The Ballad Of Sean And Wilko (The Christy Kennedy Mysteries Book 4)
Page 25
They sat in silence.
The silence was broken when the motor from the lift sprang into action. They could all now hear the lift section of the dumb waiter make its way down from the floor above. Two painfully-long minutes later, the dumb waiter appeared in its shaft and out sprang Timmy Flynn. He didn’t appear too uncomfortable at having had to squeeze into the little lift.
Sean Green dropped his shoulders and sank into his seat.
‘Okay,’ Kennedy announced. ‘I am hereby charging you, Mr Sean Green Pratley, with the murder of both Mr Wilkenson Robertson and Mr Kevin Paul. Take him back to the station, read him his rights and book him.’
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
‘You see,’ Kennedy began, as he and ann rea sat down to dinner upstairs at The Queens, ‘if he hadn’t tried to be too clever with the locked room, he would have been fine. But by doing it the way he did, with the lift and whatnot, it either had to be him or someone equally small.
‘But how did you know it was him?’ ann rea, glowing as ever, gasped.
‘Well, I must admit that up until quite recently I still thought there was a possibility that it could have been Tracey McGee. She fell for Wilko, committed the ultimate sin of betraying her sister and, even after all that, Wilko still shunned her. That’s a powerful motive. But it was Wilko’s failure as a solo artist that was his downfall. Had he succeeded, none of this would have happened.’
‘Yes?’ ann rea enquired, mid-bite.
‘When Wilko left Circles, Circles had a new lease of life and became very successful again. Wilko, meanwhile, bombed. Correct?’ Kennedy placed his knife and fork back on the table and folded his hands. This was going to be a long explanation.
‘Okay, I’m with you so far.’
‘He started to think of his own mortality. What would he leave behind? Artistically he had already judged himself a failure. He wasn’t going to have a family with Susan.’
‘What about William Green? He was Wilko’s son, wasn’t he?’
‘As far as William was concerned, Sean Green was his father. That’s where his ties lay, and probably always would. So Wilko gets itchy feet and hits on the closest woman to him, his wife’s sister. She falls for him hook, line and sinker. Within days, they are involved, they’re doing the wild thing right under Susan’s nose. They’re trying to have a child, no less. Can you imagine his disappointment when he discovers she’s barren?’ Kennedy paused for a drink of his crisp dry wine. All this talking was making him thirsty. He savoured the aftertaste for a few seconds before continuing.
‘When he first contacts Colette, it’s out of necessity. His overheads are exceeding his income.’
‘He and the majority of the nation,’ ann rea interrupts.
‘Perhaps, but at least he’s got a fairy godmother to go to. He enjoys his excuses to see her, and she surprises him by responding to his flirting. There’s still some love there, it turns out, and soon they’re sleeping together.’
‘Good heavens, Kennedy. If they ever make this into a movie it will have to be X-certificate.’
‘I think you mean an eighteen cert,’ Kennedy corrected ann rea before proceeding. ‘Wilko thinks, “Well, I’ve already had one child with this woman, so I can do it again”. He probably openly declares his intentions. She’s unsure of her feelings. Don’t forget he is the father of her child so there will always be some kind of bond between them. A bond that no human could ever break. She most probably was considering it. In the meantime they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are enjoying themselves. But they’re a wee bit careless, and eventually Sean Green discovers the two love birds coming out of the Britannia Hotel.’
Kennedy and ann took a moment to eat. Another drink of wine.
‘Sean has proven over the years to be an exceptional strategist and so he bides his time. He agrees to Colette’s demand that he must let Wilko into the band. That means he’s in close contact with him and he can choose his moment. He knows that if he’s patient the right opportunity will present itself, and it does. Circles is due to play a London gig. Everyone’s surprised when they play a venue as small as Dingwalls, but Sean has done his homework. He’s been there to see the new groups and he’s been invited back to the dressing room. He’s seen the dumb waiter, and he’s hatched his plan. Fast forward to the night of the gig. Sean and Wilko take their break. Sean’s supposedly is wandering around the audience while Wilko goes down to the dressing room. He locks the door to change out of his sweaty clothes.’
‘He’s so sweaty he has to change mid-show?’ ann asked, so engrossed in the conversation she’d forgotten her food.
‘Believe me, you’ve never seen anyone sweat like this,’ Kennedy continued. ‘Anyway, Wilko has changed. He’s sitting down, enjoying a fag, and the dumb waiter behind him springs into action. With all the noise of a live band in a packed club, he doesn’t notice a thing. Sean creeps out of the dumb waiter, sneaks up behind him and stabs Wilko in the heart. The door Wilko locked to give him some privacy also gave Sean the security he needed to carry out the murder. It also throws up a bit of a smokescreen which is probably why he used a variation of it when he murdered KP. Anyway, he hides the long thin needle in Wilko’s suit bag and escapes back up through the dumb waiter. One floor up, he puts back on his platform shoes and wanders back towards the stage. He runs into KP, asks him where the feck Wilko is and goes back out on stage with the band.’
‘Kennedy, you have to admit it was a clever way to murder someone,’ ann rea said as she finished off her wine. They both looked at the empty bottle in mock surprise and Kennedy ordered a second one.
‘Yes, but he had a lot of time to plan it. KP’s murder, on the other hand, shows just how clever he was. He hadn’t planned this one, it was all done on the hoof…’
‘I think you mean “on the platform”, don’t you?’
‘Funny, yes. Hilarious? I’m not sure. Anyway, he speaks to KP on Monday and discovers that KP has got him sussed. KP thought he was being clever trapping Sean in the room under the Roundhouse. When I spoke to him he was waiting for someone to arrive. The reception wasn’t great, so he was obviously in the room on his phone. He was discussing springing a trap on someone. That someone he was waiting for was the murderer. KP had some trick up his sleeve to catch Sean out. Enter Sean Green, disguised as a woman with a bad leg, so bad a leg she needed a stick to help her walk. In fact, Sean needed the stick to help him negotiate the steep steps at the Roundhouse in his platforms. This woman walks in, surprises KP, and stabs KP in the heart. Exactly the same MO as Wilko’s killer. She, really Sean, locks the door behind him with the fishing line. He pulls the bolt into place, then tugs on the fishing line hoping to leave little or none of the line as evidence. Yes, I admit, he was clever.’
‘But not as clever as you,’ ann rea raised her glass in salute.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Two hours later, following one more bottle of wine, their main course, and dessert, ann rea and Christy Kennedy stood atop Primrose Hill. It was a cold November night, but they were both glowing from the wine. The snow had all but disappeared – leaving only some little white blotches scattered around them. The sky was clear, the moon was new, and they held each other’s hand.
‘This is good,’ ann rea said.
‘Yes, it’s beautiful,’ Kennedy replied. He looked at the busy city lights. A city getting ready for Christmas.
‘No,’ ann rea whispered quietly, the steam barely leaving her mouth. ‘I mean us.’
‘Yes, ann rea. You’re right. This is good.’
‘Did I hear a “but” lurking around there somewhere in your sentence?’
‘No. No buts. I was just thinking about KP. He probably would have been a good chap to get to know. In fact, he definitely would have been a good chap to get to know. And Sinead Sullivan. She’ll be missed. You know, catching Sean Green doesn’t make up for KP being dead. At one point I was convinced that if only we caught Dr Ranjesus it would have in some way made up for the death o
f Sinead Sullivan. You know? I felt it would have made it right for Rose Butler. But it doesn’t work that way, does it? Locking up Sean Green doesn’t make up for the loss of Wilko Robertson or KP, and locking up Dr Shareef wouldn’t make up for the loss of Sinead Sullivan.’
‘I know, Christy, I know,’ ann rea said. She turned to him and took him in her arms. ‘But that won’t stop you from trying to catch him, will it?
THE END
Inspector Christy Kennedy returns in The Hissing of the Silent Lonely Room also published by Fahrenheit Press.
About the author
Paul Charles is an agent, promoter, author and fan of The Beatles, he was born in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to Catherine, Ivan and Ciara for their invaluable work on the manuscript. Thanks to Asgard for what has turned out to be valuable years of research in the music business – long may they continue. To Edwin and Jim for boldly going…To my ever-growing family, Andy and Cora, Matt and Lila, Gerry and Nuala, Laura, James, Eoin, Carmel, Paul, Katie, Oisin, Darragh, and Maeve.
Thanks also to the team at Fahrenheit Press, especially to Monica Green who transcribed these books from the original editions.
The Inspector Christy Kennedy Mysteries by Paul Charles, published by Fahrenheit Press
Last Boat To Camden Town
I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
Fountain Of Sorrow
The Ballad Of Sean And Wilko
The Hissing of the Silent Lonely Room
I've Heard The Banshee Sing
The Justice Factory
Sweetwater
The Beautiful Sound of Silence
A Pleasure To Do Death With You
Also by Paul Charles and published by Fahrenheit Press
One Of Our Jeans Is Missing
Other Books from Paul Charles
Inspector Starrett Mysteries:
The Dust of Death
Family Life
St Ernan’s Blues
McCusker Mystery
Down On Cyprus Avenue
Other Fiction:
First of The True Believers.
The Last Dance
The Prince Of Heaven’s Eyes (A Novella)
The Lonesome Heart is Angry
Non-Fiction:
The Best Beatles Book Ever
Playing Live