‘You know, do you?’ Walter’s laugh was both confident and mocking. ‘So what are you going to do about it then? Haunt me into a confession?’
Jeff kept his cool. ‘No need for that,’ he replied.
‘Anyway, even if I did have something to do with it,’ Walter went on. ‘What could you do? Out there. Wherever you are.’
‘I’m sure I could point people in the right direction. A house search or two. A look for the evidence in the right place – the Fallowfields garage, perhaps.’
‘What are you talking about? You – trying to connect with the local rozzers. I’m sure they’d be right up for listening to a ghost.’
‘The ghost,’ Jeff pointed out. ‘Of the murdered man’s business partner.’
‘You got some ID?’ Walter chuckled. ‘Anyway, you clearly haven’t been following the case. There’s been an inquest. A clear verdict was returned: suicide. So there we are – that’s that. Official.’
‘And what about poor Leo?’
‘Shocking accident.’
‘But if they looked more closely at his car, they might realise–’
‘Why would they look at his car? It’s a write-off. These things happen. One and a half thousand people die on the roads every year in this country. Nobody thinks they’re all murders, do they?’
‘I could always call on Serena,’ Jeff replied. ‘Tell her what you’ve been up to.’
‘D’you really think she’d believe you? Adam’s hated ex-partner? In spectral form?’
Jeff was watching his suspect closely. Was he bluffing? ‘I have a strong suspicion she knew about Adam,’ he said.
‘Knew what about Adam?’
‘That you, Walter, killed him.’
‘Why would she? That had nothing to do with her, believe me.’
‘Nice of you to protect her, Walter. But I think that when she realised Adam was leaving her such a big chunk of his fortune, she started to see things rather differently. I think you both did. You’ve never had any money, have you, Walter? Pretty much everything you’ve ever touched has turned to shit, by all accounts. But here, suddenly, was your chance to save yourself and win the jackpot. You had to take it, just in case Adam changed his mind. Which he might very well have done if you’d got any closer to his first wife, married her or something like that. Or if he himself had got embroiled in a second expensive divorce, which was looking increasingly likely.
‘I think you thought there was probably a time limit on this sudden sentimental generosity of his, so you needed to get on with it. I’m not sure that Serena was actively involved with your little plan, but I think she gave you her blessing. Even though Adam’s final bequest to her was surprisingly large, he’s never been that generous with the day-to-day stuff, has he? Serena had to make do with a bog-standard allowance, even as Adam built the house of his dreams and whisked his new lady love off around the world to all the glam places he was doing his famous regeneration projects in. Yes, he let Serena use the house they had bought together in Italy, but only because that suited him, allowed him to see his kids out there for a bit in the summer holidays before handing over to her.’
‘Not bad, Jeff,’ Walter said. ‘Not bad at all. You’re right. Serena is a much darker horse than she appears. That’s one of the things I like about her, as it happens. And no, she hasn’t forgiven Adam for loads of stuff, no doubt about that. Tragically, I think she thought, for a long time, that he would come back to her in the end. That Julie was just a long-term version of one of the flings she’d put up with previously, which had always petered out. But then, when he hooked up with Eva, that hope vanished. If he was going to leave Julie, it wasn’t going to be to return to her. And that released, I have to say, rather a lot of pent-up anger.’
‘How did you feel about that? Since you were now on the scene?’
‘I didn’t mind.’
‘Didn’t it make you feel bad that you, even as the newcomer, couldn’t match up to the memory of the sainted Adam?’
‘They were married for years. They have two children together. I appreciated all that.’
‘But you didn’t appreciate him, did you? This man who is everything you’ve failed to be. Successful, rich, someone who’s made something of his life.’
‘I didn’t mind him. I didn’t see him much, to be honest.’
‘And what about her? This woman you’d like to be your wife?’
‘She’s a lovely lady, Serena,’ Walter replied. ‘Very warm and affectionate. I’m not going to claim that she’s the love of my life, but when you get to my stage of the human parade, you take your chances.’
‘I bet you do. A nice house in Tufnell Park beats a bedsit in Walthamstow that you’re about to be chucked out of.’
‘What the fuck do you know about that?’ Now Walter looked rattled.
‘A little bird told me. Actually, a rather large, rugger-playing bird. A sporty fat pigeon who likes gadgets and had recently bought an electric car. Ring any bells? You hadn’t paid your rent, Penfield. You couldn’t pay it. You’d alienated almost all your old friends by borrowing money from them and never paying it back. You were about to be evicted. You were known everywhere as a serial liar. None of the business ventures you’d tried your hand at had worked out. Serena’s interest in you was manna from heaven.’
‘You shouldn’t believe all the gossip you hear about someone.’
‘This isn’t just gossip, believe me. Anyway, how did you even know about Eva?’
‘Matilda told Serena. Matilda knew about the affair pretty much from the off. She hated Julie, always has done, so she was thrilled. But I’m sorry to say, Jeff, that yes, even though Serena was more resentful about Adam’s behaviour than she appeared, none of that meant that she was onside to have him removed, did it?’
‘“Removed”,’ Jeff scoffed. ‘That’s a bit euphemistic, isn’t it? Sounds almost psychopathic. On which note, I also think that when Leo realised what you’d done and you had to “remove” him as well, Serena found out about that too.’
Walter was laughing again; but his confidence was visibly fading.
‘What’s so funny?’ Jeff asked.
‘I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with the ghost of Adam’s business partner. You’ve got a nerve. Trying to freak me out with this total nonsense when you’re not even alive.’
‘So I am freaking you out. Good. Now is it time to tell me exactly what you did with Adam? Before you set up the little suicide scene in his garage.’