by Ann Cleeves
He hesitated for a moment and she thought he might be tempted to confide in her after all. Then he thought better of it and laughed. ‘We all have problems, Inspector. What’s important is how we deal with them.’ That could have been her father too. He’d always been full of words of wisdom that sounded deep, but were actually trite and banal.
‘What problem do you have, Mr Agnew?’
‘Oh, I’m terrified of boredom. Always have been. When I’m bored I get up to mischief.’
‘What brought you to Shetland then? It’s not the most exciting place in the world.’ Willow thought this was an odd conversation to be having with a witness, but under the lightness and banter she suspected he had something useful to say.
‘I’ve always loved it. I came here as a boy, before the oil, and I always promised myself that I’d retire here.’ He looked out of the nearest long window to the loch. ‘And it is dramatic, even if it’s not exciting. I’ve been here for ten years now, made friends and put down roots. I know I’ll never leave.’ A grin. ‘But I’m always on the lookout for new projects, new adventures.’
‘Was that why you started Befriending Shetland?’
‘Maybe. But there is a need, you know. When I first got here I thought I’d find an ideal community. Close. A place where people would support each other in times of crisis. Of course that’s largely true. But shame’s a big factor in a place like this. It can be a very destructive emotion. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that one isn’t surviving so well and it’s easier to talk to a stranger. I had the skills and training to meet that need.’
‘Have you had any further thoughts on what might have led Alison Teal to contact you?’
‘I have been thinking about it.’ Agnew closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I had the impression it was very much an impulsive call. Perhaps she was in the town and saw our office. Or saw our advertisement in The Shetland Times. And when she met me, she thought I wasn’t a person who could help her.’ He gave a little shrug. ‘Sometimes it happens.’
‘So tell me a bit more about the Hays,’ Willow said. ‘Jimmy Perez thinks they’re a perfect family.’
‘Ah well, Jimmy idealizes the family, don’t you think? He’s always looking for perfect examples. I’m not sure that Fran could have met his standards, if she’d lived. It’s easy to turn a dead person into a saint.’
‘You knew Fran?’
A brief grin. ‘She was a guest at some of my parties too.’
Willow wanted to ask for details, but stopped herself in time. Jimmy would never forgive her if he found out she’d been prying.
‘And the Hays?’
‘Well, Jane doesn’t drink of course. You’ll have picked up that piece of gossip by now. But she comes along and she still has a good time.’ He paused. ‘She’s a very special woman. I admire her.’
‘What about Kevin?’
‘There’s more to Kevin than most people think. It can’t be easy to be the partner of an alcoholic. Very few relationships survive.’ Again she thought he might elaborate, but he turned away again.
‘Do you know the boys?’
‘I knew them better when they were younger. Kevin was busy on the farm when they were growing up, and I love kids, so they were always welcome here. Just to hang out, to give Kevin and Jane a bit of time to themselves. I enjoy wild swimming and I persuaded them along a few times. Once I took them down to Edinburgh for the festival. I’m not sure what Michael made of it, but Andy had a ball.’ He pulled a clown’s sad face. ‘I never had children. My one big regret.’
‘Did you know them when Jane was still drinking?’
‘No, she’d stopped by the time I moved up.’ He looked at her over the coffee cup. ‘I didn’t take her up as a good cause, if that’s what you’re thinking, or because I thought the kids needed protecting. I’ve never had any problems separating work from my private life. I enjoy her company. She’s fun to be with.’
‘Any idea why Andy left university?’
Agnew shook his head. ‘We stopped being so close a while ago. Jane talks about them, of course. Children must always be a worry, even when they’re old enough to be independent.’
‘What do they do now to make Jane worry?’
He opened his mouth to speak at once and Willow thought that at last she might get something useful from the conversation.
But Agnew only smiled. ‘I think that’s something you’ll have to ask Jane, Inspector, don’t you?’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Perez sat in his office. He’d been relieved when he’d received the text from Willow. He hadn’t known quite how he’d respond to her this morning. The night before, she’d caught him in an unguarded moment, and now his invitation to cook her a romantic meal seemed embarrassing and inappropriate. She was his boss.
Sandy had gone north to Brae first thing with a sheaf of photos he’d collected of the men involved – even in a remote way – in the investigation, to show the shop assistant in the Co-op. Perez had stayed at home until it was time to take Cassie to school and was surprised to see Kathryn Rogerson come to the school door, when it was time to let the children in.
‘I thought you’d be taking some time off.’ He’d waited until the children were in the classroom before speaking to her.
‘I’d prefer to be here.’ She’d looked grey and drawn, as if she hadn’t slept. ‘My mother’s sister arrived from Orkney on the last plane yesterday. They’re very close. She doesn’t need me at home.’
‘You should take care of yourself.’
Then she’d given him a brief, thin smile. ‘You mustn’t worry about me, Jimmy. I’m the tough one in the family.’ She’d reached out and put her hand on his arm. ‘Thank you, though. I’m glad it’s you looking for my father’s killer. It would be dreadful if it was someone who didn’t know us.’ And she’d turned and walked with a straight back into the school.
He was sitting in his office and running the scene in his head, wondering what it was about Kathryn Rogerson’s composure that he found so disturbing, when his phone rang. He answered it, still slightly distracted. It was Sandy and he forgot the teacher to give the man his full attention.
‘I showed the photos to Peter in the Co-op.’ Sandy’s voice was a little too loud. He sounded like an excited child.
‘And?’
‘You’ll never guess who he picked out.’
‘Just tell me, Sandy. We’re not playing games here.’
‘Paul Taylor!’
For a moment Perez struggled to place the name and then he remembered. Taylor was a solicitor, Tom Rogerson’s partner. He’d given them the keys to Rogerson’s office on a wet Sunday morning while his wife was cooking lunch.
‘And that’s not all!’ Sandy hadn’t waited for a response from Perez. ‘Taylor was the man chatting to Alison Teal in the bar, but Kevin Hay was in Mareel that night too. Peter picked him out from the photos I’d spread out over the table.’
Perez waited until Sandy returned, before interviewing Paul Taylor in the office that he’d shared with Tom Rogerson. He thought Sandy was owed the right to accompany him; he’d cultivated the shop assistant until he’d come up with the information they needed. They walked to the solicitors’ office along Commercial Street. Everywhere people were talking about the weather and turning their faces towards the sun.
In the office a receptionist greeted them. ‘I’m afraid Mr Taylor’s very busy. You’ll have heard that Mr Rogerson died suddenly at the weekend. We’re all very shocked and there’s such a lot to do.’
Perez didn’t recognize her. She was English and he thought she was probably new to the islands. Perhaps she’d moved with her family in the hope of finding an idyllic community where nothing bad happened, only to be confronted with the murder of her employer. He introduced himself and Sandy and she became flushed with panic and a kind of voyeuristic excitement. ‘I’ll see if Mr Taylor is free.’
Paul Taylor came down the stairs to meet them himself. He led them not into his own
poky office, but into the space that had once been Tom Rogerson’s.
‘I’d been half-expecting you, Inspector. I’m sure you’ll have questions about Tom’s clients. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.’
‘What plans do you have for the business now?’ Perez thought Taylor seemed very comfortable behind the large desk that had once belonged to his partner.
‘It’s too early to say yet.’ The man who had been so fraught and out of control with his small sons was entirely relaxed here. ‘I might see if I can go it alone, or take on another solicitor. Of course there will be financial implications and I’ll need to have discussions with Tom’s widow, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to consider that yet.’
‘We’re not here to talk about Tom Rogerson,’ Perez said. ‘Not yet. We’ve identified the woman who was killed at Tain. Her name was Alison Teal. She’d stolen the identity of Ms Sechrest, who inherited the property Minnie Laurenson left. Alison was an actress who grew up in Norfolk. Do you know anything about the identity theft? You managed the property, after all. Does her name mean anything to you?’
‘Didn’t your colleague mention it, when you collected the keys on Sunday? Apart from that I’ve never heard of the woman.’
‘Yet you were seen having a drink with her about ten days ago in the Mareel bar.’ Perez took some delight in the panic on the man’s face.
‘I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ The voice had become rather haughty.
‘A reliable witness identified you as the man seen drinking with Alison Teal in Mareel.’
‘Then they must be mistaken.’
Perez took a copy of the drawing of Alison from his briefcase and set it on the desk in front of Taylor. ‘Perhaps this will jog your memory.’
For a moment Taylor stared at it without speaking. ‘Ah, I do remember that woman,’ he said at last. ‘But I don’t know her.’
‘Yet you were having a drink with her. The witness says you were on obviously intimate terms.’
There was another silence and Taylor seemed to be choosing his words with considerable care. ‘I’d had a bad day at work. Nothing dramatic had gone wrong, but it was one of those days full of minor irritations. I’m sure you have those too, Inspector.’ He looked up, as if he was hoping to get Perez on his side. Perez didn’t answer and the solicitor continued. ‘Usually at the end of work I drive straight home, so I can help my wife get the boys ready for bed. They’re not at an easy age and they’re a nightmare to get to sleep. But that night I wanted some time to myself, before facing the mayhem that is bathtime in the Taylor household. I went to Mareel for a glass of wine. One small glass. I was driving, and a lawyer can’t afford to be charged with drink-driving. It was relatively quiet when I got there – perhaps it was too early for the film to start – but I took my drink upstairs. I wanted some time to myself. A woman came in. In contrast to me, she seemed to be looking for company. She asked if she could join me. I suppose I was flattered. She was attractive, with dark hair and dark eyes. We chatted for a little while. Inconsequential stuff. I suppose I was flirting with her. Or we were flirting with each other. She was good company and time passed very quickly. I bought coffee for us both and by then the bar was filling up. Then my wife phoned, wanting to know where I was. I said goodbye and left. She told me her name was Alice. I assumed it was spelled in the traditional way. I don’t know anything else about her.’
Yet you wanted to, Perez thought. If your wife hadn’t phoned, would you have gone with her to the little house in Ravenswick? He wondered what he would have done, if he’d been there. Perhaps he’d have been seduced by her too.
‘We’ve been asking for information about her,’ he said. ‘Haven’t you seen the news reports?’
Taylor shook his head, but he wasn’t quite convincing. Perez couldn’t tell whether it was the police he’d been frightened of or his wife.
‘It’s quite a coincidence, you see,’ he said. ‘Now we know you had a connection to both murder victims.’
‘I’d never seen the woman before in my life.’ Taylor looked up, shocked. ‘I swear.’
‘How did she seem?’ Perez asked. ‘What sort of mood was she in?’
‘Lonely.’ Taylor didn’t need time to answer that. ‘A little bit desperate.’
‘Did she tell you anything about her private life? Her family? Did she tell you what she was doing in Shetland?’
‘She said she was here for work.’ Taylor shuffled in his seat. ‘I assumed she was something to do with the oil or gas.’
‘Did she mention where she was staying?’
‘She said she was renting somewhere for the duration of her contract.’
‘And you never connected her with the Alissandra Sechrest who owned Tain?’
‘Of course not! The Alice I spent those couple of hours with was English, not American.’
Perez tried to work out if Taylor was telling the truth. Perhaps the meeting in Mareel had been coincidental, a chance encounter between a man overwhelmed by domestic responsibilities and a lonely woman. Perhaps.
‘Did you talk to her about your work? Did you give her your name, for instance?’ Because Alison might have recognized the name of the solicitor she’d defrauded of the American publisher’s keys.
Taylor looked uncomfortable. ‘I told her my name was Paul, but I didn’t give her my surname and we didn’t talk about my work. She assumed I worked for the council.’
If the flirtation turned into something more serious, you didn’t want her to be able to trace you.
‘What did she do when you left her to go and see your wife? Did she come out with you?’
Taylor shook his head. ‘When I left her, she was still sitting in Mareel, drinking the last of her coffee.’
‘Do you know a man called Kevin Hay? He farms most of the land around Ravenswick.’
Taylor shook his head. ‘Is it important?’
Perez wasn’t sure how to answer that. He’d lost all perspective on what might or might not be important. He got to his feet and thought that the Alison Teal described by Taylor was rather closer to the Alison who’d called into the Befriending Shetland office to ask for help than any of the impressions they’d had before. Lonely and a little bit desperate.
Out on the street the sun was still shining and the shoppers were still talking about the fact that spring had come early this year. Sandy was obviously full of questions about what Perez had learned from the interview, but he knew better than to ask them. He bounced along beside the inspector as they walked back to the police station, waiting for his boss to speak.
Perez took no notice because he had nothing to say yet. He was thinking about Alison Teal and deciding it might be easy to get to a position where you were so lonely that you couldn’t stand your own company for a minute more and wandered into a bar just to find someone to talk to. Willow came into his mind. Perhaps it would be good to spend some time with her and talk about anything other than work. The idea made him smile.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Willow took her time driving back to Lerwick. She was pondering her conversation with Simon Agnew and found the omissions – the reluctance to talk about Kevin and the boys, for example – more interesting than the information she’d been given. She was approaching the turning to Gilsetter and had seen the light bouncing off the huge polytunnels, when Sandy phoned to say that the email with Rogerson’s bank statements had come through and that she might want to see them.
‘Can’t you give me the gist, Sandy?’
But that made him anxious. ‘I might just be reading them wrong. Much better that you see them for yourself.’
When she got into the office, Perez was on his way to a meeting with the new Procurator Fiscal. He waved as they passed in the corridor and called after her to suggest that they might catch up later. ‘Maybe over a late lunch? I probably won’t be finished until gone two.’
He’d disappeared before she could answer. She found Sandy in the op
erations room with the printed emails on the big table in front of him. When she came into the room he gave her a smile that made him look as if he was still in primary school. ‘It’s great to see you. I didn’t want to show these to Jimmy just yet. Not while he’s off to see the Fiscal. Not until I’ve checked that I’m reading them right.’
‘What’s the problem?’ She made herself coffee, then stood behind him, looking down at the sheets of paper.
‘You know we thought Rogerson might be paying Alison Teal?’ Sandy twisted in his seat so that he was looking up at her. ‘We thought that might explain the fancy clothes and the fact that we couldn’t find any evidence of her working while she was living at Tain, or even for some time before that.’
‘Yes, but she might have set up an account in another name. We know she doesn’t mind stealing other people’s identities. We need to be aware of that when we’re checking Rogerson’s records.’
‘But according to the statements, he wasn’t paying anyone.’ Sandy turned back to the table. ‘Not from his business or his personal accounts. I mean, there were direct debits for his electricity and phone from his home account, and his wage bill and rent for the business premises in Commercial Street, but otherwise no unusual payments at all.’
‘Could he have added Alison as a fictitious employee and paid her along with the other staff?’
‘No, I’ve checked. There are National Insurance numbers for all the workers and they match the staff names.’ Sandy frowned.
‘Seems as if you’ve covered everything then.’
‘But that’s not the strange thing!’ He pulled one of the detailed statements towards him and pointed to a list of entries, which he’d highlighted with a yellow pen. ‘These are a list of payments made to one of his business accounts.’
‘Surely they’ll be from clients. Nothing unusual in lawyers getting paid!’
‘But I’ve been onto his office manager to check. She doesn’t recognize any of the names I’ve highlighted. She has no record of the firm ever having done any work for them. And although this is classed as a business account, it’s separate from the one she has access to. It seems to be something Tom Rogerson has set up by himself.’