Mr Ridgeway's Last Case (Butterworth Mystery Book 5)

by Gillian Larkin

  “Not yet. Troy could be totally innocent. Let’s talk to the security guard first.” Sable stopped the car in Connie’s driveway behind the car that was already parked there. “Looks like you’ve got a visitor.”

  They went into the kitchen and found Debra putting the kettle on. She said, “I saw you driving up the road. How are you both?” She looked closer at them. “You’re both frowning. What’s going on?”

  Sable said, “We’ve got a lot to think about. How are you? How are those lovely children of yours?”

  “We’re all fine, thank you. How’s your investigation going? I spoke to Nerys this morning. She said Dale’s still at the station. Mum, she’s in a terrible state. She’s worried sick about Dale. He won’t talk to her. He doesn’t know she’s not going ahead with the divorce.”

  Connie sighed. “Dale’s being a bit of an idiot.”

  “A bit?” Sable retorted. “He needs a good shaking. I’ve a good mind to go down there and do it myself.”

  Debra said, “Why won’t he talk to her?” She hesitated. “Mum, do you think Dale did kill that solicitor? Is that why he won’t talk to Nerys?”

  “No,” Connie said firmly. “He didn’t kill Bruno Ridgeway. There are other suspects. Let me finish making the tea, and then we’ll tell you everything.”

  Debra listened without speaking while Connie and Sable told her what had been happening the last few days.

  Debra shook her head. “Why didn’t Dale tell Nerys about the car instead of keeping it a big secret?”

  “Because he’s a numpty,” Sable said. “And look what’s happened because he’s such a numpty.”

  “And Nerys still doesn’t know about the car?” Debra said. “Shall I tell her?”

  “No, better not,” Connie said. “When Dale’s released, he can be the one to tell her.”

  “If he’s released,” Sable said darkly. “I wouldn’t put it past Evan Falcon to have an airtight alibi. And we’re still looking into Troy’s activities the night Bruno was killed.”

  Debra said, “Poor Nerys. I wish there was something I could do to help her.”

  Connie said, “There is something you might be able to do. But you’ll need to make a few phone calls first.”

  “I’ll do anything to help.” Debra looked at the wall clock. “Time to get Megan from school. Mum, do you want to come with me? You can explain how I can help Nerys on the way. Auntie Sable, do you want to come too? Megan would love to see you.”

  “And I’d love to see her. But no, thank you. I think we need to speed up our investigation. Connie, I’ll go and have a chat with that security guard. I might have to wait a while for the right guard to come on duty.” She finished the last of her tea and stood up. “I’ll get on with that. You two do what you have to do. And, Connie, we’ll meet again in the morning. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds like an excellent plan. Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Connie said.

  Sable said, “No, thanks. I plan on interrogating that guard. I don’t need you there telling me to be polite. You’ll only cramp my style. Debra, it was lovely to see you again. Don’t forget my offer of babysitting.”

  “I haven’t. I may be calling on your services in a couple of weeks.” She got to her feet. “Mum, we’d better get going.”

  Sable picked up her handbag. She caught the look on Connie’s face and said, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I’m just thinking how lucky I am to have a business partner who’s also my best friend.”

  Sable flapped a hand at her. “Stop being mushy. I can’t aggressively interrogate anyone if I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I’ll think about that annoying young man with the clipboard instead.” Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, I can feel my anger rising already. I’ll see you later.”

  She gave them a wave before leaving the kitchen.

  Connie put her arm around Debra and said, “We’ll have Dale out before you know it. Right, let me tell you what you can do to help Dale and Nerys.”

  Chapter 20

  “So, did you make him cry?” Connie asked the next morning. She looked over at Sable who was sitting on the sofa opposite her in their office.

  “No, of course I didn’t. He was delighted to talk to me. I don’t think he gets many people to talk to, not with him being on the night shift.” Sable took a drink of her coffee.

  “Was it the same security guard who fell asleep on the night Bruno died?”

  “It was. He received a reprimand for that. His defence was that he’d been awake for most of the day seeing to his wife. She has the onset of Alzheimer’s, and she’d had a particularly bad day. Which meant that Robbie, the security guard, hadn’t had time to catch up on his sleep during the day.”

  Connie said, “What did he tell you then?”

  “He remembers seeing Troy Ridgeway on the evening Bruno died. Robbie had just come on to the desk when Troy turned up. This was about seven p.m.”

  “Ah! So Troy did go back to the office! I knew it.”

  “Hold your horses there. Troy did go back to the office, but Bruno wasn’t there. Robbie phoned up, and there was no reply. He checked the diary on reception and saw that it was the night of the award ceremony. Robbie told Troy this and said everyone would be going to that, including Bruno. Troy asked where the ceremony was taking place, and Robbie told him. Then Troy left.”

  “Hmm.” Connie tapped her nail against her cup. “Troy must have gone to the ceremony, seen that Bruno wasn’t there, and then returned to the office.”

  “Yes, that’s what I thought too. But if he did do that, he didn’t go past Robbie. From seven till ten-thirty, Robbie stayed on the main reception. No one came to the door, and no one phoned up. Robbie told me he was fighting to keep his eyes open at that stage. He lost the fight and fell asleep. He was asleep for a few hours. The phone ringing at three a.m. woke him up. It was his wife asking him when he was coming home.”

  Connie’s nose wrinkled. “So, it looks like it wasn’t Troy then. We know Evan Falcon returned to the building later on. He must be the killer.”

  “Yes, it seems that way. But what if Troy found out about the rear entrance? Dale Spencer found it, and he was drunk at the time. Troy could have entered the building that way.”

  “I suppose so. Did Robbie tell you anything else? There was a killer in the building at some time that night. He must have heard something. Surely?”

  Sable said, “The only thing he heard was the lift moving a few times. It’s the lift that runs directly from the car park. I tried to pin down how many times he heard it, but he wasn’t definite. He thought five, maybe six times. And he thought this happened after ten o’clock.”

  “We know Evan used the lift. And we know Dale used it. Who else was using it?”

  “Troy? I think that’s a possibility. I know what we need to do now.” Sable put her cup down. She walked over to the desk, picked up the laptop and then sat next to Connie on the sofa. “I had a quick check this morning online.”

  “A check on what?”

  Sable powered the laptop up. “Give me a minute.” She tapped on the screen. “I wondered if there would be photos of that award ceremony online. I was right. There are plenty. There are some official ones and some unofficial ones. Let’s have a good look at them.”

  Connie said, “What are we looking for? No, don’t tell me. We’re looking for Troy. To see if he was looking for his dad.”

  “Yep, that’s right.”

  Sable and Connie looked through the photos of the event.

  Sable tutted loudly on more than one occasion. “Look how drunk they are! It’s a disgrace. And to think these are the people who deal with legal matters in our country.”

  Connie pointed. “Look at that photo. It’s Evan Falcon. Look at him with his arm around that woman. He’s almost strangling her.”

  “Slimy piece of haddock.”

  “Haddock?” Connie said.

  “That’s what he re
minds me of. Have you ever had a slimy piece of haddock? It’s the most revolting thing you could ever taste. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth for ages. Just like Evan Falcon.”

  They checked a few more photos.

  Connie cried out, “Stop! There he is. You can see Troy in the background.”

  “Oh, yes. There’s a time stamp on this one. It’s 9.50.” Sable squinted at the image. “Who’s he talking to?”

  “Zoom in.”

  Sable did so.

  They stared at the image and then stared at each other.

  Connie stated the obvious, “It’s Evan Falcon. He’s talking to Troy.”

  Sable went on to the next image. “Connie, look at this. They’re leaving the event together.”

  “Evan must have found out who Troy is. When Evan went back to the office, he might have taken Troy with him. Troy could have then confronted Bruno. What are we going to do about this?”

  Sable said, “It’s time we told Saffy. She needs to know about Troy Ridgeway and his lies. He either killed Bruno on his own, or he did it with Evan Falcon.”

  Connie said, “Phone her now. The sooner she talks to Troy, the sooner she can release Dale.”

  “You’re very impatient today. Do you want to tell me why?”

  “Nerys phoned our Debra last night. She finally spoke to Dale. She told him she didn’t want to go ahead with the divorce. But instead of accepting it, he said she should continue. He said he wasn’t the man she deserved. She tried to make him see sense, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  With a cautious note in her voice, Sable said, “Connie, do you think Dale feels guilty about something?”

  “Don’t tell me you still think he had something to do with Bruno’s death? He’s innocent. I know he is. He’s just not thinking straight, that’s all.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Connie’s voice caught in her throat. “I am right. I have to be. Dale Spencer is not the kind of man to kill someone.”

  Sable said, “I’ll phone Saffy mow.”

  Chapter 21

  Sable and Connie kept themselves busy for the rest of the morning. Sable typed up their file notes on Dale’s case, and Connie answered the email enquiries they’d received.

  Sable caught Connie looking at her watch yet again and said, “You’ll break it if you keep staring at it like that.”

  “I can’t help it. It’s been hours since you phoned Saffy. I wonder if she’s spoken to Troy yet? I wonder what he said? Shall we phone her back? Is it too soon?”

  “Yes, it’s too soon. Let Saffy do her job.” Sable closed down the file she was working on. “Right, we’re going out for a drive. Get your coat.”

  “But what if Saffy phones?”

  Sable said, “They have these marvellous inventions nowadays. They’re called mobile phones. Saffy will be able to contact us wherever we are. Come on; we need to get out of here for a while.”

  Connie switched the laptop off. “Where are we going?”

  “I thought we could drive to that garden centre of yours. You can pick some rose bushes out for me. And perhaps some fruit trees too. How hard is it to grow fruit?”

  “Not hard. They have a good variety of apple trees at the centre. And a lovely selection of roses. You could buy some heather and lavender too for the side part of your garden.” Connie stopped talking and raised a finger. “I know what you’re doing, Sable Butterworth. You’re trying to take my mind off this case.”

  “I know. And it’s working. But I do want to buy some plants for the garden. If you’re there, you can pick the best ones. Don’t let me touch any. If I do, they will die. I haven’t got green fingers; I’ve got poisonous fingers when it comes to plants.”

  They set off to the garden centre and had a relaxing time wandering about. Connie helped Sable with her choice of plants, and it was two hours later when they returned to Sable’s house.

  As Sable opened the boot of the car, she said, “Are you sure you don’t mind helping me plant these? I could have a go myself.” Her tone was unconvincing.

  “Of course I’m sure. I love gardening. It’s so relaxing. These dwarf roses are going to look perfect in tubs on your patio.” Connie picked a lavender pot up and sniffed it. “You can put some of this in a muslin bag and place it under your pillow. It’ll help you sleep.”

  They took the plants to the rear garden and put them into position.

  Connie said, “Have you got a spade? And a trowel? And a watering can?”

  Sable waved a hand in the direction of the shed. “They’ll be somewhere in there. Cup of tea? I think we need one before we carry on.”

  “Good idea.”

  They headed along the side path. They jumped as someone stepped out from the front of the house.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Saffy said. “Have you got time to talk to me?”

  “We’ve always got time for you,” Connie said. “Come into the kitchen. We were about to have a cup of tea. Would you like one?”

  “Yes, please. I haven’t had a hot drink all day.”

  Connie scrutinised her for a moment. “Have you eaten?”

  “I had a packet of crisps,” Saffy said. “But that was a while ago.”

  Connie tutted and led Saffy into the kitchen. She told Saffy to take a seat, then she walked over to the fruit bowl. She picked up a banana, returned to Saffy’s side and said, “Eat that.”

  Saffy took the banana and said, “You really don’t have to make a fuss. But thank you.”

  Sable picked the kettle up and filled it with water. She called over to Saffy, “I’ve got some salad in the fridge. I could make you a sandwich.”

  “No, thanks. This banana will keep me going.” Saffy looked at the banana.

  Connie said, “It won’t peel itself. Go on; you may as well eat it while we’re waiting for the tea. It’ll give you energy.”

  Saffy started to peel the banana. “Connie, your concern is touching, but this isn’t a social visit. I wish it was. I’ve got some upsetting news for you.”

  “I thought you might. You haven’t smiled once since you arrived. Does it concern the death of Bruno Ridgeway?”

  “It does. I’ve spoken to Troy Ridgeway, and I’ve talked to Evan Falcon.”

  “Hang on, wait for me,” Sable said. “The tea’s nearly done. I want to hear everything.”

  Saffy ate the banana while Sable finished making the tea.

  Sable placed cups in front of everyone, sat down and said, “I’m ready.”

  “I got a full statement from Troy. He confirmed everything he told you at the hotel. I mentioned his return visit to his dad’s building at seven p.m., and his subsequent visit to the hotel where the award ceremony was taking place. He confirmed he was at both places.”

  “He’d have to,” Sable said. “He could hardly deny it. Did he leave the ceremony with Evan Falcon?”

  “He did. But Troy got a taxi and went back to his bed and breakfast. We’ve spoken to the taxi firm he used. They confirm they dropped him off there. And we spoke to the woman who runs the bed and breakfast. She said Troy went straight to his room. She was in the lounge and didn’t hear anyone leaving for the rest of the night. She leaves the lounge door open so she can see anyone coming down the stairs.”

  Connie sighed. “So, it doesn’t look like it was Troy who killed Bruno. What about Evan Falcon? He went back to the office. That was on the CCTV, wasn’t it?”

  “It was. Yes, he said he went back to the office. And he did see Mr Ridgeway. According to Mr Falcon, they had an argument about business affairs, and Mr Falcon left after ten minutes. He said Mr Ridgeway was still alive when he left.”

  “So he says,” Sable said. “He’s probably lying.”

  “I did consider that. But further CCTV shows Mr Falcon driving away from the building. And Mr Ridgeway’s phone records show he was making a call at the exact same time as Mr Falcon was caught on camera.” Saffy put her hands around the cup in front of her. “I think
you know what this means.”

  Connie felt her heart drop in her chest. “The only real suspect you have is Dale Spencer.”

  “I’m sorry, but yes, that’s right. He’s admitted he was there. He left his fingerprints at the scene. And he did have a motive to kill Mr Ridgeway.”

  Sable put her hand on top of Connie’s. “As hard as it is, you have to face the truth about Dale.”

  Connie looked down at the table. “I know.”

  Chapter 22

  Saffy stayed for another ten minutes and then left. She promised to let them know when she was free to come over for the promised lasagne. Sable collected the cups and washed them up. Connie continued to stare silently at the table.

  Sable put the last cup away and said loudly, “Right, Connie, you can’t sit there looking miserable. You can’t change what’s happened. Let’s go into the garden and sort those plants out.”

  “I don’t feel like it,” Connie replied.

  “Are you talking to me or the table?”

  Connie looked up. “You, of course. You’ll have to do the planting on your own.”

  “No, I won’t.” Sable walked over to Connie, put her hands under Connie’s armpits and attempted to heave her up. “I only got those plants because you said you’d help me. If I touch them, they’ll die. I can guarantee that. And then you’ll have the deaths of those poor plants on your conscience. They might even come back to haunt you. Imagine that; ghost plants floating around your home and wailing about their untimely deaths.” She heaved again.

  Connie chuckled. “Stop it. You’re tickling.”

  “And I’ll keep doing this until you move.”

  “You’re a sadist,” Connie said, but she got to her feet. “A bit of gardening will take my mind off Dale.”

  They went into the garden and Connie was soon immersed in the job at hand. Her thoughts went to her own garden and how it had looked when she’d first moved into the house with Clive. It had been like a jungle, and it had taken them weeks to clear it. It had been worth it. There had been countless happy days in the garden. First with her and Clive. Occasionally with Sable and Ian. Then, one by one, the children had come along. And now the grandchildren had taken over her garden.