Pix (Volume Book 24) (Harpur & Iles Mysteries) Read Free

that match them more or less for age, type and distinction. The internet will tell us. It’s the same as if you wanted to price a certain 2004 Bentley, you would not need to have the actual car itself there, you could look up what models of that year and type were going at.’
    â€˜What fucking Bentley?’
    â€˜As an illustration, Manse.’
    â€˜It’s not like Bentleys. Every one of them items is different from every other one. This isn’t carburettors andhandbrakes. There isn’t no
equivalent
, not for me. That’s what I’m telling you. These items are items. They got a particular value, especially one of them, and this value is not re money. Spiritual. Historic.’
    â€˜In its way, this is really touching,’ Chandor replied.
    â€˜What’s that mean?’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜ “In its way”.’
    â€˜Yes, in its way. When I say “touching”, I have in mind the warmth of your evident commitment to these articles. And a further snag, you say? Well, you can really relax, Manse. I’ve got this rectory situation very much in hand.’
    â€˜Shall I leave a key somewhere?’
    â€˜To what, Manse?’
    â€˜The house.’
    â€˜To the rectory? That’s a kindness in you. But I don’t think they’ll need it, will they? As you said.’
    â€˜And keep them away from the safes.’
    â€˜Two, aren’t there?’ Chandor replied. ‘Study-den, drawing room – which is the armoury. I don’t want you to fret about these at all, Manse. Out of bounds. I’ll tell them – “Study-den safe, drawing-room safe right out of fucking bounds.” Both Chubbs? Combination, not keys? Study-den safe for cash and private accounts?’
    â€˜When you say “in hand” does that mean you’ll be there to control your maniacs – you as you, not just fucking Rufus?’
    â€˜Rest assured, I want to look at this constructively,’ Chandor replied at once.
    â€˜There’s considerable stains,’ Shale replied.
    â€˜Often a way to deal with that kind of thing as a stopgap remedy is actually to
over
stain with, say, coffee or Horlicks, as through an accident, and then redecorate at leisure. Disguise. The chief, short-term objective now is to account to the children for the discoloration, you’ll agree. Or sauce. Might you have been carrying a sauce bottle with a loose top, or no top at all, in that area and stumbled? This kind of treatment makes the original stains a nuisance still, but unsinister. We’ll see to it.’
    â€˜Which area?’ Of course, Shale knew which area, but asked in case the gabby sod gave himself away by saying the snag with his throat snagged was on the staircase.
    â€˜The area of the staining,’ Chandor said.
    â€˜Another thing I don’t get.’
    â€˜What’s that, Manse?’
    â€˜How come you know about the safes and Severalponds, and the names – Laurent, Matilda? You building a dossier? What the fuck for? You been here no time, but you got a file on me?’
    â€˜These are great child names,’ Chandor replied. ‘A royal dimension to “Matilda”. She nearly had the English throne. A warrior lady. Twelfth century? But why am I telling you, Manse? This would obviously be in your mind when you and your wife picked that name. I always think names are significant. You’ve got a bird called Lowri, haven’t you? That’s Welsh. And your wife, Sybil, is over in Wales on an alternative lifestyle, right? One can come across all kinds of odd links and connections through names. But Lowri’s second name, Billsborough, not Welsh at all. Weird. You eat late on these Sundays, don’t you? Look, the least I can do in view of all this – if you give me your order on the mobile when you’re, say, an hour from the rectory with the children, I’ll get meals sent over from the takeaway, Chinese