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‘I didn’t go into any details’

‘Will you ever?’ sighed Clare, before adding, ‘I looked up the word “reactionary” in my OED, and found your father’s name appeared in the footnotes’

Grace laughed ‘I’ve told my mother all about you, and she couldn’t have been more supportive She asked if you’d like to join us for lunch on Sunday, and let Dad work it out for himself?’

‘Who do you think your father would be more happy to propose as a member of the Garrick – a mass murderer or a lesbian?’

‘Mass, I couldn’t be sure about,’ said Grace as she placed the folder on the bedside table and turned out the light

12

THEY SAT TOGETHER on the top deck of a bus heading for Notting Hill

‘Do you have a plan, Detective Constable Warwick,’ asked Beth, ‘or are we just winging it?’

‘We’re winging it,’ adet back on the bus I’ll knoho painted the copy of theRembrandt’

‘Did you allery?’

‘It was founded twelve years ago by two brothers, Malcolallery, but they soon found there wasn’t a profit in that and s for

custo, but want a masterpiece on their wall for a thousandth of the price That hen the business really took off How about you?’

‘I asked around allery, although one or two did ad artists a reasonable living they wouldn’t otherwise have had Apparently some of the copies are of exceptional quality But I’d still rather have an original’

‘Then you’re going to have to steal one Or marry a very rich man’

‘Neither will be necessary,’ said Beth ‘I already live with some of the finest artists on earth, and my latest boyfriend is practically penniless, so that doesn’t look too pro’