Tamara perched herself on the edge of the desk and folded her arms across her chest, listening intently.
"Go on."
"Well, a few years back, Adrian Gage started looking into these contracts. I don't know how he got wind of it, but there seemed to be something fishy going on with how the contracts were awarded."
"Corruption again?"
"Yes, for starters," Cassie said. "To cut a long story short, Gage got inside and the tendering process wasn't the only thing going on. Seemingly they had a number of staff on the books who didn't exist. There were salaries being paid for people who no longer worked for the companies the Rowes operated, pension scheme contributions… it was a drop in the ocean. They were billing for services over and above what they were contracted for, a clause regarding exceeding contractual services."
"Necessary services over and above what they'd already been paid for?"
"Correct. Obviously this stuff was charged at a far higher rate and was lucrative. Well, seemingly there was a paper trail for what they did, but it turned out they weren't doing it or not to the degree they claimed."
"Dress it up any way you like but it's still fraud."
"Exactly. And a complex one at that. None of it related to huge numbers, but when you put it all together, then it added up to serious money."
Tamara drew a deep breath, her brow furrowing. "And Gage exposed this?"
"Yes. It put a lot of noses out of joint. Reading between the lines it looks like much of the detail was kept quiet and they tried to keep things in house—"
"Swept under the carpet, you mean."
Cassie smiled. "Yeah. But Gage hit the nationals with that one. The tabloids love a government scandal after all."
"What happened to the Rowes?"
"Michael was the chief financial officer and ultimately the weight of evidence came down on him. He got six years, partly down to his lacklustre efforts in helping track down the money."
"He moved it on, buried it?"
"That was the working theory. Once the funds passed through several accounts out of the country it became harder to find."
"And the brother?"
"Two years suspended."
"He got lucky."
"The CPS couldn't find enough evidence to prove he knew what was going on, as hard as it might seem to believe for the investigating officers and the barrister on behalf of the prosecution. But that's the way it goes sometimes."
"Presumably this was years ago?" Tamara asked, and Cassie confirmed it. "So why is Michael popping up in his notebook now?"
"I ran a check. Both of the Rowes are back living in the area. Michael served two thirds of his six before being released. Had he pleaded guilty, then he would have got half the sentence and with good behaviour could well have been out after eighteen months. As it was, he served just over four. The last two years were served in an open prison where he had frequent day-release opportunities, so wasn’t considered a danger."
"No, financial criminals seldom are."
"Right. He was paroled a month ago. The Rowes lost everything. The parent company folded after they were stripped of all their contracts. Can't be easy starting again in your early sixties. There would likely be a lot of animosity stored up in there. Seemingly at his sentencing hearing, Gage attended and Michael lost the plot. He threatened to find Gage when he got out and that the latter wouldn't see him coming."
"Four years to stoke the fire of revenge," Tamara said. "It's a theory. Do you think Gage would invite him into his home, though? And if he did, allow him the opportunity to attack him?"
"Worth asking."
"Definitely," Tamara said. "Do we have an address for the two of them?"
"Yes. Michael is living in Heacham whereas Les has a place on the outskirts of Sheringham."
"Great. Maybe we should swing by Michael's place and see if he still bears a grudge."
"So, erm…" Cassie said as she picked up her jacket from the back of her chair, looping it over her head and putting it on, "is Tom okay?"
"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
Cassie shrugged. "Just the girlfriend being a… person of interest and all that. Could be disconcerting."
Tamara frowned. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have but it couldn't be avoided forever.
"I haven't confirmed that to him yet." Cassie raised her eyebrows, over-emphasising her surprise. "But I'm pretty sure he already knows. I want to wait until forensics come back before we speak to Alice."
"Understandable."
"You disagree?"
"Not necessarily."
"But?"
"Well, if she has trace evidence on her clothing, then—"
"I'm aware of it, okay?"
Cassie tilted her head to one side. Clearly it wasn't okay, but she chose not to push.
"I'm not going to treat her any differently. Not for Tom's sake or anyone else's. We'll speak to her when the time's right. Understood?"
"Absolutely," Cassie said. "Michael Rowe?"
"Michael Rowe."
Chapter Thirteen
Tom was happy to allow Eric to drive. His restless night's sleep left him with a dull ache in his head that he thought would only grow if he had to focus on the road. Besides, Eric knew the area better than he did. As a child, he had fond memories of the country park that made up the Sandringham Estate, the queen's Royal country residence. Not that he'd ever seen any of the royals personally. The family would gather there every summer at some point, but the estate was more than two hundred-and forty-hectares encompassing forest trails and open parkland. It was a place locals and tourists alike gravitated to, particularly if the coast was taking a hammering from the North Sea winds or if you needed shelter from the burning sun. The designated forest trails offered shelter from both.
But he hadn't been this way for many years. Momentarily, his thoughts drifted to his late parents. Sandringham was somewhere they all used to enjoy visiting. His mother's love of nature, his father's love of open space and his childhood
