‘How did you work it out?’ asked the chief inspector.
Albert puffed out his lips for a second. ‘I think it was when I saw Alan’s face when he returned to the event this morning and heard the less than positive report from Dave 2. The bakers were less than confident about the world record attempt and Alan was horrified by the concept that he might have made the wrong bet.’
‘I would have got nothing,’ Alan admitted sadly.
‘So who killed Jordan Banks?’ Wilshaw wanted to know.
‘Lee Oliver did,’ Albert stated boldly. ‘My guess would be a dispute over money was the cause. In fact, since we are yet to identify the person driving the moped on which Lee Oliver escaped from the fake mugging, I’m willing to bet that is where Jordan comes in.’
Lee Oliver tutted. ‘He saw Crystal get taken away in the ambulance yesterday and got upset because he thought he wouldn’t get his cut. I didn’t mean to hurt him, all right? It was his knife, not mine.’
Albert looked at CI Doyle. ‘I think you can take that as a confession.’
Lee swung his head around. ‘What? No, I never …’
Chief Inspector Doyle cut him off. ‘I think that’ll do it.’ With a nod to his officers, he said, ‘Take them away.’ There was some protesting, but there was nothing the three could say that would get them off.
‘There’s one thing I don’t get,’ said Wilshaw, pausing everyone just as they were leaving. ‘Warren Bradley grabbed Alan Crystal and gave him a beating. How does that fit in with any of this?’
Albert was impressed that someone had picked up on the incongruity. ‘It doesn’t fit. That wasn’t part of Alan’s plan. He was almost over the line when Warren grabbed him. I think Lee genuinely saved him from an even worse beating. Is that about right?’ he asked the three suspects.
Alan took a moment but nodded his head in a barely perceptible motion.
Albert saw it. ‘That was when I knew I had it worked out.’ Alan looked up, wanting to hear more. ‘You claimed Warren was beating you to get you to give up the cash prize. The same one you lied about being in the briefcase. How was Warren going to get the money?’ Albert asked. ‘He had you tied up for the beating.’
Alan hung his head, seeing how weak his on-the-spot lie had been.
Chief Inspector Doyle clicked his fingers. ‘Get them out of here.’
Rosie
Now that the police officers had dispersed to take the three suspects to the local police station and corroborate all that Albert claimed, the old man was left alone with Rex and Gary.
‘You know, Dad,’ Gary said, ‘That was really quite something. I don’t think I could have ever worked that out for myself.’
Albert hoped that wasn’t true, his son had risen through the ranks of the Metropolitan police to be a senior detective after all. To respond, he said, ‘I just pieced it together. I think anyone could have done it, had they been in the same places at the same times and have seen the same things.’
Gary knew his father was being modest and was about to say so when he noticed a young woman waiting timidly a few yards away. He couldn’t remember her name now that she was out of the baker’s uniform that had it embroidered on but recognised her as a woman his father had been talking to. She had a baby balanced on her left hip and a I-don’t-want-to-disturb-you look on her face.
‘Everything all right?’ Gary asked her.
The question drew his father’s eyes around to the right. ‘Rosie,’ he gasped. Yet again he’d forgotten the poor girl.
‘I’ve got your muffin pan and your change,’ she said, holding a bag up with her right arm. Her cheeks coloured. ‘One of the muffin holes is a bit dented,’ she admitted.
Albert chuckled at the memory of Alan’s face stopping dead when she hit him with it. ‘I shall treasure it all the more,’ he told her honestly. ‘I never did get to see your Granny’s wonderful Yorkshire puddings,’ he lamented. Then a lightning bolt of inspiration hit him, propelling him from his chair like he was in his twenties again.
In fact, he got up so fast, he had to take a moment to let his head settle for fear he was about to fall over again. Then he tossed Gary Rex’s lead. ‘Stay here please, Rosie, I will be right back.’
‘But I have to go,’ she wailed after him.
He walked backward for a couple of paces. ‘No, you don’t, Rosie. You need to stay right there. Please indulge me for just a couple of minutes more.’ He hurried away, convinced the sweet girl would stay put until he got back and just prayed he could pull off one last miracle for the day.
Outside, he spotted a gleaming black Bentley Continental and knew it had to be the right car. Waving his arms and yelling like a madman did the trick, convincing the driver to stop his car long enough to see what the crazy old man could possibly want.
‘Mr Bentley,’ Albert wheezed, out of breath from trying to run. ‘You still need a perfect Yorkshire pudding recipe, don’t you?’ It was a question, but Albert wasn’t waiting for an answer. ‘There’s a young woman inside with pudding that will blow your socks off.’ Albert used Rosie’s own choice of phrase from when she talked about them. He sure hoped it wasn’t just hyperbole.
Ethan Bentley was tired and disappointed. The project was an embarrassing bust and a waste of investment. ‘Sorry, I’m just not interested. I cannot be sure any of the contestants were not involved in the cheating scandal here and I won’t align my name with
