Tess shuffled forward and laid down as near to the chimera as she could, and blew a snuffling sigh.
It was a signal for Maguire to stand up. ‘I think that dog is tired,’ he said, bending to slip Tess’s lead on to her collar. ‘I’m taking her, and myself, home now. Thanks for the supper, it was delicious.’ Lizzie stood as well, and then walked with him to the edge of the patio. ‘Of course I will follow up with more enquiries on the whole Villiers family,’ Maguire said. ‘But first I want to pin down Harold and have a long talk with him. He’s been strangely elusive, considering the events at Avon Hall.’
‘Yes,’ said Lizzie with a frown. ‘You would think that on hearing about the murder, the first thing he’d do would be to come straight back to Avon Hall when he got back from China.’
‘Exactly! That is assuming that he has been to China. I’ve had Kevin Harrison on to that, and he can’t find any trace of a Harold Villiers flying anywhere. Besides, China is too far for him to go and come back in the time available. I think they are all lying, and I need to find out why.’
Lizzie watched Adam walk down her garden path towards his car parked in Silver Street. She felt frustrated. How quickly would Adam follow up the information she’d given him? It was impossible to tell. Sometimes he was totally inscrutable. That was what came from being a policeman for so many years. She found it infuriating.
Chapter 8
Summer disappeared overnight and a wild, chilly, buffeting wind blew in early Monday morning, the forerunner of a storm brewing out to sea. As Maguire made his way to the station, he could hear the clattering of the serried masts down in the harbour, even though the police station was halfway up the hill. There were groups of holiday makers huddled together up and down the High Street, looking into the souvenir shops and cafes, most wearing plastic raincoats; shivering in an English summer holiday. No wonder so many people went abroad. He hadn’t taken a proper holiday since Rosemary had died, and now that Tess was too old to leave in kennels he stayed at home and enjoyed the forest. He found that he enjoyed it more when the weather was inclement, and the holiday visitors stayed away, because then he had the place to himself. There was nothing he liked more than a walk along the foreshore near Stibbington, with the views of the Isle of Wight, and the riptide roaring past Keyhaven point.
But today was not the day for self-indulgent walks, today he had to track down Harold Villiers, plus investigate the family and the friends of the family. He hadn’t decided yet when to take DNA samples of the family as Lizzie had suggested. Checking the Villiers’ DNA had always been his intention, although he hadn’t mentioned it to Lizzie, and, of course, now, she would be convinced that it was because of her suggestion! He smiled to himself. He’d let her have her small moment of triumph, and Phineas would tease her, calling her Dr Marple.
A cup of steaming coffee was presented to him by Steve Grayson as he walked into his office.
‘Thought you’d like one, sir,’ he said. ‘Kevin and I got the coffees on the way in.’
‘Very thoughtful, thanks.’ Maguire sat down behind his desk and switched on his computer. ‘I’ve been hearing interesting tales about the Villiers family,’ he said. He sipped his coffee, looking over the rim of his cup at Steve. ‘From your wife of all people, Steve.’
Grayson looked surprised and slightly disturbed at the same time. ‘I didn’t know you had spoken to her, sir,’ he muttered.
‘I haven’t. She’s been talking to Dr Lizzie Browne. A proper little tête-à-tête they had down at the café on the quay, and some of it was very interesting.’
‘The whole town knows the gossip about that family,’ said Kevin.
‘Then why didn’t either of you two let me in on it?’ asked Maguire. ‘It may have nothing to do with this murder, but it’s possible that it has. So we must leave no stone unturned, as they say in the best detective novels. Now, let’s bring up what we’ve got so far on screen.’
Steve and Kevin sat themselves on a couple of chairs beside Maguire, and the three of them stared at the screen. ‘We need to find that red car,’ said Steve.
‘And the driver,’ added Kevin.
‘I know that.’ Maguire hunched forward, nearer to the screen as if it might give him a clue. ‘We’ve not yet interviewed the youngsters employed for the night of the perfume launch. They all need to be tracked down.’
‘And visit the flat where Jemima lived with Ruth,’ said Steve.
‘And then there’s Harold Villiers. If he doesn’t come down to Avinton, it looks as if I might have to go and see him in his Chelsea house.’ As Maguire spoke, the phone rang. Picking it up he listened for a moment, said ‘yes,’ then covering the mouthpiece he said sotto voce, ‘speak of the devil’ and raised his eyebrows. ‘Yes sir,’ he continued into the phone. ‘This morning will be very convenient. Shall we say in about twenty minutes’ time?’
With the call finished, he pushed his chair back and looked at the other two. ‘It seems the mountain has come to Mohamed,’ he said. ‘Mr Villiers is resident at Avon Hall, and will see me in twenty minutes. And this means you two have the option of searching the woodland path where Tess found Jemima’s shoe, or going to Salisbury to interview Jemima’s flatmates and generally poke around.’
‘Surely the SOCO team can do the path.’ said Steve. ‘I know they’ve come back from Bournemouth. Their cannabis job is all done and dusted. Turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. They were hoping for a couple of days staying down at Bournemouth, but now they’re back here in Stibbington.’
‘Right.’ Maguire picked up his phone and tapped in the SOCO extension. ‘No time like the present,’ he observed to Steve and Kevin. ‘I want them working on my case before someone else pinches them’
‘Good thinking,’ said Kevin ten minutes later, as they set off for Salisbury in Steve’s car. ‘I’d much rather talk to people than forage about in the undergrowth looking for non-existent clues.’
‘There must be clues there, if the boss found that shoe,’ Steve muttered. ‘But we’re not really trained to find stuff like that, but don’t let anyone hear you saying words like non-existent clues, otherwise before you know it you’ll be sent off on a course.’
‘I’ll remember those words of wisdom.’ Kevin grinned and started to programme the sat nav, starting with the postcode, and then the address.’ Oh, the house is near the water meadows,’ he said. ‘I know that area, I used to go fishing there with my dad. Meadow End Road. Nice houses there. Expensive houses. Georgian I think.’
‘I expect the Villiers bought the house for their two girls to live in while at uni, lucky things, and then let out the rest of it,’ mused Steve. ‘I gather there are two other students living there. Doctors, not your average young students, but mature ones doing postgraduate degrees and working at the hospital as well. We’ll need to interview them even though they’re not relatives. Maguire said he wanted no stone left unturned.’
When they arrived at the house in Meadow End Road, the only person in residence was Ruth’s boyfriend Tom, who came to the front door in a pair of lurid striped pyjama bottoms. ‘Hi,’ he said, yawning.
Steve looked at his watch. It was half eleven. ‘Sorry to get you up,’ he said.
But the sarcasm was wasted on Tom. ‘S’all right,’ came the mumbled reply, as he waved them through into the hall. ‘I know what it’s about. Ruth phoned me. That’s why I’m awake.’ He led them in and through to the kitchen. ‘Want a coffee?’ he asked.
Steve looked around the kitchen. It had an unpleasant smell. There were several cereal packets on the table, all opened with the contents spilling out, and half a dozen plates with the remains of food on them. Some of which was identifiable; a piece of pizza, remains of fish and chips, beans and something, a pile of rice with green mould growing on it, and an opened packet of crisps.
Tom noticed him looking at the table. ‘Don’t bother with that,’ he said, yawning again and swept a small space clear. There were dirty cups everywhere and Tom
proceeded to pick them up and look at the marks on the bottom. Eventually he said, ‘oh, this one is mine,’ and rinsed it briefly under the cold tap, and then switched on the electric kettle.
He reached for another dirty cup and waved it at them.
‘I don’t think we’ll bother with coffee thanks,’ said Steve hastily.
While Tom had been searching for his cup Kevin had taken the opportunity to look into the cupboards. ‘Not much food here,’ he said, ‘and no drugs that I can see.’
Tom suddenly snapped into life. ‘You don’t think we’d keep drugs in the kitchen cupboards where anyone could see or use them,’ he said. ‘If that’s what you’re looking for you won’t find any.’
‘We’re not,’ said Steve. ‘But one automatically thinks of drugs when dealing with students.’
‘Well don’t. There are no druggies here.’ He poured the boiling water into the cup and added a spoonful of instant coffee.
An expensive make noted Steve, not a bargain buy like Ann always purchased. He cleared a chair of the magazines which were piled up on it, and sitting down got out his notepad. ‘We have a few questions for you.’
‘I know,’ replied Tom. ‘Ruth told me you would have.’ He sat down opposite Steve. ‘Fire away.’
Kevin interrupted. ‘Shall I go and have a look in Jemima’s room?’
Steve nodded, and said, ‘but don’t touch anything, just seal it ready for the forensic team.’ He turned back to Tom. ‘What time did Ruth get back from that job she had at the Country House Hotel that night?’
‘It was after midnight, I know that because I waited up until then. But I’m not sure of the exact time as I was asleep by the time she did arrive.’
‘But she said you share a bed.’
Tom shrugged. ‘We do. But I don’t time her on what time she gets into bed, especially not if I’m already asleep.’
‘Surely you’d notice. Don’t you ever wake up?’
‘Sometimes. But I can’t remember what happens every night.’
Steve consulted his notes. ‘It was only last Thursday, 15th of May, or maybe even early Friday morning the 16th.’
Tom shrugged. ‘I’m telling you I can’t remember, and why are you asking me this anyway? What has Jem’s murder got to do with Ruth and me?’
‘We’ve got to account for everyone’s movements,’ said Steve. ‘So I’d like you to remember.’
‘The truth is I really can’t remember, so I can’t say what time she got in. When I woke up properly, she was already in the bathroom taking a shower. She was getting ready to go to an early tutorial.’
‘What was the tutorial?’ asked Steve.
‘No idea,’ replied Tom bad temperedly. ‘We’re on different courses.’
‘OK. One last question. Let’s go back to Thursday night. What time did Ruth leave Salisbury to go to Avinton?’
Tom shook his head. ‘I don’t know that either. I was in a history lecture, and you can check that,’ he added. ‘Ruth told me she was catching a minibus laid on by the people organizing the do. So I assume she did. You’ll have to ask them.’
Steve put his notepad away. ‘We will,’ he said.
Kevin joined them at this point. ‘Jemima’s room is a typical girl’s room,’ he said. ‘Lots of make-up on the dressing table. Clothes everywhere. Pants and tights drying in the bathroom. A real mess.’
A door slammed downstairs, and Steve looked at his watch. It was midday. ‘That will be our two brainy bods from upstairs coming in,’ said Tom. ‘They always rush in here on Monday lunchtime, have lunch, and then go to the new research lab at Salisbury hospital.’
‘Maybe a good time to have a brief word.’ Steve stood up.
‘Good a time as any,’ agreed Tom. ‘They keep themselves to themselves, and always eat upstairs. Next flight up.’
‘Wonder why they don’t use the kitchen,’ said Kevin, following Steve up the stairs.
‘My God, Kevin. How can you say that? You’ve seen the kitchen. It’s not fit for anyone to eat in. I wouldn’t even let my dog eat in there!’
‘You haven’t got a dog.’
‘You know what I mean!’
*
At the station, Phineas waylaid Adam before he set off for Avon Hall. He plonked himself down in the chair by the desk. ‘Can’t stop,’ said Adam. ‘I’m off to see Harold Villiers.’
‘He won’t disappear,’ said Phineas. ‘I came to show you this. It’s important.’ He passed his iPhone across.
‘What does this mean?’ Adam peered at the lines and figures printed out across the screen.
‘It’s two sets of DNA,’ said Phineas, ‘and it means that the rumours that have abounded in Stibbington all these years are true. Harold is Jemima’s father, although I suppose I should say now, was Jemima’s father.’ He settled his girth more comfortably in the chair. ‘Any coffee going?’
‘No. Look, I can’t hang around. I told Harold that I’d meet him in twenty minutes.’
Phineas didn’t reply, but leaned forward and lifted Maguire’s office phone and dialled a number. ‘Ah Harold, old chap,’ he said. ‘Yes, he knows, I’ve told him, and there’s no putting the clock back now. He will be a little late, but he will be at Avon Hall as soon as possible. You’ve got to trust me Harold, you know I’ve got your best interests at heart, but I need to have a few words with DCI Maguire before he sees you. Now, don’t do anything rash. Just remember nothing more can hurt Jemima now. So wait until we arrive.’
Phineas put the phone down and looked at Adam. ‘What a mess,’ he said.
‘Why do you say that? And what’s all this with the DNA testing. I can’t understand why Harold never had it done before?’
‘Delicta majorum immeritus lues…Horace.’
Oh, for God’s sake, Phineas. Don’t start getting all high falutin and academic.’
‘Undeservedly you will atone for the sins of your fathers,’ said Phineas. ‘Or to put it another way, be sure your sins will find you out.’
‘It wasn’t Jemima’s sin. She didn’t deserve to atone for anything,’ said Maguire slowly. ‘Surely you don’t think that Harold…’
Phineas let out a long explosive sigh. ‘I really don’t know. He was in such a state when he came to see me. Oh, and the other thing is we’ve found some specks of blood on Jemima’s clothes and skin. It’s not her blood, neither is it Harold’s. I checked that. Therefore, there is another person in the frame, and I’ve got a hunch that…’
‘Don’t tell me,’ said Maguire. ‘You know I don’t believe in hunches. Let’s get ourselves out to Avon Hall pronto.’
Chapter 9
Maguire thought Harold Villiers’ attitude on the phone had been rather officious and arrogant, not worried to death as Phineas said. It could be, of course, because he was nervous, nerves affected people in different ways. Maguire knew that, but thought it more likely that he was arrogant. Certainly, the rest of the family seemed that way inclined. He knew Steve thought they were “toffee nosed” to use his phrase, because, as he said, they’d all been born with silver spoons in their mouths, and lived in a very grand house and had never been short of money.
But to Maguire the most disturbing thing was that none of them seemed as distraught as they should be when finding out that one of their number had been brutally murdered. Except perhaps, Ruth. She was definitely very upset. Was it, he wondered, because she guessed, or even knew, the identity of the murderer?
Before he left, he called Dave Harvey in and gave orders for the SOCO team to inspect the woodland path. ‘Look out for tyre tracks of some kind. I suspect that the body of Jemima Villiers was carried along that path before being dumped in the ice house.’
‘Maybe she walked there herself, and then was murdered,’ suggested Dave.
‘Unlikely.’ Maguire wasn’t convinced. ‘If she’d been alive and walking, she would have kept her shoes on, wouldn’t she?’
‘Not if she’d been running in fear of her life, sir.’
&
nbsp; Maguire didn’t reply. Of course, that was another possibility.
*
Harold Villiers stood in the centre of his private office at the back of Avon Hall, and glared at his wife. ‘I’ve told police I’m here, so now are you satisfied? Why did you have to tell everyone that I was here as soon as I’d arrived? I have a lot of important business matters to attend to; I could have done without this interruption.’
‘How can you be so unfeeling about Jemima? I’ve always thought you were very fond of her.’
‘I was, and I’m not unfeeling. But life has to go on. You know yourself how inconvenient it is now that we need to close the house and grounds to the public. Every day we are closed means lost income. Income we could do with.’
He sat down at his desk, opened his bulging briefcase and spread a pile of papers out across his desk. ‘The police will want to know where I’ve been, who I’ve done business with, flight times etc. And as well as that, I’ve got to sort out this lot.’
Amelia sniffed scornfully. ‘If you took Simon’s advice and put everything into the computer you wouldn’t get your papers into such a muddle. Everything would be there at a click of the mouse. That’s what Simon says.’
‘And available for every Tom, Dick or Harry to read.’
‘Oh! You are quite ridiculous. Who wants to read your stuff? I don’t know how you manage to run a business. But, of course, the fact of the matter is that you can’t. It’s because of your bad business practice that we need to open up our house and gardens to the public. You’ve lost all the money your father left us!’ The door slammed behind her as she stormed out.
Left alone, Harold sighed, and shuffled the papers back into a pile. Her accusation was true. He had lost the money.
There was a knock on the door and Janet came in. She came behind him and put an affectionate arm around his shoulders. ‘Detective Chief Inspector Maguire is in the hall. Is it convenient to show him in?’
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