A Measure of Trouble (Alex Warren Murder Mysteries Book 2)

by Zach Abrams

  “Do you have a problem speaking to me?” she asked, unable to hold back her irritation any longer.

  He was still looking towards Phil as he replied, “As a matter of fact, I do. I've been at the forefront of business in this country since before you were born. I'm used to mixing with the top figures in government and in society. I've been to dinners with the Home Secretary, the First Minister and various Chief Constables on several occasions. There's been a serious incident which happened on my premises and who do the police send round to visit me? Some wee lassie barely out of nappies, that's who. Yes, I do have a problem speaking to you.”

  Sandra was seething. She found it difficult to put into words what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath before replying slowly, in a low menacing tone, a technique which she'd learned from Alex.

  “I'll have you know, Sir, I am hardly a `wee lassie, barely out of nappies.' I'm an honours graduate and I've now served in the police force for six years. I was selected as a detective because of my skills, training and ability and I've since been promoted to Sergeant. You are correct that we're investigating what we consider to be a very serious incident. Detective Chief Inspector Warren is the senior officer on this case and he's been called back to head office to deal with unrelated matters. He has sent me here as the next in charge. If you feel your position justifies that you can only speak to him, then I will arrange it. I will have a squad car pick you up in five minutes time and drive you into Glasgow and there you can wait until he's available to see you. In fact, I'll arrange for that now.” Sandra lifted her mobile from her pocket and flipped it open.

  Phil had seen Sandra in action before and was all too familiar with how assertive she could be. She was not one to be crossed and he knew she wasn't bluffing. He struggled to keep a straight face.

  “No, that will not be necessary,” Daniel replied. “I will answer your questions.” His tone was short but for the first time he was looking straight at her to give his response.

  “Can you tell me why Hector called you?”

  “It was a business issue, confidential company matters.”

  “Was it to do with the potential sale of the distillery?”

  Daniel looked up, surprised.

  “Perhaps regarding his planned meeting with Chuck Holbein?” Sandra pressed home the advantage.

  Daniel examined her with a new respect. “Why yes, how on earth did you know about that?”

  “How did you feel about the meeting?”

  “It was a total waste of time and I told him so. He didn't have the authority to have such discussions. He needed my approval to take any negotiations forward and he knew I wouldn't give it.”

  “I was told that since your illness, your children had taken over control of your shares and that you can no longer legally act on your own behalf.”

  “It wasn't an illness, it was a stroke. I was temporarily incapacitated. They had to be able to manage the business in my absence, but I'm back now. I am well enough to resume control.”

  “Is that how they see it?”

  Daniel paused for a second. “They won't go against me,” he stated in little over a whisper. “They know I could take it to court and I'd win. I won't take it lying down. They'll do what I want.”

  “Is this what you were discussing with Hector?”

  “I suppose, to some extent.”

  “Did you have similar discussions with Georgina, Quentin and Stanley?”

  “No, I didn't need to. And what's all this got to do with Hector's death, anyway?”

  “We're just trying to get a full picture of all the relationships.”

  “Well, don't waste my time with tittle-tattle.”

  “We're hardly doing that, Sir. Hector is dead. We don't have the medical reports yet but we're fairly certain he's been murdered. He was the managing director of the distillery business and he was taking part in takeover negotiations which could have been either unknown or hostile to some of the other shareholders. It could also have upset other people within the company or within the industry. It's not `tittle-tattle,' it's our job to investigate unusual goings-on to identify who could have an interest in seeing Hector dead or indeed a motive.”

  “If you're trawling for everyone with a motive and everyone who'd have been happy to see the back of Hector then you'd better have a big net. In fact, to paraphrase Brody from `Jaws,' `You're gonna need a bigger boat.' ” Daniel started laughing at his own joke and he only stopped when his guffaws turned into a coughing fit.

  “That may be the case, but we have to start somewhere and this is where we've chosen to start. It would help and save us all time and effort if you would just answer the questions. Were you aware of the details of what Hector was discussing?”

  “No, he didn't want to give me the details because he knew I'd oppose him whatever was being offered and he didn't want to give me any ammunition. He was right, I suppose.”

  “Did you discuss the deal with Georgina, Quentin and Stanley?”

  “Not really. I've had talks with Quentin. Georgina's not had a lot to say and, other than board meetings, I don't see too much of Stanley. He doesn't have any real interest in what goes on in the business. Just give him a bit of solitude, a paintbrush and canvas and he's happy.”

  “How about your grandchildren?”

  “Sam follows his father's guidance and the other three haven't much clue what's going on. They're young, give them another five years and they'll all look on it very differently.”

  “Patrick Gillespie must know what's going on.”

  “I'm sure he does and I'm sure he'll be in complete agreement with me. And before you ask, I reckon Callum McPherson and the other managers and staff will all feel the same way too, if they know anything about it.”

  “None of the others should know what's going on though.”

  “You're right, they shouldn't, but there will always be rumours. Hector could have a bit of a loose tongue, especially when he's had a drink and this is a small community. It's not very easy to keep hold of a secret for long.”

  “We understand that there was more than one company showing interest in buying Benlochy.”

  “Yes, I suppose that's true. We have a very good and profitable company. It has a name with worldwide recognition so any of the major players would love to get their hands on it. Hector started off speaking to Hanser and they are an obvious player and one of the biggest. They operate producing a whole range of drinks in Europe and the States and they are known to be on the acquisition trail. They raised a lot of cash on the stock market last year and it's burning a hole in their pocket. They have publicly stated their growth aims and they need to make purchases soon or their shareholders will get restless.

  “If I had been looking to sell, then they'd have been the first ones that I'd have approached so I suppose it was a smart move by Hector, if only we'd actually been for sale.

  “Anyway, somehow word got out that they'd been talking and there've now been a number of other would-be purchasers sniffing about. It could start a bidding war. All the main companies are interested as well as a few smaller ones. There's one Japanese outfit that's been very keen to get in to talk to us. They're not all that big but they are ambitious. They manufacture their own version of Scotch whisky in Japan and it's had good reviews. They've won a lot of awards.”

  “So has Hector been speaking to many of them?”

  “I don't think so. As far as I know, he's only met face to face with Holbein from Hanser.”

  “And he was scheduled to meet him yesterday?”

  “He was scheduled to meet her yesterday. The CEO of Hanser is Chuck Holbein and she's a woman. Chuck stands for Charlene. It's still largely considered a man's industry, so she's happy to adopt what's normally considered a man's name. She has a reputation in the industry as a real go-getter, quite a power house. She's been in charge of the company for fifteen years now and it's grown from strength to strength. She's one lady who it doesn't pay to underestimate.”


  “I've met a few of those,” Phil piped up. He looked as if he may have said more but didn't proceed after receiving a frosty stare from Sandra. “Point made,” he whispered inwardly.

  “I'll keep that in mind when I go to see her. Do you know how long she's staying in Glasgow and where she'll be?”

  “According to Hector, she was going to be around for a few days and wanted to see the whole board. I told him that wasn't on, so your guess is as good as mine whether or not she'd still have stayed. As for location, Hanser owns a villa in Pollockshields, just off St Andrews Drive. They use it for their execs, when they move them around, and sometimes also for corporate entertainment. Chuck may be staying there or if she wanted the city centre she'd be in the Hilton.”

  “Thanks, I'll check it out. Now, I'd like to ask you about the tunnel?”

  “The tunnel?” Daniel paled slightly.

  “Yes, we've learned that Hector was in the habit of turning up in his office at night without going through the security gate. The most logical explanation is that he used the tunnel.”

  “Well, that could be an explanation. It's probably the sort of thing he would do.”

  “How did he find out about the tunnel? I thought it was meant to be secret.”

  “I couldn't say,” Daniel answered curtly.

  “You didn't tell him about it?”

  “Not me, maybe Georgina said something.”

  “Not according to her or Quentin. Did he ever talk to you about it?”

  “He may have done. I can't remember. No wait, I seem to recollect we had a discussion about it years ago. He was asking about its early history and about how safe it was.”

  “How safe is it?”

  “It ought to be very safe. Most of it was formed through extending a natural cave that was already there. The front of the cave was originally used to house a still back in the old days before it became a legal business. When that happened, the new distillery building was constructed in front, replacing the old bothy. I take it you already know the background; the tunnel was made years ago and it was used as an escape route and for smuggling. Over the years, it was reinforced with timbers and brick and it's really quite solid. My children used to play there when they were young, and I would never have allowed them if I wasn't sure it was safe.”

  “When were you last there yourself?”

  “It was quite a while back.”

  “Where is the entrance?”

  “The front used to open to a doorway into the cask room and the other side came out in an old stone building on the other side of the hill, an old but an' ben.”

  “Is this on your land?”

  “Yes, that's right. If you follow the farm path just before the entrance to my driveway, it's about half a mile down the track.”

  “Thank you. One of my colleagues is already checking it out. One last question, it's just a matter of routine. Can you tell me where you were last night?”

  “I've not been out the house since yesterday morning.”

  “Do you have anyone who can verify that?”

  “Well, both Travers and Therese live in this house as well. Travers was at home, you can get him to confirm it. It was Therese's day off and she was away visiting friends of her family; she only came back at breakfast time today.”

  “Thank you for your assistance. Hopefully, that will be all and we won't need to disturb you again, but we'd like a word with both Travers and Therese before we leave.”

  “Fine, I'll call them in,” Daniel stood up and shuffled towards the door. Before leaving he added, “I hope you get this sorted out quickly and we can get back to some sort of normality.”

  “Thank you. We hope so too and, by the way, we're sorry for your loss.”

  Sandra felt battle weary, as if she'd just gone ten rounds in a boxing ring, but she was content that she'd given at least as good as she'd got.

  Chapter 8

  Sandra and Phil returned to Quentin's office and met up with Sanjay and Mary.

  After briefing them on her interview with Daniel, Sandra enquired about their progress and Sanjay was enthusiastic with his reply.

  “After we left you, we drove down the farm track and came to the old stone building. The `but an' ben,' as Daniel described it to you. The track was made of gravel, and it was pretty well maintained considering it ended at the shack. It wasn't overgrown and the path looked as if it had been frequently used. The property looked unoccupied and fairly derelict from the outside. The windows were boarded up. I tried the door and it opened without resistance; the hinges didn't even creak. Inside were two medium-sized rooms; they were empty of any furniture. It was dark, because the windows were covered over, but I saw a light switch just inside the door. I didn't expect there to be any power but I flicked the switch and it worked. I went back outside to look for power cables or a generator but I couldn't see any trace.”

  “Could the wiring have been underground?” Phil suggested.

  “I don't think so, not for a single remote building, and one so small, it would have cost a fortune.

  “Anyway, I went back in and checked the place out. There was a stone floor but no dust to speak of and it was clean. Someone has been taking care of it.

  “The inside walls were stone covered in plaster and they were painted white. The second room was fitted out as a kitchen, although fairly basic. There were units along one wall and the side wall had a large cupboard door. I opened the door and the inside was wood panelled. I thought that a bit strange as there was no wood panelling anywhere else in the house. I tapped it and it sounded hollow. I found a couple of recessed handles and I pulled them and the whole of the backboard pulled away revealing a narrow corridor, and at the end, there were stairs leading downwards. Again there was a light-switch and I turned it on. I could see a tunnel at the bottom of the stairs. I went down for a better look. I had to duck because it was only about five feet high but it looked very solid. Most of the walls and ceiling were natural stone but in places it had supports. I could see a line of trunking going off into the distance, and I'm guessing the electricity both for the tunnel and for the building was coming through from whatever was on the far side of the tunnel. I came back out and called Anne Dixon to bring her team across for a look. The timing was good because she was just about finished with Hector's office. You might be better hearing the rest of the story from her directly, if she's still about.”

  Sandra sent Mary to find Anne and they returned within a few minutes.

  “We've not finished all our checks yet and we've taken a number of samples which need to be tested in the lab. We've also lifted a lot of paperwork that needs to be looked through. But even with that disclaimer, I have a number of items of interest and I can give you a quick run through what we have so far.”

  “Yes, please do,” Sandra replied. “We'd be happy for any leads you can give us.”

  “I don't know about leads. There's a number of things we've found which raise questions. If you can get answers to the questions, then you might have leads.”

  “I'll settle for that. We can't expect to begin with answers, but knowing the right questions to ask is certainly a good start. So what have you got for us?”

  “We started with the body, and you may know this already as I've already told the Chief, but our first impression is that the cause of death was him being hit on the head with a blunt instrument. There's a small circular depression to the left temple between the eye and ear and slightly above eye level. It looks like a single impact but with quite some force. From the angle and position of the wound, it's most likely to have been caused by an assailant standing in front of him which suggests the assailant would have been right-handed and about the same height, maybe slightly taller than the victim. If it helps, he'd most probably but not conclusively be male. The assumed time of death is some time after midnight, a window of perhaps two hours. There were fine glass particles found close to the wound and some similar ones on the floor. There was also bro
ken bottle glass on the floor but that was very different. There was a whisky spill, a damaged rack and a broken keg in the area. I believe the bottle and keg might have been damaged to divert attention from the other fragments. We don't yet recognise that glass but we'll try to find out more.

  “The doorway to the adjoining shop had been left open overnight, which was out of the ordinary. There was no indication of forced entry, and we think it was opened with a key or maybe it wasn't locked in the first place. The shop itself was untidy and there was missing stock, which again was out of the ordinary. I've questioned the staff and they've advised that it had been cleaned and all the stock replenished last night at about eight. If that's true, then something happened between eight and midnight to change things. We've taken prints, but I don't expect them to lead us anywhere.

  “Next, Hector's office looked a bit of a mess but from what we've been told that was its natural state. There was no sign of any skirmish, and we don't believe anything untoward happened there. We've gathered up papers off the desk and from drawers to have them checked over, but I don't have any information to give you on them yet. There was something else in one of the drawers, a large box of condoms.”

  “Was that a large box of condoms or a box of large condoms,” Phil quipped.

  Anne's expression didn't need words to convey her disdain to the interruption. Without looking in Phil's direction she continued, “When I say a large box, I mean a distribution pack used by retailers, not the sort of box that would have been sold over the counter, or under it for that matter. Also, it's not a normal brand for the UK. It's American I think, a specialist one, not what you'd be able to buy in Boots or out of a vending machine. He's most likely to have purchased it while abroad or else over the internet.

  “The outer box says it contains two hundred condoms, but it had been opened and nineteen had been removed.”

  “Why would he keep them in his office desk?” Sanjay speculated, and then replying to his own question added, “Maybe he didn't want to leave them at home so his wife wouldn't find them.”