‘Well, let’s wait until you’ve spoken with Brian Sharpe and found out who he is and why Mr Burton was calling him. After that I think we will be paying a visit to have a similar conversation with our friend Mr Cook.’ He paused, remembering something. ‘Before we do go and see Tony Cook, though, it would be useful if we could find out if he did actually go out for a run when and where he claimed.’ He turned to face Milner. ‘Are you making any progress with the CCTV coverage?’
‘It’s likely to be a long job, sir,’ he answered. ‘I’ve got details of his route but am still trying to set up the CCTV footage.’
‘But that doesn’t mean we can’t have another go at Craig Blackwell,’ suggested DC Bennett, with undisguised enthusiasm. ‘Why don’t I arrange another meeting?’
Tom fell silent for a moment. ‘Okay, but I want to come with you. I’m not sure that I can trust you to be alone with him,’ he said at last, only half-jokingly.
Just then Milner’s phone rang. He looked at the number showing on the screen and immediately recognised it as belonging to Brian Sharpe. ‘I think I should take this, sir,’ and he walked out of the room.
Not long afterwards, he returned, the hint of a smile on his face. ‘That was Brian Sharpe. I think he’s just provided the answer as to why Mr Burton has been building up his share- holdings at the golf club. Mr Sharpe is a land procurement agent for a large construction company. It seems that he and Mr Burton had, for some time, been discussing the possibility of selling some of the land at the golf club for housing development. Well, luxury flats, to be exact. He’d called Mr Burton to let him know that his company had finally agreed a purchase price.’
‘And what was that price?’ asked Tom.
‘Well, he wasn’t too keen to tell me. Said that it was confidential commercial information.’
‘But, you persuaded him, no doubt?’
‘Yes, sir, I did. You might be surprised to hear that they had agreed a figure of two and a half million pounds,’ he answered.
‘Wow,’ said DC Bennett.
Tom simply made do with, ‘Well, that would explain why he seemed to be in a good mood when he arrived to meet Mrs Mercer.’
Chapter 26
‘Mr Blackwell? Why did you lie to us when we last spoke?’
Tom had deliberately declined Mr Blackwell’s earlier offer of refreshments, and he and DC Bennett had remained standing. Experience told him this instantly made the point that their visit was not a social call. Just as when he and Milner had last visited the golf club, he’d also decided to adopt a more direct, unambiguous approach to his questioning.
‘I don’t understand,’ Mr Blackwell replied, clearly shocked by Tom’s directness. ‘Lied about what?’ He paused, and when he spoke again it was in an impressive, quietly confident tone. ‘I’m sure I didn’t lie, but, if I did, it must have been unintentional.’
‘I asked you if you had been in contact with Mr Burton after you left him at the pub on the Friday night,’ DC Bennett said. ‘In fact, I believe I asked you more than once. Each time you said you hadn’t. We’ve now got hold of Mr Burton’s phone records for that day and, in fact, he called you on the day he disappeared, at 11.22 am, to be precise, and the call lasted for five minutes. Are you saying that wasn’t you who he spoke with?’
Both Tom and DC Bennett were now looking intently at Craig Blackwell, waiting for him to reply. After what seemed an age, their patience was rewarded.
‘Yes, I remember now. I’d forgotten that he’d called. Sorry.’
‘Really?’ murmured DC Bennett, just loud enough for both to hear.
‘Why did he call you?’ asked Tom.
Once again there was a prolonged silence. Finally, Mr Blackwell said, ‘He wanted to discuss what progress I’d made with a potential new client.’
‘Which potential client was that?’ asked Tom.
‘It’s somebody I’ve been working on for some time.’
‘And the name?’
‘James Wilton,’ he answered, without hesitation.
Tom continued to look directly at him. ‘Thank you. I’d be grateful if you could please let me have Mr Wilton’s contact details before we leave.’ Without waiting for a response, he pressed on. ‘What else did you speak about? I’m sure it wasn’t all about Mr Wilton.’
If Mr Blackwell had, earlier, shown any sign of anxiety, it had now been replaced by his normal confidence. ‘I can’t remember exactly, but I think we discussed family. That type of thing. We hadn’t all been out together for a while and so were discussing when would be a good time.’
‘And did you agree something?’ asked Tom.
Tom could immediately sense a sudden look of concern on Mr Blackwell’s face as he considered the nature of Tom’s question, wondering if it was some sort of trap.
‘Yes. We agreed to go out for lunch on the following Sunday,’ Mr Blackwell answered.
‘And where was that lunch to be?’ Tom asked, determined to keep the pressure on him.
‘I don’t know,’ he immediately answered. ‘We left it that he would book somewhere.’
‘Where were you on that Sunday, say, between 3 pm and 8 pm?’ asked DC Bennett.
‘I’ve got no idea,’ Mr Blackwell answered, a little brusquely. ‘Can you remember what you were doing over two weeks ago at that specific time?’
‘I probably could if it had been my friend and business partner who had disappeared,’ said DC Bennett.
‘Well, I can’t,’ he simply replied.
‘Perhaps, then, you should try and remember, as I’m sure we will ask you that particular question again.’’
Tom offered his hand to Mr Blackwell, although, conspicuously, DC Bennett didn’t follow suit. ‘Thank you for your time. If you could just let me have Mr Wilton’s details, we’ll leave you in peace.’
‘Of course,’ Mr Blackwell answered, a look of relief on his face, before scrolling down the contacts list on his phone. He read out the number and DC Bennett made a note of it.
Just as Tom was about to leave the room, he suddenly stopped, turned back to face Mr Blackwell and said, ‘There was one other thing. We’ve checked your company’s bank statement and it appears that £5,000 was withdrawn by you, on the same day, for the past two months. The second withdrawal was, in fact, only a few days before Mr Burton disappeared. Is there a particular reason why you needed the money?’
For the first time, Tom could just make out something close to panic in Mr Blackwell’s eyes, but there was nothing but anger in his voice when he answered. ‘What right do you have to go snooping into our bank statements? That’s none of your business.’
‘We actually have every right, Mr Blackwell, especially when we are investigating a murder,’ Tom answered, calmly.
‘There are such things as privacy laws in this country, you know. Does this mean I can go digging around in your personal finances?’
‘If you were a police officer investigating a murder, then yes, you could.’ He waited for a moment and then said. ‘My strong recommendation, Mr Blackwell, is that you answer; otherwise, I’m afraid things might get serious for you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘There is such a thing as perverting the course of justice. More importantly, though, your refusal to answer would strongly suggest to me that you have something to hide.’ He paused momentarily, before adding, ‘It’s entirely your choice.’
Both Tom and DC Bennett remained where they were, waiting for a reply.
‘It was for my own personal use,’ Mr Blackwell eventually replied.
‘That’s a lot of money for personal use,’ suggested Tom.
‘I was considering buying a new car but wanted to pay by cash. It’s a bit cheaper that way.’
‘I understand this isn’t the first time you’ve withdrawn cash amounts. Were the past withdrawals for personal use as well?’
Once again, there was a brief look of anxiety on his face, although he quickly regained his composure. ‘I’m sure they w
ere, although I can’t remember the specific details. If you are suggesting I was taking money out without Glyn’s knowledge, then that is just not true. We trusted each other implicitly. We’d both worked incredibly hard to build up the business. I told you last time you were here that things were very tough for us when we first set up together. Both of us had to put up our houses as security and, for a while, it looked as though we might lose them. So, if I occasionally took out some money to fund various things, then, frankly, Detective Chief Inspector Stone, I think that I’d earned that right.’
It was impressive, full of genuine passion. Once again, though, Tom remained silent, continuing to look directly into his face.
‘Thank you again,’ Tom finally said, before walking towards the outer office, where Mr Blackwell’s PA was seated. ‘As DC Bennett said, we will want to speak with you again. So please don’t go anywhere far,’ he added, just loud enough to ensure the PA also heard what was said.
As soon as they were outside the office building, DC Bennett said, ‘He’s lying through his teeth.’
‘Of course he is,’ Tom answered. ‘Impressive, nonetheless. The question, though, is why.’
Chapter 27
‘I’ve just received an email from Paul,’ said Mary, excitement clearly evident in her voice. It was later that evening and Tom had just arrived home.
Despite her very positive tone, all Tom could think of to say in response was, ‘Is everything okay?’
He was finding the situation very peculiar. When he was at work, and in the middle of a complex investigation, he could usually think very clearly. When, however, it came to any personal matter, but especially that of his son’s visit, that clarity of thought seemed to disappear. And it wasn’t something he felt comfortable with. Above all else, he liked to be in control of his own emotions. All through his adult life he had seen this as a strength. Just lately, though, he had found himself becoming more emotional, in both his thoughts and, occasionally, his words. He didn’t know if this was due to his age, meeting Mary or the impending visit of his son and unknown family. What was clear, however, was that the visit had heightened those feelings.
‘Everything is fine,’ she answered. ‘Don’t worry. He hasn’t changed his mind.’ She gave a slight laugh. ‘He’s just updating me. Apparently they have packed and are just waiting for a taxi to take them to the airport. Providing their plane is not delayed, they should be in the air in about five hours’ time and are due to land at terminal 4 at about 10 pm, the day after tomorrow.’ She fell silent, giving him the opportunity to respond. When he didn’t immediately do so, she asked, ‘Do you think we should meet them at the airport or wait until later in the day?’
He hadn’t really given any serious thought to this, although, as Mary said it, he realised it was a sensible and practical question. ‘I think we should meet them later. They will be tired, especially the children, after such a long trip, and by the time they’ve cleared passport control and retrieved their luggage it will be very late. I think we should arrange to meet them at their hotel after they’ve had some rest. Anyway, I’m not sure that Heathrow’s terminal 4 is the best place to be reunited with a son who you haven’t seen for almost thirty years, and grandchildren you never even knew you had, let alone met.’
Mary smiled at him. ‘You’re not trying to put this off, are you?’
In truth, he didn’t really know. Certainly what he had said was true, but, deep down, perhaps there were other reasons. ‘No,’ he replied. ‘I think it will be better for all of us if we meet later at their hotel.’ He suddenly had a thought. ‘Is that what Paul suggested? That we meet at the airport?’
‘No,’ she quickly answered. ‘We left it open. He’ll text me when they are in the UK, so we can then agree when to meet.’ Suddenly she seemed to think of something else. ‘Incidentally, have you given any thought to what you would like to do whilst they are here?’
‘Not really,’ he said. ‘I thought we would ask Paul when we see him. It’s really up to them what they want to do whilst they are in London. I suspect they will want to do some sight-seeing.’ He hesitated briefly before saying, ‘Anyway, I’m not sure whether or not they’ll want us tagging along with them all the time. Didn’t you say that they have arranged to travel up to the Midlands during their second week?’
‘They have, yes.’ Now it was her turn to hesitate. ‘My suggestion, Tom, is for you to play it by ear. Let’s just wait and see. One step at a time, as they say.’ She touched him on the arm. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Well, I am starting to get a bit nervous, for all the reasons I mentioned the other day. Before, it was more anxiety than anything else. Now, though, it is more of an excited nervousness.’
‘That’s good, isn’t it?’ she asked.
‘I think so,’ he answered, before adding, ‘Well, I certainly hope so.’
The reality was that the Glyn Burton murder investigation had, at least for a period of time, taken his mind off both the Jenkins/Cope situation and Paul’s impending visit. Now, though, Mary’s information about flight arrivals had suddenly brought it all to life.
There was another reason for his nerves as well. He sensed the murder investigation was coming to a crucial stage. In his experience, there was always such a stage in any investigation: the stage when things started to happen very quickly and key decisions had to be made. Decisions which could only be made if you were right in the middle of events. He had deliberately not told either Milner or DC Bennett about his planned time off, as he’d been hoping that crucial breakthrough would have happened by now. If it was to happen whilst he was around, he had just twenty-four hours left.
Chapter 28
‘You’re taking some time off?’ asked a clearly astonished Milner. ‘In the middle of a murder investigation?’
‘I’m sure you and DC Bennett can handle it,’ Tom answered, trying as best he could to make it seem like a perfectly natural occurrence. ‘While I’m away, you will be acting SIO.’
‘How long will you be off?’
‘I’m not sure. A few days. Maybe five at the most.’
‘Am I allowed to ask why you will be off?’ Milner asked, this time with concern apparent in his voice. ‘It’s not . . . well, it’s not anything sinister, is it, sir?’
Tom suddenly felt almost emotional that Milner was showing so much concern for his wellbeing. But, nonetheless, he wasn’t about to show those emotions. ‘If you are asking if I’m about to have a last-ditch, life-saving operation, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. It’s more mundane than that, I’m afraid.’
‘You’re not planning to get married, are you, sir?’ asked DC Bennett, a question which Milner would not have felt able to ask.
‘No, I’m not,’ he answered. ‘But, if and when I am, rest assured you will both receive an invitation. Now, let’s get on with this investigation. What have we got? Anything new?’
It was DC Bennett who answered. ‘You can see there,’ he said, pointing at a second flip chart, alongside the one showing the names of the people considered to be central to the investigation. ‘As you asked, I’ve written down all of the participants and times of the calls Mr Burton either received or made on the day he disappeared. I think there’s weight to your theory that the key is somewhere in these.’
Tom’s attention was now focussed on the chart and it was some time before he actually responded. ‘Yes, thanks,’ he simply said. ‘Anything else?’
It was Milner who next spoke. ‘Forensics have now got back to me with the final report of their examination of Mr Burton’s car. Unfortunately, as they feared, they were not able to find any DNA in the car, other than Mr Burton’s. What they did find, however, was this.’ Milner took out an A4 photograph from his folder and handed it to Tom. ‘It’s a piece of metal that was found in the boot. As you can see, it’s quite small and rectangular in shape.’
‘Is that all?’ asked Tom, his disappointment obvious.
‘Except it could be part of th
e murder weapon. Forensics say it’s the right size and shape for the wound found on the side of Mr Burton’s head. The clincher, though, was that they found some of Mr Burton’s DNA on it.’
‘And you say it was found in the boot of his car?’
‘Yes, sir. It would suggest, therefore, at some stage his body had been in the boot.’
Tom studied the photograph more closely, before giving it back to Milner. ‘Anything else?’
‘Actually, there is, although you might be disappointed when I tell you.’
‘Just tell me,’ said Tom.
‘I’ve now had the chance to look through the CCTV footage on the route that Tony Cook ran. There wasn’t full coverage and so there are quite a few gaps, but, nonetheless, I was able to regularly identify him whilst he was running. The times would seem to stack up with what he told us. But, as I said, there are still a few gaps in the coverage.’
Tom, conscious that the clock was ticking towards the time when he would be away, said, ‘Okay. Let’s go and pay him another visit.’
‘What? Right now, sir?’ asked Milner.
‘Why not?’ he answered. ‘I’m starting to miss my daily fix of golf.’
Chapter 29
Less than forty-five minutes later they were, for the third time, seated in the small room that served as the club’s office. Unlike the previous two times they had been there, this time there was just Tom, Milner and Tony Cook.
‘I know it was short notice, and I’m sure you have lots to do, so thank you again for making the time to see us,’ said Tom.
‘That’s not a problem,’ replied Tony Cook. ‘I’m obviously keen to do everything I can to help you with your investigation.’
‘Incidentally, how is your training progressing?’
Clearly taken aback by Tom’s question, Mr Cook took a moment to answer. ‘Not too bad. I’ve been slightly injured recently – a problem with my calf muscle – and so I’ve been taking it steadily.’
Fatal Love Page 14
