‘It was the day he died.’
‘And there I was getting angry, yet it was not his fault. How did he die? Car accident?’
‘Unfortunately, he came to a tragic end. He was murdered.’
The woman sat down and put her face in her hands, overcome with emotion. Larry found a bottle of whisky and gave her some. Five minutes later, she revived.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said.
‘It’s an understandable reaction.’
‘It’s been thirty years. I’ve moved on since then, got married, had a couple of kids.’
‘And the children?’
‘They have both left home. One’s married, the other one is overseas.’
‘Either of them belong to Garry Solomon?’
‘No.’
‘Tell me about the day he disappeared,’ Larry said.
‘Do you want a cup of tea?’
‘Yes, please.’
Five minutes later, with the tea poured, Barbara Ecclestone spoke about her time with Garry Solomon.
‘I first met Garry in 1979. He was just out of prison, and I was a social worker. I was there to help him readjust to society and to ensure he went straight.’
‘Did he?’
‘My first ex-prisoner, my first failure.’
‘What happened?’
‘He called himself Solly Michaels. Soon after his release, he was back with his criminal mates. If you had met him, you would have wondered why.’
‘Why?’
‘A charming man, articulate, generous, great company.’
‘Did you become involved then?’
‘You mean lovers?’
‘Yes.’
‘Not at all. I was very prim and proper, still am.’
‘And then what?’
‘Three years later and he’s back in prison. We had kept in contact over the years, and occasionally we would meet up. I think he enjoyed my attempts at reforming him.
‘I started to visit him in prison, and we spoke about our lives. He was from an affluent background, shipped off to a boarding school, as was I. We were both bitter about the neglect, although, with me, it didn’t affect me as badly as it did Garry.’
‘Greenwich,’ Larry said.
‘You’ve been there?’
‘And the local pub.’
‘It was awful out there.’
‘Still is.’
‘Why didn’t he come here instead of Greenwich?’
‘My mother was still alive. And besides, Garry still had some unresolved issues to deal with.’
‘Such as?’
‘He was a ladies’ man.’
‘He was playing the field?’
‘I’m sure he was. As long as I didn’t know, I was fine. I loved him, foolish as it was, and I was willing to wait.’
‘While he was here with you?’
‘We were together virtually twenty-four hours a day.’
‘Did he work during his time here?’
‘He seemed to have some money coming in. I quizzed him once. He said it was from his family.’
‘Did you work during that time?’
‘No. We were just very happy, planning our future together.’
‘Did you know about his past personal relationships?’
‘His wife and son? Yes, I did. Apparently, she had upset him once, but he had forgiven her. He said that she had moved in with a good man and that his son was fine. Apart from that, he did not speak about his past.’
‘Did he see them?’
‘I don’t think so. For some reason, past memories were always difficult for him. He dealt with the present and the future.’
‘Is there any more?’ Larry asked. ‘The day he disappeared, what happened?’
‘He went out, never returned. I’ve no idea where he went or who he met.’
‘Thanks. I may come back to you if there is any other information that I require.’
‘My husband is due back in fifteen minutes. Please stay till then. I don’t want to be on my own at the present time.’
Fifteen minutes later, the husband returned. Barbara told him why a police inspector was in the house. Larry left soon after and headed back to Challis Street.
***
Detective Chief Superintendent Goddard was in Isaac’s office on Larry’s return to Challis Street. From Larry’s side of the glass partition, it appeared to be an animated conversation.
‘Isaac, how much longer is this going to take? We’ve other murders requiring your team’s attention, and this thirty-year-old corpse is still garnering more attention than it should.’
‘We’re still collating the facts,’ Isaac’s reply.
‘What have you got?’
‘We now know where Garry Solomon was before his murder. His murderer is still uncertain, and why a fireplace remains a mystery.’
‘Surely you must have a motive.’
‘No motive is apparent.’
It was clear from DCS Goddard’s visit that he was under pressure to provide a result. Isaac had ceased to relish his superior’s visits. Questions as to when the case was going to be wrapped up always grated. The team were working hard, attempting to resolve it, but everyone was jaundiced by now. Their previous cases had been long and gruelling, and before Garry Solomon’s body had been discovered, they had been hoping for a break from the routine. It sometimes seemed to DCI Isaac Cook that they were in a growth industry.
Wendy’s promotion, due to Isaac’s efforts and her good work, had come about. She was now Sergeant Wendy Gladstone, and to Isaac, a title well earned. Not that it helped with her husband who continued to wither. Under normal circumstances, she would have been entitled to compassionate leave, or at least to forbearance from the London Metropolitan Police as she juggled the emotional and financial needs of her husband and the professional needs of a policewoman involved in a murder investigation that defied logic.
Regardless, Wendy had been insistent that being at home or at the nursing home were non-constructive, and that an idle mind did no good. On several occasions, Bridget had gone home with Wendy to keep her company.
Garry Solomon’s body in a house owned by his family indicated that a relative or relatives were involved, but which? Isaac had ruled out the two Richardson sisters as primary suspects: one was his mother, the other would not have had the physical strength to secure his
