Dead and Gone

by Dorothy Simpson

  ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’ The voice was rusty, as if rarely used.

  ‘Just a few more questions . . .’

  ‘I told that girl all I know, which is nothing.’

  ‘I just wanted to—’

  The door opened a fraction wider, emitting a further gust of throat-gagging odours, and the woman thrust her chin aggressively forward, eyes flashing malevolently. ‘I told you, I have nothing to say! Go away! You’re trespassing! Get off my property! Go on, get off!’ And she slammed the door in his face.

  Thanet stared at it for a moment, then turned away, frustrated. It was rare indeed for him to be refused admittance, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He hoped he hadn’t made things more difficult for Tanya if she needed to interview Marah Swain again, and wondered how she had managed to get inside the house in the first place. Perhaps the old woman didn’t feel as threatened by a female?

  Anyway, he consoled himself as he made his way back to Ralph Mintar’s car, even five minutes in that cottage would have been too long for comfort, judging by the smell. You’d have to be pretty desperate to enlist Marah Swain’s reputed powers as a witch. How could anyone live in such foul air, breathe it in without becoming ill? And what could it be, that could emit that stomach-churning, foetid stench? Thanet’s imagination provided him with visions of wisps of steam rising from simmering cauldrons filled with stinking brews.

  Poor Mintar. How would any parents feel, if their child proposed such a prospective mother-in-law as that?

  Still, feeling sorry for the man did not remove him from the list of suspects.

  SEVENTEEN

  ‘Any news?’ said Thanet, the moment he arrived home.

  Joan was in the kitchen, finishing the preparations for supper. She shook her head. ‘No change.’

  He kissed her before sitting down heavily on one of the kitchen chairs. It had been a tiring day, culminating in a punishing session with Draco who had wanted chapter and verse of every single interview they had done. Then, of course, there had been a lengthy stint on reports. ‘Did Alexander ring?’

  ‘Yes. Unless the situation changes it sounds as though they’re planning to go ahead with the induction on Wednesday morning.’

  ‘As we thought, then.’

  ‘Yes.’

  So, there’d be another day of waiting and worrying to get through before anything happened, thought Thanet wearily.

  ‘Come on,’ said Joan. ‘Supper’s ready. You look as though you could do with some refuelling.’

  They ate in companionable silence for a while and then began to talk about each other’s day. Joan told him about a seminar she was running on victim support groups and he brought her up to date on the Mintar case. After he had told her about the interview with Susan Amos (reminding himself that at some point he had to remember to smuggle into the house the jacket he had bought Joan for Christmas), Joan sighed and said, ‘How sad. First her father left her, then her baby died, then Caroline eloped and she never saw or heard from her again . . . She probably felt that sooner or later everyone she loved would leave her – and she must have felt she had to walk on eggshells as far as Rachel and this man Agon were concerned, in case she lost her too.’

  ‘I haven’t told you the worst of it yet. Virginia and Agon had an affair, back in the spring.’

  ‘Oh, no!’

  ‘I’m afraid so. Rachel was at a finishing school in Switzerland at the time, so wouldn’t have known about it, and Susan Amos was in New Zealand. Added to which, it sounds as though they kept it pretty quiet – Susan said Virginia didn’t usually go in for younger men because she was afraid of people laughing at her behind her back.’

  ‘She must have been terrified of Rachel finding out and turning against her! What a mess!’

  ‘Quite. So her hands really were tied, as far as getting rid of Agon was concerned.’

  ‘And it was her own fault! How she must have kicked herself, for landing herself in that particular situation. And how she must have hated the idea of him marrying Rachel. Imagine what it must be like, having a son-in-law you’d slept with!’

  ‘Quite. Mind, it didn’t surprise me in the least, given that by all accounts Virginia was very fond of men and Agon is a very handsome specimen, if you like the Adonis type. I’ve seen him in action with one of his pupils and believe me, she was loving every minute of it.’

  ‘Sounds to me as though Virginia was always looking for love but never managed to find it,’ said Joan as she began to gather up the dishes.

  Thanet rose to help her. ‘I’m not so sure. According to Susan, Virginia didn’t really ever want to fall in love, for fear of getting hurt if he should leave her. That was why none of her affairs lasted long – she always wanted to get in first, be the one to end them.’

  ‘I’d guess she never forgave her father for abandoning her like that, and has spent her life taking it out on the male sex in general.’ Joan set the dishes down beside the sink and began to load the dishwasher.

  Thanet put the kettle on. ‘That’s exactly what Susan said. She also said that Virginia once confessed to her that she couldn’t resist trying to prove her power over men, it was as if she was driven to it. She looked on every new man who came along as a challenge. As I said, she even tried it on with her own sister’s boyfriend – and not for the first time, either. Apparently Jane had been putting off bringing Arnold Prime to meet Virginia for ages, for fear that once again Virginia would ruin things for her.’

  ‘And she was flirting with this man over dinner, in front of her husband, you say? How on earth did he put up with it?’

  ‘Beats me! Though he does seem remarkably understanding about the way she carried on, says he didn’t care as long as she stayed with him, and in view of the fact that he’s away for such long stretches of time it would have been unreasonable to expect her to live like a nun.’

  ‘Carrying on while he’s away is surely a very different matter from rubbing his nose in it at his own dinner table. I really can’t believe he could just sit there and not mind.’

  ‘I agree.’

  ‘Though it does sound typical behaviour for a woman like her, someone who has a low opinion of herself and actually expects that sooner or later everyone she cares about will walk out on her. It’s as though they have to push the person they’re testing beyond the limits of endurance, just to prove to themselves that they’re right, that what they fear will eventually happen. I’ve seen it over and over again, in my work. And of course, a lot of people just can’t take it. Often they do walk out – or snap.’

  ‘You’re suggesting this is what might have happened with Mintar?’

  Joan shrugged. ‘I can’t say. I haven’t met him, you have. But it’s one of the options you’re considering, surely.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  They went on discussing Virginia for some time. Joan’s insights were often invaluable to Thanet but this time no new light was shed and he went to bed feeling that there were so many people with just cause for animosity towards Virginia that unless some sound scientific evidence turned up there was little hope of ever discovering who had engaged her in that fatal struggle.

  He said so to Lineham, when he arrived at the office next morning.

  ‘Not like you to be so pessimistic, sir.’

  Thanet sighed. ‘One has to be realistic, Mike. Just think about it. Every single one of these people had the opportunity. They all – apart from Mintar, who was supposedly alone in his study – came back to the pool alone. Three of them – Agon and both of the Squires – actually had to pass through the courtyard, and the old lady had ready access to it and indeed was better placed than anyone to choose her moment. And Jane, by her own admission, returned to the pool via the kitchen. As for motive, well, I think we can count Rachel and Arnold Prime out, I can’t see any possible reason why either of them should want to get rid of Virginia, can you?’

  ‘I agree with you about Prime. And I’d like to agree wit
h you about Rachel. But it’s only just occurred to me . . . What if she’d just found out her mother had had an affair with Agon and they quarrelled about it?’

  Thanet shook his head. ‘You mean, she found out after the engagement was announced? There’s never been any hint that her attitude to her mother was any different from usual during the earlier part of the evening.’

  ‘I suppose if she did find out, yes, it would have to have been later.’

  ‘But how would she have found out? Who would have told her?’

  Lineham thought. ‘No, you’re right. I haven’t really thought it through. We’ve already agreed that Virginia wouldn’t have told her and it’s hardly likely that Agon would have, is it?’ Lineham put on an assumed voice. ‘ “Oh, by the way, darling, did I mention I had an affair with your mother while you were in Switzerland? You don’t really mind, do you?” No, I can’t really see him owning up in any circumstances unless it was absolutely unavoidable.’

  ‘Quite. So, leaving Rachel and Arnold Prime out of it, if you think about motive . . .’

  ‘They’re all in the same boat, aren’t they? Mintar and Howard Squires must have been as jealous as hell, ditto Mrs Squires and Jane, and despite what she says the old lady must have been terrified that Virginia would tell Mintar about her illness. And however much Agon pooh-poohs the idea, he must have been afraid that Virginia would tell Rachel about the affair and Rachel would dump him. Look at what he stood to lose! There’s a load of money sloshing around in that household and Agon probably thinks that in view of the fact that Caroline seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, Rachel stands to scoop the lot when her old man drops off his perch.’

  ‘Mmm. In which case he probably has a nasty shock coming to him.’ Thanet had no doubt that like himself Lineham was remembering how distraught Mintar had been, the previous afternoon at Marah Swain’s house. ‘It’s obvious that whatever front Mintar might have put up in the past, Caroline’s very much still in the picture as far as he’s concerned. But to get back to the point, Mike. The fact remains that unless we get some scientific evidence, there’s not much hope of nailing any one of them.’

  ‘Sir, I hate to interrupt your train of thought, but isn’t it time you were on your way to the morning meeting?’

  Thanet glanced at his watch and shot to his feet. It really would not do to be late this morning and give Draco further cause for complaint. ‘Thanks, Mike!’

  Once again he made it with seconds to spare.

  ‘This is becoming a habit, Thanet.’

  ‘Sorry, sir. Lot to catch up on.’

  ‘Perhaps you would be so kind as to fill the others in on the progress of the Mintar investigation?’

  I will not allow myself to be needled. And there was surely nothing in his subsequent report with which Draco could find fault, he thought as he finished speaking.

  He was wrong.

  ‘Any comments?’ said Draco, looking from Tody to Boon. They shook their heads.

  ‘Questions?’ Draco was tapping his desk impatiently with the end of a Biro. His expression was that of a schoolmaster whose pupils were letting him down.

  ‘Where d’you hope to go from here?’ Tody asked Thanet, ever the good boy of the class.

  ‘We were in the process of discussing that when we had to break off for this meeting.’

  ‘Well, it seems to me that there is one glaring omission in what you have been doing,’ said Draco. He sat back in his executive-style black leather chair and fixed Thanet with a beady stare.

  Thanet’s heart sank and he tried not to sound too defensive as he said, ‘Oh? What’s that, sir?’

  ‘Evidence,’ said Draco. ‘Or rather, the lack of it.’

  Trust Draco to put his finger directly on the weak spot, thought Thanet. ‘Yes, sir. We are aware of that.’

  ‘So what are you doing about it?’

  Not a lot. ‘That was the very point we were discussing, sir.’

  ‘It’s not discussion we need, Thanet, it’s action. It’s all very well being airy-fairy, going around interviewing suspects and hoping to solve the case by making up your mind who did it and then persuading him to confess, but you know as well as I do that confessions can be retracted and that the only hope of getting a conviction is to back up theory with facts, and preferably facts which are incontrovertible and not capable of varying interpretations. So I suggest you give this matter very serious consideration. Evidence, Thanet. Go to it. Evidence.’

  Inwardly seething – all the more so because he knew Draco was right – Thanet went upstairs and sat down at his desk.

  ‘Rough time, sir?’ said Lineham sympathetically.

  ‘Nothing that wasn’t justified, I regret to say.’ Thanet relayed Draco’s instructions. ‘So let’s put our minds to it.’

  ‘He can’t expect us to manufacture evidence out of thin air!’ said Lineham.

  They sat in frustrated silence for a few minutes and then Thanet snapped his fingers, making Lineham jump. ‘Got it!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘We collect every single item of clothing worn by all the suspects on Saturday night – including swimsuits, towels and bath robes, if used – and send them to the lab to see if there is any crossmatching with what Virginia was wearing, either from her to them or vice versa. And on top of that we chase forensic to see if there was any other evidence found on her – hairs and suchlike, in case we need to collect samples.’

  ‘You can’t be serious, sir!’

  ‘Dead serious, Mike.’

  ‘But we can’t ask the lab to run tests on all that lot just on the off chance! They’ll go spare!’

  ‘Why not? At least the Super won’t then be able to say that we’re not making an effort.’

  ‘But the cost!’

  ‘Justified, surely, if it helps us solve the case?’

  ‘A bit over the top, though, surely?’

  ‘Certainly not.’ Thanet sat back with a glint in his eye and folded his arms as though preparing already to defend himself against criticism. ‘We’ll say it’s upon the Super’s direct instructions. After all, if he’s not prepared to wait for us to narrow it down to one or perhaps two suspects then he can hardly complain if we do exactly as he says and collect all the evidence we can lay our hands on.’

  Lineham raised one eyebrow, but made no further comment. Both of them knew that Draco would complain and complain vociferously – and that Thanet would play the innocent, claiming only to have been following orders to the letter.

  ‘We’ll put as many officers as necessary on to it,’ said Thanet. ‘One per suspect. And who knows? It might work.’

  ‘Whatever you say, sir.’

  During the subsequent briefing Thanet noticed that Tanya was missing. ‘Where is she?’ he demanded.

  ‘Following up something to do with Caroline,’ said Carson.

  ‘Oh, I see. Fine. On your way then, everyone.’

  There was a general exodus.

  ‘What about us, sir?’ said Lineham.

  ‘We wait for inspiration,’ said Thanet. ‘As soon as all the stuff comes in we brace ourselves for complaints from the lab at the same time as pleading for swift results. Meanwhile, we catch up on some of the backlog of paperwork.’

  He had often found that when he was stuck, detaching his mind completely from the case he was working on brought surprising results. But in this particular instance the results came from an unexpected direction. It was late morning when Tanya came knocking at his door.

  ‘Well?’ he said eagerly. He could tell from her expression that she had news for him.

  ‘I think I may have traced her, sir.’ She was positively glowing with justifiable pride.

  ‘Well done!’ said Thanet.

  ‘Brilliant!’ said Lineham.

  ‘You said “may”,’ said Thanet. He waved her to a seat. ‘Begin at the beginning, as they say.’

  ‘Well, the first time I went to interview Marah Swain I happened to notice a postcard prop
ped up on the beam over that big old fireplace she’s got. It stood out because it was the only piece of paper in the room – there were no books or newspapers or calendars or letters, anything like that. So when you asked me, yesterday, to have another go at tracing Caroline, I thought, what if that card was from her son, and she’s not letting on to the Mintars that she knows where they are because she’s that sort of person – I mean, I shouldn’t think she’s the type to care less about saving anyone grief. In fact I’m not sure she wouldn’t deliberately hold back the information out of pure spite. So anyway, I thought it might be worth going back and seeing if I could take a closer look at that card.’

  ‘And did she let you in?’ said Lineham.

  ‘She wouldn’t let us put a toe over the threshold,’ said Thanet. ‘In fact, I wondered how on earth you’d managed to get in in the first place.’

  Tanya looked smug. ‘Well, on the first occasion I caught her unawares. The front door was open and when there was no reply to my knock I just walked in. She probably hadn’t heard, with that radio blasting out. Anyway, she was in the room at the back and looked very put out to see me, but short of actually manhandling me out there was little she could do about it’

  ‘I’m surprised she didn’t,’ said Thanet, ‘judging by our reception yesterday.’

  ‘But I did realise there could be a problem today,’ said Tanya, ‘so I was a bit sneaky, I’m afraid. I said I wasn’t there in my official capacity, that I’d come because I’d heard she was good with herbal remedies and I wondered if she could help me.’

  ‘What did you say was wrong with you?’ said Lineham.

  ‘Menstrual problems,’ said Tanya. ‘I thought that might be the sort of thing she could claim to cure.’

  ‘And?’ said the sergeant.

  ‘It worked!’ said Tanya triumphantly. ‘Not that it was exactly what I would call an enjoyable experience. I really think the woman must be deaf because once again the radio was playing far too loudly and I practically had to shout to make myself heard. And on top of that, the smell was worse than ever today.’ Tanya wrinkled her nose. ‘She’d had all the doors and windows shut and it was truly appalling. I really cannot imagine what it is that stinks like that. I tell you what it reminded me of – some of the disgusting hole-in-the-ground type lavatories I’ve come across, on really rough holidays abroad, but multiplied a hundred times over and overlaid with stinks from the concoctions she brews up.’