***
Richard Goddard was anxious to know what Marjorie Frobisher was saying. Isaac had promised to give him an update. He had decided that Goddard had done him right in the past, and there was no reason to believe he would do him wrong now.
‘She says that Sutherland knew nothing of consequence.’
‘Professional hit?’
‘According to Marjorie Frobisher, he knew very little.’
‘Could his death be unrelated?’
‘It’s possible.’
‘The woman. What have you promised her?’
‘Protected witness status. Can you organise a safe house for her?’
‘I need something in return.’
‘Name it.’
‘Give me a murderer, any murderer, within the next few days.’
‘Charles Sutherland’s our best bet,’ Isaac said.
‘Any luck with Linda Harris?’
‘Not yet. Constable Gladstone’s following up on a lead.’
‘What do you reckon?’
‘If she’s MI5, she won’t be found.’
‘I hope you weren’t fond of her.’
‘No fondness there,’ Isaac replied.
‘Let Constable Gladstone get on with it. Can you and DI Ahmed focus on who killed Charles Sutherland? What did Marjorie Frobisher say about Sally Jenkins and Richard Williams?’
‘She’s reluctant to say too much. I interpreted her comments to mean that Williams knew what the great secret was, and Sally Jenkins had a tendency to eavesdrop. We should regard their deaths as suspicious.’
‘Professional assassinations?’
‘It looks to be that way.’
‘Okay. I’ll organise the safe house. And I want one murderer under lock and key within two days.’
***
Farhan and Isaac met in the office two hours later. Isaac was concerned that one murder, Charles Sutherland’s, was coming to a resolution but was not certain what it would be. Farhan knew Aisha wasn’t involved, and if there was a murderer under lock and key, as well as a signed confession, then he may be able to protect her.
‘We need to go through the possible suspects again,’ Isaac said. It was just the two of them in the office. Wendy had phoned in – she was drawing a blank on the car outside Linda Harris’s accommodation. She made it clear that she was not giving up.
‘We can eliminate the two women,’ Farhan said.
‘Which two women?’
‘The two escorts.’
‘The two prostitutes,’ Isaac reaffirmed. Farhan did not like the terminology.
‘As you say,’ Farhan agreed.
‘Just because you’re involved with one, and the other one you shipped out of the country, doesn’t abrogate them from responsibility.’
‘I realise that, but neither knew they were meeting with him in advance. He was just an address to them.’
‘Who else then? Christy Nichols?’ Isaac asked.
‘You’ve omitted one person,’ Farhan reminded Isaac.
‘Jess O’Neill. I’ve not forgotten. Although her motive is not as strong.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Sutherland forced Christy Nichols to perform oral sex on him. With Jess O’Neill, he had attempted to force himself on her, but she managed to get away.’
‘That’s true, but he may have reawakened painful memories – memories that wouldn’t go away.’
‘We need to call them both into the station,’ Isaac said. He imagined Jess’s reaction would be hostile.
***
It was nine o’clock the next day when the first of the two women arrived. It had been several weeks since Farhan had seen Christy Nichols. Then, she had been a disappointed woman, consigned to being an ‘agony aunt’ for a local newspaper.
He remembered leaving in a hurry when it had become clear that he was welcome to stay the night. He had to admit when she walked into the police station that she looked exceedingly attractive; he wondered wistfully why he had not seized the opportunity. No longer despondent, she was full of vitality and dressed exceptionally well.
‘I found a decent job. Copy editor for a quality magazine. Not that scurrilous publication that Victoria Webster puts out.’
‘Good to hear,’ Farhan said, but little more. She was in the police station due to a formal request, and he did not want to appear too friendly. She had brought along a lawyer, Eileen Kerr. The woman, severely dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and thin tie; her voice, rasping and deep, the sign of a heavy smoker. Isaac had encountered her in the past, and he did not like her. He made a point of telling Farhan that the woman was aggressive, competent, and would not take any nonsense.
They used the same interview room as when Jess O’Neill and Richard Williams had come in. The formalities completed, Isaac led off. ‘Miss Nichols. We have reason to believe that Charles Sutherland’s death was murder.’
‘I thought that was clear.’ Eileen Kerr interjected.
‘As you say, clear.’
‘Miss Nichols, can you please recount the events of that night.’
‘I’d rather not.’
‘I understand your reticence, but we need to ensure that nothing was missed, no matter how minor.’
‘Miss Nichols,’ her legal adviser felt obliged to comment, ‘has complied with the police. The matters which you are now asking her to repeat are deeply embarrassing. Is this necessary?’
‘Yes, we believe it is,’ Isaac replied.
‘He asked me to perform an act on him. I told DI Ahmed?’ Christy Nichols asked.
‘Very well. I let the women in. Later I went to the apartment, and Charles Sutherland was on the ground with the women. He was offensive, naked, flashing his genitals at me.’
‘And what did you do?’
‘Nothing. The women left quickly, and I was there alone with him.’
‘And that is when the incident occurred?’ Isaac asked.
‘Yes.’
‘He made you perform fellatio on him.’
‘Yes.’
‘Is this necessary?’ Christy Nichols’ lawyer asked again.
‘It’s fine, Eileen.’ Christy Nichols leant over and spoke to her lawyer.
‘Was he violent with you?’ Isaac asked. He needed to push some more.
‘He grabbed my arm, forced me down on my knees. Threatened to harm me.’ Farhan noticed the quiver in her voice as she
