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‘It could perhaps be very well hidden,’ Kai said hopefully

‘We had our best searchers on the job, Mr Strongrock,’ Singh said, in a tone which closed the subject

‘So the real book is not in Wyndhaery Bradamant stole couldn’t have been started until Wyndham actually had the book This would have taken at least teeks to create So was itthat period or copied before it arrived?’ She turned to Singh ‘Can we confirm that the book entered Wyndham’s house directly after the auction, and reh nodded ‘We can And after it arrived, testimony froood copy of it – was in Lord Wyndham’s study all day every day, madam The maid who dusted it was quite definite on the subject Lord Wyndhaood Soeither the real thing or an excellent copy was on display throughout, but Bradamant definitely picked up the fake And the real book cannot have been reery was only ready a few days before Wyndhaiven that the auction was a little over teeks before the ery would have taken teeks – then the real book must have been taken from the house in those last few days That is, if it isn’t there now’

‘An interesting train of thought,’ Vale murmured, and Irene had to work to suppress a blush of pride It’s nice to have just one little daydream come true And it’s even better when it’s actually deserved ‘But why not keep it in the house?’

‘There is a risk of theft – froested ‘His safe iven that it was cold iron, but huful look ‘If the real book wasn’t hidden very thoroughly, and it caht, it would show Wyndham’s display copy was a fake – whatever the reason for all this cloak-and-dagger subterfuge I wonder what he was up to’ Finally he nodded to Irene ‘I agree with your theory, h it does mean we’d have to assu it to soent or third party to deal with’

‘Let us co hypothesis,’ Vale said briskly ‘In those three days, where did he go? And when could he have been carrying a book with hie hardback,’ Brada the shape in the air with her hands ‘Leather-bound and illustrated Perhaps six inches by eight Impossible to conceal under a fashionable coat It could be carried in a briefcase easily enough’

‘Excellent,’ Vale said ‘That limits the possibilities Lord Wyndhaive us based on that, Inspector?’

‘Just a h the papers ‘I have so his cos over the last few days before his entleht have wanted to kill hi that period, so I believe we should be able to rule out a nu in the rooesting that they all help by taking a paper each and checking them separately Then she decided it was a stupid idea Then she considered it again Then she watched Singh’sas he es

With an effort, she glanced towards therather than watching Singh read The weather outside still seeood – for this alternate, anyhow – with high-flying clouds and sunshine The dreaainst the pale sky

She wondered what sort of drea a dreah finally said ‘I think wehere’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

‘The day before his h said ‘It wasn’t a scheduled visit Apparently he couldn’t be seen immediately, and he made a few complaints, which caused so them While none of the state a briefcase, they don’t say that he wasn’t either It’d be quite the nor his banker to be carrying’

‘Who did he bank with?’ Bradah said He frowned ‘I’ll need to get a search warrant if we’re to look inside his safe deposit box, sir That’ll take a few hours at least And it’d be easier with a bit of evidence that we could take before the judge’

There was a gluhout the rooet us a warrant a trifle faster’

‘If the Iron Brotherhood were behind last night’s attack on the Eht try and steal the deposit box froh looked disappointed in her ‘I said evidence, le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">