Gently with the Ladies (Inspector George Gently 13)

come quietly they might have nabbed her.’
    Gently shook his head. ‘I think she’s watching.’
    Reynolds said. ‘I’ve manned the window. We just beat a press-photographer to it. And I’m having them send us a couple of policewomen and a constable who spends his leave rock-climbing. I want to talk to those firemen. I think we could rig something on the roof. If we could drop a man in safety-harness he might grab her before she goes.’
    ‘She’ll go. If she wants to.’
    ‘Talk to her, Chief. You may win.’
    Reynolds glided away again. Gently went on watching Brenda Merryn. She hadn’t moved or flickered an eyelid while he and Reynolds had whispered together. But now she said casually:
    ‘I don’t like Reynolds. I think it’s his moustache, it’s too damn British. And he’s, what shall I say, too full of his own efficiency. He’ll never be a big man like you.’
    ‘Are you feeling big?’ Gently said.
    ‘Tired,’ she said. ‘Tired, George. And it’s nice just to stand here with the sun warming me and knowing all my problems are solved. I feel so happy and content. I needn’t open my eyes again. Don’t let anyone come interfering with me. I don’t even want a cigarette.’
    ‘Your father will have to know, of course.’
    ‘Daddy. He’s very understanding. He wouldn’t want me to stay on here if there was nothing for me to stay on for. I’ve written him a little letter, you know. It’s in the glove-compartment of my car.’
    ‘Why did you come to me last night?’
    ‘I wanted to. That’s all.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘There isn’t any why. It was suddenly with me. Women are like that. Oh, I wanted some other things too, like Uncle Creavey’s thousands, and getting even with Siggy. But they were just by the way.’
    ‘Condemning your brother-in-law was by the way?’
    ‘Getting even with him was what I said, George. I don’t condemn him. I’m not a Christian. But I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. You see, I didn’t altogether hate Clytie and I think she had moments of liking me. We weren’t quite sisters so we weren’t quite enemies. In a sense you could call us friendly neutrals. But I don’t think you’re going to understand that, are you, because I did for myself, coming to you. I made a mistake, George, I thought you’d be with me. Damn silly. I always lose.’
    ‘In fact, you offered me bribes and false witness.’
    ‘Both. But that wasn’t my mistake.’
    ‘What sort of an impression could you have hoped to make?’
    ‘It depended so much on you, didn’t it?’
    Her lips quivered, and he could see her fingers pushing harder against the cement. Below, a man was stationed on an expanding ladder, but Reynolds was also there talking to the crewmen.
    ‘I knew I’d lost, George. When I drove away. When I waited at the lights at Finchley Road. It was a big throw, all or nothing, and it didn’t come off: you slapped me down. Because you had to believe that Siggy had done it. Or you had to want me enough so it didn’t matter. And it wasn’t the one way or the other. I was just left driving away in the night.’
    ‘There’s still time to give me a straight statement.’
    Her head moved almost imperceptibly. ‘No. Too late. I told you too much in the wrong sort of way. Because you think Siggy is innocent. That was my mistake.’
    ‘It doesn’t follow you are guilty.’
    ‘Not while I’m standing here, does it? Don’t bother, George. I can imagine the things one usually tries on these occasions. Keep patient talking. Talk is therapeutic. Talk helps to resolve the depressive tendency. Suggest optimistic views. Offer food. But keep patient talking on any subject.’ She paused. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Perhaps you do care a little about me, George. But it can never be much, not after last night, so don’t bother kidding me. I’m sunk.’
    ‘I can only repeat what I said, Miss Merryn. Other people are involved besides yourself.’
    ‘But I offered bribes and false witness, didn’t I? And I was there. Now you can prove it.’
    ‘I can prove it?’
    Her lips twisted. ‘La Bannister saw me. I didn’t know that. I’m not sure La Bannister knows it either, but her false witness is doubtless better than mine.’
    ‘Mrs Bannister told you this?’
    ‘Hasn’t she told you? Oh, but she will when you give her a chance. She was out on the veranda before you got here, giving me a few valedictory words. But notice I say that she’s a liar. I’m