‘What’s that?’
I’ve no idea. Why?’
‘I’m outside the pub in Withens now. The landlord’s a bit coy, but it sounds like they’re rehearsing again. And I’ve never heard anything so noisy in my life.’
‘What do you mean? Is it a musical?’
‘There seems to be music, but no singing. Just stamping and banging.’
‘Something modern and avant-garde, then.’
‘In Withens? Are you kidding?’
‘Call in and see what they’re doing.’
I’ve tried, but the door’s locked, and there’s a sign that says “private function”.’
‘Oh, well. I don’t see that it really matters.’
I’d like to hang on until they come out, and find out what it is. But I’m supposed to be at Fran Oxley’s in a few minutes. It could be my only chance ever to speak to an Oxley and get a reply.’
‘You can ask somebody another time.’
‘I suppose so. But won’t we be interviewing the other members of the cast and the stage crew? Maybe someone noticed something wrong, or Granger said something to them.’
‘We’ll get round to that, if necessary. But his brother was there, too, and he says Neil was fine when he left. I really don’t see that it matters.’
‘Maybe not. I’m just curious.’
‘Anyway, it isn’t a priority at the moment, if at all,’ said Fry. ‘We’re concentrating on the weapon, the forensic evidence at the scene, and the contents of the car. We’re working on a theory that Granger had an argument with one or more of his associates in the antiques gang. We think they had either had just done a job, or were making some arrangements for disposal of the stolen items.’
‘We?’ said Cooper. ‘This is DCI Kessen’s theory?’
‘He’s SIO. In Mr Kessen’s assessment, that’s likely to be the most
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fruitful line of enquiry and therefore the best uses of resources which, as usual, are insufficient.’
‘Well, if he thinks he can justify his decision in the Murder Book,’ said Cooper, thinking of the log that the Senior Investigating Officer had to complete meticulously, in case he was ever challenged on a decision in court.
‘Well, your friends in the Rural Crime Team are sharing their leads on the antiques thefts, so no doubt we’ll be picking a few people up for questioning. With a bit of luck, they won’t have thought to dispose of the clothes they were wearing, and we’ll get a DNA match from Neil Granger’s blood. They’re bound to have got blood on them somewhere, if only their shoes. Those head wounds of his bled profusely.’
‘And there’s the bronze bust, of course.’
‘Absolutely. That has to have been their big mistake. Maybe they didn’t know Granger had it in his car. There are no fingerprints on it, but it’s distinctive, so we’ll almost certainly be able to trace it to an owner. If we locate other items from the same property in somebody’s possession, we’re laughing. Yes, this one could be over bar the shouting within forty-eight hours, just the way we like them. Then you can go back to rural crime, Ben.’
‘And you can go back to the Renshaws.’
‘Yeah, thanks.’
‘I suppose the possibility of a link to Emma Renshaw isn’t a high priority either?’ said Cooper.
‘Lowest of the low, I’d say. We don’t even want to think about going down that route. Apart from the fact that they knew each other, where’s the link anyway?’
‘Apart from her mobile phone having turned up just now?’
‘Coincidence. The best bet there is that somebody found the bag and grabbed it, thinking it might be something worth nicking. When they realized it wasn’t, they dumped it again. Originally, it could have been anywhere. The laboratory might be able to give us something more specific, but we’ll be lucky. If some thieving little sod with a record has left his prints on the phone, he’s in for a rough time, sure enough. But the most we’re going to get is the original dump site for the phone.’
‘Emma’s body could be in the same area,’ said Cooper.
Fry was silent for a moment. He knew she hadn’t overlooked that fact, but was choosing not to consider it for now. ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,’ she said. ‘Was there anything
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else, Ben? Only Gavin wants to get on with some interviews. You know what he’s like for dedication to the job.’
‘Diane, I have one more chance with the Oxleys tonight, when I’m seeing Fran. But if I’m still having difficulties tomorrow, would you help me?’
‘Yes.’
‘I mean, if I go up there much more often, they’re going to start complaining about harassment. My options are getting increasingly limited. We have no grounds for bringing any of them in for questioning.’
‘Yes, I’ll help.’
‘You will?’
‘I said yes, didn’t I? Talk to me tomorrow. I’ll look forward to visiting the Oxleys.’
Ben Cooper stood outside Waterloo Terrace and studied the black brick houses. So what was going on behind the doors of numbers 1 to 5? How many of the Oxleys were here, rather than in the upstairs room at the pub? Did they know he was out here, or were they oblivious, locked up in their own isolated little lives? It wasn’t only Mrs Wallwin who
