‘Vernon Slack was driving the hearse. God, that lad - it’s obvious he only got a job with the firm because his grandfather is part-owner.’
‘He can drive a car all right, can’t he?’
‘Oh, cars he’s fine with, and he can lift a coffin as well as the rest of them. But that’s about all. He’s useless around the mourners. Doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what expression to have on his face, doesn’t know where to put his hands. He’s a complete embarrassment. Melvyn does his best to keep him out of the way. And out of sight, as much as possible.’
‘How do you know Vernon Slack?’
‘Everybody knows the Hudsons and the Slacks. They’ve been in business in Edendale for ages.’
Vivien Gill seemed to be taking everything very well. But Cooper had learned that an apparent calmness could be deceptive. At any moment the grief might spurt out, like blood gushing from a severed artery.
‘Please tell me,’ said Mrs Gill. T don’t understand. Why would anyone want to steal Audrey’s body?’
‘We don’t know. It may have been … well, incidental to something else.’
‘Incidental?’
‘Yes.’
Mrs Gill frowned as she turned the word over in her mind. She seemed to be trying to get to grips with the idea that her daughter’s body could have been merely an accessory to somebody else’s obsession, a minor stage prop in a scene where the spotlight fell on a different star. Audrey had been so central to her life that she would never be able to manage the shift
175
of perspective. Cooper saw her frown fade as she gave up the effort.
‘But we’ll be able to do everything properly now, won’t we?’ she said. ‘We can have Audrey back and do it properly.’
‘That will be up to the coroner. But since there’s no evidence that your daughter’s death was anything but natural, I’m sure the remains will be released soon. Have you thought about whether you’ll have a cremation again, or perhaps a burial?’
‘No cremation,’ said Mrs Gill. ‘I know what I’m going to do this time. I’m going to go for a green burial.’
‘What a good idea. There’s a green burial site near Lowbridge, isn’t there?’
‘That’s the one I’m going to use. I’ve already contacted them.’
‘I’m glad you’re looking at it practically. That’s the best way.’
‘I think so. The others aren’t so keen, but they’ll lump it.’
‘The others?’
‘I’ve got quite a big family. Audrey’s family.’
Cooper took the urn out to his car. After a moment’s thought, he put it in the rear footwell and packed it in tightly to stop it moving or falling over while he was driving. He would have preferred to take it straight back to West Street, but he had some other calls to make first.
Ian Todd sat in the interview room with a duty solicitor. He seemed a little smaller when he was sitting down, but he was still one of the guiltiest- looking people Fry had ever seen. He had the sort of fleshy face that made a man look untrustworthy, like a used- car salesman. If he’d been wearing one of those tight, dark suits cut too high at the lapels, she’d have known to cross the road to avoid him.
‘Why is Mr Todd under arrest?’ said the solicitor, as soon as the tapes were running.
176
‘On suspicion of the abduction and unlawful detention of Mrs Sandra Birley,’ said Fry.
‘I didn’t abduct anybody,’ said Todd. ‘That’s ludicrous.’
‘Mr Todd, we have photographic evidence of you leaving the Clappergate car park on Tuesday night with Sandra Birley, who failed to return home that night. Since then, there has been no word from Mrs Birley, no contact with her husband or anyone else. Today, we find Mrs Birley in your house. Can you explain that?’
Todd leaned forward suddenly and slapped his hands on the table. No one looked nervous, except the solicitor.
‘Did Sandra say she was abducted?’
‘We’re getting a statement from Mrs Birley now,’ said Fry.
‘Ha! That means she hasn’t said she was abducted.’ Todd turned to his solicitor. ‘She hasn’t made a complaint,’ he said. ‘How can they arrest me?’
‘It’s a good question, Sergeant,’ said the solicitor. ‘What evidence do you have to justify a charge against Mr Todd?’
‘I’ve just told you ‘
‘None of what you said constitutes evidence of abduction or unlawful detention. Unless you have a statement to the contrary from the lady you mention. In which case, my client will dispute it.’
‘Mr Todd has some explaining to do,’ said Fry calmly.
‘Not unless ‘
Todd held up a hand. ‘It’s OK. Let’s have it sorted out and then I can get out of here.’
‘Go ahead then, Mr Todd. We’re listening.’
‘Well, far from abducting Sandra Birley, I’d arranged to meet her on Tuesday night after work. But she was late. So I went to the Clappergate car park, and I waited for her. When she arrived, we walked to my car, which was
