Death at Beacon Cottage

by Betty Rowlands

  ‘You might be next on the list—’

  ‘Oh, come on, Jim, don’t be so melodramatic!’

  ‘So you won’t do it?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘At least, let me arrange some sort of security system.’

  ‘OK, if you insist.’ Sukey transferred the cooked sausages to a dish, put it in the oven and began mashing potatoes. ‘At least, the gang’s tame expert is out of the way, so I should be reasonably safe. No, on second thoughts, I’ve got a better idea,’ she went on with an impish grin that gave her sharp features the elfin look that always sent his pulse rate rocketing. ‘Why don’t you find me some dishy armed bodyguard to take up residence until you’ve nailed all the villains?’

  He gave a despairing sigh. ‘Sook, I do wish you’d take this more seriously.’

  She put down the pan of potatoes and went over to him. ‘And I wish you’d stop fussing,’ she murmured with her mouth against his.

  Thirteen

  Thursday morning brought the usual crop of minor break-ins which occupied Sukey until midday, when she was called to an incident at Robinswood Country Park. A motorist returning to her car after taking her dog for a walk had found it broken into and the radio stolen; when Sukey reached the scene, a young uniformed officer was already in attendance, taking details and doing his best to pacify the victim, a thin, leathery-faced woman in a shabby anorak and shapeless trousers that had obviously seen better days. In one hand she held a stout stick and in the other the lead of a large black Labrador.

  The policeman greeted Sukey’s arrival with obvious relief. ‘This is Mrs Williams, the owner of the car,’ he informed her. ‘I’ve assured her we’ll do everything we can to catch the culprit although I’ve tried to explain—’

  ‘If you fellows had been keeping a proper eye on things, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place,’ the victim interposed, glaring at him. ‘What these young hooligans need is a good hiding!’ She brandished the stick in a manner which made it clear that, given the chance, she would have not have hesitated to administer the punishment in person.

  ‘We do our best, but I’m afraid we can’t be everywhere at once,’ he said with a placatory smile. ‘This is Mrs Reynolds, one of our Scene of Crime Officers. She’ll be checking your car for fingerprints. I’ll leave her in charge for now.’ With renewed assurances that the matter would be taken seriously, he closed his notebook and turned to Sukey. ‘I’ve given the lady an incident number for her insurance company,’ he said, adding in a lower tone, ‘I wrote it down for her, but I’m not sure she’s taken it all in. She’s pretty wound up at the moment, as you can see. Might be as well to remind her of the procedure when she’s calmed down a bit.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ He got into his car and drove away, while Sukey took her bag out of the van and prepared to start work.

  ‘Upsetting when anything like this happens, isn’t it?’ she said sympathetically. ‘Do you often park your car here?’

  ‘Most days, unless the weather’s completely impossible,’ said Mrs Williams. ‘Bounder loves to tear around up here, don’t you, boy?’ She stooped to pat the Labrador as it sat quietly at her feet. ‘Never had any trouble before,’ she added resentfully.

  ‘What a super name for him,’ said Sukey diplomatically. ‘He’s such a handsome fellow, too!’

  At this expression of admiration of her pet, the proud owner’s severe features relaxed in a smile. ‘D’you hear that, Bounder – the lady thinks you’re handsome. He’s a splendid guard dog as well,’ she boasted. ‘If he’d spotted whoever did this to our car, he’d have had his teeth in their leg in no time, wouldn’t you, boy?’ She tickled the dog under its chin and it lifted its muzzle and wagged its tail with a knowing look.

  ‘These people always wait until the coast is completely clear, and then they’re into a car and away in no time at all.’ Sukey opened her case and took out aluminium powder and brushes. ‘This is a very popular spot and cars left here are often targeted.’

  ‘All the more reason why the police should be more in evidence. It really is a disgrace, you can’t go anywhere or do anything these days without risking being robbed or attacked, and sometimes it’s much worse than losing a car radio.’ Some of the steam appeared to have gone out of her indignation and she watched with interest as Sukey got down to work. ‘Have you been doing this job for long?

  ‘Quite a while, yes.’

  ‘There was a very nasty incident the other day, just down the road from where I live. I wonder if you worked on that?’

  ‘Whereabouts was this?’

  ‘In Tuffley.’ If Mrs Williams noticed the way the hand that held the brush momentarily stopped in mid-air, she gave no sign, but rushed on in a sudden burst of pent-up indignation. ‘They made a terrible mess of the place… I felt so sorry for the young woman who lives there, Donna, her name is… she always keeps everything so nice… seeing it all smashed up was bad enough, but when they found Alan’s… that’s her friend, she used to call him her partner… when they found his body it must have been terrible for her. Mind you, I don’t really approve of the way these young couples live together… I suppose I’m old-fashioned, but I can’t help thinking… and in any case, I always had my doubts about Alan but I’m sure he didn’t deserve to be murdered. Oh dear.’ Momentarily overcome with emotion, Mrs Williams bent down to fondle the dog again. ‘It really makes you wonder what the world’s coming to.’

  ‘You’re speaking of the break-in in Vine Close?’ said Sukey, trying not to betray her excitement. She was still diligently testing the damaged passenger door of the car for fingerprints, but her mind had switched back to the scene at number eight. Her instinct told her she might be on the verge of learning something significant.

  ‘Ah, I thought you’d know about it.’ Mrs Williams took a large handkerchief out of her trouser pocket and blew her nose with a flourish. ‘I live just a few doors away from where it happened. The police came knocking on my door asking if I’d seen anything, but I couldn’t help them because I’d been away all over the weekend. Do you know if they’ve caught anyone yet?’

  ‘Not so far as I know.’ Sukey waited a second or two before adding casually, brushing away for dear life, ‘You say you didn’t approve of Donna’s partner. Why was that?’

  ‘I pride myself on my ability to judge people,’ said Mrs Williams. ‘I remember saying to her, when she first took up with him, “My dear, are you sure you know what you’re doing? He’s a lot older than you are and I shouldn’t be surprised if…” well, I didn’t like to say so in so many words, but you know, I just had this feeling that he might have a shady past, or even still be mixed up in something not quite, you know, legal.’ She seemed to have forgotten her loss in her fascination with the possibly dubious history of her late neighbour. ‘Do you know,’ she squatted down so that her face was level with Sukey’s, ‘I often wondered whether the reason why he used to send her away to stay with her mother was so’s she be out of the way while he got up to something.’

  Sukey put away her brush, got out her roll of transparent tape and began lifting a couple of promising prints. ‘Did you mention that to the police?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh no, I never thought of it. I wouldn’t have said anything anyway – I mean it was none of my business and I’m not one to poke my nose into what doesn’t concern me.’ Evidently, Mrs Williams had forgotten the gratuitous advice offered to Donna that she had mentioned only seconds ago. ‘Of course, that was before the bodies were found,’ she went on. ‘The police didn’t ask about anything like that. Perhaps I should have mentioned it… what do you think?’

  ‘It might be helpful in their enquiries to know about it. And there might be other things you could tell them… maybe things you never thought of as especially important…’

  ‘Do you really think so? Good gracious, how exciting! Should I call and tell them I’ve got some information for them?’

  ‘If you like, I’ll mention it when I get back to the station
. They’ll send a detective round to have a chat with you.’

  ‘Thank you very much. Just think, Bounder, we’re going to help the police with their enquiries!’ She gave a little tug at the dog’s lead; this time it gave an excited bark and wagged its tail. ‘You know,’ she said earnestly, ‘He understands every word I say.’

  ‘I do believe he does,’ Sukey agreed. She completed her task and began packing her equipment away. ‘Well, I’ve finished here. You’re lucky, the damage isn’t too bad and the car is OK to drive. You’ll be reporting to your insurance company of course – the officer did give you an incident number, didn’t he?’

  ‘Oh yes, thank you, he wrote it down.’ Mrs Williams fished in the pocket of her anorak and produced a crumpled slip of paper. ‘And you’ll be sure and tell the detectives that I’m happy to help them in any way I can?’

  ‘I will indeed. If you’ll just give me your address?’

  ‘It’s number eighteen Vine Close, Tuffley – I did give it to that young policeman and he wrote it in his notebook. Come along, Bounder, we’re going home for lunch now.’ She opened the rear door and the dog jumped in. ‘Goodbye, and thank you so much.’

  ‘No trouble. We’ll do our best to catch them.’

  ‘You mean the murderer? Oh, I do hope so.’

  ‘Actually, I was thinking of the thieves who took your radio,’ said Sukey with a smile.

  ‘Oh, that. I hardly ever listened to the thing anyway.’ It was clear that the prospect of being considered a key witness in a murder enquiry had more than compensated Mrs Williams for such a comparatively trivial loss.

  Mention of lunch reminded Sukey that she was hungry, but before starting on her sandwiches she called CID and spoke to DS Radcliffe. Having passed on the gist of the information she had gleaned from Donna Hoskins’ loquacious neighbour, she added mischievously, ‘Andy, you might mention that it would be a good idea for whoever goes to interview Mrs Williams to be a dog lover.’

  Radcliffe chuckled. ‘I’ll make a note of that. I think I’ll send DC Hill – he specialises in dotty old ladies who dote on their pooches.’

  ‘What a bit of luck, running into Mrs Williams like that,’ said Fergus as he filled the kettle for the cup of tea that he and his mother always shared on returning home at the end of the afternoon. ‘She sounds just the sort who might have noticed something useful.’

  ‘Yes, quite a coincidence, wasn’t it?’ Sukey agreed. ‘The sort that Superintendent Sladden loves to pour buckets of cold water over,’ she added with a grimace.

  ‘Have you told Jim? Is he coming round this evening?’

  ‘I hope so, but I haven’t spoken to him today. I left the message with Andy Radcliffe.’

  ‘Do you know if there’s been any more news of the hunt for the Phantom Robber?’

  ‘You mean Rodriguez? I haven’t heard anything. Andy was rushing off somewhere so there wasn’t time to ask him. And of course we don’t know for certain yet that Rodriguez is the Phantom Robber. As Superintendent Sladden keeps reminding Jim, all the evidence against him is circumstantial.’

  ‘Well, maybe this Mrs Williams will be able to help.’

  ‘I’d like to think so. I got quite excited when I first realised that she knew Donna and Alan, but of course gossip and surmise isn’t evidence.’ Sukey broke off to fetch mugs, milk and sugar for their tea. ‘Still, you never know, something might come out of it. I wonder if Donna or her Mum keeps a diary.’

  ‘A diary? What’s that got to do with it?’

  ‘Think about it.’

  The lad paused in the act of spooning tea into the pot, frowning in perplexity. After a few moments his brow cleared. ‘Of course!’ he said gleefully. ‘That’d make old Sladden sit up and take notice, wouldn’t it? What’s for supper?’

  It was gone eight o’clock before Jim phoned to say that he still had paperwork to do and had decided to go straight home when it was finished for a bath and early bed.

  ‘What about food?’ Sukey asked anxiously.

  ‘Don’t worry, I had a pie and a pint with Andy. By the way, Sook, full marks for putting us on to Mrs Williams. We’ll have you in CID one of these days.’

  ‘Thanks. Has anyone spoken to her yet?’

  ‘Andy sent DC Hill round to see her, but she was out. He left a card asking her to call in and she phoned a couple of hours later. He’s going to see her in the morning.’

  ‘What about Donna? Have you been able to talk to her again?’

  ‘Not properly. She’s still under mild sedation from her doctor and very reluctant to talk about the tragedy, but her mother’s come down from Yorkshire to stay with her and she’s promised to try and persuade her daughter to help us. With this new information you’ve given us, we’re hoping we can get something useful out of her.’

  ‘I do hope so.’

  ‘See you tomorrow, then?’

  ‘Sure.’ After a moment, Sukey added in a softer voice, although Fergus was out of the room. ‘Gus will be with his father this weekend.’

  ‘Wonderful!’ There was no mistaking the throb of eagerness in Jim’s voice and Sukey experienced an answering thrill of anticipation as she put down the telephone.

  Fourteen

  ‘No need to be scared of him, mate. Looks fierce, but he’s soft as a mop really. Like his owner.’ DC Hill turned to find himself face to face with a stocky individual in oily jeans, holding a plastic carrier bearing the name of a supplier of spare automobile parts in one grimy hand.

  ‘Are you sure?’ said Hill doubtfully as he eyed the huge black dog that stood on its hind legs, front paws on the gate of number 18 Vine Close, barking furiously.

  ‘Course I’m sure.’ The man reached across the gate and tickled the dog behind the ears. The barking ceased and the black body wriggled in delight. ‘See what I mean?’

  ‘He obviously knows you.’ Hill was still hesitant and he looked hopefully towards the house for Mrs Williams to come to his rescue, but there was no sign of her. ‘I’m not sure that he’ll let me in.’

  ‘Course he will. Soft as a mop, I tell you,’ the man repeated. He looked Hill up and down for a moment before saying, ‘You’re a copper, aren’t you?’

  ‘How did you know?’

  The man grinned, showing a row of broken, discoloured teeth. ‘Smell ’em a mile off, I can. Not that I’ve anything to hide,’ he added with a knowing wink. ‘Me, I always like to keep on the right side of the law. My name’s Hitchin, Frankie Hitchin.’ He jerked an almost bald head in the direction of the house. ‘What’s the old bat been up to, then?’

  ‘We’re hoping she can help us with some enquiries,’ said Hill, a trifle stiffly. There was still no sign of Mrs Williams and he was beginning to wonder if someone had made a cock-up over the time of the appointment.

  ‘Ah, that’ll be about the murders,’ said Hitchin knowingly.’ Wouldn’t take too much account of what she says,’ he added. ‘I’m not suggesting she tells deliberate porkies – just a bit given to exaggeration, if you know what I mean. You know what these old women living alone are like.’

  ‘Thank you, I’ll bear that in mind.’ Hill made his tone deliberately dismissive, but the man seemed in no hurry to go on his way.

  ‘I think I knew one of the blokes who got topped,’ he said. ‘Only by sight, mind you, we never got chatting.’

  Hill, who had been listening to Hitchin with increasing irritation, suddenly found his interest aroused. ‘Which one?’

  ‘The one called Crowson.’

  ‘Why do you only think you knew him?’

  ‘Never knew his name and it was a pretty ropey photo they published in the local rag. I rent a lockup from a bloke who’s got a workshop on the industrial estate just down the road, see. The chap who rented one in the same block looked very like Crowson.’

  ‘Why haven’t you reported this before?’

  Hitchin shrugged. ‘You know how it is – kept meaning to, but never seemed to find the time. Anyway, I wasn’t sure – I mean I
never even spoke to the bloke. It was really up to the owner, only he’s a surly bugger who wouldn’t cross the road to help anyone. Besides, it’s up to your lot to come round asking questions, innit?’

  ‘Where is this lockup?’

  ‘I told you, Meadway Industrial Estate. Go to the end of this road, turn right, then left, then left again. The lockups are down at the end. Tell you what, I’ll be there until twelve o’clock, working on the Mini.’ He held up the carrier as if in confirmation of the legitimacy of his errand. ‘If you like to pop round after you’ve finished talking to the old dragon – if she ever shows up, that is. I reckon she’s forgotten all about you… no, I tell a lie, here she comes. See you later.’

  Hitchin went on his way whistling and Hill turned in relief to greet a panting and very apologetic Mrs Williams. ‘Constable Hill?’ she panted. ‘I really am sorry to have kept you waiting. I wanted to have something nice to offer you with your coffee… you will have a cup of coffee, won’t you? And there were so many people in the shop, and they were all talking about those dreadful murders… I do hope you haven’t been waiting long. It’s all right Bounder, you can let him in,’ she went on, ushering Hill through the open gate.

  As if in response to his owner’s words the dog began frisking round Hill’s legs and remembering Sukey’s message, he stooped to pat it. ‘He’s a great guard dog, isn’t he?’ he remarked. ‘Very intelligent, too, by the look of him.’

  ‘He’s the cleverest dog I’ve ever had, beamed Mrs Williams, completely won over. ‘Now, come along in and I’ll make that coffee I promised, and we can have our chat while we drink it. I’ve got some nice Madeira cake to go with it.’

  ‘It’s very kind of you to go to all this trouble,’ said Hill politely. Privately remembering Hitchin’s warning, he was already having doubts about the potential usefulness of the interview.