‘You don’t buy the idea that he may have had some sordid perversion, a need to demean Helen, to blame her for his weaknesses.’
‘Not with her, I don’t.’
‘Then what?’
‘I don’t know. What do you reckon to the family?’
‘His wife seems upset, so does his daughter. The son appears ambivalent.’
At the front of the church, the priest went through the funeral service, both John and Linda reading from the bible, Linda also delivering a eulogy, failing to mention the circumstances of her father’s death.
At the end, the coffin was borne away on the shoulders of six men, one of them John Holden, another Linda’s husband.
‘What do we know about the husband?’ Wendy said, as the coffin passed by.
‘Married to Linda for twelve years, the CEO of a manufacturing company. Not much to tell about him.’
‘Any reason to believe he might be involved?’
‘You can check him out if you like, but I’m suspicious of John Holden. His alibi is weak for the night of the murder.’
‘At home reading. A single man in his forties. It doesn’t sound natural.’
‘Gay?’
‘He was keen on Helen.’
‘Why Helen? He’s not a bad-looking man. There must be plenty of opportunities for him.’
Outside the church, the cortege left, the hearse in front, two limousines carrying the Holden family following.
‘Not much more to be gained here,’ Wendy said.
‘Caddick’s trying to get me out. I’ve received some information.’
‘What will you do?’
‘Solve this case. He’ll not act if I do, and he’ll not act to remove me at this time.’
‘He’ll wait until the right time, take credit for your good work.’
‘That’s how it works,’ Isaac said.
‘Not in my book, it doesn’t.’
‘Your book’s an old edition.’
‘It’s the edition I prefer.’
‘This time, I intend to fight fire with fire.’
‘You’re going to take him on, get him out of Challis Street, bring back Chief Superintendent Goddard?’
‘When the time’s right.’
‘That’s not like you, guv.’
‘These are unusual times. The old rules no longer apply.’
‘Be careful. It could backfire.’
‘That’s why I’m forewarning you. I don’t want anyone else involved.’
‘We’ll be right behind you, you know that.’
‘I know, but I’ll not be able to help you if I don’t succeed.’
***
Back at Challis Street, Bridget Halloran was keen to bring the team together. ‘I’ve been through the report that Linda Holden gave us,’ she said.
The four were sitting in Isaac’s office. ‘What have you found?’ Larry asked.
‘I cross-referenced the club where Helen and Daisy had worked.’
‘Anything interesting?’
‘Ben Aberman, the owner of the club, disappeared while they were both working there.’
‘Suspicious?’
‘Not at the time. The man had incurred significant debt, and it was thought he had left the country. No one’s ever reported him missing or attempted to find him.’
‘Was the club a front for prostitution?’ Wendy said.
‘They all are,’ Isaac said.
‘According to what we know, Helen Langdon was not prostituting herself, although Daisy probably was.’
‘Is there any more to Aberman disappearing?’
‘The ownership of the club changed overnight.’
‘And the debts?’
‘They disappeared.’
‘Are you suggesting Aberman was murdered?’
‘It’s a possibility. Also, his house has remained empty.’
‘Men such as Aberman change their names all the time,’ Larry said.
‘That’s why there’s never been an investigation, and would the police be interested in the disappearance of a man such as Aberman?’
‘Not unless there was a crime to answer for,’ Isaac said.
‘Is the club still operating?’ Larry asked.
‘I’ll give you the address. Don’t expect too much when you get there. It looks seedy.’
‘We won’t.’
‘And don’t touch the women,’ Wendy said.
‘Would we ever?’ Larry replied.
***
Two funerals in as many days. The funeral of James Holden had been poorly attended; the funeral of Helen Langdon, née Mackay, not so. This time, the church was overflowing. In the front pew, Frank and Betty Mackay. Behind them Linda Holden and the three Adamants, Archie, Abigail, and Howard.
‘We had to come,’ Abigail Adamant said. ‘A mark of respect for her.’
‘The other people here?’ Isaac said.
‘They’re supporters of what my father was trying to achieve, people that he’s helped,’ Linda Holden said, turning around from where she was sitting.
‘They weren’t present at your father’s funeral.’
‘Some were, but the others, they’re fresh out of prison. They don’t want publicity, and there were cameras at my father’s.’
‘There are cameras outside.’
‘Most of them came in through a side entrance. I organised a bus for them, and besides, Helen was one of them.’
Abigail Adamant read from the bible, one of the women who had come on the bus gave a eulogy about what an inspiration Helen had been. Linda Holden also got up and made a speech on behalf of Helen, noting that she was an exceptional woman and their lives had been better for knowing her. No mention was made of James Holden.
At the end of the service, Helen’s father, Archie and Howard Adamant, as well as three men from the bus, carried the coffin to the waiting hearse. Isaac gave Wendy his handkerchief as she was overcome with emotion. ‘It’s so sad,’ she said.
‘What was she, do we know?’ Isaac said.
‘Not really, although I feel sad for her parents.’
‘We’ve got work to do. I need to go with Larry to this club.’
Chapter 8
The night of Helen Langdon’s funeral, two men entered the Dixey Club in Bayswater. ‘It’s not much,’ Larry said. Both men were dressed casually, no ties, no signs of being police officers.
‘Do you want to be up at the front? It’ll cost extra,’ a burly, heavily tattooed man said.
‘We’re fine, wherever,’ Isaac said.
‘Suit yourself. Up front, the girls get friendly.’
‘We should have accepted his offer,’ Larry said. ‘It seems obvious, our refusing. As if
