‘Did you come across a man by the name of Sidney Harrod, who befriended him in the last year of his life?’
The eyes glittered enmity. ‘I know a bit about Harrod, yes.’
‘Tell us.’
‘He arrived out of nowhere, and he seemed to know David. I’d see his rusty van parked on the drive, not much of a motor for a guy who behaved like he was family. First I thought he might be some distant cousin, but it turned out they’d met through the Beau Nash Society. They’d go to pubs together and come back late. I’d hear them drive in. He used to strut around as if he owned the place. I was introduced, but he had no interest in me. All his focus was on David.’
‘You didn’t trust his motives?’
‘Didn’t trust his actions. I saw stuff go into his van. Chairs and a writing desk. They were Chippendale, worth thousands. I’m certain he was nicking them.’
‘Did you challenge him?’
‘I asked where they were going and he said they needed expert repairs. I asked if he was a furniture expert and he grinned and said he knew a man who was. I never found out where he lived.’
‘He lodged on the Moon Street estate and had a lock-up garage there. It wasn’t used for the van. Your theory about the furniture ties in with our information.’
‘Typical. He shifted quite a lot of David’s property and got away with it. I tried it one time only and got sent down for three years. What happened to him?’
‘Don’t you know?’
‘He cleared off while David was still alive, simply vanished as suddenly as he arrived. That’s the way his sort operate. He’s probably in another town right now, ripping off some millionaire. Losers like me are the ones who get caught.’
Was this an attempt to deceive, or was the man truly ignorant about Harrod’s fate? Diamond let it pass. ‘Did anyone else come visiting during those last weeks of Lord Deganwy’s life?’
‘Doctors and nurses mostly. I didn’t see all the comings and goings.’ Spearman leaned back on the sofa and clasped his hands behind his head as if it would aid the memory. ‘There was a professor from the Beau Nash Society. He only visited the once. Can’t remember his name.’
‘Professor Duff, I expect.’
‘That was him, yes. He came because they hadn’t heard anything from David and he was still their president. They didn’t know he was so far gone.’
‘Duff took over as the Beau. Dead now.’
‘Is he?’ Spearman couldn’t have sounded less interested in Duff’s death.
Diamond had learned enough for the time being about the year of Lord Deganwy’s decline. He was keen to move on. He had urgent personal concerns. ‘It’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it, that after you came out of prison you got a job with someone else from the Beau Nash Society?’
Spearman’s cheeks flushed. ‘What are you saying? That I’m up to my old games? You’re dead wrong there.’
‘I said no such thing.’
He carried on as if he hadn’t heard. He hadn’t listened for sure. ‘I went straight. You can ask Sir Ed. No way am I going back to prison.’
‘So what happened after your release?’
He shifted awkwardly on the sofa. ‘I don’t like the way this is going. I have a wife and son and a steady job now.’
‘And a roof over your head,’ Halliwell put in.
‘That’s no crime.’
Diamond was impatient. ‘Tell it like it happened.’
‘It was bloody tough when I came out. I was almost two years on the social. Jobseekers’ allowance. Did bits and pieces, couldn’t get steady work. Slept rough for a time. Sold the Big Issue on the streets. Then I had the good luck to meet Astra. She was on the staff at the job centre.’
‘Astra?’
‘My wife.’
‘Hang on. You married your advisor at the job centre?’
‘Not right away. That’s jumping ahead.’
‘Well, don’t. We’re trying to follow this.’
‘I was attending the centre for years and I got to know most of the staff in that time. Astra was the one I always hoped to get because she really cared. And she got me sorted at last.’
‘With the Parises?’
‘Not immediately. Jobwise, she sorted me out quite soon. I did some work on building sites, but I wasn’t up to it physically. Astra talked it over with me and we agreed an ex-con wouldn’t find a post as estate steward anywhere, but she had the smart idea of offering me as a driver to one of the big estates. I was used to working for that class of people and I had my licence. Astra’s mother happened to be a client of Lady Sally’s.’
‘A client? In what way?’
‘I don’t know if she uses the word client. It’s beauty therapy. Lady Sally looks after their faces. She’s a sociable lady with tons of energy and she told me she’s always worked with people. Just because she has a title, it doesn’t mean she sits by the pool all day. So Astra knew from her mum about Sir Ed being the Beau. She’s a big believer in making connections.’
Halliwell said without looking at Diamond, ‘Networking.’
‘Spot on,’ Spearman said, nodding his approval. ‘She told the Parises everything about my conviction and Sir Ed still agreed to take me on as their chauffeur, especially when he knew I’d been estate steward to David Deganwy.’
‘The Beau Nash connection helped?’
‘Certainly did. Sir Ed has been a member for a long time. He knew David and Professor Duff. Sometimes speaks about them in the car when we’re driving. He must have known that scumbag Sidney Harrod as well.’
‘Has he ever mentioned Harrod?’
‘No. I think he’d rather forget him.’
‘So how long have you had this job?’
‘Since 2006. When I joined them they were living out at Monkton Combe. Nice house and garden, but they moved to a place near Bathampton and I went with them and then made the move here. They never settle for long, but they always make sure I’m comfortable as well. I’m almost family now.’
‘And when did you marry Astra?’
His eyes lit up. ‘Six years ago last June. The Parises were brilliant about it. They let me borrow the Bentley for the wedding and Lady Sally did Astra’s make-up and made her dress. She’s a top quality needlewoman as well as everything else. They gave us a week in Paris as their present.’
‘You’re bloody lucky.’
‘You can say that again. While I was banged up in Shepton Mallet I’d never have believed how my life would change.’
‘Obviously they value what you do.’
‘I’ve always tried to be helpful. When they moved here and built the infinity pool I was able to give some advice because David Deganwy had one built when I was stewarding for him.’
‘They have an infinity pool?’ He’d seen such things on TV commercials.
‘Haven’t you seen it?’
Diamond shook his head. ‘This is my first visit here. All I’ve seen is the lodge.’ He could have added that he was desperate to know what was going on at the main house.
Spearman was talking about infinity pools. ‘They’re status symbols. People of their class get them built if they have the right kind of terrain. You need a really steep slope and that brings its own problems with the mechanics. They have to be anchored safely because they’re incredibly heavy. It works like a weir. You need a second pool at a lower level to catch the water constantly overflowing and a system of pumps and balance tanks to circulate it. The engineering is quite complex.’