He was getting frustrated. Again, Laura was going round the houses instead of getting straight to the hard facts. ‘So, she goes in, and then what?’
‘The guy was naked, and you are not going to believe this... he’d been crucified.’
‘What?’ Jack exclaimed.
‘I know, unbelievable. There was a giant wooden cross in the shop, and he was nailed and chained to it. They reckon he’s been there for a day or two.’
‘Jesus Christ...’
‘You can say that again... he was beaten so badly his face was unrecognisable. Morrison said it was horrific. They’re still trying to ID him and that’s why there’s been no press release, because, unbelievably, he’s still alive. So they need to find his family and protect him. Or all of them. Dunno. That’s all I got.’
‘Laura, thanks so much. I really appreciate it.’
‘Oh, another bit of info for you: Morrison let slip that he and Armani had been an item and he dumped her too. Well, he didn’t exactly say that, just that it hadn’t worked out between them.’
‘Interesting. That’s another IOU.’
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
Jack sensed Laura’s growing curiosity and decided to end the call. ‘I’m at home with the kids. Talk when I get in on Monday, and thanks again.’
He sat in the car for a while before driving on to the house. A large padlock and chain were hanging loose on the gate, and from his position, he could just see the big house at the end of the driveway. The light was fading, so he got out of the car for a better look. He could see there were lights on.
Pulling open one side of the wrought iron gate, Jack returned to his car, turned the headlights off and drove slowly up the drive. As he parked in front of the garage, he noticed security lights on the house but to his relief, it wasn’t quite dark enough for them to kick in. He walked around the garage and stood on tiptoe to look through a window. He could see the Mercedes Jeep, polished and pristine, as if someone had valeted it. Next to the jeep was a white Mercedes sports car and two electric scooters.
Jack walked back to the gravel drive and up to the front door, which was flanked by two white pillars. He pressed the bell and stepped back. To his surprise, the door instantly buzzed open. He walked into the hall, towards a wide staircase.
‘You’re rather early,’ a woman’s voice called out from upstairs. ‘But you can start taking my cases down while I finish packing’.
Jack walked up the stairs, passing beneath a huge chandelier. He paused on the landing, then headed towards a room at the end of the corridor with its double doors half open. Jack pushed the door open wider. It was a huge bedroom. Lined up beside the bed were Hermès suitcases and a trunk. A woman appeared holding an array of silk blouses. She was dressed in a silk kimono, with her thick blond hair hanging loose to her shoulders. When she saw Jack, she swept one side of her hair back from her face with her hand.
‘I’m not your driver,’ Jack said, remaining by the door.
‘Are you a replacement? You’re very early. Take those cases down and wait until I call you to return for the rest. I have to finish and change.’
‘Are you Mrs Jessop?’ Jack asked.
‘Why are you asking me that?’
‘Because I know the house is leased to a Mr and Mrs Jessop.’
‘Ah yes, well, that is correct, but I am leaving before the end of the lease. The house must be left in pristine condition. We had to leave an absurdly large deposit, and I was warned that they would also check the mileage on their cars. So, if you are here to do that, go ahead, but they should have warned me.’
Jack stepped further into the bedroom and took out his ID. ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Jack Warr.’ She straightened but otherwise showed no reaction. But he could tell she had recognised his name. Jack got straight to the point. ‘I need to speak to Adam.’
‘He’s not here. He left days ago, so you have had a wasted journey.’
‘Do you know where he is?’
‘No, I do not.’
‘I really need to see him.’
She shut the case on the bed and placed it beside the others. ‘I’m sorry. I have no idea where he has gone. I need to change, so if you don’t mind leaving me. Go down into the kitchen, have a drink of coffee or whatever you want. I won’t take long. I am expecting a driver as I have a plane to catch.’
Jack hesitated. He found her precise way of speaking slightly disconcerting. ‘Where are you from?’
‘Germany. Go on, hurry out, let me get ready.’ Without further hesitation, she slipped out of the kimono, revealing that she was naked beneath. Jack flushed with embarrassment at the sight of her perfect body as she strolled into the en suite.
Jack went back downstairs and into a luxurious kitchen filled with high-end electrical appliances. He took a moment to admire the floor-to-ceiling dresser filled with matching blue and white crockery, then grabbed a mug and poured some leftover coffee from a complicated looking percolator. The refrigerator was the largest and most modern he had ever seen. It contained several bottles of wine and champagne, yet the rest of the shelves were empty. He pulled out a chair and sat with his lukewarm mug of coffee. After a while, he became concerned that the beautiful Mrs Jessop might have left. Then he heard the click-clack of high-heeled shoes making their way across the hall towards him. He’d thought she was stunning when he first saw her, but now she looked breathtaking, with her makeup and lustrous hair coiled into a long, loose braid. But he had been mistaken about her age; she was older than he’d first thought, almost middle-aged. She was wearing thigh-high black boots over tight fitting fawn trousers, a white polo neck sweater, and slung around her shoulders was a cashmere fur-edged stole.
‘He told me a lot about you, Jack,’ she said as she placed a leather shoulder bag on the table. ‘He told me about your visits to his studio.’
‘Did Adam live here with you?’ Jack asked.
‘Of course. He liked his comfort and my being here.’
‘How long have you been here?’
‘It has been nearly two years... but he had to leave like he usually does. He worked at the school so as not to be interrupted but needed time to relax in comfort also.’
Jack was at a loss, trying to come to terms with all the lies Adam told about living rough in the school hall and all the while returning to this luxurious house, never mind this stunning woman. She seemed totally at ease as she waited for him to process this new information. Pulling himself together, Jack realised he needed to take charge. ‘Sit down,’ he told her. ‘I need some answers.’
She stayed standing. ‘I don’t have very long.’
‘I need to know where he is. What’s your real name?’
‘Helga Meirling.’ She opened her bag and tossed her passport towards him. He opened it and flicked through the pages, noting how many times she had travelled to Europe and the US. She was forty-two years old.
‘You travel a lot. What work do you do?’
‘I am a fashion journalist covering promotional and charity events for some of the big names in Milan.’
‘Where did you live?’
‘In Berlin, some of the time.’
‘But you’ve been here in London for almost two years?’
‘Yes, not all the time. But it has been very pleasant.’
‘With Adam?’
‘Yes, I would have thought that was obvious. It was much longer this time. We rarely have this length of time together. He is always on the move.’
‘So where has he gone?’
‘I have no idea. A situation came up about two weeks ago that made him become very agitated.’
‘You know what he does, don’t you?’ Jack said.
‘He’s an artist, a genius, that’s what I know. I have had to come to terms with his erratic behaviour and not question what he chooses to do.’