‘Excellent,’ Georgina said rubbing her hands. ‘We must find other sources, get descriptions, names.’
‘That’s proving difficult. But the Pole did know something else. The woman walked out at some stage.’
‘They argued?’
‘He doesn’t have the details. She left one day and wasn’t seen again.’
‘Ah.’
‘And with my suspicious mind I’m thinking if her man was the killer, did he also murder the woman?’
‘A double killing? You said she walked out.’
‘The Pole said that. It’s what other people would assume if she vanished from the house. I’m thinking perhaps she never left.’
‘What would he have done with the body? It wasn’t in the loft.’
‘The small back garden.’
‘Buried her?’
‘Under the forget-me-nots.’
‘Peter, there’s a lot of supposition here.’
He wasn’t going to admit he’d been influenced by Ingeborg. When you hit a brick wall, intuition might get you over it. ‘Ma’am, you asked me to investigate and this is where it’s led me. That’s why I’m here. I need bobbies with spades and sieves.’
‘Hasn’t the garden been gone over already?’
‘Not dug for human remains. After the terrace was demolished the contractors removed the rubble and now they want to start work on their supermarket as soon as possible, putting down foundations. I’m trying to preserve it as a crime scene, what there is of it. To them it’s days lost. Time is money.’
‘You’re asking me to conjure up a working party?’
‘Please.’
She took a deep breath. ‘You couldn’t have asked at a worse time. Uniform are fully stretched this week.’
‘There’s never a good time, ma’am. We’re under-resourced. We both know that.’
‘Just about everyone is on overtime with these fireworks displays each night. They can be dangerous events if they’re not policed properly.’
‘Half a dozen officers could do the job.’
‘What? Patrol the World Fireworks Championships?’
‘Dig up the Twerton garden.’
‘We can’t spare them,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘The digging has to be in daylight. I won’t take them away from the fireworks.’
‘That isn’t the point. These men and women are working their socks off day and night.’
He tried flattery. It sometimes worked with Georgina. ‘We in CID have confidence in you. When the pressure is on, we always know we can count on you.’
‘Really?’
‘In all honesty, ma’am.’
She sighed. ‘Between ourselves, I enjoy fireworks as much as anyone, but I’m not best pleased about the way this was foisted on us. Did you see the young man who was leaving as you came in?’
‘The dude with badges on his hat?’
‘Dude?’ She gave him a look that let him know he would never make chief superintendent while she was in charge. ‘He’s the organiser. As far as I can tell, he’s a self-appointed impresario who offered Bath as a venue. The event is usually in Blackpool when it’s in Britain. He put in a bid and they were only too pleased to take him up on it. He goes by the — to me — alarming name of Perry the Pyro.’
‘Pyromaniac?’
‘My thought exactly, but apparently it means he’s a pyrotechnics expert. He must have some influence with the council and the rugby club because he managed to get the Rec for the shows. I’m assured they all worked well so far and tonight will be the end of it.’
‘That’s all right, then. He can get by with fewer bobbies.’
‘No, no. Quite the reverse. Tonight’s finale will be on the lawn in front of the Royal Crescent.’
‘On the lawn?’ Diamond was doing his best to look surprised. Better not tell Georgina he and Paloma planned to be there. She might decide he could help with the policing.
‘God knows how he persuaded the residents it was a good idea.’
The occupants of the crescent zealously guarded their exclusive rights of use of the patch of turf in front of their building.
‘Where will the audience be? Below the ha-ha, I suppose. Open ground.’
‘That’s my concern. It’s a free show. Anyone can turn up, so we’ll need a big police presence.’
‘You can’t spare a few men for my dig?’
She didn’t answer. She drew herself up in her chair and looked as if she was about to announce the host city of the next Olympics. ‘Peter, listen to this. I have some important information for you. I — personally — have been working behind the scenes.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘I became interested in the costume the skeleton was found in — the frock coat and breeches that led us all to believe he could have been Beau Nash. My thoughts turned to occasions where such clothes are worn, even in the twenty-first century.’
‘Balls.’
‘I beg your pardon.’
‘They’re worn at costume balls at the Guildhall and the Assembly Rooms. Large annual events.’
‘You’ve done some research of your own, then?’
‘Covered every angle we can think of.’
‘In that case, you may have come across the Beau Nash Society.’
Couldn’t deny it. He’d been homing in on the society in recent days. But he was cautious. ‘I interviewed a member, yes.’
‘You have already?’ She sounded slightly deflated.
‘They meet at a house in the Circus. And they all dress up, bloody fools. Fine if you have the time and money. It’s mostly for the idle rich.’
‘Do I detect a note of envy?’
‘No. It wouldn’t appeal to me.’
‘But if you’ve spoken to a member you must believe they could help the investigation?’
‘No stone unturned, as they say.’
‘Well,’ — she brought her fingertips together — ‘I may be able to help. I won’t bore you with the details, but I recently met some people who know more about the Beau Nash Society than you and I could learn in a lifetime. Sir Edward has been president ever since the year 2000. He is known to the members as the Beau. You may have heard of him as a property developer.’
‘You’re speaking of Sir Edward Paris,’ he said. He could have said a tosspot called Sir Edward Paris. That was what he was thinking.
‘Ed, as I know him.’ With a superior smile, Georgina said, ‘Over a drink at their ultra-modern home in Charlcombe last night, the subject of your investigation came up.’
He frowned, not liking this. ‘How was that?’
‘No need to get hot under the collar. Only three of us were there — Sir Edward, Lady Sally and me. I ventured to suggest it might be helpful for you to meet Ed.’
‘Did you?’
‘And he agreed. No one is better placed to tell you what goes on.’
He bit back his annoyance.
‘Better than that,’ Georgina went on, ‘Ed himself suggested you come to their next meeting, a chance to rub shoulders with the members. Isn’t that a splendid offer?’
‘Bit of a problem there,’ Diamond said straight away.
‘Oh?’
‘Like I said, they dress up. I’d stand out like a sore thumb.’
‘Of course you will if you go in the kind of thing you’re wearing. Hire a costume.’
His hands flew up like a kick-boxer under attack. ‘I’m not dressing up.’
Georgina was unmoved. ‘I knew you’d say that. Take a moment to let the idea sink in, Peter. This is your chance to watch the society in session. Ed is offering to introduce you to some elderly members who were around at the time of the murder. It’s not for me to say that they know who the victim was and who did it, but you’ll look awfully silly if they do and you turn down this invitation.’
‘I don’t need to see them at their meeting. I can go to their houses.’
‘That won’t do.’
‘Why not?’
‘I promised Ed you’d be there.’