Never Return

by Stephen Barnes

  “You told me earlier that she was middle-aged but you couldn’t remember any more. Was she tall, short, blonde, brunet?”

  Paul was thoughtful for a moment. “I remember looking down at her. She couldn’t have been more than medium height and blonde I think.”

  “Where did she go when she left the room?”

  “I assumed she’d gone to greet more guests but I don’t recall seeing her again. She could have gone anywhere. I sat in one of the chairs after she gave me the drink. I don’t remember how long I was in here. I may have fallen asleep but I must have left the room at some point.”

  “Can you remember where you went?” the SOCO asked.

  “This is where it starts to get even more hazy,” Paul said when they were back in the hallway. “I’d lost all track of time. There’s a dining room nearby.”

  “It’s through here,” Marsh said, opening the door on the right side of the hall. “Did you go in here?”

  “I looked inside. It was empty. I don’t remember anything else before I heard Tom Thorbury give his speech, the arrogant bastard.”

  “Let’s find that room,” Evans said.

  “I’ll have to check them all,” Paul replied. He headed down a corridor with doors on each side. He opened one and shook his head. The room behind the fourth door attracted the most interest. “I think this is it,” he said, stepping inside ahead of the others. “That could be the armchair I sat in which means Carol was there.” He pointed towards another chair, becoming increasingly agitated as more vague memories returned. “Tom Thorbury was here too. I know it was him. You need to find the bastard.”

  “Calm down Paul,” Evans said. “We’ve got enough to work on for the time being. Best to leave now.” He sensed there was nothing more to gain from Paul’s presence at the house. He led him away from the scene of Carol’s alleged demise, hoping the SOCOs would be able to establish whether the gruesome tableau had been real or imagined.

  “We have to visit the trading estate,” Evans told Paul. “We’ll drop you off at home on the way. Do you want us to contact the university for you?”

  “I’ll do that, don’t worry,” Paul snapped.

  Evans and Marsh led Paul to the entrance. “At least you can make a start now,” Evans told the SOCO.

  “We spoke to Tom Thorbury earlier this morning,” Evans said to Paul as they discarded the scene suits. “We don’t have enough evidence for an arrest. Under the circumstances, you wouldn’t be considered a reliable witness.”

  “Is there anything at the flat which would provide us with a sample of Carol’s DNA?” Marsh asked. “Hairs from a brush with the root attached or anything she might have left skin cells on? ”

  Paul looked coldly at Marsh. “Probably,” he said.

  “We’ll need the same for you as well for the purpose of elimination,” Marsh added.

  “We can’t be sure she’s dead,” Evans said. “We can’t even be certain she was here.”

  “She was here,” Paul insisted. “And so was that bastard Thorbury.”

  Marsh left his car at the house and joined Evans in his aging Mondeo. Paul slouched on the back seat and was silent for the whole journey apart from the occasional mumbled curse against Tom Thorbury.

  After collecting the material for the DNA samples, Evans and Marsh left Paul to sleep.

  “Do you think he’ll be alright?” Marsh asked as they drove to the Lord Alfred Trading Estate.

  “I think so but Tom Thorbury may have a problem if their paths cross. I expect Paul will sleep for a while but when he’s back in circulation, we’ll need to keep an eye on him.”

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t be rounding up Tom Thorbury? He has nothing to support his alibi. He should take the same tests as Paul. If he was drugged as well, it would put him in the clear.”

  “He may already have realised that but I don’t think he’s in the frame. Eddie is our man, I’m sure of that.”

  The forensic service vehicles were still outside unit twelve when Evans and Marsh arrived. Evans parked behind them and was greeted outside by Amy Logan, his favourite Crime Scene Manager.

  “It’s likely to have been a meth lab,” Logan said before Evans could ask. “Possibly other drugs as well. Some of the equipment and ingredients have been removed but there was nearly a grand in used notes on the floor. They must have left in a hurry. The atmosphere down there is pretty toxic. We need to wrap this up today. We’re just completing the removal of the evidence.”

  “Would anyone who’d been in the subway have drug related ingredients on their shoes?” Evans asked.

  “Anyone involved in the production process would have traces on their shoes and clothing. Do you want to take a look down there?”

  “That won’t be necessary Amy. I think you’ve told me what I needed to know. How many people would be needed in the production process?”

  “It could be a one man operation,” Logan replied before disappearing inside.

  “Why do you think the subway was abandoned in such a hurry?” Marsh asked. “Does it confirm a connection with the Gilbert brothers?”

  “We can’t be certain. There was nothing suspicious found on Simeon’s clothing. That doesn’t do much for the trace evidence theory but like I said yesterday, whoever shot Michael wouldn’t have known how much he’d revealed. It could be coincidence but this place may have been hurriedly abandoned in case Michael had told me about it.”

  “But he didn’t tell you and that must cast a doubt on his whole story.”

  “We can’t place too much reliance on any of Michael’s information,” Evans concluded. “I’ll take you back to Shoresby. You can get an update from the SOCOs. I’ll see you back at the station. Maxine should be with us later. When she arrives and her solicitor joins us, we might find out a lot more about Simeon and his brother. And tomorrow, Fuller and Garton will be on the road again. I’m sending them to Little Howton to visit the academy where Eddie studied chemistry. I want to know exactly what the trouble was.”

  “What about Tessa and Gary?” Marsh asked.

  “They’re on the way to Long Malden to see the mother. I’m certain there’s a lot we can learn from her about her youngest son and Nanny Mertens.”

  Chapter 36

  “If anyone was murdered in that house last night the killer did a good job of removing the evidence,” Marsh said having returned from Shoresby to join Evans in the canteen. “The SOCOs don’t seem hopeful of getting any decent DNA.”

  “The lab is backed up anyway,” Evans said. “We’re more likely to get a confession than a test result.”

  As they were eating their pie and mash, a message was delivered informing Evans that Maxine Biggerstaff had arrived and Fuller and Garton were eager to know if they could go off duty after their overnight stop in London and the tiring journey back to Thorbury.

  “They’re both in the interview room Boss,” Fuller said when Evans and Marsh arrived in the CID office. “The solicitor was already here when we got back.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you both at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”

  “Cheers Boss,” Fuller said before he and Garton disappeared to The Anchor for a liquid lunch.

  “Nice to see you again Maxine,” Evans said, interrupting the conversation between solicitor and client as he and Marsh entered the interview room. “No doubt you’re aware of your client’s situation?” he said to the solicitor. “I’m DI Evans, this is DS Marsh. We’ve both spoken to Maxine before.”

  “I’m Ellis Crawshaw of Ashton, Hurst and Armfield,” the solicitor replied. “I was hoping for a few more minutes with my client.”

  “We’re anxious to progress the investigation into our three murders, Mr Crawshaw,” Evans said. “Maxine breached her bail conditions. We could charge her immediately with money laundering and keep her overnight for a court appearance in the morning.”

  “Very well. Ms Biggerstaff is willing to co-operate,” Crawshaw conceded.

  “That�
��s good,” Evans said as he and Marsh sat at the table.

  Evans looked across at Maxine who glanced at the Inspector before lowering her gaze as if anticipating a reproach for her behaviour. “What’s the story Maxine?” he asked. “Let’s start with why you decided to return to London.”

  Maxine lifted her head again and looked at Evans. “After what happened to Simeon, I was alone,” she said. “Thorbury’s alright but it’s not really home. I needed to get away, back to my mum. I didn’t think about the consequences. I’m sorry.”

  “Tell us about Simeon getting the job at the bank. How did that happen?”

  Maxine’s intake of breath betrayed her nervousness. “I’m related to the Thorbury family. The previous Earl of Thorbury was my uncle,” she revealed.

  Evans, now feeling better able to trust Maxine, decided to shorten the story. “We know that and we know your first name is really Elizabeth and that Tom, Charlotte and Eddie Thorbury are your cousins.”

  “That’s right and I got Simeon the job at the bank by calling Tom and pretending to be Charlotte,” Maxine admitted.

  “We already suspected that Maxine. Thanks for the confirmation. Why did you do it?”

  “I just wanted Simeon to get a better job. I thought Tom would be more likely to help if I pretended to be Charlotte. I guessed he wouldn’t like being pestered by his sister. She’s not the type to give up until she gets what she wants. I don’t think what I did was illegal.”

  “It’s a form of deception but right now, I’m focusing on our murder investigations. I need to know about anything Simeon was involved in which might have led to his murder.”

  “Simeon found out that Michael was associated with someone in the drugs business,” Maxine began. “I don’t know who it was. Michael confessed to Simeon when he found a pile of cash in Michael’s bedroom. After that, Simeon just wanted to get away from London. That’s one of the reasons why I got him the job in Thorbury. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known Michael would turn up here as well.”

  “So Michael was dealing drugs in London?”

  “Yes. He told Simeon he was selling crystal meth. He didn’t say who was making it. Simeon told him to give it up but Michael said he was in too deep. He pleaded with Simeon not to tell anyone and offered him a share in the proceeds. Simeon agreed and took the money.”

  “Not such a man of principle then?”

  “He said he was going to find out who else was involved and blow the whistle.”

  “And who else was involved?”

  “He either didn’t find out or he never got the chance to tell me.”

  “Did Michael continue to give Simeon money after your move to Thorbury?” Evans asked.

  “I couldn’t say.”

  “You said Simeon was into buying and selling but the money you put through your books was the proceeds of drug dealing wasn’t it?”

  “I believe my client has already indicated the source of the money she accounted for,” Ellis Crawshaw said, breaking his silence.

  “Answer the question Maxine,” Evans demanded.

  “Simeon was obsessed with bettering himself. He was very enterprising. He knew what things were worth and he knew how to get a good deal.”

  “We’ll put that to one side for now. Your books have been examined and there are some irregularities which we’ll need to discuss with you in due course.”

  “I see,” Maxine said.

  “Michael told me he smuggled a package into the country from Holland which he believed to contain drugs,” Evans continued. “He said the arrangements were made by Simeon but you claim Simeon did nothing illegal.”

  “When did Michael tell you that?” Maxine asked.

  “On Monday just before he was shot.”

  “After Simeon was killed, Michael could say what he liked about him. You couldn’t have disproved it. He must have had a reason to turn Simeon into the villain.”

  “What reason?”

  “To lessen his own guilt or to get police protection,” Maxine suggested.

  “So Michael made up the story?”

  “If that’s what he told you, he was lying.”

  “Do you have a theory to explain why Simeon was murdered?”

  “Perhaps he was going to carry out his threat to tell the police.”

  “And what would he have told us?”

  “Like I said, I don’t know who else was involved.”

  “Was Michael dealing drugs in Thorbury as well as London?”

  “He may have been. Simeon thought he was behaving suspiciously. He drove to the university on Wednesday evening last week to see Michael but couldn’t find him. When he left the campus, he saw Michael’s car turn into the industrial estate on Alfred’s Lane. He followed him and saw him go into one of the units. He may have gone back on Thursday to check it out.”

  “The day he disappeared?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have any idea what Simeon was doing in the grounds of Thorbury Hall when he was shot?” Marsh asked.

  “None at all,” Maxine insisted.

  “Did you know about Michael’s visit to Hull last weekend?”

  “No,” Maxine said, looking puzzled.

  “How well do you know your cousin Eddie?” Evans asked.

  “I’ve never had much to do with him.”

  “But he knew Michael didn’t he?”

  “He may have done. What’s this got to do with Eddie?”

  “What about Tom. How well do you know him?”

  “I’ve met him a few times. I know Eddie disliked the fact that Tom didn’t use the title.”

  “Have you ever met Mila Mertens?”

  “I’ve heard the name. I think she worked for the Thorbury family.”

  “She was their nanny.”

  “Oh yes, I remember meeting her once on a family visit years ago. Charlotte has mentioned her as well.”

  “What did Charlotte tell you?”

  “That Mila made a show of being fond of Eddie but her real favourite was Tom. I don’t know what she was implying. She’d had a lot to drink.”

  Chapter 37

  Paul turned towards the window. The afternoon sunshine was streaming through a gap in the thin curtains. He was lying on the bed, still fully clothed, squinting at the clock which confirmed his perception of a brief escape from reality. And then a vague recollection caused him to pluck the phone from the bedside base station. A call from a withheld number had brought him back to consciousness.

  Calls to the landline were mostly sales pitches or recorded messages. Neither could be tolerated. He put the phone on silent and tried to return to sleep but thoughts plagued him. Could it have been Colin Evans? Had Carol been found? He restored the volume. Almost immediately, the phone rang again.

  When Paul took the call, a condescending voice interrupted his greeting. “Paul, it’s Tom. How are you today?” the voice asked.

  “Where is she?” Paul demanded with instant fury.

  “Heaven or Hell. Who knows?”

  “Fuck you. What have you done?”

  Mocking laughter preceded the answer to Paul’s question. “We do as we please, Dr Cahill. We own you and all your kind. Accept it. Live with it while you can.”

  The line went dead, denying Paul the chance to spew out more expletives. He threw the phone on the floor and rolled off the bed. His anger was uncontrollable. Come what may, Tom Thorbury had to pay.

  *

  “I called our colleagues at Little Howton,” Evans said. He was in his office making plans with Marsh after Maxine had been bailed once more and returned to Hollybush Close. “They’ve never had any dealings with the academy. It’s a private university with high academic standards.”

  “Not the sort of place to tolerate misbehaviour I would guess,” Marsh said.

  “It’s reckoned to be an exclusive establishment with an excellent reputation. They’ll have strict rules about student conduct.”

  “If their standards of behaviour are a
s high as their academic standards, Eddie may not have done anything we’d be concerned about.”

  “Let’s not prejudge. Curtis and Turnbull may not get the full story from their visit to Long Malden but Fuller and Garton will fill in any gaps tomorrow. If the academy have any hidden secrets, those two will find a way to uncover them.”

  “You’re going to let them bully the bosses of a well respected academic institution?”

  “They’ll be properly briefed. They don’t have so bad a reputation themselves.”

  Marsh was surprised once more by his boss’s faith in the ‘goons’ as Hinton liked to call them but decided not to challenge the Inspector’s judgement. “Nothing yet from Belgium?” he asked.

  “They’ve got Tessa’s mobile number. They said they’d get back to her as soon as possible. I’ve told her to contact me when she gets any news.”

  “Is it too early to visit Paul?”

  Evans checked the time. “We should do it now,” he said. “He may still be sleeping but we can’t ignore the possibility of a problem.”

  When they arrived at the apartment building there was no response from Paul’s flat.

  “Probably not loud enough to wake him,” Evans said as one of the other residents approached the entrance to the building.

  “We’re from City Police,” Evans told the woman who was struggling with her shopping. “We’re here to see Paul Cahill, flat seven. It’s urgent. We think he’s in his flat but he’s not answering. We need to follow you in,” he said, displaying his warrant card as he spoke.

  “I doubt if I could stop you,” the woman said. She put one of her bags on the floor and let them in.

  “Allow me,” Marsh said, picking up the bag as they entered.

  “I’m on the ground floor,” the woman said. Marsh returned her bag and she disappeared into her flat as the two detectives climbed the stairs.

  After ringing the bell several times and banging on the door it was clear to Evans and Marsh that Paul could not be alerted.

  “He’s gone out,” a man’s voice said from the doorway of the flat next to Paul’s.