Poisoned Cherries

Chapter 27

He was still smiling when he stepped out of the lift next morning. I wasn’t, though; I had phoned Susie as I was having breakfast and told her how the Alison thing had developed; all of it. Not to put too fine a point on it she had done her nut.

‘You’re telling me that this woman, one of your many old flames, is about to plead guilty to killing her boyfriend, you’ve taken his place on the board of their company, and you’re in the process of buying his shares in the business, at a knock-down price? How the hell do you think that’s going to look to the police when they find out? Are you completely off your head?’

That aspect hadn’t occurred to me for one second.

‘Put it that way, and the answer’s yes; I probably am. But I’ve made the offer, love. I can’t back down now.’

‘Don’t “love” me. You’re a director of the Gantry Group; what’s trouble for you is trouble for me. Tell me straight; are you still lusting after this woman?’

‘No, I’m not; I never did, either.’

‘Just as well for you, or I’d cut your balls off. Now you must get out of this daft agreement, now.’

‘How am I going to do that, without leaving her in the lurch?’

‘I’ll put up the fifty grand, or whatever figure the boy’s estate settles for eventually. I’ll advance the money to her solicitor, in confidence, and he’ll buy the shares on my behalf. She can repay me on the same basis you agreed. I’ll protect myself by putting my own accountants in place to oversee the business.’

‘But. .’

‘No arguments, Oz; that’s what’s going to happen.’

‘But why would you do that for her?’

‘I wouldn’t. I’m doing it for you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re the father of my daughter and I won’t let you make such an arse of yourself.’

‘And that’s all?’

An intake of breath so deep that it sounded like a wave winding up to crash on to a beach. ‘No. Because I love you, and I don’t want you to get into any more trouble than you can help.’

After that, I had to agree. I was still thinking about it when Miles phoned from the Caledonian Hotel, to say that he and Dawn had checked in, and when Ricky Ross rang the entryphone buzzer at ten minutes to ten. What I was thinking about, was being my own man.

‘What’s tickling you?’ I asked him.

‘I went to David Capperauld’s place,’ he answered. ‘He had her key all right. He’d still have it, if he was alive. It was in his kitchen cupboard, hanging on a row of hooks with lots of other keys. Every one of them was on a ring with a plastic tag, with a label in it. Hers said “Alison”. I took it up to her flat and tried it, to make sure, then I put it back where it was.

‘His door key was hanging there too, labelled “spare”. Whoever killed him must have taken a look around, or known where to look, found Alison’s key there, and used it to get in to plant the awl at her place.’

‘And then put it back,’ I said. ‘That was bloody crafty. It doesn’t really help her at all, does it?’

‘Yes it does. Everything helps, Oz, everything that backs up an alternative solution to the one the police are going for. It doesn’t prove anything, but it suggests something. If we can gather in more suggestions, enough of them, we can maybe. . okay, it’s a big maybe. . we can undermine the prosecution case.’

He smirked again. ‘There’s another thing. I dusted the key with powder, and lifted a couple of prints from it. They might just be Capperauld’s, but I don’t think they are. .’

‘What makes you so sure?’

‘Because I took prints from the razor I found in his bathroom, and from his shaving gel canister; they don’t match, none of them.’

‘Maybe they’re Alison’s.’

‘They’re not.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I printed the knife she tried to slice me with.’

I was impressed. ‘Clever bastard, eh, Ricky?’

‘I have my moments.’

‘Okay, so where to now?’

‘CID manual page two,’ he replied. ‘I’ll check on known associates. There were no signs of a breakin at Capperauld’s house either, so whoever did it, he let in there. Not just that; from the position of the wound, he didn’t feel threatened, because he turned his back on him.’

‘How do you start tracing them?’

‘I’ll talk to Alison once she gets. .’

He was interrupted by the entryphone; I picked it up, said, ‘Lift; top floor,’ pressed the button to release the lock, then walked across to the front door and wedged it open. Less than two minutes later, slightly bleary-eyed, but still tanned and looking rock-hard as ever, Miles Grayson stepped into the apartment.

Miles and I greeted each other like long-lost brothers, which was not a million miles away from what we still were, then I introduced him to his new security consultant. The change in Ricky was instantaneous. I’d never seen him awestruck before, or even nervous, but he was right then. Miles can have that effect on people. The first time I met him was in the bar of a hotel in Connell Ferry; he bought me a pint. He’s always buying me beer; it’s the Australian in him.

‘So you’re Mr Ross,’ he said. ‘It’s good to meet you in the flesh after all these years.’ Ricky blanched; so Miles had remembered their first, indirect, encounter, and his phone call to the chief constable.

‘Don’t worry,’ he laughed, breaking the tension. ‘I don’t let personal things get in the way of business. . unless they’re really personal. I hired you on Mark Kravitz’s recommendation; that’s always good enough for me.

‘Oz tells me you’ve been a big help already, in smoothing a couple of things over.’

Ricky grunted and gave me what might have been a nod of thanks; then again it might have been a bad attempt at a head-butt.

‘I’ve already met the guy you’ve assigned to Dawn and me. He was waiting at the Caledonian as you said he would be; I’ve left him there with Dawn. Word will get around that we’ve moved in, so it’s as well that he stays with her.’

Ross nodded. ‘Yes. He’s a good guy, is Mike Reilly; he’s ex-army and he did a stint in the SAS. Mark sent him to me when he was mustered out. My people are a mix of ex-police and ex-military. None of them are gung-ho types, but they can do the business if they have to.’

‘None of them are carrying, are they?’ asked Miles.

‘No, sir. That’s illegal in this country.’

‘I know; that’s why I asked.’

‘They don’t. The people who are with you don’t need them.’

‘People?’ I asked.

‘Brucie has his own minder up at Auchterarder,’ Miles explained, ‘as back-up to his nurse.’

I felt my eyebrows go up. ‘His nurse?’

Miles grinned. ‘Maria’s a fully qualified children’s nurse; she was also an undercover officer with the LAPD. She was a detective sergeant working South Central Los Angeles when we hired her out of there.’ Then the smile vanished. ‘People like us, Oz, we can’t be too careful. We’re the super-rich, and to the wrong people, that can make our children valuable commodities.’

A cold shiver ran through me; I thought of wee Janet, and of Ethel Reid facing up to a determined kidnapper, in a block to which there was relatively easy access, for anyone seriously inclined to get in. I decided that Susie and I would have to discuss that as soon as possible; between us, we were worth more than a pound or two.

Miles looked around the apartment, then took in the view from the big window. ‘Hey,’ he exclaimed, ‘you’ve struck it lucky with this place. Pretty damn good; better than a hotel.’

‘You and Dawn can have it, if you like,’ I offered, in a flash of toadying generosity that drew me a sidelong glance from Ricky. ‘I can always stay at Susie’s and commute.’

‘That’s good of you, buddy, but you stay here. It’s ideal for the sort of cast get-together we’re having this afternoon; if we’re using it for that, I’d rather not live here as well.’

‘Fine. I don’t mind cleaning up the left-over sandwiches.’

He laughed. ‘Don’t worry, that’s down to the caterers. By the way, my assistant followed up that contact you gave me, the Asian firm, but they’re too small. We need a specialist operation, one that can keep the cast and crew, especially the crew, fed and happy all hours of the day and night. And there’ll be quite a few night shots on this one.’

He paused. ‘Okay, this afternoon’s meeting. Mr Ross. . Hey what do I call you? Is it still Superintendent?’

‘Not for a while now; Ricky usually gets my attention.’

‘Fine. Ricky, I want all your people here, so that everyone knows from the start who’ll be looking after them and who’s looking after everyone else. We’ll start at two-thirty sharp. I’d have made it two, but our star is having lunch with his agent.’

He made a sound that I took to be disapproval and glanced at me. ‘Have you met Capperauld yet?’

‘No, only his dead cousin.’

‘You may have seen the family at its best,’ he said, emphatically.

‘Uhh?’

Miles grinned. ‘Maybe I’m being unkind. Ewan’s an “Actor”, of the old school. . or he thinks he is at least. I’m a movie-maker; I haven’t been on the boards in twenty years, and I’ve never done anything like the West End or Broadway. I’ve used him once before, and he was a royal pain in the ass; he made it clear that he didn’t regard me as qualified to direct him. I made it clear that I was qualified to pay his fee, and that that allowed for everything else.’

‘He’s going to look down on me from a great height, then.’

‘He’d better not try; I don’t allow that on my movies, from anyone. But the word on the grapevine is that he’s usually in humble mode just now, being nice to everyone, because he’s next in line for a knighthood. A couple of the old acting “sirs” have fallen off the perch lately, so there’s maybe a vacancy.’

‘Who’s his agent, that he has you reschedule for him?’

‘For her; it’s his wife, Margaret.’

‘You’re kidding. Couldn’t they have had a working breakfast, then?’

‘A good question; but Ewan said that she’s going back to London to work on the negotiations for his next two projects and that they have a lot to discuss. She’s a very capable woman, is Mrs Capperauld; she’s as imposing as he is in her own way. They make quite a team.’

He chuckled. ‘Fuck it, Oz, I’ll humour him for now. Once I start spending real money, I’ll have less time for any shit. But the thing is, he’s the obvious man for the part. I wouldn’t have done this project if I hadn’t been able to get him. You’ve read Skinner?’

I nodded.

‘He is Skinner.’

In that case, I thought, he must be one impressive actor.