Chelsea Mansions Read Online Free Page B

nodded, making a mental note, he guessed.

    Kathy sat down beside Emerson, seeing the newspaper report by his side. ‘How are you today?’
    ‘The shoulder’s aching a bit, but the doc said that would happen. I’ve got painkillers.’
    ‘Have Victim Support been in touch?’
    ‘Oh yes, a nice lady called in this morning. We had a chat.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘And two people from the US Embassy.’
    ‘Uh-huh.’
    ‘And Nancy’s son in California phoned to say he’s flying out here right away to help me. I told him not to, but he insisted.’ He took a deep breath. ‘And about twenty reporters and photographers stopped by. The colonel wanted to chase them away, but they just needed a picture and a few words about Nancy, so I gave them that and they left.’
    ‘The colonel?’
    ‘The hotel owner, Toby Beaumont. Ex-army, as if you couldn’t guess. We heard one of the other staff call him “Colonel”, so Nancy . . .’
    He stopped and swallowed, then took a sip of water from the glass at his elbow and continued. ‘Toby wants to organise a memorial service for Nancy in the little church on the other side of the square. I’ve told him it isn’t necessary, but he’s determined. He says people want to do something to show how they feel.’
    ‘Do you want me to dissuade him?’
    Emerson thought about it, then shook his head. ‘No, I guess it’s okay. It’s kind of him. He’s talking about Sunday, after the morning service. I don’t think there will be many people there.’
    ‘Right.’ Kathy hesitated, then said, ‘You know Nancy’s family pretty well then?’
    ‘Sure, I’ve known them for, oh, thirty years or more. I used to play golf with her husband, she and my wife were best friends, and I’ve watched their children grow up and leave home.’
    ‘I have to ask this. Is there any possibility, do you think, that there could be a domestic reason of some kind for Nancy to be killed? Something to do with her life back home?’
    ‘Oh, you mean the mafia cousins in Las Vegas, and the huge life insurance the boys just took out on their mother?’ He gave Kathy a weak smile. ‘You know, I did have that thought too, for a very brief moment. I guess we all watch too much TV. But it’s just too ridiculous. Nancy is the last person on earth I could imagine this kind of thing happening to.’
    ‘Fine. I had to ask.’
    ‘Sure.’
    ‘Do you happen to know who will be the beneficiaries of her estate?’
    He sighed, as if reluctant to go into it. ‘I do, as a matter of fact. A couple of years ago she asked me to act as one of her executors, and she asked my opinion about leaving specific small sums to her grandchildren and sister. Her two sons would be the principal beneficiaries, sharing her main asset, the house.’
    ‘How much is that worth?’
    ‘Probably five million plus.’
    Kathy made a note of the name and address of Nancy’s solicitor, thanked Emerson and got up to go.
    In the hallway she saw the man who’d been talking to him earlier. He looked up from the leaflet for the London Eye that he was reading and said, ‘Hi again. I saw you on TV. Terrible business.’
    ‘You’re staying here?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘And you’re American too?’
    ‘Canadian. Look, I guess everybody says this, but I’d really like to help, if I can.’
    She nodded and showed him a copy of the photo from Emerson’s camera. ‘You haven’t seen anyone like this hanging around, have you?’
    ‘Sorry, I’ve only just arrived. But I’ll certainly keep my eyes open.’
    ‘Just so long as you don’t try to tackle him if you do see him.’
    ‘No, I’d give you a call, I guess. If I had your contact details.’
    Kathy gave him her card. He seemed pleasant, but there was something odd about his manner, the rather intense way he looked at her. ‘What was your name again?’
    ‘John, John Greenslade, from Montreal.’

FOUR
    W hen Kathy got back to Queen Anne’s Gate she again found Brock with Zack and another