The Missing Earring

by David Beard

  ‘Are you saying he made her into a junkie?’

  ‘Yes, and it wasn’t only coke. You can’t hide the injection marks when you’re in the pool. She changed very quickly. They all do; I’ve seen it so often. She was thirty years older when she died.’

  ‘What about her family?’

  ‘Her mother confronted Winsom. I know that because Rebecca told me. But, she did nothing about it. Rebecca said it wasn’t her problem and if Jayne wanted to enjoy herself she was old enough to make her own decisions. She was completely out of order of course.’

  Smalacombe felt confused as he listened to a prostitute take the high moral ground. There was something quite extraordinary about Rita Golding, who carried on with her story. ‘Sadly, the parents couldn’t stop the girl either. Why they didn’t go to the police then I’ve no idea. I think, because of his status they couldn’t get it into their heads that it was Hillman himself who was messing her up. He’s a plausible bastard, as you well know.’

  ‘I want to get this straight. Are you sure that Jayne’s parents knew what was going on with her daughter at Longtor?’

  ‘Yes. Look, we’ve talked about this before. I’m not into drugs but it’s up to adults to make their choices. That’s their affair but what I don’t like is when someone such as Hillman uses his influence to ruin a youngster’s life. When we saw the girl going downhill, Anna warned Mrs. Spicer, over the phone about what was going on.’

  ‘Why the hell didn’t this come out at the inquest?’

  ‘Search me! It was all in the past by then perhaps.’

  ‘I’ve checked it out, sir,’ Tiley butted in, ‘She was above the age of consent so there was no case to answer as far as the sex was concerned. By the time she was at university she was using her own suppliers up there. They were caught incidentally. They had a separate inquiry about Hillman and drugs but nothing was proven; certainly there was insufficient evidence to satisfy the CPS.’

  ‘Thank goodness it wasn’t you and me on the case. Somebody’s in for a rough time when all of this comes out.’ He turned back to Ms. Golding. ‘Will you come to court for us this time round?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘What I don’t understand is why the Spicers had it in for Winsom? Surely it should have been Hillman they were after?’

  ‘There are a lot of threads to this,’ Rita said as she fished in her handbag for some cigarettes.

  ‘Here, try one of these instead,’ Smalacombe said and offered her a peppermint. Golding checked that she had finished her coffee and accepted his offer. ‘They’re better for you, I can assure you.’

  ‘They make you put on weight,’ she answered with a long lingering look at Smalacombe’s bulging stomach.

  ‘What threads?’

  ‘Firstly, the Spicers tried to get Rebecca to help them but she roundly rejected it. Secondly, she seduced Jayne too, when Hillman was away. She spent weeks up at the manor alone with her and they weren’t playing snap. The Spicers, especially the old man, didn’t like it. I mean, they really didn’t like it.’

  ‘Is that it?’

  ‘No, they appreciated Anna’s attempt to help them. In fact, they never forgot it. So, when Anna died.... oh God, was murdered.....I suppose they put two and two together and worked out who did it. Well, that was it. I doubt they were interested in justice. I mean, they weren’t interested in getting hold of you people. I would imagine they wanted revenge no matter what it cost.’

  Smalacombe searched in his pocket and found thirty pence. He placed it on the coffee table at her side.

  Rita Golding lent back in the armchair and crossed her legs slowly letting her skirt ride high showing acres of suntanned thigh and giving Smalacombe a glimpse of the white triangle of her underwear. ‘Fuck,’ she said very slowly and loud enough for the people on the next table to look up disapprovingly.

  ‘Worth every penny,’ he said with a smile, and the three got up and sauntered out to the car park.

  Smalacombe sat in Sheila Milner’s office feeling very pleased with himself. His superior looked relaxed, also, as the successful conclusion to the case was a great relief to her.

  ‘You’ve done well, Dexter,’ she said, ‘I must thank you.’

  ‘Just doing my job, mam,’ he said.

  ‘So just put me in the picture. Have you got enough evidence to send the Spicers down?’

  ‘When Hempson got home on the night of Turle’s death and after he had picked up Eli Crouche, he phoned Imogen Spicer,’

  ‘With whom he was having an affair, am I right?’ Sheila interrupted.

  ‘Exactly so! He told her what Eli had seen.’

  ‘The dumping of the body you mean?’

  ‘Wait a minute; I thought there was some doubt about what Eli had told him?’

  ‘No, we got there in the end. Eli confided in him. After all, they knew each other pretty well. Hempson guessed he was in a real state and it wasn’t the booze.’

  ‘So, why didn’t Hempson shop them that night? He surely wanted sweet revenge as much as anyone?’

  ‘True, but he had grander plans and I’m hoping that’s where we’ll get him.’

  ‘But, it still leaves the question as to why Eli broke into his vehicle? He could have knocked him up and said, “Look, I’ve lost something in your car.” Couldn’t he?’

  ‘Not really,’ Smalacombe continued to explain. ‘There were some things Eli wanted for himself. The rings were valuable and his passport to financial gain. He wasn’t going to share that.’

  ‘So, what else did Hempson tell his mistress?’

  ‘He told her a lot more because he had also been keeping an eye on the small claims court, mainly to avoid bad debts in his own business and he was well aware of Hillman’s difficulties and also of Ricket’s.’

  ‘Ricket?’ she asked.

  ‘Sorry, that’s Constance’s real name. He also worked out from conversations with Eli that Constance, whatever his name is, was, must have been owed huge amounts by Hillman and that was why he was in financial difficulties. Further to that it was Constance who was supplying Eli with the cartridges in order to keep the supply of venison going which incidentally he was selling on to other pubs and hotels. Constance was getting the ammo from Budge, of course.’

  ‘Why did Eli tell Hempson that?’

  ‘It all came out because, at first, after Eli was charged with firearm offences some time ago, he wanted Hempson to supply the cartridges but he refused and it all died down for some time. But then, when he realised that Eli was supplying venison again he made it his business to find out where the ammunition was coming from. Eli is not good at keeping a secret with nine pints of beer and a gallon of cider inside him.’

  ‘So, Mrs Spicer and Hempson decided to bring Constance in on it?’

  ‘Hempson had done his homework and he knew Constance was a weak link. After Eli’s incident with Budge, it was all plain sailing.’

  ‘So, Hempson laid the plan.’

  ‘Well we’re not sure, but he saw the linkages between them all and knew enough of the background. So, he told Imogen Spicer what he knew and she worked it out for herself. So, she rang the Dog and Rabbit and presented Constance with a proposition. She would pay Eli a thou for the use of his gun and would clear Constance’s debts plus ten grand if he would dispatch Winsom, and all the money to be paid within the week.’

  ‘What about Mr. Spicer?’

  ‘Oh, he was in on it as well. He drew out the cash. She rang him after she spoke to Hempson and I reckon they hatched the plot. It was after that, that she rang Constance.’

  ‘And that was it?’

  ‘That was it. The job was done within a few hours.’

  ‘So, what do we charge Hempson with?’

  ‘I’m looking at conspiracy. The trouble is, although he withheld information for sometime, he did eventually spill the beans, and I expect his brief would argue that his conversations with Mrs. Spicer were nothing more than pillow talk. It isn’t a crime to tell your
lover what you know is it? It’s going to be difficult, but I think we will get him.’

  ‘And what of Golding?’

  ‘She sails close to the wind, but if she has crossed the line I think it’s a matter for the Met. Obviously we will cooperate if required.’

  ‘I have to tell you, my boss is well pleased and you will be delighted to know that the press have turned in your favour. I’m told you’ll be seen in a different light tomorrow.’ She stood up and changed the subject. ‘Are you up for this conference at the end of the week?’

  ‘Yea. I’ve got a couple of days to sort it out now.’

  ‘And, what about these damn forms, I have got hardly any of the ults yet let alone the insts. How soon can you catch up?’

  ‘You haven’t got another case I could handle have you?’

  ‘No, I bloody haven’t and take this to avoid any more excuses,’ she said, with good humour, as she stretched across the desk, picked up a ball point pen and playfully threw it at him.