‘Mr Dundas?’ Isaac said.
‘Yes, of course. My apologies. Mr Lawrence’s death has thrown us all out of kilter.’
‘We’re told he was your only client.’
‘He was, but that’s not surprising. You’re aware of his substantial holdings?’
‘Not in detail. We’re researching them now.’
‘Not all of them are in this country. He was a canny man, purchased when the market was low, never sold, or rarely. There’s more money in having the properties rented out than buying and selling. The costs only multiply, stamp duty, taxes. I’m sure you know how it is.’
Isaac didn’t, as he still had his flat in Willesden, and he had no intention of moving. Larry did, as his wife was determined to buy somewhere larger. The only problem was that she could only envisage the furniture that she would need to buy, the colour of the curtains, the marble-topped counters in the kitchen. She did not consider what Dundas had just mentioned: the hidden costs, the removal company, the increased payment on the mortgage, the solicitor’s fees. He knew she would not stop talking about the move, and he knew that without promotion he would struggle with the payments.
‘What do you plan to do now?’ Isaac asked.
‘For me, I’m past my retirement age. I only stayed on with the firm because of Gilbert. My daughter is the junior partner. She looks after the day-to-day operations.’
‘What can you tell us about Gilbert Lawrence?’
‘Where to start? He was a brilliant man, although after Dorothy died, he changed, so much so that I barely recognised him towards the end.’
‘But you met with him. We’re assuming he spoke to you.’
‘He did, but only in truncated sentences, as he would have a prepared list of actions to follow. I would give him a report, the template we had agreed on many years ago. Our conversations were normally short, no more than a few sentences spoken by either, no mention of the weather, or the family.’
‘Are you saying he never asked after his family?’
‘Never. Howard Hughes syndrome some would call it, although with Gilbert it wasn’t a fear of germs, but the loss of his wife.’
‘You’re aware of what was in the house?’
‘I am now. What can I say? I never went into the main part of the house, never through that door with its bolt.’
‘Where did you meet him?’
‘In the kitchen. He made sure that the back door was bolted and the blinds were down. He didn’t want Molly Dempster to come in.’
‘But he kept her on.’
‘She had been with the family for a long time. As far as he was concerned, she was the only person he could trust.’
‘And you?’
‘He didn’t trust me. He needed me, and he knew what I did, and how much I should charge. He also entrusted me with buying property for him.’
‘Easy to cheat?’
‘You can see the office here. He paid for it, the renovations, everything. The man has made me rich. Why would I have cheated him?’
‘And now?’
‘I have his will and his power of attorney. In the meantime, his empire needs to be tended, and in time sold off, or passed on to those who inherit.’
‘Are you able to tell us the contents of his will?’ Larry asked.
‘Not at this time. It is sealed in a bank vault, duly witnessed. I will read it out to his family and other interested parties in due course. You have to remember that Gilbert, regardless of how he lived, was not a fool. He had amassed over two hundred and thirty properties around the world: shopping centres, office blocks, residential and commercial. We have in this office the deeds to over two billion pounds worth of real estate. He was a tough negotiator, a tough landlord. Such men make enemies, even within their own family.’
‘Ralph and Caroline, his children?’
‘Ralph was a disappointment, although he would not be capable of murder.’
‘Why not?’
‘The man would rather scrounge off others. He’s a charismatic man, managed to charm a few women out of their savings. But murder, not Ralph.’
‘Caroline?’
‘She would be capable, but unlikely. She has a good life, and her husband is doing well.’
‘Well enough? There are hundreds of millions of pounds at stake here. Irresistible to a lot of people.’
‘Not so easy to get hold of. There are overseas trusts, offshore accounts, umbrella companies. Unravelling those, if we have to, will take a long time. We, as a company, will be fully occupied with Gilbert Lawrence for many years.’
‘His death doesn’t appear to concern you?’
‘It does. The man was a friend, even before his wife died, even after he became a recluse.’
‘He had what he wanted, his wife with him.’
‘Is it related to his death?’
‘We don’t know. We had hoped you could enlighten us.’
‘Not me,’ Dundas said. ‘I never went in there. The first I knew, the first any of us knew, was when your people found her. She was an attractive woman when she was alive. I suppose she isn’t now?’
‘Unrecognisable.’
***
‘DCI Isaac Cook, what took you so long?’ Graham Picket, the pathologist, said. To Isaac, it was a muted welcome, in that the man was usually more vocal when he and Larry walked into Pathology.
‘I thought you’d appreciate some more time with Mrs Lawrence.’
‘Rubbish. You were busy elsewhere. Otherwise, I would have been chasing you out of here.’
‘Maybe. What do you have?’
‘Female. No sign of major trauma. From what I can see the woman died of natural causes, although with just a skeleton, it’s not possible to be conclusive. No sign of a bullet or a knife or a blunt weapon on the bones.’
‘Is that all you can tell us?’
‘You’ve given me nothing to work with. We’ve confirmed that it’s Dorothy Lawrence. Dental records, a DNA swab
