Fatal Love Read online

  ‘This is him returning,’ said DC Bennett, fast-forwarding until Mr Burton’s car was once again on screen. The time showed 11.52 am. Once again, an upper-body shot of Mr Burton could be made out.

  Tom looked at the image for a while before DC Bennett interrupted him with another fast-forward. ‘And this is him leaving the house again.’

  The time at the bottom of the screen showed 2.25 pm. Tom spent some considerable time studying the image closely.

  ‘And finally, there’s this other one. The one which includes his neighbour.’ DC Bennett carefully moved the images forward, frame by frame, until he found the one he was looking for. ‘That’s the neighbour – a Mr Perry. He just happened to be walking down the street, in view of the CCTV camera, when Mr Burton’s car went past.’ Once again DC Bennett nudged the frames forward. ‘This is where Mr Perry waves to Mr Burton, who, as you can just make out, waves back.’

  ‘And there’s nothing else of him after this time?’ asked Tom.

  ‘Nothing, sir. I spent most of last night looking at the footage, from the moment he left the house until after 5 pm. Those three shots we just saw are the only ones.’

  ‘Hmm,’ said Tom. ‘Not much to go on there. I was hoping there might be something a bit more revealing.’

  ‘Like what, sir?’ asked DC Bennett.

  ‘I’ve got no idea,’ he answered. ‘With CCTV it’s often the case that you won’t know until you’ve actually seen it. Why don’t you also look a bit further afield? See if you can find his car on any other CCTV footage. Concentrate on the major routes out of Richmond from 2.25 pm onwards. If we can pick him up travelling in a certain direction, that would be a great help, as the key to this is knowing where he went after he left his house. You never know; we might get lucky.’ He turned away from the screen. ‘Anyway, good job, Gary. Now, have you been able to set up a meeting with his business partner yet? You know, your new best friend.’

  ‘Very funny, sir,’ DC Bennett answered with a laugh. ‘I just didn’t take to him, that’s all. But, to answer your question, yes, I spoke with him late yesterday afternoon and arranged to meet at two thirty this afternoon, at their offices in the City. He did suggest meeting here, but I thought you’d like to see where they were based.’

  ‘And, no doubt,’ Tom said, ‘you wanted him to experience the embarrassment of a visit from two police detectives.’

  ‘Never crossed my mind,’ DC Bennett replied, a big smile suddenly appearing.

  Just then Milner reappeared. ‘Well, it certainly all goes on at a golf club,’ he said.

  Both Tom and DC Bennett could sense that Milner had some news he was keen to impart – which he then duly did.

  ‘I just received a call from Tony Cook, the general manager of the golf club, who informed me that perhaps Roger White wasn’t being entirely honest with us when we asked him why the other two golfers in the photograph were no longer members of the club. It may be true that they had family and work commitments, but what Mr White chose not to tell us was that, a few months ago, there had been a big argument between Glyn Burton and Mike Preston. In fact, it got so heated that, at one point, they had to be pulled apart. Apparently, for a while, it was the talk of the golf club.’

  ‘I bet it was,’ replied Tom. ‘And do we know the reason for the argument?’

  ‘Yes, we do,’ said Milner. ‘It seems that Mike Preston had found out that our missing man had been having an affair with his wife.’

  ‘Really?’ asked Tom, surprised. ‘And do we know that as fact?’

  ‘The way Mr Cook told me suggested that it was,’ Milner said. ‘Although I got the distinct impression he was trying hard to downplay it.’

  ‘Something they seem to do all of the time at that particular golf club,’ Tom said, more to himself than to anyone else. ‘Anyway, didn’t he phone you? It’s difficult to downplay something if you are the person who initiated the conversation.’

  ‘Exactly. That’s what I thought as well. He said that later, after we had left, he had remembered the fight and thought that, even though he claims it had nothing to do with Mr Burton’s disappearance, we should at least be aware of it.’

  ‘Mm,’ replied Tom, clearly not totally convinced. ‘That was very good of him, although I doubt very much he would have forgotten about something which, in his own words, was the talk of the club. The real question is why didn’t he tell us at the time? And, also, of course, why Roger White, who seems to have known Mr Burton quite well, did not mention it either.’ He paused. ‘Anyway, I think we now know which of his golfing buddies we should go and visit next. Why don’t you call him and fix up a time?’

  Just as Milner was leaving, Tom suddenly said, ‘Oh, and there’s one other thing. Check to see if anyone we’re interested in, including Mr Burton himself, has their own Facebook page. There might be something there which could be of interest to us. Even though I think Facebook is a wonderful development, sometimes people can give away all sorts of information on there which, under normal circumstances, they just wouldn’t do.’

  Milner smiled a little. DCI Stone’s dislike of Facebook was almost legendary. ‘Of course, sir.’

  Chapter 13

  ‘Thank you very much for seeing us, Mr Blackwell,’ said Tom, displaying his ID card. ‘I’m Detective Chief Inspector Stone, from West London police. I think you have already met my colleague, Detective Constable Bennett.’

  Mr Blackwell hardly even acknowledged DC Bennett, instead focussing his attention on Tom.

  The offices of Investment and Wealth Management were in one corner of the ground floor of a converted warehouse, on the northern side of the River Thames, and in an upwardly mobile part of East London. The office was modest in size, with just enough room for two desks and chairs, together with a small circular table around which they were now seated. As far as Tom could see, apart from Mr Blackwell, there was just one other person in the office.

  ‘Sarah is our PA,’ Mr Blackwell explained. ‘I’m sure if I asked her nicely, she would rustle up a cup of coffee or tea for you both. Which do you prefer?’

  ‘That’s very good of you,’ replied Tom. ‘White coffee with no sugar would be fine for me.’

  ‘I’ll have my usual, please, Sarah,’ Mr Blackwell said, and then, directly facing DC Bennett for the first time, he asked, ‘And what about you?’

  Tom could see DC Bennett almost flinch at this and wasn’t entirely surprised when he replied, ‘Nothing for me.’ DC Bennett seemed determined not to be beholden to Craig Blackwell in any way at all.

  Sarah quickly returned with their drinks and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

  ‘Is there any news yet on Glyn?’ Mr Blackwell asked, with some obvious concern in his voice.

  ‘I’m afraid not. That’s why we wanted to meet with you, in order to see if there’s anything else you could tell us which might help us find Mr Burton. It’s now almost two weeks since he disappeared, and as each day passes we are becoming increasingly concerned about his wellbeing.’

  ‘Well, of course, if there’s anything I can do to help then I will, but I’ve already told your constable everything I know.’

  ‘Detective constable,’ DC Bennett put in.

  Tom didn’t know whether or not Mr Blackwell was deliberately trying to provoke Gary, but, sensing that Gary might do or say something untoward, he quickly intervened. ‘That’s right, DC Bennett did say you have been very helpful and already provided him with lots of information, but I asked him to set up this meeting between us so that I could get a full picture myself. So, if you could tell me a little about your business, that would be a good start.’

  ‘Glyn and I started the business about ten years ago. We got to know each other when we both worked on the same desk at a company in the City. We handled smaller clients. Those with investments of less than half a million. When the credit crash took hold, in 2008, we were both offered redundancy. The company had decided that, in future, they just wanted to concentrate o
n their bigger clients.’

  ‘So half a million pounds is considered to be small beer?’ asked Tom.

  ‘In the world of finance, it is, yes,’ answered Mr Blackwell. ‘Some of the other desks were handling individual accounts in the tens of millions.’

  Tom could see that Gary was about to say something in response, so he gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head, making it clear that he should remain silent.

  Mr Blackwell continued. ‘It was at this time that we decided to set up ourselves and focus our business on these smaller clients. Fortunately, the company allowed us to bring some of our clients with us.’

  ‘And I’m assuming it has been successful,’ said Tom.

  ‘Well, yes,’ he answered. ‘In the first few years things were a bit dodgy, but we managed to get through that. Since then, especially over the past five or six years, things have gone pretty well. Glyn now tends to handle existing clients whilst I try to get new ones.’

  ‘And what is the size of your business now? Are you able to tell me?’

  ‘That’s not a problem,’ he answered. ‘Last year our client book was worth over £50 million.’

  DC Bennett let out a quiet whistle whilst Tom, also impressed, made do with simply raising his eyebrows. ‘£50 million?’

  ‘That’s not what we turn over,’ Mr Blackwell explained quickly. ‘The fifty million is the total value of the funds we manage on behalf of our clients. We take a commission, as well as charging an annual fee, for doing that.’

  ‘So, what is the value of that commission?’ asked Tom, keen to get an idea of the company’s actual income.

  ‘I’d rather not divulge that, if you don’t mind. It is confidential information and not something we would want our competitors to find out.’

  If the implication was that Tom and DC Bennett could not be trusted with this information, Tom decided not to challenge it. Instead he said, ‘Do you mind me asking you where you live?’

  ‘I live in Hampstead,’ Mr Blackwell answered.

  DC Bennett was unable to resist making a comment. ‘Nice.’

  Mr Blackwell looked directly at him. ‘Do you have a problem with that?’

  ‘Not at all,’ DC Bennett answered quickly. ‘I just wish I could afford to live there.’

  Fearing that the conversation could take an unfortunate turn, Tom tried to bring it back onto a more professional level. ‘Is there any reason you can think of why Mr Burton would want to disappear?’

  ‘None at all. We have been friends for a long time. We work together. We socialise together. Susie and I would often go out with Glyn and Jane.Sometimes we would even go away on holiday together. We have a place in Spain, near Marbella, and occasionally they would come down with the kids to stay with us for a couple of weeks. If Glyn was planning to do a runner, I can assure you that I would know about it,’ he answered with real conviction.

  ‘What if, though, he was about to do a runner with another woman? Would you know about that as well?’ asked Tom.

  ‘Another woman? Why would Glyn do that? He was happily married,’ Mr Blackwell said, although Tom couldn’t help but detect that, this time, his answer carried far less conviction.

  ‘Well, from what we now know about Mr Burton he was known to be . . . how can I put this? Well, let’s just say he liked the company of women.’

  Mr Blackwell didn’t immediately respond, as though he was considering what to say. ‘Glyn liked the company of women,’ he finally admitted. ‘That’s for sure. And maybe he’d had a few flings in the past, but that was when he was much younger.’

  ‘That’s what he may have told you, but we have spoken to some of his neighbours where he has his flat. They have told us that Mr Burton quite regularly brought back different women, late at night, when he was staying there. They say that recently, however, it has been one woman in particular who has stayed there overnight.’ Tom watched carefully for a reaction as he spoke. ‘There is also some speculation that he had been having an affair with someone linked to the golf club where he played.’ He paused briefly. ‘I think that all adds up to more than the occasional fling in the past. Don’t you?’

  ‘Okay, I accept that there have been a few, but, as far as I know, it’s not against the law, is it? Well, not yet, anyway.’

  ‘No, it’s not yet against the law,’ said Tom. ‘And, incidentally, it’s not our job to be judgemental. But, I come back to my previous question. Is there a chance that Mr Burton has gone somewhere with another woman?’

  ‘Not as far as I’m aware. No,’ he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Tom. ‘In many ways I was hoping you would have said yes; then we could spend our time on more serious matters. Incidentally, would you have any idea who the woman might be who Mr Burton has been seeing recently? The one who his neighbours say has been a regular visitor.’

  There was a momentary hesitation as Mr Blackwell considered how to respond. Tom, sensing this, added, ‘It would be extremely helpful to our inquiry if you could give us some idea of who she might be. I can assure you we will treat whatever you tell us in the strictest confidence.’

  This seemed to, at least partly, reassure Mr Blackwell. ‘As I told you earlier, Susie and I have known Glyn and Jane for many years. The last thing I want is to see Jane hurt.’

  ‘I understand that,’ answered Tom. ‘But I think you will find that Mrs Burton is feeling quite a lot of hurt right now anyway. The police are not in the habit of deliberately and unnecessarily causing marital problems. We have far more important things to be doing.’

  ‘Well, there was one woman who Glyn seemed especially keen on. I could sense that she was somehow different from the others.’

  ‘How could you tell that?’ asked Tom.

  ‘Nothing specific, but he just seemed a bit different. As though he had something on his mind. Plus, there were a few times when she left messages with Sarah asking him to call her back urgently.’

  ‘And who is that woman?’ asked DC Bennett, notebook in hand, and speaking for the first time in quite a while.

  ‘It’s actually the wife of one of his clients. Caroline Mercer.’

  ‘And the name of her husband?’ asked Tom.

  ‘Jonathan Mercer,’ he replied.

  ‘Thank you,’ replied Tom. ‘Are you able to provide us with a contact address and telephone number?’

  Once again he hesitated before responding. ‘Do you really need those? As I said, there was nothing specific, just a feeling that I had. If they find out that it was us who gave you their details then, as I’m sure you can imagine, it wouldn’t look too good for us. Mr Mercer is one of our biggest clients and I wouldn’t like to lose him because of some speculation about Glyn and his wife.’

  ‘I totally understand that,’ said Tom in his most reassuring voice. ‘But I wouldn’t ask you for her details unless I felt it was important to the investigation. And, anyway, we could get the details ourselves. It’s just that this way would save a lot of time.’

  Mr Blackwell didn’t immediately answer. Finally, though, he simply said, ‘Give me a minute and I’ll get them,’ before standing up and leaving the office.

  Whilst he was out of the office Tom looked at DC Bennett. ‘Are you okay, Gary?’

  ‘Fine, sir,’ he replied, in a manner which suggested the exact opposite.

  Just then Mr Blackwell reappeared and handed a piece of paper to Tom. Tom glanced at the contact details on it and stood up. ‘Thank you very much, Mr Blackwell. As I said earlier, please be assured that we will be discreet.’ He paused. ‘Incidentally, how did you feel about Mr Burton having an affair with the wife of one of your clients? Surely that was an even bigger risk, especially as he was one of your biggest clients? Exactly how big was his investment?’

  ‘I’m not able to divulge the value of the investment portfolio we are handling on Mr Mercer’s behalf. That would compromise client confidentiality. What I can say, though, is that Mr Mercer is actually our larges
t client.’

  Tom was momentarily taken aback by this information and, whilst he was still considering what he’d just been told, DC Bennett cut in. ‘I would have thought that client confidentiality was the least of your problems.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Mr Blackwell asked.

  ‘It wouldn’t have looked good for your business if your other clients found out that one of the partners was sleeping with the wife of your biggest client. How do you think they would have reacted? If you were looking after my money, and I found that out, I’d withdraw it pretty sharpish.’

  Mr Blackwell hesitated. He was clearly struggling or reluctant to answer DC Bennett’s question, and so Tom decided to help. ‘My original question to you was how you felt about what Mr Burton was doing with Mrs Mercer.’

  This time he did answer Tom’s question. ‘Well, as you can imagine, it wasn’t something which I was particularly happy about. Having an affair is one thing. Having this type of affair is something completely different. Believe it or not, Detective Chief Inspector, there are a few lines in our line of work which you just don’t cross.’

  ‘Really?’ replied DC Bennett, with a slight laugh. ‘Maybe you could tell me what they are?’

  Mr Blackwell looked directly at him, and said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, ‘Well, of course, the police are well known for their high moral standards. If only the rest of us could be as righteous as you obviously are.’

  There followed a brief silence, but fortunately DC Bennett did not respond, and it was Tom who next spoke. ‘Just another couple of final questions, if you don’t mind. When was the last time you saw Mr Burton?’

  Mr Blackwell’s immediate response suggested he had been expecting this question. ‘The Friday night before Glyn disappeared. We went for a quick drink together after work. I left at about seven thirty.’