Kempston Hardwick Mysteries — Box Set, Books 1-3

by Adam Croft

  Hardwick gritted his teeth and got straight to the point. ‘Mr Roder, you were the first of your group to go back to your apartment that night, yes?’

  ‘Yeah, what of it?’

  ‘Well, you were gone a whole fifty-five minutes before Paul and Ryan went back to the apartment. What were you doing in that time?’

  ‘Uh, sleeping, funnily enough,’ he answered in a mocking tone of voice. ‘Sorry, but I wasn’t busy bludgeoning some old bird to death if that’s what you’re thinking.’

  ‘Mr Roder, when you went back to your apartment, you made a comment to your friends. You said “Don’t worry, lads, I’ll get my bit”. What did that mean?’

  ‘Just one of those stupid things you say, you know?’

  Hardwick was incensed, and he sprang up from his chair and put his face just inches away from Nick’s, his eyes fierce with anger in a rare display of emotion.

  ‘No. No, I do not know. But to me it sounds very much like a death threat. A death threat made to a woman just hours before she was murdered. That makes you a bloody strong suspect. So why don’t you tell me exactly what it meant?’

  Nick stayed silent for a few moments, finding it hard to judge Hardwick accurately after his outburst.

  ‘Look, it was a stupid thing to say, OK? It wasn’t a threat. I’d just had a few drinks and I thought it was funny. How was I meant to know she was going to get bloody murdered?’

  Hardwick now spoke calmly and clearly. ’That’s exactly what I intend to find out, Mr Roder.’

  21

  Hardwick, Flint and Paul Erenson sat down at the table in Costas’s Taverna on the outskirts of the town. By now, Hardwick was getting pretty pig sick of the bar area at the apartment complex and wanted to benefit from new surroundings. It was Paul who had suggested they head to Costas’s, as they’d eaten there a few times over the past week.

  ‘The beer’s good here,’ Paul said, as the waiter came to take their drinks order. ‘One of the only ones in town that serves the local brew on draught rather than in bottles. Always tastes better that way, I reckon.’

  Ellis Flint nodded his agreement, but decided to pass on the alcohol. He wasn’t entirely sure he could ever drink again. Although Paul was opting for hair of the dog, Hardwick and Flint both opted for black coffee.

  ‘How do you and your friends know each other?’ Hardwick asked.

  ‘I used to go to school with Nick. Well, sixth-form, anyway. We were in the same Media Studies group. We met Ryan when we used to play five-a-side football down at the local pitches on a Tuesday night. He’d come on the wrong night — used to play on Wednesdays — and we were a player short that night so he played for us anyway. Been hanging around with him ever since.’

  ‘What about Hayley and Emma?’

  ‘Ah, we don’t really know them at all. Only met them here, and spent a few nights hanging around with them. They’re a good laugh, and we’ve been to a couple of clubs and that. Nothing serious. Nick had been having a bit of a thing with Hayley, but that’s just one of them holiday romances, you know? Sort of thing that always happens.’

  ‘I’ll get straight to the point,’ Hardwick said, ‘Can you think of any reason why anyone at the apartment complex would want to kill Jennifer Alexander?’

  Paul thought for a few moments. ‘Well, yes. But I don’t think that any of them would be reasons to actually do it. I mean, she pissed off quite a few people. She was one of those people who speaks her mind, you know? Wouldn’t be afraid to tell you if she thought you was a tosser. Wouldn’t be enough to make you kill someone, though, would it?’

  ‘The amount some people had had to drink, it probably wouldn’t have taken much,’ Ellis offered.

  ‘True,’ Paul replied. ‘But even then, you’d just say something or start a barney, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t go into her apartment and strangle the bird to death. That’s madness, that is.’

  ‘Am I right in thinking you share an apartment with your two friends?’ Hardwick asked, changing the subject slightly.

  ‘Yeah, that’s right. Ryan and Nick. Got one of those family apartments with two rooms, a double and a twin. We spun for the double and Nick got it. Made fair use of it, too,’ he said, laughing.

  ‘And you sleep in the twin room with Ryan?’ Ellis asked.

  ‘Yeah. That’s right,’ Paul replied, his voice quieter than it had been.

  ‘Did you go back to the apartment together on the night Jennifer died?’ Hardwick asked.

  ‘Yeah, we all did. Ellis came back at the same time so can vouch for us.’

  Ellis nodded his agreement as he took a sip of his coffee, which had since arrived.

  ‘And you all stayed there until the morning?’

  Paul went silent for a few moments, sighing quietly, something clearly on his mind.

  ‘It’s probably nothing, but I should tell you anyway. Ryan always gets up early. Force of habit I think, because he has to get up so early for work when he’s at home. He got up at about five-thirty and went out of the apartment for about five minutes. I heard him, because my bed’s nearest the door. I’m a light sleeper, so I hear all sorts of things. I can see the main door into the apartment from there, too, and I saw him go.’

  ‘I see. And did he say where he was going?’ Hardwick asked.

  ‘No, I asked him when he came back. Said he went to see what time breakfast started.’

  Hardwick knew from memory that there was a large chalkboard in the reception area which stated in large white letters that breakfast started at seven o’clock. ‘And did he manage to find out?’

  ‘No, he said he couldn’t find anyone to ask.’

  Hardwick tried his level best not to make any sort of facial movement. ‘I apologise in advance, Mr Erenson, but I need to ask you a very direct question. Do you know of any reason why Ryan Farley might want to have killed Jennifer Alexander?’

  ‘Christ, no. None at all. He barely knew her. None of us did. To be honest, Ryan’s a pretty quiet guy. I really can’t imagine him doing anything like that at all. I’ve known him for a few years and he’d barely say boo to a goose, never mind anything more than that. Well…’ Paul said as his voice trailed off.

  ‘Yes?’ said Hardwick.

  ‘Well, they always say, don’t they — that it’s often the quiet ones you need to watch out for.’

  22

  Hayley Saunders seemed apparently oblivious to the severity of the situation, instead having gone into an extensive monologue on how she first knew Emma Benson, the various boyfriends they’d had, their relationship with their respective parents and the previous holidays they’d been on together. Lively and talkative seemed to be two words which described Hayley very well.

  ‘We was always best mates at school, though. Our parents was mates too, and we used to go on holiday together and that. Sorta carried it on when we got older and that, we go somewhere every year. Done Kavos, Magaluf, Malia, now Kakagoustos. Gotta say, it’s right up there, innit? Some wicked clubs and people here are well nice.’

  Hardwick attempted to interrupt, but Hayley was on a roll.

  ‘I mean, we went to Malia and the people there was a bit funny, you know? Got a bad name for itself there now. Mostly where the kids go when they ain’t got a clue where the best places are now. Bit too much mess there now.’

  Hardly a blissful paradise here, either, Hardwick thought.

  ‘Places like Ibiza and Kavos are getting a bit expensive ’n all. People cotton on to what’s popular and all the prices go up, know what I mean? Might as well have a week in Newcastle for half the price of what it costs to go to Magaluf now. Ain’t got the sun, of course, but that ain’t everything is it? Not if you just wanna have a good time and get a few drinks down ya and meet some new people.’

  ‘So can you talk us through what happened on Monday night, please?’ Ellis finally asked, sensing that Hardwick was about to make some sort of flippant remark if the conversation wasn't brought to a point very quickly.

  �
�Monday?’ she said, as if the significance of that particular night was completely lost on her. ’Well we went out into town for some food, but we went pretty early. Gotta get in before the crowds, ain’t ya? We went down to that Giorgio’s, you know it? Italian place, I think. They do a right lovely pasta carbonara down there, and it ain’t too creamy either, so good for the diet. If you ask them nicely, they’ll even do it with wholewheat pasta so you ain’t got all the starchy carbs and that, too. They do some cracking pizzas, but can be a bit heavy if you’re havin’ a night out, you know what I mean? Don’t wanna be feeling all bloated ’n that, do ya?’

  ‘Right. I meant more about what happened when you got back to the pool bar, actually.’

  ‘Oh right, yeah. Well we got back pretty early. Fancied having a night at the pool bar and then having a proper big night out the next day. We walked up to the bar and ordered our drinks. I had a mojito and I think Emma had a Black Russian or something like that. Might’ve been a White Russian, actually. Which one’s the one with Tia Maria in it? Probably a Black Russian, then, cos Tia Maria’s quite dark, innit? That’s the coffee one, yeah? Yeah. Well anyway, we had them and then we went and sat down at one of the tables. Was that one with the wicker bench, what they put near the pool. It’s proper nice there in the evenings, cos the breeze comes off the pool and cools you down a bit. Best thing in a heatwave, that. The boys come and sat with us a bit later when they got back, like, and we had some more drinks — I think I had a couple of Jägerbombs actually, and—‘

  ‘The boys? You mean Paul, Nick and Ryan?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s them. I dunno if you’ve spoke to them yet, but basically me and Nick had this bit of a thing going on, but I think he’s just here on a lads’ holiday so he’s just taking what he can get, if you know what I mean. All the bloody same, if you ask me.’ Ellis didn’t, but she told him anyway. ‘I mean, surely you’d try and hide it or something? But no, he just walks straight up to her, this Jennifer bird, and starts chatting her up! Right in front of me! I reckon he did it to try and put me off or something, but it ain’t gonna work. Point of principle, innit? I mean, I’ve ‘ad blokes like that before, what try and do all this treatin’ mean keepin’ keen stuff, but I ain’t fallin’ for that. Plenty more fish in the sea, ain’t there? Specially in a place like this!’ she said, putting her hand briefly on Ellis’s knee.

  ‘And did you speak to Nick about it at the time?’ Hardwick asked.

  ‘Too bloody right I did! Give him a right earful. Ain’t the way to treat a lady, is it?’

  Ellis said nothing about the misappropriation of the word “lady” and let Hayley have her moment of glory. ‘And what about overnight? Did either you or Emma leave your room? I mean, can you vouch for her whereabouts all night?’

  ‘Nah. At least, I didn’t go nowhere anyway. We got up about ten this morning and left the room about half past. Can’t really say much about overnight, though, cos I’m a heavy sleeper a the best of times. After the amount I had to drink that night, I wouldn’t’ve heard a bomb go off. Talkin’ of bombs, have you tried them new Glitterbomb things? It’s like energy drink, right, but with this glittery stuff which…’

  23

  Having finally managed to extricate themselves from Hayley’s presence, Hardwick reflected that this was the only time he’d had to feign illness to get someone to stop talking. Usually, it was the other way round: it was more than enough trouble trying to get witnesses to talk in the first place. This was very much the case with Emma Benson, who sat and twirled curls of her blonde hair around her finger as Hardwick and Flint asked for her recollection of the events that occurred on the night Jennifer Alexander died.

  ‘We went up to bed about midnight. Most people had gone by then so the atmosphere had pretty much died, and it was only the boys left, so I suggested we got an early night,’ she said. Hardwick wondered how she’d managed to get a word in edgeways that evening, having been sat with Hayley Saunders. ‘Hayley’s been seeing that Nick bloke, but I don’t really like them. I mean, Ryan’s all right — he’s a bit quieter — but Nick and Paul can be a bit… brash.’

  ‘Do you not get on with brash people?’ Ellis asked, tactfully.

  ‘Not really, no. I prefer to relax on my holidays, not have to listen to people barking on at me.’

  Kempston Hardwick was not quite as tactful. ‘Do you not think Hayley is a bit… well, brash?’

  Emma’s head snapped upwards to meet Hardwick’s gaze for the first time.

  ‘Hayley is not brash.’

  ‘Well, I mean, she’s pretty lively and talkative,’ Hardwick expanded, a little shocked at Emma’s sudden change of character.

  ‘She’s kind and caring, is Hayley. All right, yes, sometimes she likes to talk but what’s the harm in that? She’s a bloody good friend, and that’s the main thing,’ she said, holding Hardwick’s gaze.

  ‘I don’t think Kempston meant to case aspersions on your friendship,’ Ellis said. ‘I think he just meant that—‘

  ‘I don’t care what he meant. Hayley’s a good person, all right?’

  Finally, she broke eye contact with Hardwick and resumed twiddling her hair with one hand, whilst picking at the middle fingernail of her other hand with its thumb.

  ‘So you were with Hayley the whole night?’ Hardwick asked after a few moments’ silence.

  ‘Yes. We spent the evening together and we share an apartment.’

  ‘And she didn’t leave the apartment during the night?’ Ellis asked.

  ‘What the hell would she do that for? Hayley’s not the sort to just disappear off for midnight walks. That’d just be weird.’

  ‘No, but can you be sure that she didn’t?’

  ‘I don’t need to be. She’s not that type of person. But to answer your question, no. I’m a pretty heavy sleeper and not much wakes me up, to be honest. But like I said, it’s irrelevant. Hayley’s not like that.’

  ***

  23

  Having realised they weren’t really getting anywhere with Emma Benson, Hardwick and Flint reconvened at a local bar to grab some lunch.

  ‘Bit odd that she was so defensive over Hayley, wasn’t it?’ Ellis asked with a mouthful of tzatziki.

  ‘Indeed. That could be for any number of reasons, though. Doesn’t necessarily make it anything suspicious, Ellis.’

  ‘No, but that kind of blind defensiveness was just weird. She wouldn’t even entertain the idea of Hayley having left the apartment, never mind anything else. Do you reckon she might know something?’

  ‘Impossible to say at this stage,’ Hardwick said, spreading a thick paste of hummus onto his bread. ‘I wouldn’t go getting too unduly worried. She didn’t really raise too much suspicion in me, and I’m usually pretty good at telling when someone’s being deceptive.’

  ‘Well aren’t you the modern-day Hercule Poirot?’ Ellis said, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

  ‘Certainly not,’ Hardwick replied. ‘The man was a sociopath.’

  Ellis stared open-eyed at Hardwick, not wanting to say anything, but making his words perfectly clear through his eyes.

  ‘Did you know that Agatha Christie hated Poirot?’ Hardwick said. ‘She called him a detestable, bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep. I can’t say I blame her.’

  ‘I can’t imagine a writer thinking that about one of their own characters. Doesn’t quite ring true to me.’

  ‘Oh, I can assure you it is,’ Hardwick said, smiling as he popped his hummus-laden pita into his mouth.

  The barman sidled over and asked if the pair wanted another round of drinks. Hardwick, not one to speak with his mouth full, simply nodded and the barman poured another Campari and orange and a pint of lager.

  ‘Tell me,’ Hardwick said when the barman returned. ‘Are there many cultural sites to visit around the island? Perhaps something historical, mythological?’

  ‘Kempston, don’t you think we’re a bit busy to be—‘ Ellis interjected, but he was met with Hardwick’s ra
ised palm and the barman’s answer.

  ‘Yes, there is a site in the mountains, where they have found many artefacts from ancient times. It has some links with Zeus, in fact,’ the barman said, Hardwick’s face displaying some look of relief and pleasure for the first time that week. ‘You can get there by taxi. My brother is taxi driver, he can do good deal on the price for you if you say Theo sent you. That is me — Theo.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Theo,’ Hardwick said, extending his hand. ‘I’m Kempston and this is Ellis.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, too. These are not names I have seen before — Kempston and Ellis. Are they common in England?’

  ‘Not really, no,’ Ellis replied. ‘Is Theo popular in Greece?’

  ‘Quite popular, yes. It means “God appearing”. Is short for Theofanis. Not many people shorten to Theo. In Greece is usually shortened to Fani. But when I started working here with English tourists, they tell me is not such a good name.’

  Hardwick and Flint struggled to stifle their laughter.

  ‘Tell your brother,’ Hardwick said, the Campari having gone to his head and made him giggle and speak a little higher-pitched than usual, ‘that we would very much like for him to take us to see the artefacts. Perhaps later this week?’

  ‘Yes, that is perfect,’ Theo replied.

  24

  Alicia French was a quiet, unassuming type. Hardwick had often noted that it was usually that type of person who tended to end up attached to a louder, brasher partner. That could certainly be said of Alicia and Darryl as well as James and Jennifer. Hardwick admired the soft freckles under her eyes as she spoke, her voice subdued and gentle.

  ‘I was feeling pretty rough, so I went to bed early. Darryl came back with me and sat with me for a while to make sure I was all right. The next thing I know, I can hear banging and shouting from James and Jennifer’s room. By the time I woke up, Darryl had already gone to see what was going on.’