‘Gangs nowadays,’ he said, chuckling. ‘No bottle. Afraid of a cute little pussy cat.’
The gang in question, having failed to relieve the car of its vital components, loitered a safe distance away from the BMW, muttering amongst themselves in teen-speak.
‘Evening, lads,’ Ty said cheerfully. ‘Thanks for watching the motor for me.’
‘What’s that beast then?’ one of them asked, nodding dubiously in Cosmo’s direction. Cosmo poked his nose through the gap in the window and dutifully growled.
‘What’s the matter, guys?’ Alexi opened the door and let Cosmo out. There was a hasty shuffling of booted feet as the cat leapt agilely through the air and landed on all four feet, mere inches in front of the rapidly retreating group. He arched his back, hissed like he meant business and extended his vicious-looking claws. Ty almost felt sorry for the little thugs. He would most likely have bottled it as well if confronted by Cosmo when he took a walk on the wild side. ‘Never seen a domestic cat before?’
Laughing as the gang lost all attempts at dignity and scattered, Alexi called Cosmo back to the car and patted his head.
‘Good boy!’
‘See,’ Ty said. ‘He only wants to protect you.’
‘I feel so sorry for Dean Davis,’ Alexi said, as she settled into her seat and Ty drove away. ‘How can we help him?’
‘I doubt whether my client at Cash Out will be anxious to pursue restitution, provided he knows the scam has been stopped. Especially when he learns that his company dismissed a mentally unstable employee without going through the proper channels.’
‘Not forgetting that I might write about their dismissal procedures, or lack thereof, in connection with an employee with mental issues,’ Alexi added with a sweet smile.
Ty chuckled. ‘The poor guy doesn’t stand an earthly.’
‘If that’s how he treats his employees then he doesn’t deserve to.’
‘Doubt if he knows about the dismissal personally.’
‘Perhaps not, but the buck still stops with him.’
Ty’s mobile rang. He glanced at the display and shot a look at Alexi. ‘It’s Vickery,’ he said, using the hands free feature in his care to take the call. ‘How did the post go?’ he asked, not bothering with any preamble.
‘No signs of a struggle,’ Vickery replied. ‘She died from blunt force trauma.’
‘A bash on the head.’
‘Right. I gather you already know we’ve found the likely place where she died?’
‘Cosmo did.’
‘Hmm, our female techie needs counselling after meeting that damned feline.’
‘Sorry about that,’ Alexi said from the passenger seat, trying not to laugh.
‘Yes well, anyway. I thought you’d like to know.’
‘Any forensics?’ Ty asked.
‘Nothing obvious. Nothing under her nails, no convenient hairs on her clothing or torn off buttons from the assailant. That would be too easy. Nothing so far from her room either but we haven’t got all the results back yet.’ The fact that they had already got some meant that they must be giving the case the VIP treatment. ‘She’d recently had sex but, of course, we already knew that.’ He paused. ‘What we didn’t know was that she was pregnant.’
Ty and Alexi exchanged a look. ‘How far gone?’ Alexi asked.
‘Just a few weeks. She might not have known herself for sure.’
‘Or she might have done, which is why she didn’t bother to have Marcel use a condom,’ Ty speculated. ‘Or she did know and, if push came to shove, was hoping to pin the blame on him.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ Vickery asked.
‘Well, if her powers of manipulation didn’t ensure she won the contest outright, the next best thing would be a place in Marcel’s kitchen, working with him. That would give the seal of approval to her career. I’m just speculating here, but if she convinced him he was about to be a daddy and he wasn’t too keen on the idea, there would still be time for her to have an abortion after the contest, provided she got her job.’
‘You really think she could be that conniving?’ Vickery asked dubiously.
‘Just playing devil’s advocate.’ Ty exhaled. ‘Anyway, the pregnancy pre-dates the contest so Marcel can’t be the daddy because he wasn’t involved at that stage. But he wouldn’t know that if she lied about her dates.’
‘The pregnancy doesn’t pre-date qualifying rounds,’ Alexi added. ‘It’s worth looking to see if anyone involved there is also involved with the filming at Hopgood House. If Juliette did know she’d conceived, confronted the father and refused his suggestion of an abortion, who knows what lengths a reluctant father-to-be might go to. Especially if he was already happily married and had his reputation as a family man to protect.’
‘We’re already onto that,’ Vickery said.
‘Of course you are. Sorry, Inspector. I was just thinking aloud.’
‘Right.’ Ty paused, wondering why Vickery was being so forthcoming. Presumably because he thought Ty and Alexi between them could get answers he couldn’t. Or because he knew they’d dig anyway so might as well give them a little encouragement. Vickery was in the spotlight and obviously wasn’t too proud to ask for help, albeit indirectly. ‘There’s something you need to know,’ he said. ‘Hammond has a son, and an ex-wife. You’ll find the son’s mobile number in Juliette’s phone records. His name’s Dean Davis.’ Ty reeled off his address.
‘Blimey,’ Vickery replied. ‘Talk about opposite ends of the social scale.’
‘Right. I was working on another case connected with Davis when Juliette’s murder happened.’
‘What case?’
‘It’s solved now and has absolutely nothing to do with Juliette Hammond. Trust me on this. And I know you’ll check anyway, but Davis has no record. Suffice it to say that Dean Davis went to meet Hammond, thanks to Juliette’s intervention, last night. I followed him there and had been watching his house prior to that, so I know he had nothing to do with his sister’s death.’
‘We’ll still need to talk to him.’
‘He knows that. But, as for the ex-wife, she suffers from bipolar condition and is very fragile. Davis looks after her and is very protective of his mother. Treat her gently. She isn’t involved.’
‘I hear you. Okay, Ty, keep me posted if there’s anything else I need to know.’
‘Just so long as you return the favour. And in the spirit of co-operation, we’re on our way to see Hammond. Dean phoned him and he agreed to see us immediately. We obviously need to see him about Dean’s other problem but I have a feeling Hammond wants to talk to us about his daughter.’
‘He was all over us, demanding answers we weren’t in a position to give. Mind what you say to him, Ty, and let me know what he wants with you.’
‘Will do.’
Ty cut the connection.
‘It’s funny,’ Alexi said. ‘We’ve heard nothing but bad things about Juliette from everyone we’ve spoken to. She was a spoiled princess, used to getting her way, and didn’t care whose toes she trampled on in order to get it. You’d think she would hate to find she had a sibling to share all that paternal wealth and attention with. And yet, if Dean is to be believed, she welcomed him with open arms.’
‘Everyone has some redeeming qualities and Juliette was obviously no exception. Her father smothered her spirit, is my guess. She couldn’t alienate him completely or he’d withdraw financial support. She actually told Dean that he was similar to their father in looks and intelligence, so probably hoped that the majority of parental control would be transferred to the prodigal son.’ Ty shrugged. ‘She was still being selfish; just in a different way.’
‘Are you surprised that Hammond agreed to see us?’ Alexi asked after a short pause.
‘Yes and no.’ Ty halted at a junction and then made a left turn. ‘Chances are he recognised our names from the Parker case. He will definitely know about your involvement at the hotel, and I expect Dean told him I’m a PI
. If he thinks we’re delving into the death of his daughter, he will want to know what we find out because Vickery won’t tell him diddly squat. He can’t because, unlikely though it seems, Hammond is a suspect.’
‘Because he’s a self-confessed control freak and argued about Juliette competing on the show?’ Alexi nodded in answer to her own question. ‘I get that, but can’t see him murdering her, or having someone do it for him. Besides, you can give him an alibi. You followed Dean here last night.’
‘But we only have Dean’s word for it that Hammond was actually home. Not that I doubt it, but I’m still a copper at heart and have a duty to view everything with suspicion.’
He turned between the gateposts he’d parked outside just the night before, triggering automatic lights as he drove down the gravel drive.
‘Ready?’ he asked, pulling up in front of the house and cutting the engine.
‘Yeah. I’m interested to see what he’s like.’
Once again, Cosmo was left in the car. Alexi and Ty approached a marble entrance portico flanked by Grecian pillars that led to a solid oak front door with polished brass furniture. A few miles away from the Davis residence, it might as well be a thousand for all the similarities there were. The door opened before Ty could ring the bell. A tall man with thick curly silver hair and an upright bearing assessed them through intelligent grey eyes. Eyes that appeared strained, ringed by dark circles and situated in a face that was lined and drawn. Ty recognised the signs of deep grief in Hammond but sensed the last thing he’d welcome would be expressions of sympathy. Hammond was the sort of man who only dealt in answers.
And retribution.
‘Mr Maddox,’ he said, extending his hand. ‘Ms Ellis. Please come in.’
‘Thank you for seeing us,’ Ty replied, following their host into a sumptuous lounge with a roaring log fire, in front of which an elderly Labrador slumbered, not bothering to stir when they entered the room. ‘We’re sorry for your loss.’
Hammond swallowed. ‘Thank you.’ He indicated a white leather settee. ‘Please have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?’
They both declined.
‘I admire your work, Ms Ellis and I followed the Parker case closely. I believe you were instrumental in closing it, Mr Maddox.’
‘It was a joint effort,’ Ty replied.
‘The police haven’t told me much about the cause of my daughter’s death,’ he said, a catch in his voice. ‘I agreed to see you because I thought you might know something they don’t. You have an investment in the hotel, I believe, Ms Ellis?’
‘Yes. The Hopgoods are friends of mine.’
‘I don’t know them personally but I have had a drink on occasion in the bar and eaten once in the restaurant.’
‘I understand you were against your daughter taking part in the contest,’ Ty said, seeing no reason to prevaricate. Hammond was the type to take control of any situation and Ty wasn’t about to give him the opportunity.
‘She was better than that.’ He turned up his nose. ‘Any fool can cook.’
‘I can’t,’ Alexi said.
‘But you could if you took an interest, that’s my point. It’s not exactly on a par with finding a cure for cancer.’
‘You didn’t think making a career as a chef was good enough for your daughter?’ Ty asked. ‘Even though it was what she wanted to do and it made her happy?’
‘Seems I was right to have my doubts, given the way matters turned out.’
Ty conceded the point with a nod. ‘True, but…’
‘Look, if she’d wanted to run a restaurant, I would have invested in one for her. She didn’t need to make a fool of herself on national television. People like us don’t get involved in all that sensationalist nonsense.’ He scowled. ‘It’s tacky and degrading.’
‘You argued about it?’
‘I wanted to protect her. I knew that being under continuous scrutiny would be a strain and that anything she said or did would probably be taken out of context. It’s what those shows do.’ He curled his upper lip and took a healthy slug of what looked to be neat Scotch. ‘It’s how they stay up there in the ratings and they don’t give a damn about the people who get hurt along the way.’
‘Juliette defied you over taking part,’ Alexi said. ‘I don’t think she went against your wishes very often, which probably told you how much she actually wanted to do it.’
Hammond shrugged. ‘What is it that you want from me?’
Why did you agree to see us so readily? ‘We actually came to talk to you about Dean Davis.’ Ty paused. ‘Your son.’
A brief blink was the only sign of surprise that Hammond permitted to show. ‘I didn’t know he was my son until I saw him yesterday. I still can’t be absolutely certain but, having met him, I’m almost sure that he is.’
Ty was tempted to confront him regarding his treatment of his wife, but restrained himself. It wasn’t his concern. Alexi opened her mouth, almost certainly to do the same thing, but Ty gave her a nudge and she shut it again. Succinctly, he told Hammond how he had come to know Dean.
‘The fact is, he did what he did for his mother’s sake. I shall explain that to my client and hopefully he won’t press charges, but I dare say he’ll want his money back.’
‘I’ll write you a cheque.’
Just like that. ‘I’ll be in touch once I’ve spoken to Bailey. He might simply decide to write the loss off, now that he knows it won’t continue to be a drain.’
‘Then let me know.’
‘The police will want to talk to Dean and his mother,’ Alexi said. ‘Dean’s worried about exposing her to their questions. She’s very fragile and hasn’t yet been told that Juliette’s dead.’
‘Melody had nothing to do with our daughter’s death. It won’t take them five minutes to figure that out and then they’ll have to leave her alone.’
‘If you haven’t seen your former wife for twenty years, how can you be so sure about that?’ Ty asked.
‘To the best of my knowledge, no one could get into the part of the hotel where she was killed. Is that right?’
Ty looked at Alexi and she nodded. ‘Yes, it was well guarded and there were so many cameras around that an outsider would have been foolish to try it. But, at the same time, if an outsider did manage it undetected, suspicion would be very unlikely to fall on him or her.’
‘Well, from what you tell me about Melody’s condition, she’s too fragile to devise such a risky scheme, much less carry it out.’
‘Perhaps not. Dean’s mobile number will be on Juliette’s phone records though,’ Ty said. ‘He’s in the clear, but I thought you should be prepared for the fallout. It will come out that your ex-wife has been living in near poverty for the past twenty years, not ten miles away from here. Your son was forced to leave school at sixteen, to give up the chance of making something of himself in favour of taking care of her. It won’t look good for you and, no offence, but I suspect image is important to you.’
‘None taken.’ Hammond sighed. ‘I’ll find them somewhere better to live and support them. Once it’s been confirmed that Dean is my son, he can return to education if he so wishes. I gather he’s intelligent. I’ll get live-in help for Melody.’
Hammond had obviously done his homework, even before meeting Dean. That didn’t surprise Ty but he did wonder if Dean would be willing to accept his help. He’d be a fool if he didn’t but he hated Hammond for what he’d put his mother through and was young enough to stand on principle, to allow pride to get in his way. Whichever way Dean jumped, it would be done with his mother’s welfare in mind. If Hammond thought he had a son waiting in the wings to step into his shoes, Ty suspected he was in for a disappointment.
‘You didn’t answer my earlier question, Mr Maddox. Are there any suspects in my daughter’s killing?’
‘To be frank, she was disliked by everyone on the show, with a few notable exceptions.’
‘Such as?’
‘Well, the show’s host for o
ne.’
‘That frivolous moron.’ Hammond’s clipped phrases and lengthened vowels made the insult sound extra derisory. ‘Juliette was attractive; very attractive. She got noticed by men but I doubt if she encouraged Dakin.’
‘Candidly, I think your daughter would have done anything it took to get ahead,’ Alexi said. ‘I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but you did ask. I also believe it’s one of the reasons why she was unpopular with the other contestants. She made her looks work for her and was prepared to use her femininity to steal a march on the others. The male contestants couldn’t fight back against such a weapon and, frankly, neither could the other female competitor.’
‘The stupid, stupid girl.’ Hammond slumped in his chair, suddenly looking a decade older, closer to the edge. ‘I’m biased, I suppose, but she was passionate enough about food to have won on talent alone.’
‘Possibly,’ Alexi conceded, ‘but by no means certainly.’
‘Look, I asked you to come here because I need your help.’ He sat forward, elbows resting on his thighs. ‘I don’t trust the police to get to the bottom of this without blackening my daughter’s reputation. I imagine you are similarly concerned about the reputation of the hotel, Ms Ellis?’
‘Well, yes but—’
‘Then I would like to employ you in your professional capacity, Mr Maddox,’ he said, straightening up again and suddenly looking every inch the autocratic banker. ‘I want you to find out who killed my girl without assassinating her character.’
In other words, he wanted to protect his name, Ty thought. He doubted whether he would have considered taking such good care of his ex-wife and son otherwise. Ty didn’t like the man but, then again, he wasn’t leaving Lambourn until the case was solved, so he might as well get paid for looking into it. Besides, it would keep Cassie off his back if he had a legitimate excuse to hang around.
‘Of course, Ms Ellis, it goes without saying that you can’t write anything about my daughter without clearing it with me first.’
Alexi sat a little straighter and this time Ty didn’t try to stop her from speaking her mind. ‘You are not employing my services, Mr Hammond. But, just so that you know, I never write anything without first triple-checking my facts. If those facts are in the public domain and aren’t palatable, then I’m not to blame. But I also don’t make a point out of being needlessly cruel.’
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