Cleo sat at
her desk in the office gazing at Colin’s reports on his activities. Shirley
Temple’s murder was occupying her thoughts, especially because of the parallels
with Burton’s killing. She would have to scrutinize all those reports to
compare accounts of people possibly involved. The first and probably most currently
relevant information was about Mrs Temple. It had been compiled before her
daughter’s death, of course. Colin had really worked fast and probably through
the night to write everything down.
Born in South London, Mrs May Temple worked for Shirley's
father as a secretary and prised him from his wife. The new Mrs Temple, who had
given herself the name May because she preferred it to Mary, apparently did not
want Shirley, the waif left over from Mr Temple’s first marriage, and would
gladly have dumped her in an orphanage after her birth mother’s suicide, but Shirley's
father insisted that she grew up in the patchwork family. That must have been a
constant bone of contention between the couple because it was focussed on at
the inquest on Mr Temple. The inquest had been a formality since his body had
not been found. He was eventually presumed dead after attempts were made to
find him in Scotland, where he had last been seen. Mrs Temple claimed he had
left her stranded, but she had driven home in the family car and only reported Mr
Temple missing two days later after the neighbours had asked some searching
questions.
Mr Temple’s inquest was held in Middlethumpton and the coroner
seems to have been unimpressed by the stories told to him by neighbours and
uncannily fascinated by May Temple. The will revealed that Shirley, who had
been farmed out to neighbours while the Temples went to Scotland, had inherited
everything except a legacy to a young woman described as a friend.
Mrs Temple said she not known that she had been cut out of
the will, which had been drawn up shortly before Mr Temple’s disappearance. The
defence lawyer she had hired as a precaution argued that it could not therefore
be be a motive for his disappearance.
Colin commented that the birds in the trees would have known
that Mrs Temple’s statements needed further confirmation, but there was no
challenge to what she had said and her effect on the coroner might have been
the reason. Bertie Browne reported in his freebie Gazette that she was seen ‘walking
out’ with him around the time of the inquest.
***
Why the press had not sniffed out what Cleo decided would
have been a splendid scandal puzzled her. Had Mr Temple had been romantically
involved with the young woman referred to but not publicly named? If Temple had
threatened to change his will, Mrs Temple could have been greedy enough to kill
him beforehand. Unfortunately for her he had already done so. There also seemed
to be some doubt about whether Mr Temple was Shirley's father. Colin found it
odd that the court had swept aside any significance connection between Mr
Temple and the mysterious young woman, whose name was not mentioned anywhere
except as initials. She was thought to be an immigrant from Eastern Europe, so had
she gone home? Had she collected her legacy? No effort was made to locate her,
even by the press. Was it all a grand cover-up? Why?
***
Cleo
wondered if Dorothy’s theory that everything was linked in some way could have
any bearing on Shirley’s murder. She wondered what had happened to Temple’s
legacy to the unknown woman. Was there any way of finding out? OK, she was
curious….
Colin’s report
included a look at the shortlist of police managers who might be having an
affair with Shirley, but there were only nebulous hints. Secrecy seemed to
reign at HQ. The wives were mainly interested in status and wealth. What their
spouses did when they weren't at home was of little interest to them as long as
their pin-money was in good supply.
Elinor
Stone’s original nationality was Ukrainian, but she had been adopted in the UK
and had a British passport. In Cleo’s mind the idea formed itself that the
unknown woman could have been Ukrainian and even a relative of Elinor’s.
Car showroom
owner Silver was a notorious Don Juan. No problem bringing evidence of that to
the divorce court. On the other hand, Mrs Silver was definitely having an affair
of her own and Mrs Silver would have a hard time proving mental cruelty. Colin would
concentrate on the murder cases unless Cleo thought of something he had not
thought of, though the mystery of Temple’s disappearance was tantalizing.
***
Colin’s view
of Hatherton was harsh. Hatherton was ruthless, cunning and corrupt. He made a
good impression on above-board business partners, of which there were quite a
few. He had 'business' contacts at HQ, notably Roger Stone, and probably
enjoyed protection, which may or may not have been the result of being a secret
agent, or even a double agent. Colin had no way of investigating spy suspects.
What was certain was that Gary could not have known about the spy angle, so arresting
Hatherton had probably been the reason for his own removal from the Burton
case. Colin had no idea what had led to the volte face.
***
The Kellys were
an interesting pair. Colin asked Cleo a number of astute questions that needed
an answer:
1. Had Magda
Kelly been a go-between who had become too dangerous and had to pay for that
with her life?
2. See point
1. But to be more explicit, had she led a double life other than being a hooker?
If so, it would back up Kelly’s insistence that he knew nothing about activity
between Magda and Burton. Kelly could be as innocent as he claimed since he was
not running a brothel, but simply profiting from his wife’s continuing
preoccupation with men who could pay for her services. But what if her
relationship with Burton went much further?
It came as
no surprise to Cleo to read that the Norton brothers had a network of
informers, advisers and employees whom they controlled from prison via their
sister, who visited them regularly in their separate cells and was responsible
for keeping the family organization going. She acted as a go-between for all
kinds of dubious individuals. Were prison warders being paid to turn a blind
eye to what going on?
Miss Norton
had had an affair with Burton and she was keeping the Norton crime connections
happy, but there was no record that Burton had ever been one of them. He was a
small fish in a big sea and Colin thought Hatherton's only interest in Burton had
been to use his ability to cut raw gems without asking any questions about where
they came from. Colin could not say if there was enough of a motive there to
pinpoint Hatherton.
Colin concluded
that the Hartley Agency was now probably investigating Middlethumpton and
District's entire underworld and he was far from sure that they should be doing
that. Gary might be glad to have work taken off his hands, but Robert would be
horrified.
Colin's recommendation
was to concentrate on May Temple's activities for a start and work back to
Burton's case. It would be interesting to know what had really happened to
Shirley's father since it might give clues to Mrs Temple’s mind set. Not only
that. Every crime starts somewhere and it would help to know how far back in
time they had to trace events.
Colin could
not say whether Burton was blackmailing Hatherton, but it was certainly a
murder motive and surely the police could investigate the bank accounts and
check on that? Could Cleo get Gary to check Hatherton’s bank accounts as well
to that end?
***
Cleo had
plenty to think about. Colin had worked fast and she should follow suit. She
would pay Mrs Temple another call immediately and explain that she was anxious
to protect the woman from unnecessary questioning and media interference.
Would Mrs
Temple believe her? Cleo had often experienced that truth was often easier to sell
than little white lies.
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