Although Gary wanred
to present a laid-back image, he was in fact extremely disturbed by the
assassination of Ronnie Fish. He phoned Cleo because she brought reality back
into his life through direct comments on what was going on. The cops and
robbers of his fertile imagination often had the habit of becoming a reality he
wished would go away.
“There was a hole in
his back from a gunshot wound.”
“It might not have
killed him.”
“I can’t think of
anything else that could have mown him down.
“I can. Remember the
Rossi sisters?”
“We’ll never find who
stuck a needle in his shoulder, Cleo. It’s Saturday afternoon. People are rushing
up and down the street. It’s like a ritual marathon here. Identifying the gun is
a teeny-weeny bit more likely.”
“So you’ll have to
narrow it down and look at the street camera findings, won’t you?. I hate the
idea of being observed wherever I go, but it might help to look at the guy’s
progress down the street,” said Cleo. “Was anyone following him? You’ll also
have to find out what will happen to Ronnie Fish’s organisation. It might
provide you with a motive, though I expect quite a lot people had reason to
kill him.”
“Meaning that there
might be someone in the wings ready to take over?” said Gary.
“Or someone wants to
exterminate the syndicate completely and has started with the boss.”
“That would not only
mean all the guys are threatened, but it would also point to the Norton
brothers,” said Gary.
“Did Jet Black mention
those guys?”
“He did, as a matter
of fact.”
“Questioning them
might be a way forward then.”
“Middlethumpton HQ is
already a target of ridicule in gangster circles.”
“You’ll have to change
all that, Gary. Maybe that’s why Roger wanted you to have the superintendent
job. You did have a short spell in London before coming here. Roger was only
ever a small time cop.”
“Don’t let my mother
hear you say that.”
“Grit knows just how
relieved Roger was when you took the job,” said Cleo.
“That business with
Eleanor smashed him up, Cleo.”
“The wife from hell,
but he was blatantly unfaithful too,” said Cleo. “Why is it that you men can
get away with immorality as a slight breach of social graces?”
“In self-defence, I
have to say that I thought Shirley cared about me, but she only wanted to climb
the career ladder and decided Roger could do more for her.”
“That was way before
my time, Gary, and you are still an attractive man.”
“I don’t know how to
take that.”
“Most men don’t
realize how ambitious a woman can be, and it gets more and more tempting when
the age gap is part of the game. For a man, marrying a woman younger than his
daughter is almost like marrying his daughter, but legal. A kind of no-name
incest.”
“Don’t get onto that
please, Cleo.”
“But that’s one of the
reasons older career-men hire young women for their beds and that’s been
happening at that house.”
“But it does not solve
Fish’s murder.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s a different
situation altogether. Eleanor took toy-boys home, Cleo. She was no innocent and
the marriage was only on paper.”
“Social graces again?
You don’t know what the wives of those errant husbands think. They might be
glad someone is taking on their old duffer.”
“In Eleanor’s case it
was probably convenience. Her parents were V.I.P.s in these parts. That helped
Roger’s career along in the early days. She had more success being the dutiful
wife and daughter than she would have had without that respectability.”
“But she didn’t have
to kill Roger’s ‘sideline’, did she?”
“Roger was threatening
to divorce her. That would have lowered the whole family’s status in the town
according to their way of looking at things. A superintendent is quite powerful
if he’s behaving himself. Divorce means he can do what he likes and the end of perks
for the ex.”
“I assume your mother
knows all this. Roger is a dark horse.”
“I’m not going to tell
her and I think Roger’s dark horse years are past history.”
“Do I get perks for
being married to you?”
“Do you want them?”
“What are they?”
“Open doors. You could
take Eleanor as an example of what you get.”
“It’s a consolation
that you did not marry me for my rich family.”
“I don’t think Roger
did, either. He was manipulated by Eleanor.”
“Am I manipulating
you?”
“I’m sure you are, but
I’m flattered.”
“I am not and the field’s
wide open for Fish’s killer.”
“Explain!”
“About Eleanor?”
“If it clears the
air.”
“Eleanor found her
sorties justified, but Roger’s weren’t, so she set out to restore the balance.”
“Can you stop giving me riddles to solve and
tell me exactly what you’re getting at in reference to the case we are supposed
to be solving?”
“OK. Young women want
stardom. They are fooled into thinking the guys they are to ‘perform’ for are
film impresarios. Ronnie or one of his acolytes film the antics at the house
and the guy involved is blackmailed by Fish. Any one of those guys being
blackmailed might decide to eliminate Fish.”
“So the Norton
brothers would be out of it this time.”
“Unless they planted
the hooker or are in league with Fish’s acolytes.”
“So what would you do?”
“Haul in all the guys
who work at Fish’s house. It seems to have been the headquarters of whatever
went on,” said Cleo. “I’d listen carefully to what they have to say though the
hooker alias casting business might have to be cleared up first.”
“I’m impressed, Cleo,”
said Gary. “Your suspicious mind is more efficient than mine.”
“Oh, and you might
want to find out if one of the star-struck young ladies was a hooker first, and
stage-struck second. I’m thinking of Maureen. I don’t suppose Bertie pays much.”
“We’ll be up against
the clients,” said Gary, “meaning those fake film makers who would much prefer
it not to be known that they frequent such dives.”
“Do you know what else
that so-called syndicate did?” Cleo asked. ”Was no incident reported? Did they
keep their noses clean until now?”
“The old drugs team
might simply not have noticed, but there’s also corruption at HQ,” said Gary.
“Some colleagues don’t mind working on both sides of the law if it pays them to
do so! I’ll get Colin Peck to sieve through the archives, but I’m not hopeful.”
“Shall we invite
Dorothy to a brainstorming?”
“Would she have some usable
ideas? She tends to see things through her black and white tinted glasses.”
“Let’s ask her, for
old times’ sake,” said Cleo.
“OK.”
“Tonight?”
“Why not? Let’s get it
over with.”
“I’ll phone her.”
“OK,” said Gary. A
brain-storming session with Dorothy was exactly the opposite from what he
really wanted, which was to run away.
“You can report on the
case so far and a think tank won’t do any harm,” said Cleo. “I don’t understand
why you are so churlish about Dorothy.”
“I’ll bring Greg. He
loves her.”
“You did, once upon a
time.”
“So I did. See you
later.”
***
Gary’s decision to go
to Fish’s house with Greg was reversed. Instead, cops and forensic experts
would go there and ransack the place to find drugs and other suspicious signs. Gary
was sure that prostitution was only a side line at the villa. He decided to
concentrate on the idea of hidden cameras filming inflammatory footage following
by lucrative blackmailing of clients who did not what their wives to know about
their antics since divorce could break them financially. That would also be a
sideline in comparison with money-laundering and other financial scams. Gary
signed a search warrant for forensics to remain discrete but seach thoroughly.
There was no point in making such an action even more official by sending in an
armed razzia. It would just ostensibly be a routine search for clues to Fish’s
killer.
Roger had set a
pattern. A superintendent did not bother with a crime until the footwork had
been completed. That went against the grain for Gary, but Greg thought it was
just as well. The case definitely warranted some laid-back thinking so as not
to alarm suspects before there was a vestige of proof of their involvement.
Apart from that, there
was no point in looking for the assassin at the villa. The staff would all be
present and give one another cast-iron alibis for their own salvation. The
killer had probably been hired by one or another of Fish’s associates.
***
Leaving Greg to hold
the fort at HQ, Gary drove home, stopping off at the off-licence for some wine
to appease the Ladies, he mused, but in reality to appease himself! Greg had
refused the dinner invitation. He already had a date, he said. Greg was a fast
worker.
“With Ellie,” he had volunteered, “before you start guessing.”
“Better than
ruminating over Josie,” said Gary.
“You can say that
again.”
***
Gary spent the hours
between getting home and Dorothy arriving playing with the children, who had
seen very little of their father for the past few days, except for Charlie, who
was visiting Lottie next door. As it was weekend she could sleep over, too. Roger
and Grit were getting ready for one of their frequent visits to a jazz club in
Oxford so they would not be joining in the family evening meal.
Daisy and Toni were
going to a disco run by St Peter’s church in Upper Grumpsfield. Daisy was enjoying
her job at the Gazette. When Gary told her she could stop because the
organization he had asked her to watch out for had probably gone out of
business, Daisy said she would carry on because Mr Browne needed her. He has
Daphne, Gary had said. And now he has me too, Daisy had said, and Gary was
mystified. Bertie Browne had obviously made a good impression on her. He would
look into it. Browne never did anything without a reason.
Cleo avoided asking
Gary too many questions. She would leave that to Dorothy. Gary was resigned to
a tedious evening once the little ones had all been fed and put to bed amid
laughter and fun. His current antipathy to Dorothy was not helpful. The white
wine tasted vinegary and the last thing Gary wanted to do was to spoil his
weekend by pondering over a case that had grown out of all proportion.
***
Dorothy was not in a
good mood when she arrived. Vera had only the previous day told her that it had
been a mistake to move to Upper Grumpsfield. Absence made the heart grow fonder
(exactly the opposite now being the case between the sisters). She would let or
sell her little bungalow and go back north. Dorothy was in shock. She brought
Vera along to explain what had got into her all of a sudden.
Gary knew. Dorothy
could be difficult and Vera did not like difficulties.
“I won’t interfere in
your meeting,” Vera said. “I’m going back to North Wales next week, after all.“
“That’s awesome, Vera.
After all what?” Cleo said.
Gary thought he knew
what, but a little taunting would not come amiss.
“Don’t you want to
fight for that Price Bureau, Vera?” he said, rubbing salt into Dorothy’s wound.
“Certainly not,” said
Vera. “It wasn’t my idea in the first place.”
The sisters had
obviously fallen out quite seriously.
“But you supported
Dorothy,” said Cleo. “You even bought a cottage her?”
“Rented,” said Very.
“You told me you had
bought it,” said Dorothy.
“I had first refusal,”
said Vera. “And I had no choice but to go along with my sister’s crazy plan.”
“You are being unfair,”
said Dorothy, looking stricken.
“I thought we were
going to have a nice retirement together, not run around after criminals and
other misfits,” said Vera.
Dorothy looked sad and
vulnerable. He thought he must love her if he now felt so disgusted with Vera’s
attitude. He got up to give Dorothy a big hug.
“Welcome back in the
fold, Dorothy,” he said. ”I for one am glad you are staying with the Hartley
Agency.”
Cleo looked gratified
that Gary had not taken sides with Vera even if she did not quite believe what she
had just witnessed.
“Is dinner ready, my
love?” he said.
Cleo got the hint,
stood up and made for the kitchen.
“Come and get it in
five minutes,” she called over her shoulder.
Gary went to see about
the little ones, leaving Vera and Dorothy to talk, but they did not communicate
at all.
***
Cleo’s enormous casserole
was pronounced perfect. The pancakes with fruit and fresh cream that followed were
admired extensively. Vera offered to stack the dishwasher and clear up while
the sleuths got on with their think tank. She was not in the mood for all the
criminal chitchat she perceived was about to begin.
Dorothy’s pursed lips
were a clear indication that she had not forgiven her sister for deciding to
leave. But there was an upside: the fact that Gary was asking for her advice.
No amount of sisterliness could replace what she felt about that.
***
Between them, Cleo and
Gary gave Dorothy a run-down on events concerning Daphne, the Gazette office,
the drowned woman, Maureen, Jet Black and Ronnie Fish,. Dorothy took notes.
“I’d like to ask some
leading questions,” she said finally.
“Lead on, MacDuff!” Gary
misquoted.
“Why was the corpse in
Daphne’s flat?”
“We are still asking
ourselves that question,” said Gary.
“Let’s assume she met someone
there,” said Dorothy.
“That’s a fair
explanation.”
“But not the only one,
Gary. Someone might have taken her there, even under duress. We don’t know if
she knew Daphne was not going to be there unless someone told her.”
“Someone?”
“Daphne, for instance,
might have told her.”
“But she did not know
she was not going home for a week when she went to the disco with Jet Black and
left it Ronnie Fish,” said Gary.
“But Ronnie Fish must
have known he was going to meet Daphne there.”
“The question is
whether he did know and who told him it would be her, specifically,” said Cleo.
“Not Jet, I’m sure.”
“That’s right,” said
Dorothy. “Fish may have known he was going to leave with a star-stuck young
woman without actually knowing who it would be.”
“That would tie in
with Jet being anguished that Daphne had gone off with Fish,” said Cleo. “He
may have had someone else in mind and ended up feeding Fish with bait.”
“Ouch for that,” said
Gary. I’m not up to puns tonight.
“Would it also tie in
with Mr Black going to Daphne’s flat in her absence?” said Dorothy.
“And taking a former
girlfriend?” added Gary.
“Such as Irene Smith.
She had returned to the area separately from Jet. I think he was in two minds
about her,” said Cleo. “And you are now sure that the corpse was the young
woman, aren’t you?”
“Explain!” said Gary.
“Irene was part of his
life when he took her to Italy, but Daphne was the latest new flame after he
had returned without Irene,” said Cleo.“. Moving into Daphne’s flat was
tempting. We don’t know what Irene would have had to offer.”
“That does not really
sound as if Jet Black was involved in Irene’s murder,” said Dorothy.
“I’ll look into that,”
said Gary.
“Irene Smith was also
a receptionist at the Gazette, wasn’t she?” said Dorothy. “So she might have
known what was going on at the Fish establishment. That would be a reason to
kill her”
“Jet Black had taken her
to Italy out of danger. He told Gary that,” said Cleo.
“Along with lying
about a sick mother,” said Gary.
“Isn’t that the man
you found at Daphne’s flat, Gary?” said Dorothy.
“Yes.”
“So he’s definitely a
suspect,” said Dorothy.
“He said from the
start that he was friends with Daphne and was on the point of moving in with
her. Why would he take a different woman to the flat and kill her?” said Cleo.
“He wouldn’t, would
he?” said Dorothy.”
“He claims he’s an
innocent victim of circumstances, Dorothy,” said Gary. “We can’t hold him
without proof.”
“What does Daphne
say?”
“She’s due for
questioning tomorrow,” said Gary. “Do you want to be there?”
“Yes please.”
“I’ll pick you up at
9, shall I?”
“I could get the bus,”
said Dorothy, who was looking ahead to being without Vera’s car.
“No. We’ll go there
together. You may have to get home under your own steam,” said Gary, “or I’ll
treat you to a taxi, seeing as buses don’t run very often on Sundays.”
Cleo was tempted to
want to be at the interview, but thought better of it. This was the perfect way
to restore the friendship between Dorothy and Gary.
“Don’t you want me to
be there?” said Vera.
“No,” said Dorothy.
“Get your packing done. I would not want to hold you up with my trivial
activities.”
Cleo reflected that
Dorothy was going over the top again.
“Let’s end the meeting
with a coffee,” she announced.
“And then I’ll walk
the ladies home,” said Gary. “No hard feelings, Ladies?”
The sisters shook
their heads.
“But there’s still a
lot to be discussed,” said Dorothy.
“Tomorrow, after
talking to Daphne, we may have a better idea of what has been going on,” said
Gary. “I’ll get Jet Black to attend a confrontation on Monday. That should
clear a few more things up.”
“I’ll be gone by then”
said Vera. “Thanks for the hospitality and we don’t need an escort up the road,
Gary.”
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