by D. S. Butler
‘Really, Martin. That is very thoughtless of you,’ Elizabeth said.
When Martin set down the glass, Stephen walked over to him, linked his arm in his brother’s and pulled him towards the door. ‘Let’s talk outside.’
They passed Karen and walked back along the hall. DI Morgan gave Karen a pointed look, and she guessed he wanted her to follow and listen in. It seemed incredibly intrusive to eavesdrop on a grieving family, but when you were investigating a potential murder, manners and politeness had to take a back seat at times. She followed and saw they had walked through the kitchen and used the back door to get into the garden. Karen decided now was the perfect time to finish making the tea. Thanks to the thin, draughty windows, she could hear every word they said.
‘Pull yourself together,’ Stephen said. ‘Mum doesn’t need this now.’
‘I don’t care what she needs. She never worried about what we needed.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course she did. She brought us up single-handedly after Dad . . .’ There was a pause.
‘See, you were going to say left, weren’t you? Even now, you’re putting the blame on him.’
‘I’m not, Martin. It’s all just such a shock.’
‘Not for me. I always knew he hadn’t left us. He would never have walked out on us.’
Karen was putting the cups on to a tray when Stephen asked, ‘Have you been taking your medication?’
‘That’s none of your bloody business.’
Karen put the milk back in the fridge. That was interesting. Maybe something they could look into later.
Stephen came back into the kitchen and saw Karen loading up the tea tray.
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Here, let me carry it in.’ He picked up the tray and took it into the front room.
Karen held back, and then went over to the door to see if Martin was all right.
‘Are you coming back inside, Martin?’
She knew Martin was thirty-eight years old, but right now he looked younger, like a lost little boy. The anger had disappeared. A tear trickled down his cheek, and he wiped it away.
‘I knew he hadn’t left us,’ he said quietly.
‘I’m very sorry we were the bearers of this news, but once the investigation is finished, you’ll be able to give him a proper burial.’
Martin sniffed and nodded. ‘You must think I’m stupid. You must deliver this news to people every day. It’s probably no big deal to you.’
Karen felt her stomach clench. It was very much a big deal. The day it started to be a normal, everyday occurrence was the day she would leave this job. She’d been on the other side. Her experience wasn’t the same as what Martin was going through. He’d had thirty years of not knowing what had happened to his father, but Karen knew what it was like to deal with loss. She knew what it was like to have someone turn up at the door and tell you your worst nightmare had come true.
‘I was eight when he disappeared. I blamed myself,’ Martin said. ‘It’s such a cliché, isn’t it?’
Karen said nothing but stepped outside, closing the door behind her, and stood beside Martin. She sensed he wanted to talk.
‘The day before it happened, I’d been naughty. I can’t even remember what I’d done, but Dad had sent me to bed without any supper. I’m thirty-eight years old, and yet, deep down, I still think it’s my fault he left.’
‘I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you,’ Karen said gently.
Martin’s face hardened. ‘It didn’t help that they kept saying he’d left us. I’m glad you found him. I know that sounds horrible, but I’m glad I now know that he would have come back to us if he could. This proves we weren’t abandoned.’
Karen nodded.
‘How did he die?’
‘We don’t know that yet. We’ll have a better idea once the post-mortem has been carried out.’
‘It was an accident, though? Or do you think he was murdered?’
‘We’re still figuring that out. As soon as we have some concrete facts, we’ll let you know. The family will be first to find out, I promise you that. Shall we go back inside?’
Martin rubbed his hands over his face and followed Karen into the kitchen. They were about to walk back into the front room when DI Morgan stepped out into the hallway. He held up his mobile phone. ‘Karen, we need to get back to the station. The superintendent wants to talk to us.’
They said their goodbyes and promised to stay in touch with the family and keep them updated with any developments.
As soon as they got outside the house, Karen turned to DI Morgan. ‘What’s so urgent she needs us to get back to the station straightaway?’
‘Apparently there’s someone she wants us to talk to about the case.’
Karen opened the passenger door and got into the car. ‘Who?’
‘She wouldn’t say. I have the feeling someone was in her office while she was talking.’
‘I wonder who that could be.’
‘I guess we’ll find out soon enough.’
When they reached the station, DI Morgan and Karen headed straight for the superintendent’s office. It was six thirty p.m. and already dark.
Pamela, Superintendent Murray’s assistant, sat in the small reception area outside her office.
‘Oh, good,’ she said, getting up from her desk and smiling at them. ‘She’s been waiting for you.’
She gave them a meaningful look that Karen couldn’t quite interpret. Then Pamela rapped on the door and announced them.
This was unusually formal. The superintendent tended to leave her office door open unless she was making a private call or conducting a performance review. Pamela was normally happy for them to knock on the door themselves if it was closed. The formality made Karen even more curious. Who did the superintendent have in her office?
Karen followed DI Morgan into the large office and saw that Superintendent Murray was standing beside the window next to a tall man with dark hair. They both turned as Karen and DI Morgan entered the room.
‘Ah, DI Morgan and DS Hart, I’d like you to meet retired Detective Superintendent Robert Fox.’
Karen’s eyes scanned the man’s face and features. She judged him to be in his mid-sixties, and he had to be a relative of Oliver Fox . . . His hair was neatly combed in a side parting and was grey at the temples. He wore a dark, well-cut suit and a navy-blue tie. Karen guessed he was the type of man who didn’t like to dress casually even though he was retired.
The man smiled and held out his hand. ‘Oliver Fox was my brother.’ He had a strong, confident handshake, and looked Karen in the eye as he spoke.
After he dropped her hand, Karen shot a look at DI Morgan. His expression was neutral, but he had to be as surprised by this development as she was.
Robert Fox turned back to the superintendent. ‘I am devastated, of course, but I can’t say this is an unexpected outcome.’ Taking charge, he added, ‘Perhaps we should all sit down.’
CHAPTER TEN
Superintendent Michelle Murray sat in her usual seat, and Karen, DI Morgan and Robert Fox took chairs in front of her desk.
‘We are very lucky that Detective Superintendent Fox is able to assist us with our enquiry,’ Superintendent Murray said pleasantly, but her expression looked strained.
The last thing she’d want was a retired officer interfering with her investigation. No matter how polite and friendly Robert Fox seemed now, in Karen’s experience these things didn’t end well.
‘I am sure Superintendent Fox will be very helpful. Do you have any questions you’d like to ask him?’ Murray continued, sending a pointed look at DI Morgan.
DI Morgan hesitated, then said, ‘Perhaps you could tell us in your own words how much you remember of the events surrounding your brother’s disappearance.’
‘Of course.’
As Robert Fox began to talk, Karen couldn’t help wondering why Elizabeth and her sons hadn’t mentioned the fact that Oliver’s brother had been a
high-ranking officer. Surely he would have had some sway over the investigation at the time and would probably have been their contact point with the police.
‘I was only a DCI in 1988,’ Robert Fox said. ‘I spent most of my career in Lincolnshire but moved to Nottingham after my brother’s disappearance. I threw myself into the job and progressed through the ranks. I tried to keep in touch with Elizabeth and the boys. I felt like I owed it to Oliver to play a role in their upbringing, to be a male influence, if you like. But they didn’t make it easy for me. I can’t blame the boys, of course, but I suspect I reminded Elizabeth of what had happened. After I moved to Nottingham, I didn’t see so much of them. We still exchange Christmas cards, but other than that, we’ve grown apart, I’m afraid.’
He shifted slightly in his seat. ‘Elizabeth called me the day Oliver disappeared. She was in a terrible state because the local police weren’t taking the missing persons report seriously. There was no indication anything terrible had happened to him at that point. If I remember correctly, she called me about ten p.m. I went over to talk to her and the boys and tried to act as a liaison with the local force. I was based out of Lincoln, but she’d reported Oliver missing to the local force in Skellingthorpe. It was only a small police station, and they weren’t exactly going to work through the night looking for Oliver. To be honest, I wasn’t greatly concerned at first. I thought perhaps he’d made plans to go out and forgotten to tell Elizabeth. But because she was so worried, I stayed with her. Then, when he didn’t come home that night, I knew something was definitely wrong . . .’ He broke off and looked at DI Morgan. ‘What can you tell me so far, officer to officer? How was he killed?’
Superintendent Murray cleared her throat, and Karen caught a quick glance between her and DI Morgan.
‘There’s not much we can tell you so far, sir,’ DI Morgan said. ‘The post-mortem has not yet been carried out. We’ll update you as soon as possible, of course. Can you give us your contact details?’
‘Yes, not a problem.’ Robert Fox put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, then removed a business card and handed it to DI Morgan. ‘I’ll help in any way I can. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s something you want to ask.’
‘Thank you, sir. If you don’t mind me asking now, what were your initial thoughts after he went missing? Did you suspect foul play?’
Robert Fox took a deep breath. ‘Well, to be honest, I wondered whether he’d had a bit of a breakdown. His marriage wasn’t a happy one.’
Karen frowned. That wasn’t consistent with what Elizabeth Fox had told them less than an hour ago.
‘We’ve spoken to Elizabeth,’ DI Morgan said. ‘But she can’t think of any reason Oliver would have been unhappy at the time.’
‘I don’t suppose she mentioned Oliver’s affair with her sister Laura, did she?’
Karen tried to hide her surprise but failed. She’d sensed an undercurrent between the sisters, but Oliver having an affair with Laura hadn’t topped her list of suspicions.
‘Did Elizabeth know about the affair?’ Karen asked.
‘I don’t know for sure, but I don’t see how she could have missed it. Though I certainly never mentioned it after Oliver went missing. I’m pretty sure the boys don’t know either, so I would prefer to keep it that way. He disappeared when they were very young, and they were at that age where they idolised him.’
‘We’ll do our best to keep that information to ourselves, sir,’ DI Morgan said. ‘Have you been in contact with Stephen and Martin recently?’
‘No, to my regret, I haven’t. It’s sad, really. As I said, I did make an effort immediately after Oliver’s disappearance. But things were difficult with Elizabeth. Don’t get me wrong, she never went off the rails or put the boys in any danger. She was just very shut down emotionally and accused me of hiding things from her. She made it very difficult to keep in touch. I tried to see the boys at Christmases and birthdays, but gradually that fizzled out over the years.’ He turned so that he was directly facing DI Morgan. ‘Can I ask where you found his body?’
DI Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pausing and waiting to see what Superintendent Murray said. Under normal circumstances, in a case like this, information would be kept secret even from the family. The fact that the man sitting next to them was a retired detective superintendent made it quite a tricky situation to handle.
DI Morgan stayed silent, and Karen didn’t blame him. As far as she was concerned, this kind of politics was above their pay grade.
‘As soon as we have gathered all the facts, you’ll be the first to know, Robert,’ Superintendent Murray said with a tight smile. ‘You know we have to follow procedure. You’re a highly regarded officer, but you are still a member of the victim’s family, and we need to treat you as such.’
Robert Fox’s expression changed. ‘You can hardly suspect I had anything to do with it?’
‘That’s not the point, Robert. I’m sure you understand my position. You’d do the same in my shoes.’
‘I’d like to think I would have a touch more compassion,’ he said sharply.
Karen and DI Morgan watched the exchange like it was a game of ping-pong. It was a battle of wills, but Superintendent Murray wasn’t about to be pressured into revealing details about the case.
‘I promise we will give you an update as soon as we can, Robert. I hope you understand.’
‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to. I don’t have much choice,’ Robert Fox said, getting to his feet. ‘I’m sure you’re very busy, so I’ll leave you to it. I would appreciate an update on the case tomorrow.’
‘Of course, sir. I’ll call you personally,’ DI Morgan said.
After Robert Fox left the room, Karen turned to look at Superintendent Murray. ‘This could be a complication.’
The superintendent nodded. ‘You don’t know the half of it. Apparently, he’s golfing buddies with the assistant commissioner. Just when I thought my job couldn’t get any more difficult.’
‘How far do you want to keep him in the loop, ma’am?’
Murray pursed her lips and linked her fingers beneath her chin, thinking. ‘I don’t want you to tell him anything. Not yet. Not until we know what we’re dealing with. Have you managed to get through all the reports on Oliver Fox’s disappearance, the contemporary records?’
‘Not yet, ma’am,’ Karen said. ‘Sophie’s been looking through them this afternoon. And it looks like DI Morgan and I have some evening reading.’
Superintendent Murray thought for a moment and then said, ‘I think you should talk to the original investigator, too. I imagine Robert Fox tried to put some pressure on him. He seems like that type of officer to me. So the investigating officer’s opinion might be useful.’
After they were dismissed, Karen and DI Morgan went back down to the main office area.
‘What did you make of him?’ DI Morgan asked.
Karen shrugged. ‘I think he could be difficult. Let’s hope he stays out of our investigation. A concerned brother is one thing, but if he’s used to throwing his weight around and getting his own way, we could have trouble ahead.’
‘The affair came out of left field,’ DI Morgan said. ‘Though I’m not surprised Elizabeth and Laura didn’t mention it, especially with both sons there today.’
‘It’s strange, though. There was definitely some tension between the sisters, but when she heard we’d found Oliver’s body, Laura was the first person Elizabeth called.’
‘Thirty years is a long time. It’s a lot of water under the bridge, and perhaps she’s learned to forgive and forget.’
‘Perhaps.’
Karen frowned. Had Elizabeth found out about the affair before Oliver disappeared? Or did it come out during the aftermath? They’d have to look into Laura now. They didn’t know yet if she was married or had a partner. A jealous husband could top their list of suspects.
‘Laura did seem a little on edge. I got the impression there was somethin
g she wanted to say to us,’ Karen said.
‘Interesting. Perhaps we should talk to her alone.’
Karen pushed through the double doors, and DI Morgan followed. The office’s day-shift workers were slowly thinning out. The night shift had arrived, and Karen’s thoughts turned to Rick, who was still at the hospital.
‘I’m going to give Rick a call and see if he’s had any luck with Albert Johnson.’
‘Good idea,’ said DI Morgan. ‘I’ll see if Sophie’s managed to find anything interesting from the original reports on Oliver’s disappearance.’
Karen sat down at her workstation, reached for the phone and dialled Rick’s mobile number.
He answered quickly but spoke in a whisper. ‘Hello, Sarge.’
‘Rick, any luck with Albert Johnson?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. The nurses say he’s not under sedation, but he’s keeping his eyes shut when I’m in the room. I think he might be pretending to be asleep to avoid my questions.’
Karen sighed.
‘What do you want me to do, Sarge? Shall I stick around?’
‘Yes – sorry, Rick. I know it’s not the most exciting task.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘After I’ve finished up here, I’ll come over to the hospital. Is there anything pressing you need to get back for tonight?’
Rick hesitated and then said, ‘Actually, Sarge, it’s Priya’s first day looking after Mum on her own. I’m sure she’ll be perfectly fine. She is fully trained, and she’s used to Mum now, but . . .’
‘Of course, Rick, I’m sorry. Don’t worry. I’ll be there in half an hour so you can get off home.’
‘Thanks, Sarge, I’d appreciate that. Normally I wouldn’t worry, but it’s just because it’s her first full day alone with Mum.’
‘Not at all, I should have remembered. I’m sorry. See you soon.’
Karen hung up, grabbed the paperwork on her desk and headed over to Sophie’s cubicle. DI Morgan was asking Sophie whether she’d had any luck tracking down the manufacturer of the suitcase.