“Where did Martyn do his weight-training?” asked Gus.
“You would have to ask Arthur,” said Serena, “I’m not a huge fan of such places. I enjoy swimming to keep fit, and as long as I can lift a glass of wine, that’s good enough for me.”
“I’ve made a note of it, guv,” said Luke.
“Will we be much longer?” asked Serena. “I’ve missed the rush hour sitting here with you. My supervisor will land me with the washing-up.”
“I don’t think there’s anything we haven’t asked, Ms Campbell,” said Gus. “If you change your mind about giving us those names, please call me on this number.
Gus handed her a card.
“There was one thing,” said Gus, taking a leaf out of Blessing’s playbook. “You said you could take a stab at the names of women who might have had children by Graham Street. Can you write the most likely women on the back of that card? I’ll give you another one. I’ve got plenty.”
Luke stayed at the table while Serena Campbell scribbled three names. Gus visited the toilets before the trip back to the office.
“An afternoon of surprises, Luke,” said Gus when they were in the car motoring on the A360.
“We should get back to the office in forty minutes, guv,” said Luke. “Just enough time to brief the team on the highlights before they head home.”
“How many places in the Wilton area offer weight training facilities, Luke?”
“I’d need to check that one, guv. If you’re after a men-only, serious weights type of club, then one or two. Women lift weights too as part of a structured fitness regime. There could be half-a-dozen businesses covering all aspects of well-being.”
“Can it be a coincidence Marion Reeves died on Stephenson Road, only forty yards from a gym?”
“The blackmailer told Marion to park on Stephenson Road, guv,” said Luke. “They didn’t specify where, and from what you and Lydia said about the size of the site, Stephenson Road covers a lot of ground.”
“We need confirmation from Arthur Jackson,” said Gus. “He’s four years older than me. Even twenty years ago, when Martyn started adding muscle to his enormous frame, I can’t picture Arthur Jackson renewing a gym membership every year.”
“What did you make of Serena Campbell’s story?” asked Luke.
“I see no reason not to believe the lady,” said Gus.
“Why are young women so gullible?” asked Luke.
“I’m sure there are a dozen reasons, Luke,” said Gus. “In Serena and Marion’s case, look at their family lives. Marion arrived in Salisbury from Ringwood after her parent's marriage ended. Marion had no father on the scene when she was in her early teens. How did her mother cope with the split and a growing daughter? Why didn’t her Mum intervene when Marion played truant from school? Where was she when Marion stayed out late or came home drunk? Did she report Marion missing when she started staying the night at Graham Street’s place? We don’t know; there could have been a combination of things to explain that. The same applies to Serena. Her parents came up trumps a decade after Serena left home, but what were they doing when she started smoking, drinking, and skipping school at fourteen? Serena slept with Dave Francis when she was fifteen. I would hope I’d provide better protection for a child of mine from evil men like Street and Francis.”
“I bet you don’t regret not having kids, guv,” said Luke. “They must be a constant worry for parents.”
“But then I look around the Old Police Station office and look at the five of you. Despite the grey hairs that you caused your parents, you’ve turned out okay. Although, some days, I wonder whether they’ve passed that worry onto me.”
Luke thought of the arguments he had with his father when he first came out and thought Gus would have handled it better.
CHAPTER 10
“Right,” said Gus when he and Luke arrived back in the office. “Listen up; it’s twenty minutes before the end of play for the day. I hoped to have time to give you extended highlights of our meetings with Martyn Street and Serena Campbell, but time is tight. How did you get on with Theo Reeves, Lydia?”
“I showed him photos of Billie Wightman, Matt Price, Phil Youngman, Warren Baker and an assortment of uniformed officers and forensics people, guv. There was nobody among the list that didn’t at one point set foot inside the tent.”
“Good. How did Theo react?”
“Theo Reeves recognised Wightman and Price at once. He said they were the detectives who visited him frequently after the murder. I watched as Theo scanned the array of photos. I’d swear he wasn’t trying to pull the wool over my eyes, guv. He said he didn’t recognise any of the others. When I asked whether he thought Marion might have known them, he shrugged his shoulders.”
“Did you ask him to explain?” asked Gus.
“Of course, guv,” said Lydia. “Theo said that over the past seven years, he’d questioned just how well he had known Marion. He was positive he’d seen none of those faces during the twenty-three years they were married. If she knew one, or more, of those people, it was before they met.”
“Did you stay with Theo long?” asked Gus.
“He offered to make me a cup of coffee, guv. I reckon he’s lonely.”
“I’m sure you got him talking,
