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Although he was becoming more and more confident with his new persona, not a day passed when he wasn't reminded that he was an escaped prisoner. Anything could give him away: a second glance, a misunderstood remark, a casual question to which he didn't know the answer. Who was your housemaster at Loretto? Which college were you in at Sandhurst? Which rugby team do you support?
Two men stepped off the bus when it came to a halt in Notting Hill Gate. One of them began to jog toward the local probation office; the other followed close behind, but didn't enter the building. Although Da
Da
"How are you, Moncrieff?" asked Ms. Be
Behave like Nick, think like Da
Da
"No," Da
"Family problems?" repeated Ms. Be
"No, thank you, Ms. Be
"I will be the judge of that," responded Ms Be
"No, Ms. Be
"Have you found any employment yet?" she asked, returning to her list of questions.
"No, but I expect to be looking for a job in the near future."
"Presumably as a teacher."
"Let's hope so," said Da
"Well, if that proves difficult, perhaps you should consider other employment."
"Like what?"
"Well, I see that you were a librarian in prison."
"I'd certainly be willing to consider that," said Da
"Do you have somewhere to live at the present time, or are you staying in a prison hostel?"
"I have somewhere to live."
"With your family?"
"No, I have no family."
One tick, one cross and one question mark. She continued. "Are you in rented accommodation, or staying with a friend?"
"I live in my own house."
Ms. Be
Yes, I've been tempted to kill Lawrence Davenport, Da
"That will be all for now, Moncrieff. I'll see you again in a month's time. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you feel I can be of any assistance in the meantime."
"Thank you," said Da
"Did I?" said Ms. Be
The results of your A level exams are listed below:
Business Studies A*
Maths A
Da
Hugo Moncrieff studied the Sotheby's catalog for some considerable time. He had to agree with Margaret, it could only be Lot 37: A rare envelope displaying a first-edition stamp celebrating the opening of the modern Olympics addressed to the founder of the Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, estimate £2,200-£2,500.
"Perhaps I should attend one of the viewing days and take a closer look?" he suggested.
"You will do nothing of the sort," said Margaret firmly. "That would only alert Nick, and he might even work out that it's not the stamp we're interested in."
"But if I went down to London the day before the sale and found out the address on the envelope, we'd know where the collection is, without having to waste any money buying it."
"But then we wouldn't have a calling card."
"I'm not sure I'm following you, old gal."
"We may not be in possession of the key, but if your father's only surviving son turns up with the envelope as well as the new will, we must have a chance of convincing whoever is holding the collection on his behalf that you are the rightful heir."
"But Nick might be at the sale."
"If he hasn't worked out by then that it's the address that matters, not the stamp, it will be too late for him to do anything about it. Just be thankful of one thing, Hugo."
"And what's that, old gal?"
"Nick doesn't think like his grandfather."
Da
He started to read the conditions of sale and was horrified to discover that Sotheby's deduct 10 percent of the hammer price from the seller as well as loading a further 20 percent premium on the buyer. If he ended up with only £1,800, he would have been better off selling the envelope to Stanley Gibbons-which was exactly what Nick would have done.
Da
Nick's current account was down to £716, with not a single addition to the entry column since he had been released from prison. He feared his first sacrifice would have to be Molly, in which case the house would soon return to the state he'd found it in when he had first opened the front door.
Da