by M A Comley
“We have one out back, keeping an eye on the car park, none in here. Why?”
“I wondered if Denis came into contact with anyone else the last time he was in here, possibly a woman.”
“Whoa! What are you saying? That a woman did this?”
“We’re not sure. We can’t discount any theories at this moment. Can you get us a copy of the footage from Wednesday and Thursday?”
He shook his head. “Not right now, I’m alone until the staff come in at six. I can sort it for you then.”
“Okay. Would it be all right if we discreetly ask your customers a few questions?”
“Sure. Want me to announce who you are?”
Obviously, he doesn’t have a clue what the word discreetly means.
“We’d rather you didn’t. We’ll just have a quiet word. Shouldn’t take us long.”
He nodded his acceptance and wandered up the other end of the bar to serve a customer.
“We might as well make a start with Len and Jeff.”
They strode towards the two gentlemen sitting at a round table close to the door. The men shifted in their seats uncomfortably as they approached. Lorne withdrew her warrant card and sat next to one of the men while Katy sat alongside the other, blocking any possible intention they might have of taking flight.
“Evening, gents. Mind if DS Foster and I ask you a few questions?”
The man sitting next to Lorne nodded briefly. “Police? What’s this about?”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name, sir?”
“That’s cos I didn’t give it,” he replied smartly.
The other man almost choked on the beer he’d just supped. He wiped his mouth and grinned at his mate.
“Name?” Lorne asked sharply.
Katy slapped her notebook on the table and flipped it open to a clean page.
“Len Jordache, and this is my mate, Jeff Davis. That’s, I-S, not I-E-S. Make sure you jot that down correctly, miss.”
“I will,” Katy replied.
“Okay, Len Jordache, perhaps you can tell me when you last saw Denis Tallon?”
“Why? What’s he done?”
“When was it, sir?”
He screwed up his nose as he thought. “Was it Thursday, Jeff? Darts’ night?”
The other man nodded. “I think so. What’s he done?”
Lorne sensed she wasn’t going to get very far unless she answered their persistent question. “Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you. Denis was found dead in his flat earlier today.”
Len gasped, and Jeff downed a large gulp of his bitter.
Finding his voice, Len asked, “What? Natural causes, was it?”
“Sadly not. He was murdered, hence our questions. How close were you?”
“Close enough. Good friends, we were. Jesus, I can’t believe this, can you, Jeff?”
“Nope. He was always an odd chap, though, wasn’t he?”
Len shrugged. “He was different, I suppose.”
“In what way?” Lorne prompted.
“Always seemed a little uptight to me. Got worse when we spoke about women for some reason. I know he hated his missus, but not all women are the same, are you, ladies?”
Lorne smiled. “No, we’re not. Did he ever tell you what went wrong with his marriage?”
“Not really. Avoided the subject when he could,” Len replied.
“Going back to Thursday, when you last laid eyes on him, what was his mood like?”
Len placed a thumb and forefinger around his stubbly chin. “I can’t say it was any different to normal.”
“He didn’t mention if he’d had a run-in with anyone, an argument or something along those lines?”
“No, nothing like that. Is that what you think? Someone who knew him did this to him?”
“The honest answer is we don’t know. That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Lorne sensed the men had only been drinking buddies and hadn’t really known each other well at all, frustrating as that was to admit this early on in the investigation.
Another couple of men came through the front door. Len and Jeff acknowledged them as they approached the bar. Lorne noticed the men sneaking a glance their way, and after the manager had served them, the two men joined them.
“This is Tommy and Bill. Mates, these two lovely ladies are with the police. You’re never going to believe what I’m gonna say next… Denis has popped his clogs,” Len said.
“What? How? An accident, was it?” one of the men sporting a beard asked.
Len shook his head. “Nope, he was bumped off by all accounts.”
The new arrivals drew up a couple of spare chairs and filled in the gap at the table. “No way. When?”
Lorne cleared her throat. “His body was found this morning. We’re hoping someone here can throw some light on why he was attacked. Did either of you know Denis well enough for him to confide in you?”
Tommy and Bill, who both appeared equally as shocked as Len and Jeff were moments earlier, shook their heads.
“I’ve already told them that Denis was a strange character on occasions, that’s right innit, gents?” Len took a sip of his beer.
“Why would anyone want to hurt him? He might have been a tad quiet, but I wouldn’t have called him strange,” one of the new arrivals said.
“Did any of you notice a stranger hanging around the pub last week?” Lorne asked, losing the will to live.
All the men shook their heads, apart from Tommy, who appeared pensive.
Lorne pounced on him. “Sir, you seem as though you’ve remembered something.”
“I think so. When I left that night, I noticed a young girl on the corner. I might have glanced her way once or twice but I didn’t like to stare. I put her down as one of those ladies of the night, if you get my drift.”
“A prostitute? Would you even know what one of them looked like, Tommy?” Len ribbed the man whose cheeks flushed.
“You can be such a prick at times, Len.”
“Aye, I can that.”
“Sorry to break this up, gents, but we’re on an urgent mission to catch a killer here.”
“Sorry,” Len apologised for the others.
“A young lady you said. Would you be able to give us a description?” Lorne’s heart thumped against her ribcage, the way it frequently did when she felt she was closing in on a suspect.
“I don’t think so. She was lurking in the shadows really. Not sure I could even tell you what the colour of her hair was, sorry.”
“It was worth a shot. Did you see what happened to her? Perhaps she was waiting to be picked up.”
Tommy shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you, love. All I was interested in was downing my first pint.”
Len sniggered until Lorne shot him a glare.
“Never mind. It’s something we can look into; it’s more than we had when we came in here. Is there anything else you guys think we should know before we leave?”
The four of them glanced at each other and then back at Lorne and shook their heads.
Katy flipped her notebook shut.
“Thanks for your help. I’ll leave you a card. If you hear anything that you think might be of interest to me, will you ring me?”
“Sure, we’ll do that, lads, won’t we?” Len said, speaking up for the rest of the group again.
Lorne and Katy returned to the bar, sat on a couple of stools and waited for the owner to go over the CCTV footage with them. Finally, the cavalry arrived in the shape of two youngsters, one male and one female, who slipped behind the bar.
James Marks instructed his staff what to do then motioned for Lorne and Katy to follow him through to a cramped office which barely had room for a desk and a chair. Sitting on a shelf was a monitor, and on the screen was the pub’s car park. Lorne’s hopes rose a notch.
“We’ve established from the group of men we were just speaking to that Denis was definitely last seen on Thursday. We’re also looking for a young woman who Tommy saw lurking in th
e shadows in the car park.”
“Interesting. Let’s see what we can find for you,” James replied. He selected a CD and fast-forwarded through the images until the young woman came into view.
“Can you stop it there?” Lorne shuffled closer to the screen. “I can’t make her out. All I can see is that she has shoulder-length hair. Looks pretty sinister to me, standing there, just waiting, either for someone to meet, or I’m inclined to think, spying on someone.”
Katy nodded her agreement. “I wonder how long she stayed there.”
“Let’s see, shall we?” James fast-forwarded the image once again. The woman stayed in the same position for over twenty minutes and then drifted away.
“She’s leaving. I can’t see anyone else around, can you?” Lorne asked, blinking a few times, her eyes sore from intently staring at the tiny screen.
“Nope, the trouble is, we can’t see the main entrance to the pub from this angle,” Katy said.
James tutted. “Sorry, ladies, that’s as good as it gets. Do you want me to make you a copy?”
“We’d appreciate that, thanks. Looks like it’s as much as were going to get.” Lorne exhaled a frustrated breath and puffed out her cheeks.
Once ready, James handed Lorne a copy of the CD which she popped into her jacket pocket. She gave James a card. “Will you do me a favour and keep your ear to the ground for us?”
“I’ll do that. Denis was a good man; he didn’t deserve this. I hope you catch the culprit soon.”
He led them back through the bar under the gaze of the customers. “Thanks, James. You’ve been really helpful.”
On the way to the car, Lorne said, “We might as well call it a day and start anew in the morning.”
“Hopefully, we’ll have something more to go on once the appeal has been aired.”
“I’m cream-crackered. I’ll drop you back at the station and then shoot off.”
“It’s been a long day with nothing much to show for it so far.”
“Ain’t that the truth. Still, tomorrow is another day as they say.”
Chapter 4
Lorne groaned and toppled out of bed the following morning.
“Are you all right? Say if you’re not, Lorne, and I’ll call in sick for you,” Tony asked, concern etched into his handsome but maturing features.
“I’m fine. I just need to get moving. Don’t worry about me, love. What are you up to today?”
“Packing. I seem to spend my life packing damn box after box. Are you sure we need to take all this stuff with us?”
“I’ve thrown out what we don’t need and given a few boxes to the charity shop. The rest has to come with us.”
“I think I prefer my bachelor days. When I moved from one fixed abode to another, I dumped virtually everything I owned, bunged everything else into a few suitcases and moved on.”
Lorne stood at the door to the en suite and shook her head. “What about items that meant something to you? Given to you from family members et cetera?”
“Never had anything worth keeping. Maybe that’s the difference between men and women.”
“Maybe. I can’t imagine throwing out anything that either my dad or Charlie has given me over the years, they mean too much to me.”
“Men aren’t as sentimental as women, I suppose. Either that or I’ve never been given gifts worth keeping.”
“Umm…thanks.”
Tony winced and tutted. “I’m talking about before I met you. I have a box of precious stuff of my own now. Damn, forget I said anything. Don’t you have a job to go to?” He showed off his white teeth in a soppy grin.
“I have.”
After showering, bathing her wound with more care than usual due to the shooting pains she was already experiencing so early on in the morning, she finished getting ready and joined Tony in the kitchen where he’d prepared breakfast for her.
“Gosh, you’re expecting me to eat a full breakfast and then drag myself into work? I’ll be falling asleep at my desk by nine o’clock. That’ll go down well with Sean, not.”
“I take it he’s being a nightmare then?” Tony added the beans to her plate then placed it in front of her.
“Aren’t you having any?” she asked, deliberately avoiding answering his question.
“I’ll have something later; it’ll give me an excuse to take a break from the packing.”
She set down her knife and covered his hand with her own. “I’m not sure what I’d do without you in my life, Tony. Please don’t ever think I’m taking you for granted.”
“Where did that come from? I never think that. This is a partnership, love. One that at one point I never dreamt of having. I might complain now and again, but basically, having you in my life has made me whole. Never forget that.”
“I feel the same way. Take a break from the packing for today. Why don’t you take Sheba out for a visit around the lake or something along those lines? It’ll do you good to have time off.”
He contemplated her idea and nodded. “You know what? I think I will. I’ll do half a day and then take Sheba out.”
Sheba’s ears pricked up at her name, and she moaned a little from her bed by the door.
“That’s settled. You can’t go back on your word now and upset her.”
They laughed. Lorne tucked into her breakfast again and popped one of her painkillers with a mouthful of coffee.
“Is it that bad this morning?”
“It’s not good,” she admitted, placing another piece of Cumberland sausage into her mouth.
“I would willingly go down the station and wring Sean’s neck for you.”
“It’s not long, Tony. I can stand the pain for that long. Anyway, I’d probably be a darn sight worse around here, hunched over and lugging boxes around all day.”
“Fair comment.”
She was determined not to mention that Sean had neglected in his duty to pass on her retirement form. She knew how Tony would react to that unwelcome news. She didn’t keep much from her husband; however, she knew she was doing the right thing this time. Tony was a placid person until someone rattled his cage, and then he generally reverted back to his former role of tough MI6 agent, not willing to take shit from anyone, no matter what rank came before their name.
Lorne drove into work and marked another day off the calendar on her desk. Nine days and counting, if everything went according to plan.
Katy came into her office a few minutes later, waving a note in her hand. “We might have something here.”
Lorne sat back in her chair and placed her hands over her slightly bulging tummy. “What’s that? To do with the case, I’m guessing.”
“We’ve had a call from a distant relative, says she’s Denis’s niece, an Emma Chadwick.”
Lorne sprang upright in her chair and got to her feet. “Ouch, I shouldn’t have done that. Remind me I have to do things slowly and rein in my excitement for now. We should get over there and see her.”
“We should. Are you sure you’re up to this? I can take one of the others with me, if you’d rather stay here.”
Lorne eyed her as if she’d just been released from a straitjacket. “Umm…no. I’m going, and that’s the end of it. Where are we heading?”
“An address near Rickmansworth.”
“Ah, Hertfordshire. It’ll be nice to get away from the city for a few hours.”
“Want me to drive?”
“That’ll make a change, which means I can enjoy the scenery this beautiful country has to offer.”
Katy shook her head. “A tad over the top.”
“I take it Emma is expecting us?”
“She is, in half an hour.”
“I hope the traffic is in our favour then.”
They arrived at Emma’s tiny terraced house five minutes later than anticipated. Lorne rang the bell.
A nervous-looking brunette with highlighted blonde strands opened the door. “Are you who I spoke to earlier?”
Lorne nodded, and she
and Katy both showed their ID.
“DI Lorne Warner, and my partner DS Katy Foster.”
“You’d better come in. I’ve been pacing the floor since I made the call, unsure whether I’d done the right thing in ringing you. Do you want a drink?” Emma led them through to the tiniest lounge Lorne had ever seen. The whole house appeared to be of doll’s house proportions.
“No, we’re fine. Why, are you having second thoughts, Emma?”
Emma glanced over to the right to gaze out of the window. She scratched both sides of her neck until she had created red patches and then looked back at Lorne. “I’m not sure where I should begin.”
Lorne motioned for the nervous young woman to take a seat. “Please, try and relax. Do you know something about Denis’s death, is that what this is all about?”
Emma collapsed into the grey velour sofa and placed one of the mustard-coloured cushions in front of her, crushing it with her arm. “No, the first I heard about his death was when I saw it on the news. Until then I’d tried my hardest to forget all about the wretched man.”
Lorne shot a glance at Katy who raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Are you saying you didn’t get on with your uncle?”
“Please, don’t call him that. I hated him.”
“Okay, can you tell us why? Take your time, I can see how upsetting this is for you.”
“It is. He was a callous man. Yes, that’s the word I would use for him, bloody callous.”
Lorne and Katy sat in the sofa opposite. “In your own time, there’s no rush. Can you tell us why you’d say that about your… umm…Denis?”
“Everyone thought he was such a genuine man—he wasn’t. He was a monster. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, if you like.”
Katy jotted down some notes. Lorne nodded at Emma to continue without interrupting her.
Emma stopped talking, her gaze darting around the room as if trying to latch on to something that could possibly calm her while she spoke.
“You’re all right, Emma, you’re safe now. Please, what did he do to you?” Lorne had an inkling what Emma was about to reveal and suspected it wasn’t going to be pretty. So much for Denis being well-liked at his local. Over the years she’d discovered the many faces people hid behind and placed Denis Tallon in that category, without Emma even telling her what he’d done.