Between Two Thieves

by Solomon Carter

  Georgie blushed, like she had overstepped her mark..

  “To be honest, no. Their little chats were mostly always private. Joe and Carl seemed to like it that way. Carl was always friendly to me, don’t get me wrong, but Joe was his project. The one he was looking after because Joe was alone so often.”

  Dan turned his attention back to Joe. “Okay... so you rowed because Carl was trying to convert you – at least that’s how you saw it. And then he left.”

  Joe gave a grudging nod. “I told him to go.”

  “Really?” said Georgie. “But I thought I heard him say he was leaving.”

  The young man gave Georgie an irritated look. “What? No, I told him to go...”

  Georgie looked doubtful but nodded regardless.

  “And you regret that row?” said Dan.

  “Yes. Of course. Maybe if I had been friendly, Carl might have stayed longer... and things could have turned out differently.” The young man’s eyes misted with tears. Dan felt his regret was genuine and he changed tack. Their row could have been significant, but it wasn’t obviously so. It was something to be logged for consideration.

  “The silver tin... do you remember if Carl had the tin on him when he was here?” said Dan.

  “Well, he must have done,” said Joe.

  “That’s not an answer, Joe. Did you see the tin at any point that evening before Carl left this house?”

  “I can’t remember. I don’t think so.”

  Georgie shot a sideward glance at young Clancy and both of them saw it. Joe either didn’t notice or didn’t want to.

  “Okay,” said Dan. “This is an important one. Do you think there could be any kind of connection between the murder of Norman Peters and the disappearance of Carl Renton?”

  “What? A market trader and Carl? What could they have in common? No, I don’t see it.”

  “Norman Peters had Carl’s tin. I was the one who found it.”

  Joe shrugged. “Then maybe Norm Peters found it too.”

  “Can you remember for certain the last time you saw that tin?” said Dan.

  Joe struggled, biting his lip as he searched his memory banks. Georgie watched, and couldn’t hold back any longer.

  “Joe, there has to be a connection between that market trader and Carl going missing, there has to be!” said Georgie. “I know Carl had that tin on him the other night.”

  Joe shot the girl a hard look.

  “How do you know? I can’t remember for certain, so how can you?”

  “Because Carl smiled at me and gave me one of his little Bible quotes as he walked out of the door. I thought it was a bit odd as he’d never done that to me before. But he did. This one’s for you, he said.”

  “He did?” said Joe. “What quote did he give you?”

  “It said something like ‘God is With You Gideon’. But that’s not the important part. The important thing is that he had the tin, don’t you think?”

  Joe frowned, a furrow appearing over his brow.

  “You’re sure he gave it to you on the last night?” said Joe.

  “I’m sure,” she said.

  Joe swallowed and looked away.

  “I still don’t see how that means Carl could be connected to any murder.”

  “Then I’ll spell it out for you,” said Dan. “By the time Norman Peters’ body was found, he was the one with that tin, not Carl Renton,” said Dan. “Somehow, in the short time between the last time you saw Carl and when Norman Peters was killed, Peters somehow got hold of that tin. Not only that, but emptied out all of those Bible quotes, and then found time to get himself killed. I saw him alive and kicking yesterday afternoon. So, how and when did he get hold of that tin? Do you see the connection now? Do you see how serious it is?”

  The young man’s face turned ashen. He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.

  “It’s too much... You’re not saying... are you?”

  But Dan thought the kid knew exactly what he was saying. He just didn’t want to face it.

  “Please,” said Joe. “I think I need a minute to myself. I’ll feel better soon.” He pulled himself up out of the chair and staggered to the doorway. Georgie offered to help him up the stairs, but he scolded her as soon as she approached.

  “Just leave it,” he said. “Sometimes you help too much.” The girl stepped back and let him make his way out of the room. They stood in awkward silence as Joe slowly climbed the stairs and shut his door.

  “I guess we should go,” said Dan, looking at Joanne. But Dan lingered, seeing something uncertain in the girl’s eyes.

  “Do you have something to tell us, Georgie?” said Dan.

  The girl’s eyes flitted between them, her lips open as if she was about to speak but the words never came. Instead, they heard a car roll up the kerb onto the driveway outside. The engine shut off, and they heard the clunk of a car door. They saw Aaron Clancy through the window, tall and purposeful, his eyes already passing over their faces through the bay window. Dan and Joanne saw Georgie clam up before their very eyes.

  “I should go and see if Joe is okay. Do you mind?”

  “Then you didn’t have anything to tell us?” said Dan as the girl walked away.

  “I told you already,” she muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I should see if Joe is okay...” she said and walked away, climbing the stairs quickly as the front door opened in the hallway.

  “That’s weird,” muttered Joanne.

  Dan nodded. “That girl knows something, and did you hear the way she contradicted Joe about the way Carl Renton left this house Thursday night? That really needs clearing up.”

  Aaron Clancy appeared in the living room doorway. He looked them over and offered the briefest of smiles, but the smile couldn’t cover his obvious mood. The man looked surly and stressed. Dan rose from his seat, as did Joanne.

  “Now there’s only two of you,” he said. “Have you come with news?”

  “News of a kind. There was a crowd with metal detectors at the beach this afternoon. News about the man finding your Celtic torq there must have spread. People seem to think it’s part of the stolen Saxon King exhibit.”

  “That’s only natural. Why would they think two sets of ancient treasures are on the loose? I take it nothing was found?”

  “No. Nothing from your collection. But we did find a body...”

  Aaron Clancy’s eyes widened. “Bloody heck. And that was on the same beach? Any idea who it was?”

  “A market trader by the name of Norman Peters.”

  Clancy frowned and shook his head. He looked perplexed.

  “Then the name doesn’t mean anything to you?” asked Dan.

  Clancy Senior shook his head, firm and definite. It was a much clearer response than given by his son.

  “Not at all,” he added. “And what about my collection?”

  “I don’t think anyone there found anything. But I’m sorry to say we haven’t found anything either, not yet. But don’t worry, my partner, Miss Roberts is still out there, and we’ve been looking all day.”

  “Looking is one thing – but I hired you to find them,” said Clancy. “You’d better get a move on before they disappear altogether..”

  “We’re working on it, I promise you. But this case is looking a lot more complicated than we first thought. Your missing gold is just one part of it, Mr Clancy.”

  “It’s not for me,” said Clancy.

  “I know you’d like it to be, but it’s not that simple. Carl Renton was here on Thursday night, and he went missing.”

  “Here we go again. We agreed that Carl Renton wasn’t a priority. Whether he turns up or not, it’s a side issue.”

  “One of Mr Renton’s prized possessions, a small silver snuff tin, ended up in that dead man’s pocket.”

  Clancy frowned and then shrugged.

  “A silver snuff tin? But that isn’t mine. It’s a red herring, man, forget it. Move on and look for my belongings. That dead body has nothing to
do with it.”

  “But it might, Mr Clancy. On Thursday night your items were stolen, Carl Renton was here, then he disappeared, you had a break-in and then your treasures disappeared. It was a very busy night. I need you to tell us what went on from your angle. Blow by blow.”

  The man made an exasperated expression and dragged a hand down his face – so hard it left pink marks behind.

  “Very well, if we must. But let’s just get this over with, before this investigation drags on until I have no chance of getting my treasures back.”

  Clancy walked into the room and opened a cabinet beside the fireplace. He pulled out a decanter with pale amber liquid in it. He raised the glass to check how much was left. There was a single tumbler in the cupboard beside the decanter. Aaron Clancy poured himself a sizeable measure and put the decanter away.

  “Forgive me if I don’t offer it around but this stuff costs more than a hundred per bottle. It’s pricey but it’s worth it.”

  “Single malt?” said Dan, sniffing the air.

  “The best there is. I’ve found myself needing one or two over the last few days.” Clancy took a sip and they watched him savour it before he swallowed. “Fire away.”

  “Just tell us what happened,” said Dan.

  “Like I told you, I went out with a lady friend of mine. I was expecting to come home that evening but things got a little, how shall I say...” He glanced at Joanne and picked his words carefully. “Friendlier, than I anticipated. I stayed there that night. When I came home the next morning I noticed a few of my pieces were missing from the cabinet in my study, and then I looked closer and realised the very best things had been stolen. I went into the kitchen and saw the back window had been broken. There was glass everywhere. That’s when I questioned Joe and Georgie and found them to be no use at all. My son had been asleep the whole time and hadn’t even stirred when the break-in occurred. It sounded a bit rich to me, but like I told you people before, Joe is a teenager so I suppose, technically, it is possible.”

  “Do you think your son lied to you?”

  The man frowned. “No. I think the best of him... I think he might have been drinking lately. A drunken man can sleep through almost anything.”

  “That’s possible,” said Dan. “You think he drinks, then?”

  “He’s a teenager, isn’t he? Thankfully, he’s not yet resorted to drinking any of my best stuff. There’d be trouble if he did.”

  Dan nodded. “Take a step back, Mr Clancy. What about when you left here that night. What time was that? How were things left?”

  “I’d already been out at teatime. About five-ish. I’d been working on some ideas for future business trips. I got a little carried away in my work and stayed late, until around eight pm. I stopped to grab a spot of shopping and came home. By the time I got back it was nine and I had to hurry to get ready for my date.”

  “Who was at home then?”

  “In the house? Joe was here. Georgie was here too, but she was getting ready to leave.”

  “Like she always does?” said Dan. Joanne kept her mouth firmly shut.

  “Yes. I insist on it. Joe can have a girlfriend, but she can’t stay here.”

  “Okay,” said Dan. He moved on without passing comment. “And you saw Georgie leave?”

  “No, I was busy getting ready. But the girl’s nothing if not meek and obedient. I knew she had gone because I heard Joe had stopped talking by then.”

  “Was Carl Renton still here when you arrived?”

  “No. I’d missed him, thankfully.”

  “And your treasures and other collection items were still here?”

  “I didn’t check on them specifically but I would have noticed if any of the display pieces were missing. They would have been quite obvious, but I didn’t notice, so I guess not. They were stolen in the break-in during the night.”

  Dan nodded, and moved on again.

  “Your son. How did he seem to you that night?”

  “Rotten, moody, objectionable, and a little under the weather again. He was upset from his little meeting with Carl Renton, which was something of a novelty. But I found it quite an annoyance actually. If Renton is of any use, it’s to make my son happy. But he was in an awful mood. He seemed annoyed with me for working late and annoyed at me for intending to go out again. But then I’m well used to that. These mood swings, maybe it’s drink, or maybe it’s to do with that girl of his. That’s another reason I won’t let her stay. Sometimes I’m not so sure she’s such a good influence on him after all. You don’t suppose she had anything to do with the theft do you?”

  “Anything’s possible, Mr Clancy,” said Dan. “But I doubt it.”

  “But anything is possible. I wanted to warn Joe to keep an eye on her, but I knew how he’d take it, so I refrained. Now I wish I had.” He sipped his whisky again. “I’m not sure about anyone anymore.”

  “And what happened after that?” said Dan.

  “I showered, changed and made myself look presentable. I was running late, so I had to hurry, of course. Then I began to worry something was wrong with Joe, as a father does, so when I was ready, I went to see him before I left. I took him up a glass of water, asked if he was okay but the boy spurned me as usual, so I left him up there falling asleep.”

  “And then?”

  “And then I left for my little evening of fun, and the rest, as they say, is history. As you know, Joe failed to hear the break-in, and the finest of my personal belongings were stolen from right under his nose. But with your help, not for long. Does that help you at all?”

  “It may,” said Dan.

  “Good then. And you’ve seen my son, I take it?”

  Dan nodded.

  “How is he?” said Aaron Clancy.

  “Same as ever, Mr Clancy.”

  “That bad, eh? Then I suppose I’d better go and see him now.” Clancy shook his head and downed the rest of his whisky, sluicing it around his mouth before he walked out of the room.

  “Is there anything else?” he said, looking back.

  “Nothing else,” said Dan.

  “Very good. Then please see yourselves out. Let me know when you find something, won’t you?”

  Dan and Joanne listened to the man as he climbed the stairs. They left the Clancy house and walked slowly down the driveway.

  “What did you think of all that?” said Joanne.

  “The only one who doesn’t seem to be holding back is Clancy Senior, the client. Funny thing is, I like him least of all.”

  “But he owns the missing items and he’s paying the fee.”

  “And that’s why I kept my mouth shut.”

  “You didn’t tell him about what I saw in the pub at the station, either.”

  “To use a word from the Eva Roberts’ lexicon, that’s because what you saw was inconclusive. There’s no way to be sure that you saw Clancy’s treasure winging its way to London in that rucksack. Besides, if I tell him we saw his items board a fast train to London and we didn’t stop it, I don’t think he’s going to thank us very much, do you?”

  “Probably not,” said Joanne.

  “Private investigation can be a messy business. Sometimes the only thing to do is watch, listen and keep your mouth shut.”

  “That doesn’t sound very you, Dan.”

  “It isn’t. But when I’ve learned all I need to know, that’s when I can cut loose again. There’s a lot going on in that house. Somehow we need to drill down to see what’s happening beneath the surface.”

  Behind them, up on the first floor of the Clancy house, two pale shadows watched Dan and Joanne walk away from behind net curtains.

  Thirteen

  “Georgie was there all night,” said Eva. “Clancy still doesn’t know that.”

  Eva looked a little frazzled by her meeting with Lauren. Dan could see there were things on her mind, but with Joanne around he would have to hold back from asking.

  “So, do we think she was involved in the theft?” said Eva. “Ma
ybe as a go-between or even the one who set it up?”

  They walked as a trio, heading for the beach between the marine centre and the Seascape bistro. The police tent at the side of the marine centre was still in place. There was a blue and white “Do Not Cross – Crime Scene” tape around the entrance gap through the sea wall, and there was a separate small taped barrier coned off around the tent. A small police presence was still in place, guarding the now empty crime scene.

  “Georgie was there, but I don’t think she was involved in it. I still buy the cowering-in-fear theory Joe Clancy gave us. It matches his sweaty demeanour. Sounds harsh to say it, but the kid’s weak.”

  “So it wasn’t Georgie,” said Eva.

  “No. She’s too soft for that,” said Joanne.

  “So what else happened that night?” said Eva.

  “They rowed – Joe and Carl Renton. Joe confessed to that himself. It could have been about the kid’s reluctance to join the faith. I found a screwed-up Bible tract in the kitchen waste bin, which kind of backs up his story. If Carl was the conversion type, the kid would have been a big disappointment to him. But it could have been something else. Georgie said she heard him say he was leaving, but Joe says he argued with Carl and told him to go. Which is a big difference. If she’s right it changes the dynamic. Joe paints it like he had the power and Carl was dismissed on his say so... But if Carl said he was leaving – perhaps leaving for good – it suggests he had the power in some way.”

  “Power? I don’t follow,” said Eva.

  “It was just the way she described how Carl left the house. Joe explained it differently – That he told Carl Renton to leave. That seemed important to him. I don’t know why, but we’ll work it out. But if Carl was leaving for good, then that gives me a sense that Carl Renton had had enough of their relationship.”

  “It’s still the same thing. Joe refused to come to the faith,” said Eva.

  “The conversion theory. But what if it was something else? The ornaments, artefacts, treasure, whatever Clancy calls his shiny things. They could have been involved as an issue between them. Maybe Renton’s charity was insolvent and needed saving. Maybe Renton had secretly abandoned the holy life and wanted a more material life and the kid wasn’t delivering as promised, so he walked out and took matters into his own hands.”