“That’s a stretch, Geoff, surely?” said Gus. “Did any of the police or forensic people working there that afternoon even know Marion Reeves? Apart from the fact that we know she was married before she met Theo Reeves, we’ve got nothing to suggest Marion ever got involved in any dodgy business before she met Theo.”
“Check with Theo Reeves,” said Geoff. “Show him a list of names, without revealing the background, and check whether he recognises someone Marion mentioned. Was there anything else?”
“You mentioned Marion’s first husband,” said Gus. “Neil Davis told me when we got back from Wilton Graham Street suffered a heart attack last night. It’s touch and go. Neil has gone to Odstock to see if we can question Street if he pulls through. Neil will stay with Street until midnight. My other two lads will cover the following sixteen hours. The doctors told Neil the next twenty-four hours were critical.”
“Why do you need to speak to Graham Street, anyway?” asked Geoff. “He wasn’t on the scene when Marion died, was he? They got divorced twenty years earlier. Did the investigating team even check whether he had an alibi for the time of the murder?”
“Billie Wightman and Matt Price never found a viable suspect with the evidence they uncovered,” said Gus. “I believe the answer lies in Marion’s past; therefore, it could revolve around her relationship with Graham Street. The murder file held practically no information on Street. Perhaps you’re right. Billie Wightman didn’t bother with Graham Street because she thought he was old news and irrelevant. I’ll call Neil and tell him to watch the situation and report back. We’ll hold off on interrogating the guy as soon as he regains consciousness.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Gus,” said Geoff.
Gus had prepared everything for their meal when Suzie arrived home.
“You’ve got time to shower and change,” said Gus. “Have you changed your mind about the grilled cheese?”
Suzie wrinkled her nose and went into the bedroom.
“All the more for me then,” said Gus, putting the steaks onto the grill.
After they had eaten, they spent an hour relaxing in the back garden.
“Next summer, this will be a glass of wine rather than lemonade,” said Suzie.
“I’m enjoying my lemonade. Did you hear from Vicky Bennison yet?” asked Gus.
“Not yet,” said Suzie. “I plan to call her before the weekend if she doesn’t get back to me. How did it go in Wilton?”
Gus outlined the various meetings and conversations he’d had during the day
“What did you think of Theo Reeves’ behaviour towards his stepson?” asked Suzie.
“It might seem harsh,” said Gus, “but we don’t know the full story between Martyn and Stephanie. I found Theo’s account of their first meeting of interest. What did you make of that?”
“What, because Marion didn’t want to give Theo an insight into her failed marriage?” said Suzie. “I can understand that. She didn’t hide the fact she had a child by marriage, though, did she? Theo knew what he was taking on from the off. He could have walked away.”
“From what he told us this morning, Theo didn’t realise Martyn would pose the problems he did,” said Gus. “After twenty years, perhaps he’d had enough. Theo couldn’t face dealing with it after losing his wife and seeing his daughter suffer a breakdown.”
“No matter how we view the way matters got handled after Marion’s murder, I can’t see how Theo, Martyn, or Stephanie could figure in it. They had solid alibis, but what possible motive did they have? I haven’t heard you say you’ve found evidence they weren’t the happy family everyone saw from the outside.”
“Apart from Theo’s unproved suspicion over Martyn and Stephanie, Marion and Theo are squeaky clean. Maybe when I speak to the builders, I’ll discover the couple had a dark side.”
“Neil didn’t call with news on Graham Street,” said Suzie. “What a terrible shock for his lady friend.”
“Luke took over from Neil at midnight last night,” said Gus. “Graham Street is ten years older than me. I’ve lived a sheltered life, and at my last medical, the doctor said I had the heart of a fifty-year-old.”
“When was that?” asked Suzie.
“Just before I retired,” said Gus.
“Idiot. Why did you say your life was sheltered in comparison, anyway?”
“Theo Reeves told us Graham Street had several children with different women. One might call his life unconventional; it certainly wasn’t sheltered. Sooner or later, that lifestyle will catch up with you.”
“How do you plan to avoid that happening to you?” asked Suzie.
“I’ll rely on you to help me eat well, restrict my alcohol intake, and have as many early nights as possible.”
“Is it worth the risk?” asked Suzie.
“With you, always,” said Gus.
Tuesday, 21st August 2018
The alarm rang at seven o’clock, and Gus rolled out of bed. You can’t beat a solid eight hours’ sleep. As he stood in the shower, Gus heard Suzie moving around in the kitchen, Waffles for breakfast unless he was mistaken. He towelled himself dry and ticked off the list of questions he wanted to ask Stephanie Reeves.
“Coffee and waffles?” asked Suzie when Gus reached the kitchen.
“The perfect combination,” he replied, “as long as they’re separate.”
They sat and ate in companionable silence. All was right with the world.
Gus knew on days such as this that things couldn’t last. It had started too well.
Suzie was in the shower at a quarter to eight when the house phone rang in the hallway.
Gus prayed it was his old friend asking after Dorothy. No such luck.
“Morning, guv,” said Luke Sherman. “Graham Street didn’t make it. He passed away at around six-thirty this morning without regaining consciousness. I sent Alex a text telling him not to bother driving over from Chippenham. He’ll be in the office at nine. Do you want me to hang around here to
