Christmas Killing (11 page)

*

It was just before eight-thirty the next morning, when the Chief Inspector drew up outside number seventy-three South Street. He knocked at the door and waited and then knocked again. At last and slightly sleepy looking Matti opened it and spoke.

‘What on earth are you doing here at this time?’

‘Good morning. I wanted to be sure to catch someone in so thought I’d get here before you all leave for work.’

‘Me mum’s still in bed.’

‘And your father?’

‘Dunno.’

‘Is he here or not?’

‘How am supposed to know?’

‘Oh good heavens. Obviously you know. Is he still in bed too?’

‘Haven’t been in to look. They like to be private or don’t you understand that?’

‘Perhaps you could give them a call and ask them to come down. I’ll wait inside if you don’t mind. It’s perishing cold out here.’

Unwillingly, she opened the door a little to let him in. He went inside the hall and opened a door into what he assumed was their living quarters. A large arm chair took up one side of the room, facing a massive television. There was a small table to one side and a sofa against the other wall.

‘That’s me mum’s chair. She’s disabled and sits there all day watching tele. I usually make her some sarnies for her dinner when I have to work.’

‘I see. Must be hard for you both. Now, can you please give them a call and say I’m here?’

‘I’ll try. I overslept this morning. Watched a good film last night. Did you see it?’

‘Afraid not. Give them a call please.’

She left the room and went upstairs. Seconds later, she came down again.

‘Me dad’s not there. Mum said he hadn’t been home last night. So, I’m afraid you’ve had a wasted journey. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get mum downstairs and leave her for the day. I’m gonna be late enough for work as it is.’

‘Where do you think your dad might be?’

‘God knows. With his other woman I ‘spect.’

‘His other woman? Where does she live?’

‘Somewhere at the other side of town. I don’t know where. Sorry.’

‘Okay. I’ll see you later then. I’m sorry you have such a tough life.’ He meant what he said.

‘’S’all right. I’m used to it. I don’t work all that much so it’s only during my elf period she has to be left so long.’

He said his goodbyes and left her to sort out her mum. Poor kid, he was thinking. Her father had another woman and possibly another family. He drove to Foredyce’s and arrived in the car park at the same time as one or two of the staff. Everything seemed to be in full swing inside the store as it was by now, after the nine o’clock opening time. Ray went upstairs to Miss Pringle’s office and knocked at the door. There was no reply. He tried to open the door but it was locked. Perhaps she wasn’t in yet. He went down to good inwards and asked if Bert had put in an appearance.

‘No he ain’t,’ said the rather bad tempered man working there. ‘He’s left us at one of our busiest times. Still, we’re over the worst now. Most stuff has been put away in the various stock rooms round the store.’

‘Can you give me a call if he does show up at any time?’ He gave him a card with his mobile number on it.

‘Okay mate. I’ll do that.’

‘Thanks. Best of luck with the rest of your sales goods.’

He turned and went back up to Miss Pringle’s office. She still wasn’t in. Cursing mildly, he went along to Geoffrey’s office to ask where she was.

‘Sorry old boy, I’ve no idea. Not like her to miss out any day. She usually comes in even if she has to crawl.’

‘Seems many folk are giving up this year,’ Ray said. ‘Thanks anyway. Sorry to have bothered you.’

He went downstairs again and decided to leave the store. No point hanging round if everyone he needed to speak to was absent. Interesting that Miss P came in whatever. He hoped to goodness nothing had happened to her. He stopped. Someone must know her home address. Perhaps he needed to call round to make sure she was all right. He went back and went to see Geoffrey again.

‘Do you know where she lives?’ he asked. ‘Only I feel I should call round and make sure she’s all right.’

Chapter Twelve

The Detective Chief Inspector called his colleague and asked him to manage the daily briefing session.

‘I’m going round to Miss Pringle’s house to make sure she’s all right. Evidently she’s hardly ever off work. They’ve rung her home number and there’s no reply.’

‘We wondered where you were. Right, I’ll see what everyone’s got to say,’ Ted replied. ‘Will you be in later?’

‘Of course I will. Not having a good morning so far. Everyone I need to speak to seems to have disappeared. Right. Let me know the gist of the meeting.’ He switched off his phone and set out to the address he’d been given. It was slightly out of town, in an area he didn’t know very well. He parked outside the small cottage and went to knock at the door. There was inevitably, no reply. He walked round to the back and peered in through the window. He jumped as he saw a movement but it turned out to be her cat. He went round to the front again and hammered on the door. He called out her name but there was no response. He rang her number which he’d made a note of. He could hear the phone ringing inside the house but no-one answered it. Feeling distinctly edgy by now, he wondered whether to summon the team over here to break the door down. The trouble was, it was pretty damaging and if she had simply gone somewhere other than the office, she could possibly even sue them. No, he needed to wait a while before he took that sort of action. He drove back to headquarters and his office.

Ted came in with his notes from the briefing.

‘Nothing really worthwhile. Most of them have gone onto other things. Nobody in the store seems to have anything to hide and the delightful Kevin also seems in the clear. How’ve you got on?’

‘I’ve learned that Bert has a second family on the other side of town and Miss Pringle has gone awol. You’ll be pleased to know that good inward has got over the worst of the new stuff coming in, without Bert’s help.’

‘No sign of Miss Pringle then?’

‘None at all. Unless she’s lying dead in her bedroom, she seems not to be at home.’

‘Good lord. You can’t possibly think that? Didn’t you try to break in?’

‘Thought I’d better wait a while. If she doesn’t turn up by lunch time, we’ll go over to her house again. I don’t know. Someone’s guilty of these murders. If only we could get a clue.’

He sat down at his computer and started to look through various police sites of name changes. He typed in Pringle and waited for a while. There were lots of Pringles came up and he looked down the lists. She said she had been at the store for ten years and went to university for say three years or so before that. He looked at the lists for fifteen years from this time. No-one came up. Fourteen years and three people came up. What on earth was her first name? He remembered seeing a J written on her door. Janet? Jane? He clicked through and found Jennifer Pringle. Name changed from Pearson. Now he was getting somewhere. He moved onto police records and typed in Pearson, fifteen years ago. It was hopeless. He’d go and see his friend Sam Smythe down in archives.

‘I’m looking for someone name of Pearson who committed a crime at least fifteen years ago. Maybe longer.’

‘What male or female?’ asked Sam.

‘I think it may have been a female.’

‘First name?’

‘Sorry, no. Might have begun with a J. But that’s pure speculation.’

‘Heavens, you don’t want much do you? Apart from a family name, you’ve no idea of first name and you suggested
a
crime
. Does that mean you don’t know what sort of crime?’

‘No. I’m afraid it’s a bit of an idea of mine. It might be earlier than fifteen years ago too. Do you think there’s any chance of you finding her?’

‘Not really but leave it with me. I’ll have a search.’

‘You’re amazing. Thanks very much. I’ll buy you a pint if you find anything.’

‘I should think I’d deserve a bottle of single malt if I find anything from what you’ve told me.’

‘Don’t push your luck,’ laughed Ray. ‘But many thanks in advance.’

‘I’ll give you a call if I find anything of interest.’

Ray Jones sat at his desk, working through various reports. His phone rang.

‘Yes?’ he said in answer to it.

‘Is that the detective chap?’

‘I am a detective, yes.’

‘You gave me a card and told me to ring you if Bert appeared. Well, he has.’

‘Oh yes, of course. Thank you very much. I’ll be over in about twenty minutes. Try to keep him there if you possibly can.’

‘Right you are. Bye.’

He called Ted and asked him to go along with him.

‘It’s our chance at last, to interview him. He’s an elusive character, I must say.’

‘I’ll be there with you right away,’ Ted agreed.

Once more they drove to Foredyce’s and parked. They both went along to goods reception and they interviewed with Bert.

‘Is there somewhere we can talk?’ asked Ray.

‘We can go in the office,’ Bert told him. ‘Dunno why you want to see me again any way.’

‘A few more questions. Your daughter is working upstairs in the Christmas Grotto. That correct?’

‘Yer. I got her that job. Just till Christmas but you never know. They might keep her on. Be a good help in our house.’

‘Which house would that be?’

‘What d’ya mean?’

‘I gather you have a second family. Over the other side of town, I understand.’

‘Dunno what ya mean.’

‘Where have you been for the past two days and nights?’

‘I’ve bin off work. Felt proper bad I did.’

‘Shame you weren’t at home then. I came to see you three times, I think it was.’ He stared at this man waiting for him to speak.

‘All right. I stayed with a friend, a woman. And he was there before you start thinking nasty thoughts.’

‘Can you account for your whereabouts last Wednesday afternoon?’

‘I s’pose I was ‘ere. I dunno.’

‘Surprising how many people say things like that.’ He caught Ted looking at him with a smirk on his face.

‘And Saturday morning, around let’s say, nine-thirty? Where were you then?’

‘I don’t know. I ‘spect I was here working, as usual.’

‘And you never went upstairs at all? To see your daughter?’

‘Well, as a matter of fact, I did go up to see her and found she’d left. Only temporary of course. You had that murder up there on Saturday didn’t you? The old boy wot plays Santa. Terrible business that.’

‘Indeed yes, and you of course, had nothing to do with that?’

‘Course I bloody dint. If you must know, I wanted to check on my girl. Make sure she was all right.’

‘Very creditable.’

‘We’d all heard about the stabbin’. These things pass round the store like wildfire. With my girl working there, course I wanted to make sure she was all right.’

‘Do you have knives down here? To cut parcel tape or whatever they use to fasten them closed.’

‘Course we do. Sort of small bladed knives, like craft sort of knives. Nowt that would kill anybody.’

They asked a few more questions and both of them decided that the man wasn’t bright enough to have been lying.

‘Where’s your brother now?’

‘Back at his home I s’pose. Why?’

‘I have a few questions I need to clear up with him.’

‘He never worked ’ere for years. But you know that considerin’ you’ve had ‘im under your thumbs for years.’

‘But he’s been out for the past few months hasn’t he?’ Ted remarked.

‘I’d like his address please. We need to see him.’

Grumpily, Bert told them where his brother was staying and then asked if he could go now.

‘Go on then. And make sure you stay here all day. I know your colleagues were pretty cross about your absence.’

‘That was a bit cheeky, wasn’t it?’ said Ted after Bert had left.

‘What was?’

‘You telling him to stay here all day.’

‘Get over it. I want to see if our Miss Pringle is here yet. If she isn’t then we have a new problem.’

‘Okay. Let’s go and see.’

They walked up the now familiar staircase and went along to the office. This time, the door was unlocked and there was Miss Pringle.

‘Oh good, you’re in. I came up this morning but you weren’t here.’

‘No, I’m sorry. I had to go to the doctor’s. I didn’t arrive here till after ten. Was there something you wanted?’

‘I did go round to your house and was about to get the boys round to break your door.’

‘Good heavens. Why on earth would you do that?’

‘I thought you might be lying dead or at least unconscious upstairs.’

‘Detective Chief Inspector, I do think your imagination is running riot. Really, I was simply slightly late in to work and all this is going on. Why did you want to see me?’

‘Please sit down. I have a few things to ask you. I think I know what you were about to say the other day.’ She sat down heavily. ‘Did you actually change your name?’

‘I ... er I ... do I have to say?’

‘Yes, you do.’

‘Well yes. I changed it so long ago I can scarcely remember my old name.’

‘Pearson. It was that, wasn’t it?’ The poor woman looked almost as if she was to be sick. She nodded.

‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘It was all done legitimately.’

‘May I ask why?’

‘I wanted a change.’

‘Not good enough. Come on now. Tell me.’ His voice became more gentle and persuasive.

‘Oh dear. Promise you won’t tell anyone else?’

‘I can’t make that sort of promise, I’m afraid.’

‘But it could mean the end of my job here. The end of my life, as I have made it now.’

‘I’m sure it can’t be all that bad. Why did you change your name?’

‘Be ...be cause of my mother.’ Her voice was little more than a whisper.

‘Your mother? What did she do?’

‘Haven’t you heard of Marjorie Pearson?’ The two officers looked at each other and shook their heads. ‘The child murderer? She killed about five children. May have been more but we shall never know.’

‘But that was eons ago. Why, you could only have been a small child yourself.’

‘Oh I was. About ten years old. I had to grow up rather rapidly. Once I reached the age of eighteen, I decided to change my name. I kept my first name. Jennifer.’

‘Well, thank you for telling us. I don’t think there will be any need to pass on this information.’

‘Really? Oh thank you. Thank you so much.’

‘Like I say. I don’t think it will be necessary but I can’t promise anything.’

They left her and went back to the police station. Back in his office, he typed in Marjorie Pearson and soon arrived at all the details. He read it through and felt astounded at what he read. Ted came in and he said,

‘Look at it on my computer.’ He came over and read the file.

‘Heavens. So do you think it might run in the family?’

‘I doubt it. But it certainly makes you think. The photo ... makes it pretty certain we have the right file. She looks just like our Miss Pringle.’

‘Wasn’t she married then?’

‘I think so. Yes, look here. She actually murdered her husband. Would have been tricky for her if she wasn’t. So how old do you reckon our Miss P is?’

‘Don’t know... Forty odd? Bit more maybe.’

‘That’s what I’d have thought. Interesting anyway. Perhaps we have got someone else to add to our list of suspects.’

‘Who are we talking about? Miss Pringle?’

‘Miss Pringle, indeed. Her mother’s a convicted murderer. I gather she’s gone batty actually. At least she’s in a secure prison for people with mental disorders.’

‘Good lord. Perhaps my suggestion that she may not be all she seems, was correct. I suggested her when we first started this inquiry.’ After Ted read the account, he sat down. He looked very shocked. ‘This does really open up a new line of investigation. But when I think about it, she did seem very stressed at the idea of finding another person to play the roles.’

‘You’re probably right. I must let Sam know I’ve found what I needed. He’ll still be working on it otherwise.’ He went down to see the elderly man and told him what he’d discovered.

‘I was just about to call you with a few queries. But if you’ve found it yourself, that makes me redundant. Sounds a terrible business. Was she someone you know?’

‘Not at all. I was following a line of inquiry. Thanks for looking anyway. I think that line is out now. I’ll still buy you a pint sometime.’

‘I s’pose the malt whisky just went out of the window?’ he asked hopefully.

‘Sorry. You’ll just have to wait and see what Santa brings!’ he said with a laugh. He’d already decided to buy the old chap a bottle for Christmas. He was a good colleague and probably not greatly appreciated by the rest of the force.

He worked for the rest of the day and decided to go home a bit earlier than usual. His brain was working all the time and never reaching any conclusion. He concentrated on all the people they’d interviewed and gradually dismissed them from his list. It was extremely puzzling and unlike most of his cases. Perhaps he should see Bert’s brother. He had plenty of motivation after being sent to prison because of his thieving from Foredyce’s. He was quite likely to try to hit back but to murder two people, was that likely? He really didn’t know. He would interview him the next day and go with his gut feeling. It was a pity he couldn’t emulate Agatha Christie’s Poirot and have them all lined up in a room and gradually tick them off.