Frozen Grave (31 page)

‘You can tell you’re a landscape artist. This is a great place to hide away.’

‘Yes, it is. Come in, I’ve just made some coffee.’ She indicated that he should sit at the kitchen table and brought over a cafetière.

‘How can I help you? Our phone conversation seemed a little odd.’ She poured him a coffee and pushed the sugar and cream towards him.

‘Thanks very much. Yes, sorry I was a bit brief. I didn’t want to talk about things over the phone. I need to talk to you about a personal matter. Do you know a man named JJ
Ellerman?’

She nodded. ‘Is he okay?’

Tucker answered with a nod and took out the copy of Harding’s letter that Willis had emailed him.

‘Have you seen this letter before?’ he asked, handing Megan the three sheets.

She glanced at it and nodded. ‘Yes, I got one in the post.’

Tucker looked at her and had the feeling he was part of a stage play. Enter stage left, assume look of surprise. She knew what he had come about.

‘You were expecting me?’

‘I was expecting one of these women on this list but I presume you’re not in drag?’

He smiled and shook his head. ‘Not a drag day for me. So you have had contact with the other women on this list?’

‘No, not yet, but I intend to start phoning, once I hear what you have to say.’

He took out his notebook. ‘Can I ask you a few questions about your relationship with Ellerman?’

‘Of course.’

‘How do you know him?’

‘I met him on a dating site for wine lovers. We got on. He was working all over the country and I like to get out of here when I can, so we arranged to meet at venues around the country.
Once in Harrogate, another time in London, then in Bristol. We had met three times before he came here.’

‘How long have you known him altogether?’

‘From the first time we talked on the phone? It’s got to be nine months.’

‘It must have been quite a shock to get the letter?’

‘It was a disappointment.’

‘Did you have any idea he was seeing other women?’

‘I had made it quite clear to him that I wouldn’t accept that. I suppose I thought that maybe he was too good to be true.’

‘What kind of person is he? He seems to be very attractive to the opposite sex?’

‘Yes. I suppose it’s a sad fact that he made it his job to be attractive to us. What’s the old saying: if it seems too good – it probably is?’

Tucker smiled. He was staring at her again. She could feel his scrutiny. She realized how bizarre it must seem to anyone from the outside.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s a pity that that’s so true.’

‘But, luckily, I hadn’t yet invested much of my time in the relationship. It suited me while it lasted.’

‘You talk about investing – did you invest any money in his company, Hacienda Renovations?’

‘No.’

‘Did he try and sell you anything?’

‘No, not yet. He showed me photos of properties, some finished, an old farmhouse he was working on. He said the other projects were all going towards funding this one farmhouse that he
intended to keep for himself – and me of course. Ha . . . it would have been a bit crowded in there with all these other women.’

‘Yes . . .’ Tucker grinned. ‘He might have had a hard job introducing everyone. So, when you looked at this list of women, did you recognize anyone you knew?’

‘No. Why? Should I?’

‘No, I was thinking along the lines of whether he’d ever mentioned any of these names.’

She looked at the letter again and ran her eyes down the list.

‘No. What’s the problem?’

‘We’re investigating some issues around this list. Some issues concerning two of the women. I can’t say any more than that. What do you intend to do about Ellerman now? Has he
been in touch in the last week?’

She shook her head. ‘I guess he’s lying low.’

But what will you do?’

‘Ummm . . .` I haven’t decided. Is this a criminal matter? Can you get him for being a multiple philanderer, for breaking hearts, lying?’ She smiled but he could see how sad
she was. There was also more than a hint of anger in her eyes.

‘I can tell you that he in under investigation, but only in a broad sense of the word.’ Tucker shook his head apologetically. ‘I’m sorry, all I can suggest to you is that
you don’t allow him to come and visit you at the moment, until we clear these matters up.’

‘What are you saying? Is he dangerous?’

He held her gaze. ‘I’d just feel happier if you do what I recommend.’

After Tucker had left, Megan rang Ellerman’s home number. On her second attempt she got an answer. Megan was intrigued to hear Dee’s voice. It was hesitant,
cautious. She had a slight Portsmouth accent.

‘Hello?’

‘Hello, is that Dee?’

‘Yes. Who is this?’

‘My name is Paula Seymour,’ she lied. ‘I’m one of the women on the list, on the letter?’

‘What do you want? My husband has gone out.’

‘I want to talk to you. I’m really sorry to involve you in all this but you are already and I thought I’d better keep you updated. I have met with some of the women on the
list . . . we decided to meet and discuss what we should do. I know it must seem really weird to you but a lot of the women had thought they were in a committed relationship with your husband. For
many of them this is a massive blow. I wanted to phone you to involve you in what we have decided. I know that Lisa talked to you. She said, in her opinion, you were not going to get involved. I
hate to state the obvious, but you are involved . . . Your husband has defrauded several women out of money and they want it back. For them, the way they see it, they have lost
everything.’

‘They shouldn’t have got involved with a married man.’

‘No, of course, and they didn’t. They got involved with a man who said his wife knew all about his life as a single man, that she even had the same arrangement going.’

‘I don’t.’

‘No, well, I can hear what you’re saying but JJ is a very convincing liar and we all fell for it. I wanted to talk to you to clarify things. Can I ask you – did you know that
we all existed?’

‘No.’

‘So JJ has never admitted to having affairs? You’ve never discovered anything?’

‘Yes. Years ago. I found out he’d had an affair.’

‘And what? You thought that was the end of it?’

‘No. I thought that I would let him get enough rope to hang himself.’

‘I’m sorry – this isn’t a criticism, but why didn’t you leave him, if you feel that way?’

‘Because I don’t want to.’

‘How can you want to stay with someone like that? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you. I know that JJ told me that as well as other women you have had problems with
depression. Well, I can help you get some help with that. We can support you now. I’d like to. I think you must have gone through some awful times.’

‘Yes.’

‘Would you like me to visit you, Dee? I come to London often. It’s no problem.’

‘I don’t think so, but thank you for the offer.’

‘Do you know what you want to happen from all of this? I don’t think you can go back to the way it was. I have had a visit from the police. I think they are investigating JJ because
of the Spanish company.’

‘Did you give him money?’

‘No, not me, but I seem to be in the minority. Everyone else has been taken for a lot of money.’

‘They can’t have it back.’

‘Dee, I understand how you must feel and I know this must be scary, but they will take you both to court.’

‘As you said, I talked to a woman named Lisa and she said she would. What about the others?’ asked Dee.

‘I don’t know. Some of them are too heartbroken to think it through at the moment.’

‘What do you want from me?’

‘I want to ask you to join us, be united with us. Stand together and we will help you to get out of this marriage. Will you join us?’

‘No. I can’t, I’m sorry.’

Megan came off the phone to Dee and phoned Lisa but she got no reply. She phoned Emily and left a message:

The police are coming your way.

In Brighton, morning dog walkers were out before work on the undercliff path, making the most of the lull in the bad weather. The sun had just risen. It was crisp and cold but
there was a milky-blue sky.

Andrew the accountant was out walking his two miniature poodles Pompom and Lulu. He called to them to be quiet as they stopped on the path ahead of him and yapped excitedly. He reached them and
looked upwards. Hanging above his head a woman was impaled on the metal cage used to collect falling stones. Her twisted body was bathed in frost. She was frozen solid. Her eyes were shining as
they reflected the rising sun. Her blood was a dark stain on the white cliff face where it had run out.

It was 7 a.m. Willis hadn’t slept more than a few hours when she switched off her alarm clock before it rang. The business of finding her father had turned out to be
relatively easy once she had his name and photo. But once she started it was hard to stop looking for things written about him. Eddie Francis hadn’t been able to make it as a sprinter, in the
end. But he’d coached many good ones over the years and was still involved with the Jamaican athletics team. He’d never married but he had two sons. Willis wondered why her mother had
never bothered to find him before. She hadn’t needed him before now, Willis supposed. Or maybe she had contacted him but not got the response she wanted. Willis needed to talk to Dr Reese
again. Bella’s normal accommodation was a twelve-patient ward for people with personality disorders who were deemed to be both a risk to themselves and the public, but a ward was a collection
of rooms. Bella was diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia. The hospital allowed her mother Internet access, along with a swimming pool, her own TV and a garden to tend. But it was still a
maximum-security hospital and every movement she made was meant to be on camera or watched over – maybe they had decided it wasn’t going to help her to contact Eddie Francis.

Willis printed off a couple of clear photos she had of Eddie and then she took one downstairs when she heard Tina getting up for work. They met in the kitchen.

‘What do you think, Teen? He’s an athletics coach.’

Tina took the photo from Willis and gave it straight back.

‘He’s all right but he’s a bit old for you.’

‘No, I don’t mean as a potential boyfriend. I mean as a dad.’

Tina stopped buttering her toast and looked wide-eyed at Willis.

‘Excuse me?’

‘This is
him
. Or he could be. We don’t really have any proof except what my mother said and she’s—’

‘STOP . . . stop right there. Let me see this photo again.’ She took it from Willis and looked at it closely.

‘OMG. Yes . . . for feck’s sake – he’s not going to be able to deny it. Look at you both – two peas in a pod!’

‘Well, it’s early days yet, Teen. I mean, we only have my mum’s word and that’s not worth a lot.’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake. Christ, Eb . . . is this where I think it is? Is this in Jamaica?’ she said, scanning the background to the photo. Willis nodded. ‘Book us
flights. We are going out there to confront him. I mean, who wouldn’t want a dad in Jamaica?’

‘No confrontation . . .’ Willis smiled as she shook her head. Tina’s enthusiasm was infectious. ‘We don’t want to scare him off.’

‘What’s to scare? Who wouldn’t be proud of a daughter like you? Look at all you’ve achieved. Look at who you are.’

‘Thanks, Teen.’

‘I mean it.’ Tina picked up her toast and munched double-speed. ‘Eb – you know what this means?’ Willis shook her head – hardly daring to ask. ‘We have
holiday opportunities
off
the scale.’

Willis got a call from Scott Tucker as she was getting off the bus at Archway.

‘Just thought I’d catch up.’

‘What did you think of Megan Penarth?’ she asked.

‘Interesting woman – lives on Dartmoor in a barn conversion. She seemed to be quite sorted. She doesn’t seem to be finished with JJ Ellerman yet – seems to me like she
was planning to have her say before walking away.’

‘Did she give him any money?’

‘She says not. How are you getting on with the other women on the list?’

‘I’m just about to attend a meeting now. I’ll send you a report when we’re done. After that, we’re planning to head to Brighton to talk to Lisa Tompkins, the gym
manager.’

‘A phone call will do. I mean, I know you’re busy. We could Skype again and you can let me know later.’

‘Yeah. Okay, thanks a lot for the call. I’ll keep you informed. Actually, you should come and meet us when we go to Brighton. I’ll text you when we’re leaving. How long
will it take you?’

‘Four hours. I’d better start now. When are you going?’

‘After this meeting – in a couple of hours.’

‘Okay – see you there.’

‘Can you spare the time?’

‘Absolutely.’

Willis ended the call and went straight to Robbo’s office, ready for the meeting. Carter was already there.

‘What did we find out about the women’s history, Pam?’ Willis asked as she hung her coat on the hook.

‘Paula Seymour has a conviction for . . .’ Pam opened and read the file on her desk. ‘Shoplifting and assault. The first offence came after several warnings. Seems she was
known to the police as a teenager. The assault charge was when she was nineteen – she glassed another woman in a club. She’s not had anything since.’

‘Bored teenager syndrome,’ said Hector from his desk.

‘Not many people are capable of glassing someone,’ Carter remarked.

‘Drink was involved,’ said Pam, as she continued reading from the email. ‘Paula Seymour always denied it was her but a jury convicted her. She was pregnant at the time; she did
community service. She’s been clean since.’

Carter sat quietly. He leant back in his chair as he stared out into space.

‘Ellerman could have killed Gillian Forth,’ he said after a few moments’ contemplatation. ‘He had time that evening, to get from Exeter to Reading; three hours max. Fire
started at seven. He would have got to Paula at ten.’