you want to see it, but the gist is that he was leaving for Paris on Thursday morning. He asked me to cancel his appointments for the next couple of days and inform Mrs Culverton he had been called away. He said he would advise me later as to his return. He didnât actually say that he was going to Paris as a result of the accident but that must have been the reason. If you recall, the accident happened at four oâclock and I imagine the Paris office contacted Mr Culverton in the course of the evening.â
âThatâs something we can probably check,â said Rackham. âHave you any idea what he did when he left the office?â
âI thought of that, too,â said Lloyd. He walked to the desk and took a book from the drawer. âThis is his appointments diary.â Lloyd opened the book and turned it round so Jack and Rackham could see.
âWednesday 31st October,â
read Rackham. âThereâs a couple of meetings and so on during the day but the entry for the evening reads,
Dinner â Mulciber â N.L. and R.M. â 7.30. Paris
.â
âWho are N.L. and R.M?â asked Jack.
âI imagine thatâs Mr Nigel Lassiter and Dr Roger Maguire.â
Rackham looked pleased. âWell, if they did have dinner with him thatâs another part of the evening accounted for.â He closed his notebook. âI think thatâs about all we can find out here.â He glanced at Jack. âIs there anything youâd like to know?â
âI wouldnât mind looking round for a few more minutes, if thatâs all right with you, Mr Lloyd.â
âBe my guest. If you can dispense with my services for the time being, Iâll be in my office. I have quite a lot of work to catch up with, as you can imagine.â
âJust before you go,â said Jack, âcan you tell us the names of any of Mr Culvertonâs friends?â
Lloyd looked blank. âI really canât say, Major. As far as I know, Mr Culverton had no close personal friends. He was devoted to the business and any social engagements were usually connected with the firm in some way.â
âSo no interests or hobbies at all?â
Lloyd very nearly smiled. âNo, Major. If you had known Mr Culverton you would realize how improbable a suggestion that is.â He walked to the door. âI shall be in the next room if you require anything further.â
Lloyd left the two men together. âMr Culverton sounds a barrel of laughs,â said Rackham. âWhat did you want to look for in here, Jack? Anything in particular?â
Jack hitched himself on to the massive desk. âSome sort of clue as to who he was, I suppose. He doesnât sound a very well-loved sort, does he?â He nodded towards the painting behind him. âI might be reading too much into it but I donât think our Mr Culverton was a very pleasant bloke.â
âSomeone obviously agreed with you,â said Rackham drily. âIâll say this for him though, he clearly had personality. I know his wife left him but she married him in the first place and she was the one with the money, donât forget. He must have had something going for him,â
âYes,â agreed Jack. The image of the Holbein portrait was very strong in his mind. âI think he was a bully.â
Rackham laughed. âHe might have been. I donât see how you can possibly be so sure though.â
âItâs the pictures of him. That and Mr Lloydâs reactions.â Jack got off the desk and wandered round it, opening the drawers at random. âWhat can this desk tell us? Thereâs clean blotting paper in the blotter, so no clue there.â He opened a drawer. âPens, paper-clips, a hole-punch and so on,â he said, rummaging through the contents. âHeaded notepaper, a box of cigars and two lighters. Thereâs something else right at the back. Itâs a box of some
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