‘Jealous because you didn’t have his charm?’
‘I manage well enough.’
‘And that you do,’ Wendy said. ‘Not only did you find out about Christine giving him money, you then forced her to give you money as well. And services rendered as an additional benefit.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘You forced her to have sex with you. Did you fancy her before Colin Young? Did you see her with him, know what was going on?’
‘Nothing can be proved.’
‘True, nothing can be proved without Christine Mason’s corroborating evidence. She’s willing to tell all, even though it’s her career and probably her marriage.’
‘I don’t believe you. And yes, we slept together, but it was by mutual consent.’
‘You’re not a Colin Young,’ Wendy said. ‘Christine was in love with him and believed it was reciprocated. And then you’re putting pressure on her.’
‘What you can do, Mr Marshall, is to tell us the truth, the same as Christine Mason. Hopefully, the judge will be lenient,’ Isaac said.
‘He won’t be.’
Which meant to the two police officers that either Marshall had an innate understanding that what he had committed against Christine Mason was wrong or he had a previous criminal conviction. Bridget had checked Marshall out, found that he had been born in London and had worked in several leading hotels, and had advanced from reception into management over the years. There were no apparent black marks against him.
‘That’s probable. Taking money is one thing, forcing a woman to prostitute herself to protect her family is not something that a jury will warm to.’
‘Christine knew the cost. And who said it was forced? It could have been consensual.’
‘We’ll deal with that in due course. It’s not necessarily a criminal matter, even if it’s distasteful, but asking her to take money for you, is. Are you willing to admit to it?’
‘To what? Yes, I knew what she was doing, and I confided to her that I was willing to let her resolve the situation. There was no pressure from me for her to do anything.’
‘It’s your word against hers,’ Isaac said. He knew Marshall was correct in what he was saying, not that it made him believe his denial. The man had a seedy look, the sort of man that would sit in the front at a strip joint stuffing pound notes into the gyrating woman’s underwear, the sort of man that would…
Isaac shuddered at the thought, having spent enough time in such places, even pretending to be an avid spectator on an undercover operation. Larry had enjoyed himself, though, and he had been free and easy with police money. The stripper that night had gone home with taxpayer money, not that it had helped her the next day when she had been arrested for dealing drugs.
‘Mr Marshall,’ Wendy said, still maintaining her cool, ‘what will the hotel say when they find out that you’ve condoned a crime, been part of it?’
‘Nothing,’ Marshall said, folding his arms and sitting back on his chair.
‘Why?’
‘I’ve already sent a report to head office.’
‘Why would you do that?’
‘Because I know my job. The money that Christine’s taken is not that much; a criminal case against her is bad publicity. The hotel chain’s senior management will make a decision as to what to do. And it’s not a crime if it’s not reported, is it?’
‘If the hotel doesn’t press charges, then maybe it’s not,’ Wendy conceded.
‘Okay, it’s not a crime,’ Isaac said. ‘If the senior hotel executive corroborates your story, where to from here?’
‘There’s nowhere. Christine will be removed from her position with a suitable payout, her record of employment unblemished.’
‘And you, a criminal, will walk free.’
‘Innocent until proven guilty, isn’t it? Or do you have a different view?’
‘Even though I find you repugnant,’ Wendy said, ‘there remains the issue that you used this knowledge of her wrongdoing as a lever against her. Doesn’t that concern you, don’t you have any concept that what you have done is wrong?’
‘Ask Christine again,’ Marshall said. ‘I told her when I first found out about her fiddling the books for her fancy man that I’d protect her. That’s what I’ve done.’
‘She gave me a statement,’ Wendy said.
‘She spoke to you, but she can always rescind the statement. She’s not going to jeopardise her freedom, her marriage, her respect in the community, so that you can exact your vengeance on me.’
On the one hand, the man had saved Christine; on the other, he had forced her to sleep with him. Wendy wanted to climb across the table and scratch his eyes out, but she did nothing.
‘Will she continue to have sex with you?’ Wendy said, her voice unsteady.
‘That’s up to her. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a busy day ahead,’ Marshall said standing up.’
‘Not so fast,’ Isaac interrupted the man leaving. ‘There is still the murdered man.’
‘What’s that to do with me?’
‘You murdered him.’
Marshall laughed, not sure whether the police officer was serious or not. ‘You’re clutching at straws,’ he said. ‘I’ve protected your sergeant’s friend, and now you want to pin a murder on me. Why would I have killed him?’
Wendy wasn’t sure of her DCI’s strategy, but she’d go along with it.
‘You’re a smart man, maybe too smart for your own good. You’d seen Christine with the man, and then you found out that she had been taking money. Naivety on her part, but then love does that to people, not that it excuses her actions.’
‘Get to the point. I don’t have time for this.’
‘Making you nervous? You realise where I’m going with this, is that it? Too close to home, too close to the truth? Archibald Marshall, or should I call you Archie, you are just a snivelling little street hustler. We’ll
