Fenella dabbed at her nose. “I wasn’t strong enough to do that.” She lowered the tissue. “The strange thing is, I found out this afternoon that Bruno’s left his company to me. That’s why that man was bothering me. He works at Bruno’s company, and he wants me to sell the company to him.”
Connie shared a shocked look with Sable.
Fenella gave a small laugh. “Bruno even left the proceeds of his life policy to me. Yesterday, I was on the brink of having everything taken away from me, and now I’m a rich woman. I can pay my debts off, and I can pay Troy’s off too.”
Chapter 14
It was the next morning in the supermarket when Connie and Sable got the chance to fully discuss their meeting with Fenella Ridgeway.
As Connie pushed her trolley down the aisle, she said to Sable, “By heck, that Fenella can drink. And talk. I thought we were never going to leave the hotel last night.”
“I know.” Sable put a tin of baked beans in the trolley. “We know every detail of her marriage to Bruno. And her thoughts on why he was such an aggressive solicitor when it came to divorces. Do you need any peas?”
“Yes, please. At least that explains why he coerced Nerys into proceeding with a divorce. As soon as Nerys said her husband might be having an affair, he must have taken it as a personal insult and insisted she get a divorce.” She stopped at the tinned peas. “Sable, it makes me sad to think about the other divorce cases he dealt with. How many went ahead when the marriages could have been saved?”
Sable reached for the peas. “I thought about that too. But there’s nothing we can do about that. At least we know Fenella didn’t go to Bruno’s office on the night he was murdered. That bartender remembered her from that night. He told me she was in the bar from seven till past midnight. She was so tipsy that she had to be helped to her room.” She put the peas in Connie’s trolley, and they proceeded down the aisle.
Connie said, “We didn’t find out much about the man she had an affair with.”
“That’s because she didn’t want to talk about him. I’m sure it would be easy for us to look into that. Do you think he came back on the scene and went after Bruno?”
“Perhaps. I thought about Fenella’s son too. I know Fenella said he was on the straight and narrow now, but he could have been harbouring a grudge against his dad.”
Sable stopped at the soup. “But he wasn’t anywhere near Bruno’s office when he was killed. Didn’t Fenella say he was on some well-being retreat?”
“She did. But I’d still like to look into it. Get me two tins of tomato soup, and one tin of leek and potato. Thanks. Do you fancy having a lasagne this week?”
Sable placed the soup in the trolley. “Only if you’re making it. You’ve spoiled ready-made lasagne for me. They taste revolting compared to yours.”
Connie chuckled. “Of course I’ll make it. I’ll do extra, and then you can put some in your freezer. Back to Bruno’s murder, do you think Evan Falcon had anything to do with it?”
“Of course. He radiates evil. Even if he didn’t do it, I’ll wager murder’s crossed his nasty mind several times.”
They walked around the corner. A slim woman was standing there, a basket in her hand. She said, “Do you know how loud your voices are? I could hear you talking about Bruno Ridgeway from the next aisle.”
“Saffy! Hello,” Connie said. “We weren’t that loud, were we?”
Saffy smiled. “No, I’m only joking. Although I did hear you talking about Evan Falcon just then. I met that particular gentleman yesterday when I was interviewing everyone at Mr Ridgeway’s office. He’s not the most pleasant of people.”
Connie said, “How’s your investigation going? How’s Dale doing?”
Saffy switched the basket to her other hand. “He’s morose, and barely speaking to anyone. He still refuses to talk to his wife. She’s been to the station several times, but he won’t see her. She’s written him a letter, but he won’t read it.”
“Stubborn fool,” Sable said. “Nerys is probably trying to tell him she doesn’t want a divorce.”
“Yes, she told me that. I offered to tell Mr Spencer on her behalf, but she said she wants to be the one who tells him. I’ve got a bit of good news about Dale Spencer. Well, about the unexplained bruises on his hands. We found some more CCTV footage of the night Mr Ridgeway was murdered. The footage picked up Dale Spencer as he left the building and staggered towards a taxi rank. He fell over a bin, picked himself up and then proceeded to punch the bin several times. It was a stone bin. It took a minute or two for Mr Spencer to realise the stupidity of his actions.”
Connie said, “That’s one mystery sorted out.” She looked down at her trolley and said, “Saffy, we ran into Fenella Ridgeway last night. Quite by accident.”
Saffy said, “When you say by accident, do you mean on purpose? Yes, I know you saw her. I had a chat with her at the hotel first thing this morning. She told me all about the two new friends she’d made last night. She gave a good description of you both. Connie, there’s no need to look so guilty. I know your intentions were good, and that you were trying to help Nerys.”
Connie gave her an embarrassed smile. “Did she tell you about her relationship with her ex-husband?”
Saffy rubbed her ear. “She did. At length. And she told me about her son, and the man she had an affair with.”
“Did she tell you about Evan Falcon?” Sable asked. “He was bothering her at the hotel last night. He wants her to sell the company to him.”
“Yes, she told me that.”
Connie looked in Saffy’s basket. “Are you going to eat that stuff?”
Saffy held up her basket. “These meals? Yes. I eat them all the time. Why are you pulling that face?”
“Those ready-meals are not good for you. They’re full of hidden salt and fat. Where are your vegetables? And your fruit? Saffy, I do hope you’re taking care of yourself. You work long hours and your health is a priority.”
“I don’t have time to cook meals from scratch,” Saffy defended herself. “These meals are good enough for me.”
Connie reached into her trolley and took out a bag of apples. She put them in Saffy’s basket. “Take these. You can at least have an apple every day. I’m going to make a lasagne for me and Sable soon. Would you like to come round for some too?”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to be a nuisance. Anyway, I’ve got a lasagne in my basket.”
Sable looked at the packaged lasagne and gave a sniff of disapproval. “That one is particularly revolting. Connie makes the best lasagne in the world. You might as well say yes to her invitation. She’ll only keep going on at you until you do.”
Saffy gave them a smile. “Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you. Although, I’m not sure what my shifts will be over the next few days.”
Connie said, “Let me know as soon as you do know. And then we’ll organise an evening for you to come over.”
“Thanks, Connie. You’re too kind.” Saffy’s phoned beeped. She sighed and said, “I can’t even have a trip to the supermarket in peace.” She took her phone out and read the text. “Now, that is interesting.”
“What is?” Sable asked.
“We’ve found out who owns that black car; the one Dale Spencer saw driving into Mr Ridgeway’s building.” She smiled. “It belongs to Evan Falcon. It looks like I’ll be having another talk with Mr Falcon.”
“Good,” Sable said. “If you put him in prison, make sure you lose the key.”
Chapter 15
Connie and Sable drove over to Connie’s house. Connie put her shopping away, and Sable made them a cup of tea.
They took their drinks into the conservatory and settled themselves on the sofa. They took a few sips of tea as they gazed at Connie’s garden.
Sable said, “I know how I feel about Evan Falcon, but what about you? Do you think he’s the one who killed Bruno?”
“It’s a definite possibility. His car was seen driving into the office car park that night. A
nd he’s a big man. He’d have the strength to take on Bruno. I wonder what his motive was? It can’t be for money because he now has to buy the company from Fenella.”
“Perhaps they had a difference of opinion. Maybe Evan wanted to be the one in charge. I’m sure Saffy will soon have everything sorted out.” Sable nodded towards the garden. “Your roses look lovely. I don’t know how you do it. Whenever I plant roses, they get eaten by little bugs.”
“Hmm.” Connie was lost in thought.
Sable said, “Come on, out with it. What’s bothering you?”
“It seems too convenient. Evan Falcon has got a bad temper; we saw that. And his car was spotted going into the car park. But it all seems too convenient. I don’t think he’d have much to gain by killing Bruno.”
“You’re going to tell me we’re missing something, aren’t you? And you’re going to say you’ve got a funny feeling in your stomach that’s telling you Evan isn’t the murderer. Am I right?”
Connie gave her a small smile. “You are right. Sable, I want to find out more about Fenella and her son. Fenella told us she still had feelings for Bruno, but when Evan was talking to her in the hotel, he said she hated Bruno. Who was telling the truth?”
“Yes, I noticed that too. Let’s finish our tea, and then we’ll hop on to the Internet.”
Ten minutes later, Connie had her laptop open on the table in front of them. She typed Fenella’s name in but didn’t come up with much.
Sable said, “Fenella’s been tagged in a few Facebook photos at social events, but that’s all. She hasn’t got her own Facebook page. Mind you, neither have I. Let’s have a look for the son.”
Connie typed in ‘Troy Ridgeway’. She blinked as many pages came up. “Wow. He’s certainly active online. Where should we look first?”
“Let’s have a look at those debt forums he’s part of, and see what he’s got to say for himself.”
Connie clicked on the first page, and they read in silence for a while. There were other forums which Troy was active in, and they read those too.
Sable said, “He’s been through a journey, hasn’t he? You can feel the despair in those early posts of his. The people in the group helped him. They really supported him.”
“I know the Internet gets bad press sometimes,” Connie said, “but it’s a lifeline for some people. It makes it easier to reach out to strangers and ask for help. The people in these groups are so encouraging. And they made a difference to Troy’s life. You can see how his tone changed to a more optimistic one.”
Sable nodded. “It looks like he got his life under control over these last twelve months. And he started to pay his debts off. Go back to his latest post.”
Connie did so. They read it again.
Connie frowned. “I’m confused. This was posted on the day Bruno died. Troy says his debt problems are finally over, and that he’s going to be debt-free very soon. But Fenella only found out she was going to get Bruno’s money the day after Bruno died. What happened to Troy on the day his dad died which enabled him to make this comment?”
“Let me state the obvious. Troy must have found out a while ago Bruno’s money would go to Fenella. And, of course, Fenella would settle Troy’s debts. So, Troy killed his dad to get the money moving.”
“But Fenella said Troy was away on a retreat that day.”
Sable said, “People lie all the time. Let’s check his social pages. There might be clues to where he was recently.”
Connie clicked on various sites. Sable moved closer as she read the posts. She shared the occasional knowing look with Connie.
When they’d finished reading, Sable said, “Why do some people think they have to post details of every tiny part of their lives? Do they really think the world wants to know what’s in their sandwich?”
“I’m glad Troy is that kind of person. We now know he was lying about being on a retreat.” Connie scrolled to a selfie that Troy had taken. “These are the stone lions outside Leeds Town Hall. This was taken on the morning of Bruno’s death, so we know Troy was nearby. And this one shows the fountain near Bruno’s office. And this one shows Troy sitting in the coffee shop opposite his dad’s building.”
“And that last one was taken at 3 p.m.” Sable tutted. “If he was planning on killing his dad, he’s made a terrible job of covering up his tracks. His desire to be visible online may have cost him.”
“Maybe he can’t help himself. Do you remember what Fenella told us? She said Troy needs to feel important; he needs to be visible in the world. Constantly posting online has done that for him.” She looked at the coffee shop photo again. “I wonder if he saw his dad after he finished here? Bruno would have been back in his office at that time.”
“But Lyndon told us Bruno didn’t want to be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon.”
“Troy could have turned up unexpectedly and demanded to see Bruno. We’ll have to check that. Perhaps that security guard on the main reception might help us.”
Sable pointed to the screen. “Or we could confront Troy and ask him if he spoke to his dad. Look, he’s just posted an update. He’s ordered a pizza in a restaurant. I know that place. We could be there in twenty minutes.”
Connie switched her computer off. “Let’s go. There’s no time to lose.” She stood up. “I’ll just pay a call to the bathroom first.”
Sable got to her feet. “Me too.” She laughed. “We’re not very dynamic, are we?”
“We’re dynamic in our own way,” Connie said. “Won’t be a minute.”
Chapter 16
Sable and Connie sat on a bench outside the pizza restaurant and watched Troy Ridgeway as he consumed his meal.
Connie said, “I’m glad he’s sitting near the window. We can see everything he’s doing.”
Sable tutted. “How many photos does he need to take? His pizza will be going cold.” Her stomach rumbled.
“Do you want me to nip in and get you a takeaway?” Connie offered.
“No, I’ll be alright. I’ll get something later.” She tutted again. “He’s so slow. Let’s give him five more minutes. If he hasn’t finished by then, we’ll go in and talk to him.”
“Excuse me, ladies, who’s your Internet provider?”
Connie and Sable looked up at the smiling young man who was standing in front of them. He was wearing a bright yellow jacket and holding a clipboard.
Sable said, “Mind your own business.”
The man laughed. “Shall I ask my question again? Perhaps you didn’t hear me. I asked who your Internet provider is. Do you know what the Internet is? Do you have a computer? I know technology can be confusing for the older generation.”
Sable took a sharp intake of breath.
Connie settled back on the bench and got ready to watch the fireworks. That poor young man didn’t know what he’d let himself in for.
In a steady voice, Sable said, “What did you just say?”
The man came closer, put his hand to the side of his mouth and yelled, “Do you have a computer? Do you have the Internet?”
Sable said, “Why are you shouting? We’re not deaf.”
“Right. Sorry.” The young man continued to smile. “Have you got the Internet? How much are you paying each month? If you change to our company, we’ll give you a free pen.” He opened his clipboard, took a pen from his pocket and said, “Name?”
Sable got to her feet. “Young man, do you know how rude you are? How dare you approach us and start firing questions at us? And how dare you request our personal details in the middle of a busy street? Do you really expect me to give you my details? Anyone could walk past and hear you. Haven’t you heard about identity fraud?”
The man’s smile dropped. “You don’t have to talk to me like that. I’m trying to save you a few pounds. Pensioners are always moaning about not having enough money. I’m doing you a favour.”
“A favour? You’re not doing us a favour at all. We were having a peaceful rest until you came along. And for
your information, of course we know what the Internet is! It’s extremely insulting of you to assume we don’t. And we do have the best deal going. We’re financially savvy.”
“Yeah? So how much are you paying?”
“That’s none of your business!” Sable exploded. “If we wanted to change our provider, we’d do that ourselves.”
“But I’m saving you the bother. Changing providers can be challenging for people of your age. Like I said, I’m doing you a favour. How do you want to pay? Monthly? Direct debit?” He poised his pen above his clipboard. “You’ll get a free pen.”
Through clenched teeth, Sable hissed, “I don’t want a free pen. I’d be tempted to shove it somewhere I shouldn’t. Listen to me carefully; we do not want to change our provider. And if we did, we wouldn’t tell a pushy youngster like you our private details in the middle of a busy street. Do you understand?”
“I’m only doing my job. I work on commission, and I need the money. Can’t you just sign up and cancel it later? That’ll give me enough time to collect my bonus before I move on.”
Sable’s face suddenly relaxed. “Move on? Isn’t this your only job?”
“No. It’s only temporary.” He gave them a sly smile. “I’m only doing it to get some quick money.”
“I see,” Sable said. “And will you be declaring your income to the tax office?”
The man snorted. “Course not! I’m not giving them anything.”
Sable’s mouth moved into the broadest grin that Connie had ever witnessed. Sable said, “Young man, I have friends who work for the tax office. I keep in close contact with them. They’ll be very interested in your earnings. What’s your name? And your address?” She peered at his name badge. “Ah, Timothy Clegg. May I borrow your pen to write that down?”
The colour drained from Timothy’s face. He stared at Sable for a moment. Then he spun on his heels and ran away as if his life depended on it. Within seconds, he’d turned the corner at the end of the street and disappeared.
Sable put her hands on her hips and turned to Connie. “I thoroughly enjoyed that.”
Mr Ridgeway's Last Case (Butterworth Mystery Book 5) Page 6
