Episod 16 - Colin Peck

Next morning Cleo read the notes Colin had sent after his date with Silver’s secretary at the bistro, where she had been welcomed with open arms. According to Delilah, the secretary was a regular guest, but had never had to pay for her meal. Who else had she been there with? Colin did not get the opportunity to ask, but it was an idea worth pursuing, he thought. 

Miss Bee had said she would like to go to Delilah’s bistro because she knew Delilah from past visits and the food was good. That confirmed what Delilah had said. What it would do to the divorce case was basically irrelevant. Both sides had been telling lies and having affairs. Six of one and half a dozen of the other. As an ongoing lawyer he would predict a decree nisi with no cash flow except for the children.

***

Quite apart from his excursion with Miss Bee, Cleo was also interested in the attention Colin had paid to Roger Stone’s wife, though he had not finished looking into her biography. He wondered if she had been meeting Burton at the bistro. Delilah’s attitude to her establishment was definitely ambivalent and that was confirmed indirectly by Mr Morgan, who had told Robert - who had told Cleo who had told Colin - that Magda and he had been allotted a guest-room. Quite apart from the absurdity of Morgan consorting with a prostitute and thinking it was a love affair, Delilah’s encouragement of prostitution was not really how she wanted to sell or bistro. That said, it was on the cards that guests knew Delilah would a soul of discretion. The bistro was thus a desirable destination for people who wanted to go somewhere with someone unofficially, and that could have included Pamela Norton and Burton.

Cleo would talk Delilah about her ‘guests’. Colin suspected that Roger Stone’s wife had latched on to Roger Stone as a welcome release from the horizontal trade, if only temporarily. Delilah had worked as a barmaid before the old pub had become a bistro and Karaoke venue. Colin wondered what memories she had of the old days. . Another idea of his was for Delilah to identify from a photo of Mrs Stone that she had been one of Burton’s women friends.

***

The more Cleo thought about it, the more curious she became about the activities of women who had everything and risked it for cheap thrills. But what was the motive for Burton’s death? Blackmail? Gary should take a look at bank-statements. They often gave the game away.

***

Cleo and Robert spent a relatively quiet Tuesday evening with Gloria. Robert was still very smug about having had the idea of giving Gloria the job. Gloria insisted that this new perspective was going to be the makings of her, though the dancing would always be part of her life, she gushed. Bobby was her saviour.

Robert felt the need to change the topic.

"Do you still need to go to North Wales at the weekend, Cleo?" he asked. "Saturday's out. I'll have to supervise Gareth Morgan's packing and filling his pals' van with all his worldly goods. I'm rather hoping he won't take any of mine."

"That's unfair, Robert," said Cleo. "There's no record of him having stolen anything before. Why should he now?"

"Don't you remember the business of the donation box last year?"

"I remember, and he wasn't the culprit."

"How do you know? The box reappeared as mysteriously as it had disappeared."

"But he wasn't responsible."

"Do you know who did it?"

"Yes, but you don’t need to know."

"Go on, Cleo," said Gloria. "I love a good story."

Cleo sighed. Now they would both badger her till she told them.

"Oh well, why not. It's ancient history now. It's just the story of a lonely woman who went into the church to listen to the organ-playing, noticed the donation box was hanging by a thread, succeeded in pulling it off the wall completely, then took it home intending to find new nails to put it back in place. The vicar unfortunately saw that it was missing and raised the alarm."

"So it was Edith, was it?" said Robert.

"Yes, but she wasn't stealing the box and if she'd told the truth, that would have been the end of it. But she did not want anyone to know about her listening to the music. She hid the box, but her boys found the foreign coins she had taken out of it and deposited on a window-sill while she cleaned the box. They pocketed the coins and I eventually came across them on the floor at the library, of all places."

"So how did you know Edith was at the bottom of it all?"

"A vicar's wife does not normally sit on a gravestone sobbing her heart out when her husband has just told the world that he has witnessed a miracle."

"I can't follow you," said Gloria.

"Edith got the vicar out of the house on some kind of pastoral mission, went back into the church and nailed the box in place. He found it on his way in through the front entrance before the morning service next day, when he really only wanted to make sure the buckets were not full of water after torrential rain had fallen through the leak in the roof overnight."

"What a silly story," said Gloria.

"Edith was very upset, but she never confessed."

"Poor woman! How did you know it was her if she didn’t own up?” Gloria wanted to know.

"I put two and two together and then asked her if I was right in thinking she was responsible."

“I think it’s terrible that she could not tell the vicar. After all, she was trying to do something useful,” said Gloria.

“Frederick Parsons has a bitter, cruel tongue,” said Cleo. ”I doubt if Edith wanted to incite his wrath or be jeered at. He has offended her publicly many times.”

"I think they're all nuts at the vicarage," Gloria commented, “Especially that vicar playing at God and the angels when he can’t even be nice to his family.”

“There are plenty of religious people like that, Mother. Remember that it is humans who kill and maim in the name of whatever God they have chosen as their role model!”

“And yet, men like the vicar preach peace and light,” said Gloria. “It was like that in the slave trade. Traders whipped their slaves and called themselves good Christians at the same time. And nothing has changed. People still believe in the darnedest myths.”

“Don’t get serious, Mother. That story is sad and tame compared to the hilarious one about the sticky arrow."

"Not now, Cleo. We've got to talk about Gloria moving into the flat," said Robert.

***

By bedtime everything had been sorted out to Gloria's satisfaction. Snug in her bed at the cottage, she dreamt of Chicago, gun-runners, silly vicars, thieving organists, slaves and bagels, and woke up exclaiming ‘I've come home.’"

Robert slept as well as ever, sawing trees so loudly that Gloria woke and came in to see if she could do anything.

“Go back to bed, Mother,” Cleo told her.

“Stop that noise, please,” said Gloria.

“You won’t have to put up with it much longer,” said Cleo.

“Thank goodness for that,” said Gloria.

***

 Cleo hardly slept at all though she normally slept through the snoring. Was the Burton murder ever going to be solved? She felt the need to have a talk with Gary. If Dorothy's hunch and Colin’s suspicions were on the mark, the agency should be examining Burton's love life rather than his links with the underworld.

***

Colin rang early on Friday morning to report on his second date with Brenda Bee.

Cleo was intrigued that Colin had actually had another date so soon after the first one with someone he had not seemed particular impressed with, but she gathered that Colin had not been able to talk enough the first time and – well – she was probably an attractive female.

"Don’t get me wrong, Cleo. I did not have sex with that lady. Brenda Bee is stuck on Mr Silver. He has promised her a great future, but he hasn't mentioned divorce, so that's what she's working on."

"I don't suppose Mr Silver knows about Miss Bee’s matrimonial plans for him" said Cleo.

"I’m sure he doesn’t,” said Colin.  

“Of course, many young women have dug their way into marriage with successful men twice their age, Colin. I'm not taking bets on what will happen in Miss Bee’s case. Divorce is expensive for men with lots of dough. They prefer clandestine affairs. They are cheaper.”

“And possibly more fun.”

“You said it, Colin.”

“I did not mean that personally, Cleo. I know you are devoted to Robert.”

“I wish I was, Colin.”

“”I didn’t hear that, Cleo and I’ve had another idea about the Silver case. What if Miss Bee is entertaining customers on Silver's instructions to coax them into a deal."

"That would include you and explain the second date if the first one was not successful, I suppose,” said Cleo. “I wonder how many men have bought a limousine because Brenda Bee promised them a scintillating affair. I hate to ask this, did she offer you sex, Colin."

“She made it quite clear that she expected me to sleep with her, Cleo, but I didn’t.”

“It’s OK if you did, Colin. It’s only my business insofar as it might shed light on what is going on in that quarter. I’m investigating for a divorce, not entry into a religious order. It’s on the cards that if she could not persuade you the second time, she’ll go for a third date to clinch the deal if you are on the right track”

"Isn't that prostitution, Cleo?"

"That's one word for it, Colin, but that's one of the historical ways women secured their future if they didn't want to end up in a nunnery in the old days and on the shelf now."

"Well I think she’s keeping her options open. I'd been for a test drive in the most expensive limousine they had in their collection, so she probably thought I was rich."

"Did she make a direct pass at you?"

"I made a fake phone-call to Julie saying I'd be home late. That made her wary. She wanted to know who Julie is and soon after that she discovered she had another appointment. But she was willing to have another date with me, Cleo. She made no secret of that."

“So will you date her again?

“I haven’t decided. I can’t keep the rich guy thing going for ever.”

“Telling her you are a poor student might not drive her away, Colin. Then she is really interested.”

“But I’m not, Cleo. The dates with Miss Bee are in the course of duty.”

***

If the guy wanted a date with Miss Bee, that was not her business. But that would not be in the cause of securing divorce data. Did he fancy her? Could she ask him that? Instead, she commented that he should not take it too hard when Brenda ditched him after discovering that he was not as rich as she thought. Colin repeated rather too energetically that since he was not a candidate for anything Miss Bee had to offer, he was not likely to be offended.

"OK. I’ll take your mind off that lady then, Colin. Something even better has come up."

"I wouldn't be tempted."

"I found out that Silver hires travelling secretaries for his business jaunts."

Colin groaned. “Another secretary?”

"Hold your horses! At least one of them will be willing to confirm that the assignments were not confined to the boardroom, that’s all."

"As long as I don't have to date any of them."

"No. Just look in at the secretarial agency in town and say you were recommended by Mr Silver’s showroom, but can't remember the name of the secretary. If you can identify one as a prospective witness, get in touch with her please"

"So Brenda Bee can be left to her own devices?"

"Sure, if you phone the other secretary and tell her you know about her and Silver."

"In other words, provoke her into action."

“Yes. It's quite possible that she will tell people that Silver promised her marriage. He'll deny it vehemently, Mrs Silver will hear about it. We’ll make sure of that."

“I wonder!”

“She didn’t tell me the whole story, Colin. She should have. Sleuths usually find out what’s going on. It’s our job! She not on a good pitch if her philandering comes out, but if Silver has promised other women marriage, that will help her case.”

“I hope you aren’t investigating me!”

“Should I be?”

“Of course not. I’m single and not committed.”

“Not even to Julie?”

“No, Cleo.”

***

Cleo wondered about that snippet of conversation later. Did she really know enough about Colin to confide in him? Was Colin just playing around with Julie?

***

"So I take it we can move on now, Cleo."

"OK, Colin. Most of all, I need to know who was involved with Burton, including his relationship with Pamela Norton. Someone must have had a motive to kill him. We are all in the dark at the moment."

"I'm not the right type for a woman like Pam Norton, Cleo. I’m too young and too poor."

“Miss Norton is not a young, ambitious secretary, Colin. From what I know about her, she probably likes the challenge of affairs with young, poor guys. Julie knows it's your job to collect evidence. The assignations will all be at the bistro. You're safe there."

"I hope Julie sees it that way."

"Julie will cope. Two of Miss Norton’s brothers are behind bars. The whole clan is notoriously corrupt.”

“I’ve been to a Norton gym. Well equipped. Tough guys everywhere.”

"You've never met the sister though, have you?"

"No. It’s men only at the Norton gyms so no chance of her seeing me there. Miss Norton’s gym is ladies only, I believe.”

"And there's no chance that she knows you work for the agency?"

"No. Only Julie is in the picture, That's our deal, Cleo."

"OK. Go to the Wellness Centre and invent someone you are meeting there. Miss Norton is usually there Saturday mornings. It’s my guess that Miss Norton will want to get to know the good-looking young guy who turns up at a ladies’ gym looking for someone!"

“And then I should ask her for a date, should I?”

“Sure. You are attracted to her.”

"You really are the limit, Cleo! Has Gary capitulated on the case?"

"Not exactly, but he seems to be playing an on-off game with his boss. The powers that be have their own axes to grind."

"That's all we need. Corruption among the upholders of the law.”

“There’s corruption everywhere. But Gary is not corrupt, Colin. That’s one of his problems!”

“OK. Point taken. Anything else you want me to do?"

"A discrete look into the activities of any of the top brass at HQ is high on our list of priorities. Gary won't do it, so we'll have to. It includes Roger Stone. Gary should not know about this, Colin."

"No problem. I’d better get moving then. I'll call as soon as I have anything to report."

"Talk to Delilah first, Colin. She's a mine of information... Why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"Because she's running a bistro, not an extension of your agency, Cleo."

***

After that parting swipe, Cleo felt like a marionette pulling strings.

***

Dorothy rang.

"I've just been talking to Mrs Barker, Cleo."

"Not your best friend these days, I gather from your tone of voice."

"She never was. But to get to the point, she saw a photo of Burton in the newspaper and told me she had seen him at the Wellness Centre several times. He had just been hanging around the bar, which is of course open to menfolk collecting their spouses and targeting the unaccompanied women."

“Miss Norton is very particular about whom she allows in, even as far as the public bar, apparently. That really intrigued me.”

“I’m intrigue that Mrs Barker remembered Burton.”

"She said she was cleaning up inside the bar, and after seeing his photo in the paper she told me about him to make herself feel important, I think. I told her not to tell anyone as she might find Mr Barker with his throat slashed if it got around that she'd seen Burton at the centre, or she might herself be a target."

"You probably scared her out of her wits, Dorothy."

"I scared myself, too. But she's a gossip. Such people are only kept in check if you put the fear of God into them. She didn’t ask who would slash Mr Barker’s throat. I don’t know what I’ would have told her."

"At least she's over you not working there anymore."

"Strange that. I   thought it would take her weeks to forgive me."

"But she was obviously bursting to tell you about Burton. That would override any scruples or resentment she might have had," said Cleo.

"Do you think that information will lead us anywhere?"

"It could. I'll tell Colin. I've put him onto the Norton woman."

"I hope you don't mean that literally," said Dorothy, bursting out laughing. "Poor lamb if you do. She's definitely a man-eater. Even I could see that at a glance."

"I'm surprised at you, Dorothy."

"Why? You opened my eyes to the big, bad world. Cleo."

"But at your age…"

"I may be an elderly spinster, but I'm not a naive one."

***

It occurred to Cleo that she might have just the task for her friend.

"Would you like to go along to the bistro when Colin has his date with Miss Norton, Dorothy? At a safe distance, of course. I'd like to see how she behaves."

"I thought Colin and Julie were together."

"All in a day's work for Colin. He won't be tempted, I hope!"

"Glad to. Let me know when to be there. When will that be?"

"I don't know yet. It might not happen, but if it does, anything you eat or drink goes on expenses."

"Thanks. I'll get back to my garden now."

"Don't work too hard. Remember, Robert can help you with the hard work."