‘I never met him, but he was here once.’
‘It was a long time ago; are you sure?’ Larry asked.
‘Quite certain. I never forget a face.’
Isaac and Larry realised that they had the second connection to the research department and to Ed Barrow and Sue Christie.
‘Thank you, Mrs Toogood,’ Isaac said. ‘If we’ve any more questions, we’ll be in touch.’ The woman left the lab where Isaac and Larry were sitting.
Larry spoke first. ‘She’s identified George Arbuthnot,’ he said.
‘It’s not conclusive, but we should be able to confront Barrow with it, see what his reaction is.’
‘He’ll stonewall.’
‘Sue Christie’s here. We’ll ask her.’
The two men walked backed down the corridor to the personal assistant’s office. They knocked and entered. ‘Any help?’ the woman asked from behind her desk.
‘Are you able to help us identify a man if we show you a photo?’
‘I’ll try.’
Isaac handed over the photo. Sue Christie took her time in answering. ‘Sorry, I don’t remember him.’
‘And when is Mr Barrow back?’
‘No idea.’
The two police officers left soon after and found a café. ‘What do you reckon?’ Isaac asked.
‘I’d trust Helen Toogood more than Sue Christie,’ Larry said.
‘That’s as maybe, but Mrs Toogood’s eyesight is not so sharp. You saw how she used the magnifying glass.’
‘I’d still trust her first. She’s got no axe to grind, whereas Barrow and his personal assistant have.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Maybe not an axe. Barrow’s involved with his PA. They’ll cover for each other.’
‘And Gwen Barrow?’
‘Ed Barrow could be genuine in his affection for her, although it doesn’t stop him having a bit on the side.’
‘Are we confident that he is?’ Isaac asked.
‘It’s not relevant, not yet, if he is.’
‘True, but it raises the question of why Ed Barrow married the widow: out of love or to keep a watch out for Woolston.’
‘It’s conjecture, but I’d say the latter.’
Chapter 18
Malcolm Woolston had seen the two police officers at his former wife’s house. He realised the significance: they had identified him. He had hoped it would take longer, but it did not matter. He knew that Ed Barrow hadn’t called the police to let them know that a murderer was on the loose, and it wouldn’t have been Sue Christie, bitch that she was. He knew all about her and her men. She had tried it on with him once, but he hadn’t been interested. There was only one woman for him, Gwen, and now she was with another man and that man was cheating on her.
Woolston walked the short distance to his daughter’s house, saw her arriving there two hours after the police officers had left her mother’s house. Ed Barrow had driven her. He wanted to go over and confront the man, announce his return to his daughter, but it was clear that she already knew. He planned how to meet her, knowing full well her reaction.
He realised that if they knew he was back, they probably were aware of his appearance. He returned to his flat, shaved off his beard, as well as his remaining hair, and left. It was not the ideal disguise, he knew, but it would suffice. He returned to his daughter’s house. A uniformed policeman was standing outside. He waited for his daughter to leave, knowing that in the park he would not be recognised.
After two hours Sally emerged. She said hello to the uniformed policeman and crossed the road, her daughter in a pushchair. She looked as if she had been crying.
‘Hello,’ Woolston said, as Sally sat down next to him on the only bench available.
‘Hello.’ A curt reply.
‘I’ll never harm you or your mother, believe me.’
Sally sat rigidly on the spot, unsure what to say. The young child in the pushchair played with a small toy.
‘I need you to let me explain,’ Woolston said.
‘But, but…’
‘Don’t speak, just let me talk. Let me tell you how much I love you and your mother. How much I regret the years apart, the years of deception, and why it has been necessary.’
‘I can’t,’ Sally spluttered, uncertain whether to scream or to be overjoyed. ‘You’ve killed people.’
‘I’ve also saved countless thousands, but they’ll never tell you that. They don’t care about the truth, only the lies they perpetrate.’
‘Why did you vanish? You can’t realise how hard it was on mum. For years she was sad. She’s married again.’
‘I know. I saw her and Ed at the registry office. I saw you at school, getting drunk, making a fool of yourself. I even helped you home once, but you don’t remember. I was always there for you and your mother.’
‘I’m not sure what to say,’ Sally said. The child dropped the toy. Woolston leaned down and picked it up.
‘Can I?’
‘Yes. This is Susie.’
‘I know.’ Woolston gave the child the toy; she took it, momentarily touching his hand.
‘She looks like you,’ Sally said.
‘I’m sorry for all the pain. I did what was necessary.’
‘But all those years, and now they want you for murder.’
‘The people that died, some were evil, some were good, but the secret had to be kept.’
‘Why?’
‘I perfected a way of generating vast amounts of low-cost energy.’
‘Mum said you were involved with research.’
‘My research was for peaceful purposes, but others wanted to use it for evil. I could not let them.’
‘Is that why you disappeared?’
‘Yes. I had to. They maltreated me.’
‘Who?’
‘The two men that died.’
‘Is Ed involved?’
‘Yes.’
‘Please don’t harm him. He’s been good to mum and me.’
‘I will leave him alone for now.’
‘Would you kill him?’
‘I will not let my knowledge fall into their hands. They would
