Chapter 14
‘Christine Aberman?’ Wendy said at the door of a smart terrace house in Chelsea.
‘If it’s about Ben, it’s been years since I’ve seen him.’
‘Sergeant Wendy Gladstone, Challis Street Police Station. I’ve a few questions.’
‘Come in. You’ll have to mind the house, we’ve got the painters in.’
‘We?’ Wendy said.
‘My husband and I.’
‘You’ve remarried?’
‘Two years ago. A good man, more than I can say of Ben. I’ve kept his surname, though.’
‘What did you know about your husband’s business?’
‘He ran some clubs, downmarket, sleazy.’
‘Did it concern you?’
‘No, should it?’
‘Have you been to the clubs?’
‘Never. He wanted me to go, to see where he made his money, but watching vacuous women gyrating around on a stage does nothing for me.’
‘When did you divorce your husband?’
‘Ten, maybe eleven years. The marriage had slowly been going downhill, and then he was staying away of a night every week or so. I smelt a rat.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I confronted him. He admitted he’d been fooling around, and that was that: no drama, no hysterics, no accusing the other. We phoned up a solicitor friend of ours. He came over to the house, dealt with all the paperwork. This house was part of the settlement.’
‘It’s very nice.’
‘I know it is, and now my new husband is here with me.’
‘What does he do?’
‘Bank manager. It’s not very glamorous, and it doesn’t pay much, but that’s not the point, is it?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He’s reliable, he treats me well, and he doesn’t cheat on me.’
‘Did you ever meet a Helen or a Daisy?’
‘I never met any of his women, and besides, what’s this about?’
‘Your husband’s house in the country. We’ve found a body in the back garden.’
‘And?’
‘You don’t seem concerned.’
‘My husband mixed with some unsavoury characters. If there’s a body at the house, I’d not be surprised. Is it Ben?’
‘We’ll need to conduct further tests.’
‘What do you want from me?’
‘Dental records, or somewhere we can obtain them. Also, DNA.’
‘I can give you the name of a dentist he used to use.’
‘A photo?’
‘It’s a few years old.’
***
The Dixey Club with the lights on and in the middle of the day was not the same as Isaac and Larry had seen it previously. It was still too early for the women to be on the premises, although the manager, Barry Knox, was, as was his heavy, Gus.
‘What do you want?’ Gus said.
‘Knox here?’ Isaac said.
‘He’s busy unless you’ve got a warrant.’
‘I’ve got a police car outside. It wouldn’t take much to get a few uniforms to haul you off to the police station, let you cool your heels for a few hours.’
‘On what charge?’
‘Letting minors in, selling drugs.’
‘I’ve not done that.’
‘If you haven’t, then you’re the only door manager in the area who hasn’t. We could always give you a strip search, check out where you live.’
‘Okay, you’ve made your point. I’ll get Knox for you.’
‘Bit tough there,’ Larry said.
‘We need to put the pressure on these two. Knox knows something, and Gus, he’s the guy who does the dirty work.’
After a few minutes, long enough for Isaac and Larry to look around the place, Barry Knox emerged. ‘I’ve got a busy workload. Is this important?’
‘The parties at Aberman’s, did you ever attend?’
‘What did I tell you last time?’
‘Last time, you were playing us for suckers. We can either talk here or down at Challis Street. Which do you prefer?’
‘We’ve done nothing wrong. We have all the licences in place.’
‘What about the bed at the back? Is it licensed? What do you do with the video of the men with your women on the bed? Share it amongst your friends, indulge in a little blackmail?’
‘The camera is for security. The bed is for first aid. We’ve been through this before. If you’re trying to wind me up, you’re wasting your time.’
‘I could have you for half a dozen violations. What I want to know is why you and Gus were in Aberman’s garden digging a hole late at night.’
‘Are you serious? I’d been to his parties a few times, but it wasn’t for gardening.’
‘Cocaine, women, alcohol?’
‘Why not? Aberman may have had his faults, but the man knew how to live, and he used to get some classy women there.’
‘And the women were available?’
‘That’s why they were there.’
‘Our crime scene investigation team have found a body buried in Aberman’s garden. We also know two men dug the grave. One was short, looked like a weasel. The other one was tall, heavily-built, similar to a wrestler. Sound familiar?’
‘You can’t go insulting me like that,’ Knox said.
‘I can and I will until you start talking. Helen, was she ever at one of those parties?’
‘I saw her there once, but she didn’t take part. I told you before, she was strictly in the club as eye candy. She’d get the money from the men, and then Daisy and the other women would go in for the kill. Helen, she was Aberman’s woman, and if anyone touched her, he’d have Gus take him out the back door.’
‘A severe beating?’
‘They’d not come back here again,’ Gus said.
‘Let’s come back to what we were talking about,’ Larry said. ‘Ben Aberman has these parties. They’re wild, and there’s plenty of wrongdoing, but we’re not interested in any of that. We’re interested in why a body is buried in his garden. Now, the question once again. Did you two bury the man?’
‘It wasn’t us.’
‘But you know who it was.’
‘Gus,’ Knox looked over at the heavy, ‘it’s up
