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Back Man at the Window Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. One
  3. Two
  4. Three
  5. Four
  6. Five
  7. Six
  8. Seven
  9. Eight
  10. Nine
  11. Ten
  12. Eleven
  13. Twelve
  14. Thirteen
  15. Fourteen
  16. Fifteen
  17. Sixteen
  18. Seventeen
  19. Eighteen
  20. Nineteen
  21. Twenty
  22. Twenty-One
  23. Twenty-Two
  24. Twenty-Three
  25. Twenty-Four
  26. Twenty-Five
  27. Twenty-Six
  28. Twenty-Seven
  29. Twenty-Eight
  30. Twenty-Nine
  31. Thirty
  32. Thirty-One
  33. Thirty-Two
  34. Thirty-Three
  35. Thirty-Four
  36. Thirty-Five
  37. Thirty-Six
  38. Thirty-Seven
  39. Thirty-Eight
  40. Thirty-Nine
  41. Forty
  42. Forty-One
  43. Forty-Two
  44. Forty-Three
  45. Forty-Four
  46. Forty-Five
  47. Forty-Six
  48. Forty-Seven
  49. Forty-Eight
  50. Forty-Nine
  51. Fifty
  52. Fifty-One
  53. Fifty-Two
  54. Fifty-Three
  55. Fifty-Four
  56. Fifty-Five
  57. Fifty-Six
  58. Fifty-Seven
  59. Fifty-Eight
  60. Acknowledgements
  61. About the author

Inside Cardilini was confronted with a corridor twice the width of his own, and which literally disappeared into darkness 20 yards away. Mrs Masters walked into a room on her right saying, ‘Please take a seat. I’ll see if my husband is available.’

Heavy drapes, linen sofas and expanses of floral-patterned carpet greeted them as they entered the room.

‘Mrs Masters has beautiful taste,’ Father O’Reilly whispered into Cardilini’s ear. Cardilini chose a large, winged-back chair that dominated the setting. ‘I think that’s Mr Masters’ chair,’ Father O’Reilly said, still whispering.

Cardilini appeared not to hear. ‘Who’s Mr Masters?’

Father O’Reilly smiled benignly. ‘An old family. A philanthropist.’

‘Donates to the church?’ Cardilini quizzed.

Father O’Reilly sat straight in the plush, velvet sofa and straightened the pleat on his cassock with both hands but did not reply. He soon stood up as Mrs Masters entered followed by a very tall man in his fifties dressed in a suit and tie.

‘Don’t get up, Detective Sergeant,’ Mr Masters waved at Cardilini who hadn’t moved. Cardilini figured Masters was six-ten. He stood and they shook hands. He thought he could feel Masters’ hand trembling, and took in the deep lines etched around his eyes. His handshake was mechanical, as if Cardilini’s was the hundredth hand he had shaken that day. Masters released Cardilini’s hand, moved away and folded awkwardly to sit on the sofa beside Father O’Reilly. Mrs Masters sat on a bridge chair beside the sofa. All three faced Cardilini. His head had ceased its throbbing and now felt as if a warm iron was pushing against it.

Father O’Reilly spoke first. ‘Detective Sergeant Cardilini alerted me of the risk to more of our boys. A risk I didn’t understand until Mr Sheppard and Mr Doney approached me.’

Masters moved his hand and patted the Father on the knee. ‘We all missed the obvious, Father O’Reilly.’ To Cardilini, ‘It was my idea to have Geoffrey board at St Nicholas. I was a boarder there.’

Cardilini inwardly quaked at the pain on the man’s face.

‘I appreciate you coming over, Detective Sergeant. I believe you have brought trouble upon yourself by pursuing Edmund.’

Cardilini shrugged.

Masters turned to Father O’Reilly, ‘I have to tell Cardilini something it’s better you didn’t hear.’

‘I see,’ O’Reilly said, nodding sagely.

‘Would you come with me while I arrange some supper?’ Mrs Masters stood and gestured to O’Reilly.

Masters smiled up to him, ‘Thank you, Father.’ He watched the two depart.