to walk a little way down it to take a closer look, he slipped heavily on the ice and nearly plunged over the edge. Shaken, he managed to recover his footing and clambered back up to the hut.

Once there, he shot the bolts on the heavy insulated door and stepped inside. Taking a good look around, he checked the logbook and noted the empty food packets and water bottles in the kitchen. He also checked the oil and water levels in the storage tanks and had a look at the radio to confirm it was dead, just as Alice had told him. Thoroughly satisfied that he’d been told the truth, he climbed back up onto the slab just as the helicopter was coming up the valley.

After he’d been picked up, he gave instructions to fly up the Charpoua Glacier to the spot where Philippe was probing the fresh snow with a ski pole, his rucksack and jacket lying on the ice nearby. As they approached, Batard flipped the switch on the intercom panel, which patched his headset microphone through to the loudspeaker mounted below the machine.

‘Dulac,’ his voiced boomed across the ice, ‘this is Batard, we are going to pick you up, I need to talk to you urgently.’

Philippe waved his hand in assent, and while the helicopter hovered about a hundred yards away, he collapsed his ski pole and strapped it to the side of his rucksack. After putting his jacket back on, he waved the helicopter in, and as the pilot brought the machine to a hover against the ice nearby, Philippe passed his rucksack up to the observer then scrambled aboard. There was too much noise in the cabin to speak and there wasn’t another headset, so all Batard could do until they landed back at the helipad was to smile and nod at Philippe.

As soon as they were on the ground, Batard and Philippe jumped out and ran clear of the rotors as the helicopter lifted off to resume its patrols. They watched it go, then when the noise had faded, Philippe turned to Batard and asked, ‘What’s this all about, Captain?’

‘I’m afraid I owe you an apology,’ Batard said, leading the way through the small maintenance hangar back to his car. ‘This morning, we picked a woman up from the Couvercle Hut. That woman was Madame Webley.’

Philippe stopped dead and stared at Batard with his mouth open, doing an excellent impression of shocked surprise. ‘Madame Webley?’ he asked incredulously, ‘that means the body you found on Wednesday must have been Louisa!’ Then he dropped his gaze to the floor and said sadly, ‘And that means she was cremated on Friday.’

‘I’ve got some good news for you about that,’ Batard said buoyantly, ‘she wasn’t cremated…’

‘But I heard it on the radio yesterday,’ Philippe cut in.

‘And I spoke to the English police this morning,’ Batard said emphatically, ‘they were suspicious of Monsieur Webley having his wife cremated so soon, so they seized her body and it is now safe in a hospital in London.’

This time Philippe was genuinely shocked and surprised. All he could say was, ‘You mean…’

‘I mean,’ Batard finished for him, ‘that you must go to London to identify her, then you can take her home for a proper funeral.’

Philippe was choked. ‘I don’t know how to thank you,’ he said with tears in his eyes.

Batard said. ‘You don’t have to thank me,’ he said. ‘If I had listened to you earlier, there would never have been a mistake. Now come on, I’ll drive you back to my office where we can speak to the English police and make arrangements for you to pick her up.’ On the way back, he told Philippe the incredible story of what had happened to Alice.

.

It was ten-thirty in England, and Hubbard was still at home when he took the call from Batard. ‘Chief Inspector? Batard here. I have Monsieur Dulac with me.’

‘Hello again Captain, how did he take the news?’

‘He is very happy, naturally,’ Batard said. ‘He would like to know when he can come to identify her.’

‘Anytime he likes, really,’ Hubbard replied. ‘How soon can he get here?’

Batard turned to Philippe who was sitting opposite his desk and asked in French, ‘When do you want to go?’

‘I have my car here so I could drive up tomorrow and be in London on Tuesday,’ Philippe said.

‘Is Tuesday convenient, Chief Inspector?’ Batard asked.

‘I’ve got Lady Webley coming in to see me on Tuesday morning,’ Hubbard said, ‘Tuesday afternoon about three would be a good time. If he comes to New Scotland Yard and asks for me, I’ll take him around to the hospital and arrange to have the body released to him. He’ll have to lay on some transport back to France.’

‘That’s fine, I will tell him.’

‘About that other matter,’ Hubbard said. ‘Have you been up to the hut yet?’

‘Yes I have, and I’m completely satisfied that Madame Webley is telling the truth.’ Philippe pricked his ears up and listened as Batard continued. ‘The path up to the hut is absolutely impassable without climbing equipment. Also, there are clear signs that the hut has been lived in by one person for about a week. There is no doubt in my mind that Madame Webley’s story is genuine.’

‘Thank you for that,’ Hubbard said with satisfaction, ‘that leaves me with just one suspect for the shooting. As soon as I get the statement from you I'm going to pick her husband up.’

They exchanged good-byes and rang off, then Batard turned to Philippe and said, while writing the same on a piece of paper, ‘Tuesday afternoon, three o’clock at New Scotland Yard. Ask for Chief Inspector Hubbard. You will need to arrange transport for her.’

Philippe took the sheet of paper with thanks and had just got up to go when Batard’s desk intercom buzzed. ‘Yes?’ he snapped, hitting a key.

‘Madame Webley is here to see you sir,’ the desk sergeant said.

‘Excellent, show her in,’ Batard replied, standing up, straightening his tie and running his fingers through his hair.

Philippe’s heart leapt at the sound of her name, and he had to fight very hard indeed to keep from giving his excitement away at the prospect of seeing her again so soon. ‘I’m glad you’re still here,’ Batard was saying as he came around from behind his desk. ‘I want you to meet Madame Webley.’

Batard opened the door. Standing there, looking divine in a blue and white striped summer dress, with her hair freshly washed and groomed, wearing a hint of makeup, was the woman of Philippe’s dreams. He felt his legs go weak at the sight of her.

‘Ah, Madame,’ Batard gushed in English as he shook her hand gently, ‘thank you for coming. I would like to introduce you to Monsieur Dulac, the gentleman I was telling you about.’

Alice’s heart had nearly stopped when the door opened and she’d seen Philippe standing behind Batard, but she’d managed to hide her shock and delight, and now walked towards him with a charming smile. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you,’ she said, holding out her hand, ‘and I was very sorry to hear about your wife.’

As their hands touched in a formal handshake, they both felt a thrill of excitement and passion in the simple act. ‘Thank you Madame,’ Philippe said, holding her hand and looking deep into her eyes. ‘I’m very glad to see you looking so well. I understand you have been stuck in the Couvercle Hut for the last week.’

‘That’s right, but I was quite comfortable… especially last night when I finally managed to get some heat out of the stove,’ Alice said, her green eyes burning into him.

‘Ah, there is nothing to beat a night in the mountains,’ Philippe replied sincerely.

The whole exchange had seemed perfectly natural to Batard, who said, ‘We have just had some good news concerning the body of Madame Dulac.’

‘Oh?’ Alice exclaimed, turning to him with interest.

‘Yes, it seems that she has not been cremated after all. The English police were suspicious of your husband, so they took the body to a hospital where it is now awaiting identification.’

‘That’s wonderful news!’ Alice cried, turning back to Philippe. ‘I’m so happy for you!’ She wanted to hug him and share his joy, but held herself back.

‘Thank you Madame,’ Philippe said formally, adding for her benefit, ‘I intend to drive to England tomorrow, then go to Scotland Yard on Tuesday.’

‘That’s a coincidence,’ Alice said, ‘I have to go back to England tomorrow and to Scotland Yard on Tuesday too.’ She pretended to think for a moment then said, ‘I know you may find this terribly rude, but do you think I could trouble you for a lift? It’s just that with everything that’s happened lately, I’m a bit nervous of flying.’

‘Quite understandable,’ Batard butted in. ‘I’m sure Monsieur Dulac won’t mind taking you with him, eh Dulac?’

‘I would be delighted to have your company Madame,’ Philippe said nobly, with a little bow.

‘That’s settled then,’ Batard said ebulliently, rubbing his hands together. ‘Now Monsieur, where are you staying, just in case I need to speak to you again before you go?’

‘I don’t really know,’ Philippe replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. ‘I suppose I had better try to find a hotel that has some room.’

‘I believe there are some vacancies at the hotel where I am staying,’ Alice piped up. ‘You could try there. It’s the Jardin du Mont Blanc Hotel, on the Rue Joseph Vallot. If you mention my name to the manager, I’m sure he will be able to fix you up.’

‘I know the place,’ Philippe said. ‘Thank you, Madame, I will try there. Maybe you will permit me to buy you a drink later?’

‘I shall look forward to it Monsieur,’ Alice said, holding out her hand.

As they shook, the usual frisson of excitement passed between them, then Philippe was gone.

‘He seems like a very nice man,’ Alice commented to Batard as she accepted the seat in front of his desk that he held out for her.

‘Yes, he is a good man,’ Batard said, walking around his desk to sit in his own seat, ‘and he has had a very bad time these last few months.’

.

An hour and a half later, just after one clock local time, Alice’s signed statement was running through the fax machine to Hubbard’s office. When it had gone, Batard thanked Alice profusely and she headed back to her hotel.

Within minutes of it being sent, a secretary delivered the fax to Hubbard, who was waiting in his office with Butcher. Hubbard scanned the statement then handed it to Butcher, who let out a low whistle as he read. ‘Clever bastard, isn’t he?’

‘Yes,’ Hubbard replied, ‘and he’d have got away with it too if she hadn’t survived. The chances were a million to one against her coming out of those mountains alive.’

‘I remember a story about a tail gunner who bailed out of a burning Lancaster over Germany without a parachute,’ Butcher said. ‘Fell eighteen thousand feet and landed in a snow drift without a scratch.’

‘Yes, I remember that,’ Hubbard said. ‘I wonder if our friend Webley has ever heard the story. Let’s go and tell him it, shall we?’ With that, they headed down to the car park and set off across London to pay Ross a visit.

.

Alice arrived back at the hotel where the beaming manager was manning the reception desk. She took her key, then asked, as casually as she could, ‘Has a Monsieur Dulac registered? I met him earlier and told him there might be a room available here.’

‘Thank you Madame, yes,’ the manager gushed. ‘He mentioned he was a friend of yours, so we have put him in suite thirty-three, next door to you.’

Alice felt a tingle of excitement run up her spine. ‘Thank you, that was very kind,’ she said, turning away and walking to the lift. As soon as she reached her room she lifted the telephone and dialed the suite next door. When Philippe answered she said in French, ‘Hello Monsieur, this is room service, did you order a woman for lunch?’

‘Alice!’ he cried with delight, ‘come to my room, I’m just getting dressed.’

Alice checked herself in the bathroom mirror, then slipped out of her room and knocked on the door marked thirty-three. Philippe answered the door wearing just slacks and a crisp cotton shirt. As soon as she was inside, she rushed into his arms and he gave her another of his long, passionate, knee-trembling embraces. He’d obviously just got dressed after having a shower and shave because his face was smooth and smelt of spicy aftershave and as she ran her fingers through his hair, she could feel it was still wet. When he finally let her go, she said, ‘It’s a pity I didn’t come over ten minutes earlier.’

‘Now, now… we’re not married yet,’ Philippe scolded playfully.

Alice laughed, then went and sat on the bed while Philippe rummaged in his overnight bag for a pair of socks. ‘It was kind of Captain Batard to introduce us, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, but I nearly died trying to keep a straight face.’

‘Me too,’ Alice said, smiling. ‘Do you think he suspected anything?’

‘No, not a thing,’ Philippe said, pulling a sock over his foot, ‘in fact, I heard him telling that English policeman, Hubbard, that he had inspected the Couvercle Hut and was absolutely certain your story was genuine.’

‘He flew up there and checked?’ she asked.

‘Yes, then he picked me up and spent most of the time telling me how wonderful he thinks you are.’

‘Phew,’ Alice exclaimed, ‘if I’d have known that I’d have been terrified.’

‘He believes us both completely, and with Louisa’s body safe it has all turned out perfectly.’

Alice had forgotten about Louisa in her joy at seeing Philippe again, now she felt guilty and said, ‘Oh Philippe, I’m so happy you’ll be able to get her back. What are your plans?’

‘I’m going to have her taken back to Nîmes by air, then there will be a simple burial at the little church in the village. It is what she wanted.’

‘I’d like to be there if I may,’ Alice said somberly.

‘I’m relying on it,’ he smiled, stepping into his shoes. ‘Now, how about some lunch? You must be starving!’

‘Do you think it would be wise to be seen together?’ she asked doubtfully.

‘I don’t see why not… we have been introduced after all, and by no less a man than the chief of High Mountain Police!’

‘Okay,’ Alice said, still doubtful, ‘but we must make it look like a chance meeting. Why don’t I go up to the restaurant, then you follow a few minutes later. You can spot me sitting there then ask in front of the waiter if you can join me.’

Philippe laughed. ‘We can do it your way if you want, but this is a French hotel, the staff have seen these games played many times before.’

‘Maybe so,’ she said stubbornly, ‘but it would make me feel a lot easier. Do you mind?’

‘Of course not,’ he replied, taking her in his arms again. ‘Anything for you.’ He kissed her, then slapped her bottom playfully, saying, ‘Come on, let’s get going. I want to eat.’

Ten minutes later, the charade was played out and they were seated together in the all-glass restaurant on the roof of the hotel enjoying an apéritif and the spectacular panoramic views of the Mont Blanc range.

Chapter 18

Ross had recovered his composure and had been hard at work for about two hours on his account of the last days of Freda’s life when the doorbell rang. Sighing, he put his pen down, got up from behind his antique writing desk and went to answer the front door. By this time, he’d managed to convince even himself that he was innocent of any wrongdoing as far as Freda was concerned, and he was in a belligerent mood as he wrenched the door open expecting to find a journalist on the door step. Instead, he found Hubbard and Butcher. ‘I wondered how long it would be before I saw you two again,’ he said irritably.

‘Can we come in?’ Hubbard asked.

‘If you must,’ he replied, standing to one side. Once they were inside, he led them through to his study, then went to his desk and stuffed the pad he’d been writing on into a draw. Looking up, straight into Hubbard’s eyes, he said, ‘I suppose this is about the exhumation.’

‘So it was you I saw creeping about in the abbey ruins,’ Hubbard said. ‘I thought as much.’

‘I didn’t kill her, you know,’ Ross blurted.

‘Nobody said you did,’ Hubbard replied calmly. ‘We’re here on an entirely different matter.’

‘I didn’t kill Alex either,’ he said insistently.

‘We’ll see about that later. What I’d like to talk about now is the disappearance of Lady Webley. I had a call from the French Mountain Police this morning. It seems that one of their helicopters was on routine patrol this morning and they found her.’

Relief flooded through Ross. At least I’ll be able to get the money, he thought, then let them try to prove I murdered anyone. I’ll hire the best lawyers in the world! Keeping a poker face he said humbly, ‘So it seems I did make a mistake when I identified the other woman. Will I be required to fly over there for another identification?’

‘That won’t be necessary,’ Hubbard said, equally poker faced, ‘she’s already identified herself.’

‘What do you mean she’s identified herself?’ Ross asked with astonishment.

‘I spoke with her on the telephone earlier,’ Hubbard said smugly. ‘We had quite a nice chat.’

‘You’re lying,’ Ross screamed, ‘she can’t possibly be alive!’

‘Really?’ Hubbard queried with knitted brows. ‘Why ever not?’

Ross realized he’d said too much again and shut up.

‘Could it be because you and Crawford drugged her then you threw her out of your plane?’ Hubbard asked, looking him straight in the eye.

‘You’re bluffing,’ Ross said scornfully, ‘you’re trying to get me to admit to something you haven’t any proof of.’

‘I’ve got plenty of proof,’ Hubbard replied, ticking the items off on his fingers. ‘Firstly there’s your wife’s sworn statement, then there’s the report from the French police, then there’s the forensic evidence we’re bound to find in your plane… you want me to go on?’

Ross finally realized that he was in serious trouble. There’s no way I’m going to avoid a jail sentence this time, he thought, and no way I’m ever going to see any of that money. He felt his insides crumble as a wave of desolation swept over him, then he had an idea. ‘Where is she now?’ he asked innocently, looking down at the carpet.

‘Resting at an hotel in Chamonix,’ Hubbard replied. ‘She’s coming back tomorrow to swear out an official complaint against you.’

‘And I suppose you’ve come to arrest me,’ Ross said submissively.

‘I’m afraid so,’ Hubbard said, ‘you can make the usual telephone call when we get to the Yard.’

‘Do you mind if I just pop down to the kitchen and let my housekeeper know I won’t be in for dinner?’ Ross asked pleasantly.

‘Quickly then,’ Hubbard replied. ‘Sergeant Butcher will go with you.’

Ross led the way out of the study, along a corridor towards the back of the house, then down a steep flight of stairs. At the bottom, he paused outside the kitchen door, and as Butcher came up close behind him, he drove his elbow viscously backwards into the sergeant’s solar plexus, lifting him clean off his feet. As Butcher staggered and fell against the stairs, Ross dashed across the empty kitchen and out through the back door.

Upstairs, Hubbard had been wandering around the study, admiring the paintings and furniture when he heard a shout from the back of the house. Quickly, he ran to the rear window and looked out, just in time to see Ross run through the back gate, followed by Butcher who was staggering and holding his stomach.

As he threw the rear door of the study open and ran down the outside steps, he heard an engine roar and a squeal of tires from the mews. Within seconds, he reached Butcher, who was leaning, badly winded, against the rear gatepost. ‘Red E-Type,’ Butcher gasped, ‘AVF 299.’

Hubbard whipped his notebook out and made a note of the number, then helped Butcher back into the yard and sat him on a garden bench, pushing his head down between his knees. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked.

‘Bastard elbowed me right in the guts then legged it,’ Butcher panted. ‘I’ll be okay in a minute.’

‘You stay here, Hubbard said, setting off for the car, ‘I’m going to call this in.’

By the time Hubbard had radioed the description of the E-Type with a request to have it stopped, Butcher had recovered and was back at the car. ‘Where do you reckon he’ll go?’ he asked.

‘If I were him, I’d be trying to get to my plane so that I could get out of the country,’ Hubbard replied. ‘Come on, let’s head down that way just in case. I’d better drive.’

Gratefully, Butcher climbed into the passenger seat while Hubbard slipped the car into gear and headed south.

Ross was reasonably certain that he’d managed to pull out of the mews before Butcher had got to the gate. He was now driving carefully within the speed limit towards Battersea Bridge, confident in the knowledge that the police didn’t have a clue of the type of car he was in. The idea that had sprung into his mind earlier when he’d heard Alice was still alive was simple. He was going to kill her. He’d lost everything, wasted years living with her, only to be cheated out of her money in the end… and it was all her fault.

He knew the game was up and that whatever happened, he was going to be in prison for a very long time, so he’d decided, quite calmly and rationally, that he was going to get hold of her, wring her neck with his bare hands, then kill himself.

If he could get down to the farm without being stopped, the rest would be easy. He knew there was a little private airstrip just outside Chamonix near the river where the owner kept a single engine Jodel. The gravel runway was much too short for the Golden Eagle, but he was sure he could drop it in there, even if it meant overrunning into the bushes at the end of the strip. He wouldn’t be needing it ever again anyway, so it didn’t really matter. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it.

The vision of her cornered in her hotel room, begging for mercy excited and aroused him. Maybe if I could find a cane, he thought, I could beat her, make her scream, make her bleed. That would be even better. He had to keep wiping the sweat from his palms onto his trouser legs as he drove on southwards, licking his lips with delicious anticipation.

The bright red E-Type was spotted by a patrol car in Purley, heading out of London on the Brighton Road towards the M23. When the call came reporting its position, Hubbard and Butcher were just half a mile behind in the high-powered, unmarked, Peugeot 406. ‘Looks like you were right,’ Hubbard said, with a sigh of relief, ‘he is heading for his farm.’

The patrol car had been going in the opposite direction, and by the time it had managed to turn around, Hubbard and Butcher were already ahead of it. ‘Call the other car off,’ Hubbard said as he spotted it coming up behind them with it’s lights and sirens going, ‘We can handle it from here. I want to make this arrest personally.’

Butcher made the call to control while Hubbard flipped the blue lights on, driving as fast as he dared along the busy, two-way road. As soon as they joined the M23 he took the Peugeot up to over a hundred in the outside lane. It was only a minute or so before Butcher shouted with satisfaction, ‘There he is, we’ve got him!’

The red E-Type was travelling in the middle lane at exactly seventy, apparently oblivious to every other car on the road, as Hubbard dropped in behind it. ‘Let’s pull him over,’ he said, hitting the switch that activated the car’s two-tone siren.

As soon as the siren started they saw Ross visibly jump and his head bob around as he scanned his mirrors. Then he dropped a gear, floored the accelerator, and with a puff of smoke from the exhaust the Jaguar took off like a scalded cat. ‘He’s making a run for it!’ Hubbard shouted as he shifted down and set off in pursuit. But the V6 in the Peugeot was no match for the V12 in the Jaguar. The police car ran out of steam as they touched a hundred and forty with the E-Type still accelerating away.

‘We’re never going to catch him in this thing,’ Hubbard spat as they sped along the M23 with the red car disappearing into the distance. ‘Better call for assistance from the local ASU and get them to follow from the air. Get the local boys at Lewes over to the farm as well. They can nab him when he arrives there.’

The huge engine in the Jaguar purred like a kitten as the speedometer nudged a hundred and sixty. Ross smiled with satisfaction as he watched the blue flashing light behind him fade into the distance. Within five minutes he’d covered the twelve miles to the beginning of the A23, then another seven minutes found him at the roundabout just north of Brighton where he slowed right down to normal speed and headed east on the A27. He was now only five miles from home and hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the police since leaving them standing near Gatwick.

All the way down the motorway his mind had been working flat out just driving the car at high speed and watching his mirrors, but now that he’d slowed, he had time to think. They gave up too easily, he thought, obviously didn’t want to risk an accident by trying a high-speed chase or a roadblock. That means they must have radioed ahead to have men waiting at the farm. They’re bound to have worked out that’s where I’m heading. Then, as he approached the turning for the village, he had a new idea.

Within a few minutes of losing sight of the Jaguar, there was a running commentary coming in from the Sussex Air Support Unit helicopter as it followed Ross at high speed down the A23, barely able to keep pace itself. Hubbard had kept up the pursuit, and by the time Ross was approaching the village turn off, they were just five minutes behind him.

Speaking on the radio directly to the helicopter, Butcher asked, ‘Echo Xray, can you confirm that the units are in position at the farm?’

‘That’s affirmative,’ the police observer replied, ‘one car at the entrance, two more blocking the lane just outside. Once he’s through the village, he’s got nowhere to go.’

Hubbard smiled grimly as they sped along the A27, then suddenly the police helicopter was transmitting again. ‘All units, all units, the target vehicle has turned left, left into Ranscombe Lane, half a mile west of the village.’

‘What the hell’s he up to?’ Hubbard barked. ‘Ask them where that lane leads.’

‘Echo Xray,’ Butcher transmitted, ‘can you see where the lane leads?’

‘Looks like it passes north of the farm then carries on towards Ringmer,’ the observer replied. Then, before Hubbard could issue any new instructions the observer shouted, ‘Target vehicle’s stopped, one occupant’s bailed out and running across what looks like an airstrip towards a farm building.’

Hubbard grabbed the microphone from Butcher and yelled, ‘All units, all units, converge on the building at the end of the airstrip, he’s going to try and fly out! Echo Xray, block that runway!’

As soon as Ross jumped out of the car and started running, he heard the helicopter overhead. ‘Damn!’ he shouted aloud as he climbed the high chain link fence that bordered his property, then headed towards the barn at a run. Within a minute he reached the building and swung both of the huge doors back, just as three police cars came into view, bumping along the track from the house, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Quickly, he dashed into the barn, up the steps of the Golden Eagle, then slamming the doors shut behind him, leapt into the cockpit. Within seconds, the engines were running and he rammed the throttles forward, driving the sleek aircraft out of the barn towards the start of the runway, just as the police cars arrived.

Rapidly gaining speed with the cars in close pursuit, he swung the aircraft around as he reached the runway threshold and applied full power. As he looked forward, he saw with horror that the police helicopter was preparing to land about half way down the runway, but by this time he’d thrown all caution to the wind and headed straight for it. ‘You’d better get that bloody thing out of my way,’ he growled, ‘because I’m not going to stop.’

The lightly loaded Golden Eagle accelerated rapidly, and before it had covered a quarter of the runway it was up to flying speed. Pulling back hard on the yoke, Ross hauled the aircraft into the air with the stall-warning horn howling in protest.

At the same time, the pilot of the police helicopter lost his nerve and applied full power to lift off out of the way of the charging Golden Eagle. He managed to get the machine about ten feet off the ground and was desperately trying to clear the runway when the left wheel of the Golden Eagle smashed through his tail rotor, skewing the helicopter around and sending it spinning out of control.

The impact shredded the Golden Eagle’s tire and bent the undercarriage leg, but didn’t impede the powerful aircraft’s progress into the sky. Ross had thought he was going to clear the helicopter, but when it had started to rise up in front of him he’d known a collision was unavoidable. When it came, there was a loud bang from below the port wing, but no loss of control. Now, as he banked steeply to the left looking out over his shoulder, he scanned the field below to see what had happened to the other machine.

As he watched, the dark blue helicopter ballooned about fifty feet up into the air under full power, then careered drunkenly, spinning out of control across the airstrip boundary before crashing through the roof of the farmhouse.

The explosion was immense as the ruptured fuel tanks sprayed aviation fuel all over the red hot turbines, engulfing the farmhouse in flames and sending a greasy black mushroom cloud high into the air. Ross closed his eyes for a moment then completed his turn and climbed out towards the sea, retracting the damaged undercarriage as he went.

.

Hubbard and Butcher turned onto the track leading to the farm just as the farmhouse erupted in flames. ‘Jesus Christ!’ Hubbard shouted, ‘What the hell happened?’

‘Looks like the chopper’s gone down!’ Butcher replied, staring incredulously at the burning building. ‘Those poor bastards don’t stand a chance!’

‘Three men!’ Hubbard screamed, ‘three good men! I’m going to get that stuck-up bastard if it’s the last thing I do! Get the registration before he gets out of sight!’ Butcher noted the aircraft’s registration while Hubbard accelerated up the track towards the airstrip, where the other officers were out of their cars, some staring towards the burning farmhouse, others watching the Golden Eagle as it disappeared towards the coast.

Hubbard skidded to a halt outside the hangar, jumped out of the car and screamed, ‘Don’t just stand there, get down to the house and see what you can do!’ As the officers piled into their cars, Hubbard rushed into the hangar, jumped up onto the wing of a Piper Warrior and wrenched the door open.

‘You’re not going after him in that, are you?’ Butcher asked with dismay as he followed his boss.

‘Don’t be stupid,’ Hubbard snapped, ‘I can’t fly, but I’ve been in these things before and I know how to use the radio!’ Pulling a headset on, he flicked the master switches up then turned the knob on the radio set. Almost immediately, he heard the voice of a controller speaking to an aircraft. As soon as the exchange had finished, he pressed the transmit button on the yoke and said, ‘This is the police calling air traffic control, do you read?’

‘Station calling London Information, please say your call sign,’ the London air traffic controller snapped.

‘London Information,’ Hubbard replied coolly, ‘I have no call sign, I am a police officer on the ground. We are in pursuit of a dangerous criminal who has just escaped in a twin engine aircraft, registration Golf-Sierra-India-Romeo-Romeo. I want you to track his movements, he can’t be allowed to get away.’

‘Roger police unit, the aircraft is still on this frequency and has just been given clearance to route across the Channel to Le Havre and free-call the Lille controller. Present position is ten miles south of Brighton at five thousand feet. Will pass your request for tracking on to Lille.’

Ross engaged the autopilot, and was just getting comfortable in the cockpit thinking he’d got clean away when he heard Hubbard talking to the controller. He’d planned to route over to Le Havre, then travel on towards Chamonix at low level in uncontrolled airspace, losing himself among the hundreds of other Sunday afternoon flyers over France. He hadn’t expected Hubbard to be so quick off the mark alerting the air traffic control authorities. Yet again, he thought, that pushy, arrogant copper’s ruined my plans. Then he heard Hubbard’s voice again, addressing him directly.

‘Webley, I know you can hear me, now listen. You might as well turn around and give yourself up. You are directly responsible for the death of three police officers. You will be tracked relentlessly by the authorities wherever you go. When you eventually land, there will be police waiting to meet you. You don’t stand a chance of getting away.’

Ross didn’t answer. Listening to Hubbard’s stern, authoritative voice, he knew that what he was saying was true. He also knew that he would never give himself up, not to rot for the rest of his life in some jail.

Reaching out, he switched the radio off.

Back on the ground, Hubbard repeated his appeal over the radio, but was then asked by the controller to clear the frequency and to call the duty supervisor at the Gatwick control center by telephone. After writing the number down, Hubbard switched the radio and electrics in the Warrior off and climbed down from the wing.

‘Bastard didn’t respond,’ he said angrily to Butcher, who had only been able to hear one side of the exchange on the radio. ‘I’ve got to call the controller at Gatwick on the phone now.’

Walking out of the barn, Hubbard looked over towards the farmhouse where he could see two fire engines starting to play water onto the roof, which was still burning fiercely. ‘There goes the Crawford case,’ he said shaking his head. ‘Forensics were due to go back in tomorrow and go over the entire house with a fine-tooth comb. If there was any other evidence in there, it’s gone now.’

‘But he’s proved his guilt by making a run for it,’ Butcher reasoned.

‘You know that, and I know that, but try making it stand up in court,’ Hubbard said dejectedly, as he walked towards the car punching numbers into his cell phone.

Hubbard’s call to the supervising controller at Gatwick was answered quickly. Once he’d introduced himself, he asked, ‘Any more news on Webley’s aircraft?’

‘He’s turned onto a heading of one-three-six degrees and climbed to twelve thousand feet. Still not responding to repeated radio calls. In another few minutes he’ll be out of English airspace.’

Hubbard swore under his breath. ‘If he sticks to his new course, where will it take him?’

‘Hold on, I’ll just check on the chart,’ the controller replied. Coming back half a minute later, he said ‘A course of one-three-six from his present position will take him over the northern suburbs of Paris then on down towards Lake Geneva. Nothing much to get in his way at twelve thousand feet until he gets to the Alps.’

An alarm bell rang in Hubbard’s mind. ‘I think I know where he’s going!’ he said excitedly. ‘What can we do to stop him?’

‘In about another three minutes, absolutely nothing. He’ll be in French airspace.’

‘Damn!’ Hubbard exploded, ‘Who can I speak to over there, do you know?’

‘Best person would be my opposite number at Orly. I don’t know the name, but I can give you a number if you like.’

Hubbard noted the number, thanked the controller, then rang off. While he’d been talking, a battered Landrover had made its way up the track and parked nearby. Hubbard and Butcher walked over to it as an old man climbed out of the cab. ‘Who are you?’ Hubbard asked, flashing his warrant card.

‘I’m Harry Perkins,’ the old man replied, ‘I look after the aircraft here. I saw all the commotion from the village and thought Sir Ross had had an accident.’

‘It wasn’t Webley,’ Hubbard said, ‘it was a police helicopter. Now you’re here though, maybe you can help. The big twin that’s normally kept here, what type is it?’

‘She’s a Cessna 421B, known as a Golden Eagle,’ Perkins replied.

‘How fast can it go?

‘Depends on how high you fly her.’

‘Say, twelve thousand feet. How fast will it go at that height?’

Perkins thought for a moment then said, ‘I’d say between two-thirty and two-fifty, depending on the power setting.’

‘Miles an hour?’ Hubbard asked, making notes.

‘Yes.’

‘Now, what about distance,’ Hubbard asked, ‘how far can it go.’

‘On full tanks, about fifteen-hundred miles,’ Perkins replied.

‘And were the tanks full?’

‘Yes, I filled them myself when Sir Ross came back on Thursday. He hasn’t used her since.’

‘Thank you,’ Hubbard said, closing his notebook. ‘You’ve been very helpful.’ As they walked back to the car, he said to Butcher, ‘Come on, let’s get over to the local nick in Lewes. We need a base to work from.’

Twenty minutes later they were installed in the incident room at Lewes Police Station, which had been set up to cover the Crawford shooting. Hubbard put a call through to the Paris Air Traffic Control Center, and after explaining who he was and what he wanted, found that his information was very welcome. The supervising controller told him they had been going crazy trying to contact the unidentified aircraft that had entered their airspace without clearance at 15:23 local time.

‘Can you confirm his heading is still one-three-six?’ Hubbard asked.

‘That’s affirmative,’ the supervisor replied in heavily accented but technically correct English. ‘His altitude and heading have not varied at all since he entered our airspace.’

‘What do you intend to do?’ Hubbard asked.

‘If we get no response in the next few minutes, I will request the Air Force send a fighter to escort him down.’

‘That would be perfect,’ Hubbard said with satisfaction. ‘Please remember, he is a wanted criminal. Will you be able to have the police detain him when he lands?’

‘Of course Monsieur, he has already broken several laws, he will be arrested anyway. If you give me your number I will call you back as soon as I know where he will be landing.’

Hubbard gave him the incident room number, thanked him, then rang off. ‘All we can do now is wait,’ he said as he replaced the receiver. ‘Let’s see if we can get some coffee.’

Half an hour later the telephone rang. Hubbard snatched it up and heard the distinctive accent of the French supervisor. ‘I’m afraid we have a problem,’ the Frenchman said.

‘What sort of problem?’ Hubbard asked anxiously.

‘The Air Force sent two Mirage jets to intercept the Cessna, but they could not get the pilot to respond to their signals. One of them flew very close and could see the pilot slumped forward in his seatbelt. He appeared to be unconscious.’

Hubbard’s mind raced as he tried to digest the information he was being given. Heart attack, he wondered, suicide? The supervisor was speaking again, ‘The Air Force has taken over responsibility for this now. They are projecting the track of the aircraft forward. If it looks like it will crash in a populated area, they will shoot it down.’

The words snapped Hubbard back to attention. ‘They can’t do that!’ he protested.

‘I’m afraid they can, and they will, if they need to,’ the Frenchman assured him. ‘Now, they have asked me to get some more information. Do you know how much fuel the Cessna has on board?’

‘It was full when it took off,’ Hubbard replied, ‘that should give it a range of over a thousand miles.’

‘Good, at least it should clear French airspace. If it keeps going as it is, it should crash into the Mediterranean.’

‘Is it high enough to clear the Alps?’ Hubbard asked.

‘Standby, I have just been handed a message from the Air Force.’ Hubbard waited a few seconds then heard the supervisor say, ‘You are right, they predict that the aircraft will crash into the mountains just south of the town of Chamonix in the French Alps.’

At the mention of the name Chamonix, Hubbard knew he was right. ‘What time do they estimate the crash will occur?’ he asked.

‘Let’s see,’ the supervisor murmured, ‘16:57 local time, just under one hour from now.’

.

Down in Chamonix, Batard was sitting at his desk, speaking to a senior French Air Force commander on the telephone. ‘We’ve got a rogue aircraft heading your way at an altitude of 3,700 meters,’ the commander was saying calmly, ‘the pilot is unconscious, probably dead.’

Batard’s blood ran cold as the commander carried on. ‘No need to worry, we’ve projected its track forward and calculated the exact point of impact to be in an unpopulated area to the south of you.’

‘Where exactly?’ Batard managed to ask.

‘Let me have a look… ah, here it is. Four kilometers south of Chamonix on the north face of a 3,842 meter peak named L’Aiguille du Midi,’ the commander said nonchalantly. ‘The civil aviation boys will get a team down there tomorrow to pick up the pieces.’

Batard felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. ‘Commander,’ he said urgently, ‘you’ve got to stop that aircraft before it gets here. There’s a huge cable-car station on the summit of L’Aiguille du Midi which at this time of day is packed with hundreds of visitors!’

‘You’ve got nearly an hour,’ the commander replied coolly, ‘just evacuate it if you’re worried.’

‘If the pilot is already dead, can’t you shoot the aircraft down?’ Batard asked hopefully.

‘Not unless it’s absolutely necessary,’ the commander said, ‘it would cause a hell of a stink, French fighters shooting down a British registered aircraft. Now look, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of time to get those people down from there. The sooner you get on with it, the better.’

‘All right,’ Batard said reluctantly, ‘but if there are still people up there at 16:45, I’m going to insist you shoot it down.’

‘Fair enough,’ the commander conceded, ‘I’ll keep the escorts in place and wait for your call.’

Batard said goodbye, slammed his fingers down on the cradle to clear the line, then dialed the number for the cable-car station at the foot of L’Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix.

.

Back up in Lewes, Hubbard was pacing the incident room. ‘I reckon it’s a trick,’ he was saying to Butcher.

‘You think he’s faking it?’

‘Yes. I reckon as soon as he saw those fighters he pretended to be unconscious so they couldn’t force him down. I’ll bet you as soon as he gets into the mountains he’ll dive off up a valley somewhere he can’t be followed and land.’

‘But why would he do that?’ Butcher asked. ‘He knows he’d be caught sooner or later.’

‘Maybe so, but I think he’s got unfinished business with his wife. I’m convinced he’s a killer, and now he knows we’re on to him, he’s got nothing to lose. Didn’t you see the look on his face when we told him she was still alive? I think he’s completely lost it, and he’s got nothing on his mind now but finishing her off before we get him.’

‘Hadn’t we better warn her?’ Butcher asked.

‘Better than that, we’ll warn the local police. They can protect her, and if Webley shows up they can nick him.’ With that, Hubbard pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his recent calls. ‘Here it is,’ he said, pushing the button to redial Batard’s number.

Batard had just finished speaking with the director of the STMB, the company that runs the Aiguille du Midi cable cars. He’d managed to convey the urgency of the situation and the director had promised an immediate evacuation. When his telephone rang again, he snatched it from its cradle.

‘Batard,’ he barked.

‘Chief Inspector Hubbard here,’ Hubbard said.

‘I am sorry Monsieur, I can not talk now, I am dealing with an emergency.’

‘The aircraft that is heading your way?’ Hubbard asked.

‘How did you know?’

‘That aircraft belongs to Sir Ross Webley, I believe he is on his way to harm his wife.’

Batard was flabbergasted. ‘I knew it was a British aircraft, but I had no idea it was him!’ he said. ‘I was told the pilot was dead!’

‘I don’t believe that,’ Hubbard replied urgently. ‘I think he’s faking, and at the last minute, he’ll land somewhere near Chamonix and go after his wife.’

Batard thought of Alice being harmed again by her husband and his blood boiled. ‘Do not worry Monsieur, if he comes anywhere near Madame Webley, I will shoot him personally.’

‘No need for that, Batard,’ Hubbard said, surprised by his vehemence, ‘just arrest him if you wouldn’t mind. He’s got a number of charges to answer here including manslaughter, murder and attempted murder.’

‘It will be done, you can rely on me,’ Batard assured him. ‘Now I must get on. Goodbye Monsieur.’ Batard hung up then grabbed his cap and headed out of the door.

.

Up in the cable car station on the summit of L’Aiguille du Midi, all hell had broken loose. The duty manager had made an announcement over the public address system in three languages asking everyone to make their way calmly to the disembarkation point for emergency evacuation. Mention of the word emergency had sparked panic. Women screamed, children cried and there was a crush of bodies as hundreds of people desperately tried to squeeze down the narrow staircase that led to the departure station.

As the next empty cable-car edged into the station, the crowd surged forward, piling into the gondola until it was impossible to slide the doors closed. Using a loud hailer and physically manhandling people out of the way, the station staff managed to drive the crowd back behind a barrier so that the doors could be closed and the cable-car could depart.

While they were waiting for the next gondola to arrive, the station manager reassured everyone that there was no need for panic, and that if everyone remained calm, they would all get down safely. That worked until the next car arrived…

.

Alice and Philippe had finished a long, leisurely lunch at about half past three, and had then moved onto the rooftop terrace outside the huge glass restaurant to sit on loungers in the sun, enjoy a glass of wine and admire the view. The restaurant had closed and they’d been out there for an hour, both nearly asleep, lulled by the warm sun and the wine when Batard rushed up to them.

‘I am sorry to bother you Madame,’ he said, ‘but I must speak with you urgently.’

Alice shot upright in her lounger, adrenaline pumping through her body, making her insides feel cold and watery. ‘What’s happened?’ she asked desperately. Philippe sat up more slowly to listen.

‘It is your husband, Madame,’ Batard said apologetically. ‘He is in his aircraft heading this way. The Air Force say he is unconscious and will crash into L’Aiguille du Midi just before five o’clock, but Monsieur Hubbard at Scotland Yard fears he is on his way here to harm you. He has asked me to ensure your protection.’

Alice was dumfounded. She just couldn’t get her mind around what she was being told. ‘Ross? On his way here? I thought he’d been arrested!’

‘It seems he escaped Madame, and now he is coming here.’

‘Oh my God!’ Alice cried, burying her face in her hands, ‘he’s going to try to kill me again.’

‘Not while I’m here,’ Philippe said, putting his hand on her arm.

‘Thank you Monsieur,’ Batard said, turning to Philippe. ‘I have a lot to do. Can I rely on you to look after Madame?’

‘Of course Captain,’ Philippe said. ‘I will not leave her side.’

‘I have already alerted the regular gendarmerie,’ Batard said, ‘if he tries to land near here, they will arrest him, do not worry.’

As Batard gave a small bow and rushed away, Philippe put his arm around Alice’s shoulder and said, ‘Don’t worry, he won’t get anywhere near you.’

‘You know why he’s doing this,’ she sobbed. ‘He knows I killed Alex. I’m the only one apart from him who could have opened the gun safe. He’s coming here to make sure I don’t get away with it.’

.

Batard drove across town as fast as he could to the cable-car station at the foot of L’Aiguille du Midi. He marched into the control room where the director was watching the television monitors. On the screens were images of men, women and children pushing and shoving, trying to get into a cable-car gondola while staff wearing their distinctive blue and purple ski jackets, fought to keep order. Finally, the doors of the car slid shut and Batard was relieved to see just one operator left in the small control booth.

Batard looked at his watch. The time was 16:45 exactly. Turning to the director, he asked, ‘How long will it take to get that car down?’

‘Time to the mid-station is eight minutes,’ he replied. ‘As soon as they pull in there, they’ll be safe.

Batard breathed a sigh of relief. ‘What about that man who’s left up there,’ he asked. ‘What’s he going to do?’

‘Henri? Oh he’ll be all right. He volunteered to stay behind to operate the machinery. As soon as the car is down, he’ll go through the service tunnel to the south side of the peak. He’ll be safe there.’

‘Good,’ Batard sighed. ‘Thank you for your help. I’ll leave it up to you to inspect your cables for damage after the crash… if there is one.’

Driving back across town, he was amazed by the number of people that were on the streets. Word had obviously got out about the approaching aircraft because there were hundreds of people staring and pointing up towards the snow covered Aiguille du Midi. By the time he reached the town center, the streets were gridlocked as people left their cars in the road and got out to watch the drama unfold. Eventually, unable to move any further, Batard abandoned his car and joined the crowd.

.

Up on the hotel roof, Alice and Philippe stood anxiously, alternately scanning the sky and looking down at their watches. Suddenly, the sound of jet aircraft filled the valley, and as they looked up they saw two fighters peel away to the left and right, leaving a solitary civil aircraft flying directly towards the mountain peak.

The noise of the jets faded as they disappeared into the distance, to be replaced by the steady drone of the Golden Eagle’s engines, crossing the valley overhead towards inevitable destruction. As they watched though, the Cessna abruptly veered away from the mountainside and started a long, curving descent away from them.

‘He’s trying to find somewhere to land!’ Alice cried.

They kept watching the Cessna as it descended, expecting it to drop out of sight at any moment, but then, it turned again, and came screaming back towards the town losing more height until it was barely above the rooftops.

For the second time in three days, events slipped into slow motion for Alice. She was suddenly enveloped in a strange calm. From her vantage point, high above the town, she stood mesmerized, staring down onto the Cessna as it hurtled towards the center of the hotel, four floors below her feet.

Then, right at the last possible moment, as if Ross had spotted her on the rooftop, the Golden Eagle pitched up abruptly and headed directly towards her.

Now, looking straight into the cockpit, straight into her husband’s manic eyes, Alice knew her life was over. I was a fool to think I could ever find happiness after what I did to Alex, she thought, sadly. This is my punishment. This is what I deserve.

Dropping to her knees, she bowed her head and waited for the executioner’s blow.

The blow, when it came though, was from behind. With an anguished cry, Philippe launched himself at her and forced them both down behind the low parapet wall, shielding her with his body as one of the thrashing propellers passed within inches of his head.

A split second later the deserted restaurant erupted into a billion glistening shards as the Cessna ploughed through the glass structure before slithering off the roof and exploding in a huge fireball on the empty tennis courts behind the hotel.

Alice and Philippe lay perfectly still for what seemed like an age as broken glass showered over them. When it finally stopped, Philippe eased himself up and helped Alice to sit. Blood poured down her face and into her eyes from a gash on her forehead.

With the sirens of the approaching rescue vehicles building to a deafening crescendo, and black, acrid smoke billowing around them, Philippe comforted her and carefully stemmed the stream of blood with his folded handkerchief, tying it in place with the thin fabric belt from her dress. With the dressing in place and the bleeding under control, he helped her to her feet.

Alice, smudged with soot, her hair tangled and matted with blood, stared wide-eyed at the wreckage of the restaurant and the flames leaping high into the air from behind the hotel. Bursting into tears, she flung herself against Philippe and clung to him like a terrified child.

‘It is okay,’ he said gently, holding her close. ‘It’s over now, you’re safe.’

Epilogue

Years later, Alice would still sometimes wake in the middle of the night, smothered by fear. The blast of the shotgun ringing in her ears. The muzzle flash stinging her eyes to tears. When it happened, he would take her in his arms and run his fingers over the scar on her forehead and through her short hair, kissing her gently, soothingly, while she clung to him fiercely.

Some nights when this wasn’t enough, she would slip from his arms and wander around the beautiful home they had built when they settled in Chamonix, switching on lights and running her hands over their possessions, just to make sure it was all real. Then she would creep into the children’s rooms.

Charles, tall and strong now, doing well at the local college. Her two precious little girls, ‘blond and beautiful like their mother,’ Philippe always said, sleeping soundly. She knew that when the morning sun came and the nightmares receded, she would walk them along the riverside path to the nursery school in the park, then carry on to their father’s office in town, where she worked part-time.

Once the thoughts of normality had finally filtered reality from nightmare, she would tiptoe back to bed and find comfort in his arms again.

On the nights when she still couldn’t sleep, he would get up and make hot chocolate. When it was ready, they would sit out on the terrace, wrapped in bathrobes, cold hands clutching warm mugs, watching the dawn steal over their beloved mountains.

Then they would talk…

The End

Author’s Afterword

As you’ve probably guessed, I love Chamonix. I first went there at the age of nine with my parents. Ten years later I returned on a motorcycle with my girlfriend on the pillion. We were back again the following year for our honeymoon.

While our children were growing up we spent many happy holidays there hiking the high mountain trails and exploring the glaciers. All the locations in this book, including the glaciers, mountain railway, cable cars and refuge huts are described exactly as we saw them.

After twenty years of hard work together we were in a position to buy a holiday home in Chamonix with a fantastic outlook directly onto Mont Blanc. Much of this book was written while sitting on the terrace with a laptop drawing inspiration directly from the mountains.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I would like to thank my wife, Sharon, for the months of neglect she suffered while my head was away in the mountains writing this book. How you’ve put up with me all these years I’ll never know!

Next my good friend Chris Peacock for the awesome job he does on the cover art for my books. You really rock man!

Now my professional help. A great big thank you goes out to the late Angela Sibson from Angel Books for her professional editing and all her personal kindness and support over the years. Rest in peace Angela.

Finally a big thank you to you, dear reader, for choosing this book out of the many thousands available. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

About the Author

Vince May was born in England then brought up in the American community in Saudi Arabia before being sent back to England at the age of twelve to attend boarding school.

After leaving school he obtained an engineering degree then went on to establish a successful career in electronic product design. He is currently Chairman of an environmental test equipment manufacturing company.

He has (to date) completed two full-length thrillers (both available on Amazon) and the outlines and research for two further thrillers. He has also written a Rock Guitar Method textbook and three magazine stories.

He is married, has two adult children and currently lives with his wife on the south coast of England.

If you liked Presumed Dead, try…

THE DIGITAL MAN

A missing scientist, a serial killer on the loose.

One woman knows the truth, but no one’s listening…

Eminent British scientist Dr Roland Baxter is on a mission to create the world’s most advance on-line anatomical research tool: The Digital Human.

He travels to the United States to collect the body of an executed serial killer, which has been left to medical science and promised to him for the Digital Human project.

But things are not as they seem with Dr Baxter or his project. Shortly after returning to London with the body, Baxter mysteriously disappears.

Then the murders begin…

“…a cracking good story with a powerful, intriguing plot… compelling!”

---Angela Dracup

Interested? Please visit Amazon to order The Digital Man by Vince May

Please note: The Digital Man was originally published under the title Stay of Execution.

…

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are fictitiously used. Any semblance to actual persons, living or dead, real events or locales is entirely coincidental unless specifically indicated. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Kindle Edition

First eBook edition published 2014

This edition published April 2015

Copyright 2006 Vince May. All rights reserved.

Cover art: Chris Peacock

eBook ISBN 978 1 311 26063 5

Content

Vince May
PRESUMED DEAD

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Author’s Afterword

Acknowledgements

About the Author

If you liked Presumed Dead, try…

Copyright