some drug or other, maybe speed or other amphetamines.
'I bet you any money his son wishes he was,' quipped Lewis. 'We left him like a lump of jelly, shaking and crying. He may have had sex games going on with the entire fucking family, but somehow I just don't think he's an accomplice; unless he helped to move the bodies. I dunno; what do you think, Gov?'
Langton shrugged. 'They're all involved, whether as accomplices or not. They know what that bastard is, and they keep their mouths shut because of this place.' He nodded towards the house. 'I need to take a leak; stop the car.'
The driver pulled over on the grass verge. To their amazement, Langton got out, walked across the lawn to a shrubbery and took a piss. Both Lewis and Anna shook their heads in disgust.
'Christ, what does he think he's doing?'
'You tell me,' Anna said.
Lewis turned to face her. 'Well, for one, I think we should have a search warrant; for two, I don't think what went on in the cottage was kosher, even though we got a link to Sharon Bilkin. Haven't we got enough to pull the father in, and the son for that matter?'
'Maybe, but you know Langton.'
'Obviously not as well as you do,' Lewis said, with a snide smile.
Anna decided not to reply. She did not want to discuss Langton, especially not with Lewis, who had a big yapping mouth. Gossip had probably already done the rounds of the Incident Room, but at least no one had mentioned anything to her.
They both looked over to Langton who was having a conversation on his mobile as he strode across the lawn. He stopped a moment to listen and then slapped his phone shut.
'Right, that's better,' he said, getting back in and slamming the door. He leaned his arm along the back of the seat.
'Maybe you should chat with the old housekeeper, Anna; you seem to have a way with the women.'
'Okay.'
'We need further confirmation about whether or not Louise Pennel was a visitor, and Sharon. I want to take another look at the family snapshots on their grand piano. We still have not identified the other sickos off the photographs from Milan, so show her those as well.'
'Will do.'
'Shouldn't we have a search warrant, Gov?' Lewis asked.
'Yeah, but we need more. This way, it looks like we are still floundering around. The fact we think our victims came here is not enough evidence to make an arrest — yet! When we come in to search, I want warrants for all the premises, plus the vehicles: get a bloody army backing us up, because this is a massive place. There are outhouses, the barns, the cottage, the staff cottage and we will need a warrant for each building: that's the law. When they started to suspect Fred West, they only had a warrant to search his garden, did you know that? It was West himself who suggested they were digging in the wrong place.'
Langton stopped speaking as the car pulled into the horseshoe drive. Standing at the studded front door was Charles Wickenham. 'There he is,' Langton said, softly. 'Look at him! There's got to be someplace here that he uses for those sex games: cellar, maybe in the barn somewhere. He maybe had an alibi for the ninth of January when Louise Pennel was last seen, but not for the twelfth when her body was discovered. So check out if the ponce over there was at home.'
'He did give us a pretty thorough alibi for that date, Gov, and it all checked out, his club and his…'
'Yeah yeah and that's another reason we don't charge in with the warrant. It's slowly slowly catchee monster!'
They all got out of the car. Anna and Lewis walked behind Langton as he headed over to Wickenham.
'Good morning.' Langton stretched out his hand and shook Wickenham's.
'Not weather-wise: the rain's not stopped. Though I suppose it is good for the crops.' He smiled and nodded to Anna, and then stepped back. 'Well, there must be some reason for this visit, so please come in. I was expecting you.'
'Your son called?'
'Yes, he did. I have to get the doctor to see his poor fianc?e: she's exceedingly distressed.' He glanced coldly at Langton. 'All rather unethical, isn't it?'
'What is?'
'Questioning Gail. She has been very ill; surely she should have had someone with her?'
'She could have asked for anyone to be there; it was just a routine visit to ask her a few questions.'
'Routine or not, we should have been given notice.' He strode ahead, leading them back into the sumptuous drawing room.
Wickenham gave no polite offers of tea or coffee, nor did he ask them to sit. He walked to the fireplace and, with his hands in the pockets of his immaculate fawn trousers, turned to face them.
'So what is this all about?'
'Do you mind if we sit down?'
'Not at all, go ahead. Do you mind if I remain standing?'
'Not at all,' Langton replied archly, sitting in a wing-backed chair. He opened his briefcase, as Lewis hovered beside him.
'DI Travis would like to talk to your housekeeper, if that is all right.'
'Why?'
'Just to corroborate a few things. She is here, isn't she?'
'Yes, do you want me to call her in?'
Anna smiled and said she remembered the way to the kitchen.
Wickenham shrugged. 'Go ahead, but remember she is in her seventies. May have all her marbles in the culinary department, but otherwise, she is very vague.'
'Thank you.' Anna again smiled and walked out.
She walked along the stone-flagged corridor, passing the laundry room, and then entered the vast kitchen without knocking. Mrs Hedges was sitting at the pine table with an array of silverware laid out on an old towel.
'Mrs Hedges?'
She paid no attention, but continued to polish away with some rolled-up newspaper. Anna raised her voice and the plump, friendly woman looked up, surprised.
'I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. I'm a wee bit deaf in my right ear.' She took off her rubber gloves.
'Please don't let me interrupt you. I just wanted to have a word.' Anna drew out a chair and sat midway down the table.
'Does Mr Wickenham know?'
'Yes, he's in the drawing room with my superior officer.'
'Oh, well, if he said it's all right.'
Anna opened her briefcase and took out her notebook and the thick file of photographs, which was beginning to get slightly dog-eared.
'Do you want a cup of tea?'
'No, thank you.'
'There's one made; I've just had a cup myself.' Mrs Hedges fussed around, taking down a cup and saucer, crossing to the fridge for the milk and then back over to the Aga where a teapot was sitting on the side, a knitted teacosy keeping its contents warm.
'I can't think what you want to talk to me about,' she said as she poured the tea, using a silver tea strainer. She then held up the milk and Anna nodded; next she held up a sugar bowl and Anna smiled.
'No thank you, no sugar.'
Mrs Hedges took a white napkin and placed it down beside Anna with the tea. She sat back down and Anna could see that she was unsure whether or not to carry on polishing.
'Please, don't let me stop you.'
Mrs Hedges nodded and put her rubber gloves back on. 'I used not to wear them, but it's the newsprint, it gets my hands so dirty and it's hard to wash off.' She picked up some scrunched-up newspaper, and dipped it into a bowl. 'Trick of the trade. I never have to use silver polish, just water and a drop of vinegar, it's amazing what a
