Deadly Intent

CHAPTER 11

Friday morning, and Anna really intended to do a grocery shop before cooking dinner for Pete Jenkins. She had even attempted to clear some of the packing boxes, but she kept on thinking about Honour Nolan and the possibility that she and her husband were involved with Fitzpatrick. Eventually, she decided that, contrary to what she had been instructed to do by Cunningham, she could legitimately pay another visit to Oxford, to check on the antiques shop and to follow up on Honour Nolan's meeting with Julius D'Anton. She rang Pete.He sounded as if he was half asleep. "Hello?""Pete, it's Anna.""Oh, don't tell me you want to cancel dinner.""Well, not exactly. It's just I sort of need to take a trip to Oxford and I won't be sure what time I'll get back.""This got something to do with the case?"She said that it did, in a roundabout way."You want company?"She hesitated."There are some really great restaurants," he said persuasively. "One called The Bear, something like that—it's got Michelin stars up the yin-yang. I've always wanted to try it out. I could drive?""Well, if you can take the rest of the day off. then great," she said.They arranged to meet at his house in Hampstead, as he said he would need to take a shower and have a shave. They would then drive from there in his car, as he said it needed a "blow out." She was unsure exactly what he meant but agreed. An hour later, Anna parked outside Pete's house and was concerned that there was no response when she rang his doorbell. The sound of his Morgan sports car roaring into the street made her turn; he also blasted the horn.

The hood was down; it was already a pleasant morning, which she hoped would bode well for a sunny day. She parked in his garage around the rear of the house and then, armed with a bag of fresh fruit, water, and chocolate ban, they set off toward the M40."This is a great car," she said, above the noise of the engine."Yeah, I've had it for years, but don't drive it in to work as it's too much aggravation. It'll be good to get a long drive, blow the cobwebs off the engine; these old cars need to be driven."The interior smelled of old leather and mildew; the dashboard was a lovely polished wood, with a few bubbles and cracks. Pete drove fast, but was competent and didn't take any risks. It was refreshing to drive into the country after picking their way through the city and onto the motorway.This time, Anna didn't think of the many trips she had made to see Langton in the rehabilitation home. With the wind making her hair stand up on end, she rested back with her eyes closed, the sun on her face, glad Pete had come along. They didn't make much conversation, as they couldn't really hear each other, until they branched off and headed toward the village of Shipston on Stour.Michael Sudmore's antiques shop was on High Street. There were a number of items on a table outside the shop and an antique rocking chair with embroidered cushions. The shop was well stocked, with a lot of spindle-backed chairs, small Edwardian tables, and many prints and cabinets covering the walls; on one table, a large china dinner service was set out with a bowl of fresh flowers. The florid, fruity-voiced Sudmore was sitting behind a small counter, reading The Times. He was wearing half-moon glasses and peered over them as Anna and Pete entered the shop.Anna introduced herself, and left Pete to wander around the shop, as she went over everything they had discussed on the telephone. Sudmore could add litde, apart from a few anecdotes about Julius D'Anton and his notoriously bad checks. He did say that D'Anton had a great charm to him and was always very affable, yet over the years had become rather seedy, and was mistrusted by the other antiques dealers. For all his faults, Julius did have a very good eye and considerable knowledge.Sudmoie then showed Anna the table Julius had put twenty pounds deposit down on. It was an oval shape with cabriole legs and a folding arm, and it resembled a small version of the old hunting tables used by the gentry when they were served drinks after a foxhunt. He had, as he had said on the phone, undersold it."He was a wily old sod, asked me where I had bought it. You know, dealers have this nose—maybe where I had got it from, there could be more bargains—but I told him he wouldn't get anything else. The old lady has an eye for IKEA! She lives in a cottage not far from here. This table was about the only thing left of value and it was in a terrible state, standing outside her kitchen door!"Anna took down the exact dates of Julius's visit and worked her way around to asking about Honour Nolan."Adorable! She used to have her own little shop, but closed it up years ago. Now she just does odd days for me when I am off" buying. As she lives close by, it's convenient for me; sometimes I sell some of her paintings." He raised an eyebrow. "Not what I would call works of art, but very colorful, and she buys some of my old frames. I have a couple of pots she's made. She had a kiln in one of her barns. But they don't sell. Well, anyone coming in here is not after anything modern."Anna glanced over to Pete. He had walked out of the shop and was sifting through the items for sale outside. She could see that anyone standing in the shop had a very good view of the front and road, even over to the local pub and car park where they had left their car."Do you ever socialize with Mrs. Nolan?""No. I have been over to Honey Farm once. I was in the area and I needed to see if she could come in and watch the shop for me. She rarely answers her phone and they don't have an answer machine.""You have met her husband?""Oh yes, he often collects her. Lovely man, very pleasant, but they are a very private couple. In fact, I hardly ever see them, even at the local pub. They keep very much to themselves.""Did you ever meet her sister?" "No, 1 didn't. I know she came to stay once. I only remember because I needed Honour, and she said she had people staying." "People?""Well, her sister. I saw her in the village with Honour but. as 1 said, I didn't really get to meet her.""Did you ever see the black Mitsubishi jeep, before D'Anton turned up in it?""No, and we do get some flash cars. We even had one of those huge Hummer things here the other day—bright orange. Ghasdy."There seemed nothing else to gain from Sudmore, so Anna thanked him and went out to join Pete. He had wandered farther along the road and was looking into a Cancer Research charity shop; he turned and grinned as Anna approached."There's a great hat in the window. I was thinking of buying it for you."It was green velour, with a long pheasant feather sticking out of the side, and a silver brooch."You think that's my style, do you?""It'll keep your head warm on the drive back."She laughed. They crossed the road to find the car, then drove out of Shipston on Stour, heading for Honington and the farm. Even with the map, and even having already been there, they missed the turning. Anna was still unsure they were on the right track until she saw the first cottage covered in ivy."Okay, keep on going and take the right fork," she instructed Pete."That adds up.""What?""The note: there's RF written—must mean 'right fork'!"Anna nodded, knowing they were correct that the note found in the glove compartment of the Mitsubishi contained scrawled directions to the farm. The old Morgan creaked and groaned as it bounced over the dry cartwheel indentations in the dirt track. They passed the wooded area and came onto the narrow lane with a ditch either side."This is right, we're almost there.""Thank Christ. Any more of this rough track and my back end will collapse. I wouldn't like to do this drive at night—there's no street light. It must get pitch-black."Anna smiled and chewed her lip Julius D'Anton s van—hadn't Sandra said something about him saying the back end had gone, which was why he couldn't take the table? She wondered if the van could have been left in a local garage. She would have to wander around after they left the farm. She didn't mention it to Pete, as he was carefully trying to maneuver the Morgan around the deep potholes."Christ, this is a terrible road," he swore again as they splashed through a deep puddle."We should be there any minute," Anna said as the lane evened out.They drove through the broken gates and parked outside the front door of the farmhouse.Anna got out and looked around. "They don't use the front entrance; we'll walk around to the back. It's down the lane beside the farmhouse."Pete looked over the sides of the Morgan. They were covered in mud."I'll have to take a chisel to get this mud off. Look at it!"Anna did and then smiled. "Take samples—I want them sent over to the lab for testing against the soil from the Mitsubishi tires!"Pete laughed and then took her elbow, helpfully guiding her beside him, as they walked to the back of the farmhouse.The stable door at the kitchen was half open and Anna whispered to Pete that she had seen Honour Nolan's face at the window, so she knew they were there. Could he think of some excuse to get Honour out of the kitchen, as she wanted to look at something.Anna called out, and Honour came to the door, with a look of surprise. "Hi there! You gave me quite a fright."Anna apologized. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but I need to ask some more questions.""More? Well, you'd better come in. Damien is out riding but he'll be back shortly.""It was you I really need to talk to," Anna said, following Honour into the kitchen. She introduced Pete, saying he was a friend who had agreed to drive her. She asked about restaurants, making it seem very casual; Honour said she would jot down a list of some of the best to try. Friday and Saturday nights they might need to book. "Oh, we'll just take potluck," Pete said affably as he sat at the table. Honour offered tea, and more of her homemade scones, but Anna declined, saying they wouldn't be taking up too much of her time.Honour drew up a chair to sit beside Anna, moving away stacks of what looked like exam papers. "So, what do you need to know?"Anna went into the Julius D'Anton scenario, asking if Honour could give her details of when she had served him in the antiques shop."Oh, well, when you said his name 1 wasn't sure who he was, but now ... yes, I remember him.""He was buying a table?""Yes. I work part-time, or whenever Michael needs me, and 1 happened to be in the shop when he came in. I had been warned about him, that he might try to pass off a check, and I was not on any account to accept it as payment.""Just take me through what happened.""Can I ask why?""Yes. He was found dead two days ago, in the Thames near Richmond.""Oh, that's terrible! I'm sorry.""Yes, that's the reason I'm here. He'd been in the water for a while, probably since around the rime you had seen him.""Really? Well, I can't see how I can help you. He came into the shop and asked to collect the table, as he had put down a deposit. As Michael had warned me about him, I asked that he paid the purchase price in cash, as I was not allowed to accept a check.""How did he react?""Well, he sort of shrugged, you know, as if he expected that; he didn't seem put out. He was quite chatty and friendly, and said he would come back to talk to Michael.""Did you see what he was driving?""No, but I suppose he must have had a van or something to fit the table in, as it was quite large.""Did he come here to the farmhouse?""Good heavens, no! Why would he?""Had you ever seen him before?" "No.""So you didn't recognize him?""No, it was the first time I'd ever seen him at the shop."Anna smiled. "Well, that's it, then. I'm sorry to have bothered you." She glanced at Pete.He stood up. "Could you show me to the bathroom, please?"Honour gestured to the hallway. "Straight through, off the hall; it's a cloakroom."Pete hesitated and then walked out. Anna wanted to go into the office room that Gordon had seen, but Honour remained seated, so she kept asking questions."Did your husband meet Julius D'Anton?""No, he was at work.""You have a kiln in one of the barns.""Yes, but I'm a real amateur; it's just something I like to do.""I saw some of your paintings at the antique shop."Honour laughed. She hadn't sold more than one small canvas.Pete returned. "Sorry—I think the cistern is playing up. I couldn't flush your loo."Honour shook her head and walked toward him. "It's tricky—you have to yank it down hard."She walked out and Pete followed as Anna made a quick move to the room off the kitchen. She opened the door and looked in; there was the desk and computer, as Gordon had photographed, but there was no painting on the wall. That in itself was suspicious; they would need a search warrant to explore further."Thanks again," Anna said, when they left a few minutes later. She paused and turned back to Honour. "When 1 was last here there was a young man, blond hair, in your yard?"Honour looked puzzled and then smiled. "Oh, that'll be one of the local farm boys. They muck out the stable and exercise Damien's hone.""Thank you."

Pete started up the engine; they reversed and drove out. Honour watching them leave. "What did you think?" she asked."About what?""The setup here?""Rather pleasant, if you like this kind of thing, but its really out of the way. I wouldn't like it.""What did you think of her?""Seemed nice; must have been a real beauty, very friendly."Anna nodded and then asked Pete to stop at the ivy-covered cottage. He stayed in the car as she walked up the tiny pathway to the front door. It was a long shot, but nevertheless, she wanted to make sure of something. The same elderly lady opened the front door who had given Gordon the directions to the farm. Anna introduced herself and Mrs. Doris Eatwell patted her arm rather than shake hands, as she was very arthritic. Anna told her that she was making inquiries about an antiques dealer called Julius D'Anton. Mrs. Eatwell said she had never heard of him, but knew Michael Sudmore, as he had bought a number of items from her.Anna was invited inside, and knew she had the right place."Oh, this is nice," she said as she was shown into a small sitting room with a very modern sideboard and table."Thank you. I've got a new bathroom too—1 sold off all the old things I had.""Did you recently sell a table to Mr. Sudmore?""Yes, I did. He's a lovely man—he came by to see some china I was selling, and he saw it outside the back door."Anna was gone for over half an hour."Guess what?" she said when she returned to the car. "Michael Sudmore buys the table, does it up, and puts it into his shop, I would say asking a hell of a lot more than he paid for it. Julius D'Anton goes to the fair—as Sudmore said, he had a real eye for antiques—puts a down payment on the table, and sniffs out where it came from."Pete started up the Morgan and they drove on down the lane."So, this is what I think might have happened: Julius D'Anton drives here to see if Mrs. Eatwell has any other antiques that he can buy for peanuts. It's not far from here to the farmhouse, right?" "Right," Pete said, concentrating on maneuvering the car around the potholes once more."What if he pays a visit and was, according to Mrs. Eatwell, driving a van? She had no idea what make or color, but she said it was a van— you with me?""Yeah."Anna leaned back; it was all supposition yet again."Go on," Pete said, all ears now."Okay, what if he ran into trouble—maybe hit one of the ditches? I don't know, but what if he continued on from Mrs. Harwell's to the farmhouse? Nobody answers at the front door—the bell doesn't work, so again this is just possible—what if he walks around to the back of the farmhouse to the kitchen?""Yes, still with you.""It's a big coincidence, but Julius D'Anton would know Alexander Fitzpatrick from his days at Oxford. What if he saw him here? What if he was hiding out here and Julius recognized him?""Then what?""Well, I don't bloody know," Anna snapped."So this guy Fitzpatrick is hiding out. and up comes someone from his past:'! say, I say, I say, I recognize you, matey'—and then what? 'My van has broken down and do you have a vehicle I can borrow, like the Mitsubishi'?""Oh, shut up. It's possible.""Sure, anything is—but you'll need to match the dates this Julius was seen in the Mitsubishi to when he went belly upward in the Thames.""Yes, I know. Let's just ask around any garages and repair shops in this area and see if we can find the missing van."Anna was doubting herself; she was certain that Pete thought she was adding two and two and coming up with Christ knows what. However, an hour and a half later, in McNaulty & Sons crash repair shop and restoration yard, they found the van.

It was an old post office van, resprayed a dark navy blue, with more dents and bangs than a stock-car racing vehicle. The entire bodywork was a mismatch of filler; it didn't look remotely roadworthy. The backend had indeed gone. The van had been towed into their yard, but remained in the same condition, as the owner had given them a dud check to repair it. The check was signed by Julius D'Anton. Anna gave instructions to the garage that they should leave the van as it was; she would have someone tow it to London.

Pete had shaken his head; yet another vehicle the forensic lab had to check over. It was filthy, mud-spattered, and inside were used coffee beakers and takeaway food cartons, mounds of newspapers, and a few odd pieces of bookcases and ornaments. These could possibly have been bought at the antiques fair, as there were also some of the flyers on the passenger seat, along with an old T-shirt and jeans, and a rolled-up sleeping bag. In the ashtray were also some roaches. They left everything as it was. Anna knew she would have to work out a time frame of when D'Anton was last seen alive by Michael Sudmore, with what looked like quite a wedge of cash, to when his body was discovered in the Thames. She would need to go back to talk to Sandra, his widow, about the exact dates when Julius had said he was onto something big, and the fact that his fingerprints were found in the drug squat in Chalk Farm. They knew when his van had been taken into the breaker's yard at Mc Naulty's: it was two weeks before the murder of Frank Brandon.

Anna and Pete found a table for dinner in a small Italian bistro in Oxford city center. They had not bothered to drive any farther a field to the famous, Michelin-starred eateries outside the city. The food was delicious and, apart from a few rowdy students, they had an enjoyable meal without mentioning the case once. Anna relaxed, helped by a very good bottle of Merlot and Pete's equally good company. Anna told him about her student days here, and how she had rarely ever had enough money to dine out further than a McDonalds. She never brought up the times she had driven back and forth to see Langton in the rehabilitation home. In fact, it never crossed her mind, and she enjoyed telling Pete about her old bicycle that she had ridden around the city until it had been stolen. From then 011 she had walked, even though she had been certain she'd seen another student whizzing past on it.

The case finally reared its head when, as they left the restaurant, Pete had asked for some tinfoil. From his glove compartment, he took out a plastic knife, then took copious scrapings of mud from around the hubcaps, wheels, and sides of the Morgan. "I'm impressed," Anna said, watching him."Yeah, well, it looks like it may rain, so better to do it now."The rain started coming down about half an hour later. Pete had put the roof up, and despite a few areas where tape covered some cracks, they could hear each other. They ran into heavy traffic on the motorway, as a truck had overturned, and spent over an hour inching along. They found themselves discussing the case, all Anna's theories and suppositions. Pete queried many of them, but became fascinated and also slightly in awe of her productive detective mind."I take after my father," she said. The conversation turned to her personal life, and she found herself telling him more than she could recall telling anyone else. How her father had been such a powerful force in her life, and her delicate mother such a loving support to them both."You are lucky," Pete said. He gave a few details about his own childhood. He had been brought up mainly by his grandmother, who had doted on him, until he was twelve years old. After she passed on, he went to live with his father in Devon. He was a builder and carpenter, who would spend whatever he made in the pub. His mother had been a nurse, who had left his father for a doctor, and emigrated to Australia. The broken promise of her sending for him had hurt him deeply, but thankfully his grandmother had always made him feel very loved. When he did eventually fly out to Australia to meet his mother and stepfather, she was a stranger."It's odd. I went out there with every intention of forming a bond with her—you know, wanting her to be special—but she was a strange, cold woman. Maybe she regretted leaving me, but I don't ever recall her holding me in her arms.""That's awful," Anna said, remembering how her mother would be at the gate waiting for her to come home from school: always there, always with her arms out for a hug."The way I was brought up made me wary of relationships. Women Were either like my granny or the type my father used to bring homefrom the pub—and he had a real variety. He was never too particular: blond, brunette, fat or thin. I don't think he liked to sleep alone, or cook or do any household things like washing up, so whenever I got back from school, there was always a strange woman hoovering and dusting.""Is he still alive?""Nope. He committed suicide eighteen years ago. Went out to his hut, where he would supposedly do his carpentry, and threw a rope over a beam.""Did you ...""Yeah, I found him—not a pretty sight. But I called the police and they took care of everything. From then on, I was sort of on my own. I inherited what little he had—the cottage and a couple of outhouses and fields. I got about fifty grand. I went to university in Liverpool; no idea why I chose that one, because I could have had the pick of a number, but off I went, money in the bank, good digs, and a sort of freedom I had never really felt before. I had a terrific time—there's nothing like the Liverpool sense of humor—and I made great friends there; we still keep in touch.""Did you meet your wife there?""No, I was back in London when we met. In fact, we only really knew each other for a few months before we moved into the house in Hampstead, and then got married a year or so later."Anna stared from the window as the rain lashed down."Have you ever been married?" Pete asked her."No. Not even close.""How come?""Well, I'm not that old for one thing—I'm only twenty-eight." And yet it did sound old to her, and she was shocked."You ever lived with anyone?"Anna suddenly didn't want to talk. "Not really.""Oh, I see. You can pump me for my seedy background, but you don't seem to want to go into yours." "Your background didn't sound seedy to me. I told you, I had a great relationship with my parents." "But what? You gave everything to your career?" "Yes."He laughed and gave her a sidelong look. "You must have got hurt hard.""No, I didn't." She really didn't want to get into the Langton relationship, and was beginning to get irritated by his persistence. At last, the traffic thinned out and they could pick up some speed.He reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Sorry. I just want to get to know you—I suppose that's obvious."She smiled and released her hand. "Well, I've never been very good at expositions, so let's just say maybe I will give you the gritty details some other time.""Gritty?"She sighed and then shook her head. "I was joking. There's really nothing else to know about me.""You going to stay with me tonight?""No, I'd like to get home—but how about I cook you breakfast tomorrow at my place?""Okay, it's your call."Anna still didn't really understand why she was keeping Pete at a distance. She did find him attractive, and she was getting fond of him and enjoying his company.She was still pondering it when she drove herself home after collecting her Mini from Pete's garage. He had kissed her briefly—it had felt good, but not passionate—not like she had felt with Langton. The "gritty" truth was that she was unable to let Langton go. She hadn't wanted to continue the relationship, and she was certain that he didn't either, but why was she so tentative about making more of her friendship with Pete?Undressing and getting ready for bed, she felt terribly sad. She curled up like a child in her big new bed. The few sexual relationships she had had in her past had meant nothing compared to her infatuation with Langton. In many ways, that was what it had been: never a steady or serious affair. He had never been a friend, but a demanding lover. She wondered if that was why she couldn't move forward with Pete. He was just too damned nice! He didn't excite her. Langton had certainly done that. In bed, at work, in every way, he had dominated her—at times, really frightened her—but she had thrived on his ability to make every nerve in her body tingle. She wondered if she would ever feel the same way about anyone else, even knowing what a dangerous creature Langton was. Instead of making her reject everything about him, it made her long for him to wrap her in his arms and make love to her. She didn't think about what had gone on that day with Pete, the discovery of D'Anton s van, the possibility he had met Alexander Fitzpatrick at Honour Nolan's farm. All she thought about, as she cried herself to sleep, was how much she missed James Langton.