Terence blew on his tea, then took a sip. ‘Ahh, lovely. American tea is truly offensive.’
Ridley had now got the measure of Terence and the fact that he was not a man to use ten words when he could use fifty. Ridley asked if he could speak more specifically about Avril.
‘When Freddie called to tell me he was marrying, I couldn’t believe he’d found someone who’d have him... such a mean-spirited old bastard he’d grown into. He knew I was in London visiting old friends so, when he suggested meeting up, I agreed. Avril was... common. I, of course, presumed she was after his money. Especially when my brother bragged to me that they’d met in a Soho pub, after he’d been mugged one evening and gone in to use the phone. She bought him a drink whilst he waited for the police to arrive and they... fucked... his word... that very same night. I’m not a prude, but he was an old man! Avril gibbered on about her family: her father was a truck driver and her mother was a housewife. As I understand it, Avril flew their Leeds council nest at a very early age. Anyway, the next time we met was at their wedding.’ A wry smile crept across Terence’s lips. ‘She got inexcusably drunk, and during a slow dance, she cupped my scrotum. I think that’s my fondest memory of dear Avril.’ Jack turned his head away in an endeavour to hide a snigger. Terence saw it and his smile broadened. ‘That’s what I mean when I say I could have liked her if she were some other poor sod’s relative. Anyway, beyond the wedding, it was several years until we all met again. I don’t suppose I could trouble you for another cup of tea, could I?’
The ten-minute comfort break turned into a half-hour phone call between Terence and his wife back in California. Although Ridley and Jack couldn’t hear the other half of the conversation, it was obvious that Terence’s wife was sending him her love and asking for presents from England: she wanted branded bags from all the top London shops, so that she could show off to her friends. She didn’t need anything in the bags.
Back in the soft interview room Terence began again, unprompted, from exactly where he’d left off.
‘There was a time before we lost Freddie — can’t recall the year — when I invited Avril to use my place in California whilst the family and I were on holiday in Florida. To be honest, I didn’t want to leave it empty. Rather surprisingly, she said yes. When we returned from Florida, something told me to send the family out for lunch, whilst I nipped back home ahead of them. Thank goodness for gut instinct! Avril was on my daughter’s lilo in the pool, smoking marijuana with some very unsavoury characters from Santa Monica... as was advertised by their tattoos. I asked everyone to leave, including Avril, but she wouldn’t go. Six months, she stayed. To be honest, she was on her best behaviour the entire time and the kids thought her highly amusing, but... six months!’ Terence’s tone barely concealed hid an undertone of regret.
‘She didn’t want to come home. I think her relationship with my brother had soured. She inferred he had become paranoid — as I said before, he was always a bit twisted — but she said he had been very difficult due to some insurance about a painting. Our father was a consummate art collector, and in reality poor old Freddie would have preferred becoming an artist to running the company. As it turned out he was pretty useless and lost a fortune. I suppose I wish Avril had been an easier woman, then perhaps I would have asked her why she had married him in the first place, but then my own wife pointed out that my brother was very wealthy.’
Ridley asked if Terence had been aware of Avril’s drug use prior to the swimming-pool incident.
‘It was medicinal. I don’t know what for and I didn’t ask. I allowed it in the summer house at the far end of the garden. My wife wasn’t happy because of the children, but she turned a blind eye. For me.’
Jack leant forwards. ‘Terence, do you know if Avril had a child? Before her marriage to your brother.’
‘She insinuated it once. When she was squatting in my house in California. She mentioned that her new life in London was cut short by a “mistake” — she said she’d returned home to Leeds to fix said “mistake”. Actually, when Arnold Hutchinson called to tell me of Freddie’s death, he asked a similar question. He asked if I knew whether Avril had ever been married before. I neither knew nor cared, but apparently Freddie had grown to suspect that there had been a marriage and family in Avril’s past. I never discovered if there had been, and to be honest my brother never bothered to call or write, so I sort of let it go. I most certainly never wanted Avril to visit again.’
Terence quickly stood and brought the interview to an abrupt end. ‘Got to go. I’m Skyping the kids shortly and I want to do it from the top of the Gherkin. My daughter will be green with envy.’ He seemed to suddenly become aware that his demeanour was not that of a man who’d just lost a family member. ‘Avril and I... Avril and anyone really... often clashed. She could be cruel. When Freddie passed, I asked her, through Arnold, if I could collect a few sentimental items. Things from our childhood, collections of paintings dating back to our grandfather’s days. Granted they were of value, but that wasn’t why I wanted them. She never replied and eventually I stopped asking. Anyway, I get it all now, don’t I?’
On the way back to Ridley’s office, he and Jack speculated about the timeframe and the order of events leading up to the establishment of the multi-faceted drugs factory at Avril’s home. The start of the cannabis farm in her greenhouse no doubt aligned with the date of the high utility bill brought to their attention by Arnold Hutchinson. But was it her set-up initially, started to feed her own cannabis habit, or was it the work of the drugs gang? There were too many questions and nowhere near enough answers.
‘Go back to the beginning, Jack. One of the very first questions we asked was who’s Adam Border? Why the hell haven’t we been able to find him? Ordinary people don’t hide like this. Ordinary people have histories, use credit cards, leave paper trails. Therefore, Adam Border isn’t ordinary. So find him.’
Chapter 15
As Jack walked in the front door, the smell of baking told him which room to head for first. Maggie and Penny had been multitasking. There was evidence of homemade pastry, several cakes, ironing, and another stack of wedding invitations, almost as big as the first, sat on the kitchen table, all sealed and stamped ready to be posted. Jack noted that the envelope on top of the pile was addressed to Elliot Wetlock. Hannah was sitting in her highchair crumbling a buttered scone into tiny pieces and then licking them off the table.
Through the kitchen window, he saw Penny in the back garden pegging out multiple wash-loads. Maggie was tidying the kitchen worktops.
‘Well...’ by Jack’s tone, Maggie knew something sarcastic was coming. ‘If we’re inviting everyone we’ve ever crossed paths with to our wedding, there’s a cleaner on our floor at the station I’d like to invite. He talks a lot about Plymouth Argyle and he’s programmed to wash dirty mugs on sight so, you know, he’d be interesting and useful. Unlike Wetlock.’