‘You are fortunate to have such a devoted and supportive wife,’ said Rathbone. ‘Perhaps if she was aware that you have consistently been unfaithful to her she would be less sympathetic?’
‘That’s a cruel thing to say, Inspector,’ Grayson protested. ‘She was very fond of my brother and shared my grief. And before you put any more offensive questions, it so happens that for reasons which are highly personal my wife has accepted the fact that I have found the need to seek … what I might describe as certain solace … elsewhere.’
‘And she knew the identity of your current mistress?’
‘I doubt it; as I said before, she isn’t a churchgoer.’
‘But she will no doubt be prepared to confirm that she was familiar with your special needs?’
‘I’m certain she will, but do you really have to drag her into this? She knows about Lance Rainbird’s death, but she has no idea that I’m a suspect for his murder. I shall of course have to explain my sudden absence when I return home.’
‘Inspector Rathbone,’ said Fiona Girling, ‘my client has admitted that his marital arrangements are unconventional but it is obvious that they are totally irrelevant to this case.’
‘May I remind you, Ms Girling,’ he replied without shifting his gaze from Grayson, ‘that this is a murder enquiry and it is our duty to explore every possible avenue in our efforts to find the culprit, no matter how distasteful some people may find it. Mr Grayson, I put it to you again that, fearing Lance Rainbird would divulge the details of your sordid behaviour and so ruin your reputation, and unwilling to accede to whatever conditions he offered in exchange for his silence, you killed him, and subsequently killed Reginald Law because he had witnessed the attack and threatened you with exposure.’
‘I can only repeat what I have told you all along – I am totally innocent of these murders.’
Recalling how with one simple question Penny had caused Cynthia Franks to admit that she had given her lover a false alibi, Sukey gave Rathbone a discreet glance. He responded with a brief nod. ‘Mr Grayson,’ she said, ‘as a committed Christian, are you prepared to swear on the Bible that what you have just told us is the truth?’
He solemnly raised his right hand. ‘As God is my witness, it is the absolute truth.’
‘Does that satisfy you, Inspector?’ Fiona Girling gathered her papers together as if the interview was as good as over. ‘Apart from a few shreds of circumstantial evidence you have found no valid excuse for detaining my client, or indeed for having arrested him in the first place. I shall be giving him some further advice on that, but I now insist that you either charge him or release him immediately and unconditionally.’
Rathbone got up and left the room. He was absent for a short time; when he returned he said stiffly, ‘Thank you, Mr Grayson, you are free to go.’ To the group of waiting detectives he said, ‘Right, we’re finished in here.’
They followed him in silence. The moment they were outside and the door shut behind them he said, ‘Right, Mr Leach’s office in fifteen minutes. Grab yourselves a coffee and meet me there.’
‘Sit down everyone,’ said Leach when they assembled in his office. ‘At least yesterday wasn’t a total write-off; we’ve finally eliminated a very strong suspect.’
‘Fiona Girling was dropping hints about bringing a case against us for harassment and wrongful arrest, sir,’ said Rathbone. ‘You know what she’s like; she may persuade him he has a case.’
Leach shook his head. ‘She has an eye to a fee, no doubt, but she must be well aware that we’d contest it and the last thing Grayson would want is to have his dirty linen washed in court.’ He chuckled. ‘The paparazzi would have a field day. Now, we have to think seriously about where we go from here. By the way, I haven’t written Freeman out of the frame, even though Sukey gave him a good character. Greg, I believe you’ve sent the gloves Sukey found in the waste bin at Dallington Manor and various samples she found in Rainbird’s flat for DNA testing.’
‘That’s right, sir.’
‘Did you ask for them to be fast-tracked?’
‘Well, no sir. Do you want me …?’
‘Leave it with me.’ Leach made a note on his pad. ‘What about the lady’s handkerchief Sukey found under Rainbird’s pillow?’
‘I’ve kept that, sir. I assumed it belonged to Rainbird’s lady friend and even if she had reason to murder him it was unlikely she’d travel to Dallington Manor and strangle him.’
‘A reasonable assumption,’ Leach agreed, ‘but it may yet prove useful so be sure and hang on to it. Now, about the diary that was hidden under Rainbird’s bed, you told me you’d sent that to forensics for possible finger prints. Any joy there?’
‘I’m afraid not, sir. There are traces of prints on the cover but all badly smudged. They think she probably kept it in her handbag where it would have rubbed up against the usual odds and ends women carry around with them. It’s not a diary, by the way; it’s an address book.’
‘In that case it might yield some useful information. Go through it and see if you can identify any addresses within a reasonable radius of Rainbird’s flat. Yes, Vicky?’ he said as she put up a hand.’
‘We learned from our enquiries among the people in Freeman’s group, sir, that some of the women found Rainbird attractive. Do you think it might be worth finding out which of them attend his events regularly, if they live fairly near him, if they’re married and whether their husbands normally accompany them?’
‘You’re thinking of one of them being the owner of the handkerchief and the diary, with her jealous husband being our man, I take it?’
‘It seems like a possibility, sir.’
‘Good thinking. OK Greg, get your people busy. That’s all for now.’
TWENTY-SIX
When the team reported to Rathbone the following morning he summoned them to his office and said, ‘I see no point in spending further time ferreting around at Dallington Manor, so Mike, Tim and Penny can go and start work on the cases that have come in the past couple of days. I’ll be with you in a moment to allocate the jobs.’
‘Right, Guv,’ said Mike. Sukey noticed that all three appeared relieved at the decision.
‘Vicky,’ Rathbone continued, ‘you will get hold of Freeman and get him to check his records and let you know which of the married couples or women on their own would have been to the same events as Rainbird. If any of them live within, say, a five- or ten-mile radius of Rainbird’s pad, make sure you have their address and phone number and come back to me for further instruction.’
‘Right, Guv.’
He handed the address book to Sukey. ‘You will make a similar check in this. From a quick glance through I notice that not every entry has an address but they all have phone numbers, so one way or the other you should be able to find what you need. Both of you are to report to me as soon as you turn up anything significant.’
‘This could either turn out to be a doddle or a monumental task,’ said Vicky when she and Sukey returned to the CID office. ‘By the way,’ she added in a lower voice, ‘I had the impression yesterday that Sir wasn’t exactly a happy bunny, but he seems to have bucked up today even though we’re no nearer a result. Was something bugging him?’
‘Why do you ask me?’
‘He’s been different since his promotion, and I’ve been wondering if he’s asking himself if he’s really up to the job. From what you’ve told me he hasn’t got anyone close, so …’
‘So you thought he might have dropped a hint in my ear? If you must know, as we were leaving yesterday after having eliminated Grayson, he did mention that he was feeling frustrated at the lack of progress on his first case as a DI, but I pointed out that it was one hell of a case and that DCI Leach probably shared his frustration. He seemed to cheer up when I said that.’
‘Understandable, I suppose, but Mr Leach didn’t say anything to suggest he felt our DI, or any of us come to that, had missed out on anything in particular. Right, I guess we’
d better get on with our researches.’
They had been working for a while on their respective tasks. Sukey was checking a telephone number on her computer when Vicky came and tapped her on the shoulder. ‘I think I may have found something,’ she said.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Sukey. ‘I haven’t had any luck so far. What is it?’
‘You remember Hugh Pearson?’
‘Yes, of course. He was the rather grumpy man in the Aran sweater whose wife couldn’t be with him because her sister had flu? What about him?’
‘I remember he seemed a bit ill at ease when we spoke to him. And guess what, they live in Richmond. And I’m sure you also remember that the Days mentioned Julie Pearson as one of Rainbird’s admirers who always sided with him in his spats with Eric Bowen?’
‘You’re thinking maybe her husband suspected, or even knew, that she was having an affair with Rainbird and took the opportunity of killing him when she was unable to be with him?’
‘And was spotted by Reg Law, who very foolishly didn’t go straight to the police but tried to sell his story to the press?’
‘It’s feasible. He was there on Sunday as well. He could have overheard Law’s call to Harry.’
‘But Freeman hadn’t noticed anyone absent from the afternoon session.’
‘That’s true, but he was probably feeling a bit stressed at the time, there were over forty people in the group and he might not have noticed. Anyway, I’m going to report this to Sir and see what he has to say.’
‘I’m going to take a coffee break,’ said Sukey. When she returned to her work station Vicky was on the telephone and Sukey heard her say, ‘Three o’clock tomorrow afternoon. That’s fine. Thank you very much, Mrs Pearson.’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve struck oil?’ said Sukey.
‘I’ve had a chat with Mrs P. She sounded very wary at first, couldn’t think how she could possibly help with the enquiry, wasn’t even there and so forth, but I managed to persuade her that it was just to tie up a loose end. She said she had to have a word with her husband first and she’d call me back, which she’s just done. So I have another trip to London.’
‘Lucky you. I’m still trawling through the address book. I’ve got as far as H. without finding anything remotely feasible. Let’s hope the rest of the alphabet will yield something useful.’
‘With luck you could join me tomorrow,’ said Vicky. ‘I suppose I’d better check on the rest of the people on Freeman’s list, in case there’s another possibility.’
They resumed their respective tasks. It was just before midday that Sukey gave a little squeak of excitement. ‘Bingo!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ve found a woman called Pansy with a local number … that is, it has the same area code as Rainbird’s.’
‘That sounds promising,’ said Vicky. ‘Have you got the address?’
‘There’s only the number in the book, but I can get the address from directory enquiry if she proves difficult. I’ll check through the rest of the book before reporting to the boss.’ She quickly flipped through the remaining pages but found nothing else significant.
‘Is that the only one?’ said Rathbone when she reported her findings. ‘There’s no address here so I presume it must be someone who lives near whoever our mystery woman is. Give her a call and see what you can get out of her.’
‘Will do, Guv.’ Sukey went back to her desk and dialled the number. A woman’s voice said, ‘Hullo, Pansy here. Who’s calling?’
‘This is Detective Constable Reynolds of the Avon and Somerset CID,’ said Sukey. ‘I apologize for bothering you, but we’ve found an address book with your name and phone number in it and we’d like to ask you one or two questions.’
There was a short silence before the woman said, ‘I don’t understand. Where did you find this book? And why do the police want to talk to me?’
‘If you don’t mind, I would prefer to explain in person. If we could agree on a convenient time for me to call?’
‘Just a minute, how do I know you’re the police? You could be a criminal trying to get me to open my door so you could rob me.’
‘You are quite right to be suspicious,’ said Sukey. ‘May I suggest that you get on to directory enquiries and ask for the number of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Ring that number and ask to be put through to DC Reynolds of the CID. I’ll be here waiting for your call.’
‘All right.’ Pansy put the phone down. Sukey turned to Vicky. ‘Either she knows something and wants to check with whoever owns the book before talking to me, or genuinely suspects me of being a crook. If she doesn’t call back I’ll check with the DI; my guess is he’ll tell me to get the address and turn up anyway.’
It was another five minutes before her phone rang. When she answered, Pansy said, ‘You obviously are who you say you are, but I really don’t understand why you want to talk to me.’
‘As I said, I’d prefer to speak to you in person. Would some time tomorrow afternoon, say half past three, be convenient?’
A resigned sigh drifted over the line. ‘Oh, all right. Here’s where I live.’ She dictated an address in Turnham Green. ‘I hope you won’t turn up in a police car; I don’t want to give my neighbours something to gossip about.’
‘I assure you that won’t be the case. May I know your full name please?’
‘I’m Mrs Pansy Denny.’
‘Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs Denny. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ Sukey put the phone down to avoid further questions. ‘Good,’ she said to Vicky. ‘That fits in nicely with your visit to Mrs Pearson. I’ll go and check with Sir.’
‘Ask him what we do about transport,’ Vicky reminded her.
The following day, after an early lunch, the two detectives headed for Richmond in Vicky’s car. When they reached the road where Pansy lived, Vicky drove slowly past the house, an impressive detached property not unlike the house where Luke Grayson lived. ‘It’s a pretty up market area,’ Vicky commented as she pulled into the kerb and waited for Sukey to get out. ‘Our mystery woman obviously has rich friends.’
‘She may be in the same league herself,’ said Sukey. ‘I’m not surprised Pansy wanted to check my credentials, though. OK, I’ll leave you to your visit to Mrs Pearson. I’ll give you a call when I finish here. Good luck.’ She waited until Vicky’s car was out of sight before walking up to the front door. It opened before she touched the bell.
Mrs Denny was a slim woman in her fifties, immaculately dressed, with beautifully styled hair and discreet but flawless make up. Without a word she ushered Sukey into the house, taking a quick glance over her shoulder as if fearing her arrival might have been observed before closing the door. She led the way across a wide entrance hall and gestured with a manicured hand at a door in the corner. ‘I hope this won’t take long,’ she said as she followed Sukey into the room, ‘I have friends coming for cocktails later on.’
‘I see no reason why it should take more than half an hour or so,’ said Sukey as she sat down in the chair Mrs Denny indicated. The room was small, the only furniture being two chairs and a table on which stood a telephone, a directory and an address book.
Mrs Denny said, ‘As I told you over the telephone, I can see no earthly reason why you should be so interested in me that a personal visit is necessary. If, having been satisfied as to your bona fides, I had given you my address, you could have put the book in the post to me and I could have given it to its owner.’
‘That’s an interesting point,’ said Sukey, ‘but what if I had asked you the address of the owner so that we could return it to her ourselves. It is a woman, isn’t it?’ she added as a faint flicker of unease dawned in Mrs Denny’s carefully made-up eyes.
‘Does that make a difference?’ she asked.
‘Does the name Lance Rainbird mean anything to you?’
Mrs Denny sucked in her lower lip. ‘The name does sound familiar,’ she said warily. ‘Haven’t I seen something in the paper recently about somebody called Rainbird havin
g been drowned … in Clevedon wasn’t it – oh, I understand now why you’re interested.’ Her attempt at a laugh had a brittle quality. ‘Clevedon’s in Somerset, isn’t it? But I still don’t understand …’
‘It’s true Mr Rainbird was found drowned in the lake in the grounds of Dallington Manor, which is a short distance from Clevedon,’ said Sukey, ‘but he lived in Kew – as I am sure you are aware,’ she added, using Rathbone’s technique of looking her subject directly in the eye. ‘And it is in his flat that we found this address book.’
Mrs Denny covered her face with her hands. ‘Oh my God, Pet, how could you have been so careless?’
‘So you do know her? Will you give me her name and tell me where I can contact her?’
‘She’s my kid sister. I’ve promised from the beginning that I wouldn’t breathe a word to a soul. How can I break my word? I couldn’t live with myself if …’
‘If her husband should find out she’s been having an affair with Lance Rainbird?’
‘She was heartbroken when he … when she heard of his death, and of course she had to hide it, as while it was obviously very shocking everyone had to believe it meant nothing to her personally. Why does it have to come out now?’
‘Because,’ said Sukey, ‘Lance Rainbird’s death was no accident. He was murdered. And we believe the owner of this address book can give us important information in our search for the killer.’
‘Yes, I understand, but,’ she broke off as if she had remembered something, ‘did you say you found the book in Lance’s flat?’
‘That’s right. It was under the bed.’
‘Under the bed? Oh how stupid of me – I never thought of looking there.’
‘So it was you who called at Mr Rainbird’s flat on Saturday afternoon? His neighbour heard someone go in and assumed it was his “lady friend” as she referred to your sister.’
‘That would have been the old busybody in the flat opposite, I suppose. My sister rang me on Saturday morning; she was very upset because she couldn’t find her address book and she was terrified she’d left it in Lance’s flat, so she asked me to go round and check, which I did. As I couldn’t find it she assumed she’d either lost it somewhere else or simply mislaid it.’
The Scent of Death--A Sukey Reyholds British police procedural Page 23