Detective Sophie Allen Box Set 2

by MICHAEL HAMBLING

They were part way through their food when the man Barry thought he recognised came across to them. ‘Everything alright?’ he asked.

  They nodded.

  ‘It’s fine, Mr . . ?’ said Sophie.

  ‘Woodruff. I’m the licensee here.’

  ‘No complaints, you’ll be glad to hear. And the beer’s good too. How long have you had the pub, Mr Woodruff?’

  ‘It’s been in the family for years but most of that time it was my dad’s name above the door. He died early last month. We own a few other pubs and clubs in the area. Are you local?’

  ‘No. We’re based near Dorchester and were just passing by.’ She glanced across to the bar, but the other two men had their backs turned. Woodruff walked back to join them and all three left.

  ‘Do you think he recognised you, ma’am? The one with the scar?’

  Sophie shrugged. ‘I couldn’t tell. To be honest, I couldn’t care less. And anyway, all I am is some woman who spoke to him on Saturday morning, nothing more than that. And if he did recognise me, and found out who I am, it might put more pressure on him, and that might lead to a slip up. He either has something to hide or he doesn’t. If he does, we’ll get to the bottom of it. Let’s finish up. We should get back so I can needle Blackman and McCluskie a bit more.’

  * * *

  ‘So who is she?’

  ‘Only the fucking chief inspector in charge of the murder investigation, that’s who,’ Sorrento replied.

  He and Woodruff were standing at an office window, looking out through net curtains onto the car park below.

  ‘What? What’s she doing here?’

  ‘Maybe you can tell me. On second thoughts, I don’t want to know, in case it makes me some kind of accessory. If you did have anything to do with those deaths, Wayne, you’d better get your thinking cap on, because she seems to have picked up your scent. But one thing you need to know is that the rest of us won’t agree to you putting our insider at risk by leaning on him to find out. For years he’s been useful in keeping the cops out of our hair, and we want it to stay that way. He’s got to stay hidden. We don’t involve him, apart from asking him to keep us informed, even if you think he might save your hide. We have our futures to think about, and we don’t want them going down the pan.’ He looked out of the window again as the detectives drove away, the ginger-haired man behind the wheel. ‘Yeah, that car was parked along from mine on Saturday morning. It’s her alright. Look, Gordy and I’ll find out what we can and keep you posted. Just don’t do anything hasty. It’ll all probably blow over if you give it time.’

  Once Woodruff had returned to his office, Sorrento took out his mobile phone and sent an urgent text message. ‘Need to meet again. Important.’

  CHAPTER 18: Family Questions

  Thursday afternoon, Week 2

  Sophie sipped her tea and looked around the lounge of the Giroux home.

  ‘Have there been any developments?’ Sharon asked.

  ‘Yes, fairly substantial ones, but I can’t tell you any more than that, Dr Giroux, certainly no details at this stage. You must realise that there are a number of puzzling aspects to the case and we’re in the process of trying to link them all together.’

  ‘So there isn’t an imminent arrest?’

  ‘You just have to be patient. We don’t move until we’re fairly sure.’

  ‘In that case, why are you here?’

  ‘Because I need more information from you about your two-day visit to Exeter during your holiday. You told us it was in the middle of your second week in Cornwall. I need the full details. Times. Where you stayed, what you did, who you were with. It’s a necessary formality, Dr Giroux.’

  ‘Your DC could have asked me for that. Why you this time?’

  ‘Because I have a suspicion that you’re holding back on something. So, to start, I want full details about the conference.’

  Sharon sighed. ‘It was at Exeter University on the Monday and Tuesday of our second week in Cornwall. It was a catch-up for GPs on the latest information about prostate cancer diagnosis.’

  Sophie looked at her. ‘That was on the Monday, and it was a single day according to the organisers. It didn’t spill over to a second day.’ She waited.

  ‘On Tuesday there was a symposium on the latest treatments for patients with CPD, so I stayed on.’

  ‘That was in the afternoon, from two onwards.’ Again she waited.

  ‘What are you implying?’ Sharon asked.

  ‘I’m not implying anything, Dr Giroux. I just need to know where you were during those two days. Look, why don’t you start from the time you set off from your holiday cottage? The Monday morning, wasn’t it? What time?’

  ‘I left shortly after six thirty. I’d booked a taxi to take me to St Austell station. The session was due to begin at ten, so that gave me plenty of time for the journey. I checked in and dumped my bags in the overnight room I’d been allocated, then I freshened up. It also gave me time to grab a coffee before the session started.’

  ‘Did everyone arrive at about the same time?’

  ‘About half of us. Some of the people from further away had travelled the day before. Anyway, the session went on until six. It was meant to finish earlier, but there was a lot of discussion about a couple of points.’ She fell into silence.

  ‘Many of the delegates left at that point. Am I right?’

  Sharon seemed reticent. ‘Most. Only a few were staying over for the session on the following day.’

  ‘So what did you do that evening?’

  ‘I went out for dinner with a few other doctors and then on for some drinks.’

  A very minimal answer. Sophie again sensed that Sharon was nervous and holding back on something.

  ‘Is there something you want to add to that?’

  ‘No. Why should I? It’s what I did. I’ve answered your question.’

  ‘I’ll need names, for corroboration purposes.’

  ‘For heaven’s sake. This is ridiculous.’

  ‘It isn’t, Dr Giroux. We’re investigating a double murder, as you well know. Every single item of information we’re given is double checked. That’s standard procedure. If I went back without taking any names from you, it would be a dereliction of duty. You need to tell me who you were with.’

  Sharon pursed her lips. ‘I don’t know that I can do that.’

  ‘Well, let’s come back to it. You led us to believe that you were fully involved in a conference the next day, but it was only in the afternoon. So what did you do in the morning?’

  ‘I did some shopping in Exeter and wandered around the cathedral.’

  ‘Alone?’

  Again the pursed lips. ‘No. I was with someone.’

  ‘Was this someone in the group you spent the Tuesday evening with?’

  Sharon nodded.

  ‘And at the conference?’

  Sharon looked trapped. ‘Look, there was nothing in it, but I don’t want Pierre to know.’

  ‘So it was some kind of liaison?’

  Sharon sighed. ‘He was my boyfriend when I was at university. We split up just after we graduated. We’ve kept in touch but at a distance. Those two days were the first time we’d seen each other since we were students. We just wanted some time together to catch up on each other’s lives.’

  ‘So you weren’t out in a group?’

  ‘We were for the meal, then the two of us split off and headed to a different pub for a quiet drink. I think we were both curious to see if the old spark was still there.’

  ‘And was it?’

  ‘It was different compared to the old days. Look, I value what I have. My husband and family mean the world to me and I wouldn’t dream of doing anything that would put our future at risk.’

  ‘It’s not my place to judge you, but I will need his name and a contact number. As I said, everything has to be corroborated. But I can assure you that we will be totally discreet.’

  ‘Okay. I think I trust you and your team, but I’d have had prob
lems with those two cretins who came round initially. I wouldn’t trust them further than I could throw them. They make me shudder.’

  ‘None of this will go on the incident board, Dr Giroux. It will be kept tight between myself and my immediate team. I may not even tell them unless it opens up a new avenue.’

  ‘Well, it won’t, I can assure you of that. I didn’t kill my parents, if that’s what you mean.’ She wrote a name and telephone number on a slip of paper and handed it across to Sophie.

  ‘Does your husband know? That you stayed in contact?’

  Sharon shook her head and tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. She lowered her head, but then looked up again. ‘It’s just escapism. You must know, surely? Sometimes life seems to be just one gigantic juggling act. Family, work, house, elderly relatives. All those responsibilities piling up, all clamouring for attention. Even on holiday there was the pressure of keeping the kids amused. I just needed to escape from it all for a day or two.’

  Sophie covered Sharon’s hand with hers. ‘I know the feeling all too well. I said not to worry about it and I meant it.’

  Sharon gave her a weak smile.

  ‘We’ll need to see Pierre, to go through the same questions with him. Is he home at the moment?’

  ‘No. Today’s his day in Oxford. He’s due back mid-morning tomorrow.’

  ‘Okay. If I can’t make it, I’ll send one of my team round.’

  * * *

  Rae was putting the finishing touches to her report on the family finances. She’d discovered some unexpected aspects. Much of the financial history was as she would have expected, and showed a careful approach to managing their money. Their main bank account was jointly held, and the same had been true of their house mortgage until it had been paid off some years earlier. Sylvia had also maintained a savings account in her own name for many years and this account now held a sizable sum. The regular withdrawals from it seemed to have all gone to charity and were fairly small.

  Rae looked again at the details. Her boss had said often enough that money matters were at the root of so many family murders. People saw that the chance of gaining a large sum of money might be slipping away from them, and decided to act before they lost what they often saw as theirs by right. Maybe Sylvia had started talking about giving more of the money away to charity, and the son or daughter may have decided that their future inheritance was being put at risk. But which one? Sharon was far better off financially than Rod, but her overheads would be much greater. A larger house, two children, an expensive lifestyle. Rod was poor, almost destitute, but his needs were few. What if the two of them had acted together? What if the friction between them was a sham, put on deliberately to divert suspicion?

  She put the report aside and started on the details for Pete Armitage, Ted’s brother, included because he benefitted from the will. Rae only had access to a few documents at this stage but she could see that Pete’s decorating business was not exactly in the best of financial states. It appeared that the work had dried up a little in recent years with income only just matching his overheads. Maybe some more probing was required. Rae collected her jacket and walked across to Barry Marsh’s desk.

  ‘I’m just off to have a chat with Pete Armitage, boss. There are a few gaps in our knowledge of his financial background. Okay?’

  * * *

  Rae found Pete at home on a late lunch break, so they talked at the kitchen table while he munched his way through some ham sandwiches. He lived alone since an early marriage had failed within a year of the wedding. He’d become so used to pleasing himself in his daily routines that he couldn’t imagine having to adapt to a shared life.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking you these questions, Mr Armitage. As I explained on the phone, it’s necessary because you’re a beneficiary from the will.’ She took a sip from the mug of tea that he’d poured for her. ‘I know I’ve only seen preliminary figures, but it looks as though income for your business has slumped a bit in the past couple of years. Is that right?’

  ‘The crash hit everyone. I nearly went to the wall, and a lot of other people in the building and decorating trade didn’t make it. Trade’s picked up a bit since then, but it’s still not healthy.’

  ‘You’ve been employing Rod. Do you have any other workers?’

  Pete shook his head. ‘I used to have someone full time and at least one apprentice, but that’s all changed. I’ve just got rid of Rod too. He was a liability and I only employed him as a favour to Ted and Sylvia. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been losing money. His work was poor and he only turned up when he felt like it. I’ve just hired a new apprentice starting next month, and I hope she’ll turn out to have a better work ethic than Rod.’

  ‘So any money coming your way will be useful?’

  ‘If you’re talking about the money Ted and Sylvia left me in their will, then yes, it will be useful. Obviously. But if you’re suggesting that I was involved in their deaths, then you’ve got it wrong. That money was a thank you for giving Rod a job when he needed one. And I’ve been doing it for quite a few years now.’

  ‘But you’ve got rid of him pretty quick, haven’t you? Now they’re dead? How do you think that looks?’

  Pete looked at her angrily. ‘That comment doesn’t even deserve an answer.’

  ‘Did Ted or Sylvia give or loan you any money a few months ago?’

  ‘Why would they have done that? My business is fine, thank you very much, and I don’t go around asking for handouts.’

  ‘So is that a no?’

  ‘It’s a no. Now I have to get back to work. I have a job to finish.’

  CHAPTER 19: Dense and Substantial

  Thursday afternoon, Week 2

  DS Stu Blackman sighed, stretched back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

  ‘Christ, this is tedious stuff.’

  ‘Isn’t there a way we can swing a quick visit out somewhere?’ asked McCluskie. ‘I need some air. I need to stretch my legs. You’re the boss. Can’t you think of a reason?’

  ‘Need to lubricate your throat as well? The problem is, Her High and Mightiness made it clear we have to get clearance to go out. That means the reason has to be a good one. And my brain has gone dead.’

  ‘So you do have one, do you? It’s just that sometimes I wonder. Like now, for instance. Why can’t we go and see those two uniformed squaddies who found the car? Just to double check that we have all the details and they match with forensics? Doesn’t that sound convincing enough?’

  ‘You’re a genius, Phil.’

  ‘No I’m not. It’s just that you have a brain the size of a pea. How you made it to detective sergeant beats me. Marsh has just come back in, so let’s try it.’

  Blackman tightened his slightly grubby tie and left his desk, followed by McCluskie.

  Two minutes later the pair were back in their seats.

  ‘Christ,’ Blackman said, loosening his tie again.

  ‘Ditto,’ replied McCluskie. ‘Doesn’t it make you want to weep? Her High and Mightiness and the Ginger Gremlin. What a duo.’

  ‘Treating us like that! It’s not as though we’re bloody prisoners, is it?’

  McCluskie looked at him shrewdly. ‘That’s exactly what we are. She’s keeping us here so we can’t get up to any mischief. So the key question, Mr Mastermind, is what mischief are we in danger of getting into? What are we supposed to have done? ’cause she hates having me within half a mile of her, believe me, I know. I reckon there’s been a glitch in the investigation, maybe a leak, and we’re on the suspect list for it. Better to have us on the inside pissing out than on the outside pissing in. If I’m right and, let’s face it, I’m rarely wrong, we’ve stumbled onto something interesting. Let’s try to find what that glitch could have been.’

  ‘Then what?’

  ‘Manipulate a better deal for ourselves. What else?’

  * * *

  ‘So who might resent the potential loss of inheritance money? You say
she’d mentioned it to Sharon, Rae?’

  The whole team was assembled in the incident room for the late afternoon summary. Rae nodded.

  ‘Yes. I called her and she said that her mum had mentioned the possibility. I suppose the people most affected would have been Sharon herself, Rod, her brother Pete and Pierre, Sharon’s husband.’

  ‘And you spoke to Pete earlier this afternoon?’

  Rae nodded. ‘It was mainly because I could see that his decorating business is not very profitable. He can only just be making ends meet, and he’s just given Rod the sack. I wanted to question him about that, but I did ask him if he knew about any charity donations Ted and Sylvia were making. He denied it.’

  ‘And did you believe him?’

  ‘Not sure. He got a bit uptight when I mentioned it. He also got angry when I suggested his sacking of Rod was a bit soon after the deaths. I think he’s got a shorter fuse than I first thought.’

  ‘The other thing we don’t know is how well the parents got on with their son-in-law, Pierre.’

  ‘He’s next on the list to interview again,’ Sophie added. ‘He’ll be back from Oxford late tonight, so one of us can see him in the morning. He seemed a very pleasant and co-operative man when we spoke to him last week. You see him, Barry. He won’t try to use that Gallic charm on you.’

  Barry grinned. ‘Every reason to suspect him then?’

  We don’t know a lot about him. It might be worth doing some background checks. If Sharon was the apple of her dad’s eye and Pierre was in need of money, he might have approached Sylvia on the quiet. It’s a thought, isn’t it? Anything else, anyone?’

  ‘We got on well with Rod, ma’am,’ McCluskie said. ‘We discovered his liking for certain illegal substances, so if he needs to be interviewed again we’d be good to go.’

  Sophie was non-committal. ‘I’ll bear it in mind.’

  ‘It would be good for us to visit the scene, ma’am,’ continued McCluskie. We’re going through all the forensic stuff and crosschecking it, but it would make sense for it to be in context. Can we do that?’

  ‘Okay, but contact Rose Simons first and arrange for her to go with you. She can take you through what she spotted. And keep me in the frame.’ She looked at the clock. ‘She’s just about to come on duty. You could go now.’