by James Raven
‘What’s your take on this, Jeff?’ he asked, his tone sombre. ‘Was this a premeditated murder or what?’
Temple leaned forward, elbows on knees. ‘It’s too soon to call, sir. However, there were no obvious signs of a break-in at Mayo’s cottage, and his belongings appeared to be in order. It doesn’t mean, of course, that we should rule out a burglar or burglars.’
Priest sucked in a lungful of air and exhaled slowly with a hissing sound through his teeth.
‘As you know, I didn’t approve of Vince as Jennifer’s boyfriend,’ he said. ‘I felt the same way about him as you and the others did after George Banks died. But my daughter adored him and wouldn’t hear a bad word said against him. In fact, when the Banks story was published we argued about it and she defended Mayo to the hilt. Said she didn’t understand why George’s colleagues, including me, were so outraged since he was clearly in the wrong when he took the drugs.’
‘How have you been getting on with him recently?’ Temple asked.
‘Just fine,’ Priest said. ‘Can’t say I saw much of him, but then that was OK because I was always worried that he was discreetly pumping me for information, even though I made it clear at the outset that I wouldn’t be his source inside the service. Always had to be careful what I said, though. But he wasn’t a bad lad, to be fair.’
‘So was your daughter’s relationship with him pretty serious?’ Temple asked.
‘Oh, for sure. He hadn’t actually asked her to move in with him but she was hoping that he would. And who knows? Perhaps it would have led to wedding bells. I know that Jennifer is ready for that. She’s anxious to start a family.’
‘You say your daughter went to your house during the afternoon?’
‘That’s right. She usually comes over every other weekend. Sometimes with Vince, but mostly by herself.’
‘Did she have any contact with Mayo while she was with you?’
‘No, she didn’t.’
Temple took out his notebook and started scrawling.
‘How old is Jennifer, sir?’
‘She’s twenty-seven.’
‘And her occupation?’
‘A sales rep for a cosmetics company.’
‘And she and Mayo have been together for how long?’
‘About fourteen months. They met at a local gym where they were both members.’
‘How long has she lived here?’
‘Two years. She moved to Southampton from Andover after her mother and I split up.’
‘And has she any idea who might have killed Mayo?’
Priest gestured towards the door. ‘Why don’t you ask her yourself? Jen, this is Detective Chief Inspector Jeff Temple.’
Jennifer Priest was wearing a beige towelling robe that swamped her slender frame. She had long, straw-coloured hair tied back from a pale, pretty face. She wasn’t wearing make-up and the flesh around her smoky-grey eyes was red and puffy. She had her father’s nose, straight and pert, with slightly flared nostrils.
‘Hello, Miss Priest,’ Temple said, rising to his feet.
She gave a slight nod and shuffled further into the room. Priest put an arm around his daughter and led her over to an armchair. She sat down, hands in lap, and began rolling a soggy tissue between her fingers.
‘The inspector is in charge of the case,’ Priest told her. ‘He needs to ask you some questions. They’re likely to be the same as those I’ve already asked but you have to answer them.’
Jennifer lifted her head and looked at Temple. Her eyes searched his face. They were brimming with tears, but there was a hardness in her expression too.
‘Are you one of the officers who refused to have anything to do with Vince after he exposed that crook George Banks?’ she said.
Temple blinked in surprise. For a moment he was lost for words.
‘I told you not to go there, Jen,’ Priest said to his daughter. ‘Now is not the time to bring this stuff up.’
‘Yes it is,’ she said ‘Because I want to be sure that your people will do all they can to find whoever did this. I know they all harbour a grudge and I wouldn’t be surprised if certain people are pleased that this has happened.’
‘You have nothing to worry about, Miss Priest,’ Temple said. ‘We’ll treat this crime as we do every other. I can assure you that any ill feeling towards Mr Mayo among officers in Southampton evaporated a long time ago. Your father can testify to that.’
‘Vince showed me the letters,’ she said. ‘All the hate mail.’
‘As I remember they were anonymous,’ Temple said.
‘Yeah, right. We both know who sent them.’
There was an awkward silence. After a few seconds Priest cleared his throat and said, ‘Look, Jen, I know you’re upset and felt the need to make a point. Well, you’ve made it. Will you now please answer the inspector’s questions?’
She blew her nose and rubbed her eyes. Then said, ‘Can you tell me what happened to Vince?’
Temple sat up straight and took a breath. ‘He was attacked in his home and suffered two fatal blows to his head.’
Jennifer swallowed and wiped her face with her sleeve.
‘Where was he found?’ she asked.
‘In the kitchen. That’s almost certainly where the attack took place. His body was discovered by his neighbour, Mr Nadelson.’
Jennifer closed her eyes briefly.
‘Do you mind if I ask what car you drive, Miss Priest?’
She opened her eyes, but other than that there was no emotional reaction to the question.
‘It’s a Peugeot 207.’
‘And the colour?’
‘White. Why do you want to know?’
‘Mr Nadelson saw a car driving away from Mr Mayo’s cottage about ten o’clock last evening. A dark vehicle, perhaps an Audi or BMW. Does that description mean anything to you?’
‘No, it doesn’t. And besides, I was nowhere near the cottage last night. I thought my father told you that.’
‘He did, Miss Priest. It’s just that I have to ask certain questions anyway, even though I might already know the answers.’
Jennifer looked at him doubtfully and lowered her eyes.
Temple could see that she was on the verge of losing it. A single tear slipped out of her right eye and trickled down her cheek.
‘Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to see Mr Mayo dead?’ Temple asked.
She raised her eyes. ‘But I assumed it was robbery. That he was killed by burglars.’
‘That’s a possibility, Miss Priest. But there were no signs of a break-in. It could be that he knew his killer.’
This shocked her. She looked at her father and started sobbing.
Priest stood behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders. It looked to Temple as though he too might be about to break down.
‘I know this is difficult for you, Miss Priest,’ Temple said. ‘But I have to ask you more questions.’
Jennifer blew her nose again and cleared her throat.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘I’m all right.’
He allowed her time to compose herself, then went on, ‘I gather you stayed at Mr Mayo’s cottage on Friday evening?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. We watched a film, Mama Mia.’
‘Mr Nadelson said he saw you briefly this morning.’
‘He popped over with Vince’s lottery tickets. Vince invited him in for a cup of coffee but he was in a hurry so he didn’t come in.’
‘So what did you and Mr Mayo do during the rest of the day?’
‘Not much really. By the time we’d had breakfast and got ready it was almost lunchtime. Vince did some work and I read a book and watched television. Then in the afternoon I went to my dad’s house for dinner.’
‘And Mr Mayo stayed at home?’
‘That’s right, but that wasn’t unusual. Vince liked my father but he always felt a little awkward spending time with him. On this occasion he had a proper excuse, though. He said he had to wait in because a man he
owed money to was coming to the cottage to collect some of it. It was part of his gambling debt.’
‘Was Mr Mayo a serious gambler, then?’
‘Very serious,’ she said. ‘Trouble was he wasn’t very good at it. That’s why he was in so much debt.’
‘Do you know how much he owed?’
‘Not exactly, but it was well over twenty thousand pounds.’
Temple and Priest looked at each other. Priest shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that it was news to him.
‘So who was the man who was coming to collect the money?’
‘His name is Dessler,’ she said. ‘Joe Dessler. I know because Vince mentioned him a few times.’
Temple glanced at Priest. ‘There’s a Joe Dessler on the patch, sir. He’s a small-time pimp and loan shark.’
‘I know of him,’ Priest said. ‘The vice lads have had him in from time to time. I’m sure he’s got form.’
Temple turned back to Jennifer. ‘So what do you know about Dessler, Miss Priest?’
‘I know that Vince didn’t like him much,’ she said. ‘And I know that he and Danny were planning to do some kind of exposé on him through the news agency.’
‘What do you mean?’
She shrugged. ‘That’s all I know really. He talked to Danny about it a few times when I was with him.’
‘You mean Danny Cain, his partner?’
‘That’s right.’
‘So tell me about this exposé they were working on. What’s it all about?’
‘Well, apparently Dessler wanted his money back from Vince and had made some threats against him,’ she said. ‘But Vince was always short of cash and on one occasion he even borrowed from me to service his debts. So he came up with the idea of doing a story on Dessler and selling it to a Sunday newspaper. Vince was keen on it because he thought it might solve his cash problems if Dessler got put away. I know Danny was a bit worried about it but as far as I know he didn’t object.’
‘So why didn’t you tell me about this?’ Priest said, aggrieved.
Jennifer looked up at her father. ‘Vince told me not to mention it to anyone, especially you.’
Priest turned to Temple. ‘We need to talk to Cain about this article. It could be significant.’
‘We will when we find him,’ Temple said.
‘Is he not at home, then?’
‘His house was empty when we got there, although the lights were on. There was also a car on the driveway and DS Angel swore she saw someone moving around inside as we arrived.’
‘What are you saying, Jeff? That you think he did a runner?’
‘I don’t know, sir. He might have ducked out the back. He has a wife and daughter and they’re not around either.’
‘Do you know if there were any problems between Vince and his partner?’ Priest asked his daughter.
Jennifer shook her head. ‘Not that I’m aware of. They always seemed to get on.’
‘What do you know about Danny Cain?’ Temple asked.
‘He’s a nice man,’ she said. ‘A family man.’
‘Has he or his wife got any relatives in this area? Parents or siblings?’
‘I think Danny’s wife has a mother who lives close by. I don’t know where.’
A few beats of silence. Jennifer seemed to shrink further into the chair under the weight of her grief.
‘Did you talk to Mr Mayo at any point after you left the cottage?’ Temple asked.
‘I wish I had,’ she said. ‘I tried calling him when I got home, just before I went to bed. I wanted to say goodnight. But there was no answer on his mobile or landline.’
‘Did that not worry you?’
‘Not really. I assumed he was either in bed or had gone to one of the casinos in town. He often did that when he wasn’t with me.’
‘Did it occur to you that he might have a problem if the man who’d been threatening him was going to his home?’
‘He didn’t seem worried about it. In fact he told me that Dessler was happy to get at least some of his money back. Plus I heard them talking on the phone. It was fairly amicable. Vince was sure there wouldn’t be any trouble.’ She paused there, took a breath and then her jaw dropped. ‘Oh, my God, do you think Dessler killed Vince? Is that what you think?’
‘We have no idea, Miss Priest,’ Temple said. ‘At the moment there’s no evidence to suggest that he did but we will be talking to him. By the way, do you know if Mr Mayo kept any valuables in the cottage? Something that might be of interest to thieves?’
She shook her head. ‘He sold off everything of value to pay for his gambling, except for his mother’s jewellery, that is. He told me he would never part with that.’
‘How much jewellery?’
‘I’m not sure exactly. He kept it in a leather jewellery box in his bedside drawer. I told him he should put it in a safer place but he said he wanted it close to him for sentimental reasons.’
‘Can you describe what was in the box?’
‘He showed me once but it’s all a bit vague now. There were some necklaces and a couple of brooches. That sort of thing. He said he’d had them valued and they were worth a tidy sum. Thousands of pounds, in fact.’
‘And there was nothing else of value as far as you know?’
‘There was the cash.’
‘Cash?’
‘The money for Dessler. Vince left it on the worktop in the kitchen. All in notes.’
‘How much?’
‘Three thousand pounds.’
Temple turned to Priest. ‘There was no money in the kitchen. I checked the worktop myself.’
‘So whoever killed Vince must have taken it.’
‘Looks that way.’
At that point Jennifer lost it again and started to cry into a wad of tissues.
Her father squeezed her shoulders. ‘Let’s leave it at that, Jeff. My daughter’s not going anywhere, so she can answer more questions later. I’ll stay here with her for now and call you if she thinks of anything that might help the investigation.’
‘Fair enough,’ Temple said. He put his notebook away and got to his feet.
Jennifer held up her hands and forced herself to stop crying.
‘There’s something else you should know,’ she said. ‘I just remembered. It might not be relevant, but I think you ought to know.’
She swallowed. Breathed through her mouth. Swallowed again.
‘Just over a week ago I saw a man watching the cottage,’ she said. ‘It was early evening and he was standing on the edge of the wood out back. He had binoculars.’
‘Are you sure?’ Temple said.
She nodded. ‘I only saw him because I was upstairs in Vince’s study and happened to look out of the window. He was standing next to a tree, staring at the cottage. I watched him for about a minute and then rushed downstairs to tell Vince. But when Vince went outside there was no sign of the man.’
‘When exactly was this, Miss Priest?’
She looked up at the ceiling, searching her memory through the fog of grief and shock. ‘The Friday before last, about four o’clock. I know because it was almost dark and I’d just arrived at the cottage having left work early.’
‘Can you describe this man?’
‘Not in detail,’ she said. ‘But he had a shaved head and ears that poked out. He was wearing a sheepskin coat. I remember that much. If I saw him again I’d recognize him.’
‘How old?’
‘In his thirties maybe.’
‘Anything else you can tell us? Was he tall or short, fat or thin?’
She shrugged. ‘Normal height, I think. It was difficult to tell.’
‘I don’t understand, Jen,’ Priest said. ‘Why didn’t you mention this to me? I’m a policeman, for Christ’s sake, as well as being your father.’
‘I didn’t think, Dad. Vince said not to worry about it so I didn’t. I’m sorry.’
Priest shook his head, clearly put out, but anxious at the same time not to add to his daught
er’s anguish by making a deal of it.
‘Did Mr Mayo have any idea who the man might be?’ Temple asked.
She shook her head. ‘He wasn’t familiar with anyone who looked like the description I gave.’
‘I’d like you to help us produce a photofit,’ Temple said. ‘Would that be all right?’
She nodded.
‘I’ll get it sorted then.’ Temple looked at his watch. ‘I’d better go now. But before I do there’s one last question, Miss Priest. Have you any idea why Mr Mayo might have opened a bottle of champagne last night?’
She looked at him, puzzled.
‘No, not at all. Why do you ask?’
‘Well, there was a bottle in the kitchen. It’d been opened, but it didn’t look as though any of it had been drunk.’
‘Well, he didn’t open it before I left. And I can’t imagine what he might have had to celebrate.’
Priest showed Temple out. At the door, Priest said, ‘Dessler has to be a prime suspect. I want you to find him now and grill the bastard.’
‘I intend to, sir.’
‘And pull out all the stops. I don’t care what it costs. Use as many bodies as you need to. I’ll sanction any overtime.’
‘That’s good to know, sir.’
Priest clapped Temple on the back. ‘Now get out there and find the bastard who just screwed up my daughter’s life.’
13
Half an hour after the youths attacked me I was still wandering aimlessly around the city centre. It had taken me five minutes to haul myself to my feet back at the Bargate. My legs still felt like jelly. My head swayed violently and a deluge of vomit had burned its way up through my gullet. I was bruised and bleeding and shaking all over.
I passed a few people, most of them boozed-up youngsters, but they barely seemed to notice me. I got a few strange looks, giggles from a group of drunken girls. Their reaction – or lack of it – was both shocking and sad, but at the same time I welcomed being left alone. I needed to move and to think.
Things had now gone from bad to worse. The kidnapper had no way of contacting me. The lifeline to my family was severed. I had no idea what Maggie’s mobile number was. I’d never had to memorize it. So what would happen now? How would he respond when he failed to get through?
