A close examination of the site had been carried out and several casts made of footprints found in the garden.
‘That one looks very like the one we saw in that cottage,’ one of the detectives remarked. ‘See, those bars across the middle of the sole. We should be able to trace them, shouldn’t we?’
‘Any prints left when the car went over? Should tie it all in nicely if they’re the same ones.’
‘I’ll call Camborne and see if they’ve got anything.’
A few minutes later, he returned, carrying a printout from the computer. ‘Take a look at this. I reckon it’s an exact match. Now all we have to do is find the owner of those trainers and we’re there. We’ll have the bastard for what he did to Treacle, the old lady and probably the fire. It’s a cert they’re all connected somehow.’
A trawl round the internet soon found the maker’s name of the trainers and a local shop who stocked them. A couple of men were sent to ask if they had a list of people who had purchased the brand recently.
‘I’m afraid not. We’ve sold a few pairs of these and we don’t keep records of cash sales. Just the total sales. There are few credit card purchases but I doubt they’ll be much help.’
After the promising start, the trainers had led nowhere. It could even have been the sergeant’s diligence in trying to check his assailant’s footprints that had led to his demise. All they knew was that the owner of those trainers took size eleven shoes. Chances were if Treacle had tried to look at the soles of the trainers, the owner would have been tipped off and probably have got rid of them by now.
‘They haven’t come up with anybody seen wandering round that area of the North Coast have they?’
‘No. They’ve done a door-to-door and asked at the pub. And they asked if the bus picked up anyone along the road. No, I guess whoever dumped the car, he had someone with him to drive him back. Could have come from anywhere. Even been local to Trengillyn.’
‘Bastard. Once we get him, we’ll do him for killing the old lady too. It was an open verdict so there’s still a good chance he’ll go down for that as well.’
‘If we can catch him.’
‘When we catch him. Be positive.’
Chapter Thirty-one
It was a strange weekend for Julia. Staying in a small house with someone she didn’t know was a completely new experience. Her shopping trip was the highlight of the weekend and she felt pleased with her purchases. It had been a novelty to seek out bargains rather than buying whatever she wanted on a whim. She spoke to Ryan and told him what she was doing. He still sounded rather remote from things and seemed completely disinterested in everything she was saying.
She gave a shrug. She couldn’t worry about him with everything else she had to think about. One decision she had made was that, somehow, she had to look inside the safe in Bryce’s office. She was convinced some of his secret deals must be hidden in there.
She spent most of the journey back composing a few possible anecdotes about her weekend. The reality was far from the tales she might spin. If necessary, she could tell Bryce all sorts of stories about things they had done. But her quiet walks along unfamiliar beaches and her early nights had done her good, giving her time to consider her future. A few fibs here and there were a small price to pay. She hadn’t reached any firm conclusions yet but it had given her a breathing space. When she reached Bryce’s house, there was a strange car parked outside. He had someone visiting. She hesitated, not wanting to walk in on something so she rang the doorbell rather than using her key.
‘Haven’t you got your key?’ Bryce asked.
‘I thought you had a visitor. I didn’t want to intrude.’ She put her new holdall down in the hall.
‘No problem. Just an acquaintance. Come and meet him.’ He ushered her into the living room. ‘Derek, meet Julia. Julia Renton. This is Derek. We do some of the property development work together.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ she said politely.
‘And you, Miss Renton.’ There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes when her name was mentioned but she couldn’t make any connection. Perhaps he’d been to the office or something.
‘Call me Julia, please.’
‘Drink, Julia?’
‘Thank you. I’ll have a glass of wine if you have some open.’
‘No hangovers after last night?’ Bryce asked with a smile.
‘No. More of a chocolate-eating weekend than alcohol.’ This at least was true. She’d bought a large block of chocolate and sat in her room reading and indulging herself the previous evening.
There was polite conversation but neither of the men spoke of the subject that might have interested her most, namely the possible redevelopment of the lane. One offer surprised her.
‘Derek can organise clearing the site of the fire if you’d like him to. He has the equipment free at the moment.’
‘Yes, indeed. A digger and possibly several skips are what it’ll need to get rid of the debris and remove the remains of the walls.’ Derek sounded as if he knew what he was talking about. This must be his role in the property company.
‘Leaves it clear then, ready for whatever you decide you want to do,’ Bryce added.
Julia stared. All these suggestions seemed a bit contrived.
‘Well, thanks. I’ll give it some thought when I’ve spoken to my brother. He’s joint owner,’ she added for Derek’s benefit.
‘As you like. It’s just a window of opportunity I have for a day or two. Don’t leave it too long to decide or I’ll be moving the equipment elsewhere.’
‘It’s a good offer,’ Bryce told her. ‘It can cost a fortune normally. Derek’s offering to do it at minimal cost.’
She still could give no firm answer. She wondered why he was making the offer. Maybe just a friendly gesture to his colleague or whatever Bryce was.
At last, Derek stood up to leave. She felt hungry after just a snack lunch. She wondered if Bryce had made any plans for a meal or whether she might go to the pub for some supper. She took her bag up to her room and unpacked her new purchases. She heard Bryce coming upstairs and he called to her.
‘Have you eaten? I was going to cook something quick.’
‘I’d thought I might go to the pub.’ She didn’t want to offend him but the pub was likely to be much more fun than trying to be polite and also keep her suspicions to herself. Though he was unaware of it, she’d had a very quiet weekend. She didn’t want him to think she was avoiding him, even if she was.
‘As you like. I was only going to heat up a ready meal. I’ve been working most of the day. Big meeting in Truro again tomorrow. Plans are coming together nicely.’
‘How exciting for you. What’s this going to be, then?’
‘Still can’t say. All under wraps.’
‘Hope it works out the way you want it to, whatever it is. See you later.’
There were few people she knew in the pub but she was happy to sit alone and enjoy her meal and have time to think some more. Derek was part of the grand plan in some way but she didn’t believe he was one of the major players.
A group came into the bar, making a lot of noise. Gwen, Demelza, and Terry were with them, along with the Aussie surfers and some of the others she recognised from previous occasions. To her surprise, Lucy and, presumably, the much talked of Wayne were among the group. They all seemed high as kites, obviously having spent time drinking or taking who knew what, for some time before they turned up here.
Rick came over to her table.
‘Think they’re all bit noisy today. Party on the beach. All sorts of stuff flying around. Drives me mad the way people abuse their bodies.’
‘Don’t tell me you haven’t ever taken something or smoked the odd substance?’
‘Only once. I hated it so much I’ve never done it again.’
‘I see Lucy’s there in the swing of things. Thought she was too busy getting her wedding stuff organised.’
‘Think it started as a bit of pre
-wedding party. Hope Jim can cope with them. Anyway, can I get you something? I’d be glad of a bit of peace talking to you rather than trying to keep up with that lot.’
‘Thanks. I’ll have another beer.’
‘You could join the rest if you want to.’
‘Rather sit here really, but don’t feel you have to leave the gang.’ He smiled and raised his eyes.
‘No contest.’ He went to order the drinks. Lucy spotted her and tottered over.
‘Hello, Julia,’ she mumbled. ‘You’re here all by yourself.’ Her words were slurred and her eyes seemed to find difficulty focussing. ‘You can come and join us if you like.’
‘Lucy, hi. You all ready for next Saturday?’
‘Oh yes. My Wayne’s all ready too. He’s the good-looking one over there.’ She waved a vague hand towards the group. ‘Been havin’ a bit of a shelebra … shelebrate … He’s comin’ into loads of lovely dosh. And we’re shelebratin’.’
‘So I see. Well, enjoy yourself.’
Rick came back and rescued her. ‘Your bloke’s looking for you Lucy. He could turn nasty if you don’t get back to him.’
Julia stared at Rick with questioning eyes. ‘Only joking,’ he said. ‘Poor guy’s well under the thumb. She’s quite a bossy little thing.’ He put the glasses down and sat beside her. ‘So, how’s life with the Lord and Master of Trengillyn?’
‘I dunno really. Look, can I speak to you in confidence?’
‘Course you can. He been trying it on with you? I can always come and sort him out.’
‘Thanks, but nothing like that. No, I really mean in confidence. I’ve got to talk to someone or I’ll burst.’
‘It’s OK. I know how to keep quiet. What’s wrong?’
‘There’s something big going on. Bryce is behind it all, I’m sure. He won’t tell me anything but he’s forever going off to meetings and dropped several hints about the area down the lane.’
‘So what are you thinking?’
‘I don’t have anything clear in my mind yet. But I seriously think that he could, somehow, be behind all the vandalism and other stuff that’s been going on.’
‘Not his style, surely? I don’t see him getting his hands dirty.’
‘No but he could be paying someone to do it for him. He’s made sure his own places have been robbed as well to remove suspicion away from him. But he’s got a mobile hidden in his desk. Just a very basic one and not his usual hi-tech sort of thing. I suspect it’s a one person contact sort of thing. When he was out, I answered a call from someone who hung up when he heard my voice. Later, I heard it go again and he was speaking to someone about payment. Said he didn’t have that sort of cash available and that he had to wait till after the wedding, as agreed. Bryce went ballistic when he found out I’d answered it before.’
‘And you think it could be Wayne calling him? That’s the only wedding we know about.’
‘I think so. Or his brother. He doesn’t seem the type really but I suppose it does make some sort of sense. Lucy working in the office must give him some sort of contact. The other thing he said to me was that Ryan and I might not get planning for a rebuild. He was still trying to encourage me to sell the land.’
‘Have you spoken to Ryan about it?’
‘He’s in a dark place of his own at the moment. He doesn’t want listen to me. Not about anything.’
‘How can I help?’
‘You any good at hacking a computer or opening a safe?’
‘That sounds a bit desperate. I’m pretty nifty with computers. I could have a go.’
‘Seriously?’
‘If you really think it’s necessary. And if you want to take the risk, of course.’
‘I have to know what’s happening. I could lose everything if I don’t get things sorted with the cottage. What’s left of it, that is. Bryce is out for the day tomorrow. I’ll be in the office on my own.’
‘I’ll come when you give me the heads up. Give me a call when you’re sure the coast’s clear.’
‘Thanks, you’re a mate.’
‘Just a mate? I’d like it to be much more than that. I enjoyed our little fling. I was sorry when you didn’t want to take it further.’
‘I was otherwise engaged, fighting fires and such. Let’s get this stuff out of the way and see where we’re going after that. I’m not sure how I’d feel about living half the year in Australia.’
‘As it happens, I may not be doing that for much longer. I’ve been offered a job in Plymouth. I plan to take it. There’s something that keeps pulling me back to Cornwall.’
‘Really? I’m delighted to hear it. I adore living in Cornwall. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’
‘Now things really do look promising.’ He took her hand and leaned over to kiss her.
Chapter Thirty-two
Bryce had gone to bed when Julia returned to the house. She was relieved that she didn’t have to make polite conversation to him, especially with her mind fully engaged on the next day’s plans. She felt some conscience pricking about it, especially as he’d been generous on giving her a place to stay and providing her with extra money. But her curiosity was taking over her every thought. She kept telling herself she needed to do it for her own sake as the cottage site was clearly involved in some way.
Bryce went out early and she was able to enjoy coffee and toast, again without seeing him. He had left her a note with several tasks he wanted her to perform during the day. To her surprise, he had also left a key and code to the office safe, asking her to take out a couple of documents and make copies of them. Well that saves one job, she thought. There certainly couldn’t be anything significant in there if he was giving her access to the safe. All the same, it might answer some of her questions
There were several messages needing responses when she got to the office. She looked for the documents in the safe and went through all the folders but there was nothing there that showed her anything more than she knew already. It was slightly disappointing. She dealt with everything quickly and when she was feeling certain the coast was clear, she called Rick.
She used her mobile making sure she didn’t leave any trail on the office phone. She knew that Bryce had a detailed account so he could check that nobody, particularly Lucy, was making unauthorised calls. She booted up Bryce’s computer and waited for Rick to arrive. She planned to stay in the reception area most of the time while he was working, in case anyone came in. Though he had said he would be out all day, she didn’t want to be caught out if Bryce returned suddenly.
Rick spent a long time trying different options on Bryce’s computer. Eventually, by means of something she didn’t understand at all, he had managed to find a way into the hidden files.
‘I’m not sure if this is what you want, but there’s a heap of stuff about planning.’
‘Keep a lookout for me, while I see what there is.’
“ Trengillyn Complex, current status report”’, she read. There was a list of all the properties owned by something named simply “The Consortium”. They were all the holiday lets and more. The only properties not currently owned were the doctor’s place and Crofters. She read through the long passages of legal jargon, naming the various parties and their so-called titles for the purpose, until she came to the nub of the information.
“It is expected that purchase of the land on which Crofters stood will soon be completed by The Consortium. All obstacles have been removed and an imminent deal is expected. The acquisition of the final property is also agreed, as expected.
Phase One will begin this autumn and the major building works will start immediately demolition is finished. The new road structure must also be completed before demolition to allow for easy movement and access for plant. The connecting road through the complex is to be closed immediately after this summer season on September 8th.
The opposition of residents further up the road who claim they will be inconvenienced by having to travel longer distances, has been dismis
sed. This objection was turned down in light of the benefits of the major development of the area .”
‘Wow, this really looks like everything’s been decided. Planning and everything. Some major complex in the pipeline. Not sure what that is yet.’
‘Read on and see what else is there,’ Rick told her. She read out loud.
“The leisure centre will border the coast to allow for water sports in a closed area of the bay and three hotels, two night clubs, and a large children’s play area will take up the rest of the area.
Several boutique shops will be sited within the hotel complex, together with other retail units and service providers.
Once access to the cliff-side area can be achieved, a number of self-catering chalets are planned.”
‘This all sounds pretty major to me.’
‘I’m wondering who The Consortium are. It’s obviously a multi, multimillion pound project. No wonder they wanted the Smythes out of their place, and Ryan and me from ours. And it says the deal is already done for my cottage. Like hell it is. I haven’t agreed anything yet.’
‘And Crofters would be right in the way of everything. You said there was a question mark over planning being allowed. This is obviously why. You are sitting on a prime blackmail plot, my girl. You can hold out for major amounts of money.’
‘But if the council is behind all of this, they’ll make a compulsory purchase order. I’ll get peanuts, especially as there’s no property to include in the compensation. The company also said the insurance money has a question mark over it. The policy runs out any minute and we have to renew it. I don’t have the money for that anyway. My father did say he’d deal with it but as far as I know, he hasn’t done anything yet. Mind you he hasn’t been back in his office as he was in Cornwall last week.’
She drew in her breath. They both looked at each other.
‘Your father?’
‘Never. He hates Cornwall. He’d surely never have anything to do with this?’
‘Multimillions can make the best of people change their opinions.’
‘I really do have to find out who are the people in this consortium. There’s nothing else here,’ she said after many minutes spent searching.
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