‘Only if the course of our investigation into Jamie’s death makes it unavoidable,’ said Kay.
‘I haven’t had another affair since Jamie,’ Penny said, her tone desperate. ‘I don’t know. I felt that his death was God’s way of punishing me for cheating on my husband.’
Kay resisted the urge to sigh.
‘We’ll be in touch if we have any other questions, Mrs Boyd.’
Twenty-Three
‘What did you make of that?’
Kay read through Gavin’s notes as he drove them back towards Maidstone.
‘I don’t think she’s our suspect,’ he said.
‘No, I don’t think so. Guilty of cheating on her husband, but that’s about it. I wonder why she thinks Jamie’s accident is her fault.’
‘Well, like she said, if he was desperate to see her to make her reconsider breaking off their affair, maybe he wasn’t concentrating hard enough on the road conditions that night.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Motor vehicle accidents, though? Too much of a coincidence, don’t you think, that her husband works in that area of law?’ Gavin nosed the car into the traffic, and held up his hand in thanks as another driver braked to let him through.
‘How did that not get picked up on the system?’ said Kay.
‘His biography on the firm’s site is only a general one, and it doesn’t mention anything about motor vehicles.’
‘Right, well let’s see what Mr Boyd has to say for himself.’
‘What about the fact his wife was having an affair?’
‘I’m a detective, not a marriage wrecker,’ said Kay. ‘It serves no purpose bringing that up.’
She pulled her phone from her bag, and dialled the number for the firm of solicitors that Glenn Boyd now worked for. After five minutes negotiating with the receptionist, she made an appointment to meet with him later that morning.
‘Right, well, we might as well go and get something to eat while we wait. If we go back to the station, we may never escape again.’
Gavin manoeuvred the car into the correct lane on the ring road to take them into the town centre.
Kay wouldn’t have put money on it, but he found a parking space only metres from their favourite café and turned to her with a wide smile.
‘You can wipe that smug look off your face, Piper. You’re paying for breakfast.’
An hour later, they arrived at the front door to the firm of solicitors with ten minutes to spare.
Like many of the professional firms around the town, the firm was housed in a row of seventeenth-century buildings that had been knocked into one on the inside, providing ample space for the partners, associates, and administrative staff that were needed to run the business efficiently.
The refurbishment had been carried out tastefully, too.
Kay admired the exposed beams, their dark colours standing out in contrast to the pale coloured walls. She loved the way that the interior walls hadn’t been straightened out by the builders. Instead, their uneven surface served as a feature in the reception area.
The receptionist waved them to two armchairs, plucking a phone from its cradle and putting it to her ear as they made themselves comfortable.
They didn’t have to wait long.
A man’s voice reached Kay’s ears from the direction of an archway that had been left in situ behind the reception desk during the original renovations, before he stepped into view, shoving a mobile phone into his shirt pocket as he locked eyes with her.
He held out his hand as he approached.
‘Detective Hunter? I’m Glenn Boyd.’
‘Thanks for seeing us this morning. This is my colleague, DC Gavin Piper.’
‘There’s a spare meeting room we can use for the next hour. Would you like to follow me?’
He turned without waiting for an answer, and called over his shoulder as he led the way back through the archway.
‘Helen? Can you send any phone calls for me through to Stephanie?’
Kay didn’t hear the receptionist’s response, but followed Boyd along the corridor a short way, before he turned left and held open a door for her and Gavin.
‘Here we go. Unfortunately, I’m not high enough up in the firm yet to warrant my own office.’
‘This will be fine,’ said Kay.
‘You mentioned on the phone it was about Jamie Ingram?’
‘Yes. We’ve been requested to reopen the investigation into his death ten years ago, as we’ve received some new information.’
Boyd’s brow furrowed as he lowered himself into a chair opposite them. ‘I’m presuming you can’t tell me what information that is?’
Kay smiled. ‘I’m sorry, no.’
He shrugged. ‘Okay. What do you need to know?’
‘I’d like to know where you were on the night Jamie Ingram died.’
His eyes darted from her to Gavin, and back. ‘What? Am I a suspect, or something? Jamie’s motorbike accident was just that – an accident, wasn’t it?’
‘Answer the question, please.’
‘I was in the office at the barracks. All personnel were due back by midnight the next day, and you wouldn’t believe the paperwork involved in getting them ready for redeployment. I had my hands full – it was one o’clock in the morning by the time I finished and went back to my quarters.’
‘Do you have an alibi for that time?’
‘I don’t need one. The offices at the barracks had a security system that we time coded. You can pull the records, and see for yourself.’
‘You must have been relieved when his crash was ruled an accident.’
‘I didn’t kill him, Detective.’
‘You certainly had motive. You were caught fighting with him behind the barracks six months before his death. What was all that about?’
Boyd snorted, and shook his head. A sadness filled his eyes, and he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a handkerchief before blowing his nose.
‘Detective, you asked me just now if I had an alibi for the night Jamie died. I do, but please – be careful with this information.’
He reached out for a complimentary pen and notepad that had been set next to the water glasses in the middle of the table, and proceeded to write out a name and phone number on it. He handed it to Kay.
‘I don’t know if this number will still work. It’s from ten years ago, after all.’
Kay bit her lip as she read the text, and then raised her gaze to meet his.
‘You see,’ he said, ‘my wife wasn’t the only one having an affair. I’m sure you’ll find out about her and Jamie Ingram during the course of your enquiries. Life in the army is hard. You find yourself drifting away from those you love the most.’
‘And yet, you’re both still together.’
‘She never found out about my affair. She thinks I didn’t know about her and Jamie. I love her. I always will.’
Kay sighed, and passed the piece of paper to Gavin, who tucked it into his notebook. She turned back to Boyd.
‘Tell me about the drugs. How were they getting into the country?’
‘Did Devon Sharp or Stephen Carterton tell you about the empty fuel tank?’
‘I’m not at liberty to say who told us.’
‘Well, it was hardly a secret once half a kilo of cocaine was found. We never did find out how they managed it. More’s the pity. Then Jamie died, and the investigation petered out.’
‘Did Jamie seem scared in the days leading up to his death?’
Boyd stared into space for a moment, then blinked. ‘Not scared, no. Distracted, yes. As if there was something on his mind. At the time, I thought it might have been linked to the drugs that were found, but I’m not sure now.’
‘Surely imported goods would’ve needed someone higher up to sign off the paperwork? Jamie must’ve had help higher up to pull off that amount of smuggling.’
Boyd shook his head. ‘Not me, and I don’t believe Carterton would have done, either – not
the way he ripped the place apart when those drugs were found. It was his reputation on the line, not to mention the criminal prosecutions that would hang over the regiment. He’d never risk it.’
‘So, who?’
He loosened his tie before resting his elbows on the table. ‘There was a captain who used to work in the office at the barracks – procurement and the like. I had my doubts about him, to be honest, but it’s too late now.’
‘Why?’
‘He died two years ago after a massive stroke, Detective.’
Kay pursed her lips and fought down her frustration. ‘What about the buyer? Any ideas who Jamie might have been planning to sell the drugs to?’
‘I’m sorry, no.’
Twenty-Four
Kay tapped her pen against the desk, wondering which angle of enquiry she could pursue next, before she tossed it onto a pile of folders and strode into Sharp’s office.
Carys joined her as she paced in front of the whiteboard.
‘You usually moan at Sharp for wearing out the carpet.’
‘I’m beginning to understand why he does this.’
‘Penny for your thoughts?’
‘I’m not sure they’re worth that at the moment.’
‘Try me.’ Carys sank into one of the visitor chairs next to Sharp’s desk and then glanced up as Gavin, Debbie, and Barnes joined them. ‘Good timing.’
‘I’ve got those records and everything you requested about Carl Ashton’s wine bar,’ said Debbie, handing over a folder to Kay. ‘And I made copies for everyone else.’
‘Cheers, thanks. Great work.’
Barnes swore under his breath as he leaned against the windowsill and turned the pages. ‘This business should have gone under two years ago.’
‘We’re either right, and he’s using cash to prop up the business, or he’s got a very clever accountant,’ said Kay as she ran her gaze over the news clippings depicting extravagant refurbishments and charity donations.
‘When was the bar established?’ said Barnes.
‘Nine years ago,’ said Debbie. ‘He registered the business as a public limited company two years ago. We’ll obviously need a warrant for his accounting records.’
‘So, we might only be seeing an indication of a fraction of the money that’s gone through that bar?’
‘Exactly.’
‘I wonder what made him register the business?’ said Gavin.
Kay flicked through the pages at the end of the report, and then flung it onto Sharp’s desk. ‘He’s protecting himself. If the business goes into liquidation, he can walk away and no-one can do anything about it.’
‘Which makes you wonder if his “inheritance” is starting to run out,’ said Barnes.
‘Exactly. How did you get on doing the background checks on Glenn and Penny Boyd, Gavin?’ said Kay.
‘There’s nothing of concern,’ he said. ‘I think they’re both in the clear with regard to the drugs.’
‘Do you think he knew his wife continued her affair with Jamie after he’d beaten him up that time?’ said Carys.
‘No, I don’t,’ said Kay. ‘Mind you, it’s hard to have any sympathy for either of them – they’re as bad as each other in that respect.’
‘So, back to what we were saying. What do you think was going on?’
‘Okay, this is what we know so far. Jamie and, possibly, Ashton was smuggling cocaine into the country, using equipment coming back from Afghanistan to hide it in. Glenn Boyd said that the senior officer responsible for signing off that equipment for Customs and Excise purposes died of a stroke two years ago, so we can’t interview him. There wasn’t enough evidence at the time to charge Jamie, but an investigation by the Royal Military Police was underway when he died.’
‘Do you think someone killed him to silence him, then?’
‘I’m not sure. I mean – why kill someone who was your only supply source?’
‘Rivalry? Perhaps somebody else had a vested interest in smuggling the drugs into the country?’ said Barnes.
Kay scribbled the suggestion on the whiteboard. ‘It’s worth considering. After all, half a kilo of cocaine isn’t cheap. I’m sure once word got around that a few people would have been left wondering how he managed to smuggle it in.’
‘Do you think he had done it before?’ said Gavin.
‘If he did, then how did he get away with it?’
‘Luck, perhaps.’ Gavin shrugged. ‘Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Did Stephen Carterton say that they checked every container that came back, or did they pick one or two at random?’
‘He didn’t,’ said Kay. ‘Carys – can you clarify that with him?’
‘Will do. You think they were cutting corners on their Customs and Excise responsibilities?’
‘Bet they didn’t once they found half a kilo that time,’ said Barnes. ‘No wonder Sharp said they turned the barracks inside out trying to find out who smuggled it in.’
‘On top of that, from everything we’ve gone through, we still don’t know who he was supplying to. I mean, half a kilo of cocaine is an enormous amount to risk bringing in, let alone trying to distribute it. And, from what we’re hearing, that wasn’t the only time. So, who the hell was buying it?’
‘We also have to look at the possibility of a disgruntled customer being responsible for his death,’ said Barnes.
‘True.’ Kay added his suggestion to the board, then replaced the cap on the pen and turned to the team. ‘Well, that certainly gives us some work to do.’
Barnes pushed himself away from the windowsill. ‘What you want to do next?’
‘Arrest Carl Ashton and bring him in for questioning in relation to the drug smuggling. Can you arrange that, Carys?’
‘Will do.’
‘Good. We’ll do the interview first thing in the morning.’
‘I’ll bring the coffee,’ said Barnes.
Twenty-Five
The following morning, Kay opened the door to interview room two and stepped aside so that Carl Ashton and his solicitor could enter.
As they took their seats, Barnes checked the recording equipment and issued Ashton with the formal caution before taking a seat and nodding to Kay.
She opened the folder in front of her.
‘To be clear, Mr Ashton, and to follow on from what my colleague has informed you and your solicitor, this is a formal interview to ask you questions in relation to alleged money laundering, the smuggling of drugs into the UK, and your involvement in the death of Jamie Ingram.’
Ashton swallowed, and paled a little.
When he didn’t answer, Kay continued.
‘How long have you had the bar for?’
‘About nine years. Ever since I left the army.’
‘What made you decide to become a licensee?’
He smirked. ‘I like beer.’
Kay narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Let’s not start off on the wrong foot, Mr Ashton. Don’t try to be clever with me. How did you finance the purchase of the wine bar?’
He shuffled in his seat and lowered his gaze. ‘It was going cheap. The last owner screwed up, and was trying to get rid of it as soon as possible.’
‘That’s all very interesting, but answer the question. How could you afford to buy it?’
‘I told you before. I got an inheritance a few months before leaving the army.’
Kay flicked through her notes. ‘Who is your accountant?’
‘I use a different one these days. My old accountant retired. Why?’
‘There are a number of newspaper reports available online that demonstrate you’ve been spending a lot of money on the business over the years. For example, you undertook a massive refurbishment prior to opening the bar, and then a year later won a local business award due to the number of staff you successfully employed. On top of that, three years ago you underwent a rebranding exercise, which I would imagine wasn’t cheap, in order to launch the café you established within the building. Who did you get the inherita
nce from?’
‘I can’t remember. It might have been a great-aunt, on my dad’s side. I didn’t know her very well.’ He shrugged. ‘It was a long time ago.’
‘And yet, she left you enough money in her will that you could buy a struggling business and spend significant funds to turn around its fortunes, and keep it afloat.’
‘It was unexpected, that’s true. As for the success of the wine bar, well that’s simply hard graft on my part.’
‘We’ll need the details of your great-aunt’s solicitors.’
‘I can’t remember the name of them.’
‘Where are they based?’
‘I can’t remember. Listen, I’ve only got two staff working at the bar today. It’s Friday. That’s our busiest trading day. I don’t think I have time to sit here and talk with you.’
‘I don’t care what you think, Mr Ashton. At the moment, things aren’t looking too good for you.’ Kay gestured to the paperwork before her. ‘You can’t tell us who you inherited your money from, after saying that that was what financed the establishment of your wine bar. The few successes that have been reported in local news don’t explain how you’re managing to keep your business afloat, given how many of your competitors in the area are struggling or have closed down over the years. That indicates to me that you have a cash flow problem. The sort of cash flow problem that means you can’t demonstrate how your business is managing to stay afloat on its own. Now, I’m inclined to believe that some of that is due to what you’re skimming off the cigarette machine takings, and I’ll bet that half your staff aren’t on the books and are probably being paid in cash under the minimum wage. But the rest of it?’
She stopped and then turned to Barnes, who shook his head and let an expression of disbelief cloud his features.
Ashton slammed his hand on the table, his top lip curled into a snarl. ‘You can’t do anything about how I choose to run my business.’
‘Actually, I can.’ Kay leaned forward, and glared at him. ‘And we’ll be passing on all this paperwork to the Inland Revenue. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to hear from me.’
‘You bitch.’
Call to Arms Page 10
