Celia handed the bag to Geoffrey and said, “I’ve kept the bag as it was handed over to me by the police. I haven’t opened it or gone through its contents.”
Geoffrey rummaged through the bag. He saw a lipstick, a comb, credit card, ATM card, and a few fifty-pound notes. There was no sign of a photograph. Either someone had taken the trouble to remove it or the entire story had been fabricated. He suspected the former – after all, Geoffrey couldn’t see any motive behind fabricating the story. He rose to his feet. “Thank you for your cooperation. Do us one more favour: can you give us any clue on how to contact Tony? We would like to have a little chat with him. It should be quite useful.”
“Well, I’m not a prying mother; I try not to interfere with my daughter’s life. But since we lived together, I couldn’t help finding out certain things. Yes, I know Tony’s mobile number and email ID. I will give it to you. You should have no problem tracing him.”
Geoffrey flashed a smile. “Thanks a lot.”
2
Geoffrey met Tony at a sports bar he frequented. Tony was a tall man, well above six feet, with broad shoulders and a muscular physique. His smile was devastating and it was easy to see why girls fell for him. However, as Grace had said, there was something about his eyes which seemed to suggest that he wasn’t trustworthy. Geoffrey could immediately tell that he was on the defensive.
“Look, I’ll tell you whatever I know. I don’t want to get into trouble with the law.”
Geoffrey smiled. “All I’m looking for are a few answers. You were once going steady with Sarah for some time, is that correct?”
Tony leaned forward and said, “look here, I don’t want to get involved in a murder case. The law has strange ways of dragging in men who have nothing to do with murder and getting them into trouble. Their reputation is dragged through mud and then they have to lead a harassed life.”
Geoffrey smiled reassuringly. “I just want to have a chat; I’m not dragging you to the police station for a third degree interrogation.”
Tony said reluctantly, “what do you want to know? I want to make it clear that I didn’t kill her. She had broken up with me and was dating another guy when she was killed in that motel. If you think I did an Othello and killed her out of jealousy, you’re mistaken; I am simply not that kind of man. Once a relationship is over, I’m done with it. I cut off the strings and move on, and I expect the same from my ex.”
Geoffrey nodded. “I’m not suggesting that you had anything to do with the murder. How did you get involved with Sarah?”
Tony hesitated and then said, “actually, I met Sarah at the department store where she worked. I wanted to buy a suitable gift for my current girlfriend and I asked her for advice. We got to chatting for a few minutes while she helped me to select a gift and later she gave me her mobile number. I liked her. She seemed a bright and chirpy girl – someone who was cool. I later rang her up and thanked her. My girlfriend was a jealous cat and we parted after a tiff. I was rather low when I got a call from Sarah, asking me if my girlfriend liked the gift she selected. I told her that though she liked the gift (she always liked gifts), I had broken up with her. Sarah was sympathetic and told me to get over it. At the time, she seemed so sane and warm, that on impulse I asked her out to dinner. To my surprise, she agreed. This was the beginning of our relationship.
“We liked each other and started going out often. Sarah, I understood, had a rather depressing life, with very little fun. She had an invalid mother who was rather demanding. She didn’t go out as often as a young and pretty girl like her should. I must say, we had fun while it lasted. I’m glad that I took her away from the bear of a mother and her aunt, who was a frequent visitor. I met Celia only once. She looked me up and down as if I was a species. She was very sharp, even if she was confined to a wheelchair. I could tell that she called the shots, even if she appeared to be helpless. I squirmed and felt very uncomfortable while talking to her.”
“Why did you break up with Sarah?”
“I can’t say exactly where things went wrong. I felt Sarah was getting too fond of me, and I’m a guy who likes his freedom. I began to feel stifled. She became more possessive and even began questioning me. I found it difficult to breathe… I wanted to get out of the relationship. Sarah kept saying that she loved me more than her life. I felt rather embarrassed because, though I had said ‘I love you’ several times –you say such things to girls without really meaning anything – I can’t seriously say that I really loved her or any such nonsense.
“Anyway, despite everything we still ambled along. I don’t mind being frank and you will learn it anyway… she caught me necking with a redhead and all hell broke loose. Mind you, it was only a casual fling, which happened accidentally. I don’t mind admitting that by that time, I was bored with Sarah. I wanted a change and Monica was amusing, anyway. Sarah made a huge scene – she felt that I had let her down. Though embarrassed, I said I had made no commitments and I was not a one-woman man, though I had remained faithful to her for so long. I want to tell you that I’m no Casanova. She went away crying. I tried to contact her again on the phone but whenever we spoke, we exchanged bitter words.”
Geoffrey then asked, “what do you do for a living?”
Tony was startled by the sudden question. He shrugged his shoulders and said sulkily, “I am a businessman.”
“What is your business?’
Tony flushed. “Export–import.”
“Do you have a license?”
Tony replied glibly, “of course I have, but what has this got to do with Sarah’s death?”
“OK. I’ll put one more question to you. Where were you when Sarah died?”
Tony seemed taken aback. “What do you mean? Do you mean that I’m a suspect? It’s simply disgusting. I tell you I’m no serial murderer. I was nowhere near the motel when the murder took place.”
Geoffrey persisted. “I’m asking you a simple question. All I want to know is where you were on the 15th of July, between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.”
Tony answered hotly. “I was driving to London at that time.”
Geoffrey could tell that he was clearly rattled. “Was anyone with you?”
“No.”
“Were you driving your own car?”
“No, a rented car.”
“Who did you meet in London?”
Tony flushed. “Are you doubting my word?”
Geoffrey answered with a completely straight face. “No, but I always like to verify facts.”
“You can check with my friend, Robin. We had dinner together. She lives in Hampstead.” He paused, before suddenly asking, “you don’t suspect me now, do you? I can assure you I’m no loony serial murderer, nor do I know anything about poisoned darts.”
Geoffrey gave a tight smile and said cheerfully, “if you’re innocent, then you don’t need to worry about getting into trouble. We make an arrest only when we are very sure and after we’ve sifted through all of the evidence.”
Chapter 12
1
Michelle’s parents faced Inspector Geoffrey and Tim. They looked like a haggard couple; Michelle’s father, Jordon, looked like an old man and walked with a stoop, while her mother, Molly, looked thin with fine lines running across her face.
Jordon said to Geoffrey, “our daughter’s death has shattered us both. There is nothing much left to live for. Fate has given us a cruel blow. Michelle was our only child and she was successful, too. I don’t know what took her to that dreadful park, where the murderer was waiting.”
Molly added, “my life has lost all meaning. There is simply nothing to live for. My poor girl.”
Geoffrey said quietly, “I can understand your sorrow, but don’t you want the murderer to be caught and brought to justice?”
Jordon gritted his teeth. “More than anything else. But so far, almost a month after Michelle’s death, he has eluded your grasp. You haven’t been able to catch him. I have almo
st lost faith in the police. Maybe you should call in Scotland Yard.”
Geoffrey said with quiet authority, “this case is in the hands of Patrick Campbell. He is a brilliant officer. We are confident of apprehending the murderer but such things take time. I can assure you that we’re not sitting idle just twiddling our thumbs. We are making progress.”
Jordon said eagerly, “may I know how much progress you have made exactly?”
Geoffrey shook his head. “I’m afraid I cannot disclose that. However, you can rest assured that we will catch your daughter’s killer.”
Jordon had to be content with that. Geoffrey started his questioning. “What sort of a girl was Michelle?”
This time Molly answered. “Michelle was a determined and successful girl. Right from her childhood, she was a bright student. In our life, we saw many ups and downs. Michelle was very happy as a child; she was brought up like a princess. I did have another child but I lost the boy when he was only a month old. I was heartbroken. Since then, Michelle has been my whole world.”
Geoffrey asked, “how old was Michelle when you lost your second child?”
Molly answered, “she hardly understood anything; she was only twelve years old. As I said, Michelle had a happy childhood and didn’t want for anything. She was even sent to an exclusive private school. Unfortunately, our life took a turn for the worse when my husband’s business crashed and we were all affected. We were forced to sell our house.”
Molly’s face puckered and she controlled her tears with difficulty. Then she continued. “It was a very pretty house and Michelle was affected the most. From a child with a sunny nature who was always smiling, she became very irritable. She began to throw tantrums at the drop of a hat. You see, there was a total upheaval in our lives. Our lifestyle changed completely and we were forced to live like the lower middle class. Michelle was sent to a government school and we moved to a small apartment. My husband sold off his business and we just about managed to survive. Michelle, who had seen a great life since she was a child, suddenly lost all of it. Those were very bleak days for all of us. I took up a job and tried my best to help the family. I couldn’t bear to look at my daughter’s distress. My husband tried his hand at various ventures, but nothing worked. But somewhere along the line, something hardened in Michelle. She was close to me and wanted to please me. I must say she had pluck, grit, and determination, and she did succeed to a certain extent. She took up summer jobs, like babysitting or washing dishes – just anything she could get hold of. As you know, she went on to become a lawyer. Later on, she moved out and lived her own life.”
“Michelle was not a happy woman when she died. Her colleague Douglas said that lately she had become irritable, even at work. Why do you think this was so, even if she was very successful?”
Jordon said bitterly, “it was the men – she always got involved with the wrong men. None of them were good and they always let her down. Michelle was a normal girl who had romantic dreams, just like any other girl. She too must have dreamed of Prince Charming but the men in her life all had feet of clay. In the beginning there was Michael – she kept raving about him – who had a vulnerable little boy look about him, which she liked. She adored him and went out with him but he turned out to be a swindler, who played with her emotions and then left her. There were a few others before Neil but nothing ever worked out.
“Neil was one of the most handsome men I had ever met. Michelle introduced him to us. At that time, she was going on strong and she felt that it would result in stability. She even dreamed of wedding bells ringing. I had my doubts about him from the beginning; I can’t say I liked him, though Molly was bowled over by him. The guy certainly knew how to charm a woman. But I was immune. He was all over Michelle. He claimed to be a businessman and the owner of a toyshop, but he seemed to have his finger in too many pies. “
“What exactly didn’t you like about him?”
“I can’t exactly point out anything specific, but I certainly didn’t feel he was suitable for my daughter. Somehow, my first impression of him failed to build trust. Michelle was, of course, very much in love with him, and they say love is blind. Neil was, as I have said, extremely charming and handsome but I also found him conceited. He was full of himself. He talked too much and I found out a few things. He also looked like a man who was over-possessive, with a hot temper that I felt could lead to trouble. By the way, perhaps you will be interested to learn that Neil’s toyshop specialised in dart games. There were a variety of dart games in the shop and Neil himself sometimes practiced darts. For all I know, he may have done my daughter in. Of course, this is just my viewpoint. Neil looks perfectly sane.”
Geoffrey turned to Molly. “What is your viewpoint?”
“I agree with my husband that Michelle was not happy with her choice of men. There were several men in her life before Neil… there was one guy called Wilbur, who was even worse than Neil. He worked in Michelle’s previous law firm and was shifty-eyed. My husband perhaps forgot to mention him. He was a pretty average guy but I don’t know what Michelle saw in him. She was crazy about him and often spent the night out. I don’t know what went wrong but she later broke up with him and once cried down the phone to me, saying, ‘never talk to me about Wilbur again.’ I later learned that he’d been fired by the firm for embezzlement of funds. I must admit, I liked Neil. We met him only once. He seemed OK. He was, I admit, extremely good looking. Any girl could have fallen for him. But I didn’t at that time feel that he would harm Michelle in any way. He didn’t look the type. Michelle was, of course, head over heels in love with him. Anyone could see that. Neil may have had feelings for her, too.”
Tim said, “thank you. We’ll do our best to solve the case as soon as possible.”
After they’d left, Geoffrey turned to Tim. “What about this dart business? Do you think Jordon mentioned it on purpose?”
Tim shook his head. “I don’t know, but Jordon appeared to me to be a frustrated sort of guy. He was, of course, sad to lose his daughter but he seemed to have something against Neil. His attitude was prejudiced.”
Geoffrey agreed. “Let’s visit the toy shop.”
2
They found the toyshop in West Corner Market and they both went inside. It was a medium-sized store. Neil wasn’t there but they met the manager, Ricky Anderson.
He seemed rather startled when Geoffrey gave him his card. “The police? Why are you here? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Geoffrey put his hand on Ricky’s shoulder. “Relax; you’re not under suspicion of any kind. I would just like some information from you.”
Ricky breathed more easily. “How can I help you?”
Tim asked, “Neil is the owner of this store, is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“There seems to be a lot of stuff in the store.”
“Yes. We try to keep everyone happy. Each customer demands a different type of game.”
“Then you must have dart games, too. I heard this store is famous for its dart games.”
Ricky flushed. “You aren’t implying that the murder weapon for all these serial murders came from this store, are you?”
“I’m not implying anything of the sort.”
“We do have dart games, yes – all toy stores have them – but I can’t say that we’re only famous for our darts. There are many other toys as well.”
Tim put in, “can you show me a dart game?”
Ricky brought down several games from the counter. He opened one of them and showed them a dart. “We sell only those games which are perfectly safe for kids and cannot cause any harm, even if they hit accidentally. These darts are made of plastic and cannot harm others even if shot from a distance. They could never be used for murder.”
Geoffrey smiled. “I never said they were. I’ve heard that Neil is a good player of darts?”
Ricky held his hands out defensively. “He may be, I don’t know. I enjoy
only a professional relationship with him. I don’t know much about his habits and tastes.”
“How is Neil as an employer?”
“There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s very thorough and checks all accounts regularly. Well, naturally – it’s his shop. He’s considerate as an employer and I haven’t faced any problems working for him. He takes a keen interest in everything. “
“I’m just asking your opinion. Do you think he’s a good businessman?”
“Yes. He’s enterprising and certainly keeps his profit ticking. He’s a businessman to the core.”
At that time, Neil walked into the shop. “If you’re looking for me, here I am. There’s no need to ask questions behind my back.”
Geoffrey walked over to him. “It’s our duty to investigate all aspects. I was admiring these dart games of yours, you seem to have plenty of them.”
Neil’s demeanour changed then, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “So you think I’m the dart killer? That I used one of these darts to kill? You must be totally loony.”
Geoffrey said coolly, “why are you jumping to conclusions? I merely said that I was admiring these darts.”
Neil continued hotly, “for your kind information, these darts can’t be used to kill even a fly, let alone a human being. This is a toyshop and all our toys are designed with the safety of the children in mind. These darts are made of plastic. They’re harmless stuff, made for the sole purpose of entertaining kids.”
Tim now said, “we’re glad to have met you, Neil. I’ve heard that you’re a pretty good dart player at the local pub, that you hit the bull’s eye often.”
Neil turned pale. “Who gave you this information?”
Tim continued. “never mind our source of information, just answer our question, please.”
“So what if I do? There are plenty of men who play with darts. A guy needs something to do to relax. I’m not all that good, either; you’re exaggerating my talents. Mind you, playing with darts is just for relaxation, nothing more. I enjoy several other games besides darts, which you haven’t bothered to find out about. I like playing badminton and carom as well. But all you fellows think about is darts, darts, and more darts. If you think just enjoying a game of darts makes me a serial killer, then you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m not a killer and I would never have killed Michelle, whom I loved. I’m not a guy who fits the bill for a lunatic asylum. I’m perfectly sane and another thing you'll learn about me is that I hate trouble. Ask Ricky here.”
The Untimely Death Box Set Page 73
