AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He spooned broth into his mouth without tasting it, reminding himself to turn the pages of his newspaper occasionally, as though he could concentrate on the role free trade was playing in the imminent collapse of the government.
The logic of it was stark and clear. Toby had threatened to reveal their secret and had died. Now Jem had written a quasi-blackmailing letter, and here they were to deal with him.
His throat was closing, and the rich smell of broth made his stomach roil. He left half the bowl and sat trapped until a scrape of chair legs and ring of coins told him they were finally leaving. By the time he’d paid and made his way out between the tables, Aaron and Ella had long vanished into the crowds, or down one of Oxford’s many curving side streets.
As long as theyhadgone. As long as they weren’t waiting for him.
Jem hurried back to Anselm’s as best he could, feeling his shoulder blades itch where someone might be watching him.
Moffat was manning the lodge. Jem asked without preamble, ‘Is DrOyede staying here?’
‘Dr…’ Moffat began, reaching for his book automatically, then his mouth dropped open. ‘MrAaronOyede?’
‘Yes.’
Moffat’s mouth worked. ‘But—Is he expected?’
‘Is he staying in college?’ Jem repeated. ‘Can you please just tell me that?’
‘Ah, I thought I recognised those tones,’ said an impossibly familiar voice behind him. ‘Hello, Jem.’
Jem turned. Hugo stood in the doorway of the Lodge, tall and imposing in an expensive greatcoat. Moffat made a stifled noise, as well he might. Jem couldn’t forbear a glance back at him. The horrified look in his eyes appeared to demand,Is this a reunion?
‘Good evening, old man,’ Hugo said with a smile. ‘What a stroke of luck. Have you eaten?’
They went to the Randolph Hotel for a drink since Hugo was staying there. The dining room looked exactly as it had ten years ago, when Toby had treated them all to wildly extravagant meals and they’d all laughed and argued into the night. Jem declined food but accepted a glass of wine. Once the drinks were poured, Hugo sat back and looked around.
‘It hasn’t changed, has it?’
‘Not much. Nothing here does.’
‘I miss it,’ Hugo said. ‘I didn’t quite realise how much. I imagine we all simply tried to forget about it for sanity’s sake, but since you came to me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the old place, and my old friends. Don’t think I’m grumbling: the Commons is the most exciting environment. But we had something special here, didn’t we?’
Did we, really?‘Yes. I suppose so.’
‘Well. I hate to say this, old man, but I think I must. What about that letter?’
‘Uh…’
‘I’m going to take a wild stab in the dark here,’ Hugo said, ‘which is thatyouwere taking a wild stab in the dark. Was that just a fishing trip? Because if you have been fed a story about me, I should like to know what it is, and have the opportunity to defend myself. Slanders and nonsense are an inevitable consequence of being a public figure, but between us at least I should like a fair hearing.’
Hugo didn’t sound angry, or accusatory, and his calm good sense sluiced down the hothouse in Jem’s brain, in much the same way as a bucket of water to the face.
‘All right, yes,’ he said. ‘I was fishing.’
Hugo sighed. ‘Good. It really is an unnerving thing to receive a letter like that, you know, even if it is undeserved. One starts to wonder if one might have inadvertently embezzled a fortune and forgotten about it. Was that just sent to me, or to everyone?’
‘Everyone.’
Hugo clicked his tongue. ‘You can’t just send people letters telling them you know what they did, old man. We can have secrets without being murderers. Well, on the night of Toby’s death, we all learned of a serious offence committed by two members of our group.’ He raised an eyebrow, not without sympathy; Jem felt his face flame. ‘I don’t think you could blame anyone for taking your letter badly, even if they were innocent of Toby’s death. And if, God forfend, one of us is guilty, what do you imagine will happen?’
‘I dare say I’ll find out. I wanted to turn over some stones, to see what’s under them.’
‘Have you seen anything?’ Hugo asked, then immediately held up a hand. ‘No, I withdraw that. If you have good reason to suspect someone of Toby’s murder, you may call on me for aid, but I don’t want to know about my friends’ secrets and peccadilloes. And if you have found out anything discreditable this way, I sincerely hope you will treat it in total confidence unless it becomes necessary to do otherwise.’
Discreditable. Jem almost laughed.
Aaron might have faced life in prison. Ella’s brother forced the end of her engagement. Nicky hated Toby to madness. Prue was expecting a bastard child. There’s too many secrets. I can’t cope.
