False Pretences Read Free Page A

he’d been brought up to think the British were top dogs, the Empire lives on, public schools rule OK.’
    Bea nodded. Oh yes, she could well believe that Zander would bend over backwards to avoid being thought prejudiced. ‘Don’t tell me; he was a public school type who wasn’t trained for the job but thought the world owed him a good living? Someone with a triple-barrelled name such as Montgomery-Peniston-Farquahar?’
    A dimple appeared on Zander’s cheek. He really was a most attractive man. ‘You’ve missed something. The title. He’s an Honourable, and his wife is a Lady. He told me that, if we ever met, I must call her “Lady Honoria” at first and then “My lady”.’
    â€˜But in the end you did take your research to the board of directors. And . . .?’
    â€˜I thought I might be laughed out of court, because the evidence was all circumstantial. He put up a brilliant defence. I wondered – I still wonder – if he was more stupid than sly. I can hear him now, saying that good workmanship always costs more but is economic in the long run. He pointed out that he’d given the best years of his life to the Trust and had never taken a penny more than the honorarium and expenses which they were all allowed.’
    â€˜What did he live on, if he only took an honorarium from the Trust?’
    â€˜Stocks and shares, inherited wealth. He said he’d done his best, had been tearing his hair out trying to make ends meet, and would of course resign if they wished. I could see the board of directors thinking that of course he’d meant well, and if he’d misjudged Corcorans, well, they might have done the same thing. One of them even started to blame himself that he hadn’t spotted the problem earlier.’
    â€˜They preferred to think him incompetent rather than criminal? Hmm. Ignorance is no defence in law, and usually gets thumped for it.’
    â€˜I could see they were going to close ranks against me and that I’d be out on the street in no time. So I chanced everything on one question. I asked if he’d show his bank statements to Lord Murchison, to prove that he’d not received any kickbacks from the builders. He collapsed, and I was sent home.
    â€˜I don’t know what went on after I left, but that evening he had a heart attack and died. The verdict of heart failure was accepted with some relief by all and sundry, and no one uttered a word about people fiddling the books.
    â€˜Unfortunately his widow is a formidable person. She said that we’d driven her husband to his grave. She vowed to sue the Trust for libel, slander and the cost of dry-cleaning the clothes he died in. The Trust couldn’t afford to pay her off and couldn’t afford to let it be known that one of their directors had been accused of embezzlement. Delegates of directors traipsed out to see his wife, trying to resolve the situation. Eventually they succeeded . . . but she’s asked for my head on a platter.’
    He flicked a finger at the cardboard box. ‘These are the personal contents of his office. She’s requested that I take them out to her, when I understand she’ll decide whether or not I am to keep my job. The directors wipe sweat off their brows. Most of them would be happy to see me go in order to close the books, but one in particular would like to play fair. He advised me to grovel and said that, if I do get the sack, he’ll see that I get some kind of pay-off. It’s true that I do feel responsible for the Honourable Denzil’s death. If I hadn’t pointed the finger at him he’d probably still be alive and, even if he was as corrupt as I imagined, I couldn’t wish death upon anyone.’
    â€˜It’s weighing on your mind?’
    He lifted his hand and let it fall. Yes, it was. Bea remembered now that this man believed in a loving God, that he attended church