“Does he?” Jake wasn’t convinced.
“He’s not here.”
“Why do you want him?”
“I want my students to paint him.”
“Really?” Jake watched him come down the stairs. “Tell me, didn’t Harvey take you to Edward and Anya Powell’s house not so long ago?”
Rafa nodded. “Yes, we went to paint the dovecote.”
“Hmm.”
“Why?”
“No reason,” Jake replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He watched the artist leave the house and walk across to the hotel. He had a sudden, uncomfortable feeling that Rafa was not all that he seemed.
32.
That evening Jake took Clementine aside. “I need to talk to you,” he said seriously.
She followed him into the library. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s Rafa.”
“What about him?”
“I caught him snooping around the stable block this morning.”
“What do you classify as ‘snooping’?”
“Well, he wasn’t in the kitchen making a cup of tea.” Clementine shot him a withering look. “He was upstairs on the landing.”
“Did you ask him what he was doing?”
“He said he was looking for Biscuit.”
“Perhaps he was.”
“Rubbish! He wasn’t looking for Biscuit. He was looking around.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. He looked really shifty.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“You know Harvey took him to the Powells’ house before it was robbed.”
Clementine gasped. “You’re not suggesting he’s Baffles?”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit of a coincidence that the very house he visits is later robbed?”
Clementine was too shocked to answer.
“He did a recce to see if it would be a good place to take his painters. He must have gone into the kitchen and seen the ring on the windowsill.”
“I can’t believe you’re even suggesting such a thing! It’s not in his nature to be dishonest,” Clementine said, horrified.
“Do you really believe he’s an artist happy to spend the summer teaching old ladies how to paint for his board and lodging? Think about it. What was he doing down here in the first place? Robbing big houses and hotels. Then he sees Marina’s ad in the local paper and thinks: Aha, I’ll go undercover for the summer and no one will suspect me.”
Clementine narrowed her eyes incredulously, but Jake continued, pleased with the way his hypothesis was snowballing. “Look, he’s right in the middle of Devon, surrounded by big, expensive houses, most of which he has access to because Marina insists on showing him off to all her friends. This is the perfect decoy. No one is going to point the finger at him, are they?”
“I’m not sure about this, Jake.” But Clementine was ashamed to sense a little seed of doubt taking root.
“I’ve always thought him dodgy. Right from the start, he was too good to be true.”
“Well, you have no proof.”
“I’ll get it.”
“He’s a very good painter.”
“Coincidence.”
“If he was a robber, wouldn’t he wear an expensive watch, drive a snazzy car?”
“Only if he was a very stupid robber, which he clearly isn’t.” He grinned at her. “And you’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”
Clementine was infuriated. “You know, if he was the lowlife you think he is, he would have seduced me weeks ago.”
“No, he wouldn’t. That would distract him from his purpose.”
“I don’t believe you, Jake. You’ve never liked him because you’re jealous. He’s more handsome than you, cleverer than you—which, I might add, isn’t hard—and he’s a great deal more charming. It’s no surprise that you can’t bear him.”
“I’ve got a good nose for disingenuous people.”
“So, are you going to tell Marina?”
“Not yet.”
“Good, because she won’t believe you.”
“I’ll get proof.”
“The Ruebens are coming this weekend. Don’t give her something else to worry about.”
“Ah, the Ruebens.” He pulled a face. “They’ve got their sights on this place, for sure.”
“If they make an offer Dad can’t refuse, Marina will throw herself off the cliff.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. She’ll be fine. They’ll buy somewhere else.”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” She rounded on him crossly. “This is more than a home to Marina. This is her child.” Jake had the decency to look a little ashamed. “Don’t think she’ll be fine, because she won’t. She’ll be destroyed and broken, and nothing will ever be able to put her back together again.”