Told of the confrontation with Felix Gregg’s thugs, Lorna was deeply shocked.
‘Are you sure they didn’t hurt you?’ she asked her daughter for the third time.
‘No, I told you, they just grabbed my arm and swung me round into the alleyway but then Shane came and hit one of them and Daniel got hold of the other one. They were amazing!’ she added, but her eyes were on Shane as she said it. ‘Shane’s going to teach me some self-defence. Did you know that elbows are one of a girl’s best weapons?’
‘I just don’t know what you were thinking of!’ Lorna said, again for the third or fourth time. ‘After all we said the other day. How can you have been so stupid?’
Zoe looked heavenwards.
‘OK, so we’ve established that it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I’m not likely to make the same mistake again, so can we please drop it now?’
‘I’m going to try Naylor again,’ Daniel said, picking his phone up and heading for the hall, but a buzz from the gate intercom made him hesitate.
Lorna looked stricken.
‘I’m not expecting anyone.’
‘Well, it’s not likely to be Gregg’s men,’ Daniel told her.
She pressed the button and asked, ‘Who is it?’
‘PC Radcliffe, your family liaison officer, and PC Innes,’ a female voice replied, and Lorna pressed the button to operate the gates.
Five minutes later, Daniel opened the front door to the two officers and they blew in on a gust of wind and a scatter of driven raindrops. It was dark outside now, and the beam of the security lighting illuminated silver rods of rain hammering at forty-five degrees into the gravel of the drive.
‘Phew! It’s a rough night!’ Radcliffe said, removing her waterproof jacket and looking for somewhere to put it.
Daniel introduced himself, took both coats and hung them on one of the already overburdened hooks in the boot room. Water began, immediately, to collect in a puddle on the stone floor beneath.
In the kitchen, Radcliffe introduced herself to the family; a tall, strongly built woman with blonde hair tied back and an air of easy competence. Once more, PC Innes was cast into the shade.
In the time it had taken Daniel to answer the door, Shane had made himself scarce, to be replaced by Stephen, who had presumably overheard the introductions.
‘My name is Yvonne and I have been assigned as your family liaison officer,’ Radcliffe told them. ‘A kind of go-between, if you like, who will keep you updated on the investigation and answer any questions you may have – or try to,’ she added with a smile.
‘I have a question,’ Daniel said. ‘Has anyone acted on the information I phoned in about the watch?’
‘I’m sorry?’ Radcliffe frowned. ‘What watch? I think I must have missed this …’ She turned to look questioningly at Innes, who merely shrugged and looked bewildered.
‘About two hours ago …’ Daniel consulted his own watch. ‘Nearly three, now, I phoned in to speak to Sergeant Naylor but he wasn’t there, so I left a message.’
‘His shift is over,’ Radcliffe confirmed. ‘Who did you speak to?’
‘The duty sergeant; Agnew, I think his name was. I told him that we had seen a watch that might possibly have belonged to Harvey Myers for sale in the pawnbrokers on King Alfred’s Street in Tavistock. He assured me that he’d pass the message on, but if he did, it obviously wasn’t to you.’
‘No, obviously not,’ she said with heavy emphasis. ‘I’ll chase that up.’
‘The sooner the better,’ Daniel suggested. ‘I wouldn’t bet on it being around for long. I’m afraid the assistant probably picked up on our interest. I got the feeling he’d rather not have shown it to us after Zoe mentioned Harvey.’
‘Right, I’ll make a call now,’ Radcliffe said. ‘Can you describe the watch to me?’
When Daniel had done so, she unclipped her radio and headed for the door into the hall.
‘Oh, and while you’re about it, we now have a name for the man who sent those two men to find out where Harvey is. We had another little run-in with them in Tavistock. They were trying to pump Zoe for information. They work for a man called Felix Gregg.’
Radcliffe paused.
‘They told you that?’
‘After I pointed out that it would be the good and Christian thing to do.’
She favoured him with a cynical look.
‘Right. I don’t think I need to know any more about that.’
With a slight shake of her head she left the room.
‘I’m sorry,’ Zoe said as the door closed behind her. ‘I didn’t think when I said the watch looked like Harvey’s. I mean – it just didn’t occur to me that it would matter. Do you think he knows something? The man in the pawnbroker’s, I mean.’
‘Probably not. But he may have already had his doubts about where it came from,’ Daniel told her. ‘Don’t worry. You couldn’t have known.’
When Radcliffe returned, a couple of minutes later, it was to report that there was no news on the matter of the watch but it was being attended to, which Daniel took to mean that the information he had provided had probably not reached the intended quarter and someone was, at that very moment, getting a rollicking for it.
Lorna had been making coffee and both Radcliffe and Innes accepted a mug, sitting themselves at the big kitchen table with everyone else.
‘Is there any news on Harvey?’ Lorna asked, joining them.
‘As regards your husband’s whereabouts, sadly not,’ Radcliffe said shaking her head. ‘You can rest assured as soon as we have any leads on that front, you will be the first to know. However, that doesn’t mean we’ve been idle, we’ve been in touch with Mr Myers’ employers and also his bank, life-insurance company and financial adviser. I’m afraid what we’ve discovered may come as something of a shock to you …’
Lorna stared at her, saying nothing, but the mug in her hands began to shake and she carefully placed it on the table.
‘Well?’ This was Stephen, an edge to his voice. ‘Don’t keep us waiting.’
‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that Mr Myers’ financial affairs are in something of a mess. It appears that over the last eighteen months he’s been spending well beyond his income and as a result has severely depleted his capital. In short—’
‘Spending? On what?’ A deep frown creased Stephen’s brow.
‘Well, we don’t have all the details as yet.’ This was Innes speaking up for the first time. ‘But he’s made a number of very large cash withdrawals and also he appears to have accounts with several bookmakers.’
‘No!’ Lorna’s sharp rejection cut through the constable’s soft West Country burr. She shook her head, her face pale. ‘No, not that. He promised he wouldn’t – he promised! It was the one thing I asked of him when we got married.’
‘You must have got that wrong,’ Stephen said, ignoring his stepmother’s outburst. ‘My father has an exceedingly good income. He’s worked for Giradelle Santini for twenty-five years; he’s their top negotiator. His salary is practically obscene!’
‘Yes, well that might well have been true six months ago,’ Radcliffe agreed. ‘But it seems your father has recently taken a substantial cut in his salary, due, as I understand it, to a large number of unplanned absences. He is still well paid, no doubt about that, but is now regarded for all intents and purposes as a part-time employee.’
‘But he’s always working!’ Lorna protested. ‘I mean, he’s away from home more than he’s here. Always has been. Nothing’s changed.’
‘It’s ridiculous!’ Stephen interjected, scowling at the two officers.
‘I’m sorry, I know it’s a lot to take in,’ Radcliffe said sympathetically, ‘but the hard fact is that he may well have been away from home but much of the time, he wasn’t at work. I’m afraid, from what we’ve managed to uncover so far, it looks as though your husband has been spending much of his time and money on various forms of gambling, from playing the stock market online to horse and dog racing. Also, in the light of what you tell me of the connection with Felix Gregg, there’s a strong possibility he’s been drawn into other forms of gambling as well. Mr Gregg is known to us as someone who runs high-stakes poker games, and I mean, very high stakes!’
‘But he promised!’ Lorna repeated, as if stating the fact could disprove Radcliffe’s statement. ‘After Stuart, he wouldn’t do that to me.’
‘Stuart?’ she queried.
‘Mum’s brother.’ It was Zoe who answered. She dragged her chair closer to her mother’s and put her arms round her. ‘My uncle. He had an addiction to gambling and, well – in the end he …’
‘He killed himself,’ Lorna stated bluntly. ‘It was just awful – unbearable, not being able to save him. Harvey knew that. He knew how badly it affected me because I’d had a breakdown just before he met me. So you see, you must be wrong – he would never do that to me!’
‘I’m sorry,’ Radcliffe said gently. ‘His phone records provide the proof. As you of all people know, gambling is hugely addictive. Remember the text message on your husband’s phone. “… Please forgive me and don’t hate me for this. I swear I never meant any of it to happen …”’
‘But why? Why would he even start?’ Tears filled Lorna’s eyes and Zoe hugged her tighter. ‘I could understand it, in some ways, with Stuart because he wasn’t well off but Harvey didn’t need money. He had enough to buy everything he needed.’
‘The thrill?’ Radcliffe suggested. ‘The adrenalin rush? Maybe after twenty-five years, his job just wasn’t giving him that any more. You said he was keen on adventure sports until he injured his back.’
‘I saw him at the dog track,’ Zoe put in, suddenly. ‘A few weeks ago.’
‘You did?’ Lorna asked, twisting in her daughter’s arms to look up at her. ‘And what were you doing there?’
‘I was there with Shane. We didn’t stay long. He wanted to pick up his wages cos we were going to catch a film. My boyfriend used to work for Billy Driscoll,’ she told Radcliffe. ‘Not any more, though.’
‘Your boyfriend? There was nothing in the notes about a boyfriend …’
Zoe’s face flushed pink.
‘Well, I’m not supposed to be seeing him … Mum doesn’t – didn’t – approve.’
‘And his name?’
‘Shane Brennan.’
If Radcliffe noticed the defiant lilt to Zoe’s voice she gave no sign of it.
‘From Hawkers Yard?’
‘Yes,’ she admitted warily. ‘Why? Do you know him?’
‘We haven’t met but I know of the family,’ Radcliffe said diplomatically.
‘I knew it!’ Stephen exclaimed, triumphantly.
‘Shane hasn’t done anything wrong!’ Zoe protested.
‘So you say you saw your stepfather at the greyhound track?’ Radcliffe said, focusing on the matter in hand. ‘When was this, can you remember? And which track? Poole?’
‘No. Not that far away. I don’t know, exactly. We went on Shane’s bike. I couldn’t really see where we were going, but it only took half an hour or so. It was a few weeks ago – maybe a couple of months. August? I can’t remember.’
‘Must have been a flapping track, then,’ Radcliffe said, looking at her colleague. ‘Yarnbridge, at a guess. It’s the only one I’m aware of around here.’
‘Flapping?’ Lorna asked.
‘Unregulated,’ Innes supplied. ‘There used to be hundreds of them at one time. Thankfully not so many now, although a new one will pop up now and again. Barnstaple and Bideford were used in the heyday of the sport but they closed a long time ago. Basically anyone can turn up and run a dog under any name. Some trainers use them for starting pups on the quiet, but to all intents and purposes they’re just another opportunity for the bookies to fleece the public.’
‘Dog tracks are not the most wholesome places at the best of times and flapping tracks are even worse,’ Radcliffe agreed. ‘A rough crowd and, I imagine, little care for the welfare of the dogs. It shouldn’t be allowed but unfortunately it’s quite legal.’
‘And Shane took you to one of these places?’ Not surprisingly, Lorna looked unhappy at the thought.
‘Only to find Driscoll. We didn’t stay.’
‘And you saw Harvey there? Why didn’t you tell me?’
Zoe squirmed.
‘Because I knew you wouldn’t like that I’d been there,’ she said. ‘And you’d have blamed Shane.’
‘And I’d have been right, as it happens,’ Lorna said, but without much heat. Her eyes were shining with tears and she was clearly still struggling to come to terms with the magnitude of Harvey’s betrayal. ‘But you knew he was gambling and you didn’t tell me …’
‘He told me it was a work thing. A group of them were there, he said, and he said not to tell you because it would upset you. I didn’t want him to tell you I was there with Shane, so we kind of struck a deal …’
‘Oh, Zoe,’ her mother said reproachfully.
‘I’m sorry. But I didn’t know there was any problem, did I?’
‘Was Billy Driscoll one of your stepfather’s group?’ Radcliffe wanted to know. ‘I ask because Driscoll’s was one of the numbers on Mr Myers’ mobile phone.’
‘No. I saw Harvey when I was waiting for Shane. Driscoll was down near the traps.’
‘What about Mr Myers’ car?’ Daniel asked. ‘Has that been found?’
‘No, not yet.’ Radcliffe looked at him. ‘Sergeant Naylor tells me he’s had dealings with you before. I gather you were involved in the Moorside case, earlier this year. Don’t mind me asking but what exactly is your connection with the Myers family?’
‘Daniel’s a friend,’ Lorna spoke up.
‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ Stephen muttered into his coffee mug.
‘I work for Tavistock Farm Supplies, as I’m sure you know. I was making a delivery to the stables and walked in on Felix Gregg’s two er – employees, shall we call them, when they came to find out where Harvey was.’
‘And again, today,’ she observed.
‘Yes.’
‘What took you to the pawnbrokers, Mr Whelan, and what was Zoe doing there?’
‘Daniel was redeeming something for me,’ Lorna said. ‘Zoe is at school in Tavistock but she shouldn’t have been in town on her own – we’ve made that very clear, believe me!’
‘Forgive me for asking, Lorna, but are you in financial difficulties, too?’
‘No. It was a family matter …’
‘It was me,’ Zoe interrupted, flushing darkly. ‘I wanted some money for something and pawned some jewellery.’
‘But you are underage,’ the constable stated. ‘Are you saying the pawnshop loaned money to you?’
Zoe shook her head.
‘I took my boyfriend with me.’
‘Ah.’ Radcliffe looked as though she had a fair idea of the situation.
‘Bloody Gypsy!’ Stephen interjected, scowling. ‘Wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with Dad being missing.’
‘Stephen!’ Lorna was shocked.
‘Why would you say that, Mr Myers?’ Radcliffe asked, her face intent.
‘Because he’s a bigoted racist!’ Zoe said furiously. ‘Shane’s got nothing to do with Harvey – why would he? It’s ridiculous!’
‘Stephen?’ Radcliffe was still watching him and he shrugged, looking a little awkward.
‘Well, Travellers; they’re all thieves and scroungers, aren’t they? Everyone knows that.’
‘To be honest, such generalizations aren’t particularly helpful, are they?’ Radcliffe told him, relaxing a little. ‘Accusations based simply on personal dislike are not evidence. As for thieving, I can tell you that your father’s credit and debit cards haven’t been used for the best part of three weeks, so whatever might have happened to him, petty theft doesn’t appear to have been the motive. The last occasion was to place a sizeable bet on a dog race with an online bookmaker. It appears this wasn’t successful.’
‘Oh, God!’ Lorna breathed. ‘Three weeks?’
‘Seventeen days to be precise,’ Innes said. ‘The same day he composed the text message …’
‘Oh no! I know what you’re getting at,’ Stephen said hotly, ‘but it’s just ridiculous! You don’t know my father; if you did you’d realize how crazy that is. He’d never do anything like that. Anyway, he didn’t send the message, did he? He probably wrote it when he was feeling a bit low and then thought better of it. That’ll be what happened.’
‘It’s possible,’ Radcliffe agreed. ‘But then, where is he? He doesn’t have his phone and he’s not using his cards …’
‘Perhaps he’s staying with someone,’ Stephen suggested. ‘He wouldn’t need to spend money if he was staying with someone.’
‘True. But who?’
‘I don’t know! That’s your job! You find him.’
‘But as you rightly said, we don’t know your father,’ Radcliffe said with commendable patience. ‘We have followed up every contact you gave my colleagues last time and also all his work contacts. So far, nothing. If your father is staying somewhere, we have to conclude that he doesn’t want to be found.’
‘Well, if this Gregg person is sending thugs after him, I’m not surprised! Maybe you should be asking him where my father is.’
‘If he knew,’ Daniel pointed out quietly, ‘he wouldn’t be trying to find out from Lorna, would he?’
‘We will be speaking to Mr Gregg,’ Radcliffe assured him. ‘But in the meantime, is there anyone else any of you can think of, however unlikely, that Mr Myers might have taken refuge with?’
Lorna shook her head.
‘No, I really can’t. I’ve given you all the names I could think of.’
‘Stephen?’
He shook his head, too.
‘Zoe?’
She shook her head.
‘No, no one. I didn’t really have a lot to do with him. I mean, we’ve never been particularly close.’
‘And your boyfriend?’
She frowned.
‘Shane? He’s never met him.’
‘You said he took you to the flapping track where you saw your stepfather.’
‘Well, yes,’ Zoe said, her colour heightening a little. ‘But that wasn’t, like, a meeting. I told you; Harvey was really uncomfortable that I’d seen him there and Shane was looking for Mr Driscoll. When he came back to find me, they didn’t even speak.’
‘OK, so Zoe; you say your father – sorry, Harvey – was in a party from work. Did you recognize anyone he was with, that night?’
She pursed her lips and shook her head.
‘No. I mean, that’s what he told me but when I saw him, he was pretty much on his own.’
‘OK. That’s fine. Thank you. We may need to speak to Shane sometime. Can you give me a contact number?’
‘You can do it right now,’ Stephen told her. ‘He’s here. Skulking around down at the stables.’
‘He is not skulking!’ Zoe shot a venomous look at her stepbrother.
‘Well, what else do you call it when he takes off at the first sign of the police car?’ he asked. ‘Must have something to hide, if you ask me.’
‘In my experience it would be far more unusual for a member of the Traveller community to stick around, given the choice, and who can blame them, really?’ Radcliffe observed, with a telling glance at Stephen.
From his expression, it was clear that Radcliffe was in imminent danger of being added to his blacklist.
‘Maybe you could ask him if he’d mind talking to me,’ she asked Zoe, then. ‘It can be in private, if he’d prefer. He’s not in any trouble, it’s just routine.’
Zoe nodded.
‘Shall I go now?’
When she had gone, Radcliffe looked at Lorna and Stephen with a mixture of resignation and sympathy.
‘I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that the signs aren’t encouraging. I’m not saying we should give up all hope of finding Harvey fit and well, but I think you should prepare yourself for the possibility that the news won’t be good.’
‘No!’ Stephen pushed back his chair and stood up, his finger stabbing in the constable’s direction. ‘You need to do your job – not spend your time coming round here spreading lies about my father! You don’t know him; I do. If he’s got into financial trouble, he’ll get himself out; it’s what he does, for fuck’s sake! It’s his job. He’s responsible for millions of pounds’ worth of other people’s money – he’s not going to top himself just because of a few gambling debts, is he?’
Radcliffe remained impassive in the face of this impassioned outburst, but Lorna uttered another, unhappy, ‘Stephen, please!’
‘No. You accept what she’s saying, if you want to, but he’s my father; I know him and it’s obvious it’s all lies! I’m not giving up on him.’
‘Nobody’s asking you to,’ Daniel put in, quietly. ‘The officer’s just doing her job.’
‘Who fucking well asked you?’ Stephen demanded. ‘And what are you doing here, anyway? This is family business. We don’t know anything about you and you’re very keen to take sides with that bloody Gypsy – who’s to say you haven’t got something to do with my father’s disappearance?’
‘Daniel’s here because I asked him for help,’ Lorna replied, calmly, but Stephen was on a roll now.
‘So what is he – your lover? Have you been screwing him behind my father’s back? He’s away a lot, isn’t he? Leaves the coast clear for you to carry on with whoever you want, doesn’t it? And no one any the wiser. No wonder he doesn’t want to come home—’
‘Stephen!’ Lorna cut through his vitriol, really angry now, and he finally stopped, red-faced and breathing as though he’d been running a marathon.
‘To be honest, I couldn’t care less what you think of me but you’re way out of line talking to Lorna like that and I think you should apologize,’ Daniel suggested quietly.
Stephen turned to look at him, his lip curling unpleasantly.
‘Fuck you!’ he said, pushed his chair back and left the room, swinging the door open so violently that it rebounded off the corner of the dresser. Moments later they could hear him making his way upstairs.
Into the void left by his going, Innes remarked matter-of-factly, ‘Stress takes some people that way,’ and, in spite of the charged atmosphere, Daniel had to suppress a smile. He had a feeling he might have misjudged the young constable.