The Gospel Makers by Anthea Fraser

things to see to at the house.’
    ‘Which was where, Mr Spedding?’
    ‘In Shillingham, I think. He wasn’t looking forward to going through her things, and said that rather than spend the night in the cold house he’d book into an hotel.’ He made a grimace. ‘Seems he chose the wrong one.’
    ‘Can you think why anyone should have wanted to kill him?’
    ‘Lord, no! I mean, he wasn’t likely to have been messing round with anyone’s wife, or anything like that. And our line of business doesn’t usually bring out the long knives.’
    ‘Do you know how he spent Friday evening?’
    ‘With the other overseas chaps, at the hotel. They all had dinner together.’
    ‘Which hotel was that?’
    ‘The Commodore, in Cresswell Gardens — just round the corner.’
    Which was their next port of call. In response to their inquiries, they learned not only that Kershaw had made a phone-call from his room, but also, thanks to the hotel’s call-logging equipment, the number dialled, which was a Shillingham one. For the rest, he had left the hotel soon after breakfast on Monday morning and the hall porter, who had seen him into a taxi, heard him ask for Paddington Station.
    ‘Right, John, let’s head for home,’ Partridge said. ‘With luck we’ll just miss the rush-hour.’
    *
    Nina was unprepared for the warmth of her welcome when she returned to Victoria Drive that evening. Again, it was Sarah who opened the door, and her sombre face lit up.
    ‘Nina — how lovely!’ she exclaimed, stepping aside and gesturing her in. Top marks for remembering her name, at any rate. ‘We’re just having coffee before we start.’
    Here we go again, thought Nina as she smiled noncommittally. No pomegranate seeds, that was the rule, though it would be difficult to fend off the repeated offers. A pretended allergy to tea or coffee, perhaps. But then they’d offer soft drinks — even water, probably, if they were determined to entrap her.
    ‘Nina!’ Daniel came hurrying along the passage, and thoughts of entrapment seemed all at once far-fetched. ‘How are you? I’m so glad you could come.’
    Perhaps, Nina thought drily a moment later, their pleasure in seeing her was due to the fact that not many people had turned up. There were only about twenty in the back room, standing in the usual awkward little groups with their polystyrene cups.
    ‘Are you expecting any more?’ Nina asked Daniel, shaking her head as he tried to hand her a coffee.
    ‘It depends. There’s always a fall-out after the initial meeting, which is as it should be. Some people come simply out of curiosity, others feel unable to make a commitment. That’s fine. The ones we want are those who’ve had time to think things over and decide to come back and learn more. I hoped you’d be one of them.’ And he smiled warmly into her eyes.
    He reminded her of her ex-husband, Nina realized with a slight sense of shock. Ross, too, possessed that easy charm, that way of looking at you as though you were the only woman in the world. Perhaps that’s why Daniel attracted her. It was an uncomfortable thought, and she was pleased when someone called her name and she could turn away. It was Pam, with whom she’d sat before.
    ‘Hello, Nina, I was hoping you’d be here!’ And she came over to join her.
    ‘Did you tell your husband you were coming this time?’ Nina asked her.
    ‘No fear, I’d never hear the end of it. I waited till he went to the pub, and just slipped out. I’ll be back before he is, but even if he finds out, I’ll still come. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since Friday.’
    If Pam’s welcome had been as warm as her own — and she didn’t doubt it — it was no wonder she felt at home. Probably more notice had been taken of her by these relative strangers than her family had shown in years. Which, Nina thought, looking round the room, was probably true of most of them. She’d read of this technique the cults adopted — love-bombing,