Fare, the supermarket chain at their head office in Bristol. I didn't get back here until gone ten; there was an accident on the M4.'
'Would anyone else have access to your boat?'
'My daughter,' Gilmore sniped. 'But seeing as she was with me at Tri Fare, she didn't. Just what the fuck are you driving at?'
It was good, Horton thought, very good, but it didn't convince him. Behind those granite eyes he saw fear. He smelt wariness and concern. Gilmore knew something about Brundall's death, all right; Horton would stake his career on it.
'And your movements on Friday night between six o'clock and seven forty-five?' Now let's see what the bugger produces out of the hat for the time of Anne Schofield's death and his close encounter with eternity.
Gilmore picked up a weight. Horton could see his fist curling round it, the knuckles whitening. Here was a man desperately holding on to his temper, or was it his tongue? Did he want to explain why he had killed Anne Schofield and tried to kill him, or was Horton simply imagining it? He held Gilmore's strong intimidating stare and kept silent. He knew Gilmore was the type who hated silence and hesitation.
'I was in my office,' he said through gritted teeth.
'Alone?'
'Yes. Now if that is all…' Gilmore crossed to the door and threw it open.
But Horton, in true policeman fashion, said, 'There is just one more thing you can help us with.'
Gilmore tightened his grip on the weight. Horton continued, 'Did you ever visit the vicarage, your brother's house?'
'I've already told you, I saw him twelve years ago and that was it,' Sebastian Gilmore boomed with exasperation.
'Then you have no idea who the skeleton in your brother's garden is, or how it might have got there?'
'You what? You're kidding?' He looked at each of them in turn. 'You're not, are you? I haven't the faintest idea.'
Horton studied the giant of a man. His face was immobile, but his body was so tense that Horton thought you could run a truck through it and not crumple it.
'Thank you for your cooperation, Mr Gilmore. I realize how difficult a time this must be for you. We'll do all we can to find out what happened to your brother.'
Gilmore swept ahead of them and flung open the door. Horton could hear a dog barking furiously. Silent, Gilmore showed them out and firmly shut the door behind them.
It was raining but Horton took his time walking to the car and opening the door. Taking his cue, Cantelli did the same, saying, 'Gilmore's not very comfortable about something. Thought he was going to bash us over the head with that ruddy weight.'
Horton looked at the house. There were two long sash windows to the right of the main door. From one of them he could see Gilmore watching them. He climbed into the car.
'Gilmore knew that Brundall lived in Guernsey. And I reckon he met him there. Take your time starting the car, Barney, and turning it around.'
'We're being watched?'
'You bet we are.'
Cantelli obliged, making out like a learner driver. Gilmore was probably having palpitations in case he hit the Porsche.
Horton said, 'Why didn't Gilmore show more interest in the skeleton? Most people would have asked questions like, how did it get there? How long had it been there? Who is it? Even a denial like, 'You don't think my brother has anything to do with that?' But nothing, it was as if everyone has a skeleton at the bottom of their garden.'
'Yeah, and he's probably got one in the closet. Is this slow enough?'
'Perfect. Any slower and you'll be going backwards. Gilmore's worried. I want his alibi for both Wednesday night and Friday night thoroughly checked.'
The gates swung open, and Cantelli stopped for a moment on the other side of them, just for effect. Horton called Sergeant Elkins of the marine unit and relayed what Gilmore had said about being in Cowes Marina on Tuesday night.
'Find out if he's telling the truth, Elkins, and if so what time he arrived and when he left. Was he with anyone? Did he meet anyone there and if so who. Get as much informa tion as you can. He claims he has an apartment at Cowes with a berth. Sniff around, see what you can dig up on him.'
Horton rang off, and said to Cantelli, 'What was all that stuff about a wife?'
'I just wondered if she could have been our skeleton in the garden. But the timing is wrong if Mr Gutner is correct about the bones not being there in 1995.'
'There was something else you were fishing for,' Horton said. 'I can always tell by that gleam in your watery old eyes.'
'Hey, not so much of the old.' Cantelli smiled. 'My dad also told me about Sebastian Gilmore's girlfriend…'
'What's that got to do with anything?'
'Patience. She was a real stunner by all accounts. Dad didn't say anything about her dying though.'
'Why should he? He probably doesn't remember.'
'What! My dad! He's like an elephant. He never forgets, especially when it comes to women. It was odd because when Dad was describing her she sounded a lot like Rowland Gilmore's wife.'
Horton threw Cantelli a look. 'Now that is interesting. You got that photograph of Teresa Gilmore on you?'
'Of course.'
Horton smiled. 'Then I think it's about time we paid your dad a visit.'
'I was hoping you'd say that.'
Fifteen
Toni Cantelli Senior was propped up in bed with suction pads and monitors attached to his narrow, grey- haired chest, and bleeping machinery surrounding him in the hot house of the high dependency unit. With his fine grey hair, lean face and very dark quick eyes he reminded Horton of a little old monkey. He seemed to perk up when they walked in. The nurse said they could have ten minutes, but no more. Horton thought that would be enough.
'Good to see you, my boy,' he greeted Horton cheerfully, and nodded at his son. 'Though I wish it wasn't in here. Still it gives me the chance to eye the pretty nurses, and where else could I have such beautiful handmaidens pandering to my whims, at my age?' He winked at a petite black-haired Philippine nurse hurrying past, flashing him a smile as she went. Her eyes swivelled to Horton, and her smile broadened. Where indeed? thought Horton.
Toni followed Horton's gaze. 'I don't blame you, Andy, especially as Barney tells me you and your wife have split up.' He leaned forward. Barney looked set to have palpitations, as the tubes moved with him and the heart monitor beeped alarmingly.
'Dad-'
'And that nurse isn't married,' Toni added in what he obviously considered to be a conspiratorially whisper but Horton thought loud enough to reach the hospital's main entrance, about a mile of corridors away. 'Neither has she got a boyfriend. What is wrong with the men today to let a pretty girl like that slip through their fingers? It wouldn't have happened in my day-'
'Dad, we're not here talk about your misspent youth.'
'No, hang on, maybe we are,' Horton interjected, turning his eye away from the nurses' station and back to the old man. He saw Barney roll his eyes and added with a smile, 'But not too far in the past, and not your youth, Mr Cantelli, but someone else's. Barney tells me you knew Terry Gilmore and his sons.'
'Ah, so that's it? Didn't think you'd come to pass the time of day with a sick old man. It's all right, son,' Toni
