Fatal Love

by Michael Patterson

  Now she focussed her gaze on him. ‘We had still to decide when I would tell Jonathan and Glyn would tell his wife. But,’ she added, with a degree of forcefulness which surprised them, ‘we were going to do it. We had discussed it before, but . . . well, there were complications.’

  ‘What type of complications?’ asked Tom.

  ‘I’m not sure if you are married,’ she answered, looking directly at Tom. ‘But, when there are children involved, it does tend to create complications. Although Glyn’s children are not small, they are both at a difficult age and Glyn was concerned about the effect it would have on them.’

  Tom almost wished he had not asked that particular question, especially given the latest news regarding his own son. It immediately brought back the feelings of guilt he had been recently experiencing.

  Fortunately for him, DC Bennett suddenly said, ‘Have you ever visited Mr Burton’s flat in London?’

  ‘If you mean “have I ever stayed there with him overnight”, then the answer is yes. I’ve been there quite a few times in the past few months. In fact, I was there on that Sunday evening waiting for him, but . . .’

  ‘Please take your time,’ said Tom.

  Mrs Mercer paused for a moment before she continued. ‘We’d agreed to discuss exactly what we would do when we were back together at his flat. He did mention, though, that he had to be back at his office the following day for some sort of meeting. Anyway, after we’d met at the coffee place, I went home and packed a few things and then drove to the flat. I arrived at about six o’clock that evening and I was expecting him a bit later. When he hadn’t arrived by seven o’clock, I called him a few times, but I couldn’t get through.’

  ‘So, what did you do then? Did you go home or stay there?’

  ‘I left it until ten o’clock and then decided to go home. I just couldn’t stand the thought of being there by myself.’

  ‘You must have been very worried,’ suggested Tom.

  ‘I was, yes. It wasn’t like him not to return my calls. I kept trying again all the next day but, again, still couldn’t get through. Then I began to really get worried and wondered if . . .’ She wiped a few tears from her eyes. ‘I wondered if he’d changed his mind about us.’

  ‘Was that likely? I thought everything had been agreed?’

  ‘So did I,’ she answered. ‘When he arrived at the coffee shop, he seemed quite excited.’

  ‘When he arrived?’ asked Milner. ‘Did he say why that was?’

  ‘I did ask him, but he just said it was something to do with business and that he had to meet someone later that day to finalise a deal.’

  ‘Do you have any idea who that might have been?’

  ‘No. He just said he had to meet someone. I didn’t ask him who it was, as it concerned his business. And anyway, to be honest, I was more concerned about what we were going to do.’

  She suddenly started to cry again as the memory of what they had planned together took over her emotions.

  Tom handed her a tissue and, after a moment, said, ‘I assume your husband didn’t know about all of this.’

  She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. We had been very careful whenever we met. Jonathan spends quite a bit of time out of the country on business, which made it easier, and that’s where he was on that particular Sunday. He’d left on the previous Friday morning and wasn’t due back until the following Monday evening.’

  DC Bennett continued with the questioning. ‘I understand your husband is a client of Mr Burton’s. Is that correct?’

  ‘Yes, he is. That’s how Glyn and I met. He had invited both of us to a social function, but Jonathan had to unexpectedly leave early. I stayed, and we just seemed to get on so well together. A few days later he came to the house to drop off some papers for Jonathan to sign. Jonathan had just left on one of his trips. As I said, we seemed to get on so well together.’ She paused momentarily. ‘We didn’t mean it to happen.’

  DC Bennett didn’t respond.

  ‘Have you ever fallen in love?’ she asked, looking directly at him.

  Tom was suddenly also genuinely interested in DC Bennett’s answer. Unfortunately for him, Mrs Mercer continued without waiting for a response. ‘If you have, then you will know that it’s something you can’t really control, and you do things without even thinking about the likely consequences.’

  ‘But you did think about Mr Burton’s children,’ suggested DC Bennett.

  ‘We did, yes. But only once we both realised it was more than just a brief fling.’ Suddenly, it was as though she were completely opening her heart. ‘You might not believe this, Detective Constable Bennett, but, up to this point, I had never been unfaithful to Jonathan. In fact, I never even looked at a man in that . . . well, in that way. Don’t you think I kept asking myself if this was truly different? And every time I did, I came back with the same answer.’ She shook her head. ‘I loved Glyn and wanted to be with him.’

  Tom decided to intervene and bring the discussion back to more mundane matters. ‘What time did Mr Burton leave on the Sunday?’

  ‘Around eleven fifteen. We didn’t stay together long because, as I’ve said, we’d already agreed to meet up later that day at the flat.’

  ‘And you didn’t hear from Mr Burton again? Not even a text or phone call?’

  ‘I’ve told you already,’ she answered, for the first time showing signs of anger. ‘I tried to call him, but he wasn’t answering.’

  ‘One final question,’ said Tom. ‘Did he ever mention his business whilst you were together?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, for example, any problems, any other clients. That type of thing.’

  ‘Nothing,’ she quickly replied. ‘Not even about his dealings with Jonathan.’

  ‘Were you aware that your husband was Mr Burton’s biggest client?’

  ‘No, I wasn’t,’ she replied. ‘But, even if I had been, it would not have made any difference. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but I loved Glyn and I think he loved me.’

  ‘Thank you very much, Mrs Mercer. We appreciate you coming to the station. I know this can’t have been easy. Is there anything we can do for you?’

  ‘Nothing,’ she replied, once again wiping away her tears. ‘Unless you can bring him back.’

  Everyone stood.

  ‘What happens next?’ she asked. ‘You won’t have to speak with my husband, will you?’

  ‘What happens next is that we will continue with our inquiries until we have determined just how Mr Burton died,’ replied Tom, choosing not to answer her last question.

  *

  ‘What do you think?’ asked Tom, after Mrs Mercer had left.

  DC Bennett frowned. ‘She clearly loved Mr Burton. That came across loud and clear. What we don’t know, of course, is if he felt the same. I know he told her that he had decided to leave his wife, but it’s one thing to say it and quite another, when it comes to it, to actually carry it out. I have to say, though, that she did give the impression she’d thought through all of the possible implications of what they were going to do.’

  ‘Apart, of course, from the one where Mr Burton is murdered,’ added Tom, quite cryptically. ‘Try and get hold of any CCTV footage that might be available from the coffee shop. It would be interesting to see them both together as well as being useful for checking the timelines.’ There then followed one of his characteristic pauses. ‘She also mentioned how, when he arrived, he seemed to be in an excited mood. Later in the day, though, something seems to have happened which changed his mood. I wonder what that was.’

  Chapter 19

  Later that same evening Tom and Mary were having dinner together at her house.

  Previously they had spoken about Tom selling his own home in Staines and, in fact, he’d even placed his house on the market, but nothing had happened, and, in truth, he had not really pushed it any further. There had been a few discussions regarding marriage as well, but the idea of this had also s
eemed to cool of late. It was almost as though they were both content with the current arrangements and so couldn’t bring themselves to make the final jump.

  In the past, it seemed to Tom, it had been the crises in his life – both personal and professional – which had provided the motivation to take their relationship further. He suspected that perhaps Mary had recognised this in his behaviour, and for that reason was reluctant to initiate any discussion about making their relationship more formal. So now they found themselves at a sort of relationship impasse with neither of them, for their own different reasons, willing to raise the issue. Fortunately for both, the impending visit of Tom’s son Paul and his family was a convenient distraction, even though it brought its own anxieties.

  ‘Now we know the dates, have you thought about taking some time off work when they are here?’ she asked.

  The truth was that Tom hadn’t considered that, other than, perhaps, the odd day.

  She immediately continued. ‘Because I think you should. They are only planning to stay in the London area for about a week before they travel up to the Midlands to visit your ex-wife’s brother. So I think you should try and spend as much time as possible with them before they go back home. It might be a long time before you get the chance to see them all again.’

  Mary had now received confirmation from Paul regarding their itinerary. They had booked their first week’s accommodation in a hotel on the Cromwell Road, using it as a base to sightsee in London. So far, however, there had been no discussions regarding when or where they would all meet. As Mary had made the initial contact Tom accepted that all communication had been between her and Paul. Notwithstanding this, he still found it strange that this should be the case.

  As he heard what Mary was suggesting he suddenly felt a sense of apprehension. He was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a romanticist, where everything ended happily ever after. In his experience, he had found it was usually best to expect disappointment and so prepare accordingly. Mary’s first inclination, however, was always to believe that things would work out well.

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ he answered, as positively as he could. ‘I’ll try and make sure that I plan for the time off.’ He hesitated. ‘As I‘ve just had some time away, it might be a bit difficult, but hopefully it will still be possible.’

  Mary, recognising exactly what Tom was trying to do, immediately responded. ‘I thought you said you still had a few weeks’ holiday to take. I’m sure they can do without you for another few days.’ There was rising annoyance in her voice. ‘You are not indispensable, you know. That’s why you have other people working for you. I’m sure David is perfectly capable of doing whatever is required whilst you are away. And anyway,’ she added, her annoyance turning to borderline anger, ‘this is your family we are talking about. If you can’t find the time for them, after all these years, then . . .’ Her voice suddenly tailed off, before quickly resuming. ‘Well, what chance is there for us?’

  She hadn’t meant to reopen this tricky subject, but it was clear her anger had got the better of her. It was a recurring issue between the two of them and the source of most of their problems that he always seemed to put his career before any personal relationships.

  There followed a tense silence, with neither of them quite trusting themselves to respond without making the situation worse. Finally, though, it was Tom who spoke. ‘You are right. I’m sorry, especially after everything you’ve done to arrange this. To be honest I’m a bit nervous about seeing Paul again and how things will turn out. You are very fortunate that you still see your own children and grandchildren regularly. You have a normal relationship with them. Mine is anything but normal. I haven’t seen my own son – in fact, my only son – for about thirty years. And that was because of my own actions. I didn’t even know I had grandchildren. How do you think that makes me feel about myself? So I’m not expecting him to greet me as if everything is normal. In fact, if I were Paul, I would certainly want some answers, especially to why I hadn’t tried to contact him for all of those years.’

  Tom’s honesty seemed to take Mary by surprise and she suddenly reached across and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Don’t you think he will be just as nervous as you? Probably more so, given that Detective Chief Inspector Stone’s successes have travelled as far as Australia.’ She hesitated. ‘I think, for the very first time, you have let your guard down. That’s the most honest thing I’ve ever heard you say. I know it’s not easy, but I do like you much more when you show your true feelings, rather than always putting up some sort of barrier.’

  She took his hand. ‘Don’t you realise that I’m here to help? Please don’t think you have to do all of this by yourself. Why don’t you just try and enjoy the time you have together? If things work out well, then great. If they don’t go as everyone hopes, then at least you will have the memory of seeing him and his family, two of whom, let’s not forget, are your own grandchildren.’

  For the second time in about a minute Tom simply said, ‘You’re right.’ He leant forward and kissed her. ‘What would I do without you?’

  Chapter 20

  ‘So, this is everything that was found in Mr Burton’s car, is it?’ asked Tom, a sheet of paper in his hand. It was early the next morning and he was once again with Milner and DC Bennett in his office.

  After his heart-to heart with Mary the previous evening, Tom had woken feeling much more enthusiastic about meeting Paul and his family. He knew what Mary had said was right. Perhaps he had just needed her to say it to him as she seemed to be the only who could break through his natural emotional barrier, or possibly the only one who he would allow to do it. Either way, whilst, at his age, he was unlikely to change his personality, he recognised he could no longer just pay lip service to what she had to say when it came to their relationship. He also knew that he did want to spend the rest of his time with her, but it was now up to him to take the final step.

  ‘That’s everything, sir,’ replied Milner. ‘In fact, you’ll see there are three lists. The first one shows everything found on Mr Burton’s body and the second one lists everything that was still in the car. The car itself has now been fished out of the quarry and is currently being examined by a specialist forensics team. There have also been divers searching for anything which might have fallen out of, or off, the car and sunk lower. Their findings are shown on list three. Nothing of any significance there, I’m afraid, just the sort of things you would expect to find when there has been an impact. The odd piece of bumper and metal which must have broken off, together with some pieces of glass. The boot had apparently sprung open when it hit the water, and so a few things probably also fell out then. Anyway, the divers say they’ve found as much as they are ever likely to find.’

  Tom spent some time looking at the list again, before handing it back to Milner. ‘And they didn’t find Mr Burton’s phone?’

  ‘That’s everything which was retrieved,’ confirmed Milner.

  ‘Okay, anyway, let’s hope forensics find something, then,’ Tom said, disappointment clearly apparent in his tone.

  DC Bennett, sensing this, asked, ‘Do you think Mr Burton’s phone is important, sir?’

  ‘I think so, yes,’ he answered. ‘I suspect that someone like Mr Burton spent a lot of time on his phone, and so it’s likely to be a real goldmine of information. It would help if we knew who he’d recently been speaking with. Mrs Mercer mentioned how Mr Burton seemed to be in a good mood when they met on the Sunday morning. It might have been the result of a phone call he’d either received or made. Later, though, according to his wife, his mood had changed. Anyway,’ he added, looking at the flip chart in the corner of the office, ‘I think we now need to have a little chat with Mr Mercer, as well as speaking again with Mr White.I don’t think we should go in too mob-handed with Mr Mercer. We don’t want to go charging in asking him about his wife’s affair, especially if he had no idea what had been going on between his wife and Mr Burton. At this stage let’s simply f
ocus on their business relationship and find out when they last spoke. General stuff. I think this calls for someone with experience and tact. As I’m not available, I think you, DC Bennett, should go and see him. I know how much you like the world of high finance.’

  DC Bennett didn’t reply but, instead, let out a slight laugh, prompting Milner to look towards him with one of his slightly quizzical expressions.

  It looked as though Milner was about to say something. Before he could, however, Tom carried on. ‘I do think, though, you should push him to confirm where he was on the Sunday.’

  Now Milner did say something. ‘But didn’t Mrs Mercer say that her husband was out of the country on business?’

  ‘Well, that’s what she certainly thought. But who knows? He might have been lying, of course. Anyway, let’s confirm it one way or the other. In the meantime, you and I, Milner, are going back to the West London Golf Club. So why don’t you give them a call to let them know? I’m sure they will be delighted to see us again.’

  *

  Whilst Milner and DC Bennett were following up on all of this, Tom decided that now might be a good time to speak with his boss, Superintendent Birch, about taking some time off for Paul’s visit. It wasn’t long before he was standing outside Superintendent Birch’s office on the fifth floor.

  As usual, Jenny, the superintendent’s PA and Milner’s ‘friend’, seemed genuinely delighted to see him. ‘I’ve already got your coffee ready,’ she said, after they had finished exchanging pleasantries. ‘David – sorry, I mean Detective Sergeant Milner – mentioned how you are both working on a murder investigation. That must be exciting.’

  ‘Well, first of all, Detective Sergeant Milner shouldn’t really be discussing this type of thing with you. It’s not very professional and I’ll need to have a word with him about it.’ Tom said this in as jovial a way as he could, but, even so, she seemed to be quite embarrassed about what she’d said. He decided to help her out. ‘Don’t worry; sometimes I speak to my partner about some of the cases I’m working on. It helps sometimes, although, of course, you do have to be very selective as to whom you discuss them with.’ Before she could reply, he added, ‘Speaking of partners, how is your relationship with DS Milner? As someone who is always concerned about the wellbeing of his team, it’s usually useful to know at least a bit about their personal lives.’