‘So you think that some man E killed George?’
‘It’s possible,’ said Steven. ‘But it could have been a disaffected Gulf War veteran out for revenge. There are plenty of them out there.’ He did not mention that the murder of Martin Hendry had more or less ruled out that possibility.
Jane shivered slightly and said, ‘I know this sounds silly and I feel ashamed to say it but I’m frightened. I feel really scared. I just want it all to stop. I just want to get on with my life. I need all this to go away.’
Steven took both her hands in his and squeezed gently. ‘Does that mean you want me out of your life too?’ he asked.
Jane looked as if she were fighting an inner conflict. She took a moment to steady herself before saying, ‘You are part of this… nightmare,’ she said. ‘But no, if I have a choice, I don’t think I do want to lose you.’
Steven kissed her hands. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Because there’s no way I’m going to go voluntarily.
A tear ran down Jane’s cheek and she wiped it away angrily as if seeing it as a sign of weakness. ‘Promise me you won’t lie to me,’ she said. ‘Promise me you’ll tell me everything you’re doing and exactly what’s going on at all times?’
Steven looked doubtful.
‘Promise me?’
‘If you’re really sure that’s what you want,’ he said.
Jane nodded and said, ‘Starting right now.’
‘Very well,’ said Steven. ‘Martin Hendry did not commit suicide. The police don’t seem to know it yet but he was murdered. All traces of the story he was working on were wiped from his computer and I think the story is the reason he was killed.’
Jane looked for a moment as if this might be a step too far but she recovered her composure and said, ‘Man E again?’
‘Looks like it,’ said Steven.
‘How will you find him?’
‘I’m more interested in stopping him,’ said Steven. ‘I can only do that if I can find out what it is they’ve been covering up. Once that happens, the game’s up. In the meantime the police can deal with the monkey; it’s the organ grinder I’m after. I’m going up to Manchester to see if Hendry left anything lying around in his flat about what he was working on.’
‘Please be careful,’ said Jane.
‘I’ll call you.’
Steven was in Manchester by three. He had called the Manchester police before leaving Jane’s to say that he was coming and that he would like the search warrant for Hendry’s flat. He drove straight to police headquarters where he spoke with an officer who introduced himself as DI Lawrence.
‘I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what it is you’re looking for?’ said Lawrence.
‘Anything that might be connected with my enquiry,’ said Steven.
‘Fair enough,’ smiled Lawrence.
‘I understand Hendry had a partner?’ said Steven.
‘I was the one who had to break the bad news to her,’ said Lawrence looking rueful. ‘Nice kid.’
‘Is she still living there?’
‘As far as I know,’ said Lawrence. ‘We’ve had no occasion to go back.
Steven accepted the warrant and said thanks.
‘Need some uniforms?’ asked Lawrence.
‘I don’t think so.’
There was no answer to his knock on the door of Hendry’s apartment on the third floor of a modern block of flats about three miles from the city centre. After his third knock a neighbour, a woman in her seventies, opened her door and volunteered, ‘I don’t think anyone’s living there any more. Mr Hendry died recently.’
Steven turned to the elderly woman and said, ‘Yes, I heard. It was very sad. It was actually Lesley I was looking for.’
‘I think Lesley’s gone too. She certainly wasn’t here when the men from the gas board came the other day.’
‘The gas board?’
‘Apparently there was a gas leak and they had to gain access to the flat,’ said the woman.
‘Just this flat?’ asked Steven, pointing to Hendry’s front door.
‘Yes,’ replied the woman. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘No, no,’ replied Steven, not wishing to alarm her. ‘Tell me, how did they get in if Lesley wasn’t at home?’
‘Oh, they had a key,’ replied the woman. ‘They said the Gas Board had them for emergency use. I must say, they were very nice gentlemen, very polite, so different from so many people today.’
‘Good to hear,’ said Steven. ‘Did they find the leak?’
‘Oh yes,’ replied the woman. ‘They came and told me afterwards and said there was nothing for me to worry about. They had found the problem and fixed it.’
‘Good show,’ said Steven. ‘I don’t suppose you know where I could find Lesley, do you?’
‘I’m afraid not,’ said the woman, shaking her head. ‘Although I do know that she’s a teacher. She teaches at Green Street Primary, if that’s any help. My granddaughter goes there: she says Lesley’s a very kind teacher. It’s so important for children to like their teachers, don’t you think?’
Steven agreed that it was and thanked the woman for her help. He waited until she had closed her door before calling DI Lawrence. ‘I should have taken up your offer of uniforms,’ he said. ‘I need a forced entry here.’
Steven was surprised when Lawrence himself turned up with two uniformed officers.
‘Call me an interested observer,’ he said. ‘What exactly is the problem for the sake of the record?’
‘Steven told Lawrence about the supposed visit from the Gas Board. ‘If they were from British Gas I’m from the planet Zog. They had a key, and a neighbour I spoke to hasn’t seen Hendry’s partner for some time.’
Lawrence nodded to the two constables and they made short work of gaining entry. The noise of splintering wood brought the neighbour to her door again and Steven had to try to assure her that there was nothing for her to worry about.
‘I thought the police would have had a key as well,’ she said.
‘We think that the men from the gas board weren’t all that they seemed,’ said Steven. ‘The police think they should check out the flat just to make sure everything’s all right.’
‘I must say they’ve got a funny way of going about it,’ replied the woman, eyeing the splintered door jamb with alarm.
‘Don’t you worry, madam,’ said Lawrence. ‘We’ll make everything as good as new when we’re finished here.
‘Please see that you do,’ replied the woman, retreating indoors. ‘I think I preferred the Gas Board men.’
Steven found pretty much what he expected to find when he walked through the flat. The ‘Gas Board’ men had gone through it with a fine-tooth comb. The contents of every drawer and cupboard had been tipped out on to the floor and even the floorboards had been taken up in several places.’
‘Workmen these days…’ said Lawrence, tongue in cheek. ‘Looks like someone beat you to it?’
‘Afraid so,’ said Steven. ‘What worries me now is how they got the key. If no one has seen Hendry’s partner for a while — ’
‘Oh dear,’ sighed Lawrence. ‘Do you think…?’
‘I think we’d better check it out,’ said Steven. ‘The neighbour says she’s a teacher at Green Street Primary.’
Lawrence looked at his watch. ‘The schools are on holiday. I’ll try and get an address for her from the education authorities.’
Steven continued to look through the flat while Lawrence made his call. He always hated the feeling he got when circumstances forced him to intrude in other people’s lives. He went through the motions of sifting through everything, but knowing full well that he wasn’t going to find anything useful.
When Lawrence joined him he said, ‘The authorities just have this address down in their records but I managed to contact the head teacher at Green Street and she told me that Lesley has been back staying with her parents since Martin Hendry died. Want to give it a try?’