IN THE office Darian had several messages from Vinny, telling him what he’d heard at the station, which was nothing more than DC Vicario had already told them. The sense underlay each conversation that Will Dent was the guilty party and he had worked alone, the guilty man gone and nothing left to do but find Freya so Vinny could organize a funeral. It wasn’t a positive thought, but it was an inevitability they were prepared for.
The phone call they had been waiting for was to Darian’s mobile and it came from Phil. Darian answered and said, “Hello?”
“It’s Phil Sutherland. Listen, I’ve had a call from my cousin, Simon, and he wants to talk to you and your boss, wants to talk to me as well. Can you get round to his house straightaway?”
“Yeah, we can.”
“Me and Vinny are already on our way, we’ll see you there.”
Darian hung up and looked across the room at Sholto. He said, “That was Phil, Simon Sutherland wants to see us at his house right away.”
Sholto raised his eyebrows and then raised the rest of himself from his chair. They drove up to Geug Place, Sholto viewing this first step by Simon as a sign of his guilt, a man worried he was about to be rumbled so making defensive maneuvers. Darian couldn’t quite find a way to disagree with that, whatever his gut said. They parked behind Vinny’s car outside the gate and the four of them congregated.
Sholto said to Phil, “How did he sound when he spoke to you, your cousin?”
“Scared. The police have been here to talk to him early this morning and I don’t think he’s handling it well. They haven’t got anything against him but he’s not used to having all these people rummaging through his life.”
Sholto said, “No, he’s not. Might be a good thing that it’s changing now.”
The gate began to open and the four of them walked in and up the drive. Olinda Bles was waiting at the front door. She looked as if she’d been crying and her expression said she blamed them for it. They approached and Vinny offered his condolences for the group.
She said, “Never mind your sympathy. Simon will see you, come in.”
Olinda held the door open for them and they hiked in, Phil going first and heading straight to his right without being told, along the corridor and through the door to the empty room. He walked with the confidence of a man who belonged in the mansions of the quirky rich. Simon was waiting, standing back toward the door that led to one of the wings filled with the junk that had at various times passed through his life. The four men came in and stood facing him, lined along the wall opposite.
He said, “Thank you for coming, I’m sure you’re busy.”
While the other three nodded politely, Darian took the opportunity to speak first. “Can you tell us what you know of William Dent?”
Simon looked to the floor, hurt. “I couldn’t believe it when I found out that he was dead. And how it happened, I couldn’t believe it. He was doing what he did for me. I didn’t tell him to, I didn’t know why but he thought he was helping me.”
“Row back a length. What was he doing for you?”
“Breaking into your office. It wasn’t just himself he was trying to find any information about, it was me, too. He was convinced we were both being framed. Someone put the bra here to make it look like I was involved, and you might know something about it.”
“Why did he think that?”
“He said you had been following him around and investigating the case. I said it was good because you’d find who did it, but he said you would help set us up. He said someone else had brought that bra here and you were going to help them get away with it. You’d blame us for the Short woman and Dempsey, even when you knew we were innocent.”
“Why on earth would we do that?”
“Because he killed his ex and you want to protect your friend.”
He was looking at Vinny, and so was everyone else now. Vinny scowled at him and said, “Are you off your fucking head? I mean, obviously you are, but this is really pushing it, pal.”
Phil said, “Simon, Vinny didn’t kill Freya, that’s absurd.”
Sholto said, “And if he had we would never cover it up, not a chance.”
“Then you’ll accept my offer to work for me now to find the person who did. I have money, I want to hire you.”
Sholto shook his head. “We’re already working the case for Vinny, who admittedly has much less chance of ever paying us but still, it’s first come first served. If you care about us finding the truth then you have nothing to worry about, we’re looking hard. It would help if you told us everything you knew about Dent.”
“He was a friend. I don’t have many, you know that already. He cared about doing the right thing, but, I don’t know, he just couldn’t trust people. I struggle with trusting people, too, I suppose, but I don’t have to live among them. He was a better man than you think.”
Darian said, “After Ruby-Mae Short was killed Dent repeatedly searched for information about the case on his tablet. If he had no interest in it then why would he do that?”
Simon stared blankly and said, “I don’t know why he would do that. Maybe it was all over the news, I don’t know why else.”
Sholto said, “Simon, if it turns out you’re lying to us about any of this you’ll end up in court and you could even end up in prison.”
Darian reached into his pocket, and stepping forward, he said to Simon “This card has my number on it. If you remember anything, if you find something out, call me, any hour of the day or night, doesn’t matter. William Dent has too many connections to bad things to be the man you’re trying to tell us he was. If you think of something that would explain that gap then call me.”
Simon Sutherland took the card and Darian could at least be certain he was one person who wouldn’t throw it straight in the bin as soon as they left. As they started to file out Darian noticed Phil give a small nod to his cousin, as if he was trying to reassure him. They walked out and left Simon in the empty room.
On the way down the drive Vinny said, “This isn’t moving us forward. I need to find out what the hell happened to Freya and this is nothing to do with that. Much as I want to catch who killed Short, Freya is my priority.”
Sholto said, “Someone bought Freya expensive gifts before she disappeared. Then William Dent decides to play with a train rather than be caught by us. Calling us here, accusing you to your face, that’s not a dumb ploy.”
Phil shook his head and said, “He was being genuine, surely you could see that.”
“I’m older than you lads, I’ve met more liars than you have, this city is overflowing with them. I’m not saying he’s one, but the best actors are so good you don’t even realize they’re doing it. Sometimes they’re so damn good even they don’t realize they’re doing it.”
“He’s not acting. He’s not.”
Phil and Vinny left because they had to get back to Whisper Hill while Sholto drove them down to the corner of Geug Place.
Adopting the tone he used when he wanted you to think he was just goofing around but he was actually making a serious point, Sholto said, “There is another person who could have bought Freya expensive presents, and who definitely met her more than once. And he had potential access to Simon’s house to plant evidence. And he knew we’d be away from the office last night. Wee Phil’s been right by our side all the way, helping us get at his vulnerable cousin and flashy uncle, but how innocent is he?”
“Shit, Sholto, you’re not serious. First you accuse Vinny and now Phil.”
“I’m not accusing him, I’m pointing out that he fits the profile, nothing more. He’s not even the person I’m most interested in right now.”
“Who is?”
“Olinda Bles.”