Arrived at Maad's house outside Maidstone just after two, Esme greeted me and showed me into the lounge where Maad was sitting on the sofa reading a copy of the Fortean Times. Esme said she would make us some tea and left us alone. Maad looked at me and gave me a cheshire grin, "I don't think I've ever thanked you for finding me old boy, Esme tells me what a good man you are. I still don't remember much and my little black leather book vanished with all my notes, nevermind I'm sure it will come back to me." I hoped very much it does not return considering the havoc it caused the first time around, but I did not say this instead I said "Not a problem professor, the reason I am here is because I am currently investigating the murder of Joseph Kat..." He literally jumped in his seat and shouted quite loudly "Joe is dead!" I nodded and waited for him to calm down.
Esme walked back in carrying a tray with the tea, she looked at her husband and said "What are you shouting about now?" Before the professor could say anything I jumped up and took tray from Esme, I did not know whether she knew Joseph or not best save the tea just in case. "Joe Kat is dead, according Mr Wallace here, he was murdered." Esme looked a little weak at knees and I walked her to sofa to sit down, both looked at me obviously in shock. "Joseph was such a nice man, his wife however, I never understood why they ever got together..." Esme trailed off in deep thought.
“How did you know Joseph?” I said trying to get their minds into a different track. “We were at Cambridge together, we all were.” Maad said still looking quite shocked at the thought that his friend was dead. “What do you mean, all were?” A smile flittered across his face, “I don't think it really matters now but we were all in a sort of secret society, it was called 'The Rocket Men of Shen'. There were nine of us in total, that was at Fred's insistence he was always on about numbers. He was the one that came up with the name...” I had raised my hand in order to stop the flow and asked “Not Fred P. Sun by any chance?” “Yes how did you know?” Maad asked. How could I tell him that another one of his friends was probably dead as well, well it was not confirmed so I decided to gloss over it for now, “Some friends of mine have been in contact with him regarding another matter, do remember who else was in the society?” Esme looked a little better, she passed the tea round and sat back down close to Maad. “Of course they were all my old Cambridge chums, in the beginning it was: Fred, Joe, Jeff Cox he died of a heart attack quite recently actually, Tomas Galesh...” I started visibly nearly dropped my tea. “Not Inspector Galesh?” I had spilt a little on the carpet and Esme went out to get a cloth. “Yes that's right he is in the police, I assume you met him then. Though I suppose in your profession you must meet a lot of policemen.” As far as I was concerned the less the better, he continued with his list. “Dwight Sunderland he was actually American born but brought up here, first rate engineer. Johnny Howard, Max Drum and Dennis Stern. The whole thing never really amounted to anything more a drinking club than anything else, I thought it was dead after we left Cambridge. Of course Fred didn't want to let it go, he arranged meetings about three times a year and as it turned out it was a good thing too because we managed to catch up and exchange some ideas. Come to think of it we haven't had one for a while now. You know when Jeff died Fred insisted we get a replacement, I suggested Robert Carne. He was a young man I met when, now that is odd can't remember where I met him, reminded me of Joe though.”
This time I held myself together even when Bob's dead eyes flashed briefly in my memory, I knew however I had to tell Maad. “Professor I am really sorry to have to impart more bad news, but Robert Carne died just over a month ago, he was killed by man who wanted certain information from him and Bob fought back. He was a hero, helped save a lot of people.” “Not young Robert, he was only eighteen. My God I can't believe it. It didn't have anything to do with the club did it?” Maad asked. Fortunately I could answer in the negative on that one. “Not that I'm aware of, did you by any chance know what Joseph was working on before he died?” Maad looked at me was obviously considering what to say next, “You think that is what got him killed don't you?” I admitted it was a possibility. “He worked on multiple projects all the time, I remember him joking at the last meeting that he was building something cold but never let us in on the joke.” “How about the others do know what they do now?” “Well lets see, Fred does a lot of travelling I've never known what he does for a living. You know that man never seems to age, I known him for twenty odd years and he has barely changed at all. He has a little grey in his hair now but that's all. Urrm who else, oh yes. Dwight, Johnny, Max and Den started their own electronics company. I never remember the name of it, Es what's it called again?” Esme looked a little lost when her husband spoke to her I think she was still trying to take it all in, Maad squeeze her hand. “Sorry Edward what did you say?” Esme replied. “I was telling Mr Wallace here about electronics company the chaps started, you know I never remember the name.” “Corcas.” Esme said still not quite with it. “That's it! Always found it to be a odd name, Max's idea I believe. I'm sure you won't have any problem finding their company listing. They are quite big now.”
I realised that Esme was looking particularly tired and that perhaps I had over stayed my welcome. I looked in Esme direction pointedly so that the professor noticed, he immediately got my drift and said “Well if there is anything you require, just me ring. I'm stuck here until the Dean forgives me again, here let me show you out old man.”
Of course I would have liked to asked a few other questions but Esme didn't look well at all, I got the Maad promise that he would put her to bed and make sure she got some sleep.
The plot as they say thickens.
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