Mr Ridgeway's Last Case (Butterworth Mystery Book 5)

by Gillian Larkin

  Mr Ridgeway’s Last Case

  Chapter 1

  “Debra, what is it you want?” Connie Butterworth fixed her daughter with a stern look.

  From the chair opposite, Debra shrugged casually and said, “I don’t want anything. I just thought I’d invite my favourite mum and my favourite auntie round for afternoon tea. What’s wrong with that?”

  Connie said, “I’m your only mum, so I must be your favourite.”

  At Connie’s side, Sable Butterworth said, “I know I’m not your only auntie, but I know I’m your favourite. No one else comes close.” She reached for a smoked salmon sandwich. “Connie’s right, though. You want something from us. You’ve never invited us round for afternoon tea before. And you’ve gone to a lot of trouble with these delicate sandwiches and cakes. Not that I’m complaining.” She popped the whole sandwich into her mouth.

  Debra rolled her eyes dramatically. “Honestly, you two! Since you started that detective business of yours, you’ve become very suspicious of everyone. Mum, would you like some more tea? How about a strawberry tart? I got them from the bakery you like.” She smiled at Connie.

  Connie folded her arms. “Another morsel is not passing my lips until you tell me what’s going on.”

  Sable reached for a cream doughnut. “Take your time, Debra. If Connie’s not eating, there’ll be more for me.” She glanced towards the photographs on the wall. “Those are lovely pictures of your Megan and Max. Do you think I could have some copies, please? I’ve only got a couple of photos of them, and they were taken a few years ago.”

  “I’ve got some spares ones upstairs. I’ll give you some before you leave. Auntie Sable, have some more quiche. There’s plenty of it. And that one over there has got asparagus in it. I know that’s your favourite.”

  “It is. Thank you.” Sable looked sideways at Connie, and then back at Debra. “Debra, you’ll have to come clean with your mum soon. Her arms are folded so tightly that she’s in danger of cutting her circulation off.”

  “Don’t talk about me as if I’m not here,” Connie said, loosening her arms a tad. “Debra, is there something wrong with Megan or Max?”

  “No.”

  “Is there something wrong with you or Ed?”

  “No. We’re fine. We’re all fine.”

  “Then what is it? You might as well tell me now and get it over with. Have you done something terrible?”

  Debra tutted. “No, it’s nothing like that. Alright, I’ll tell you. But, first, can you let me know how your workload is? Are you swamped with cases?” She caught her mum’s confused look. “It is relevant to what I’m going to tell you.”

  “We’re in between cases at the moment.” Connie looked at Sable. “But we are considering our next case, aren’t we? We’ve got a few potential clients lined up.”

  Sable licked the cream off her thumb. “Yes, I’m still making notes on those. Debra, you wouldn’t believe some of the idiots who contact us with the most ridiculous cases. One man wanted us to spy on his neighbour. He’s convinced his neighbour is moving their shared fence a minuscule amount every couple of weeks. He claims his neighbour now has an extra centimetre of land which was originally his.”

  Debra said, “What did you say to him?”

  “My first thought was to tell him to stop being so petty, but then I thought he might be right. You hear about these things. I gave him a link to some surveillance equipment that he could use to spy on his land-stealing neighbour. He was delighted with my response.”

  Connie said, “Perhaps we should charge people for advice. We get a lot of queries like that. Or we could set up a workshop once a month. People could come along and ask us for advice there. We could charge them an entry fee.”

  Sable pulled a face. “I like the charging a fee part, but not meeting people face-to-face. You don’t know who might turn up. Debra, is that a beef and mustard sandwich?”

  “It is. Have as many as you like.”

  Connie said, “Debra, we’ve answered your question. We’re in between cases. I’m going to make a wild guess and say that you’ve got a problem which you’d like us to investigate.”

  “There is a problem, but it’s not my problem,” Debra said. “It concerns Nerys and Dale Spencer.”

  “Nerys and Dale Spencer?” Sable said. “Why do their names ring a bell?”

  Connie said, “You went to their wedding. Don’t you remember? They’re a lovely couple. They met on the very first day of school and bonded over the sandpit. They were inseparable all the way through the school. Even going to separate universities didn’t harm their relationship. It made it stronger. They’re still together after all these years, and they’ve got two children.” Connie sighed happily. “Theirs is a proper love story.”

  Sable nodded. “Yes, I do remember them. They wouldn’t stop smiling at each other on their wedding day. I thought they were drunk at first.”

  Connie said, “Debra, what do they need help with? I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  Sadness came into Debra’s eyes. “Mum, they’re getting divorced.”

  “No!” Connie’s hands flew to her chest. “Not Nerys and Dale! They can’t. Tell me it’s not true.”

  “It is true. I can’t believe it either. It’s all so sudden. Nerys is devastated. She’s barely slept for weeks.”

  “I don’t understand,” Connie said. “What happened? Is it Dale who’s asking for a divorce? That doesn’t make sense. He worships Nerys.”

  “It’s Nerys who’s filing for divorce. Mum, there’s something weird going on. Something to do with the solicitor Nerys is using. Something’s not right. And Nerys needs your help with it.”

  Connie frowned. “Oh, Debra, I don’t think we can get involved in a divorce case. And not with someone we know. It would be like taking sides. And we can’t do that, can we, Sable?”

  “It would be an uncomfortable situation,” Sable agreed. “What exactly is the problem with the solicitor?”

  Debra looked towards the window and stood up. “Nerys is here. She can explain everything to you.”

  Chapter 2

  Connie’s heart twisted at the wretched sight of Nerys Spencer as she entered the living room with Debra. When Nerys looked at Connie, her eyes were red-rimmed as if she’d been crying for days or even weeks. Her skin was pale, and there were deep shadows under her eyes.

  Connie couldn’t help herself. She got to her feet and embraced Nerys in a warm hug.

  Nerys said into Connie’ shoulder, “Please, don’t be kind to me. I don’t deserve it.”

  Connie released her and looked into her eyes. “I’ll be the judge of that. Take a seat, and we’ll sort you out with a cup of tea. Would you like something to eat?”

  Nerys blinked back a tear. “Tea would be nice, but I couldn’t manage anything to eat. Thank you.” She looked towards Sable. “Hi, I think we’ve met before. You came to my – ” Her voice caught in her throat, and she looked away.

  Sable patted the area next to her. “Sit here. Have a cup of tea. Take some deep breaths. You can talk to us when you’re ready.”

  Nerys gave her a shaky smile and sat down.

  Debra said, “Mum, you sit on the other side of Nerys. I’ll sort the tea out. Would you like another tea? And what about you, Auntie Sable, can I get you anything else?”

  Sable laid a hand on her flat stomach. “I’m just about stuffed. A cup of tea will be lovely. Leave the food out on the table; I’ll likely get a second wind in a few minutes. We can’t let this lovely food go to waste.” She smiled in Nerys’ direction. “I was telling Debra about our detective business and some of the wei
rd emails we’ve been getting. Connie, tell Nerys about the woman and her stolen washing.”

  “Oh! Yes. I’d almost forgotten about her. Nerys, this poor woman was having her washing stolen on a regular basis, but it was only particular items that were taken. When she told us what had been stolen, Sable put the clues together, and we worked out why certain items were going missing.”

  Sable explained, “The items that were stolen were all new, and they were quality goods. That made me think that someone was stealing them to sell on or to give away as presents. We waited outside the house one day and saw the culprit nipping over the fence.”

  Nerys said, “Who was it? A local thief?”

  “No, it was the man next door,” Connie replied.

  Nerys’ eyebrows shot up. “Did he steal them so he could wear them?”

  Sable said, “That’s what we thought at first. He was too big to wear such small items, and so was his wife. We followed him, and he gave the clothes to his girlfriends as presents. What a cheapskate!”

  “Girlfriends? As in plural?” Nerys asked.

  “Yes,” Connie said. “We caught him meeting up with five separate women over two days. Who knows how many more he had on the go? And, that’s not all. He wasn’t just stealing from one neighbour; he was helping himself to clothing from all over the neighbourhood.”

  Nerys shook her head. “You’re making this up. You must be. How did he get away with it?”

  Sable said, “He was well organised. We gave our information to the police, and when they caught up with him, they said he had charts and timetables of the places he’d go to steal items. It wasn’t just clothes; he regularly visited shops and helped himself to champagne, luxury chocolates and jewellery.” Sable smiled. “Despite him being a criminal, I admired his ingenuity.”

  Connie added, “Sable wanted to make friends with him. She said he could be a good source of information on how the criminal mind works. I think the real reason is that she’s got her eye on an expensive handbag in Harvey Nichols and she wants him to pinch it for her.” She winked at Nerys.

  Nerys smiled. “I’m not sure whether I believe you or not, but you have made me feel better.”

  Debra handed Nerys a cup of tea. “Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat? There’s plenty.”

  “Perhaps in a while.” Nerys looked down at her drink.

  Connie said, “Nerys, Debra said you might need our help with something. We know about the divorce. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Nerys took a sip of tea and then cradled the cup in her hands as if deriving comfort from it. She said, “I don’t know where to begin. I feel like such an idiot.”

  “Why don’t you tell us why you went to see a solicitor?” Sable asked. “When did things start to go wrong in your marriage? Connie told me you and your husband have been together since you were very young.”

  A brief smile flashed on Nerys’ face. “I can’t remember a time without Dale. He’s always been there at my side. He’s everything to me. People don’t believe me when I say we’ve never had an argument, but we haven’t. We get along so well.” She swallowed and looked down at her cup again. “We used to get along so well. Until recently.”

  Connie noticed Nerys’ hands shaking, so she gently took the cup from her and placed it on the table in front of the young woman. Connie said, “I don’t want you spilling that on yourself. Tell us what changed between you and Dale.”

  Nerys said, “Things went wrong a few months ago. Dale started to go out after his evening meal. He wouldn’t tell me where he was going. He said he was working on a surprise for me.”

  “That’s nice,” Connie said.

  “I thought so too, but this went on for weeks, and I began to get suspicious. My suspicions grew when Dale started to come home smelling different.”

  “In what way?” Connie asked.

  “He smelt of perfume. Well, not perfume exactly. But perfumed toiletries. Every time he came home from supposedly working on my surprise, he’d have damp hair as if he’d been in the shower. And the shampoo he’d used wasn’t a man’s one. It was too scented, if you know what I mean?”

  Connie nodded. “Did you ask him about that?”

  “I did. He denied it, and he refused to tell me where he’d been. He became evasive about the whole matter.” Nerys put a hand on her stomach. “I felt sick at the thought of what he might be doing. My mind played out all sorts of scenarios, and I’m ashamed to say that I checked his phone when he wasn’t in the room. I saw a message from someone called Gail. She asked if he was going over the next night as usual. He’d replied that he would be.” She began to cry.

  Connie put her arm around Nerys and said, “You poor love. Did you ask him who Gail was?”

  Nerys shook her head. “I was too scared to. I did something stupid the next day. I was in town, and I saw a billboard advertising a free hour’s consultation with a solicitor. Something came over me, and I walked right into that solicitor’s. I got an appointment with someone straight away. I only intended to air my worries, but before I knew it, I was agreeing to a divorce.”

  “What? That’s ridiculous,” Sable said. “What did the solicitor say to you to make that happen?”

  Nerys’ brow wrinkled. “I’m still not sure. He said it sounded like Dale was having an affair, and I needed to get rid of him immediately. He said he’d send a letter to Dale informing him to leave our house with immediate effect. I can’t explain what happened to me in that office. I felt like I was being swept along, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

  Sable took her phone out. “What’s the name of this solicitor?”

  “It’s Bruno Ridgeway. He owns the company.”

  Sable’s lips pressed tightly together as she made a note of the name.

  Connie said, “Nerys, what do you need our help with?”

  Nerys wiped away a tear. “I still love Dale. I always will. I want you to find out if he is having an affair. If he is, then I’ll know getting a divorce is the right thing to do.” Her chin wobbled. “Although, it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. Can you help me? He’s due to meet this Gail woman again tonight.”

  Connie shared a look with Sable. Sable gave her a small nod.

  “Of course we can help you,” Connie said.

  Nerys said, “How much do you charge? I’ve got a bit of money in my savings account.”

  “And that’s where your money is going to stay,” Sable said. “You’re a friend of the family. And we don’t charge friends.”

  Nerys burst into fresh tears and mumbled, “Thank you.”

  Connie desperately wanted to tell Nerys this was a mistake, and that Dale couldn’t possibly be cheating on her. But she couldn’t. Not until they had all the facts. All she could do was hold Nerys until she stopped crying.

  And that’s what she did.

  Chapter 3

  “Are you sure he hasn’t spotted us?” Connie asked from the passenger seat of Sable’s car later that day.

  “I’m as sure as I can be. I’ve kept three cars between us since Dale left his mum’s house.” She gave Connie a quick glance. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you flapping your arms like that?”

  “I’m sweating.” Connie wafted her arms up and down in an effort to get air to her armpits. “I’m so nervous. We’ve never followed anyone we know before. If this is going to be a regular thing, I shall have to get a stronger deodorant. Aren’t you nervous?”

  “A bit. And I feel sad too. Poor Nerys. You can tell she doesn’t want a divorce. I can’t wait to question that solicitor of hers. I’ve come across many slimy solicitors in my time, and this Bruno Ridgeway sounds like a slippery customer. What’s that saying? It’s from a famous play. It’s about killing all the lawyers first.”

  Connie lowered her arms. “It’s from a Shakespeare play: Henry VI. It was said by a character called Dick The Butcher.”

  “Ooo! Very impressive.”

  “It was a question on Mastermi
nd last week.” Connie lifted her right arm and sniffed. “Sable, do I smell? Be honest with me.”

  “Connie, if you did smell, you know I’d be brutally honest with you. If you’re so concerned, there’s a small bottle of perfume in my handbag. Help yourself to a squirt or two.”

  “Thanks. I will do.” Connie picked up Sable’s handbag from the footwell. She looked inside. “Sable! Is that a Taser? A real Taser? I thought it was illegal to use those. Where did you get it from?”

  Sable replied, “I got it from eBay. It’s a fake. I’d only use it to threaten someone.”

  “Isn’t that still illegal?”

  “Possibly. But I doubt the criminals we might have to deal with will know that.” She shrugged. “We have to be prepared, Connie. We don’t know who or what we might come up against.”

  Connie rummaged in Sable’s bag. “Is that a Swiss army knife?”

  “Yes. I always carry one of those.”

  “And do you always carry a set of handcuffs?”

  Sable shrugged again. “We need to be prepared. The perfume is in the side pocket of the bag. You’d better be quick; Dale is slowing down.”

  Connie squirted Sable’s expensive perfume under each arm, and then, because it smelled so lovely, she sprayed some on her neck.

  Sable said, “Dale’s stopping his car outside that detached house up there. Let’s pull up here. Open the glove compartment and get our binoculars out.”

  Sable stopped the car a short distance away from the house that Dale was now walking towards. Her nose wrinkled and she lowered the driver’s window. “You’ve gone overboard with the perfume, Connie.”

  “Perhaps. But I smell lovely.” She handed a pair of small binoculars to Sable and raised her own pair to her eyes. She focused them on Dale as he knocked on the side door of the house.

  Sable looked through her binoculars. “A woman has come to the door. Is that Gail? We need that listening device so we can hear what they’re saying. You remember which one, don’t you? The one that picks up on conversations from a distance away. Is it in the glove compartment too? It should be.”