Chapter Nine

 

 

“OH, THANK God.” Mike had his arms around Sue, his eyes closed. To Jonathon it looked like he was afraid to let go of her.

Sue clung to him, sniffing.

“I’ll go and fetch us some coffee.” Jonathon left them to it, figuring they needed some space. He went into the kitchen and got another mug from the cupboard. From the pub came their muffled voices, but Jonathon wasn’t listening. If it was something he needed to hear, he trusted Mike to share it.

By the time he’d poured the coffee, Mike appeared in the kitchen.

“She’s gone upstairs to wash her face. When she’s ready, I’m going to go with her to the police station.”

“She’s agreed to go?” Jonathon blinked. After the way she’d spoken in the shop, it was the last thing he’d expected her to do.

Mike scowled. “It’s not like I gave her the option. She won’t tell me where she’s been, and this isn’t going to just go away. At least if Gorland asks his questions, he can eliminate her from his inquiries.”

“What makes you think she’ll talk to him, if she won’t talk to you?” Jonathon placed three mugs of coffee on the table.

“I’m hoping he’ll prove scarier than her big brother, to be honest.”

Jonathon sat down. “I really think she had no idea he was dead.” There was no way she could have faked such a reaction.

“I think so too. I just wish she’d tell me—”

From the doorway Sue cleared her throat, then gave Jonathon a bright smile. “Ooh, coffee. Smells good.” She sat facing him and reached for a mug.

“Where’s Sherlock?” Mike demanded.

“With… a friend.” Sue sipped the hot, aromatic brew. “He’s okay. Actually, he probably doesn’t want to come home. My friend has a golden retriever, and I think Sherlock is in love.” She gazed at Jonathon. “I am so, so sorry for your loss. Dominic thought the world of you. Every time one of your photos turned up in a magazine or newspaper, he cut it out and stuck it in a scrapbook. He used to show them to me. So proud, he was.”

Jonathon swallowed. “Thanks for sharing that.”

“Gorland said something about anonymous letters,” Mike blurted out. “He thinks you sent them.”

Sue frowned. “Letters? But I only sent one. It was a photo of a fox after the dogs had finished with it. I wanted him to see what he was agreeing to. Oh, I know they say it’s only hunting with dogs, but are you going to tell me that if those hounds get a whiff of a fox, they won’t be off after it? Pull the other one.”

“So if you only sent the one….” Jonathon’s gut clenched. “Then how many more did he receive, and who sent them?”

“Which is precisely why we’re going to the station,” Mike declared. “And this time Gorland will be answering some questions. Leave the coffee. That can wait. Let’s get this over with.” He stared at Sue. “All right?”

She nodded, her face now with slightly more color in it. “All right.”

Five minutes later they were out of the pub and climbing into Mike’s 4x4.

“Is it a big police station?” Jonathon asked as they sped along the country lanes. He couldn’t recall having seen it.

“Not really. And on first sight, it looks nothing like a police station.” Mike pointed down the lane. “See what I mean?”

Jonathon followed his finger and saw a delightful house constructed in stone, with a main door to the right, over which was a white-painted archway bearing the word Police. White gables rose to the left, with chimney pots perched on top of the slate-gray roof.

“Really?” It seemed far too quaint for a police station.

Mike pulled the car into the small car park at the rear of the station. They were quiet as they entered the building.

Constable Billings sat behind a wide desk, studying papers. He glanced up as they approached, and his eyes widened when he saw Sue. “Mrs. Bentley. We’ve been trying to reach you.”

“So I hear.” Sue appeared calm, but Jonathon saw the way she clutched Mike’s hand, his fingers almost white.

“I’ll go and find the DI.” Constable Billings left them in the sunny reception area, whose walls were adorned with public safety posters.

Mike leaned into her. “It’ll be fine,” he said in a low voice. “You wait and see.”

DI Gorland appeared in the doorway, with Constable Billings behind him. “Mrs. Bentley. So glad you found time to join us. If you’d like to go with Constable Billings, we have a few questions for you.”

Sue jerked her head to face Mike. “Don’t they have to caution me?”

“They only do that when they arrest you,” Mike told her. “This is just questioning. Isn’t it, John?” He glared at Gorland.

“For the moment.”

Mike and Gorland locked gazes, but then Mike nodded and patted Sue’s arm. “Go with Graham, sweetheart. It’ll be okay.”

She followed Constable Billings, giving Mike one last glance before she disappeared from view.

“You needn’t wait for her,” Gorland said dismissively. “This might take a while. We’ll give you a call when we’re done. That’s assuming we release her, of course.” DI Gorland gave Mike and Jonathon a brisk nod before turning to leave them.

“Can we see your investigation room?” Mike called out.

“Now, why would I let you do that?” Gorland peered at them, his bushy eyebrows arched.

“Because Jonathon here might be able to shed light on some of your investigation. After all, he knows the crime scene better than both of us.”

Jonathon had a brainwave. “And besides, I’m sure my father would be pleased to hear you were accommodating our wishes.” It was a long shot, but remembering their first conversation, he felt it wouldn’t do any harm to remind Gorland of those long strings.

His words appeared to have done the trick. Gorland looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon. “I’ve commandeered a room. Step this way, gentlemen.”

Jonathon and Mike followed him into a large room, empty but for two desks and a large white screen propped against the wall. On one of the desks sat Dominic’s laptop. Fastened to the white screen were several photos, and Jonathon wandered over for a closer look. He winced at the sight of Dominic’s bare torso, a dark red color all over. Then a thought occurred to him. “How can you tell there was bruising from this photo?”

Gorland huffed. “So now you want a lesson in pathology?”

Mike walked over and nudged Jonathon’s arm. “During the autopsy, they’d have found evidence under the skin,” he said quietly. “You’re right, though. Lividity makes it impossible to see.”

“Actually, there is something you could help us with.”

Jonathon glanced over his shoulder at Gorland. “Yes?”

“Did your uncle ever do brass rubbings as a hobby?”

Jonathon blinked. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. He certainly never mentioned doing such a thing. Why do you ask?”

Gorland approached the screen and pointed to a photo. “Do you recognize this?”

Jonathon nodded. It was the photo album from Dominic’s desk.

“We found traces of brass polish and brass rubbing wax on the cover and on its pages. Plus, there appears to be a photo missing. We have no idea whether this is recent or if it might have been taken by his attacker.” Gorland regarded him closely. “Do you have any knowledge of this?”

For one brief moment, Jonathon was tempted to tell him about the photo. But Gorland’s hard features and previous manner were enough to convince him to remain silent. “Sorry, I have no idea.”

“I see. In that case I don’t think there’s anything else we need to ask. If you do think of anything you feel may be relevant, please inform us right away.”

“Of course.”

Gorland addressed Mike. “Like I said before, if we intend to proceed with charges once we’ve questioned Mrs. Bentley, we’ll make sure you’re told. Good day, gentlemen.” He gestured toward the door.

There was nothing to do but to leave.

Mike got into the car and sat with his hands balanced on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because I can’t see how it’s relevant to his inquiries.” Even as Jonathon said the words, he knew them to be a lie. There was a mystery here, and he aimed to solve it.

Mike sighed. “I know he said not to wait, but I don’t feel like going back to the pub just yet.”

“Then let’s not. How about a coffee at the tea shop? A change of scenery?”

Mike considered this suggestion for a moment. “Yeah, why not? We can drive straight there.” He switched on the engine and backed out of the space. A minute or so later, Mike sighed again. “She’d better answer their questions.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“If they think she had something to do with his death, they might arrest her. Especially if she doesn’t tell them what they want to hear, like where the hell she’s been.”

They drove through the village, and Jonathon took a good look around. Monday morning in Merrychurch had none of the hustle and bustle of a larger town. He spied what appeared to be a group of tourists, all armed with cameras and phones, traipsing along the lanes, snapping pictures of the cottages, the gardens, and the small array of shops.

“They’ll be off to the church soon,” Mike commented, indicating the group with a nod of his head. “It always gets a lot of tourists, especially at the brass rubbing center.”

Jonathon stilled. “Brass rubbing?”

“Yeah, I know. When Gorland mentioned the polish and the wax, that was the first place that came to my mind. But there’s a lot of brass in this village. Just take a look.” He pointed through the windscreen. “The plaque outside the doctor’s surgery, for one.”

Jonathon rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just being silly.”

Mike pulled up outside the tea shop. “Come on. I need some coffee.” He switched off the engine, and they headed into the pretty tea shop, with its bow windows lined with teapots of all shapes and sizes. A frothy lace curtain hung halfway down each window, obscuring the view of the shop’s patrons.

Rachel glanced up as they entered. “Hey, you two. Your timing is excellent. I’ve just made some scones and they’re still warm.” Only one other table was occupied, by two elderly ladies chatting over tea and crumpets.

Jonathon’s stomach rumbled, and it was then that he recalled he’d had no breakfast. Sue’s arrival had sidetracked him.

“You couldn’t do some hot buttered toast, could you?” Mike asked.

Rachel beamed. “Coming right up. Take a seat anywhere you like.”

Mike pointed to a small round table near the window. “How about here?”

Jonathon took the chair facing him and gazed around the shop. Watercolor paintings adorned the walls, and high up on the wall was a shelf that ran all the way around, on which sat….

“Look.” Jonathon grabbed Mike’s hand and squeezed it hard. “There’s brass everywhere,” he whispered. There were teapots, vases, plaques, horses, a pair of peacocks….

Mike chuckled. “You know what this reminds me of? The time I was thinking about changing my car. I’d been looking at a certain make and model, not one I was familiar with. But damn me, once I started researching? I saw them everywhere! And you can bet we’re now going to be seeing brass everywhere we look.” He sighed. “Not that it brings us any closer to working out how that stuff got on the photo album.” He stopped talking when Rachel came out bearing a tray.

“Coffee, guys. The toast will be out shortly. And I’m bringing you some of my homemade orange and ginger marmalade.” She smiled at Jonathon. “Dominic loved it.”

“Did he come here often?”

“Once a week. He liked to have tea here and talk to people. He talked with everyone.” She pointed to a couple of watercolors. “Those are his, by the way.”

Jonathon stared at the delicate paintings of the village church and the green. “Seriously?”

Rachel nodded. “He did them years ago. He donates one—I mean, he donated one—every year as a prize for the village fete raffle.” Her smile faltered momentarily. Jonathon got the impression that Rachel had been very fond of Dominic. Then her face brightened. “Speaking of which, I hear the fete will still be happening this year. Melinda spread the word around. I’ll need to put together a baking schedule. The refreshment tent will need all the cakes and biscuits it can get, plus I have to work on my recipe for the cake contest.” She grinned and pointed to a colorful plaque at the far end of the shop. “My carrot cake won last year, so I have a lot to live up to.” She left them and disappeared from sight.

“Dominic seems to have taken his role in the village very seriously,” Mike remarked.

“And apart from Sue, I’ve met few people who had a reason to dislike him. There’s the old guy in the cottages, of course, but I don’t think that sounds likely, do you? So if everyone liked him, who was he arguing with?”

“There’s only one answer to that, I’m afraid.” Mike looked glum.

“And what’s that?”

“There has to be someone in this village whose motives we know nothing about. Yet.” Mike turned his head and gazed at the windows. “Out there is someone with a secret.”

The thought sent a shiver down Jonathon’s spine.

 

 

JONATHON COLLECTED the last of the glasses and deposited them in the washer. “Anything else I can do?”

Mike shook his head. “I’m all done here.” It had been a fairly quiet couple of hours, until ten or so tourists had arrived for a late lunch, and Abi had been busy in the kitchen. There had been no word from Sue, and Jonathon knew it was preying on Mike’s mind—the constant glances at his phone were evidence of that. He wished he could say something to give Mike comfort, but nothing came to mind.

“See you tonight, Mike,” Abi called out as she left.

“Yeah, and thanks.” Mike followed her to rebolt the door. When he returned, he was frowning.

“What’s up?”

“Just wondering how long it takes to ask some bloody questions, that’s all. We should have heard something by now. She’s been down at the station for more than five hours.”

Just then, his phone rang, and Mike darted over to where it lay on the bar and snatched it up. “Can I come and pick her up now?” The frown lines deepened. “Why not?” He listened intently, his eyes widening. “Then let me talk to her. She might listen, especially if you’ve just threatened to charge her with obstruction…. Look, you can be in there while I talk to her, all right? Just… let me try.” He listened again, and Jonathon was relieved to see the tension ebbing from him a little. “Okay. I’ll be right over.” He disconnected the call.

“What’s going on?”

Mike scowled. “Sue’s not cooperating. She won’t tell them where she was, the stubborn….” He sucked in a deep breath. “Gorland says I can have five minutes with her, to see if I can get her to change her mind.”

“Is that likely?”

Mike’s eyes flashed. “Depends on whether I scare her enough to make her see sense and just answer their questions.” He grabbed his car keys from behind the bar.

“I’m coming too.”

Mike huffed. “Yeah, I expected that. Well, come on, then.”

There was silence on the way to the police station. Jonathon figured Mike had enough on his mind, and let him drive in peace. Once there, they hurried into the reception area, where Constable Billings gave Mike a nod.

“The DI will be out in a sec.” Constable Billings gestured to the padded bench along one wall. “You can wait here, Mr. de Mountford.”

Jonathon had other ideas.

“Mike. Shall we go through?” DI Gorland regarded them impassively.

“I want to come too,” Jonathon blurted out.

Gorland arched his eyebrows. “I’m only letting Mike talk to her because he’s ex-force and he might be able to get her to cooperate. You are a civilian.”

“A civilian whose father knows the police commissioner. Who got you here in the first place.” Jonathon stuck out his chin. “This is my uncle we’re talking about. I’m not asking to question her. I just want to be there. I won’t say a word.”

“You haven’t arrested her yet, John,” Mike added quietly. “It’s just a conversation, right?”

Gorland rolled his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But he so much as squeaks out of turn and he’s out of there. Okay?”

Mike glanced at Jonathon, who gazed solemnly at Gorland, his chin held high. “Absolutely no squeaking.” Out of the corner of his eye, Jonathon saw Mike’s shoulders shake just the tiniest bit.

Gorland narrowed his eyes but then straightened. “Follow me.”

He led them into a small room at the rear of the station. Inside was a wooden table with four chairs around it, looking more like a social lounge than an interview room. Sue sat on one chair, her hands around a mug of tea. She glanced up when they entered and her eyes widened.

“Mike? What are you doing in here?” It was obvious from her reddened eyes that she’d been crying.

Gorland pointed Jonathon in the direction of a chair against the wall, and he did as instructed. Mike sat facing Sue, his hands clasped together on the table.

“DI Gorland tells me you won’t tell him where you were when Dominic died. He seems to think you know something about this.”

“I keep telling him, I don’t know anything about this. I only found out Dominic was dead this morning.”

Mike nodded. “Sweetheart, you could be in serious trouble. You have to tell the police the truth.”

Sue swallowed. “Even if… doing that lands me in trouble too?”

Mike sighed. “I think I know what you’re hiding, sis, but now’s not the time for keeping quiet. I understand you’re scared, but if I’m right, you have less to fear by telling the truth.”

Sue lowered her gaze to her mug and drew in a deep breath. “Okay.” She lifted her head and looked Gorland in the eye. “On Thursday night, I was nowhere near the hall. In fact, I was in…. Reading. I was part of a raid on a laboratory, one we suspected was testing on animals.”

Gorland took out his notebook. “That’s been banned in this country for a while now.”

Sue snorted. “Would you like me to tell you how many tests were carried out on—”

“No,” Mike interjected firmly, “because that would not help right now. How many people were with you?”

Sue bit her lip. “Three.”

“What were your exact movements?”

She sighed. “I drove to Reading first thing Thursday morning. We raided the lab that night, and then I stayed with one of the team until early this morning. We were just laying low and waiting to see what happened.”

“You know you could face prosecution for breaking and entering, plus any damage you caused, if the laboratory presses charges.”

Sue gave a short laugh. “I don’t think they will. Not if it means bad publicity.”

Gorland tapped his notebook with his pen. “I need names.”

Sue flashed Mike a glance. When he nodded, there was a moment of hesitation before she recited the names.

Gorland looked up when he’d finished writing. “Is that all of them?”

Another second of hesitation. “Yes.”

He closed his notebook. “Right. We’ll check your story and see if the lab wants to proceed further. Until we hear from them, you’re free to go.”

Sue shuddered out a long breath. “Okay.” She pushed back her chair and stood. “Mike? Get me out of here.”

“No problem.” As Sue stepped around the table, Mike met Gorland’s gaze. “Looks like you need to look elsewhere, John.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep looking.” He addressed Jonathon. “We’ve concluded our investigations up at the hall. I’m sure you’ll be wanting to stay there, rather than the pub. Must be a bit of a comedown.”

Jonathon gave him a thin smile. “Detective Inspector, the rest of my family may live in properties just as imposing as the hall, but this is one de Mountford who is used to roughing it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know me.” And with that he followed Mike and Sue out of the station to the car.

Only one thing niggled at him. He had the distinct feeling that Sue hadn’t told Gorland the whole truth.