‘His parents? Why?’
Patrick shrugged. Truth to tell he wasn’t sure. ‘He said his dad thought it was a big waste of time and got all resentful of how much attention his mam was giving it.’
‘You think he was lying?’
Patrick shook his head. ‘I think that’s what he thought his dad thought. I think it was just one more thing and if it hadn’t been Rupert that made her leave then something else would. I mean, who’d want to live with a man like him?’
‘Rupert made her leave? I don’t understand.’
‘No. Not made her. Not like forced. Made her realize she wanted to leave, I suppose. But Danny – that’s the boy – he’s really cut up about it. She’s gone and not been in touch since and he’s convinced himself she’s dead.’
‘Dead? Does he have any reason for thinking that?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Patrick said. ‘Just that she didn’t say goodbye and she’s not been in touch.’
‘That’s sad,’ Harry said. ‘Sad and cruel, in my view, but it may be she thought a clean break would …’
He paused, met his son’s gaze.
‘No, I don’t think she was right either, Patrick. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Was he worried about coming to talk to Rupert at Fallowfields?’
‘No. I asked him that too. He says he came but that Rupert wasn’t here and the car was gone too.’
Harry frowned. ‘And this was just a couple of weeks before he died, wasn’t it? The time Marcus identified when Rupert was behaving oddly, not going into work, that sort of thing.’
‘Marcus didn’t think he’d even wanted to leave the house,’ Patrick agreed.
‘But, obviously, on that occasion he did. Maybe his reluctance to go into work was not so much because he was afraid as because he was elsewhere.’
Patrick shrugged. ‘Might have been coincidence,’ he said. ‘But, Dad, would you want to be on your own here knowing someone like Kinnear knew where you lived?’
‘No, but then I wouldn’t go and see him on my own either and it looks as though Rupert did just that the day he died.’
‘Do you think Kinnear killed him in a way that the post mortem didn’t pick up?’
‘I think Kinnear was responsible,’ Harry said slowly. ‘But as to what he did to cause Rupert to have the heart attack … It could be that, unless Kinnear tells us we will never know.’
Twenty-Five
Alec listened to Patrick’s account of his meeting with Danny Fielding.
‘Do you know the mother’s name?’
‘Sharon Fielding,’ Patrick told him. ‘I said I’d ask you what he could do.’
‘Well, technically, the police officer he spoke to was right. She hasn’t actually gone missing. She’s an adult and her husband hasn’t reported her absence.’
‘But …’
‘But I can have a word with Reg Fine. See if there’s any circumstances Danny didn’t know about. Did he say that she knew Rupert well?’
Patrick thought about it. ‘They were working on some stories she told him but I don’t think she knew him before or anything.’
‘Right.’ Alec was thoughtful. ‘Patrick, I think we should assume then that this is a separate issue. I hope her disappearance has nothing to do with Kinnear.’
He felt more alert now, rested after his sleep and his mind was working again.
‘What do we have, then? We have a set of dubious accounts. Some kind of code concealed in his journals. Money from two robberies that Kinnear wants back and evidence that Rupert was trying to settle with him. I’m forced to the conclusion that Kinnear didn’t want Rupert dead, at least not until he had his money, and it looks as though he may have been willing to give Rupert time to get what he thought he was owed. To legitimize it in some way. The thing in Kinnear’s favour is the number of years that have passed since the robberies. Handled carefully, Kinnear may well get away with the money, free and clear, if just a little late.’
‘Except that Rupert died before he could finish what he was doing.’
‘Well, yes, and that obviously pissed him off big time which is, no doubt, why he came here and started threatening, though quite what he expected Naomi to give him is still something of a moot point.’
‘The journals and the ledger,’ Patrick said. ‘He must have known about them and what Rupert planned to do.’
Alec nodded. ‘You’re probably right. And his partner, this Reid fellow, he would probably be able to take care of the rest. Financial double-dealing seems to have been his speciality by all accounts.’
‘So,’ Naomi observed, ‘Rupert’s usefulness to Kinnear lasted only so long as he was transferring the money. After that … who knows? I can’t think that Kinnear would have had scruples about getting rid of him.’
‘How do you think he tracked Rupert down?’ Harry asked.
Alec shrugged. ‘Probably pure chance. He may have seen the newspaper clipping. Rupert had got greyer, but he hadn’t changed that much. Kinnear would have known him.’
‘Who do you think Elaine might be?’ Patrick asked.
‘That, I don’t know, but I think you and Harry are right and the E in the ledger is probably her.’ He frowned. ‘So, we need to think about our next move, I guess.’
‘And that is?’ Naomi wanted to know.
‘Tomorrow, we talk to Reg Fine, see if there’s anything we should know about Sharon Fielding. I agree with him that we need to use the media. I was against it before; I thought Kinnear would run and we’d never get to the bottom of things, but now we know what he was after I think there’s too much at stake for him to do that. And we need to flush him out, shock him into making a move.’
‘Not sure I like the sound of that,’ Harry said.
‘No more than I, but I don’t see as we have a choice. Then, we try and track down the flat in London. My dad gave me what he remembered as the address, but I’ll make some calls. Don’t worry, Naomi, I think I’m more use here than trekking off south again. I might rope in Billy Pierce seeing as how his retirement is chafing on him.’
‘Is that wise? He’s not a young man, is he?’
Alec recalled the way Pierce had towered over him, the firm handshake and square shoulders. ‘I don’t think he’s ready for the scrap heap, either. He’ll be careful.’
‘And what about this Elaine?’
Alec shrugged. ‘We keep trawling through Rupe’s notes; see if she comes up anywhere else. And we see what else we can find on the laptop. He’s got to have buried it for a reason.’
‘OK, so that’s the morning taken care of?’ Naomi joked. ‘And after that?’
‘Oh, we’ll think of something for the afternoon,’ Alec told her. ‘I might even take another nap.’
Patrick had said little during this later exchange and it was Naomi that noticed. ‘Patrick?’ she asked. ‘Something up?’
‘I’m not exactly sure,’ he said. ‘Dad and I agreed earlier that it was funny Kinnear hadn’t done anything since he attacked Alec. It’s almost like he thinks he’s got another way of getting to what he wants. I mean, I know we’ve had new locks put on and everything, but he could easily have broken in again if he thought we’d found the books. He must think we’re still searching.’
‘You’re implying someone could tell him otherwise,’ Alec said.
Patrick nodded. ‘I think if he thought for one minute we’d found the ledger and the books he’d do whatever he had to get them. I think he’s got a way of knowing. Or he thinks he does.’
‘Well, none of us would tell him,’ Harry objected. ‘He could threaten us, of course,’ he said anxiously. ‘Which is why, Patrick, I think you were so unwise last night.’
‘First he would have to be convinced we had what he wanted,’ Alec soothed. ‘No point in trying to extract information from anyone if they don’t have it to give. No, I think Patrick has a point. He’s holding back, giving us time to unearth what he’s looking for, relying on us being thorough and …’