“But if the door was unbolted, the hall could be accessed without using unit twelve,” Paul said. He picked up the ladder and used it to climb out of the hole before dropping it back to the floor and replacing the cover and its camouflage.
“I think you should go home and wait for the call,” Evans said. “It won’t be long before he makes it. Keep the phone with you at all times, fully charged. Contact me immediately when you get the call so we can plan the next step.”
Chapter 46
Evans returned to his office to find that Curtis and Turnbull had been busy in his absence.
“The car belonging to Carol Jones has been found Sir,” Turnbull was pleased to announce. “It’s in the Parkland Hotel car park. A patrol officer spotted it from the road when he was driving past.”
“Parked or abandoned?” Evans asked.
“Neatly parked and locked Sir.”
“You need to speak to the hotel management. Find out what Carol was doing there. In fact it’s worth checking all the local hotels to see if Eddie or Mila are on their registers. It’s unlikely they’d give their real names but it’s worth trying.”
“Right Sir.”
“What about Shoresby?” Evans asked.
“We found a neighbour who knows the owners of the house, the Devonshires. Mr Devonshire works for an American company and the family are in the US for a year, Seattle apparently. The housekeeper was left behind to look after the property. The neighbour said she’s a foreign lady, possibly French.”
“What’s happened to her?” Evans asked.
“She had to return home. Her mother’s ill. A friend of Mrs Devonshire is keeping an eye on the place.”
“Did you get names?”
“The housekeeper’s called Maggie. That was all the neighbour knew.”
“I think it’s reasonable to suspect a connection with Mila Mertens. There may be something at the house to help with identification. You need to take a look. Did you get anything from Belgium?”
“Gary got clarification of the information we were given yesterday Sir. Mila Mertens was on the ‘known associates’ list of a convicted paedophile but there’s no reason to think she was involved in his illegal activities. She’s certainly never been charged with any offence.”
“Okay. Keep me updated,” Evans instructed.
Turnbull’s departure coincided with Fuller and Garton’s return from the Little Howton Academy of Science Technology and Finance. “We think Eddie’s a dealer,” Fuller told Evans. “And some of the students at the academy are a bit shady as well.”
“How did you arrive at that?” Evans asked.
“We spoke to a student who admitted knowing Eddie and Michael. A toff by the name of Cartwright. I told him we were Eddie’s business associates. He didn’t need to ask what line of business we were in. We had to leave in a hurry when his mates appeared. There’s was a whole bunch of them. Cartwright said Eddie was in Thorbury but we didn’t get the chance to find out any more. We should go back officially, get what we need to trace Eddie.”
“It’s not such a respectable establishment after all then?”
“It might not be respectable Boss but it’s certainly exclusive. Rehabilitation for posh kids who’ve blotted their copy books.”
“Why do you think that?” Evans asked.
Fuller shrugged. “That's the way it seemed to us Boss. Cartwright has some connection with illegal gambling and the Principle, Dr Crowley was very cagey. He said Eddie had been asked to leave because he was in possession of drugs. They didn’t inform our colleagues. Didn’t want any bad publicity I guess.”
“I wonder what the fees are like,” Evans mused.
“Probably huge. The rehab doesn’t work for all of them though. I reckon there’ll be a lot of parents wanting their money back.”
“Cartwright said Eddie had been encouraged to believe he could reclaim his lost heritage,” Garton added.
“That may fit with him being in Thorbury,” Evans reasoned. “If Eddie was dealing drugs at the academy, he may not have been a user after all. In which case, his mother has been misled. And if she did arrange treatment for him in Belgium, he’s unlikely to have been there for very long.”
“Do you want us to go back to the academy Boss?” Fuller asked. “I reckon there’s more we could get out of Crowley and Cartwright.”
Evans was thoughtful. “Sergeant Bradshaw at Little Howton said they’d never had any issues with the academy but I’m sure he’d be interested to know about your visit. Give him a call and suggest he may like to make some enquiries. We’ll put the return visit on hold for now.”
Fuller left the office, passing a frowning Superintendent Hinton in the doorway.
“I’ve just taken a call from Tom Thorbury,” Hinton said. “He’s at his apartment with Mila Mertens. They want to see me. It seems we may have made one or two incorrect assumptions.”
“He’s with Mila Mertens?” Evans said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Our theories are unravelling Colin. All we really know is that Eddie Thorbury resembles the man who rented unit twelve.”
“But we do have reason to believe that Eddie was dealing drugs and it’s looking certain that he knew Michael Gilbert.”
Hinton’s serious expression was unchanged. “This historical research stuff, the tunnels in the grounds. It’s just Paul Cahill’s fantasy isn’t it?” he said, making his agitation all too clear. “We’ve wasted too much time on it Colin. Find Eddie Thorbury!”
Chapter 47
“Tom says he has important news,” Hinton told Evans and Marsh after the arrival of Tom Thorbury and Mila Mertens. “I’ve put them both in the main interview room. If they’ve come here to deceive us they’ve already had plenty of time to agree a story.”
“We don’t have any real evidence to suspect them of anything,” Evans replied before they all joined the visitors to hear Tom’s news.
“I have to confess to misleading you on my last visit,” Tom began. “I should have realised my ‘big sleep’ story lacked plausibility but I needed an excuse which allowed me to avoid the truth for a short while and it was all my feeble imagination could conjure up.”
“And you’re here to set the record straight?” Hinton asked as the three stern faced detectives waited to hear the mitigating evidence.
“I didn’t fall asleep at all,” Tom admitted. “I needed to go to Long Malden. Mila came with me. We returned to Thorbury later that evening and I dropped her off at the Parkland Hotel.”
“At what time?”
“It would have been about nine thirty.”
“And this was more important than keeping your appointment here?” Hinton asked.
“Well yes. Under the circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
“Mila came to the flat on Wednesday to tell me something which came as rather a shock. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to my mother.” Tom looked at Mila as the word ‘mother’ resounded in the ears of the detectives and three pairs of eyes shifted their gaze towards the woman seated to Tom Thorbury’s left.
Evans was the first to turn back to Tom. “Mila is your mother?” he asked. The need for confirmation was clearly necessary.
“Yes. A very well kept family secret known until recently by only four people including my now deceased father and a long forgotten and well compensated midwife.”
The lingering silence which followed the statement was broken by Chris Hinton. “How is this relevant to our enquiries?” he asked.
“It was obvious from the comment which preceded my departure yesterday that you suspected Mila of involvement in what happened to Dr Cahill’s girlfriend. That idea is almost as ridiculous as my excuse for failing to appear on Wednesday as arranged. I’m here to provide you with my mother’s alibi.”
“Why did you need to avoid the truth for a short while?”
“I needed time to absorb the news and assess the implications before it became public knowledge.”
“I think we’d all like to hear more about the family secret,” Evans said. “Let’s not assume it isn’t relevant to our investigation. What’s the story?”
The six eyes shifted back to the hitherto silent nanny.
“I’d known Arthur, Lord Thorbury that is, for about two years before he met Louise,” Mila began. “I think it’s fair to say that Arthur was a ladies man. I was working for a family in London. It was the mid eighties. I was just twenty. Arthur was ten years older. He was a friend of the family I was working for, looking after their young son. Arthur was living in London at the time and came to a party at the house. That was when we first met. Despite the age difference, there was a chemistry between us.”
“And you began a relationship?” Hinton asked.
“Yes. It was discrete in view of Arthur’s status and my humble origins. It lasted for over thee years and finished when Arthur became engaged to Louise. But there was one occasion.” Mila cut herself short and looked at Tom who was smiling.
“To keep the story brief,” Tom said. “I’m the product of a goodbye shag.”
“You seemed pleased about it,” Hinton said.
“I’m not displeased. It’s just as well I never wanted to be the Earl of Thorbury.”
“When I discovered I was pregnant, the date had already been set for Arthur and Louise’s wedding,” Mila continued. “I told Arthur and he confessed to Louise. I imagine it must have been difficult for him but all I know for certain is that I was offered a job as their housekeeper and told that I could stay on as the child’s nanny as long as I gave it up. In the eyes of the world, Louise would be the child’s mother. The alternative for me would have been to return to Belgium as a single parent with no means of support so I agreed. The wedding date was brought forward and Louise and I were kept out of circulation until Tom was born. Louise was officially the mother and I was the nanny.”
“I can understand why you agreed to the arrangement,” Evans said. “But why would Louise?”
“She was determined to marry Arthur. That meant she had as little choice as me. The truth about Tom’s parentage could never be told.”
“Why have you told Tom now, so many years later?”
“Because I knew it wouldn’t be long before he learned the truth.”
“How would he have found out?”
“I’d returned to Brussels after Tom’s brother Eddie started school. It was hard for me to leave but the strain of keeping the secret was almost as bad. In Belgium, I started a new life. I trained as a nurse and later became a hospital administrator. I had occasional contact with the family over the years but about six months ago Louise contacted me about Eddie. She wanted me to help him find treatment for drug addiction. Discretion was important and she thought a clinic in Belgium would be a good option. Louise sent the money to pay for the clinic and I made the arrangements but Eddie wasn’t there for more than a single day before he travelled back to England. The staff at the clinic said he wasn’t an addict. Then a few days ago, I found out Louise had told Eddie about Tom’s parentage. I don’t know why she did it but I realised Tom would eventually discover the truth and I thought it would be best if he heard it from me.”
“And I’m very pleased I did,” Tom declared. “But when we arrived at Long Malden Louise was distraught. It wasn’t something she’d ever wanted me to know. She admitted that telling Eddie had been a mistake but I had no need to chastise her. I just wanted her to know that I had no concerns about it.”
“Did she say why she told Eddie?” Hinton asked.
“No. I never really got the chance to ask. When we arrived, Louise was in a hurry to leave the house for a reason she didn’t reveal. Fortunately Charlotte wasn’t at home and to the best of my knowledge she’s still unaware of the truth about my parentage.”
“When did your mother leave the house?”
“Not long after we arrived. Mila and I went to a local restaurant for a celebratory meal.”
“And you don’t know where Louise was going?”
“I didn’t need to know.”
“How did you find out that Louise had revealed the secret to Eddie?” Marsh asked Mila.
“Eddie called my mobile. He’d had the number since his trip to Belgium.”
“Did he say where he was?”
“No. I asked but he wouldn’t say. I think he only told me because he wanted to gloat about it.”
“Did he say why his mother told him?”
“No but he was clearly very pleased.”
“And you’ve no idea where Eddie is?”
“All I know is that he went back to England. Since then, I’ve only heard from him on that one occasion.”
“Do you have Eddie’s number?”
“No. It was withheld.”
“In view of your status as a suspect. We checked with the Brussels police to see if there was anything they could tell us about you,” Evans revealed. “You’re recorded as an associate of a convicted paedophile.”
“An associate?”
“Yes. You’re on their list of people he knew.”
“It was just a brief relationship. I thought it had a future but he turned out to be a bad man. I dumped him when I found out what he was involved in.”
“Okay Mila. We need to know if you hear from Eddie again or if you find out where he is,” Hinton said.
“Why do you need to find Eddie?” Mila asked.
“Because he was expelled from the academy for possession of drugs and you’ve confirmed he wasn’t a user. We’re investigating three murders which are linked to the drugs trade and Eddie knew at least one of the victims.”
“And you want to eliminate Eddie from your enquiries?”
“We have to find him,” Hinton stated. “And we’d appreciate any help you can give us. How long do you plan to stay in Thorbury?”
“I’m leaving the Parkland Hotel tomorrow. I’ll be staying with Tom for a while before going home.”
“We’ll let you know if we hear from Eddie,” Tom said before mother and son departed.
“If it wasn’t Mila at Shoresby it must have been Louise,” Hinton said after Tom and Mila had gone.
“You think she was going to Shoresby when Tom and Mila came calling?” Evans asked.
“It certainly fits. If she was the woman at the house she’s now replaced Mila as Eddie’s likely partner in crime. I’m relying on you two to find Eddie. I’ll take Fuller and Garton with me to Long Malden. Louise Thorbury has some explaining to do.”
Chapter 48
After deciding to take the lead in the pursuit of the new suspect, Chris Hinton left for Long Malden with Fuller and Garton in support. Fuller had already alerted Sergeant Bradshaw of the Little Howton police about the goings on at the academy.
Shortly after Hinton’s departure, Curtis and Turnbull reappeared to announce that Mila Mertens was a guest at the Parkland Hotel. She hadn’t been in her room but an arrest on her return should be easy to set up. Fortunately, the other discoveries the young DCs had made were equally exiting and their enthusiasm had survived the news of Mila and Tom’s visit to the station.
“A member of staff remembered a woman matching Carol’s description meeting a blond haired man in the hotel bar on Wednesday afternoon around four thirty,” Turnbull told Evans. “They left together about half an hour later.”
Evans took out the Thorbury family photograph and gave it to the DC. “Go back to the hotel and show this to the person you spoke to. Ask if the blond haired man could have been him.” Evans pointed to the young man Tom Thorbury had identified as Eddie. “And take good care of the photograph. It’s been the key to the whole investigation so far. Have you been back to the house at Shoresby?”
“Yes Sir,” Curtis replied. “We found correspondence. It included a letter to Mrs Devonshire from Louise Thorbury. Judging by the contents of the letter, it’s safe to assume that they’re close friends.”
“That’s interesting news. Good work,” Evans said, demons
trating his limited ability to lavish praise. “Let me know how you get on at the hotel,” he instructed before the Support Officer from the front desk appeared to announce that a woman called Louise Thorbury wanted to speak to whoever was in charge of the university murder enquiry.
“Come on Marshy,” Evans said after finding Marsh at his desk. “We have a visitor waiting to see us. The wind is about to be taken out of Chris Hinton’s sails.”
Evans asked the Support Officer to make the call which would end the Superintendent’s wild goose chase and after telling Marsh about the DC’s discoveries, They led their visitor to an interview room.
“I believe you wish to speak to my son Eddie in connection with your investigation,” Louise Thorbury began. “Eddie has had a few recent difficulties and any suggestion of involvement in your murders could have a serious impact on his wellbeing.”
“We can’t allow that to hinder us Mrs Thorbury,” Evans insisted.
“I need to make you aware of something which may lead to a misinterpretation of Eddie’s behaviour,” Louise Thorbury said.
“Tell us about it,” Evans replied, anticipating a first hand account of the family secret. He had already agreed with Marsh that they would not admit to the knowledge gleaned from Tom and Mila’s visit. They listened as Louise Thorbury gave her own version of the secret and its revelation to Eddie. Her story was consistent with Tom and Mila’s tale.
“Why did you pretend that Tom was legitimate?” Evans asked.
“We wanted to avoid a scandal. Even then, for people at the top of society, these things mattered. We also wanted to be sure that Arthur had an heir. It was insurance against the possibility of us not producing offspring of our own.”
“But why tell Eddie about Tom’s true parentage?”
“To allow him to claim the title which Tom had spurned. I’m no longer an advocate of such things, the world has moved on but I knew Eddie would relish it and thought it would help to get him back on track after his problems. It wasn’t long before my error of judgement became clear.”
Never Return Page 19
