‘What are they doing? He’s an old man. Sebastian has a lot to answer for.’ After a few more moments of watching, Theo muted the sound.
‘I’m going to have to phone my grandfather,’ he said, ‘but most of the time he never picks up his phone.’ He pressed his grandfather’s number, and within three rings he heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.
‘Theo, is that you?’
‘Grandfather, I’ve just seen the news. Are you okay?’
‘I am.’ Arthur Blake’s voice sounded shaky as Theo put him on speakerphone.
‘Grandfather, please forgive me for asking, but I’ve just read Andrew Wetherby’s book and?—’
‘Please don’t go there,’ Arthur Blake cut in. ‘I can’t talk about this.’
Theo looked at Pippa, who mouthed, ‘So thereissomething to talk about.’
‘Grandfather, did Andrew Wetherby steal a secret commission? Can you at least tell me that?’
‘I can’t talk about any of this. It was a long time ago, though I warned them that these kinds of things never stay buried.’
‘Grandfather, what do you mean? Has this got anything to do with the Vale Brothers’ feud?’
‘I have to go. I’m sorry, Theo.’ He hung up.
Theo raked a hand through his hair. ‘What do you make of that?’
‘Honestly? It sounds like something’s definitely kicked off, but God knows what, and with reporters banging on his door… I mean, who wouldn’t panic?’
Pippa stood up and began to tidy up the plates and the cracker box from the carpet picnic, stacking everything in a wobbly pile. The cracker box slipped and hit her knee, and when she tried to catch it, the Pringles tube fell from under her arm and rolled dramatically under the desk.
‘Oh, for!’ she huffed and crouched down, reaching an arm beneath the desk.
As she leaned further, trying to grab the traitorous crisp tube, something else caught her eye.
A tiny glint. Just the faintest flash of gold beneath the gap in the floorboard.
She peered closer and… There. A tiny metallic sparkle wedged in the dark. Pippa hooked her nail into a gap in the floorboards and pried up the object. Dust puffed up.
‘It’s a key!’ She held it out in the palm of her hand towards Theo. It was small, a little tarnished, and had the initial ‘A’ engraved on it.
Theo picked it up and rubbed at the key with his thumb.
He stood. ‘Where would this fit…’ he murmured, scanning the room.
Pippa followed his gaze. There weren’t many options. There was the sideboard, but that took a larger key; there was a pantry, but again that was a bigger key. Her eyes landed on the one thing in the room that did look like it needed a key: Agatha Vale’s desk.
‘A for Agatha. It’s for the desk.’
Theo looked at the desk, then at the key. ‘I think you’re right.’
‘Try it,’ she said.
‘You have no patience.’
‘I have loads of patience. Put the key in the hole. Come on!’
Theo inserted the key into the keyhole in the drawer and it slid in with a perfect click. They both stared at the desk, then at each other. ‘Okay, what now?’
‘Turn it,’ she whispered.
