Connie looked at the sheet. “Why have you got another image of Mr Dawson hanging from the gallows?”
“I like the image.” Sable ran her hand across the paper. “My other theories include disgruntled clients, annoyed neighbours, past lovers. You know, the usual motives for murder and kidnapping.” She looked at Connie. “Why are you smirking at me like that?”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Admit it. This is better than going to a book club or redecorating your house.”
“I admit this mystery has given my brain a workout, which is always a good thing. This doesn’t mean anything.” She picked her cup up and took a drink while keeping an indignant look on her face.
Connie said, “So, you won’t want to come out with me this morning then?”
Sable shrugged. “It depends where you’re going.”
“I’m going back to Rachel’s house. I was going to talk to some of the other neighbours if they’re in. Somebody must know something, even if it’s only a small thing. And if workers from that soft play company are there, I’m going to ask them how long the work takes. It might be worth putting a small area in my garden if it’s not too disruptive.”
Sable put her cup down. “I suppose I could come along with you. I’ve nothing planned for this morning. Did Mr Dawson email you back last night?”
“No, I haven’t heard a thing from him. Your email must have scared him off.” Connie stared at her sister-in-law. “Sable Butterworth, are you sniggering? I’ve never heard you snigger before.”
Connie and Sable finished their coffee and croissants and then drove back to Rachel’s house. They weren’t able to park right outside because another vehicle was parked there.
Connie said, “What are the police doing here?”
“They must have found Rachel’s body. They’ll have Mr Dawson behind bars before the morning’s over.”
Connie switched the car engine off and released her seat belt. “We don’t know they’re here about Rachel. There’s another police car parked further up the road.” She squinted through the windscreen. “I think I know that woman. It looks like Saffron McCue. Or Saffy, as we call her.”
“Saffy McCue? Didn’t she go to school with your Debra?”
“She did. She spent a lot of time at our house with her mum being a …” Connie’s mouth closed.
“A raging alcoholic? Yes, everyone knew that. I didn’t know she worked for the police.” Sable released her seat belt. “This is good news. Let’s go and talk to her.”
“We shouldn’t interfere in police business.”
Sable shook her head. “Connie, if you’re going to be a hard-nosed private investigator you’ll have to be more forceful. Come on.”
Connie followed Sable over to where Saffy McCue was standing. Saffy’s face brightened when she saw Connie.
“Connie! Hi! How are you?” She moved closer and gave Connie a hug. “I haven’t seen you for years. I still keep in touch with Debra. Sorry to hear about your Clive. He was a good man.”
“Thank you. You’re looking well. You remember Sable, my sister-in-law?”
“I do.” Saffy turned her smile in Sable’s direction. “I didn’t see much of you when I was round at Connie’s, though. You were always at work. Wasn’t it life insurance you dealt with?”
“It was. I retired a month ago. How long have you worked for the police?”
“Just over eighteen years now. I trained in London, but I’ve moved back to Yorkshire for a promotion.” Her smile broadened. “I’m a detective inspector now.”
Connie clasped her hands together. “Oh, Saffy! That’s wonderful news. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m working my first case right now.”
“Murder?” Sable asked.
“What? No. It’s not murder.” Saffy frowned. “Why would you ask that? We don’t have murders around here.”
“No reason,” Sable replied.
Saffy gave her a wary look before continuing. “I’ve been speaking to a man in that house there.” She pointed to Adrian Higgins’ house. “The poor man’s been taken for a ride by his business partner. They have a few online businesses, and the partner’s run off with all the money.” She stopped. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. Ignore me.”
“We will,” Connie said. “But can you tell us when this partner ran off?”
“It was sometime over the weekend.” Saffy looked from one woman to the other. “You two are up to something. You keep glancing at each other. I know a guilty look when I see one. Would you like to tell me what’s going on? And is it something that concerns my case?”
Chapter 7
Sable settled back on the comfy sofa in the coffee shop and said, “Saffy was very understanding, wasn’t she? She didn’t bat an eyelid when you told her what we were doing. And it was kind of her to put a trace on Rachel’s car. Saffy could be a useful contact for you in the future.”
Connie put her cup of green tea down. “I didn’t like how she kept telling us to be careful. And what was all that about self-defence classes? Do we really have to learn how to defend ourselves?”
“If you persist with this detective business of yours, you’re going to come across some seedy characters. You should consider self-defence lessons.” Sable reached for her cappuccino. She paused when she saw the look on Connie’s face. “What’s wrong now? You’re going teary-eyed.”
Connie swallowed and looked away. “It’s nothing.”
“It is something. Tell me.”
Connie looked back. “You’re talking about me running the business on my own. And going to self-defence classes on my own. I thought you were enjoying working with me. I thought you might want to join forces with me. It seems I was wrong.”
Sable sipped her drink and said, “I haven’t decided yet.” She put her cup down. “But I will help you with this case until it’s solved. How does that sound?”
“It’ll do.” Connie gave her a small smile. “Sorry for being so pathetic. Memories of Clive keep creeping up on me unexpectedly. I wonder what he’d think about all of this?”
“He’d be cheering you on.” Sable took an electronic tablet from her bag and settled it on her knee. “Right then. Let me get my notes up to date.”
Connie pointed at the tablet. “How long have you had that?”
“A few months. It’s better than lugging a laptop around. We used them at work. Move closer then you can see how it works.”
Connie shuffled her chair closer to Sable’s and watched in amazement as Sable’s fingers flew across the tablet.
“Right,” Sable said. “This is my file on Tina. I’ve input the details she gave us at the first meeting. I’ve included our visit to Rachel’s home, and what we discovered there, and our subsequent conversation with Adrian. Also, I’ve added notes about our chat with Mr Dawson.”
“Adrian Higgins never mentioned anything about his partner stealing from him,” Connie said.
“Why would he? It’s none of our business.”
Connie held up a finger. “Or is it? His partner, whatever his name is, went missing around the same time as Rachel Woods. What if they knew each other? What if they were a couple? We don’t know how much money the partner stole. If it was a sizable amount, Rachel could have thought it was enough to compensate her for leaving everything behind.”
Sable gave her an admiring look. “That’s a plausible theory. Those crime shows of yours are paying off. I’ll make a note of that. Do you think Saffy will tell us the name of Adrian’s partner, and how much he stole?”
“I don’t know. She might say it’s none of our business.”
“Ah, but like you said, it could be our business.”
“Good point.” Connie nodded. “We never got to see Rachel’s garden again today. I wanted to talk to someone at that soft play company. Can you remember what they were called?”
“No. But I think I’d recognise the name if I saw it again. And their logo was two swings and a slide. Let�
�s have a look for it.”
Once again, Sable’s fingers performed their frantic dance across the screen.
She stopped at a page. “Here we are. And they’re a local company. Why don’t you send them an email? You can ask for a quote.”
Connie’s nose crinkled. “I’d rather speak to someone. Is there a phone number?”
“There is.” Sable read it out and Connie jotted it down on the notebook she always carried in her handbag.
Sable placed her tablet to one side and stood up. “I’ll get us another drink. And some slices of that apple pie. Won’t be a minute.”
Connie took the opportunity to phone the soft play company. The woman who answered was friendly and said they’d be happy to give Connie a no obligation quote.
The woman added, “I must warn you that we’re inundated at the present time. We have a four-month waiting list.”
“Really? A friend of mine is having some work undertaken at the moment. I didn’t realise she’d waited so long to get it done. She’s called Rachel Woods, and she’s a childminder.”
There was a clicking sound which Connie presumed was the woman tapping on a keyboard.
“Oh, yes. We’ve got Ms Woods here. She ordered this work six months ago. She was very specific about when she wanted the work done. It had to be this weekend. She said she’d be away for this week.”
Connie chatted with the woman a bit longer, and then made another call. There was no reply, so she left a message.
Sable returned with the drinks and apple pie. Connie told her about the call to the soft play company.
“Interesting,” Sable said. “Rachel knew she was going to be away. She must have told Tina that. Surely?”
“That’s what I thought. I just tried Tina, but she didn’t answer. We haven’t checked Rachel’s online presence yet. Is that what it’s called? She might have a website and that Facebook thing. Are you on Facebook?”
“No, I certainly am not. My personal life is private.” Sable pushed the pie towards Connie. “Make a start on that while I check Rachel’s status. If her time away was planned, she might have photos on her social pages of where she is now. She could be on holiday. She might not be missing after all.”
A quick check brought up Rachel’s Facebook page.
Sable said, “She posts on a regular basis, almost every day. Look, there’s a post here that says she’s going away for a couple of weeks. She doesn’t say where.”
“When did she write that?”
“Last Sunday. And look, I’ve found her website. There’s a message at the top to say she’ll be away for two weeks.” Sable frowned. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would Tina tell us she’s missing if that’s not the case?”
Connie and Sable looked at each other for a minute as if trying to find the answer in the other’s eyes.
Connie said, “Maybe Tina wants us to think Rachel is missing. But why? Does Tina know where Rachel is? Is she planning to do something to her? Have Rachel and Tina’s husband been having an affair and Tina’s found out? Is our first client planning a murder?”
“I don’t like any of your questions, but they do make sense. Connie, your phone’s beeping.”
“Is it?” Connie’s eyes widened. “What if it’s a message from Tina? What if she’s watching us right now?” She glanced at the other people in the coffee shop. “What if she wants to meet us in a dark alley?”
“Then we’ll meet her in a dark alley and demand she explains herself. Just read the text.”
Connie did so. “It’s from Saffy. She’s located Rachel’s car.”
Chapter 8
Connie stretched her legs out and sighed happily. “This is wonderful. I’ve never travelled first class on a train before. There’s a lot of leg room, and the seats are much bigger. I can see why people pay extra for this.”
“And don’t forget the complimentary food and drink throughout the journey. They’ll be bringing out our breakfast soon.” Sable was sitting next to Connie, and she stretched her long legs out too.
“Are you sure you don’t mind paying for these tickets? I can give you something towards them.”
“I don’t want anything towards them. With it being short notice yesterday, I got a good discount.” Sable tutted. “I don’t know why that man on the hotel reception wouldn’t tell us whether or not Rachel Woods was staying at that hotel. The police know her car’s there. I only wanted to have a quick word with her. But that fool wouldn’t let me. The twerp.”
“Rachel might not want to be disturbed. Anyway, meeting her face-to-face will be better. And we haven’t been to Edinburgh for years. The last time we went was with Clive and Ian. Do you remember?”
Sable shrugged. “I can’t remember anything about that trip. Nothing at all. Not a thing. We’ll probably be on this train long enough to have lunch too.”
Connie pressed her lips together. She’d known Sable long enough to recognise that evasive tone in her voice.
Connie was about to question her more, but their breakfast arrived. Sable had ordered a sausage and bacon roll with scrambled eggs on the side. Connie had gone for the more health conscious porridge with chopped dates. Being around Sable so often was playing havoc with her waistline.
They ate in companionable silence and watched the countryside whizzing past.
When Connie had finished eating, she said, “Tina never got back in touch with me yesterday. I left her another message. That’s strange, don’t you think?”
“It is. Unless that useless husband of hers has taken her phone. He looks the type.”
“Did we ever get a note of Mr Dawson’s name?”
“No. He doesn’t deserve a first name.”
Connie said, “You really don’t like him, do you?”
Sable looked over her shoulder before continuing. “In my latter years at work, I dealt with fraudulent claims. I can’t give you the full details, of course, but I can tell you I was shocked at what people would do for money. And what a person would do to another person for money. Mr Dawson reminds me of a particularly nasty man I came across. He got away with marrying older, sickly women who soon died. He then claimed their life insurance money. He never showed the slightest bit of remorse.”
“I didn’t know you dealt with those sorts of cases. You must have some interesting stories. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us. If you’d like to share your experiences, feel free to do so.” Connie smiled.
Sable laughed. “I wish I could, but some of the claims are ongoing and could end up in the courts. Anyway, back to our own case. I’ve found out the name of Adrian’s partner. He’s called Joe Swift. He’s quite the Internet whizz-kid. He’s got many businesses online. Some of them are with Adrian. I found him through Adrian’s website.”
“What sort of businesses does he have? Are you going to confuse me with Internet jargon now? You know I don’t fully understand it.”
“Don’t put yourself down. I’ve seen you on Amazon. You know your way around a virtual shop. Joe’s businesses all relate to online ventures like setting up websites, email marketing, cyber security, keyword optimization. That sort of thing.”
“Keyword what?” Connie asked.
“Keyword optimization. It’s about getting your website on the front page of a search engine like Google. When you’re looking for something online, you don’t often go past the first few pages of results. That’s all due to the keywords people put on their websites. This is something you’ll need to wise up on. If you’re going to have a website, you’ll want to make sure you come up on the first page when someone searches for a private investigator.”
Connie’s eyes stung, and she looked out of the window. “I don’t know if I am going to do that now. It’s harder than I thought it would be.”
Sable gave her a friendly shove. “And when have you ever let hard work stop you? I’ll get my tablet out, and I’ll show you what I mean about searches. And we can see if Rachel’s posted anything new.”
Co
nnie quickly wiped away a tear and put a smile on her face.
Sable pushed the tablet towards her. “You’re going to do it.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing with that tablet thing.”
“You soon will.” Sable pointed to a button. “Press that first. I’ll guide you through the rest of it.”
Connie listened carefully to Sable and was soon surfing the Internet with confidence. It was a lot easier than she thought it would be. Perhaps she’d buy herself a tablet.
They checked Rachel’s website and found nothing new.
Connie said, “I like Rachel’s site. It’s lovely and bright, and it’s easy to find your way around.”
Rachel hadn’t posted anything new on Facebook either.
Finally, they checked Adrian’s site to see how much he charged for setting up a website.
“Goodness. That’s a lot,” Connie noted. “If that’s how much these Internet people charge, his partner must have run off with quite a lot of money. I wonder how much it was? Do you think I should ask Saffy again?”
“She didn’t tell you last night, and I doubt she’ll tell you today. Click on that file icon there.”
Connie did so.
“And now click on the file marked ‘Questions for Rachel’.”
Connie did so again. “You have been busy. These are good questions.”
“If she’ll talk to us. Have you any questions to add?”
Connie scanned the list. “No. You’ve thought of everything.”
“Close the file down, and go back to the home page.”
“Erm. Like this?” Connie touched the screen. “Now what?”
Sable pointed to a clapperboard icon. “Touch that.”
Connie did so. She laughed when she saw what happened.
Sable said, “I downloaded it last night. Let’s forget about missing childminders for a while and watch Judy Garland. Is this still one of your favourite films?”
Playing At Murder (A Butterworth Mystery Book 1) Page 3
