Double Jeopardy (Hero Book 4)

by MA Comley

  ‘I’m sorry, but this is concerning your husband. It would be better if we spoke inside.’

  ‘I’ve told you my reasons why – no, you can’t come in. Now, kindly remove your foot.’

  Hero exhaled a breath. ‘There’s no easy way to say this, Mrs. Whitehall. I’m afraid your husband is dead.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. I spoke to him a few hours ago. He’s working late at the office this evening. I don’t know what your game is, but I want you off my property this minute.’

  ‘Sorry to be heavy-handed, but I swear we are telling you the truth. It would be better if we spoke inside.’

  The woman’s bright blue eyes widened, and she fell back against the wall. Julie rushed forward to help her stay on her feet then guided her through the house. Hero closed the front door and followed the two women into the lounge on the right.

  After helping Mrs. Whitehall to the corner sofa, Julie joined Hero on the sofa opposite.

  Hero cleared his throat. ‘I’m sorry, there was nothing anyone could do. One minute, I was speaking with your husband, and the next, he was lying on the floor. I tried to resuscitate him, carried out CPR until the paramedics arrived, but it was no use. He was pronounced dead at the scene.’

  Mrs. Whitehall shook her head slowly in disbelief. ‘How? Why? He was only thirty-eight. He had – we had – our whole lives ahead of us.’ She placed her hand over her stomach and rubbed gently. ‘I found out this morning that I’m pregnant. I was preparing a special dinner for him. I was going to tell him over dinner this evening.’ Tears spilled from her eyes, and she covered her face with her hands.

  Hero glanced at Julie, lost for words. The guilt stabbed at his heart once more. If only I hadn’t questioned him a second time, he probably would have been alive now. A baby! Shit! Finally finding his voice, he said, ‘I’m so very sorry for your loss. Is there anyone who we can contact? Maybe call someone to come and be with you?’

  ‘My sister, Samantha. She lives the closest.’ Mrs. Whitehall picked up the phone, hit a speed-dial number, and handed it to Hero.

  ‘Hello, is that Samantha?’

  ‘Yes,’ the woman replied uncertainly.

  ‘I’m DI Hero Nelson. I’m at your sister, Claudine’s, house. Is there any chance you can pop over?’

  ‘Why? What are the police doing at my sister’s house?’

  ‘Please, can I answer all your questions when you get here? It really is important.’

  The woman tutted and expelled an annoyed breath. ‘Very well. I’ll be there shortly.’

  ‘Okay, we’ll see you soon.’ Hero ended the call and placed the phone on the arm of the sofa. ‘She’ll be here soon.’

  ‘Thank you. I still can’t believe that I’ll never see him again. You haven’t said how it happened. I know you said you were speaking with him, but what about?’

  ‘I think we should wait for your sister to arrive before I answer that.’

  They sat in silence for the next few minutes until a young blonde woman bounced into the room. ‘My God, what’s happened, Claud?’ She sat down on the sofa and clutched her sister’s hand tightly.

  ‘Oh, Sam. He’s dead. Laurence is dead.’

  Samantha sharply turned to look at Hero. ‘Laurence? Is this true?’

  Hero nodded. ‘Sorry, yes, it happened less than an hour ago at his place of work.’

  Samantha frowned. ‘How? Did someone attack him?’

  ‘No, we were questioning him, and he had a heart attack. He’d just gone to take his medication.’

  ‘What medication?’ Claudine’s brow furrowed.

  ‘His heart medication.’

  The two women stared at each other open-mouthed for a moment before Samantha said, ‘Did you know he had a heart condition, Claud?’

  ‘No, this is all news to me. Samantha, there’s something else.’

  ‘What, love? Tell me.’

  ‘I found out this morning that I’m expecting a baby.’

  Samantha ran a hand over her sister’s cheek and brushed back the hair that her tears had stuck to her face. ‘Oh, sweetie, that’s wonderful news, but bittersweet news, all the same. I’m so sorry. Did Laurence know?’

  Fresh tears flowed from Claudine’s eyes. ‘No, I was going to tell him this evening over dinner. What am I going to do without him, Sam? He was my life.’

  ‘We’ll get through this together, love.’

  Hero felt uncomfortable as he sat there listening to the two women preparing for Claudine’s future without her husband.

  Samantha turned to Hero. ‘Why were you questioning Laurence? Had he done something wrong that we should know about?’

  Hero smiled. ‘This might come as an extra shock for you, Claudine, but we were there to question all the members of staff at Spalding Enterprise after the death of its founder.’

  Claudine gasped. ‘Are you telling me that Ross is dead, too?’

  ‘I’m afraid so, yes. He was murdered the night before. I’m the officer in charge of the murder enquiry.’

  ‘Murder? I don’t understand. Why would anyone murder Ross? He’s such a wonderful, inoffensive man. Are you saying that you believe someone at the firm did this? Not Laurence surely?’ she asked, wide-eyed.

  ‘It’s early days, and at present, we don’t know who killed Ross. All we were trying to do was ascertain Ross’s last movements on the night he was killed. We were told that your husband was due to have dinner with Ross that evening. He was about to confirm that when … he complained he felt unwell and dropped to the ground.’

  ‘I can confirm that Laurence turned up at the restaurant, but Ross didn’t. Laurence told me he went back to the office to chase Ross up. It wasn’t unusual for him to get carried away with paperwork and forget about the time. Laurence told me that Ross wasn’t at the office, and he returned to the restaurant, but Ross wasn’t there, either. He was livid, tried to ring Ross, but his phone didn’t connect for some reason. Laurence came home in a foul mood, only because he felt Ross had let him down.’ Claudine ran a shaking hand through her hair.

  ‘I see. They were friends for a long time, weren’t they?’

  ‘Yes. I’m not saying they’ve never had a cross word, but they loved each other as if they were brothers.’

  ‘Even recently? We heard they were fighting each other over the proposed floatation on the stock market.’

  ‘They were having disagreements about the subject, nothing that either of them would consider major. Neither would I.’

  ‘I see, thanks for that clarification. Do you mind me asking if you know of anyone who would deliberately set out to harm Ross Spalding?’

  ‘No. I’m appalled to even think that someone would do such a thing. He’s such a lovely man. Oh no, I’ve just thought … Rachel will be devastated. Have you told her yet?’

  ‘No, that’s our next stop. We’ve told Ross’s parents, as they were his next of kin. We’re intending to visit Rachel in the morning.’

  ‘What? She’ll be going out of her mind with worry. You are aware that they lived together? How would you feel not hearing from your fiancé in over twenty-four hours? More if you leave it another day to contact her.’

  ‘You have a valid point there. I’ll do it this evening before knocking off. Is there anything else you can tell us regarding Ross? Perhaps Laurence had mentioned a new associate they were working with, something along those lines.’

  She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not thinking straight right now. Please, I need to grieve for my husband. Would you mind leaving my home?’

  Hero and Julie rose from their seats. ‘Of course. Sorry for your loss. Here’s my card, in case you think of anything that might help us in the future.’

  Claudine took the card and placed it on the side table beside her. Samantha stood up to show Hero and Julie out of the house.

  ‘Look after her, Samantha. The shock will probably set in once we leave.’

  ‘Thank you, I know how to take care of my sister, Inspector.
Good luck with your enquiries.’ She closed the door firmly behind them.

  ‘They do have a point. I should go and see the fiancée this evening. I’ll drop you back to the station first.’

  ‘There’s no need. I’ll come with you.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Julie set off towards the car and shouted over her shoulder, ‘I’m sure. We’re wasting time, sir.’

  Hero had to hand it to Julie – she wasn’t a stickler for working a nine-to-five shift, like many other officers were. She might be a misery guts at times, but no one can fault her work ethic.

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled up outside their third mansion of the evening. This one was located in Didsbury, set in its own grounds with a gated drive. Hero exited the car and pushed the button on the intercom.

  A woman’s bored voice asked, ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Hello, Miss Elliott. I’m DI Nelson of Greater Manchester Police. Is it possible to speak to you for a second or two?’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Mr. Ross Spalding.’

  ‘Ross? He’s not here. I haven’t seen him since he left for work yesterday morning.’

  ‘Please let me in so I can explain.’

  The woman said nothing, but the gates began to open slowly.

  Hero jumped back in the car and drove up the slight incline towards the immense glass-and-wooden structure. ‘Bloody hell. It’s the size of a football stadium.’

  ‘I bet he had this specifically designed and built for him. I’ve never seen anything so … I really don’t know what to call it except huge and distasteful,’ Julie declared, curling her lip.

  Hero drew the car to a halt outside the front entrance and turned to stare at Julie. ‘What? You don’t like it?’

  She shrugged. ‘Not everyone has the same taste in architecture. Give me a Georgian mansion over this monstrosity any day.’

  He stepped out of the car, amazed by what he’d just heard. ‘You’re right – each to their own. Okay, serious heads on.’

  The door swung open before Hero could pull the bell lever on the doorframe. ‘I’m Rachel Elliott. What do you have to tell me? I’ve been going frantic since yesterday.’

  Hero produced his ID. She stood aside, let them into the hall, then through to an open-plan living room at the rear of the property. An expanse of glass showed off a beautifully manicured garden and pool area that set Hero’s heart racing and placed his envy gene on high alert.

  ‘Did you report your fiancé as missing, Miss Elliott?’

  ‘No, it’s not uncommon for Ross to take off when his work overwhelms him, although he does tend to ring me after a few hours separation. He didn’t this time.’

  ‘Did you try and make contact with him?’

  ‘Yes, but his phone wouldn’t connect for some reason, not even to leave a voicemail message.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘Please, take a seat.’

  The three of them sat on contemporary cubed chairs, which with no back support looked more like stools than chairs. Hero inhaled and exhaled a large breath. ‘Miss Elliott, it is with regret that I have to inform you that Ross Spalding was found murdered this morning.’

  The woman screamed, leapt out of her chair, and threw herself on the floor. After pounding the shiny tiled floor with her fists, she pulled her legs into a foetal position.

  Hero and Julie stared at each other in bewilderment.

  ‘No! It can’t be true. Not my Ross!’ she finally shouted.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Hero asked, leaning forward, peering down at the woman.

  ‘Would you be, hearing that news?’ she whimpered, tears cascading down her face.

  ‘No, I guess not. Would you mind taking a seat again, Miss Elliott? It would be easier to talk to you.’

  The woman jumped to her feet, brushed down the green velour leisure suit she was wearing, and plonked herself back in the chair as if nothing had happened. ‘Better?’

  ‘Much better, thank you. Can you tell us when you last saw Ross?’

  ‘Yesterday morning. He kissed me goodbye around eight o’clock. I was still in bed and drifted off to sleep when I heard his car leave.’

  ‘Do you work, Miss Elliott?’

  ‘Not now. Ross said that there was no need for me to work ever again. Oh my God! Does that mean I’ll have to return to work now that he’s gone? I don’t know if I can do that.’

  Ignoring the woman’s selfish outburst, Hero asked, ‘What career did you have before?’

  ‘I was an escort.’

  The words hit Hero like an express train. He hadn’t expected that. ‘I see. May I ask how you met Ross Spalding?’

  ‘Through the business. He was desperate for a date one night, and that’s how we hooked up.’ She smiled. ‘We’ve been inseparable ever since.’

  What a surprise. The minute you laid eyes on this place, I bet you thought all your prayers had been answered in one go. ‘I hear you were planning on getting married in a few months.’

  ‘Oh heck. Yes, bloody hell, now I’ll have to ring everyone and cancel everything. You have no idea how time-consuming a society wedding of the year can be. I’m exhausted.’

  ‘Sorry to hear that. I’m sure a few phone calls will put things right.’

  ‘A few phone calls? More like a thousand or more,’ she screeched, glaring at him.

  ‘Getting back to Mr. Spalding, if I may? Has Ross mentioned any grievances he might have had with anyone recently?’

  She stared out the window for a second or two before she shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

  Hero wondered if the woman even took an interest in anything other than the man’s money. Bit harsh, old man. You don’t even know her, he reprimanded himself. ‘He had no problems at work or in his personal life that you can recall?’

  ‘No. He never bored me with what went on at work, and we don’t have that many close friends as such. We were just happy to spend all our time together, well, you know, making out.’ She giggled.

  The hair on Hero’s neck stood on end. ‘I see. What about the proposed floatation?’

  ‘The what? Was he thinking of going up into space?’

  Hero stifled a laugh. How dense is this bloody woman? ‘No, the floatation of his business on the stock market.’

  She raised a hand in front of her. ‘Whoa, stop right there. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I never got involved with Ross’s business dealings. You need to talk to that partner of his. Lance, I think he’s called.’

  ‘You’re referring to Laurence Whitehall, I take it?’

  ‘Whatever his name is, I can’t stand the man. He came round here for dinner with that snooty wife of his, and all they did all night was treat me like dirt. I got the caterers in and everything that night. At least I made an effort to get on with them. Ross was happy with my attempts that evening, but they weren’t. They barely touched the food on their plates and left right after the waiting staff served the pudding. I even forked out for staff that evening to impress the bastards. Sorry, excuse my language, can’t stand feckers thinking they’re better than me when they ain’t. I never had that with Ross.’ Tears moistened her eyes. ‘He loved me for who I am.’

  ‘Do you get on well with Ross’s parents?’

  ‘Yes and no. I think they tolerate me – is that the right word?’

  Hero nodded.

  ‘For Ross’s sake. I think they realise that he would choose me over them if they started telling him to ditch me. Ross loved me more than life itself. That’s what he used to tell me after we’d had sex. Romantic, isn’t it?’

  ‘Very.’

  ‘Oh no, have you told Ross’s parents yet?’ she asked, mortified.

  ‘Yes, we went there this afternoon.’

  ‘Before me? Why am I the last person to know?’

  Hero smiled. ‘Because his parents are down as his next of kin. That would have changed once you’d got married.’

  ‘Oh, I think I understand. But I’m the one l
iving here, in this house, sharing his bed. I should be his next of kin, shouldn’t I?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. A marriage certificate would have changed things.’

  ‘That sucks. Hey, they can’t take all this away from me, can they?’

  ‘His parents?’ Hero asked with a frown.

  The woman nodded.

  ‘I wouldn’t like to comment on that. It depends what provisions Ross left for you in his will. I doubt that’ll come to light for a few weeks or months yet.’

  She kicked out at a stool opposite. It scuttled across the tiled floor and bashed into the kitchen island. ‘Bummer. I hate being stuck like this. I want to know what the future holds for me, now that Ross has gone.’

  ‘That will only be known once the will has been read by Ross’s solicitor. Can you tell us if anything strange has happened around here lately?’

  ‘Strange? As in what?’

  ‘Has anyone been caught lingering outside the gates, perhaps? Anything along those lines?’

  ‘No, nothing. Once those gates were shut, it was just Ross and me. That’s the way he preferred it. We had fun, and he didn’t need to be entertained by anyone else, if you know what I mean?’

  ‘One final question before we leave, if I may? Where were you last night?’

  ‘I was here. My sister, Sarah, and her husband came round on the off chance that Ross would be home. They stayed here for an hour or more. Why?’

  ‘What was the reason behind their visit? Any idea?’

  ‘No, I think Darren wanted to run something past Ross. He’s worked with him on other projects and wanted his opinion on something new he’d come up with.’

  ‘What time did they arrive?’

  ‘Around seven, just as Emmerdale was starting.’

  Hero stood up, and Julie did the same. ‘Okay, we better get on, in that case. I’ll leave you my card just in case anything comes to mind. Please ring me straight away if it does.’

  ‘Is that it? Aren’t you going to tell me how Ross died? I have a right to know. What about identifying his body? How do you know it’s him?’