‘No. There was no agreement.’ George shook his head.
‘Why? If you don’t mind me asking? I would have thought it in the landlord’s best interests to have one.’
‘Of course, usually I do.’ George removed a packet of cigarettes from the breast pocket of his shirt. He offered one to Joanna, who declined, then lit up himself.
‘Then why not with my great-aunt?’
He shrugged and leant back in his chair. ‘I place an advertisement in theStandardas usual. First call ees from old lady who wants to view. I meet her there that evening. She gives me one and half thousand pound cash.’ He took a deep puff of his cigarette. ‘Three months’ rent upfront. I know she was safe. I mean, not going to throw wild parties or vandalise the place, eh?’
Joanna gave a small sigh of disappointment. ‘So you wouldn’t know her surname?’
‘No. She said she deedn’t need no receipt.’
‘Or where she moved from?’
‘Aha!’ George tapped his nose as he thought. ‘Maybe. I was at the building a few days after she move een. I see van coming. The lady – Rose, you say? – tell van men to put wooden boxes in flat. I stand at the door and help men and I notice they have foreign steeckers on them. French, I theenk.’
‘Yes.’ At least this, coupled with the pill bottle and the airmail letters, confirmed where Rose had come from. ‘Do you know exactly when it was Rose moved in?’
George scratched his head. ‘I theenk November.’
‘Well, thanks very much for your help, Mr Cyrapopolis.’
‘Not a problem, mees. You want to stay for somegyros? Very nice lamb, juicy,’ he offered in a cloud of cigarette smoke, patting her hand with his nicotine-stained one.
‘No thanks.’ She stood up hastily and wandered towards the front door. ‘Oh, just one last thing.’ She turned to him. ‘Did you clear out the flat after Rose had died? I mean, for new tenants?’
‘No.’ George looked genuinely puzzled. ‘I went down a couple of days later to see what was happeneeng and poof! Everything gone.’ He regarded Joanna. ‘I thought eet was her family who had taken her theengs and cleaned up, but eet could not have been, could eet?’
‘No. Well, thanks for your time anyway.’
‘That’s okay.’
‘Have you rented out the flat again now?’
He nodded sheepishly. ‘Someone called. No point haveeng it empty, was there?’
‘No, of course not. Thanks again.’ Joanna smiled weakly and left the restaurant.
10
Joanna returned to work on Wednesday morning feeling deflated. In the past two days she’d got nowhere fast, had gathered no further information about Rose than she’d begun with, other than the fact she had almost certainly arrived from France.Not quite enough to take to Alec and say I’ve uncovered a major scandal, she thought. She’d even nipped out to the Highgate library where, luckily, James Harrison’s biographies had been on display on the front shelves. She had browsed through the four thick books on Sir James’s life and was still none the wiser as to how he was connected to the little old lady.
‘Morning, Jo.’ Alec gave her a fatherly pat on the shoulder as she passed his desk. ‘How are you?’
‘Better, thanks.’
‘Sorted out the mess at home yet? Your friend that called me said your flat was a car crash.’
‘Yup. They did an excellent job. I’ve got virtually nothing left.’
‘Ah, well. At least you weren’t there when it happened, or walked in on them for that matter.’
‘Yes.’ She gave him a smile. ‘Thanks for being so good about it.’
‘S’all right. I know how frightening it can be.’
Blimey, thought Joanna.He’s human after all. ‘What do you have for me today?’
