by A K Lakelett
Happy Monday all around.
Tuesday 10th of June
DI Peter Greene and DC Terry Ford
Greene and Ford drive again to Exeter to Eric’s flat to interview the neighbors. Greene uses Eric Warner’s keys to get into the building. As they enter, they hear screaming and shouting coming from upstairs. They head up, finding the flat’s door held partially open by Pratt.
‘What is going on?’ Greene asks Pratt.
‘Them misses Warners having a fight about who owns the flat,’ she says.
‘Why are you here?’ Ford asks Pratt.
‘Missus wanted to come here to change the locks.’
‘I see, and when did Maggie Warner and Lizzie arrive?’
‘Just a few minutes ago. The locksmith is also on his way.’
Greene and Ford enter the flat. The three women are standing in the middle of the room. Estelle and Lizzie are glaring and shouting at each other. Estelle accuses Lizzie and Maggie of conspiring against her, and then accuses Maggie of poisoning Eric because he had been happy with her. She is throwing a full foot-stomping tirade, and when she sees Greene and Ford, she storms off, shouting ‘You will hear from me, this flat does not belong to you!’ She runs down the stairs. Ford looks at Greene, who shakes his head – let her go. Pratt is left standing by the door.
‘What is going on over here? What was all that shouting about?’ Greene asks.
‘Lizzie and I came here to inspect the flat and change the locks. The flat now belongs to Lizzie, according to her father’s will,’ Maggie says. ‘Lizzie has the keys to it now, but based on Estelle’s earlier behavior, my brother advised us to come over here as soon as possible and get the locks changed. So we did.’
‘Apparently Estelle had had the same thought,’ adds Lizzie, ‘and when we arrived, she went ballistic. Sheesh.’
‘Robert Hughes may have told her to do it too. I wouldn’t put it past him,’ Maggie adds.
‘No way, Robert hates Estelle. He was Dad’s friend and Dad wanted me to have it, not Estelle.’
‘Well she must have figured it out on her own then – she must have heard the expression about how possession is nine tenths of the law. What I don’t understand is how she can claim ownership when she knew that Eric bought the flat for you. And why does she want it now?’ Maggie shakes her head.
The locksmith arrives, a grandfatherly man carrying a large tool bag. Pratt leaves and takes the elevator.
‘Hello, ladies. Locks to be changed here? Which one of you is Mrs. Warner?’
‘I am,’ Maggie says.
‘Good, I have a work order here to change the door lock. But it doesn’t say if you want it just to be re-keyed or you want to have an entirely new lock? I brought with me a new lock, just in case. The locks in these older houses are seldom very secure.’
Lizzie and Maggie look at each other.
‘Let’s go with a new lock entirely. How long does it take to do?’
‘It’s going to take around half an hour, though it depends how jammed the old one is.’
‘Very well,’ Maggie says. The locksmith puts down his bag and sets about his work.
Greene and Ford have been quietly watching the entire exchange from the back of the room. Lizzie watches the locksmith and Maggie walks over to Greene.
‘Why did you two come over here? Did you follow Estelle or something?’ Maggie asks Peter.
‘No, we came here to check up on a few things and then heard the shouting.’
‘I see. Do you agree with Lizzie’s decision to change the lock?’ Maggie asks, looking at both officers.
‘If her lawyer has advised her to do it, it’s her decision.’ Greene smiles, ‘I cannot advise on legal issues. However, from the Police point of view, it is always best to rekey or change locks if keys may have been lost or if improving security is a priority.’ Maggie looks at him and smiles for the first time since they arrived.
‘We’ll be on our way. Mrs. Warner, Miss Warner,’ Greene says, nodding his head. He waves for Ford to follow him.
They both walk out and downstairs. They see Pratt standing in the hallway. She complains about getting home. Ford looks at Greene and says, ‘We’ll be heading back to Faukon Abbey in an hour or so. You can come with us in the Panda.’ Pratt thanks them but says ‘No thanks, I’ve had enough rides in one of those thank you very much, having my reputation just about destroyed. I’ll just take the bus.’
‘Very well,’ Greene says. He opens the door for her. ‘Oh, one more thing, Mrs. Pratt. I know you had keys to get into the flat, but what about Estelle Warner? Does she also have keys?’
‘Not that I know of. She had me come ‘ere with her so she could get in, or so she said.’
‘I see. Do you know if she ever came here alone? Did you see her here?’
‘There was never nobody here when I came, always empty. Mr. Warner knew when I was coming so he always left before I got here.’
‘And you only came on Tuesdays, correct?’
‘Yes, unless he asked me to come some other day.’
‘I see, did that happen often?’
‘Nah, just a couple of times, I came on one Thursday and once on a Sunday.’
‘Thank you Mrs. Pratt. How are you going to get to the bus?’
‘There’s bus stop nearby, that’s the one I always use.’
‘Very well.’ Pratt turns to leave.
‘Oh, one more thing, Mrs. Pratt,’ Greene says, ‘Has Mrs. Estelle Warner said anything to you why she wants to have the flat? From what I understand, it was given to the daughter Lizzie in her father’s will.’
‘She didn’t say much. Just that the old Mrs. Warner was stealing the flat from her.’
‘Interesting,’ Greene says. ‘Has Estelle said anything about her plans for the future? Is she planning to sell Elm House and move? Was that perhaps why she wanted to keep this place, to move in here?’
‘Nah, she hasn’t said anything, not to me anyway. I don’t think she wants to keep it though, live there all alone, doesn’t make sense.’
‘Thank you, Mrs. Pratt.’
Pratt walks out and Ford and Greene walk one floor up. Greene wants to know if anybody had seen Estelle Warner in the building in May or earlier in the year. Unfortunately, most of the neighbors are not at home or at least not answering their doors, and the only one who does, doesn’t remember seeing her.
When they’re finished, they see Maggie and Lizzie walking arm in arm to a car. Mrs. Pratt was not at the bus stop any longer so she must have caught the bus. The detectives walk slowly to their car.
‘I guess she doesn’t think her mother murdered her father anymore?’ Ford says.
‘Doesn’t look like it, does it? I don’t think Lizzie ever really thought that Maggie had done it, it was more just shock over her father’s death. On the other hand, do we know where Lizzie Warner was when her father died?’
‘Surely you don’t really think she murdered her own father, do you, sir?’ Ford turns to Greene, frowning slightly.
‘I don’t, but it’s best to not to assume anything. It’s been known to happen. Her mother has a solid alibi for that day and the days before and after too, but for all we know, Lizzie Warner expected to get the flat in the future. It could have been a good enough reason to do away with her father to get it sooner. After all, he had refused to buy her something in London; her mother couldn’t afford to buy anything for her there. That flat is probably worth a hundred and fifty, maybe even two hundred grand, and that’s a lot of money. So let’s find out where she was. And let’s find out what she really thought about her father.’
‘Since she lives in London, should we go there, sir? I don’t think we can get that kind of information without talking with her friends too.’
‘True. But the budgets being what they are, I don’t think we can get to go there. Let me talk with Mullan.’
‘Can’t go before next week anyway as we have to be in court for those two assault cases.’
&nbs
p; ‘Indeed.’ Greene looks around as they approach their car. ’Do we have the traffic cam data yet? I see there’s at least one camera on that corner out there, do you see any others? If we get that one, would that cover enough of the area to see if Estelle drove here?’
Ford looks around as well.
‘I’ll check any cameras in a few miles’ radius. If she parked her car, she may have not wanted to leave it where it would be seen, since she was supposed to be in the Scillies.’
‘Good thinking, Terry.’
They get in the car and Terry starts driving back to Faukon Abbey.
‘I’m still not sure why you think she came here instead of Tersel Woods, sir?’
‘Estelle keeps blaming Maggie for all sorts of things. Estelle and Eric had been married for four years, and Maggie lives in Penzance where she moved after Eric and Estelle got married. Since Eric had this flat and apparently came here a lot, while she’s all on her own in Faukon Abbey, Estelle could well be wondering about him. She probably suspects that he’s up to something; the question is what. It’s only a two-hour drive from Penzance to here. Estelle stole Eric from Maggie, it could be she thinks Maggie is now doing the same.’
‘And didn’t you say Maggie Warner said she’d been here?’
‘Yes she’s been here. I also think Estelle is a very sharp cookie, as they say in America. All that crying and lash-fluttering is likely a bit of an act. I’m sure she wanted to become Mrs. Eric Warner, but I’m just about as sure that she didn’t marry him just out of love. He was simply a good catch. And I’m also sure she knew, must have known, that she wasn’t the only one on his agenda. That’s why she wanted to have kids to tie him down in case of divorce. She figured that’s how Maggie had done it. So let’s get all that traffic cam info and see where she went from the airport. We need an airtight case here.’
‘Yes sir. Do you really think she killed him?’
‘I don’t know, it’s possible. She had the oldest motive in the world: jealousy, or the fury of a wife scorned, and she had opportunity as she was here. But we need proof, solid proof. After our interview with her at the station, she called Robert Hughes, who then talked with Howard Smithers, the founder and senior partner, and also Estelle’s former boss who then called the Sup in Exeter who called Mullan, insisting that unless we have proof, we are to stay clear of harassing their client. So let’s get proof.’ Peter sighs.
‘Yes sir.’
They continue their drive in silence.
Thursday 12th of June
The Abbey Chronicle, page 12
Eric Warner Case – The latest
We still don’t know who murdered Eric Warner, or even if it was a murder in the first place.
It’s been a month since Eric Warner’s lifeless body was found in Tersel Woods. The inquest was adjourned two weeks ago to give the police more time, and yet the police in Faukon Abbey appear today to be no closer to finding out who or what killed him.
What we know so far:
This newspaper was informed this morning that Eric Warner’s first wife, Margaret Warner, who had been under suspicion since the inquest earlier this month for murder of her ex-husband, is no longer a suspect. After further review, this paper has found out that Mrs. Margaret Warner actually has an alibi for the time period in question. The fact that the police hadn’t found out about it before now makes us wonder how efficiently the Faukon Abbey CID is conducting this investigation. Only after repeated statements did the police conduct additional checks and find that Margaret Warner had in fact been in London and thus could not have killed her ex-husband, contrary to the claims of her daughter expressed during the inquest.
When it comes to Estelle Warner, she as we know, was visiting her mother on the Scilly Isles, and could thus not have murdered her husband.
Elizabeth Warner, Eric Warner’s daughter by Margaret, who accused her mother during the inquest, was in London attending classes and could not have caused her father’s death.
The police appear not to have any other leads, and they can’t even locate the witness who called 999 and reported finding Eric Warner in Tersel Woods. So what is the Faukon Abbey CID actually doing to solve the case?
Friday 13th of June
DI Peter Greene and DC Terry Ford
Greene gets a call from Ms. Harris’ solicitor, Charles Penny, asking if he is the officer investigating the murder of Eric Warner. When Greene confirms, Charles Penny says that he has a letter for them, from Selena Harris. They agree to meet later that afternoon.
Greene and Ford decide to walk to the solicitor’s office, as it is a nice sunny day.
After they sit down, the solicitor gives Greene a large manila envelope. Greene asks if he had opened the envelope or if he knew what was in it, Penny says no to both questions. Ms Harris had given him the envelope a while ago, with strict instructions to give it to the police only after she was dead. Greene opens the envelope. It contains a one-page letter and a smaller envelope.
In the letter, Selena Harris confesses to killing Eric Warner on May the twelfth at twelve-thirty in Tersel Woods. Greene puts the letter back in the envelope so that only the signature is shown, and asks the solicitor if the signature was written by Harris. Charles Penny confirms that it indeed looks exactly like her signature. He takes out her will, covering the rest of it, and shows the officers the signature. They seem to match exactly.
Since the solicitor has the will there, Greene asks who benefits from the death of Ms. Harris. According to the solicitor, her will states that the main beneficiary of her estate is her niece, Joyce Lane, as Ms. Harris did not have any children of her own. Other beneficiaries are the school in London where she taught for many years and her neighbor, one Ms. Caroline Evans, as a thank you for her kindness during Ms. Harris’ illness. When Greene asks how much money Harris had, Penny states that Ms. Harris’ estate consisted mostly of her flat and a few bank accounts, worth probably no more than about £200,000. He clarifies that he has to contact Ms. Harris’ niece, who lives in Kent, about the will before he can share more details.
Greene asks if Ms. Lane has been informed about the death of Selena Harris. The solicitor he says hasn’t done it yet, since he just got back from a holiday and asks if the police are supposed to do that? Ford says they have not been able to contact Joyce Lane either as she too, is on holiday. Greene asks Penny to wait before contacting her, as the police would like to talk to her first. The solicitor is more than happy to leave the delivery of bad news to the police.
The detectives thank him and walk back to the station. When they get there, Greene shows the letter and the contents of the smaller envelope to Ford before walking it all to the lab tech to be checked for fingerprints.
As soon as he’s back in his office, Greene calls Dr. Slater and asks if Eric Warner could have died of aconite poisoning.
‘Aconite?’ says Dr. Slater, ‘How on earth did you come up with that one?’
‘Well, what is it? Can you kill someone with it?’ asks Greene.
‘Indeed you can, indeed you can, it can be very lethal. Aconite comes from the monkshood plant. You may even know that one? It’s a pretty, blue flowering perennial, people often grow them in borders, could be that you have one in your garden. It’s a very good plant to have growing in the background as it’s flowering spikes grow tall, about a meter and half high. I have a few of those in my border along the garage wall. It’s very common but most people do not know how lethal it is. Should not be grown anywhere near children.’
‘Really?’ Greene says. ‘So if it was used to kill Eric Warner, how did he get it? He didn’t eat it, did he?’
‘No, as I recall he didn’t have anything of the sort in his stomach. How very curious – I’ll have to run some more tests.’
‘Thank you,’ Greene says, ‘how long will it take?’
‘I’m not sure, I have to first find out how to find it. It’s not a particularly common poison. How did you find out that he could have been killed with aconit
e?’
‘The old lady, Selena Harris, claims she poisoned Eric Warner with it.’
‘Really, how extraordinary! Why would she do something like that?’
‘We don’t know yet; I’m waiting for the fingerprint results on some letters and documents we received.’
‘Well you’ll let me know when you find out, won’t you? How very interesting,’ says Dr. Slater.
‘I’ll call you as soon as I know more, and you let me know when you can confirm it indeed was aconite.’
‘It may take some time, but I will do my best.’
‘Thanks,’ Greene says and hangs up.
‘Terry, can you find on the internet if there’s a picture of a plant called monkshood, apparently it’s a common garden plant,’ Peter says.
‘That’s what killed him? But why would Harris poison Warner? It doesn’t make any sense. She wasn’t old enough to be his teacher, surely?’ asks Ford, typing furiously. ‘Ok, here’s how it looks,’ Ford says, turning his monitor to show the pictures of blooming monkshood plants to Greene.
‘Doesn’t Elm House have these growing next to the garage?’ Greene says.
‘I think so, not sure. Could be,’ Ford says, ‘I haven’t really looked at the flowers there. ‘Estelle’s mother who is the “plant curator” in Tresco would surely know about monkshood and how poisonous it is. We know Estelle flew back on that Monday so she could have brought some that aconite poison with her and given it to Eric as her mother’s special coffee – there was that coffee mug found next to him.’
‘That is a very good point. But Dr. Slater said the coffee residue in that mug didn’t contain anything but coffee. And we still don’t know where Estelle went when she flew back,’ Greene says.