‘Show me.’
Larry gave the man’s daughter the first of the photos. She placed a pair of glasses on her father and held the photo in front of him.
‘Mavis, Gertrude,’ the old man said.
‘The other woman?’
‘Albert Grenfell’s wife, Elizabeth.’
‘The men?’
‘Michael, myself.’
‘The other two men?’
‘Albert Grenfell and a friend of his. I don’t recall his name.’
‘My father needs to rest.’
‘I need to know who the other man is.’
‘I don’t know,’ the man said feebly. Larry could see that he was fading fast. He now had two more names: names that would cause the investigation to look in new directions.
By 3 p.m. Larry was back in the office in Challis Street.
Isaac was back as well, after looking for the mysterious younger brother of Montague Grenfell.
‘We need someone to question Lord Penrith,’ Isaac said.
‘You’ve met him,’ Larry said. ‘It has to be you.’
‘What do we hope to gain from this?’ Isaac posed a rhetorical question.
‘We know he was an attendee at Bellevue Street, as was his wife.’
‘What about her?’ Bridget asked.
‘She has been dead for ten years.’
‘It is the unknown man that we need to identify. Do you think his lordship knows?’ Larry asked.
‘It’s a reasonable assumption.’
‘But he is suffering from dementia.’
‘With dementia, people tend to remember events and people from years before. It’s possible he may remember.’
‘Is he communicative?’
Isaac made a phone call. Bridget smiled quietly to herself.
‘According to his nurse, he comes and goes. A visit there is always uncertain, but regardless, I will go up in the morning,’ Isaac said. ‘Larry, can you look for Malcolm Grenfell?’
‘Wendy will be back in the morning,’ Bridget said.
‘All three of you focus on this man.’
Chapter 19
Isaac phoned Katrina Smith to tell him of her plans.
‘Come up tonight. There are plenty of rooms in the house.’
Isaac left the office early, ostensibly to take advantage of a few more hours of possible coherence from the lord.
He arrived at eleven in the evening. Katrina made him a light supper and showed him to his room. It was ageing, as was the rest of the house, but it had a four-poster bed and a view overlooking a lake at the rear. Katrina never made it back to her room that night.
Refreshed and feeling a lot better the next morning thanks to the nurse, Isaac made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Katrina was already there with an English breakfast for him: eggs, bacon and two sausages. A pot of coffee was brewing on the Aga cooker.
‘You’ll need to keep your strength up,’ she said.
Isaac had to admit that he liked her.
‘His lordship is not too well,’ Katrina said.
‘Later?’ Isaac asked.
‘Maybe after I have had a chance to get some food into him.’
Isaac ate his breakfast as they talked. Normally, he would have an orange juice, sometimes a bowl of cereal, but today he was going to be well-fed. After he had finished with the main course, there were two slices of toast and home-made jam.
Katrina left and went to look after her patient. Isaac sat down with his laptop and connected to the internet using his phone.
Wendy was soon on the phone.
‘How are you?’ he asked.
‘Better for being in the office. Bridget and Larry are making a fuss of me.’
‘Good. You know what is required?’
‘Malcolm Grenfell.’
‘Judging by the condition of the current lord, he is about to inherit Penrith House and a title. No idea if there’s any money involved.’
‘Old money,’ Wendy said. ‘They don’t like to flash it around, but there will be plenty of cash somewhere.’
‘Which reminds me,’ Isaac said. ‘Montague Grenfell’s legal and financial records.’
‘Bridget has someone on them. Do you want to speak to her?’
‘Put her on the phone.’
‘Bridget, you’ve been working on Grenfell’s papers. Anything interesting.’
‘Keith Dawson is here. He’s over from Fraud.’
‘Yes, I realise.’
‘He’s not here at the present moment, but I can give you an update.’
‘Please do.’
‘Grenfell’s papers are meticulous. Not only does he look after the Richardsons’ legal and financial matters, but he also looks after the Grenfells. All that he told us regarding Gertrude’s and Mavis’s relationship and financial status appears to be correct. Gertrude was wealthy, although did not know or chose to ignore it.
‘Garry Solomon kept in contact with Montague Grenfell on an infrequent basis, and when requested, Grenfell would send him money. However, it was infrequent, and there is no reason to believe that they actually met. Kevin Solomon, the son of Garry Solomon, has been looked after as well. The drug rehabilitation, the flat in Hampstead, all paid for by Gertrude Richardson.’
‘Did she know?’ Isaac asked.
‘Impossible to say. Grenfell had full authority in relation to Mavis’s and Gertrude’s legal and financial affairs. There is no indication that he abused that privilege. Also, the Grenfells are extremely wealthy, even if, as you say, the house where you currently are does not indicate that.’
‘Is there any more?’
‘Keith Dawson will update you with more detail as you require.’
‘Thanks. Put Wendy on the phone again.’
‘I’m here, sir,’ Wendy said.
‘Malcolm Grenfell, find him today. It’s important.’
‘How is Katrina Smith?’ Wendy asked.
‘Take that smile off your face, or your promotion next week to sergeant will be delayed.’
‘Yes, sir.’ It was the first time that anyone had seen Wendy smile in the office since her husband had passed away.
‘Your husband?’
‘The funeral is next week.’
‘I would like to attend.’
‘I would appreciate that, sir.’
Isaac put down the phone, smiled at Wendy’s cheeky comment.
***
‘You can try now,’ Katrina said as she walked back into the kitchen at Penrith House.
Isaac could
