by Sally Rigby
‘Son of a viscount. There’s a difference.’
‘Whatever. He’s still an aristocrat, and that impresses some people. Not me, though.’
Whitney’s inverted snobbery amused George, but she knew better than to express her opinion, as her friend would be most affronted.
‘Is Naomi expecting us?’ she asked, changing the subject.
‘No because I didn’t want to warn her.’
George turned into Pennington Grove and slowed down outside Marsden House. The gates were open, so she drove up the drive and parked in front of the house next to a green Ford Mondeo.
‘She has a visitor. Not Scott Marshall, by the looks of things as it’s not his car.’
‘Good. We don’t want him here for this conversation. The car probably belongs to Naomi’s dad as he drives a Mondeo’
Whitney rang the bell and after a few moments, Naomi opened the door. She was fully made-up, although it didn’t hide the red rings around her eyes, and was wearing a pair of beige trousers, with a dark brown silk blouse. Was she going somewhere?
‘Mrs Armstrong, we’d like to come in and ask you some more questions,’ Whitney said.
‘I’m going out with my parents. We’re going to see the undertaker in preparation for when Ryan is given back to us. They’ve just arrived.’
‘We won’t keep you too long,’ Whitney said. ‘We’d like to speak to you alone as issues have arisen which are best discussed in private.’
Panic shot across her face. ‘They’re in the kitchen with my daughter. We’ll go into the media room.’
They followed her down the corridor and into a large square room with a giant screen on one of the walls and ten La-Z-Boy recliners in a semicircle. Naomi gestured for them to sit in the front row. It was a strange room for her to have chosen, unless it was because it had been soundproofed.
‘What is it? Do you know who shot Ryan?’
‘Not yet, but during our enquiries we’ve discovered that you and Scott Marshall have been in a relationship. Is that correct?’
She flushed a bright shade of red, her hand clutching at her chest. No answer was required. She was clearly guilty.
‘Who told you that?’ Her voice was barely above a whisper.
‘We’re not at liberty to discuss our sources but can you confirm it’s the case?’
She bit down on her bottom lip. ‘I suppose it was going to come out sooner or later, but before we’ve even buried Ryan couldn’t be worse timing. Have you spoken to Scott about it?’ She paused. ‘I suppose not, or he would have told me,’ she added before Whitney had time to answer.
‘Did your husband know anything about you and Scott?’
‘I don’t think so. We were very discreet and met at out of the way places. But not discreet enough, if somebody knew about it.’
‘How long have you been seeing each other?’
‘It started last March, so almost a year. We didn’t mean for it to happen. We’ve been discussing moving in together. I was going to leave Ryan, and Scott was going to leave Jess. We hadn’t decided on a date, though. The guilt has plagued me for months. It’s not something I’d ever done before.’
‘Does Scott’s wife know about the two of you?’
‘Not as far as I know. Like I said, we kept it all very quiet because we knew that once it was out in the open everything would change. In particular, the club.’
‘Why? What exactly would happen to it?’
‘I imagine it would have to be sold as Ryan and Scott couldn’t have continued working together under those circumstances.’
‘So, the fact Ryan is now dead means a lot of the issues you and Scott faced have been removed.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Surely you can’t think that I killed Ryan to save awkwardness with him and Scott. That’s ridiculous. I loved my husband.’
‘I thought you said you loved Scott,’ Whitney said.
‘It’s complicated. I loved Ryan, but I’m in love with Scott. Ryan was a good man and a great father. I’ve been eaten up with guilt, but the heart does its own thing. We don’t have control over it.’
George cringed. Talking about the heart as if it was some animate object that made decisions was totally beyond her. As far as she was concerned, the woman was using it as an excuse for her behaviour. ‘That’s debatable,’ she said.
‘Scott and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. We know we’ll have to wait for an acceptable amount of time to pass now, but it will happen. Is there anything else you want? I don’t want to be late for my appointment.’
‘We’re investigating the death of your husband and from what we’ve ascertained, you and Scott Marshall are the two people who stand to gain the most. So, yes, we do have other things to discuss. Namely, your affair,’ Whitney said.
Tears filled Naomi’s eyes, and she pulled a tissue out from her sleeve and dabbed them away. ‘You make it sound so dirty. But it wasn’t like that at all. We both fought against it happening. You have to believe me.’
‘Did Ryan have any life insurance?’ Whitney asked.
She nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘When was the policy taken out?’
‘When he turned professional. Before I knew him.’
‘Are you the beneficiary?’
‘I don’t know. Probably. Or Sienna. I don’t know where the documents are so can’t check for you.’
‘How would you get away to see Mr Marshall without your husband suspecting?’
‘When Ryan was away, it was no problem. Scott would sometimes come here. When he was home, we’d find a way.’ She glanced at her watch.
‘We will be speaking to you again. But for now, you may go to your appointment.’
‘Thanks. I’ll see you out.’
‘A motive?’ Whitney asked George once they were back in the car.
‘There was nothing in her behaviour to indicate she was lying. But it could be a motive for Marshall, of which she was unaware. It would save the club from being sold, assuming Armstrong has left everything to Naomi, and that would leave Marshall in total control. Has the will been read yet?’
‘I’ve no idea. I’ll give Brian a call.’ Whitney pulled her phone from her pocket and hit one of the keys. ‘It’s me. Find out if Armstrong’s will has been read yet. Also, ask Ellie how she’s getting on with her analysis of Marshall’s finances.’ She paused. ‘Yes. It’s fine to approach them. I thought you already had. We’ll be back in half an hour.’
‘Are you going to bring in Marshall?’ George asked, once Whitney had ended the call.
‘Not until we’ve collated all of our research. Brian’s getting in touch with his contact at the snooker governing body, in case there’s anything about Marshall or Armstrong that relates to our enquiries. I could’ve sworn I told him to wait until after news of the death had hit the media and then do it. He didn’t need to ask for permission.’
‘He didn’t want to cross you.’
‘Hmm. If you say so. A less kind person might suggest that he’d forgotten to do it and was doing this to save getting in trouble.’
Chapter 24
‘Claire,’ Whitney called out, spotting the pathologist in front of them as they walked into the station. They quickly caught up with her. ‘What are you doing here? You haven’t come to see me, have you?’
‘I’ve been delegated to attend a meeting with your top brass. Aren’t I the lucky one? I was instructed that it was formal and I should dress accordingly.’
Yikes. Who would have the nerve to say that to Claire?
‘And you listened to them? You must be going soft in your old age.’ She couldn’t resist a dig and was happy to take the pointed comment should it come her way.
‘It was Ralph.’
Claire’s new husband. Whitney had yet to meet him, but he must be something special if he could get away with those comments. Although Claire’s outfit was still outlandish, the only difference being that she’d added a formal black jacket to her pink and white
striped dress, orange tights and royal blue lace-up shoes. She’d love to be a fly on the wall when the others at the meeting were introduced to her.
‘Do you know who else is going to be there?’
‘Haven’t a clue. All I know is it’s being chaired by Sandra Littleton, the chief constable. We’re looking at improving the partnership between pathology and the police.’
‘What’s wrong with our relationship?’ She glanced at George. ‘Have you noticed any issues, as an outsider?’
‘None.’
‘We have an acceptable partnership with you and your team, but that can’t be said for others in the police force. Some officers we deal with have no respect for our role, demanding we do things their way and not valuing the process. Others are just plain thick, and as far as I’m concerned, should be kept well away from the morgue. There are also budgetary constraints that need discussing. A lovely way to spend an afternoon, I don’t think, especially when I’ve got two bodies demanding my attention.’
‘The chief constable is pretty good at not wasting time, so I’m sure you won’t be there longer than necessary.’
‘I hope you’re right. How’s the Armstrong investigation going? Are you any nearer to finding his killer? The world championships won’t be the same without him there.’
‘We’re making slow progress. Do you know yet the type of gun used in the shooting?’
‘I had confirmation this morning that it was a .22 calibre handgun, as I suggested. You’ll have the report later.’
‘So where did the murderer get the weapon?’
‘That’s up to you to discover. All I’m doing is letting you know what type of weapon was used. Having said that, out of the kindness of my heart I will tell you that I’ve come across these in the past, so I expect that they are readily accessible.’
‘And you couldn’t have said that straight away?’ Whitney shook her head.
‘Where’s the fun in that? Now point me in the direction of the conference room.’
‘You’ll need to report in at reception first, and they’ll give you a visitor’s pass. They’ll direct you to the room the meeting will be in.’
George and Whitney left Claire and took the lift to the fifth floor.
‘Attention, everybody,’ Whitney said, when they walked in. Clifford was seated at one of the spare desks at the far end of the room, away from the rest of the team. He looked up, too, when she spoke. ‘We’ve been to see Naomi Armstrong, and she confirmed that she’s been having an affair with Marshall and informed us that they’d planned to move in together.’
‘That’s a good enough reason to shoot him then, isn’t it?’ Frank said.
‘A bit too obvious,’ Doug said. ‘It’s like something from those TV crime dramas.’
‘We do have to consider the advantages for Scott and Naomi of Ryan being dead. Brian, what’s the situation with the will?’
‘Everything is left to Naomi, including all of his business interests. She would have known the contents as they both updated their wills at the same time after they bought the snooker club, and their daughter was born, two years ago.’
‘So, with Ryan out of the way she’ll inherit half of the snooker club and there’ll be no messy divorce. That’s a huge advantage. Ellie, Naomi told us about a life insurance policy, did you find that when you researched Ryan’s finances?’
‘Yes, there is a personal policy on Armstrong, but not a business one.’
‘You’d have thought the bank would’ve insisted on them having one,’ Whitney said.
‘The club was paid for outright and there isn’t a mortgage, so I doubt the bank would’ve required them to have one,’ Ellie said.
‘Brian, did you get anything from the snooker governing body?’
‘I spoke to the chap I know, and he told me that Marshall had been the one to push for this tournament to be held at the Palace. Originally, they’d said no, but reconsidered after being let down by another venue.’
Clifford got up from his seat and walked over to join the rest of them.
‘Is Marshall’s wife aware of the affair?’ he asked.
‘According to Naomi, no. She said that although they’d been planning to leave Ryan and Jessica, they hadn’t done anything about it and wouldn’t do anything for a while now, out of respect for Ryan. We’ll see what Marshall says when we interview him. Ellie, any more on his finances?’
‘Yes, guv. While digging, I found an account in his name only. All the others were joint. Large amounts of money were paid into it on a regular basis.’
‘Did you track where this money came from?’ Whitney asked, her skin prickling as it always did when an investigation turned something up.
‘Yes, guv. This is where it overlaps with my research into William Palmer. Marshall’s money also came from Singapore. It’s cleverly done, going via three different accounts in Singapore and then through a fourth in Malaysia.’
Whitney exchanged a glance with Clifford. ‘Did Marshall come up at all during your operation, Sebastian?’
‘Seb,’ he muttered.
Had he mentioned that before?
‘Sorry, Seb.’
‘No, he didn’t. But if he is attached to the syndicate, it would make sense for him to push for having the tournament at his venue. It would be much easier to ensure players did what they were meant to. Assuming they wanted matches fixed, which I’m not convinced about as it’s a high-profile tournament.’
‘Guv,’ Meena called out. ‘I’ve just taken a call from Rory Clarke about the taxi. He remembered that he’d called it for himself but then went with Kurt instead in his Uber. He doesn’t remember cancelling it.’
‘Why did it take him this long to get back to us?’
‘I didn’t ask. Sorry,’ Meena said.
‘So Scott Marshall didn’t take the taxi after all, in which case how did he get home, and when? I want him in now for questioning. The last time he was here at the station he ended up refusing to speak without his solicitor present. Brian, take Meena and go to see him. Make it casual and say we’d like further help with the investigation. He may agree to being interviewed alone. Let me know when he’s here.’
‘I want to be part of this interview to speak to him about the betting going on at the club and his links with Singapore,’ Clifford said. ‘If he murdered Ryan because of his involvement with me, the syndicate could’ve provided him with the gun and Naomi could’ve been part of it.’
‘If she was, then she must be a bloody good actress because George couldn’t detect from her body language that she was lying, and in the ten plus investigations she’s helped me with, she’s got a one hundred per cent success rate with her witness assessments. We need to question Marshall about the affair before we discuss the syndicate with him.’
‘We can cover both. If the money in his account is from the syndicate, then this is an important breakthrough. Ellie, can I take a look at the account showing the payments?’ He walked over to her desk and stood behind her.
‘Here.’ Ellie slid her chair to the side, giving him space to look.
‘This can’t wait,’ he said, turning back to face Whitney. ‘Let me interview with you.’
If he was right, then she’d be stupid not to let him take part. Their priority was to find the killer, and she shouldn’t let her prejudices get in the way.
‘Okay. We’ll talk to him first about the affair, and I’ll lead the questioning. Then we’ll introduce the syndicate, and you can lead. By that time, he may be demanding his solicitor, so it may be delayed.’
‘That’s fine.’
‘I recommend that, like me, you have George in your ear.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘George will observe, and you can have an earpiece. She’ll advise on the direction you should take the interview based on the body language and responses from Marshall.’
‘Do you think that will help?’ he asked, turning to George.
‘It’s my area of expertise, if
you want it. No one is twisting your arm to accept.’
‘How could I refuse? Thank you.’ He gave a tiny bow of his head.
Whitney stifled a grin. It was like being in the middle of a scene from Downton Abbey. ‘That’s sorted, then. Brian, off you go. Fetch Marshall.’
Chapter 25
‘Right. It’s his relationship with Naomi Armstrong first,’ Whitney said to Clifford as, along with George, they made their way to the interview. ‘Anything to do with illegal betting, the club, and the syndicate will be left until last.’ The more the elements were kept separate, the more chance she had of the case not being taken from her.
‘We’ve already established that. But there will be some overlap. We’re going to have to talk about the snooker club and when the couple met.’ His voice was friendly enough, but had a firmness about it. He needed to realise that she was still in charge. Nothing had changed.
‘We’ll see how it goes. You’re not to mention his bank account initially.’ She refrained from adding ‘and that’s an order’ even though she was tempted. ‘My gut is telling me that the affair and the money are two totally separate things.’
‘Gut?’ George said, disbelief on her face.
‘Yes.’ She jutted out her chin in defiance, not prepared to elaborate. ‘Brian informed me that Marshall didn’t mention his solicitor on the way in, so hopefully he’ll be compliant.’
George headed into the observation area as Whitney and Clifford walked into the adjoining room.
‘How many times do you have to speak to me?’ Marshall asked, his eyes focused directly on Whitney.
‘We’re in the middle of a murder investigation, surely you understand that.’
‘I don’t appreciate being marched out of my house by two of your officers. It’s upsetting for my wife and the neighbours could have seen.’
