“I thought you’d never ask,” said Gus. “Anything but a lemon drizzle cake.”
CHAPTER 9
Serena Campbell joined the pair after three o’clock. Gus had enjoyed his slice of fruit cake and was finishing his cup of coffee.
“I’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, Ms Campbell,” said Gus. “My name is Freeman, and my colleague is Detective Sergeant Sherman. Wiltshire Police asked my team to take a fresh look into Marion Reeves’s murder. Her daughter, Stephanie, gave us your name this morning. It explained something her father told me yesterday. Theo said Marion came here on the Sunday afternoon before she died to buy bedding plants. When she returned home later than expected at four o’clock, Marion explained she’d visited the café for coffee and cake. When Stephanie told us how close you and Marion were, it seemed obvious it was with you she shared afternoon tea.”
“We met here from time to time,” said Serena. “I doubt Marion mentioned me to Theo. Marion would have said she sat alone.”
“Why was that Ms Campbell?” said Gus. “Stephanie said much the same thing. She thought Marion kept your friendship a secret from Theo.”
“I met Marion a few months after she moved to Salisbury to live, Mr Freeman. We were both fifteen years old and attended different schools. My parents paid an exorbitant amount each term for my schooling, while Marion went to the local comprehensive. Yet, within weeks we found we were kindred spirits with a rebellious nature.”
“You both started smoking and drinking,” said Gus. “You skipped school and mixed with people who get young girls into trouble.”
“A rather old-fashioned attitude, Mr Freeman,” said Serena with a mocking smile.
“When did you meet Graham Street?” asked Gus.
“Graham spotted us drinking in pubs where we had no right to be,” said Serena. “He spent time and money on us, and it flattered us.”
“Street groomed you, is that right?” asked Luke.
“We were having fun,” said Serena. “Graham knew so many people. Some older than him, but they had one thing in common. They had plenty of money. It was obvious from the moment we met him that Graham fancied Marion, even though he knew we were both under sixteen. I felt left out, but Graham was so keen to get Marion alone he introduced me to Dave Francis when we were in a nightclub. Dave was an antique dealer and auctioneer. After that night, we went around in a foursome.”
“Did you have sex with this man Francis before you reached sixteen?” asked Gus.
“What do you think?” replied Serena. “Marion and Graham were at it too. We were having fun, mixing with a group of grown-ups. Several drinks gave us a pleasant buzz every night, without ever having to pay for them. We thought it would last forever.”
“Marion married Graham Street,” said Luke. “What happened with you?”
“Campbell is my maiden name,” said Serena. “I married Dave Francis. Marion was eighteen when she and Graham got married. Dave had proposed to me on my seventeenth birthday. We married in a registry office two months later.”
“So, Marion and Graham married in 1984,” said Gus. “They had Martyn four years later. Yet, by 1990, Marion had left her husband and taken Martyn to live with you. Have I got that right? Martyn mentioned your name earlier this afternoon when I asked if he remembered the house he lived in when he was a young child.”
“I had split from Dave the year before,” said Serena. “I reverted to my maiden name as soon as possible. I didn’t want to be associated with that man any longer than necessary.”
“Things turned sour,” said Luke.
“Things couldn’t have been hunky-dory, Luke,” said Gus. “Can you explain something to me, Ms Campbell? Do you believe Graham Street and Dave Francis married for love?”
“I don’t think either man knew the meaning of the word, Mr Freeman,” said Serena. “Marion and I were naïve and gullible from the outset. Two stupid young girls besotted with older, wealthy lovers. You continue to see that lethal combination around the world today. Nothing changes. The men have the money and power; the women are playthings to be enjoyed on a whim and cast aside when a prettier face with a younger body arrives on the scene. Graham and Derek had a slight variation on that routine. They married us to give them an extra element of control. We didn’t realise it at first because we were so pleased someone, so well-connected, wanted to make us their wife.”
“When did events take a turn for the worse for you?” asked Gus.
“Before the wedding,” said Serena, “I know how stupid it sounds, but I loved Dave and would do anything for him. Marion felt the same way about Graham. We lived in flats they owned in the same building in the city centre. They picked us up one night, and we drove into the country to a quiet village pub. Graham bought a round of drinks and introduced us to a group of his friends. After the pub shut, we went to a party in a big house outside the village, miles from anywhere. There were four men and four women in their late thirties, early forties. The person who owned the house kept topping up our wine glasses. I saw Dave on the other side of the room dancing with a woman. She was touching him. I saw Graham leave the room with another woman. Marion wanted to go after him, but Dave grabbed her arm and told her to behave. Dave said it was just fun, and it meant nothing. We should go with the flow and enjoy something different.”
“That was the first party of many, I presume?” asked Gus.
“Every weekend, there was a party somewhere in or near Salisbury those two organised. When I
