Dead Man's Dinner - Una Gordon Page 0,8

and none of them would have been surprised if Derwent himself had walked through the door and announced that his death had been a practical joke, but instead Benjamin bent down and picked up his briefcase which no one had noticed under the table at his feet. From it he took six, white, expensive envelopes exactly the same as those in which the invitations had arrived.

“Derwent asked me,” Benjamin continued, “to give each of you one of those. He also asked that you refrained from opening them until you are alone.” Slowly and deliberately he started to pass them round.

This is it, thought Gresham. This is where the joke comes in. He remembered an old film in which everyone was asked to do something outrageous in order to inherit from a will. Well, as far as I am concerned, Derwent has had it. No way am I going to do something stupid for money or anything else.

The same thought went through Guy's and Peter's minds at the same time. They wondered how much they had been left. They took their envelopes, almost with glee. They supposed Derwent had asked them to open the envelopes when alone, so that they didn't compare what they had been left.

Gary thought along similar lines – that Derwent had left him something in his will. It would come in jolly handy now that the baby was on the way. He felt quite buoyant as he took his envelope.

Marcus and Graham took their envelopes less eagerly. They were certain they would not be mentioned in Derwent's will, but neither of them had the imagination to think of his playing a trick in this situation.

All six men put their envelopes in their pockets. A sense of anti-climax had descended on the room and all of them wanted to escape, not so much to find out the contents of the envelope as to get away from the rather strange atmosphere.

Gresham went down to the car park below the block of flats to collect his car. He settled himself in the driver's seat. There had been something again about Homer's expression as he had handed him his coat that bothered him. He glanced round to see if any of the others were about. When he was sure they weren't, he took the envelope from his pocket and ripped it open. Once again there was a card inside with some writing on it. Even after he had read it twice, he still hadn't taken it in properly. He just couldn't believe it. He stuffed the envelope in his pocket and drove off, stopping automatically at red lights and crossings. He changed his mind about going to his club. He drove down to the embankment and stood looking down at the water for a long, long time, thoughts churning in his mind. Eventually, numb with cold, he turned and walked back to his car. He drove home slowly and entered the flat quietly. He hung up his coat and silently opened the bedroom door. The light from the hall illuminated Fiona's face. She must have got home earlier than she expected, but when he looked at his watch he realised it was after one o'clock. He went to the spare room and slowly undressed. It was a long time before sleep came. Could what Derwent had written possibly be true?

Chapter Three

Guy felt a certain impatience as he read what was on his card – also sitting in his car which was parked round the corner from Derwent's flat. “Oh, tell me something I don't know,” he muttered to himself. “What I want to know is when do we get the lolly?” It was as he drove home that a disturbing thought entered his mind. Perhaps Melissa had already been given it for “services rendered” and had not told him – the bitch! The more he thought of this possibility, the more likely it seemed. He'd have it out with her even although she was asleep when he got home. No one was pulling a fast one like that on Guy Pather – especially Mrs Pather!

Gary had kept his envelope until he got home because he knew there would be no one there to disturb him. It was probably just as well he had not read the card before he started out because it is unlikely he would have been in a fit state to drive after he had read it. Once the first shock had worn off, he looked at the

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