THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT NIGHT

Grandfather shows his magic skills.

 

Chapter 5

THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT NIGHT

 

Alden told Briony that they would have to go back to the village where it had all begun. He also said he would try and find out how and when the flat had been rented out.

 

The following day saw Briony at the police station, enquiring about her possibility of seeing the two policemen who had called on her telling her about Jasper being in a car crash. Fred, one of the police who had called on Briony, was on duty. Briony recognized Fred, and she asked him if in the report it mentioned if Jasper was alone. Fred said that according to the report they had, Jasper had been alone in the car. Briony explained how Jasper had a lady-friend, and know she or another person had managed to take him out of the hospital. The policeman offered to ring the police station in the village, and after a short conversation, he said, “Your husband’s car has been found beside a frozen lake. There was no evidence of him or anyone else in the vehicle. In the north, these events don’t attract attention. An abandoned car is frequent in such a hostile area.”

 

 That afternoon, when Briony was back at work in the office, her work mate, John, took her a cup of coffee, “You look very thoughtful.”

“What would you do if your wife left you?” Briony asked him.

“Invite you to dinner.”

Briony didn’t find that amusing.

“Do you still think of Jasper?” he asked.

“Yes, although he no longer forms part of my life.”

“Don’t forget he left you, not the other way round.”

 

Alden went back to where Jasper and Zoë had been living and got chatting to the doorman.

“I’m looking for a discreet flat. A friend told me there might be an empty one here.”

“There are always one or two empty ones, but that doesn’t mean they’re not rented out.”

“Are there any rented out at the moment without anyone living in them?”

“Yes, there’s one on he fifth floor and another on the sixth.”

“How long have they been rented out?”

“The fifth floor flat since two weeks ago, and the sixth since the summer.”

“Do you know if the gentleman of the fifth floor will be back soon?”

“Yes. I think so. He left a couple of suitcases behind and put his name on the mailbox.”

Alden accompanied the doorman to the mailboxes, and faked a surprise on seeing Jasper’s name.

“How strange! That’s the name of a friend. Have you got a phone number for him or an address?”

“No, Sir, because he’ll be back soon, to live here. Alden memorized some of the names on the other mailboxes and later wrote them down in his diary.

 

Briony had invited Alden to have coffee in her flat. They were exchanging ideas when the phone rang, and Briony answered.

“Alden, Donald wants to see us. He’s in hospital because someone in a car knocked him down this afternoon.”

 

Donald looked the worse for wear when Alden and Briony went to see him in the hospital, and one of his legs was in plaster.

“I’m sure they’re watching me,” he moaned to Alden and Briony.

“Who are the people watching you?” Alden asked.

“Jasper and Zoë.”

“What colour was the car?” Briony asked.

“Maroon, and very large.”

 

They took him to a small hotel which they paid for. Donald was angry with Briony, saying that if Jasper hadn’t left her he would still be with Zoë. Alden was angry at Donald’s words, but Briony understood.

They had a large maroon car to think about.

“Alden, do we have to go back to the village?”

“Yes we do, after I’ve sussed out the names on the mailboxes.”

 

A large maroon coloured car came to a halt outside the hotel where Donald had installed himself not long before. The driver got out and entered the reception hall, “Good evening, have you a single room available, please?”

The young receptionist gave the man a key and the registration book.

“Very well, Mr Tello, the chambermaid will take you up to your room,”

The chambermaid told the manager she couldn’t open the door to room number forty. They both went up to the room and knocked on the door, to no avail, so the manager opened it with an extra key.

Donald in death by strangulation was of the most disagreeable sights. The manager called the police. The forensics had fixed the time of death at around one a.m.

 

When the police arrived, the young receptionist told them that only Donald and Mr Tello registered that night. The police asked what Mr Tello was like, and the receptionist said he was middle-aged, well-dressed, and wore a hat. The police insisted on knowing more, but the young man said nothing, and certainly didn’t mention Alden or Briony, in order to avoid more problems with the manager. The police naturally thought Jasper Tello had killed Donald, and wondered how he had left the hotel without being seen. The young receptionist had gone to the toilet during the night, leaving the entrance empty. It was then, Mr Tello had slipped quietly down the stairs and out of the hotel.

 

Briony wanted to know what they could do about Jasper being accused of killing Donald - Zoë’s husband. Alden said it didn’t make much sense why Jasper should go around killing anyone.

Alden said, “We know a man driving a maroon car tried to knock Donald down before. Perhaps it’s the same man. Well, who knows what face was under the hat.”

“What are we going to do now?” asked Briony, yawning.

“I’ll stay here the night, then at three or four in the morning, we’ll be off, up north.”

 

 Briony spent an hour getting ready for her second unexpected journey. She felt better for having Alden’s company. After all the strange things, like Alden having skeleton keys, and the murder of a very ordinary man, Briony was ready for anything.

 

It was still night when they set out towards the motorway. Briony drove and Alden was stretched out on the back seat. They didn’t know that they didn’t need to worry - the driver of the large maroon car was busy on another job.

 

At the motorway, Alden took over the driving, and went full speed in the direction of Magician’s Leap.