Garth nodded. “I have just what you need.”
Chapter 3
Sable and Connie paid a visit to Jocelyn Kent the next morning. They parked in the car park directly opposite the building she was renovating.
Sable switched off the engine and looked at Connie. “You’ve been fiddling with your bag since the minute we set off. Your bag can’t be that interesting.”
“You know it’s not my bag I’m interested in; it’s the things inside.” Connie pulled out a pair of reading glasses and put them on. She pressed a button on the handle. “I’m recording you.” She moved her head from side to side. “I’m recording everything I see.”
“I know what those do. Garth gave me the same kind of spectacles.”
Connie took a pen from her bag. “What’s that you say? You’d like to borrow a pen? Certainly. Use this one.” She clicked the top of the pen. “And now this will record everything you do.”
Sable shook her head. “You’re easily impressed by technology, aren’t you?”
Connie peered at Sable from over the top of her spectacles. “Are you going to tell me you haven’t been playing with the things we got from Garth?”
Sable shrugged. “I might have had a little look at them. I need to become familiar with them.” She broke into a smile. “I like the process of sending recorded footage straight to your computer via your phone. I tried it last night. It’s amazing. I clipped my pen on my washing line outside. You should have heard what my neighbours were saying!” She shook her head. “The things that go on around here beggar belief. I’ve already deleted the footage, of course.”
Connie took her spectacles off and looked towards the five-storey building in front of them which was surrounded by scaffolding. “In danger of stating of the obvious, it looks like a building site over there.” She sighed. “I remember when this was a vibrant area. There was the building society, of course. But there were accounting firms, solicitors, banks and other financial institutions. I suppose they all had to move into the centre of town.”
Sable pointed to a building further down the road. “That one is being renovated too. I don’t think it will be long before this is a vibrant area again. Come on; we’ve got an appointment with our client.”
“Do you think I should record everything with my spectacles?” Connie looked towards the workmen who were busy doing one job and another.
Sable said, “If you want to record nubile young man to watch at your leisure later, then go ahead.” She tried not to smile, but Connie could see her lips twitching.
Connie put her spectacles and pen away. “I don’t know what goes on in that head of yours sometimes.”
They left the car and walked across the road. They stopped near the front door of the building.
Connie spoke to a man who was holding a clipboard, “Hello there. We’ve got an appointment with Jocelyn Kent. Are we okay to go in? Do we need to wear hard hats?”
The man replied, “You can go in. She’s on the top floor. No, you don’t need a hat. Everything’s safe inside. It’s just the outside that needs work. Mind how you go.”
Sable and Connie walked through the door and over to the lift.
Connie looked around and said, “It doesn’t look like the same building. Everything’s so modern and shiny.” She turned to the lift. “I wished they’d have kept the original metal lift. Why do people have to rip original features out these days?”
Sable pressed the button for the top floor. “You heard what Jocelyn said. It was too dangerous. Take your mind off it by thinking our case. From our initial meeting with Jocelyn, who do you think wants to hurt her?”
“Someone from a rival company? Someone she knows who might be jealous of her success?”
“Her husband?” Sable said. “You should always suspect those who are closest to the victim.”
Connie shivered. “Don’t call her a victim. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Sorry.”
They entered the lift and rode in silence to the top floor. Jocelyn had told them her office was the last one on the right.
The door to Jocelyn’s office was open. She was sitting behind a desk and beckoned them in.
She stood up as they came closer. Connie noticed the rash on her neck had spread to her chin.
“Come in. Do take a seat,” Jocelyn said. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
Sable nodded in the direction of the water cooler. “Not if you’re going to use contaminated water. Has anything else happened since we saw you last?”
Jocelyn shook her head and returned to her chair. Connie and Sable sat opposite her.
Jocelyn said, “I haven’t noticed anything today. Which is worse than finding something. I’m constantly on edge. It’s like the calm before the storm.”
Sable took some papers from her bag and pushed them across the table. “Could you read through these and sign the last sheet, please? We do require a small payment up front. Our bank details are on there if you’d prefer to pay online.”
“Yes. Sure. Of course.” Jocelyn blinked quickly and pulled the papers towards her.
Connie felt a pang of sympathy for the young woman. She handed her the spying pen and said, “Jocelyn, you can use this. And then you can place it somewhere useful.”
“Useful? What do you mean?”
Connie demonstrated the pen’s powers. “We’ll soon find out who’s been coming into your office. We’ve got some other equipment that we’re going to collect from our supplier later. We’ll be using it here too.”
Jocelyn took the pen and gave Connie a wobbly smile. “Thank you. I feel better knowing you’re helping me with this.”
Connie stood up. “While you’re reading through that, do you mind if we have a look around your office?”
“Yes, go ahead. I’ve checked the window for signs of entry, but I might be missing something obvious.”
Sable joined Connie on her turn around the office. They walked over to the only window.
Connie looked out and said, “Ha! I thought it was. I recognise this view. I’ve been in this office before with my dad. We came up the rickety lift and then went to see the manager. Dad took care of business while I had a nosy around the manager’s office. He put a stool next to this window so I could look out.” She frowned and glanced towards a filing cabinet standing against the left wall.
Sable said, “What’s wrong? Your face has gone all peculiar.”
Connie shrugged. “Just memories from the past. Some events feel as if they happened yesterday, don’t they?”
“They certainly do.” Sable ran a hand around the window frame. “This is new. And these modern locks are very effective. I can’t see any signs of forced entry.” She looked out through the window. “The intruder would need a long ladder to get up here.” She tilted her head and looked upwards. “Unless they lowered themselves from the roof. We should check that.”
Connie walked over to the door and examined it. “No signs of forced entry here either. Jocelyn, did you say your husband has a key?”
“He does. But he hasn’t been in here for a few weeks. He’s busy with his own project.” She paused in her writing. “You don’t think Don has anything to do with this, do you?”
Sable said, “We have to consider all possibilities. Can you provide us with a list of people who might have a grudge against you?”
“I’m not sure that anyone does.”
“Ex-employees?” Sable suggested. “Jilted lovers? Nasty neighbours? Other contractors who wanted this building for themselves?”
Jocelyn pointed the pen in Sable’s direction. “Now that you mention it, I did have a run-in at the auction with a man called Emlyn Murray. He was keen to have this building, but I outbid him. He ended up with a smaller building down the road. But why would he want to hurt me?”
Sable said, “To get rid of you. Then he could have the building for himself. Some people will do anything to get what they want. Even murder. We’ll have a chat with
him and suss him out.”
Jocelyn used the end of the pen to scratch her chin. “Murder? Right. I see.”
Connie shot Sable a hard look and moved over to Jocelyn. “Don’t you worry. We’ll have this sorted out soon. How’s your eczema today?”
“A bit worse.” Her eyes glittered. “I told Don I’d hired you. He thinks I’m making this intruder business up. He says I’m stressed because I’ve taken on more than I can handle and that I’m imagining things.”
Connie said, “With all respect, I think he’s wrong. We’ll need to speak to your husband at some point. Do you have a contact number for him?”
“Sure.” Jocelyn gave her a business card. “I’ve signed these papers. What do I need to do now?”
Sable said, “Carry on as normal. We’ll leave some of our recording devices here and we’ll make a start on our enquiries. And we’ll come back here tonight and stay for a while.” She gave Jocelyn a kind smile. “We’ll catch the lily-livered coward who’s been making your life hell.”
“Thank you. But won’t that put you in danger if you stay here?”
Sable said confidently, “We’ve been to three self-defence classes recently. We know how to hurt a person. Don’t you worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
Chapter 4
When they’d finished talking to Jocelyn, Sable and Connie left the building and walked along Cumberland Street towards the other property which was undergoing a transformation.
As they got closer, they noticed a man watching them. He was in his mid to late thirties and was of a stocky build. He wore a tartan shirt over jeans which were too tight for him. His eyes narrowed as he kept his attention on them.
Sable tutted and said quietly, “How rude. I’ll wager that man is Emlyn Murray. He’s been watching us since we left Jocelyn’s building.”
They approached the man, and Connie said brightly, “Hello there. Sorry to trouble you, but we’re looking for Emlyn Murray.”
“What do you want with him?” the man said. He looked them up and down. “Are you here about business? What were you doing up the road? Have you been talking to Mrs Kent?”
“Our business is none of your business,” Sable said coldly. “Unless you’re Emlyn Murray. Well?”
The man folded his arms. “I am, as a matter of fact. What were you doing at Mrs Kent’s?”
“We were speaking to her about a personal matter,” Sable informed him. “You seem unduly interested in Mrs Kent’s affairs. Why is that?”
Emlyn sneered. “It’s none of your business.”
Sable glowered at him. “I’m making it my business.”
“So? I don’t have to answer to you,” Emlyn retorted. “I don’t even know who you are.”
Connie tried a different tactic. “We’re interested in looking for office space. That’s the reason we were talking to Mrs Kent. She kindly pointed out that you’re renovating this building. Are you planning on making it into offices too? If so, we could be interested.”
Emlyn dropped his arms and his expression changed from surly to interested. “We are making these into offices. They’ll have everything a modern company could need. At we’ll give you a good rate.”
Sable said, “This building isn’t as close to the car parks as the other one.”
“I’m aware of that,” Emlyn snapped. “But there’s not much I can do about that. At this point in time anyway.”
Connie looked at the building in front of them. “Looks like you’re making an excellent job of this. You’re obviously a professional. How long have you been in the building trade?”
Emlyn’s chest puffed out. “Since I left school. Dad taught me the importance of a trade. And people will always need buildings. But not everyone’s got the skills for this kind of work.” He looked towards Jocelyn’s building, and his lips curled in disgust.
Connie said, “Are you talking about Jocelyn Kent? I don’t know much about buildings, but I thought she’d done a good job of the inside space.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s only been in this game a short while. She’s got more money than sense. That building deserves better treatment by someone who knows what they’re doing. Mrs Kent should have stayed at home, where she belongs.”
“Oi! Murray! Are you insulting my wife?”
Connie and Sable turned around to see a tall, suited man marching towards them. Fury flashed in his eyes, and his hands were curled into fists at his side.
Emlyn planted his hands on his hips. “Yeah. I was. So what of it?”
Don Kent came to a stop in front of Emlyn and glared down at him. “I should knock your block off for saying that!”
“Yeah? You never managed to do that when we were at school, and you’re not going to do it now.”
Don Kent threw his head back and roared with laughter. He looked back at Emlyn and gave him a friendly push. “I wouldn’t dirty my hands on you. I don’t know where you’ve been.” He glanced at Sable and Connie. “Who are these old dears? Girlfriends? I know you’re getting on a bit, but you can do better than this. I told you to try online dating.”
Sable made a low, growling noise in her throat. Connie knew it meant Sable was preparing to go into battle.
Emlyn gave an embarrassed cough and pulled at his collar. “These are potential clients, actually. We were discussing office spaces.”
“Really?” Don’s mouth moved into a smirk. “You might want to get a year’s rent up front. A brisk gust of wind could take either of them down.”
Connie’s hand shot out, and she prevented Sable from launching herself at Don Kent. Connie said, “Young man, you have extremely bad manners. That’s no way to talk to anyone, let alone potential clients of Mr Murray here. You’ve embarrassed him. And you’re an embarrassment to yourself.”
“Don’t talk to me like that, grandma. Get back to your knitting, or whatever it is you old biddies do.”
“Don,” Emlyn shot him a warning glance. “Don’t talk to them like that.”
“Why not? They’re not serious business people. You can tell that by looking at them.”
Sable hissed, “Connie, let me at him.” She struggled against Connie’s outstretched arm.
Connie remained still. She focused her attention on Don and looked him straight in the eye. He moved to his other foot and tried to look away. Connie said calmly, “Look at me, Mr Kent. You have no idea who we are. And that doesn’t make any difference anyway. You do not speak to another human being like that. Do you understand?”
Don gave a half shrug. “I can do what I want. Stop staring at me like that.”
Connie’s voice rose. “I said, do you understand?”
Don looked at the floor and mumbled something incomprehensible.
Sable said, “Let me punch him on the nose. Let me twist his fingers so they turn blue. Come on, Connie, we need to practise our self-defence moves.”
Don’s head snapped up. “Don’t you come anywhere near me!”
Emlyn said, “I think you’d better leave, Don. Don’t you have that meeting to go to?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. Yes, I do.” Don shot a look at Connie and Sable before saying to Emlyn, “Are you still wanting to go ahead with our plan? You’ll have to sign some forms.”
“Course I want to go ahead. It’s too good an opportunity to miss. You get all the info, and then get back to me later.”
“Will do.” Don turned away without giving Sable and Connie a second look. He sauntered down the street and jumped into a BMW which had been parked on double yellow lines.
Emlyn let out an overly jovial laugh. “Sorry about that ladies. Where were we? How much space will you be needing? I can put your name on the waiting list for a small deposit.”
Sable lifted her head high and said, “No, thank you. We don’t have time for that now. We’ve got some knitting to do.” She turned and walked away.
Connie lifted her head and tried to look as indignant as Sable.
When they got
back to Sable’s car, Connie said, “Are we going to follow Don Kent?”
“We are. And we’re going to use our new gadgets on him. That odious toad is in cahoots with Emlyn Murray. They’re planning something. And it could be something to do with Jocelyn’s night-time visitor. We’re going to find out what they’re up to.”
Chapter 5
Later that evening, Sable and Connie returned to Jocelyn’s building. It was after eight, and the building was deserted. Jocelyn had given them a set of keys to assist them with their night vigil.
In the foyer, Connie pressed the button for the lift. She turned to Sable and said, “Are you still angry? It was hours ago.”
“I know, but I can’t stop thinking about what that evil, conniving man said. You heard him! You heard how he was talking to that estate agent. That Don Kent cares nothing for his wife. Going behind her back like that!”
Connie nodded. “I must admit I was surprised to hear about his plans to go into business with Emlyn Murray. When he told the estate agent to keep everything secret from his wife, I thought you were going to blow a casket. I could have sworn I saw steam coming out of your ears.”
“It was the way Don joked about Jocelyn. He said she wasn’t a business woman and she had no idea what she was doing. I’ll wager that it’s him behind all this sneaking about palaver. He probably wants to scare Jocelyn so that she’ll give up this project. He’ll probably give her a slimy smile and offer to take the project off her hands.”
The lift doors opened, and they stepped inside. Connie pressed the button for the top floor.
She said to Sable, “At least we know our new equipment works. We could see and hear everything from the comfort of your car. We didn’t need to go into that café at all. What was that thing I was using? The one that picked up Don’s conversation? What did Garth call it?”
“I can’t remember. Some kind of amplifier, I think. The binoculars were good. Perhaps too good. I caught every smug look that appeared on Don’s face. It made my stomach turn. I almost didn’t finish my prawn sandwich.”
A Deadly Service (A Butterworth Mystery Book 3) Page 2
