In the novel A Pocket Full of Rye, Consolidated Investments Trust is the company owned by Rex Fortescue. His eldest son, Percival Fortescue is also a partner. By all accounts, the company had been quite successful in times past. According to Inspector Neele, Rex Fortescue was a financial genius of sorts. Some of his transactions may have been questionable but he always managed to stay just inside the law. Inland Revenue had been after him but again, he had proven too clever for them.
In more recent times, however, Rex had made a number of unwise transactions which Percival disagreed with and over which they had frequent rows. By the time of the events in the book the company was in financially precarious.
Employees of the company[]
- Miss Griffith - head typist
- Miss Somers
- Miss Bell
- Miss Grosvenor - Rex's secretary
- Miss Chase
- Mrs Hardcastle - Percival's secretary