by Alex Walters
‘Literally just a few seconds before. I was just parking up as they arrived. Michelle called me after she’d called you.’ He glanced across at her. ‘Just for support. I hope that’s not a problem?’
‘Of course not. It’s good that Mrs Wentworth has someone with her at a time like this.’
‘But, no, I was too late to witness anything. I’m sorry. We want to do everything we can to help you find whoever did this.’
Annie noticed the ‘we’. She had also noticed that, since he’d re-entered the room, Hardy had very much dominated it. There was something proprietorial about his relationship with Michelle Wentworth. That was surprising; Annie imagined that, in other circumstances, Wentworth could be a pretty dominant presence in her own right. Even now, she seemed more composed than Annie might have expected. Annie made a mental note to check up on Peter Hardy.
‘Is it possible for us to have a quick look at Justin’s room?’ she asked.
Wentworth exchanged a look with Hardy that Annie couldn’t read. ‘I’ll take you up there, if you like,’ Hardy said. ‘I’m not sure Michelle’s really up to that at present.’
‘Of course. If you prefer, we can leave it for the moment, but obviously the quicker we can start making progress the better.’
‘We fully understand,’ Hardy said. Again, the ‘we’ was noted by Annie. He rose and led them towards the large oak staircase at the far side of the room. ‘The bedrooms are up here. Michelle had the roof-space opened up over the living room so the second floor is now just on this side of the house.’ He had the air of an estate agent offering a guided tour. Annie found herself intrigued by his knowledge of the house.
Hardy led them to the door at the far end of the landing, giving a rueful laugh as he pushed it open. ‘I nearly knocked then. Justin used to get furious if anyone burst in without asking.’
The room looked like Annie’s idea of a typical teenage or student bedroom. There were discarded clothes strewn across the floor, an array of glasses and plates on a desk beside an open laptop, posters showing images of bands and characters presumably from computer games, neither of which meant much to Annie. The air in the room offered a rich scent of sweat and aftershave.
‘Sorry it’s a mess,’ Hardy said. ‘Typical teenager, I guess. Feel free to look around.’
There didn’t seem a lot to see. There was a small en suite shower room, which, from a quick glance, seemed as messy and disreputable as the bedroom. There were a number of books on the desk and bedside table, most of them apparently either classic or contemporary novels. ‘What was Justin studying at university?’
‘English literature,’ Hardy said. ‘Much to Michelle’s disapproval. She wanted him to do something useful like business studies. But Justin was a bit of a law unto himself. I sometimes think he inherited Michelle’s stubbornness.’
‘Did they have a good relationship, generally?’ Annie asked.
Hardy shrugged. ‘Like I say, he was a typical teenager. Could be surly and uncommunicative at times, and that led to some tensions. But I dare say he’d have grown out of it.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s just so tragic.’
Annie noted that he hadn’t really answered her question, but decided not to push it further for the moment.
Zoe had wandered further into the room, apparently looking round aimlessly. She leaned over and casually tried one of the drawers on the bedside cabinet. ‘Locked.’
‘I’m afraid I’ve no idea where Justin might have kept the keys,’ Hardy said. ‘Do you need to look in there?’
‘Not at the moment,’ Annie said. ‘But it would be useful if one of our officers could check out the room in detail, including looking at the laptop if possible. If Justin was targeted for some reason, that may give us some leads.’
‘I’m sure Michelle won’t have any problem with that,’ Hardy said.
‘You don’t know any reason why someone might want to harm Justin?’
Hardy shrugged. ‘Not a clue. I caught the end of you asking Michelle about whether she might have been the target. That feels more possible. Success always breeds resentment, doesn’t it?’
Especially when it’s success built on the exploitation of others, Annie thought. ‘Do you have anyone in mind?’
‘I’m sure Michelle will give you a good list of contenders,’ Hardy said. ‘Though it’s hard to imagine any of them would do anything like this.’ He paused, as if unsure whether to say more. ‘There are one or two might be worth a look at, though. Michelle’s trodden on a few toes in her time. She’s bumped up against a few of the wrong sort of people, sometimes without realising at first.’
‘The wrong sort of people?’
‘Look, Michelle’s a respectable businesswoman. A ruthless one at times, but she plays by the rules. My impression is that some of the people she competes with, maybe even some of the people she deals with herself, are a bit less scrupulous and have some more questionable connections.’
‘And can you give us the names of these people?’
Hardy held up his hands. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got no firm evidence for any of this. It’s just an impression I’ve formed. But I’m sure Michelle can pull together some names for you.’
‘What’s the nature of Mrs Wentworth’s business dealings with these people?’
‘I’m thinking of competitors mainly. People she’s taken work from. Michelle has a habit of winning contracts that the opposition thought they’d got sewn up. She can be ruthless. But she’s also bloody good.’
‘What about Justin’s father? Can you tell us anything about him?’
‘Not really. Can’t see him being involved. They split up a long time ago. Guy called Ronnie Donahue. They were married, but Wentworth is Michelle’s maiden name.’
‘Did he have contact with Justin?’
‘No. There was a history of domestic violence. I reckon Michelle was the first one who gave him as good as she got. From what I understand, he never wanted access. According to Michelle, he’s just a lazy, self-pitying bugger who’s never done a proper day’s work in his life.’
Annie took a last look around the room, again wondering how Peter Hardy came to know such intimate details about Michelle. Zoe was flicking, apparently aimlessly, through the clothes hanging up in the wardrobe. Annie assumed Zoe was quietly checking, as Annie herself would have done, that there was nothing concealed in the back of it.
‘We’ll leave you and Mrs Wentworth in peace for the moment, Mr Hardy. I’ll have a word with Mrs Wentworth before we leave, but we’ll allocate a Family Liaison Officer to be the primary point of contact with her during our investigation. We’ll need to take a formal statement from her, as I said, so I’ll set the wheels in motion on all that.’
‘I wasn’t joking downstairs. About you treating Michelle as a suspect. Is that what your Family Liaison Officer is for? To keep an eye on her?’
‘The FLO is just what I say, Mr Hardy. Yes, they’re part of the investigative team, and their primary role is to help gather evidence from the victim’s family that might contribute to the investigation. But their role is also to ensure that the family is kept informed of any developments in the case and to provide a supportive presence.’
Hardy nodded, his expression sceptical. ‘I just don’t want Michelle to be taken advantage of, that’s all.’
‘That’s not the way we work, Mr Hardy.’
‘Michelle seems a tough cookie, and in many ways she is. But she’s only human and she’s going to be in a very vulnerable place. I just want to make sure she’s treated fairly.’
‘We’ve no intention of doing otherwise. Our job is simply to bring to justice whoever was responsible for this.’
Hardy stared at her for a moment, then nodded. ‘Fine. I’ve said what I had to say.’
He turned and made his way downstairs, leaving them to follow. Annie looked over at Zoe and shrugged.
‘I don’t know what that was all about,’ Zoe said. ‘Interesting, though. It just made me wonde
r what it is they’ve got to hide.’
Chapter Five
‘We need to get moving on this one,’ Stuart Jennings said. ‘I’ve a bad feeling about it. I’ve already had the Chief on the phone.’
Annie sighed inwardly. When Jennings said he had a bad feeling about a case, that meant he thought his seniors would be breathing down his neck. He was no doubt right. Annie had carried out more background research since meeting Michelle Wentworth. It was clear that Wentworth had never been shy about expressing her brash and uncompromising views, and she provided an alternative profile to the usual middle-aged male captain of industry. That, combined with the fact that her business dealings had sometimes between controversial, meant she’d become a familiar face on the local TV news and in the local papers.
The tragic death of her son and the additional lure of a spectacular Peak District backdrop were guaranteed to pull in the reporters. Annie had now read enough about Wentworth to guess she wouldn’t be averse to pulling whatever strings she could to put pressure on the police if it suited her. She was clearly skilled at using the media to her own advantage, whether boosting her own profile or subtly denigrating her competition. It seemed unlikely that she’d have been in touch with the Chief Constable already, and she hadn’t been hostile at the house, but Annie imagined she wouldn’t have any hesitation in doing so. The fact that the Chief had already contacted Jennings suggested she wasn’t the only one to think so. ‘We’re pushing ahead as quickly as we can. The team’s in place. Any further resources you can drum up will be more than welcome, but we’re generally good to go.’
‘So what do you make of it?’ Jennings said.
When Jennings had first transferred over to lead the team, Annie had found his manner disconcerting and more than a little irritating. He often gave the impression that his mind was elsewhere, as if he’d already mentally moved on from whatever you were discussing with him to something more important. He could often be abrupt, seemingly forgetting basic human courtesies such as remembering to say hello, goodbye or thank you.
At first, she’d thought this was a deliberate management tactic to wrong-foot his subordinates. But she’d soon concluded that it was just how Jennings was. He was a bright enough bloke but he had a short attention span. It had taken her a little longer to realise Jennings was as wary of her as she was of him. It was partly her family history. Her mother had been a former Assistant Chief in the force, who had retired in mildly controversial circumstances and who was now enjoying an unexpectedly successful post-retirement life as an outspoken pundit on anything relating to policing. It was partly that Jennings had joined a well-established team and was struggling slightly to define his own position. And it was partly, Annie suspected, simply because Jennings wasn’t entirely comfortable managing women.
But over time she’d slowly warmed towards him. He’d been helpful and supportive when Zoe had been working through her personal issues, even if at times he’d sounded as if he was reading from the HR manual. He did his best to ensure that, in the face of continuing pressures on funding, they had the resources they needed to do their jobs. Above all, he’d worked hard to shield them from the usual crap that tended to rain down from the senior ranks in the face of political and media pressure. Unlike many bosses she’d had, Jennings saw part of his role as taking the flak so the team didn’t have to. That was a rare quality in Annie’s experience, and it more than compensated for any deficiencies Jennings might display in other areas.
They were having a short debrief following the kick-off meeting with the team, with Jennings providing his usual upbeat introduction to her own more detailed briefing. The meeting had gone well, with thoughtful questions from the team and some useful suggestions on potential lines of enquiry.
‘I’m not sure what to make of this one,’ she said. ‘Young man beaten to death in broad daylight in the well-secluded garden of his own home. It doesn’t really compute.’
‘So what are the options? An argument that got out of hand? Some kind of grudge killing? Or just something opportunist? An intruder?’
‘The last one seems unlikely. It wouldn’t be surprising if Wentworth’s place were to attract potential burglars – she’s well known for having a bob or two – but why come in the middle of the day when there were two cars parked outside? And why attack Justin Wentworth, even if he’d challenged them? Wouldn’t you just come up with some excuse and make yourself scarce?’
‘I wouldn’t know,’ Jennings said. ‘I’ve never really gone in for housebreaking. But people panic. Wouldn’t be the first time.’
‘I’m just struggling to come up with the scenario that would end up with Wentworth being bashed repeatedly about the head with a blunt instrument. I haven’t seen the pictures yet, but from what Danny Eccles has said, it sounds like a savage attack. Not just a one-off blow in a moment of panic.’
‘So what about the other options?’
‘They seem more likely. Some kind of grudge killing directed either at Justin himself or at his mother. On the face of it, the latter seems most feasible.’
‘I imagine she’s made more than her share of enemies over the years. She doesn’t seem to go out of her way to be popular.’
‘That’s my impression. Whether that would translate into this kind of murder, who knows?’
‘What about the son? Anything suspicious there?’
‘You mean any reason why someone might want to kill him? There’s nothing obvious. According to his mum, he was a pretty quiet kid. Not exactly a chip off the old block, if so. But we’ll get all that checked out.’
‘Still waters and all that.’
‘Mother seems a more realistic target, though,’ Jennings agreed.
‘This guy Hardy certainly seemed keen to give us the names of business competitors who might potentially be in the frame.’
‘Just being helpful?’
‘Maybe.’ Annie tilted her hand back and forth to show her uncertainty. ‘But it felt slightly odd to me. A bit over-the-top. He was also keen to let us know he realised we’d be treating Wentworth as a potential suspect. Had a feel of trying to warn us off.’
‘Who is Hardy anyway?’
‘That’s the other interesting thing. He obviously had a good knowledge of both Wentworth and her business dealings. I looked him up when I got back. Didn’t take me long as he’s a non-executive director of Wentworth’s business. He’s also apparently a lawyer.’
‘Not a criminal lawyer, presumably.’
‘No, or at least not in the sense you mean.’ Annie smiled. ‘It looks like he specialises in contractual law, which I guess makes sense given the nature of Wentworth’s business. I assume he was mainly there to give moral support. I couldn’t work out whether he and Wentworth were an item. I had a sense they were more than just friends.’
‘We seem to have a lot of hunches but not much concrete,’ Jennings said. ‘I’d like to have something substantial I can report upstairs. You think the presence of this Hardy character was significant?’
‘There’s nothing odd about Wentworth wanting someone with her. But his behaviour felt strange. More calculated than I’d have expected. Made us wonder whether they had something to hide.’
‘If it turns out that Michelle Wentworth’s the killer, the media really will have a field day.’
‘Anything’s possible,’ Annie said. ‘Though she’s not high on my list at the moment, given the nature of the killing. What would drive a mother to do that to her son? And in practical terms, she’s much smaller and slighter than he was.’
‘Wouldn’t be the first time we’d have something like that, though. And she could have caught him by surprise or had help from this Hardy guy.’
‘PC who was there said they saw Hardy arrive just before them, so he couldn’t have been involved unless he’d done a round-trip to throw us off the scent. But we’ll see if forensics throws up anything.’
Jennings changed the subject. ‘How’s Zoe doing?’
�
�Fine, as far as I can tell. But I’m keeping an eye on her.’
‘You never found out what the issue was?’
‘I’ve not pushed her on it. I think it’s her business unless it starts to affect her work again.’
Jennings looked unconvinced. ‘Okay, your call. But I want to know if there’s any sign of a problem. Keep me posted and tell me if there’s anything you need from me.’
‘I will. And let the Chief know we’ve got it all in hand.’
Jennings was already scanning the papers for his next meeting. ‘I already have, Annie. Don’t make me a liar.’
Chapter Six
‘Of course I’m upset. He may have been a useless lump but he was my son, for Christ’s sake.’
‘That’s not what I meant, Mickey. You know that.’
Michelle Wentworth swallowed the rest of her glass of wine and glared at him. ‘It’s what you said, Peter.’
Hardy sighed. ‘I understand how you’re feeling—’
‘You can’t possibly understand how I’m feeling.’
‘No, of course not, but it must be awful. To have found him like that—’
‘Yes, thank you, Peter. I don’t need you to remind me.’
‘I just meant that we’ve got to be careful. Obviously you’re upset—’
‘Good of you to permit it.’
‘Obviously you’re upset, but we have to be alert. Someone did this—’
‘Is that right? I’m surprised the police haven’t drafted you on to their team, Sherlock.’
‘Someone did this,’ Hardy continued patiently, ‘and we don’t know who or why. If it’s not connected to Justin—’
‘Who’d care enough about Justin?’
‘Which means this was almost certainly targeted at you.’
‘Thanks, Peter. You’re a real comfort in times of trouble, you know that?’
