‘I’m not so sure about the others in your gang.’
‘Warren Preston’s the stupidest of all.’
‘You took the money, did nothing, and made yourself scarce.’
‘Wazza, he’s vanished.’
‘If you didn’t do it, then who did?’
‘I reckon those in the car did it when they realised they’d been duped. Candy from a baby, that easy it was.’
The man who gave you the money. Describe him?’
‘Posh, looked as though he came from money.’
‘Look? How can you tell that?’ Larry asked.
‘The same way you do. The way he stood, his speech, the manicured nails, the Breitling watch, not a fifty-pound fake with a Seiko inside.’
‘I hope they don’t find you,’ Ross said. ‘You wouldn’t stand a chance.’
‘Around here? We’re invincible,’ Conroy said as he got back into the car.
The patrol car passed again. Larry and Ross settled back into their vehicle.
‘I could do with a pint,’ Ross said. ‘How about you?’
‘Sounds great,’ Larry replied. ‘Did they do it?’
‘Probably. Life has no value to them. Robinson was a damn fool, nobody comes down here by choice unless they have little regard for their safety.’
‘If they didn’t do it, they’re dead; if they did and got a good look at the two men, they’ll still be dead,’ Larry said.
Chapter 14
Isaac decided that too much time had been spent out at Canning Town, and whereas the death of Hector Robinson could be relevant, it was unclear why.
Jane Doe and Janice Robinson were close to home; Bill Ross could deal with Janice’s father, spend more time with the gangs, try and understand why they would have killed Hector Robinson, money aside; denials from them were not believed, and it was a typical gang slaying.
Jim Robinson had identified his father, spent time with his brother, and had been returned to Maidstone Prison.
Tim Winston was still in the family home, just. As Maeve Winston, who had found out the truth about her husband and Janice Robinson after a late-night tearful confession from Tim, had admitted to Wendy, ‘I suspected something, but not Gladys’s daughter.’
Maeve said that she had always wanted Tim, but he had wanted to play the field, as all young men did. She had wished for the white wedding, not out of convention, but because she was still pure. The reason that Tim had wanted her, Maeve said.
‘Pure and chaste, that’s what they want, all of them. Even Hector, not that he got it.’
‘You knew him?’ Wendy asked.
They were in the front room of the Winstons’ home; one forty-five in the afternoon. Maeve Winston had called her for a chat. Tim was at work, and Rose wasn’t due home for another two hours.
‘It’s about Janice,’ Maeve said. ‘I knew she was in that awful bedsit, selling herself to any drunk or lecher who wanted her.’
‘How?’
‘Before Jim had started getting himself into trouble, and Janice was still innocent, I used to meet with Gladys. Not often, once every couple of months.’
‘Your husband?’
‘He didn’t like it, but he knew. We were going through a rough patch, money-wise, not the marriage. Sure, Tim had wandering eyes, but I kept him under control.’
‘You don’t seem the sort of person to keep anyone under control,’ Wendy said.
‘There was no need for him to look elsewhere. If you think that he’s the great lover, you’d be wrong. It’s a pretence, him and Janice.’
‘I’m not sure I understand,’ Wendy said as she picked up a chocolate biscuit from the plate in her lap.
‘Gladys used to confide in me, tell me about her family and her fears for Janice.’
‘From her father?’
‘Don’t always believe Gladys. She always saw things that weren’t there.’
‘Janice was abused by some of the men that her mother had in the house from time to time.’
‘You’re aware that Gladys was an escort?’
‘Is it relevant?’
‘I don’t know, only that Hector didn’t want to be reminded of it, not when they argued, and she’d bring up as to how beautiful she had been and what she could have made of her life, the offers she received.’
‘Where’s this heading?’
‘Tim, I want to leave him, once Rose finishes school, goes to university, but I’m not sure about her choice in Brad.’
‘I thought you were alright with it.’
‘I was, but on reflection, his family, their history. He can’t be untouched by it. Sure, for now he’s fine, but he’s still young.’
‘I don’t think it’s up to you. Rose is nearly sixteen; it’s not you that she’ll be listening to.’
‘Up north, there’s a job I’m qualified for. I could go there, take Rose.’
‘Maeve, you can’t take Rose, even if she wants to go, not now. It’s too late for that. You should have done something years before.’
‘It wasn’t important, but with Janice…’
‘What is it? Out with it.’
‘Gladys never stopped with the men, not even when she was married to Hector. He knew that. The man would never have touched his daughter, nor would he have played around, but Gladys couldn’t help herself.’
‘Janice?’
‘I think she was Tim’s.’
‘Does he believe that?’
‘I knew about him and Gladys at school, and then, around the time when Janice could have been conceived, a meeting at the school for the parents.’
‘Yes,’ Wendy said. Not another one, she thought. Why is that every time Homicide believes that it’s starting to get a handle on the investigation, another unknown comes into play.
‘I was there with Tim, but I left early for some reason or another. Later that evening, much later, Tim comes in, takes a shower, and climbs into bed. I could see by the look on his face that it had to be Gladys. She was on her own that time; they had separated, and Gladys
