The Boathouse Killer

by Keith Finney

  Lyn smiled; she had her own memories.

  I should remind Ant of stolen kisses on his father’s wherry.

  "He was very handsome and funny. He brought me flowers from the meadow each Sunday during the summer. I think many of the girls in the village were jealous, but I didn’t care. I was in love. But now…"

  Lyn moved quickly to stop Hannah retreating back into herself.

  "Just remember you are safe, and Ant will find Jakub. He won’t get anywhere near you, I promise."

  Hannah offered an unconvincing smile.

  Think I've pushed hard enough for today.

  Lyn allowed the silence to continue for a few seconds before getting up from her chair and offering Hannah a comforting touch.

  "Well, looks to me like it's time to leave you in peace to enjoy the last of the sun with your wonderful cordial. Don't forget, Hannah, if you need anything, anything at all, or something happens that you don’t like the look of, call me. I can be around in five minutes. Okay?"

  Hannah nodded without making eye contact as Lyn walked towards the garden gate and out into the driveway.

  "How are you doing, Lil? Can I have one of your lovely quarter pounders please with all the trimmings?"

  Lil greeted Ant like the old friend he was.

  "A good job I don’t rely on you for my profits. Haven’t seen you in ages. Where have you been hiding?"

  Ant smiled and deflected the question as he stood at the village institution that was Lil’s greasy spoon mobile chuck wagon. The battered old van had stood in its lay-by location for more years than he could remember. Nevertheless, she still served the best roadside food for miles around.

  "Beautiful day," said Ant as he sniffed the delicious aroma of beef being fried on a small hotplate and looked out across a lush landscape towards the North Sea.

  "I bet the wind gets at you during the winter?" said Ant as he continued to evade talking about himself.

  Lil laughed.

  "Don’t remind me. My bones are getting too old for those easterlies. Go right through you, don’t they?"

  Lil passed Ant his steaming snack, piled high with cheese and fried onions.

  "I know what you mean." Ant bit into the burger so enthusiastically that clear juices began to run down the sides of his mouth.

  "Good?"

  "Never better." Ant grinned as he took another great bite from his brunch.

  If there was one thing that stopped Ant talking, it was good food. In the case of Lil's cuisine, it meant he failed to utter a word for the five minutes it took him to polish the burger off. In that time, he'd watched Lil scraping the hotplate clean with a stainless-steel spatula, and butter two-dozen buns in preparation for the lunchtime rush.

  Wiping his face with a paper towel and brushing a patchwork of breadcrumbs from the front of his jacket, his attention turned to the subject of Jakub Baros.

  "I don’t suppose you’ve come across any strangers around the place over the last week or so?"

  Lil gave a broad smile.

  "What, you mean more so than my regulars?"

  Ant nodded and returned her grin.

  "I get your point. I just—"

  "Although," Lil interrupted, "there was that chap who could have done with a good wash."

  I wonder.

  "I don’t suppose he had a scar on one cheek, did he?"

  Lil’s face lit up.

  "How did you know that? As a matter of fact, he did. When he ordered… well, I say ordered, he just pointed at the menu and shoved a twenty-pound note at me. Never seen anyone eat a double beef burger with bacon so fast in all my life. The man disappeared before I could give him his change." Lil pointed to a shelf behind her. "It's still waiting for him."

  The two old friends shared a joke about the eating habits of men, before Ant pressed Lil for more detail.

  "Did you notice a car or where he seemed to head for?"

  Ant's question was asked more in hope than expectation.

  Lil smiled again.

  "As a matter of fact, I did. It was a clapped-out Skoda campervan with foreign number plates. You should have seen the muck its exhaust chucked out, something awful it was."

  "You're sure it was a Skoda and not a Range Rover?"

  Lil frowned.

  "I think I know the difference between the two, young Mr Anthony. Anyway, he’s parked up at the old piggery on Lane End Farm. It’s been abandoned for years, so I suppose the lad will get a bit of quiet. I only know because I happened to follow it for a bit on my way home yesterday."

  Ant leant over the high counter of the chuck wagon and placed a kiss on Lil's cheek.

  "You’re a corker, Lil. I need to speak to that lad, so I'll be saying cheerio and strike while the iron's hot."

  "In that case you won't mind giving him his change for me, will you?" replied Lil, reaching over to the shelf to retrieve the cash.

  With that he was gone, with Lil's voice telling him "not to leave it so long next time" still ringing in his ears. Loose shingle spat from the wheels of Ant's car as he left the lay-by for the main road and took a sharp right onto a narrow farm trackway. Although plain to see the track wasn't used often, he noticed newly fallen twigs and leaves scattered on the surface of the roadway.

  Something big has been down here recently to cause this damage.

  A few minutes later, the overgrown vegetation gave way to a scene of dereliction. As he brought the Morgan to a halt and climbed out of the car, he realised Lil had been right to say the farm had been left unoccupied for years. As he scrambled over collapsed walls, piles of old timber, and rusted metal cladding, he scanned the area for signs of life.

  Out of nowhere, a foreign-sounding voice carried across the scene of devastation.

  "What you want?"

  Seconds seeming like hours followed in silence.

  Then the voice again. This time much, much closer.

  "What you want in this place?"

  Ant felt clammy breathing on the nape of his neck.

  He was also aware of a sharp object resting menacingly between his shoulder blades.

  13

  Numbers

  "I don’t suppose your name is Jakub Baros, by any chance?"

  Ant’s calming tone had an immediate effect as he felt the pressure from the object pressing into his back ease off.

  Turning to face the stranger, Ant knew he’d found his man.

  "You police?"

  Ant studied the gruff-looking man, aged around thirty, with a mop of black, curly hair and a scar on his cheek.

  Lil was right about him needing a bath.

  "Perhaps you would like to put your knife down, now?" Ant concentrated on looking and sounding relaxed. This was no time for sudden movements.

  "How you know my name?" His eyes scanned the derelict farmyard nervously.

  Rather than answer Jakub’s question, Ant pointed to the old campervan, which was parked behind a half-demolished cowshed so that just the front of the rusting vehicle was visible.

  "Do you have insurance for that?"

  Convinced now that Ant was a policeman, Jakub dropped the knife.

  "It is mine, yes. I have proof—papers. It is legal."

  Ant stood aside as Jakub hurried towards the campervan and retrieved a black, imitation leather folder from the glove compartment.

  "See. I have insurance." He held out a piece of paper, which Ant scrutinised closely.

  A shame I can’t read Polish.

  "This seems to be in order." Ant's tone was polite, but officious as he returned the document to Jakub, who nervously slipped it back into the plastic folder.

  He's shaking.

  "You go now? I have many things to do."

  Ant's body language and tone made it clear that it was he to decide when it was time to leave.

  "Norfolk is a long way from, er, where did you say you came from?"

  Jakub’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at the knife lying amongst a pile of broken roof tiles and twisted metal. A
nt followed the man’s glance.

  "I don’t think we’ll be needing this today, do you?" He bent down and retrieved the blade, admiring the quality of its manufacture.

  Jakub didn't move.

  "A small fishing village near Lublin."

  Looks almost relieved I've taken control of the knife.

  Ant suspected the man's temper had got him in trouble before. At least this time the temptation had been removed. He gestured for Jakub to follow him across the yard. As Jakub turned to see where he was pointing, Ant took the opportunity to throw the knife in the opposite direction.

  "We know quite a lot about you. Do you know a woman called Hannah Singleton?"

  Jakub bristled at the mention of her name.

  Is he going to run for it or stay to find out what I really know?

  "Do join me," Ant said, inviting Jakub to sit with him on a set of stone steps leading to the upper floor of what was once a sizeable grain store. His quiet voice did the trick.

  Looks like he isn't going anywhere.

  Jakub sat down, his body odour making Ant wonder if he been a little too accommodating in his offer.

  "Tell me about Hannah. She was your girlfriend, yes?"

  Jakub shrugged his shoulders.

  "You know this already. Why do you ask?"

  Ant pressed his point.

  "Because, Jakub, her husband was murdered a few days ago. Then again you already know that, don’t you?"

  Jakub attempted to get up. Ant placed a firm hand on the man's arm to dissuade him.

  "Hannah called me saying she was in trouble and for me to come. She needed my help. So I come." Jakub shrugged his shoulders again as he submitted to Ant's firm restraint. "And now, nothing. I call. She does not answer. I go to house. She is not there. What am I to do?"

  What on earth is going on?

  "You’re telling me you came all the way from Poland because of a telephone call, and now the woman who rang you won’t see or speak to you? Sorry, that doesn’t make sense."

  Ant felt Jakub tensing.

  He's either going to hit me or make a run for it.

  "I have told you; Hannah is in trouble. You say you know everything about me. So you know how special that lady is to me, okay?"

  One of them is a very good liar, but which one?

  Jakub picked up a small shard of rusty metal and began twisting the material. Ant quickly understood what the man’s actions might lead to.

  Better keep him talking.

  "Listen, I’m here to help you. We know you were jealous when Geoff took Hannah away. Who wouldn’t be? Most men have had those feelings. But Geoffrey Singleton is dead, and you have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I don’t think you had anything to do with his murder, but you must help me. Do you understand?"

  Oops, shouldn't have mentioned 'murder.'

  Ant made no attempt to stop Jakub as the man sprang from the steps and put ten feet between them. He knew the next few seconds would end in one of three ways:

  Jakub would launch an attack.

  He would run for it.

  He'd see sense and stay put.

  That was a close-run thing, mused Ant as Jakub paused, turned to look at the campervan, then back at Ant and put his clenched fists in the pockets of his work-worn, black leather jacket.

  "Hannah called me on Tuesday. She was crying. It was hard to understand her. She said they had been arguing for weeks and were breaking up, but then Geoff died." He allowed his shoulders to rest forward and stared at the debris beneath his feet.

  Good man. Stay where you are.

  "She said she was being blamed for his death, and the police were going to do something to his body, then take her away."

  Ant remained seated. He spoke in a calm, measured tone.

  "Didn’t that seem strange to you?"

  Jakub frowned.

  "But it was Hannah. If she said something is so, then it is so."

  Love is a terrible thing sometimes.

  "She said I should hide his body until she could prove her innocence."

  Ant got to his feet and closed the distance between them.

  "You mean Hannah told you where his body was, how to get Geoff out of the mortuary, and where to hide him?"

  Is she taking us for mugs?

  "You said she called you? Then you will have her number saved on your mobile?"

  Jakub rummaged through the pocket of his coat. From the time it took him to retrieve the phone, Ant assumed the lining had perished.

  "It is always the same; she never answers," replied Jakub as he handed an ancient mobile over.

  Ant looked at the call log. Baros seemed to be telling the truth. He also noted a long list of unanswered calls the other way.

  He’s certainly been persistent.

  "And you still don’t think it’s a bit funny?" said Ant as he tried the number twice without success.

  Jakub screwed up his face. Ant realised his error.

  "Sorry, I didn’t mean it like a joke. What I meant was it's a bit strange. Do you understand?"

  Jakub’s facial features relaxed.

  "But I love her. What she asks for, I do."

  Is love that blind, or is he having me over?

  "She still loves me. I know this. She told me to be careful because the police were watching. You are here. She tells me the truth."

  Time to check a few things out.

  "You will stay here until I send for you Jakub. Do you understand?" Ant slipped Jakub’s mobile into his pocket. He was relieved the stranger made no attempt to stop him.

  "Understand?" repeated Ant.

  Jakub nodded.

  Right, let's get to the bottom of this.

  14

  No Hiding Place

  Saturday morning broke with a fine drizzle, which left the grasslands of Stanton Hall glistening against a shy sun peeping out from a huge bank of dark grey clouds.

  "You’re out and about early," said Ant as he watched Lyn cover the last few yards from the lawn in front of the Hall and across the gravel driveway to the double front doors.

  She handed Ant a round tin as she scrubbed her wellington boots on the coconut doormat before stepping into the majestic hallway.

  "Thought it would be good exercise since I sit at a desk for most of the week. And by the way, don’t pinch any of that chocolate cake before your mum and dad have had some. Your butler told me what you did last week."

  Ant adopted his best schoolboy "it wasn’t me" look as he gently shook the tin to check how big the cake might be.

  "To be fair, the cook thought the tin was empty and put it in the pantry."

  Lyn seized her opportunity.

  "Since when does a fully qualified cook store empty tins in the larder?"

  Ant tried to rebuff Lyn’s logic.

  "I was hungry."

  Lyn shook her head.

  "What, to scoff enough Victoria sponge to start a cake stall?"

  The banter continued as the two friends passed into the morning room of the Tudor building.

  Time to change the subject, I think.

  "Anyway, enough about cake, how did you get on with Hannah yesterday?"

  Lyn took the bait as the pair settled themselves into a matching pair of Chippendale chairs.

  "She told me all about this Jakub Baros chap. It seems he has a temper and mixed with some dodgy types when he was younger. Hannah said he’d been in trouble for violence, and she was frightened of him."

  "Interesting," replied Ant as he rubbed his chin in the style of Sherlock Holmes.

  Lyn's look of irritation told Ant he needed to expand.

  "Well, Hannah may not be as innocent as she makes out. In fact, there’s a good chance she’s one of the best actors either of us has come across."

  Lyn shook her head.

  "If you’re thinking she had anything to do with her husband’s death, you’re on the wrong track. I’ve spent a lot of time with her over the last few days, and I can tell you her grief is genuine."
>
  Ant offered Lyn a mint from a small silver dish on the veneered mahogany coffee table, which separated their chairs.

  "I accept her tears may be genuine. The question is, for whom is she weeping. Geoff or herself?"

  Lyn took the mint and popped it into her already open mouth.

  "You clearly know something I don’t, so out with it, clever clogs."

  Ant spent the next few minutes filling Lyn in about his run-in with Jakub the previous day.

  "You see, either he's a fantastic actor, or she's been manipulating him. Believe me, two minutes in his company is enough to convince anyone he’s not the sharpest chisel in the toolbox."

  Lyn leant forward in her chair to pick up a second mint from the small silver dish.

  "So we have a jealous ex-boyfriend, with known violent tendencies, showing up just when the body of his love's rival gets himself bumped off. Have I missed anything?"

  Got it in one.

  "Congratulations, Lyn. You’ve won our Sleuth of the Month competition, and first prize is as many mints as you can eat in five minutes."

  "The only problem is," said Lyn, ignoring his attempt at humour and beginning to suck on the sugar treat, "Who’s setting whom up, because if we're right, one of them could be next for the chop?"

  Ant flicked a mint into his mouth and jumped to his feet.

  "Time to revisit the crime scene. Come on, pull your wellies on. We’re off to the boathouse."

  "Will you stop fiddling about with your nose," said Lyn as the pair hopped onto Geoff Singleton’s boat and made their way into the cabin of the luxury cruiser.

  Ant huffed as he gave his left nostril a final scratch before settling himself down on a leather-covered bench seat next to the galley.

  Lyn remained standing and scanned the immaculately fitted-out interior.

  "What are we looking for?"

  "I don’t know until we find it, Lyn. I’m certain there’s something here that will tell us what really happened. And if we’re lucky, why he was killed."

  There has to be something in here that will tell us what happened.

  "It’s not as if there’s anywhere to hide anything, that’s for sure," said Lyn as she opened various cupboards and inspected their interior.