‘You’ll notice the attractive blonde who appears twice there at the beginning of the week, Monday or Tuesday. Then we’ve got the list of the employees of First City Properties and all the people from other organizations involved in the development project here. Mr Slade spoke to me on the phone about it after I’d left the request with his secretary. He insisted on knowing why we wanted the list, so I told him about Miss Harper. He sounded shocked-hadn’t read it in the papers this morning. Said he’d cooperate in any way. He offered his congratulations on catching North, by the way, sir. So much for that.’
Gurney set the documents to one side and reached for another set of typewritten sheets with the look of an amateur magician moving on to a much more interesting trick. ‘Now, Mr Terence Winter.’ His eyes scanned the sheet with satisfaction. ‘Transcript of interview with his alleged girlfriend, Ms Shirley Piggott. She claims she didn’t spend last Tuesday night with him. In fact claims she’s never slept with him.’
Gurney passed the transcript over to Brock.
‘Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s lying. She mentioned that both her mother and her boyfriend would be highly displeased if word of her having it off with Terry Winter got around.’
‘What’s she like?’
‘Eighteen going on sixteen. Silly little thing, all giggles and big eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she changed her story later, if things got a bit hot for Terry. But still, it could be useful to put the wind up him.’
‘Poor Terry.’ Kathy shook her head. ‘It’s not his week.’
‘Does he know this?’ Brock asked.
‘No. When I brought him back here, we left him alone for an hour with that list you gave him. Then I went through it with him, and for most of the times he has no alibi at all. A couple he claims he was with someone, but we haven’t been able to check them yet. The only times I’d say he might be covered for are those of some of the phone calls, but again, we’re still checking.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘I thought you might like to have a go at him, sir, so I sent him back to the Yard with DS Griffiths.’
‘Good. What about his flat?’
‘Yes, well, I’m not sure what to make of that. There was a tube of superglue, and a few tools which would have been about right for the damage. We sent the blunt instrument types-a hammer and a monkey wrench-down to the path lab for checking against the wound.’
‘What else?’
‘Well, no diary with red crosses against the appropriate days, I’m afraid. There were enough condoms to stock a chemist shop.’ Gurney grinned. ‘This bloke believed in buying in bulk-a real optimist. Not many seemed to have been used, though. Nothing else incriminating. Then it occurred to me, when we called in at his Peckham salon to speak to Shirley Piggott, which is just round the corner from his flat-it occurred to me to take a look at his office there.’
‘I don’t think I heard that, Bren.’
‘His receptionist was extremely helpful. I explained that I was trying to find a set of keys that Mr Winter had apparently mislaid. She opened up the drawers of his desk and filing cabinet for me to look inside. In one of the drawers we found this…’
He got up and went over to a cardboard box in the corner of the room. From it he took a transparent plastic bag. Kathy gave a little cry as she saw inside it what looked like a severed head.
‘Gruesome, isn’t it?’ Gurney brought it over to the table. It was a plastic mask of a monster’s face with vivid scarlet blood dribbling from its fangs.
‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ Brock sighed. ‘Terry has been a very naughty boy.’
‘That must have scared the life out of Eleanor,’ Kathy said with disgust. ‘No wonder Peg was petrified.’
‘We’ll have to show it to her before we see him.’
‘She’s been booked into the Bedford in Southampton Row, down the road. There’s a WPC with her still.’
‘And no keys to number 22?’
Gurney shook his head. ‘I think we should get a search warrant for all his salons.’
‘All right. Well done, Bren, we’re getting somewhere. We’ll get over to Peg and then to the Yard and speak to the monster Romeo again. I’ll fill you in on our day as we go. Kathy, I’d like you to check something else if you would.’ He pointed to the diagram on the white board where the two circles overlapped. ‘Bob Jones. Let’s just make sure he hasn’t got any more to tell us.’
20
By the time Kathy reached the architect’s office, Bob Jones’s secretary, Sophie, was tidying up her desk for the night, getting ready to leave. She buzzed her boss and gave Kathy a sharp look when she said that she was there on a private matter.
‘You’re not a rep, then. Only Bob gets annoyed if reps call without an appointment.’
‘No, I’m not a rep.’
‘I didn’t think so.’
‘Could you tell?’
‘Oh yes, the women reps tend to be very sharp dressers. Oh’-she blushed-‘don’t get me wrong. I mean I think you’re more like me, you like to be smart but comfortable too. But they go a bit over the top, you know, all power dressing and shoulders and heavy make-up and enough perfume to knock you over.’
Kathy smiled. The other woman was wearing a red and white polka dot dress with a wide, white collar, and Kathy didn’t really feel that being told she had the same taste in clothes was much of a compliment.
‘Have you been working with Bob since he set up on his own?’ she asked.
‘Oh, much longer than that.’
‘You didn’t decide to go with the other company to their new offices when they split up, then?’
‘Oh no. I like working with Bob. I mean they were a good firm and everything, but I couldn’t work in an office like that. It’s so bitchy, and some of the girls are hopeless. That Janine! Mr Lowell thinks she’s wonderful, but she used to drive Bob crazy. He said she was deaf in her telephone ear, too vain to wear glasses, couldn’t walk properly because of those stiletto heels she wears, and her brain was preoccupied with her latest affair, so the result was that the partners kept getting messages all scrambled up, and turning up for meetings on the wrong day and everything, and no one could ever work out why!’
They both laughed. Kathy wondered if Sophie was in love with her boss just as it occurred to Sophie that Kathy might be thinking that. ‘Oh well,’ she said briskly. ‘I must push off now. My boyfriend and I have got tickets to The Phantom of the Opera tonight. Have you seen it?’
Bob’s head appeared on the spiral stair up from the drawing office, and he called out, ‘Sergeant! Hello, I didn’t think I’d have the pleasure of seeing you again.’
Sophie blinked with surprise and stared after Kathy as she and Bob disappeared into the conference room.
‘My God! I had no idea.’ Bob Jones looked appalled. ‘I haven’t read a paper for a couple of days. Miss Harper! She was the upright, dark one, wasn’t she? I thought she had an air of tremendous natural dignity about her. That’s just awful. Is this some kind of serial killer or something?’
Kathy looked puzzled. ‘But you never met her, did you?’
‘Yes, briefly. Just as Meredith was showing Judith and me out of Eleanor’s flat that time, the other two sisters returned. It was a bit embarrassing really, coming out of someone’s flat when they hadn’t invited you there in the first place. She was quite pleasant, but I was uncomfortable all the same.’
‘Oh.’ Kathy was still puzzled. ‘Did you mention the books or documents to her or the other sister?’
‘No, we left that to Meredith to bring up. Is that why you’re here? Or was it just an excuse to see me again?’ He grinned, and then, seeing her expression, coughed and looked serious. ‘Sorry, that was stupid. Only I’ve often thought about you and that other chap you were working with. You never found out who killed Meredith, I take it?’
‘No. But with the new murder we’re reopening that inquiry. We thought you might be able to help us in a few areas, actually. First of all, can I ask you if you have any involvement now in the Jerusalem Lane redevelopment
