Garibaldi sat at his desk reading through the case notes – statements, reports, interviews, forensics. It was a matter of wood and trees. The more he looked at the details the less he saw of the overall picture.
One Forum tutor murdered. Three Forum tutors attacked. The Forum owner attacked. All told to keep their mouths shut and remember what happened to Giles Gallen.
Garibaldi leaned back, stretched and yawned.
‘Boss?’
He straightened up. Gardner was standing in front of his desk, holding a sheet of paper.
‘I’ve found something strange. Or rather I haven’t found something and I’m not sure what it means.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s Sam Bannister. She stopped working for the Rivettis, right? And she also stopped working for Forum.’
‘That’s right. Got a job in publishing. Sorry, digital publishing.’
‘Exactly. Well, when you asked her who it was for she said Compass Publishing. I wrote it down, put it in my notes. It’s on file. The thing is I’ve been trying to find them 286but I can’t. Compass Publishing. There’s no trace. You’d have thought that a digital publishing firm would have some kind of digital presence but no, there’s nothing.’
‘But why would she lie? Why would she say she had a job with a firm that doesn’t exist?’
‘Maybe she doesn’t have a job at all.’
‘Then why would she pretend she has?’
Gardner nodded. She’d clearly thought this through. ‘The only reason I can think of is that she left the Rivettis for some other reason but didn’t want anyone to know. The Rivettis were told the same – she’d got a job in digital publishing. But if that’s not the case, why did she stop? She stopped for the Rivettis and she stopped tutoring altogether. The question is if there’s no job at Compass Publishing because there’s no Compass Publishing, then why did she leave?’
‘She could have made a mistake,’ he said. ‘Could have got the name wrong.’
‘You don’t forget the name of the firm you’ve just started working for, do you?’
‘Maybe it’s something close to Compass and it came out wrong.’
‘Close to Compass? Give me an example.’
Gardner was right. They needed to talk to Sam Bannister.
But first Garibaldi needed to do some Googling.
Garibaldi wriggled in the uncomfortable armchair.
‘We have a few more questions to ask you, Sam.’
Sam Bannister gave an if-you-must shrug. ‘I can’t believe there’s anything more for me to tell you.’
‘Let’s see, shall we?’
Garibaldi took out his notebook and flicked through some pages, making a show of close consultation. 287
‘Can we go back to the night of your assault, Sam. You were on your way from your sister’s twenty-first at your parents’ house in Hampstead. Is that correct?’
‘That’s right.’
‘That would be your sister Rosie?’
Garibaldi flicked over a couple of pages of his notebook, paused, then flicked over a couple more. He looked up at Sam and held her gaze for a few seconds before speaking. Sam turned away.
‘Sam, you told us that you stopped working for the Rivettis because you’d found a job in publishing. Is that right?’
‘Yes, as I said, a job in digital publishing.’
‘Sorry. Digital publishing. I see. When you told us I asked you what the firm was you were working for and you said …’ Another glance at the notebook. ‘You said Compass Publishing.’
Sam Bannister’s face said it all. A rabbit in the headlights. A cornered animal. Wide-eyed, caught-in-the-act guilt.
Garibaldi looked across to Gardner and nodded. She allowed herself a little smile.
Sam Bannister said nothing, turning to look out of the window at the East London sky.
‘The thing is, Sam,’ said Garibaldi, ‘We’ve looked for Compass Publishing but can’t find it. And as my colleague DS Gardner points out, it’s very odd for a digital publishing firm not to leave what I believe is referred to as a digital footprint. There is, of course, the possibility that you got the name wrong and if that’s the case we would love to know the real name so that DS Gardner can do another Google search, but if that’s not the case—’
Sam Bannister said nothing and kept her head turned away to the window. 288
Garibaldi allowed the silence to stretch for a few more seconds. ‘Tell me, Sam. What happened in the summer?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘What happened in Italy at the villa? When you were tutoring the Rivetti daughter. When you were working with Giles Gallen.’
Sam turned back. Her face was flushed. ‘What do you mean what happened?’
Her eyes were looking at Garibaldi steadily. Too steadily.
‘I mean, I don’t think you’ve been telling us the truth about things, or rather you haven’t been telling us everything. I did a bit of research last night. My Italian wasn’t up to it but Google Translate is a wonderful tool. Found the most fascinating story about something that happened at a Tuscany villa. Not in the English newspapers of course but a fair bit of coverage in the Italian press. You know what I’m talking about?’
No response.
‘I had no idea the Rivettis were into parties. You didn’t mention them, did you? But then you wouldn’t, I suppose. Especially not the one where a young woman was found dead in the swimming pool.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Garibaldi paused for a few seconds. ‘Really? I think you do.’
‘It was nothing to do with me!’
‘So you do remember it, then?’
‘Of course I do.’
‘So why didn’t you mention it?’
‘I didn’t think it was relevant.’
‘Giles Gallen, who was with you when it happened, was found murdered and you didn’t think it was relevant?’
‘That’s ridiculous! What are you saying?’ 289
Garibaldi snapped his notebook shut and leaned forward. ‘I’m saying that you know more than you have told us and I want you to tell us everything now. You can do it here or if you continue to be a little reluctant I can formalise it and bring you in for questioning.’
‘Am I in trouble?’
‘That depends on what you choose to do, on whether you tell us all you know.’
‘But he’s a powerful man.’
‘Who is?’
‘Mr Rivetti.’
‘Don’t worry about Mr Rivetti. We’ll make sure you’re OK.’
‘Like the way you made sure I was OK when I was walking to the tube that night? Like the way you made sure those other tutors were OK when they were attacked and threatened?’
‘This is different.’
‘Is it? How do you know it wasn’t Rivetti attacking us? Or, given that Rivetti pays people to do things for him, one of Rivetti’s men? The man who attacked me said “keep your mouth shut, remember what happened to Giles.” Are you surprised I haven’t said anything? I’m frightened.’
‘When we first spoke to you, Sam, you hadn’t been attacked or threatened. Why didn’t you tell us when we first interviewed you?’
‘Just because I hadn’t been threatened didn’t mean I wasn’t frightened. I’ve been frightened ever since … Remember the text Giles sent me on Saturday?’
‘About the Rivettis’ offer?’
‘I was convinced it was nothing to do with taking over my tutoring. I know that’s what I said, but I thought it was something else.’ 290
‘Like what?’
‘A threat. Maybe even money to buy him off. And then when I heard that Giles was murdered that night …’
Garibaldi softened his voice and spoke calmly. ‘I think you should tell us what happened in Italy, Sam, and what you think might have happened to Giles Gallen.’
He opened his notebook again and reached for a pencil as Sam Bannister started to talk.