Frozen Grave (37 page)

‘Did you stay in London that evening?’

‘Yes. I had things to do.’

‘Busy time?’

‘I spent the evening with my agent.’

‘From what time was that?’

‘From seven. I left the other women and I walked to the station with Lisa. Emily was going the other way, Paula was just next door, working. I left Lisa at the station and then went to do
some shopping and met up with my agent at about nine.’

‘That’s quite a long time to go shopping.’

‘Of course it isn’t.’

‘But the shops close normal time now – that’s half five.’

‘Okay, so you’re right – I spent my time drinking in various bars, until I met my agent. I don’t get into town much so I like to enjoy myself. I was staying the night at
my agent’s, so I could afford to let my hair down.’

‘Did you drive up to town?’

‘Yes. It’s just too much of a nuisance sometimes to leave the car at Plymouth Airport or at Exeter St David’s to catch the train. By the time I do that I could be halfway
there. Then there’s all the disruption to the track because of the storms. Look – I’m sorry but I don’t get your line of questioning. Have I done something wrong?’

‘We would urge that you don’t entertain the idea of having JJ Ellerman to stay here until we solve these deaths.’

‘I can’t believe he is capable of anything like that.’

‘You never saw any flares in his temper, or any behaviour that worried you?’

‘I’ve seen the normal stuff associated with a man who is used to being Mr Big. He loves the sound of his own voice. He is short-tempered, but I wouldn’t say his temper is a
major problem.’

‘When we went into Lisa’s house, we found something that we think belongs to you.’ Tucker took out his phone and showed Megan a photo of her painting. ‘We found this on
Lisa’s lounge wall.’

Megan shook her head. ‘Figures. JJ often came down with random gifts. I expect we’ve all got things that belong to others. It sums him up, doesn’t it? We’re all part of a
chain, aren’t we? Interlinked.’

‘Can I ask you again what you and the other women decided to do about your “interlinked” relationships and financial dealings with JJ Ellerman? I am trying to persuade the
women who have invested in his so-called business ventures to consider pressing charges. It will give us the ability to thoroughly investigate him.’

‘Personally? I didn’t invest money and I will chalk it all up to experience. I can’t speak for the other women. I intend to have my say with JJ Ellerman, then walk away for
ever.’

After the detectives had left, Megan phoned Emily and left a message for her to return her call ASAP.

Twenty minutes later she got a call.

‘I’ve had the police here too,’ Megan told her. ‘They’ve just left. Remember – they can’t start investigating the fraud case unless one of us makes a
complaint. As long as no one does that then there’s a chance to get the money back straight from Ellerman. How are you getting on with drafting a statement for him to sign?’

‘I think I’ve taken everyone’s case into consideration. I have stipulated that we all become equal partners and decision-makers in his Spanish business. Everything he does is
run through us first and we get total control of his funds for the business.’

‘When will it be ready and when can you come down?’

‘I can come tomorrow.’

‘They told me about poor Lisa.’

‘Yes. It was a shock.’

‘Are we suspects?’ asked Emily.

‘I think they’re just trying to tie it all up in a time-frame. If anyone’s a suspect – it’s JJ.’

‘Any news, Eb?’ said Carter. Willis was looking at a message on her phone. They were in a lay-by on the moors, where Carter had pulled over to talk plans.

‘It’s a phone call about my mum again.’

‘You want to ring the hospital?’

‘No. I would rather just talk about the Ellerman case and I’ll ring them later when we stop for a coffee on the way.’

‘Okay – you’re in charge.’

‘Is your mum okay?’ asked Tucker. ‘She’s in hospital?’

‘Yes. It’s all okay, thanks.’ A heavy silence in the car meant that everyone got the message that Willis was dealing with things in her own way.

‘I’ll send the voice recordings up to Robbo,’ she said as she opened her laptop.

‘So what observations do you have of our interviews?’ said Carter when she seemed to have finished.

‘Okay.’ She took out her notebook. ‘My main observations on talking to Emily Porter yesterday and Megan Penarth today was that they were not telling us what was actually said
at the meeting between the four women. They are closing ranks on us and I would guess that Megan Penarth is the ring leader.’

‘But she didn’t give him any money.’

‘No, but she gave him something more important to her – she gave him her trust,’ replied Willis.

Tucker was sitting in the back seat. He was thinking and staring out of the window at the moors. ‘And . . . correct me if I’m wrong, but she’s a woman’s woman and a
little bit more. She took a shine to Ebony here,’ he said.

‘She was motherly . . . I think.’ Willis turned to look at him.

‘No, Tucker is right,’ said Carter. ‘She was intrigued by you. She couldn’t take her eyes off you.’

‘In my opinion –’ Tucker leant forward to talk to them between the front seats – ‘she will want revenge. She’s more angry than hurt. But she’s become a
representative for all of the women and all of their grievances with Ellerman.’

‘What about Ellerman?’ said Carter. ‘What do we do about him now?’

‘We have the women shutting us out and we have Ellerman with enough alibis to sink a ship. They want to deal with this themselves.’

‘Even though we’ve told them he could be a murderer.’

‘Yes. They don’t seem to get it. They don’t think he’s capable.’

‘Because he’s not, maybe?’ Willis looked across at Carter. ‘Because one of them or more than one of them knows more than we think about the murders?’

‘They didn’t know about one another till the letter came?’ said Tucker.

‘Perhaps. We only have their words for that,’ answered Carter.

‘We need someone on the inside,’ said Tucker.

‘Harding.’ Willis looked across at Carter. ‘Could we ask Harding?’

‘Ring her now and tell her we need her help.’

‘Harding? She’s one of the names on the list?’ Tucker got out the list to look her up. ‘Dr Jo Harding?’

‘Yes. She’s the pathologist attached to Archway. She’s already agreed to help.’

‘Were they close?’

‘No. Harding’s never close to anyone,’ answered Carter. ‘But they were having a sexual relationship at one time, briefly. Harding also knew Olivia Grantham in the same
way. All three had sex.’

Willis phoned her. ‘Dr Harding, we need you to talk to some of the women on the list. We’re not getting anywhere with them.’

‘Okay. Which one first?’

‘Megan Penarth.’

‘What’s the line you want me to take?’

‘Tell her you didn’t invest any money but that you’re angry and upset. We need her to trust you. But you’d better ring once and hang up. We don’t want her thinking
we put you up to it – we’ve only just left her place. Then, when you do get through, ask her for help to deal with it.’

‘Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll let you know when it’s done,’ Harding said and hung up.

‘Now, Eb, tell me to mind my own business, but I would feel better if you phone and find out about your mother. It might affect what we do today.’ Carter waited to start the
engine.

Willis picked up her phone, opened the door and got out of the car.

Carter watched her talking. She had become as thin as a reed. She lost weight so quickly. Her olive-coloured skin normally gave her a healthy-looking glow but not at the moment. She turned her
face from the breeze that had sprung up. She was clutching the phone tight to her head, sheltering the mouthpiece with her hand.

‘Is she okay?’ asked Tucker.

Carter sighed. ‘It’s always difficult to tell with Willis. In all the time we’ve been partners, she’s never really opened up to me about all parts of her life.’

‘Her mother, you mean?’

‘Yes, her mother, Bella. I know the facts but I don’t know the feelings. I think she feels that if anyone really found those out she would enter a world full of chaos and
unpredictability and she can’t bear to be out of control.’

‘She’s a good detective.’

‘She’s brilliant at some things. But she also has large gaps in her knowledge. She cannot get behind it when it involves crimes of passion, matters of love. She doesn’t really
see it. It’s still black and white to her. She’s had no parental love.’

‘What about boyfriends? Men in her life?’

‘You’ll have to ask her all that. She would hate me telling you anything about personal stuff. Talking about her mother is okay – she is in the public domain. But Ebony’s
sanctity would be a terrible thing to break into. I’m not sure how she’d recover. It’s taken me over a year to gain her trust and friendship.’

They watched her put her phone away and walk back to the car. She had a look of sadness on her face. She was staring at the ground as she got in and put on her seat belt.

‘Okay, Eb?’

Willis didn’t look at Carter. She stared straight ahead. He started the engine.

‘Yes, I don’t have to go to the hospital. There’s nothing I can do. She’s earned herself an indefinite stay in Rampton.’ Willis closed her eyes and laid her head
back onto the headrest. ‘She attacked a pregnant woman, cut out her baby.’ Tucker reached forward and put his hand on her shoulder.

Carter put the car into gear and pulled out of the lay-by. ‘We’ll head to Exeter and drop off Tucker and then we’ll hit the motorway home.’

A text came through from Harding. Willis read it:

We’re in. I have an invite to meet her and a couple of the others.

After they’d dropped Tucker back in Exeter, Carter and Willis started the drive back to London.

‘We’d better make sure Harding follows a brief,’ Carter said, as they took the motorway north to Bristol. There were frozen fields either side of them as after the floods of
autumn had come the cold of midwinter. The day was already dark with layers of deepening grey.

‘Is she dead, the woman your mother attacked?’

‘Yes. So is her baby.’

‘Christ – she’s a monster.’

‘Yes. I warned them when I was there. I could see it building in her. The business about finding my father – I should have handled that differently. That tipped her over the edge.
She knew I wouldn’t want him to see her. I couldn’t risk his life being ruined. She knew I’d think that in the end.’

‘I know that you handled it better than most people. You did it with a calculated approach. I know if someone could read your mother’s mind they’d be in a very dark place, so
don’t think you should have seen any more than you did already. You need to keep sane, Ebony. You know all those years of your mother’s neglect has left you much more stable than you
deserve to be. Good job you were such a bright child that you could outsmart her.’

‘I never looked on it like that. I always saw it as just managing. She’s frighteningly clever.’

He reached over and gave her a jab on her arm.

‘Guess who asked me if you had a boyfriend? Well, not directly.’ She looked across at him, waiting for the answer. ‘Scott, of course!’

‘I hope you didn’t tell him anything.’

‘What like? She’s only into men with train sets?’

‘Stop being mean about Darren. You know it’s more about the preservation of the old engines.’

‘Huh! That’s what he told all the women.’

‘Anyway, we’re not dating any more and we haven’t been for six months, which is longer than it lasted altogether, so you can stop taking the piss now.’

Willis took a call from Zoe Blackman and put her phone in the speaker dock.

‘Toffee is showing signs of coming round. His brain scan is looking positive. His eyes are fluttering in response to simple questions, but he’s not talking yet.’

‘Have someone stay with him at all the time,’ Carter said. ‘The only real lead we have to solving any of the murders is Toffee. If he gives us a name then we can hope all the
cases will fall into place.’

‘I will make sure he’s not left alone.’

‘What’s happening with Simon Smith? Has he any more information for us?’

‘I’m going to look for him now. He’s here, because I saw his jacket. He may have slipped off for a coffee.’

‘He could still have a lot more to tell us. If he and Toffee are friends then he might have let something slip. Ask him if Toffee ever used his laptop, ask him if we can have it for a
couple of days.’

‘I’ll ask.’ Willis ended Blackman’s call but kept the phone in her hand.

‘Shall I ring Robbo and see what’s happening up there? Feels like ages since we were there.’

‘Yeah – you and I are the same, Eb: too much green makes us feel uncomfortable. All this countryside makes me think I’ve dropped off the end of the earth.’

‘Did Mahmet turn up?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Keep officers patrolling the estate. This should bring him out. He’s got to go to his own granddad’s funeral. What happened to the dog?’

‘He even tried to bite the gun that shot him.’

‘Was he tagged in some way?’

‘You mean an identity chip?’

‘Yes.’

‘No chance.’

‘We must have Balik’s prints on file?’

‘Yes, we do, but they don’t match any prints from the crime scene. Someone was wearing gloves; guess that was probably Balik.’

‘I’ll ask Sandford if we can still get a print from that. Glove prints have been admissible before.’

‘Okay. How are you getting on with the PCs from the hostel of Faith and Light?’

‘Wading through them.’

‘Might be quicker to take Harding’s laptop and do it that way.’

‘I’ll ask again.’

‘Tell her she owes it to Lolly. It’s the only way we’re going to catch anyone for her murder.’

‘What’s the report from surveillance on Ellerman? Where is he right now?’ asked Carter.

‘He’s been at home. He’s decorating, we think. It’s noisy inside. He’s been sighted briefly in the garden, that’s about as interesting as it gets. His wife
comes and goes. Yesterday, one of the team followed her when she left the house.’