‘But this could be his father.’
‘He’s an important man, Mr Ronald. He has obligations. He’s away a lot. But I’m sure he’ll come as soon as he can.’
Gerry came back down, mouthed the words, ‘Prescription Valium’ to Annie, then sat in the other chair. The walls were papered in turquoise and white diamonds, which Annie found a dazzling combination. Luckily, a reproduction Bayeux tapestry practically covered one wall, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase another, and the other two were so cluttered with framed watercolour landscapes, seascapes and portraits in oils, that they covered most of it up. Annie certainly didn’t envy Adele Balter having to clean the place. Too many hiding places for dust.
‘Miss Hadfield is tired and emotional,’ Adele said. ‘She really is very highly strung. She was already in a bit of a state when I got here. She’ll be better after a rest.’
‘She was here when you arrived?’
‘Yes. She said she drove up last night.’
‘Was she expecting her father to be here?’
‘Mr Laurence doesn’t always tell people when he’s coming or going, but Miss Poppy said she had expected him to be here. He knew she was coming up last night, apparently. But he wasn’t here. She said she tried his mobile but it went straight to messages. It’s in the study there.’ She pointed towards the panelled door, which looked about half a mile away. ‘I tried it, too, and I heard it ring. Well, they don’t ring so much as make funny sounds these days, do they? His goes off like a xylophone or something.’
Annie glanced at Gerry, and they walked over to the study. The room was neat and tidy inside, with bookcases full of binders and biographies of rich and powerful men throughout history rubbing shoulders with tomes on fly-fishing. A computer sat on the desk, just a large screen with a wireless keyboard. Beside it was a thin laptop and a recent model smartphone. Annie was tempted to pick up the phone, but it was the rule to hand these things intact to IT, or at least have a more senior officer, like Banks, present when handling them. Any messing about with mobiles or computers could damage or contaminate any evidence that might be on them and compromise a case. The geek team would have to go through all Hadfield’s files, paper and electronic, anyway, if he was confirmed to be the unidentified male on the slab in Eastvale mortuary.
‘Was there any particular reason for Miss Hadfield’s visit?’
‘She just told me she needed to get away to the country for a while, that she wanted some fresh air and wide open spaces. She does that sometimes. Turns up at all hours of the day and night. The city was closing in on her. That’s exactly how she put it. “Closing in on me.” Like I said, she’s very sensitive.’
‘Hmm. I remember that feeling,’ said Annie. ‘Does Mr Hadfield go away often?’
‘He travels quite a lot. All over the world.’
‘Business?’
‘Yes. People in his line of work never really retire, do they?’
‘But he’s here a lot?’
‘Oh, yes. Most of the time. He loves it here.’
‘Has he been anywhere recently?’
‘Not for a month or so.’
‘Where did he go then?’
‘Cape Town, I think. He goes there quite often. And Singapore. Zurich. And Hong Kong.’
‘Do you know why?’
‘He doesn’t tell me his reasons for going where he goes. I assume he has business interests there.’
Annie knew that Hong Kong, Zurich and Singapore were major financial centres, but she wasn’t sure about South Africa. Whenever she heard about it on the news, it always seemed to be because of some problem or other. The last time, it was water, or lack of it, in Cape Town, and corrupt politics. But the business travel was perhaps an angle worth investigating. ‘Are Poppy and her father close?’
‘I’d say so. He adores her. In his eyes, she can do no wrong. She comes up here once every month or so. I’ve never heard them exchange angry words, if that’s what you mean. She’s his only daughter.’
‘Right. I’m assuming she has a key, the run of the house and all?’
‘Oh, yes. Mr Laurence is very generous. Especially with his children and grandchildren.’
‘And Ronald?’
‘He’s not here so often. He’s a very busy man.’
‘What does he do, exactly?’
‘I’m not really sure, but it’s something to do with high finance, like his father. I don’t really understand that world myself. Stocks and shares and footsies and what have you.’
‘Me, neither,’ said Annie. ‘Do they get on, as far as you know?’
Adele’s pause before answering spoke volumes. ‘Not quite as well as Mr Laurence and Poppy.’
‘I see,’ said Annie. ‘I understand that Mr Hadfield’s wife died three years ago?’
‘That’s right. Katherine. A terrible tragedy. She was a lovely woman.’
‘Cancer, right?’
‘Yes. It was slow and painful. Mrs Hadfield was stoic. The end was a blessing.’
‘Was she at home or in hospital?’
‘Hospital. Just the last week. She took a fast turn for the worse. Until then she stayed at home, which was London then, with full-time nursing care, of course. Mr Laurence was devoted to her. It was only after... you know... that he retired and moved up here more or less permanently. Rivendell had just been a weekend escape before.’
‘Do you happen to know whether Mr Hadfield has a... well, I don’t suppose girlfriend sounds right, but a female companion, a new partner?’
‘A lover?’
‘Well, I suppose so.’
Adele Balter stiffened. ‘I’m afraid I wouldn’t possibly know about things like that. He doesn’t confide in me. Even if he did...’
‘Have you ever seen him with someone? Has a woman ever been here in the house when you’ve arrived at work?’
‘No. Never. If there ever was anything, he was very discreet. But I really can’t imagine... no.’
‘How often do you clean here?’ Annie asked.
‘Every week.’
‘Always on a Friday?’
‘It varies, depending on his movements and my schedule. Usually I do Thursdays, but I had to make a switch this week.’
‘And last week?’
‘I was here Thursday last week.’
‘Was Mr Hadfield in?’
‘Yes.’
‘Does he usually stay in the house while you work?’
‘If he’s at home, Mr Laurence usually stays in his study while I do my cleaning work.’
‘You don’t clean his study, too?’
‘No. It’s private. I never go in there, not even when he’s away.’
‘Did you check to see if he was in there this morning?’
‘Yes. Of course. I searched the whole house and grounds for him before I called you.’
‘Did Poppy help? Hadn’t she already looked when she arrived last night.’
‘She was... well, you know, you saw her. I think she got here very late, after dark. She’s scared of the dark.’
‘Was there anything strange about Mr Hadfield’s behaviour when you last saw him a week ago yesterday?’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Was he any different from usual?’
‘Oh, no. He was the same as normal.’
‘Depressed, cheerful, what?’
‘Quite cheerful, really. Excited, like, as if he’d made a good business deal or something. He even paid me a little early Christmas bonus.’
‘That must have been nice,’ Annie said. ‘Did he say what he was excited about?’
‘No.’
Pity, thought Annie. But then Hadfield would hardly talk to the hired help about his business or his private life. ‘Do you know what his plans were for the weekend?’
‘No. He never told me things like that.’
‘Do you know if he was planning on going away? Taking another trip somewhere? Could that have been why he was excited?’