‘We almost caught them, Mr Hale. You had Fallon in your grasp.’
‘Don’t remind me.’
‘And don’t you dare tell anyone,’ added Yeomans.
Ruddock nodded and sipped his drink. When the barmaid tripped past them, none of them even spared her surging bosom a glance. They were too preoccupied with the failure of the night’s enterprise. A Stygian gloom descended on the trio. Only when they’d emptied their tankards did Ruddock dare to offer consolation.
‘It could have been worse,’ he said, innocently. ‘Peter and Paul Skillen could have been waiting outside the warehouse to arrest all three of them as they came out.’
Yeomans hit him first.
David Beyton’s first visit to the bank had been uncomfortable enough and he’d felt as if he were walking on eggshells in bare feet. The second conversation with Ebenezer Holland was even more excruciating because – unbeknown to his wife – he was about to raid her account and needed a convincing excuse to do so. Having rehearsed his story until he felt he was word-perfect, he put on a mask of compassion and spoke in a voice laden with sympathy. The bank manager listened impassively.
‘It’s very irregular, Mr Beyton,’ he observed.
‘Necessity is a hard taskmaster, Mr Holland.’
‘It was only yesterday that you drew heavily on your own savings. Within twenty-four hours, you’re back here to inform me that your travel plans have been abandoned and that you need funds for building work on the property.’
‘It was on medical advice,’ said Beyton, solemnly. ‘My wife’s condition has deteriorated so much that the doctor felt it inadvisable for her to go abroad. The effort would be too much for her and, he pointed out, medical facilities in other countries fall short of what we’ve come to expect here. Imagine how I’d feel if she contracted some terrible disease and we had no recourse to treatment.’
‘There was no mention of the possible danger when you last came here,’ said Holland, sharply. ‘Mrs Beyton’s health must obviously stay at the forefront of your mind but it was certainly not there yesterday.’
‘I confess that I was being too hasty then.’
‘You are even hastier today, sir. Before I can sanction the withdrawal of such a large sum, I need to be persuaded that it is absolutely essential.’
‘Oh, it is,’ said Beyton. ‘Even though we have a nurse in the house, carrying my wife up and down the stairs every day is proving to be an onerous undertaking. What we need is an additional set of apartments built onto the back of the house with a bathroom attached. We will also knock down an old stable block and build a large rockery in its place so that my wife can look out on the beauty of nature and – in warmer weather – sit on the terrace outside.’ There was a stony silence. ‘It’s Mrs Beyton’s dearest wish,’ he went on, risking a smile that somehow degenerated into a glare. ‘And while she’s still with us, I am always responsive to her desires.’
The bank manager pinched his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger and regarded him with mingled surprise and suspicion. Beyton had been his client for many years and never caused him the slightest trouble. He’d been consistently solvent and invariably cautious when making any decisions affecting his finances. Yet he was now taking what Holland believed was immoderate action.
‘Being responsive to the desires of one’s marital partner,’ he said, measuring his words carefully, ‘is a sensible path for any husband to follow but there are limits. Two days ago, it was Mrs Beyton’s wish to go to Switzerland. This morning, it seems, her inclination is to have extensive work done on the property. These sound less like real desires than caprices that arise on the spur of the moment. What will Mrs Beyton be requiring finance for tomorrow – a whaling expedition, perhaps?’
Beyton was stung. ‘Your sarcasm is misplaced, Mr Holland.’
‘Then I apologise wholeheartedly,’ said the other, coldly. ‘I just want to know if this is your last demand or simply the latest one.’
‘Clients are permitted to change their minds, you know.’
‘I agree, sir, and they do so all the time. But I’ve never had anyone perform the kind of financial manoeuvre that you and your wife have just done.’
‘When may I collect the money?’
‘If you want my advice, sir …’
‘Then I’ll ask for it,’ said Beyton, interrupting him. ‘At the moment, it’s of no consequence. The decision has been made by my wife and is endorsed by me. We wish to withdraw the specified amount as soon as is possible.’ Seeing that the manager had qualms, Beyton rose to his feet. ‘Damnation!’ he exclaimed. ‘Whose money is it?’