Stalker

Chapter Seventeen

‘Interesting,’ Beth said, thinking aloud.

It was the following morning and she was at her desk viewing in more detail what Matt had found on the Police National Computer after they’d left Derek Flint’s office. Matt was sitting opposite, engrossed in his computer screen and not really listening.

‘So he was questioned seven years ago about a break-in at a garage where he’d installed the CCTV,’ she continued. ‘Not charged though. Someone jumped the cashier at closing time as they were cashing up, having hacked the system’s website. Little wonder Flint was edgy when we spoke to him with this and that other incident on file.’

Matt mumbled an acknowledgement but kept his attention on his monitor.

Beth read to the end of the report before closing the file and returning it to the archive. ‘I wonder how common hacking into CCTV websites is,’ she said, and entered the question into a search engine.

A few minutes later she had her answer. ‘Struth! Very common. Matt, did you know it’s estimated that fifty per cent of the population never change their default password – on their phone, Smart TV, tablet, router or home security? And before you ask, yes I have changed mine, and so did the Osmans and Khumalos. Derek made a point of telling them to. I guess he’d learnt his lesson from the business at the garage, but it doesn’t really advance the investigation.’ She glanced up at Matt and he managed a nod.

‘The forensic report from the Khumalos’ house is back. Have you read it?’

Matt shook his head.

‘No fingerprint or DNA match coming from the house or the voodoo doll, so whoever entered the premises and made the doll doesn’t have a criminal record. Eight different DNA samples were lifted from the doll itself with three standing out as much stronger – those likely to have been responsible for actually making the doll and handling it once assembled. It wasn’t factory made. All are thought to be Caucasian. The cloth the doll was made from was originally sourced from India but then most of our cloth comes from abroad. All the other materials – the stuffing, the string for the hair and buttons for the eyes can be bought in the UK. So it seems that at least three people in this country didn’t like Mr K enough to be involved in making the doll. But as he said, what business person would resort to leaving a voodoo doll?’

‘Unless whoever he upset paid someone else to do it?’ Matt suggested, finally taking his eyes from the screen.

‘So you have been listening,’ Beth said and he grinned. ‘Paid them to put the frighteners on Mr K? I’m sure he knows who’s behind this and he’s probably already on to them.’

‘Remind me again what line of business he’s in?’ Matt asked.

‘Mining and African real estate mainly.’

‘I would think there’s plenty of dodgy characters tied up in that.’

Beth nodded. ‘So unless something fresh comes in I’ll be putting this to bed.’ She continued through her inbox opening and closing the attachments. ‘Nothing new on the stabbing at U-Beat nightclub then, but on a positive note Flint has emailed the details of his last apprentice, Paul.’ She fell silent. The minutes ticked by.

‘And? What is it?’ Matt asked at length. ‘The silence is deafening.’

Beth sat upright. ‘According to Flint’s national insurance contribution record he has employed eighteen apprentices in the last ten years and none has stayed longer than seven months. That’s a high turnaround when apprenticeships are expected to last from between one and four years.’

‘He said they learnt what they needed and then left to get a better paid job. Having seen his office, I can’t imagine he paid them more than he had to.’

‘Perhaps, or maybe there’s another reason.’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know yet but I have a feeling that Flint is hiding something and not just about his past. I’ll visit Paul on my way home. Do you want to come?’

‘No. I’m meeting someone straight after work.’

‘Date?’

‘Sort of. An old friend got in touch through Facebook.’

‘Have a good evening.’

‘I will.’ He winked.

‘I left because the pay was crap,’ Paul said with a deferential glance at his mother. It was nearly 5.30pm and Beth, Paul and Mrs Mellows were in their living room. They’d covered what Paul’s role had been while he’d worked at Home Security and the reason for Beth’s visit, and had now moved on to why Paul had left. Paul’s father, brother and sister weren’t home yet.

‘How much did he pay you? If you don’t mind telling me,’ Beth asked.

‘The minimum for an apprentice my age, three pounds fifty an hour,’ Paul scoffed.

‘That’s not much,’ Beth sympathized, ‘although I suppose you were learning a trade.’

He shrugged.

‘I said he should have stayed until he got another job,’ his mother said. ‘A hundred pounds a week is better than nothing.’

Beth could appreciate that at Paul’s age he might have acted impulsively.

‘I’ve got an interview lined up for next week,’ he said.

‘Well done. So while you were working for Derek Flint he taught you all about the business – enough to apply for other jobs?’

‘Not about his business, no. He just taught me the job, you know – how to fit the cameras and wire the alarm.’

‘Yes, that’s what I meant really,’ Beth said. ‘There was just you working for him?’

‘Yes.’

‘For five months?’

Paul nodded.

‘It’s a very small firm. When you applied were you expecting it to be bigger?’

‘I guess,’ Paul said with a shrug.

‘His dad said he wouldn’t have let him take it if he’d known it was just him and Derek Flint,’ his mother added.

Beth nodded. ‘But he treated you well while you worked for him?’

‘Yeah, I suppose.’ The boy wasn’t being very forthcoming, Beth thought. She was getting more from his mother.

‘You said earlier that you thought your boss was a bit weird. What exactly did you mean?’

‘I dunno. It was none of my business really. He just seemed a bit of a loner. A Billy No-Mates. He rides his motorbike at weekends, otherwise he’s always working. He lives for his work and takes it very seriously – too seriously.’ It was the most Paul had said so far.

‘Paul said he thought Derek liked blokes, not girls, if I’m allowed to say that,’ his mother put in.

‘What’s that got to do with it?’ Paul sneered. ‘I didn’t tell you that.’

‘No, but I heard you talking on the phone.’

‘You got no business listening to my calls,’ Paul snapped, rounding on his mother.

‘It’s OK,’ Beth said. ‘As long as he treated you all right. He was in a position of trust and responsibility when he employed you as an apprentice.’

‘Yeah. He was just a bit of a loner.’

‘I understand. Well, thank you for your help. I think that’s everything. If you do think of something else please give me a ring.’ She placed her business card on the coffee table.

‘So you just wanted to make sure those robberies you mentioned weren’t anything to do with Paul?’ his mother asked, seeking clarification.

‘Yes, that’s more or less it,’ Beth said, and stood. ‘Thank you for your time Mrs Mellows.’ Then to Paul: ‘Good luck with the interview next week.’

He shrugged dismissively.

‘I’ll see you to the door,’ his mother said.

Beth said goodbye to Paul and followed his mother out of the living room. ‘He didn’t quit his job,’ his mother confided as soon as they were out of earshot. ‘Paul doesn’t like to admit it but he was fired. No warning, no notice, just out the door. Flint told him business wasn’t good so he couldn’t afford to keep him, but I overheard Paul tell his mates that he’d upset him by showing him something he didn’t know about his business.’

‘Do you know what it was?’ Beth asked.

‘Something about the system failing to send an email when it should have done.’

Beth nodded. ‘That makes sense. Thank you.’

‘I don’t know any more. Paul doesn’t confide in me or his dad. But when he came home that day he was furious and I heard him on the phone telling his mates what had happened.’

‘Thank you,’ Beth said again. ‘I hope he gets another job soon.’

‘So do I. The devil finds work for idle hands.’

A strange thing to say about your son, Beth thought, as she returned to her car but what she’d learnt was interesting. According to Flint, Paul had left for a better paid job but he hadn’t. Paul didn’t have a job and had been sacked because he’d pointed out a fault in the system. She could picture Derek Flint flying off the handle and dismissing Paul for identifying an error. His tightly controlled manner suggested a ticking time bomb. A conformist, perfectionist, inflexible and worried about what others might think of him, there was no room in such people for criticism or failure. Beth had seen it before in her stepfather. Charming and obliging to the point of ingratiating himself, unless you crossed him – and then all hell broke loose.