Strange Beginnings: The Freeman Files Series: Book 13

by Ted Tayler

  Gus could have kissed Serena Campbell. It would have been no hardship; Serena was an attractive woman.

  At last, they had uncovered a different aspect to this case. Gus had always hoped to find something in Marion Reeves’s past that contributed to her murder. This could be it.

  “What’s Dave Francis doing these days, Ms Campbell?” he asked.

  “He’s serving a custodial sentence in HMP Winchester,” said Serena, with a hint of a smile. “Items Dave Francis catalogued as eighteenth-century porcelain from the Qing dynasty were fresh off a container ship from Shanghai. An expert from a TV programme spotted the minute differences between the copies and the genuine article when he viewed them in Dave’s saleroom. My ex-husband sold one vase for three-and-a-half million pounds, which cost him less than two hundred. Men like Dave Francis and Graham Street can never have too much money. Greed drives them to do foolish things.”

  “My colleague, DS Sherman, was at Odstock hospital last night, Ms Campbell,” said Gus. “An unidentified female had alerted the emergency services from an address in Salisbury early yesterday morning. Her partner had suffered a heart attack.”

  “Where were you between the hours of nine o’clock on Sunday night and four o’clock on Monday morning, Ms Campbell,” asked Luke.

  “At home, or in bed, alone, during that time,” said Serena. “Why, what is this?”

  “My colleague, DS Davis, sat beside the patient’s bedside until midnight, then I took over,” said Luke. “The patient never regained consciousness, and doctors declared him dead at six-thirty this morning. Graham Street died from a massive heart attack. His mysterious companion was unwilling to explain what Mr Street was doing before he suffered the attack. Indeed, she refused to travel with him in the ambulance and never contacted Odstock for an update on his condition.”

  “I won’t shed any tears over that devil’s death,” said Serena. “Street must have been in his early seventies by now. It sounds as if he was still grooming impressionable young women. Even at that age, his money talked.”

  “When was the last time you saw Graham Street?” asked Gus.

  “I avoided both him and Dave Francis like the plague as soon as I reached the safety of my parent’s home,” said Serena. “I doubt I’ve laid eyes on either of them more than a handful of times in over twenty-five years. I certainly never spoke to them, nor did Marion to the best of my knowledge. She would have told me if one of them got in touch,”

  “I might be asking another dumb question, Ms Campbell,” said Gus, “but once the two of you were free of your ex-husbands, why didn’t you report the abuse you suffered to the police? Sex with someone under the age of consent is rape. Criminal charges would have followed for how Street and Francis used coercion to get you to perform various sexual acts with men and women at those weekend parties.”

  “My association with Marion and the swingers group got swept under the carpet seven years ago,” said Serena. “The man responsible was at that first party in the country house. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he realised Marion was his for the night. He attended most of the parties for the first three or four years. I hated every second I had to spend with him on future occasions. Then his wife died of cancer. Graham and Dave didn’t invite anyone who didn’t have a wife or partner willing to participate. Marion and I were fearful that even though he wasn’t on the scene any longer, that man would still have the power to squash any investigation. What happened after Marion’s murder proved how right we were.”

  “Why not give us his name this afternoon?” asked Gus. “We can check officers serving in the city when you and Marion attended those parties. If that man’s wife died from cancer in the mid-eighties, we’re detectives. We’ll soon find him, anyway.”

  “I warned you this goes deeper and higher than you can imagine,” said Serena. “I can’t prove they murdered Marion because they feared she was about to name and shame someone, but they are more than capable. You’ll have to find that man without my help. Why didn’t we act sooner? Marion was too scared of how Graham would react if she spoke out. He threatened to get rid of her and the baby she refused to abort. She had other reasons too.”

  “Such as,” asked Luke.

  “Remember what I told you Dave said when I first complained,” said Serena. “He was mine during the week, and being with someone at the weekend meant nothing; it was just a bit of fun. I soon found out that he saw other women who had nothing to do with the parties. That convinced me I’d been a fool and should do what I could to get away from him. With Marion, it was different. She had lovers during the week, but they were men she’d slept with at parties. I only found that out after we were both single again. I called her to ask if she wanted to meet for a coffee. There was another man with her at the flat.”

  “The flat she had before she married Graham?” asked Luke.

  “I moved in with Dave when we got married,” said Serena, “Dave rented the flat out to another girl; no doubt she was another of his conquests. Marion moved in with Graham in ’84 when they married, and he did the same thing, rented the flat out after she left him. When they finalised the details of their divorce, Graham gave Marion the flat, plus a cash sum he described as being for Martyn. Marion said Graham wanted to make sure she didn’t reveal anything of what happened during their relationship. She lived in that flat until she married Theo Reeves.”

  “Did Marion hang onto it?” asked Gus.

  “You’ve seen their home in Oakley Road,” said Serena. “Marion sold the flat when she and Theo married. The money gave them a brilliant start to married life. The mortgage they took out was a fraction of what most couples who moved into those new builds needed.”

  “Theo didn’t mention that,” said Gus. “Did he know where the money came from?”

  “Marion told him her grandfather had left her the money. How could Theo check? Marion’s life before they met in the Haunch of Venison was a closed book.”

  “Can you give us the names of Marion’s lovers?” asked Gus.

  “Did she continue to see them after she met Theo Reeves?” asked Luke.

  Serena shook her head.

  “No, Marion wanted to put her past life behind her for good. Marion severed all links with anyone she met between arriving in Salisbury and the night she met Theo. A clean break and a fresh start. That was how she described it the first time we met for a chat after they met.”

  “What did you talk about on the Sunday afternoon before she died?” asked Gus.

  “We sat over there by the window,” said Serena. “I could tell straight away something was troubling her.”

  “Was it to do with Theo or the children?” asked Gus. “Or was it something from her past she was desperate to keep hidden?”

  “An ex-lover was blackmailing Marion,” said Serena. “She received an envelope in the mail on Thursday morning at the print firm where she worked. The envelope contained photos of Marion taken at several of the parties.”

  “Intimate photos?” asked Gus.

  “Marion’s face was in every photo, but the faces of the men and women had been pixilated to hide their identities.”

  “Where is that envelope now?” asked Gus. “What did Marion do with the photos? Was there a note inside demanding money?”

  “The only thing Marion had received before we met on Sunday afternoon was the envelope and those pictures.”

  “Had you already arranged to meet here that day?” asked Luke.

  “No, Marion called me on her mobile on Thursday afternoon. We met as often as we could without raising Theo’s suspicion. Weekends were best because Marion could drive here to chat with me, knowing Martyn wouldn’t suddenly walk in and see us together.”

  “Martyn likes you,” said Luke.

  “I know,” said Serena, “but we couldn’t risk him saying something at home. Martyn didn’t understand the meaning of keeping something secret.”

  “Did Marion tell you she had withdrawn six thousand po
unds in cash on Friday?” asked Gus.

  “She told me on Sunday afternoon. I asked her how and when the blackmailer had contacted her. I warned Marion that unless she got every available copy and the negatives, the blackmailer would keep coming back for more. Marion told me nobody had contacted her yet, but she had no money left from the divorce settlement, anyway. She hoped to persuade them to take the six thousand and walk away.”

  “Did Marion show you the photos?” asked Gus.

  “Heavens, no,” said Serena.

  “Did she describe them in any way?” asked Luke.

  “I told you earlier, Dave was into extreme sex games, and the longer the group stayed together, the more the boundaries shifted. Graham was into role-playing and BDSM. We both hated what we had to submit to, but we went along with it and pretended to enjoy it to please our husbands. I can imagine how distressing it must have been for Marion to see those photos turn up after over twenty years.”

  “Have you ever received any blackmail demands, Ms Campbell?” asked Gus.

  “No, thank goodness. Marion didn’t tell me who she thought was behind it, but my guess is someone she met at a party she later took as a lover. Perhaps they wanted the liaison to continue, but Marion ended the affair and stuck to her guns and stayed loyal to Theo.”

  “Did you hear from Marion after she left here on Sunday afternoon?” asked Gus.

  “Only a text on Monday morning,” said Serena. “The blackmailer must have waited until Theo, and the children left the house and contacted Marion on her mobile.”

  “Marion kept the same number regardless of the handset she bought,” said Gus. “So it could well have been from someone she met twenty years ago.”

  “What did the text message you received say,” asked Gus.

  “The caller must have been waiting close to her home,” said Serena. “They called while the builders were reversing their van onto the drive. They mentioned that, and they’d seen Stephanie cycle to school. They told Marion to drive to the Churchfields Industrial Estate. She was to park on Stephenson Road and wait until they arrived.”

  “They could have done a circuit of the estate first checking for a police presence,” said Luke. “Was there any sign whether the blackmailer was a man or a woman?”

  “None,” said Serena. “Whoever they were, they must have killed Marion.”

  “Why, though?” asked Gus.

  “They could have argued over the money,” said Serena. “When Marion told them the six grand was all she had, they could have flipped,” said Serena. “Surely, that’s the logical explanation? Or the ex-lover wanted to pick up where they left off, and Marion refused. That could have triggered a violent assault if the person was obsessed with Marion.”

  “Did Marion ever mention someone from her past who threatened her when she ended their relationship?”

  “Marion didn’t tell me the names of the men she saw,” said Serena. “I might have recognised their faces if I’d seen them together. I could have been with them myself at a party. We didn’t make a habit of exchanging names, addresses, and telephone numbers, so I couldn’t help you identify them.”

  “Who do you know that owns a pick-up truck?” asked Gus.

  “You’ll find a dozen outside in the car park this afternoon, Mr Freeman,” said Serena. “In a rural area like this, it’s all 4x4s, Land Rovers, and pick-up trucks. Why do you ask?”

  “Eyewitnesses said Marion talked to the driver of a pick-up truck in Wilton on Friday afternoon. She was on the pavement outside the bank where she’d just withdrawn the six thousand pounds.”

  “You think they were stalking Marion, checking she did as they asked?” asked Serena.

  “The blackmailer didn’t demand money at any point, Ms Campbell,” said Gus. “Even the last text message Marion received only gave her instructions about the meeting place. There was never any mention of a sum of money.”

  “So, how relevant is that truck driver, guv?” asked Luke.

  “We can’t discount the driver yet, Luke,” said Gus. “The eyewitnesses thought Marion knew the man. Perhaps it was Ralph Tucker, our mischievous tree surgeon. Arthur Jackson told us he would have been doing odd jobs around the local area.”

  “Ralph drives a monster truck,” said Serena. “Well, he would, wouldn’t he? It suits his personality. Arthur told me Ralph tormented Martyn when he started work here. A crowd of Ralph’s cronies got Martyn drunk and made fun of him. Ralph’s a nasty individual, but he’s too young to have been to any of the parties. He might earn a comfortable living, but he wasn’t in the same league as the pixilated faces in those photos.”

  Another potential lead quashed, thought Gus. What was it with this case? One by one, any possible suspects vanished before their eyes.

  “When did the bullying stop?” asked Luke. “Was it before you started work here?”

  “Oh, gosh, yes,” said Serena. “Arthur put a stop to that nonsense. I was watching what was going on earlier when Martyn jumped out of his chair. Something you said struck a nerve. That’s typical of his behaviour. Calm as you like for weeks, and then the slightest thing can make him explode. I could tell you were wary of what he might do. He’s such a big man. That was Arthur’s doing. Martyn was never a seven-stone weakling, but when Ralph and his friends picked on an eighteen-year-old Martyn, Arthur lent a hand. He got Martyn involved in weight training by persuading the lad he needed to improve to enable him to carry out his work here better. So, Martyn went at it full-tilt, like everything else he does here. One of Ralph’s mates nudged Martyn in the back when he was trimming the edges of the lawn. Arthur wanted the finish to be as neat as possible. Martyn strode after the chap and shoved him face-first into a firethorn hedge. They kept their distance after that. He had the strength to go with his already sizeable frame.”

  “Where did Martyn do his weight-training?” asked Gus.

  “You would have to ask Arthur,” said Serena, “I’m not a huge fan of such places. I enjoy swimming to keep fit, and as long as I can lift a glass of wine, that’s good enough for me.”

  “I’ve made a note of it, guv,” said Luke.

  “Will we be much longer?” asked Serena. “I’ve missed the rush hour sitting here with you. My supervisor will land me with the washing-up.”

  “I don’t think there’s anything we haven’t asked, Ms Campbell,” said Gus. “If you change your mind about giving us those names, please call me on this number.

  Gus handed her a card.

  “There was one thing,” said Gus, taking a leaf out of Blessing’s playbook. “You said you could take a stab at the names of women who might have had children by Graham Street. Can you write the most likely women on the back of that card? I’ll give you another one. I’ve got plenty.”

  Luke stayed at the table while Serena Campbell scribbled three names. Gus visited the toilets before the trip back to the office.

  “An afternoon of surprises, Luke,” said Gus when they were in the car motoring on the A360.

  “We should get back to the office in forty minutes, guv,” said Luke. “Just enough time to brief the team on the highlights before they head home.”

  “How many places in the Wilton area offer weight training facilities, Luke?”

  “I’d need to check that one, guv. If you’re after a men-only, serious weights type of club, then one or two. Women lift weights too as part of a structured fitness regime. There could be half-a-dozen businesses covering all aspects of well-being.”

  “Can it be a coincidence Marion Reeves died on Stephenson Road, only forty yards from a gym?”

  “The blackmailer told Marion to park on Stephenson Road, guv,” said Luke. “They didn’t specify where, and from what you and Lydia said about the size of the site, Stephenson Road covers a lot of ground.”

  “We need confirmation from Arthur Jackson,” said Gus. “He’s four years older than me. Even twenty years ago, when Martyn started adding muscle to his enormous frame, I can’t picture Arthur Jackson
renewing a gym membership every year.”

  “What did you make of Serena Campbell’s story?” asked Luke.

  “I see no reason not to believe the lady,” said Gus.

  “Why are young women so gullible?” asked Luke.

  “I’m sure there are a dozen reasons, Luke,” said Gus. “In Serena and Marion’s case, look at their family lives. Marion arrived in Salisbury from Ringwood after her parent's marriage ended. Marion had no father on the scene when she was in her early teens. How did her mother cope with the split and a growing daughter? Why didn’t her Mum intervene when Marion played truant from school? Where was she when Marion stayed out late or came home drunk? Did she report Marion missing when she started staying the night at Graham Street’s place? We don’t know; there could have been a combination of things to explain that. The same applies to Serena. Her parents came up trumps a decade after Serena left home, but what were they doing when she started smoking, drinking, and skipping school at fourteen? Serena slept with Dave Francis when she was fifteen. I would hope I’d provide better protection for a child of mine from evil men like Street and Francis.”

  “I bet you don’t regret not having kids, guv,” said Luke. “They must be a constant worry for parents.”

  “But then I look around the Old Police Station office and look at the five of you. Despite the grey hairs that you caused your parents, you’ve turned out okay. Although, some days, I wonder whether they’ve passed that worry onto me.”

  Luke thought of the arguments he had with his father when he first came out and thought Gus would have handled it better.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Right,” said Gus when he and Luke arrived back in the office. “Listen up; it’s twenty minutes before the end of play for the day. I hoped to have time to give you extended highlights of our meetings with Martyn Street and Serena Campbell, but time is tight. How did you get on with Theo Reeves, Lydia?”

  “I showed him photos of Billie Wightman, Matt Price, Phil Youngman, Warren Baker and an assortment of uniformed officers and forensics people, guv. There was nobody among the list that didn’t at one point set foot inside the tent.”