Gavin's Death (Cara Daniels Cozy Mystery Book 4) (2 page)

Chapter
4

“Mr
Fox looks like a fox!” Robin laughed and pointed out of the car window. “Look
at him, Cara! He’s got ginger hair and a pointed nose, just like a fox!”

“I
am looking at him,” Cara replied. She peered through the binoculars at Gavin as
he spoke to an irate-looking man outside 32 Church Street. Mr Fox was waving
his hands about in an angry manner. Gavin still had that annoying smile on his
face as he listened.

Cara
lowered the binoculars and switched on the listening device that she’d placed
on the dashboard. “I don’t think we really need this, I can guess what Mr Fox
is saying.”

Robin
rubbed his ear and grimaced. “I can actually hear him. He’s accusing Gavin of
keeping all the good houses for his other clients, he’s saying that Gavin isn’t
taking him seriously.”

The
listening device crackled and then Gavin’s voice broke through, “Mr Fox, Liam,
I can assure you that I do take your interests seriously. You are one of our
most valued clients. I know we haven’t found the right house for you yet, but
trust me, we will. Would you like to look inside the property?”

There
was a ‘humph’ kind of noise which Cara assumed came from Mr Fox.

Cara
and Robin watched the two men enter the house.

Cara
said, “Do you think Mr Fox could be a possible murderer? He doesn’t look well-built.
He’s much smaller than Gavin.”

Robin
grinned. “He’s small and wiry, like a fox. Everyone is capable of murder, even
you.”

Cara
put the binoculars on the dashboard. “I wouldn’t kill anyone, ever.”

“Are
you sure about that? What if you had a child and someone attacked that child?
Wouldn’t you do everything you could to protect your child? Even if that
included murder?”

Cara
frowned. “Can we not talk about things like that, it makes me feel
uncomfortable. So far, we’ve met Susan at the office, and Mr Fox here. They
could be possible threats.”

Robin
held up a finger. “Don’t forget about that phone call Gavin wouldn’t take, from
a woman called Nora Silcoates. She could be anyone, an ex-girlfriend, a
disgruntled client, even a relative with a grudge.”

Cara
slipped down in her seat. “This is going to be a difficult case. Why did you
have to give this one to me?”

“I
don’t get a choice, and neither do you. Look, they’re coming out again. Look at
Foxy’s face, he looks furious. I wonder what went on inside the house.” Robin
looked at Cara. “You should have told me to go inside and follow them.”

“Oh!
Why didn’t you say so earlier? There’s no point telling me that now.” She sat
up straighter. “Gavin’s not smiling any more.” She looked through the
binoculars again. “Robin, look at Gavin’s hands, they’re curled into fists.”
Her voice rose. “Do you think there’s going to be a fight? Is Mr Fox going to
kill him now?”

Robin
winced. “Do you have to shriek like that when you get worried? Gavin isn’t due
to die yet.” He glanced at his watch. “I think he’s got another thirty, maybe
thirty-five hours to go.”

Cara
moved the binoculars. “You think? I thought your new watch was reliable.”

“You’re
missing the action. Look, Foxy’s waving his little fist at Gavin, and now he’s
storming away. Oh, bless his little legs.”

Cara
packed the binoculars and listening device away. “We might as well appear for
our appointment now. Are you going to stay invisible?”

“I
think that’s a good idea. I want to see who keeps ringing Gavin. That’s the
third time he’s looked at his phone and ignored whoever’s been phoning him.”
Robin flew through the metal of the car and over to Gavin’s side.

Cara
kept her face straight as she walked towards Gavin. What would Gavin do if he
could see the angel floating over his left shoulder?

Cara
called out, “I know I’m early but I was passing and I saw your other client
walk away. Was he interested in this house? Has he put an offer in?”

A
flicker of annoyance passed over Gavin’s face. He quickly replaced it with a
professional smile. “I’m afraid Mr Fox wasn’t happy with the house. He didn’t
like the shed in the garden. Some people find the slightest excuse for not
buying a house.” He indicated towards the front door. “Shall we?”

His
phone rang again. Robin peered over his shoulder. He looked back at Cara and
said, “It’s that Nora Silcoates who’s ringing him. Gavin’s just pressed the
ignore button. Whoever she is, she’s determined to speak to Gavin.”

Gavin
showed Cara around the house. For a while Cara forgot about being there to save
Gavin’s life. He was most professional as he showed her around, he pointed out
all the attractive features and the potential possibilities. Cara liked
everything about the house, even the dilapidated garden shed. She clasped her
hands together, she could just imagine living there.

Gavin
beamed at her response. “I can see that you’re quite taken with this house. Do
you want to make an offer?”

Cara
looked wistfully around the hall. She jumped as Robin appeared inches from her
face. “Cara! Come back to earth! You’re not here to buy this house. Take that
dreamy look off your face!”

Cara
snapped back into reality. “I am interested but I’ll have to think about it. Do
you have a business card?”

“Of
course.” Gavin produced a glossy card from his inside pocket. “You’ll have to
make your mind up quickly, I’ve got a feeling that this property will move
fast.”

They
stepped out of the front door. An angry-looking woman stood on the path. She glared
at Gavin and said, “You can’t ignore me forever, Gavin Bennett! You have to
listen to me! It’s a matter of life and death!”

Gavin
slammed the front door. He pointedly ignored the woman and spoke to Cara,
“Please let me know if you want to make an offer. Goodbye.”

He
made to stride away. The angry-looking woman grabbed his sleeve and said,
“Please, Gavin, we have to talk!”

Gavin
roughly shrugged her off. “Leave me alone, Nora! I’ve nothing to say to you!”

Chapter
5

“So
that’s Nora Silcoates,” Robin said. “I wonder why she needs to speak to Gavin
so urgently.”

“I
should have spoken to her!” Cara declared. “Shall we chase after her?”

Robin
shook his head. “She’s already driven away, and in the opposite direction that
Gavin has. She didn’t look in the mood for talking, she looked as if she was
going to cry.”

“All
the more reason that I should have spoken to her. Come on, we can’t follow both
of them. I need to keep my eyes on Gavin.”

Cara
ran to her car and jumped in, Robin was already in the passenger seat. Cara
zoomed off in the direction that Gavin had gone in. It was quiet on the roads
and she soon caught up with him. She stayed two cars behind so that she didn’t
arouse his suspicion.

“This
isn’t the way back to the estate agent’s,” Cara noted. She slowed down. “He’s
stopping at that bungalow down there. I can’t see a for sale sign, maybe it’s
another property that’s just come on to the market.” She stopped the car and
watched Gavin pull into the driveway of the bungalow. He got out, walked
towards the side door and went in.

Cara’s
eyebrows rose. “Do you think he lives there? It doesn’t look like the sort of
house he’d have, it looks too old-fashioned.”

“Why
don’t you park closer? There’s a gap in the net curtains, you could try and see
what’s going on inside. And the listening device should be able to pick up
voices through that open window.”

Cara
drove down the road and parked opposite the bungalow. She gave Robin a wry
smile and said, “Look at me, how easily I spy on people. I hope I never get
caught by the police while I’m doing this.”

“It’s
for the greater good. I can see an old woman sitting in the chair by the
window. Gavin’s walking over to her, that smile that you don’t like is on his
face again.” Robin cocked his head. “It seems a different kind of smile this
time, a smile full of love.”

Through
her binoculars Cara saw Gavin kissing the wrinkled cheek of the elderly woman.
The woman reached out a hand and said, “Gavin? Is that you?”

Gavin
answered, “Yes, Mum, it’s me.”

Cara
lowered the binoculars and shared a look with Robin. “His mum?” Cara said.

Robin
nodded. “I can see the likeness.”

Gavin
sat opposite his mum and held her hand. “How are you today? Sorry I couldn’t
get here earlier, I had work to do.”

His
mum patted his hand and said, “You’re always so busy, you work too hard. I want
to see more of you. Why don’t you visit me more, Gavin? I miss you.”

“I
know, Mum. I come to see you every day, three times some days.”

His
mum frowned. “Do you? I don’t remember.” She briskly pulled her hand free from
Gavin’s. “You’re lying! You don’t come to see me three times a day!”

Gavin
knelt at her side. Cara’s heart twisted at the love she saw in his face. Gavin
said softly, “It’s okay, Mum, don’t get upset.”

His
mum shoved him to one side and tried to stand up. Gavin stood and said, “Mum,
what’s up? Are you going somewhere? Do you need something?”

The
old woman’s face twisted into a snarl. She grabbed her nearby walking stick and
raised it. She screamed, “Who are you? What are you doing in my house? Get
out!”

Gavin
swiftly grabbed the walking stick and threw it to the floor. He put his arms
around his mum and held her tightly while she beat her fists against his chest.
In a soothing voice he said, “Mum, it’s me, Gavin. You know me, I’m your little
boy. Calm down, Mum. I’ve got you.”

The
old woman’s fists stopped moving. She collapsed into Gavin’s arms and began to
sob. Gavin stroked her grey hair. Cara saw a tear trickle down his cheek.

After
a moment Gavin held his mum at arm’s length and smiled at her. “Are you okay
now?”

His
mum sniffed and said, “Hello, Gavin, when did you get here?”

Cara
lowered the binoculars and turned the listening device off. She wiped away a
tear of her own. She said to Robin, “I can’t bear to watch any more, it’s too
private.”

Robin
gave her a small smile. “It’s so sad, all those wonderful memories that she
has, they’re all going to fade away. Poor Gavin Bennett.”

“My
first impression of him was wrong,” Cara admitted. “I must do all that I can to
keep him safe, his mum relies on him.”

“You’re
not on your own in this, you’ve got me at your side.”

They
waited patiently for Gavin to come out of the house. After ten minutes, he did
so. He was no longer smiling. He rubbed his forehead and winced. He then
climbed into his car and drove away. Cara took a last look at his mum. She was
still sitting next to the window. She was gazing into the distance, a small
smile playing on her lips. Cara hoped she’d found a happy event to think about.

They
followed Gavin back to the estate agent’s. Once more, the listening device came
out as Gavin walked into the office. Cara noticed his steps weren’t as light as
before.

Susan
announced, “Mr Bennett, you’ve got a client waiting for you. A past client.”

The
listening device caught the oath that Gavin muttered under his breath. They
then heard him say brightly, “Mrs Coldcott! How lovely to see you again. What
can I do for you?”

Mrs
Coldcott said, “Mr Bennett! I’m here to warn you, I think my husband is going
to kill you!”

Chapter
6

Cara’s
ears pricked up. This was something new. Robin was holding the binoculars out
to her. Cara grabbed them. She saw Gavin take off his jacket and sit down at
his desk. His smile looked tired as he indicated for Mrs Coldcott to sit
opposite him.

Mrs
Coldcott was in her late fifties. Her tweed coat was buttoned to the top and
she clutched her handbag protectively to her chest as she sat down.

Gavin
began, “Is this about that abattoir again? I told you before that I had no idea
it was going to be built behind your house. I told you and your husband at the
time to undertake a full survey on the property before you bought it.”

Mrs
Coldcott pulled her handbag closer. “I know you did, Mr Bennett, but my husband
doesn’t believe you. He thinks that you were somehow in cahoots with the owners
of the abattoir.”

Gavin
frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. What would I have to gain by selling you
that bungalow, other than my commission?”

“John,
my husband, thinks that you told the owner to keep quiet about their building
plans until you sold that bungalow, and then it would be too late to object
their plans. Oh! Mr Bennett! The smell from that place is disgusting! I’ve got
air-fresheners in every room but it doesn’t make the slightest bit of
difference! And, of course, we can’t sell the house now. We’ve tried every
estate agent for miles but they just won’t take us on.”

“You
haven’t tried us. I could try and sell it for you, I’d have to price it much
lower than what you bought it for.”

Mrs
Coldcott shook her head. “My John won’t have anything to do with you, he says
he won’t line your pockets any further, not after what you did to us.” She took
a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed her eyes. “I don’t know what got into
John this morning. He opened a window and his face turned purple with rage. He
banged his fist on the window sill and said that he’d had enough.” A sob
escaped from her. “Mr Bennett, he said he was going to wring your neck! I tried
to calm him down but he wouldn’t listen. I waited until he went to work and
then I came here to warn you.” She buried her face in her tissue and cried.

Gavin
rubbed his forehead again.
 

Gavin
reached into a drawer and pulled out a booklet. He pushed it towards the crying
woman. “Mrs Coldcott, I may have a solution for you and your husband. It’s not
something I recommend often but in your case I think it might be the only
solution. Please, have a look at this.”

Mrs
Coldcott stopped crying and looked at the booklet. She frowned. “I don’t
understand. What sort of company is this? Do they buy houses, are they some
sort of estate agent?”

“They
buy houses directly from customers, they aren’t estate agents. I’ve used them
before, they’re a reputable company. They guarantee to buy your house at a
price less than the market value. They move quickly, all the paperwork would be
done in around six weeks.” He gave her a small smile. “I know you’ll lose out
financially but I can’t see another solution for you. I honestly didn’t know
the abattoir was going to be built behind your house.”

Mrs
Coldcott took the booklet and put it in her handbag. “I believe you, Mr
Bennett. I know my husband doesn’t. I’ll show him this little book, I’ll
convince him that it’s the best thing for us to do.” She stood up. “Thank you
for talking to me, Mr Bennett.”

“You’re
welcome.” He stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. He said goodbye
to Mrs Coldcott as she walked out.

When
she’d gone Gavin turned in Susan’s direction and said, “You’d better go for
your lunch, sorry for being so late back.”

Susan
was out of her seat in a second. She grabbed her coat and handbag and whizzed
past Gavin. Just before she left she said, “That Nora Silcoates phoned you
again ten minutes ago.”

Susan
dashed out of the door before she heard what Gavin’s reply was. Cara and Robin
weren’t so lucky. Cara felt her ears heat up as Gavin swore.

Robin
shook his head. “He really doesn’t want to talk to Nora Silcoates, does he? You
should have spoken to her earlier when you had chance. Ouch!” He grabbed his
arm. “What did you do that for? You can’t hit an angel!”

“It
was only a touch. You have this annoying habit of stating the obvious, Robin.”
Cara tapped her chin. “I can’t quite make my mind up about Gavin Bennett. We’ve
seen two sides of him today.”

Robin
helpfully added, “And we’ve seen many people who might murder him! We can now
add Mr Coldcott to that list. You’ve got your work cut out for you alright!” He
raised his hands. “If you hit me again I’ll report you to the angel police!
They’ll put you in angel prison and you’ll have to wear angel handcuffs and eat
angel food!”

“Would
I have to eat angel cake? I love angel cake. Well, any kind of cake.” Her
stomach rumbled. “I’m starving. Do we have to stay here all day and watch
Gavin?”

“Just
a moment.” Robin studied his watch. He put his head to one side. “I think he’ll
be safe if we go now.”

“Think?
I can’t leave him if you just think he’ll be safe.” Her stomach made another
noise. “I can wait here as long as I need to.”

“I
can’t sit here and listen to that noise.” Robin pointed to her tummy. “I’ll
make myself invisible and I’ll sit at Gavin’s side. If a threat appears I’ll
let you know. How does that sound?”

“It
sounds perfect. Are you sure?”

“Of
course I am!” Robin winked at her and disappeared. Cara looked towards the
estate agent’s. She laughed when she saw Robin sitting in the chair opposite
Gavin. He gave her a wave.

Her
smile dropped when she noticed that the death line around Gavin Bennett had
grown even thicker. He must be closer to his death.

Cara
took a deep breath and drove away, putting her trust in Robin to keep watch
over Gavin.