“I did it because I was being pestered.”
“Who was doing the pestering?”
“My sister, Charlotte.”
“So it was Charlotte who knew Simeon?”
“That’s right. She knew I had business contacts and asked if I could find him a job.”
“And what was her relationship with Simeon?”
“She just said he was a friend. She’d known him at university. I don’t have a close relationship with Charlotte or my brother Edward. They both lived with my mother after our parents split up ten years ago and we’ve only had occasional contact with each other in recent years. To be honest, I paid little attention to her explanation. I just did as she asked and hoped that would be the end of it. And that’s how it seemed until now.”
“How old is Charlotte?” Marsh asked.
“She’s three years younger than me. That would make her twenty two. Eddie is nineteen, nearly twenty.”
“And you’re the current Earl of Thorbury I believe,” Evans said, curious to hear Tom express his distain for the title.
“My father died over seven years ago just before I started at Oxford but I decided not to use the title. I haven’t formally relinquished it but it belongs to a different time. It has no relevance to the life I live.”
“You loaned a box of family documents to Paul Cahill from the university,” Evans said. “He told me he’d been asked to approach you about the campaign to save Thorbury Hall.”
“We had a brief discussion about it. He said he was an ex-policeman. I assume that’s how you know him.”
“I worked with him a few years ago. I’ve taken an interest in Thorbury Hall as well due to the location of the first murder. We don’t have any explanation for Simeon’s presence in the grounds.”
“No doubt Dr Cahill suggested there may be a clue buried in the past.”
“I actually found that more intriguing than Paul. In fact, I’ve been reading the book about Thorbury Hall and your family.”
“I read it myself a while ago. It must be more than ten years old by now. Not very up to date as far as either the family or the hall is concerned.”
“That’s true. I didn’t really expect it to help us but I did find it interesting. Your brother and sister only get a brief mention.”
“It’s a very short family history. Fortunately, it doesn’t say much about me either.”
“You’re not one for publicity then?” Evans asked.
“Only when it comes to the business.”
“When Paul told me about the documents, I asked him if he’d found anything which might indicate the existence of a secret hiding place in either the house or the grounds.”
“I think your imagination might be getting the better of you Inspector. To the best of my knowledge, Thorbury Hall is dull and ordinary. There are no great intrigues that I’m aware of. Certainly no romantic history involving secret passageways or headless ghosts.”
“Have you studied the family documents yourself?” Evans asked.
“I lack the time for such indulgencies and, I must confess, the interest too. What do you suppose I might have learnt from them?”
“That there was a subway which led from the grounds to the nearby railway station.”
“Really? It does ring a bell now you mention it but historical facts tend not to linger long in my memory.”
It seemed to Evans that Tom Thorbury took pleasure in goading the plebs. If the young man had any secrets, he was unlikely to reveal them to the police.
Evans decided to end the fun and fished in his pocket for the family photograph he’d taken from the box. “I took a look at some of your documents and borrowed this,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Evans passed the photograph to Tom who scanned it briefly and smiled. “Not very historical,” he said.
“There were a large number of photos in the box. Some were modern day but most were much older.”
“I didn’t check the contents. There must be other things in there which won’t assist Dr Cahill. I should be more careful shouldn’t I? Why did you borrow the picture? It doesn’t seem particularly relevant.”
“I often think something might be important without really knowing why.”
“And how often are you right?”
“More often than not. But in this case, I just wondered who was in the picture. Are your sister and brother in the group?”
“Charlotte is next to me on my left. Eddie is on my right. The others are more distant relatives or family friends I’d struggle to name. It was taken a few years ago at mother’s fiftieth birthday party. I haven’t seen either Charlotte or Eddie since then although obviously I’ve spoken to Charlotte over the phone.” Tom tossed the photo onto the desk and Evans reclaimed it.
“Are you really investigating three murders or just updating my family history?” Tom asked.
“If Charlotte knew Simeon, your family are linked to the investigation,” Evans replied. “How can we contact Charlotte? We’ll need to speak to her.”
“Charlotte called me at the office several times about Simeon. It’s more than a year ago now. She used a mobile. I called her as well but I’m afraid I didn’t save the number.”
“Do you have her address?”
“I have my mother’s address. She lives near Chester. She’d be able to put you in touch with Charlotte. I wouldn’t know how to contact either my sister or my brother. Are you treating Charlotte as a suspect?”
“We’ve no reason to suspect your sister. Speaking to people who knew the victim is routine procedure.”
Tom wrote his mother’s address and telephone number on his note pad and passed the sheet to the Inspector.
“Does Charlotte still live with your mother?” Evans asked.
“I think she went back home after leaving university. If she’s moved, mother will know where she’s gone.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. Does the name Maxine Biggerstaff mean anything to you?”
Tom shook his head. “Who’s she?” he asked.
“Simeon’s girlfriend.”
“I’ve never heard of her.”
“Do you ever distribute business cards at the university?” Marsh asked.
“We often hand out cards at the university. It provides much of the raw material for our business. Why do you ask?”
“Michael’s girlfriend had one in her handbag.”
“Our cards can be found in the handbags of many students,” Tom claimed.
“Very well Tom. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions,” Evans said. “Thanks for your time.”
Back on the street, Evans took out the photograph again and passed it to Marsh. “Does she look familiar to you?” he asked, indicating the young lady identified by Tom Thorbury as his sister.
“I couldn’t be certain,” Marsh replied after studying the picture. “The hair style and colour are different but I can see why you asked. Is that why you borrowed it?”
“It was just a thought.”
“But we do need to investigate it.”
“We do and with a bit of luck, it might be quite straightforward. There should be a CCTV image of Maxine on our system from her visit yesterday.”
“Which we could match against the photograph?”
“Yes. We should get onto it as soon as possible.”
“Should we accept the explanation about the recruitment of Simeon?” Marsh asked.
“It seemed plausible enough. Let’s get the CCTV checked. Then a trip to Chester may be necessary.”
Chapter 23
Shortly after Evans and Marsh arrived back at the station, Hinton appeared in the CID office followed by Detective Constables Gary Curtis and Tessa Turnbull. Fuller and Garton had also returned after their difficult meeting with the two students who resided at Stoney Street.
“They were very upset when we told them they couldn’t go back to the house,” Garton was telling Marsh. “More upset about that than they were about Sa
rah. I don’t think they liked her.”
“Maybe one of them shot her,” Fuller said before noticing Hinton and the other DCs.
“We’ll use your office Colin,” Hinton said to Evans who was standing next to Marsh, listening to the conversation.
The seven detectives squeezed into the space between the Inspector’s desk and the door. Chris Hinton liked to conduct meetings ‘on the go’ without the luxury of furniture. Evans had already provided him with a brief update prior to leaving for Palace House.
“I may have seen off the media for the time being but they won’t be satisfied for long. We need a viable suspect Colin. Is that likely to be Tom Thorbury?”
“It’s too early to say,” Evans replied. “He told me he didn’t know Simeon. He recommended him to Alex Newton at the request of his sister, Charlotte. Alex and Tom were at Oxford together. It may be an admission of guilt but deceiving a friend isn’t necessarily an arrestable offence.”
“What was the relationship between Simeon and Tom’s sister?”
“According to Tom, they were at university together but he’s obsessed with his business and claimed he wasn’t interested in Charlotte’s explanation. He just wanted to stop her pestering him.”
“Is it a credible story?”
“I’d say so.”
“Can we confirm it?”
“I’m not sure. Tom Thorbury lent his family documents to Paul Cahill when Paul approached him for information about the hall. I looked through them earlier and borrowed a recent family photograph. A young woman in the picture bore a close resemblance to Maxine Biggerstaff. Tom identified her as Charlotte. We’ll check our CCTV for an image of Maxine to match against the picture. If Maxine is really Charlotte Thorbury we won’t be able to corroborate Tom’s story while she’s at large but on the plus side, we may have a significant lead.”
“We need an urgent examination of the images to see if they match,” Hinton said. “But whoever she is, we’ll still need to find Simeon’s girlfriend. What about the business card?”
“It’s as I thought. Thorbury Recruitment give them out at the university. There’s nothing surprising about Sarah having one in her handbag especially as she was studying computer science.”
“Can Tom help us with his sister’s current whereabouts?”
“I’ve got an address and telephone number for their mother. Tom said Charlotte lives with her in Long Malden near Chester.”
“Well whether or not she’s Maxine, we need to speak to her. In the meantime, there are a couple of forensic updates. The Gilbert Brothers were shot with the same gun. A different weapon was used to shoot Sarah but all three murders are clearly connected. We also have the initial findings from the examination of Maxine’s books. The forensic accountant says that sales in excess of three hundred grand were recorded. She had one stall at the same market for twelve months. That’s one sales outlet for just two days a week. It works out at roughly three thousand pounds each day. That’s hardly credible. And there are entries for significant costs and stock purchases which aren’t supported by receipts.”
“We know a lot of the money Maxine put through her books came from Simeon Sir,” Marsh pointed out. “She’s already owned up to that.”
“And when we find her, we’ll have the evidence to support charges of false accounting and money laundering which we can hold her on while she assists us with our enquiries,” Hinton responded. “She must know a lot more about Simeon and Michael’s activities than she’s admitted.” He turned to Garton. “Tell us about Sarah’s housemates. Why do you think they didn’t like her?”
“They didn’t seem surprised when we told them about Sarah. It was like they were holding back something they knew about her which they didn’t like.”
“Same impression?” Hinton asked Fuller.
“Yes Sir. We may need to have another word.”
“What was Sarah doing last night when Michael was shot?” Evans asked.
“She was out with friends from her course,” Fuller replied. “One of her housemates said they were her real friends. She obviously had more cash to spend than the girls she shared with. The fact that she could afford to go out on a Monday night and get as drunk as she was when she got back to the house just didn’t go down too well. There aren’t many students who can afford to do that. They said they forgot to tell Sarah we were looking for her but we reckon they just didn’t bother.”
“Well so much for Sarah,” Hinton said. “Gary and Tessa are now at your disposal,” he told Evans. “Let me have an update tomorrow morning.”
Curtis and Turnbull were two years behind Marsh in the graduate fast stream. The bright-eyed DCs exuded enthusiasm. Both were smart in terms of intellect and appearance. Tessa Turnbull was tall with natural blonde hair which flowed over the shoulders of her dark blue linen jacket. Gary Curtis, a black officer, was marginally shorter than his colleague. His prop forward build conveyed an aura of both power and agility.
“You can check the CCTV,” Evans said to Marsh when Hinton had gone. “Take Gary and Tessa with you and brief them about the case. Welcome to the team,” he said to the young DCs before handing the photograph to the Sergeant. “Let me know how you get on. I’ll be here working on my report. Where are the two students staying tonight?” he asked Fuller.
“The university have found them accommodation in one of the halls of residence. They’ll be there until the SOCOs have finished at Stoney Street.”
“We must find out what the issue was with Sarah before they’re offered counselling,” Evans said.
“How do you want us to play it?” Fuller asked.
“Less sympathetically than before. And you’re both on standby for a trip to London if there’s a chance that Maxine has gone back there.”
As soon as he was alone in his office, Evans sat at his desk and opened the book once more. The resemblance Tom Thorbury bore to his ancestors was remarkable.
Chapter 24
Peter arrived at the flat just after Carol and Paul had finished eating their favourite takeaway. Convenience food was the simple solution to any argument over cooking duties.
“Another curry?” Peter asked as Paul carried the empty foil containers into the kitchen. “You’ll need to start visiting the gym a bit more often.”
“We’re going to the gym this evening,” Carol said.
“What about our research?” Peter asked.
“Well I say ‘gym’ but what I really mean is the university sports hall. We won’t be going inside though.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the bins,” Carol said, handing the photograph to Peter.
“What’s this?” Peter said, staring at the picture. “A bunch of Victorians in a horse drawn carriage.”
“Yes. A carriage in front of the university bin store.”
“Oh yes. I see what you mean. Is this to do with the subway?”
“Yes. I think it would be interesting to take a look.”
“Why?” Peter asked.
“That’s a good question,” Paul said as he returned from the kitchen. “Carol wants to do some unpaid police work. I’d rather leave it to them. The amateur detective role doesn’t appeal to me.”
“Police work?” Peter asked.
“Yes. You weren’t around this morning when Colin Evans called at the office.”
“Your ex-boss?”
“That’s right. I told him about our research. He wanted to know if we’d discovered anything which might help him identify a possible hiding place in the vicinity of the hall. I called Carol and she told me about the subway. Colin thought I should take a look to see if there was any means of access.”
“He wants you to help with the murder investigation?”
“That’s what he implied.”
“And the bin store was the entrance to the subway?”
“Almost certainly.”
“But the body was found inside the fences and the subway started
on the other side.”
“I know but Colin thought it could still be significant. It’s probably no more than a hunch but he’s famous for his hunches.”
“In that case, why doesn’t he investigate it himself?”
“He can’t use valuable police resources to explore a long shot like that, even on a murder enquiry. He’d be seriously embarrassed if it came to nothing.”
“I think we should do it,” Carol said.
“I doubt if there’ll be any way into the subway now,” Peter said. “It must have been sealed up long ago and anyway, it’s hardly relevant to the campaign is it?”
“It might be if restoration was a possibility.”
“How would that help?”
“It’s just a thought but a restored subway with a virtual recreation of the station at the other end could be a popular visitor attraction.”
Peter’s expression brightened. “That’s an interesting idea,” he said. “I don’t think it would have much appeal on its own but we could do something similar inside the hall. We wouldn’t need any furniture or paintings. We could recreate them. I’ll talk to the university techies. It might be more attractive to the punters than looking at a roped-off four poster bed.”
“You might be able to fund it through the IT research budget,” Carol suggested.
“Another good idea. I’ll look into it. If we get this right, there could be a significant payback.”
“We’ll need to check it out then,” Carol said.
“Yes. The subway would only be a small part of the project but you’ve certainly hit on an idea that’s worth pursuing.”
Carol turned to Paul who was observing the two enthusiasts, shaking his head.
“You won’t be coming with us then?” Carol asked him.
“I think I’ll leave you to it,” he said, switching on the television.
“I’ll drive,” Carol announced as she led the way out with Peter close on her heels.
The drive to the sports hall took less than ten minutes. It was accessed from Alfred’s Lane which had once marked the boundary of the Thorbury estate. The bin store was well lit by the lamps dotted around the car park perimeter.
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