A Secret Killer (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 4) (17 page)

Chapter 30

The
feeling didn
’
t
leave her all morning as she drove between cleaning jobs. She kept checking her
mirrors as she drove but she couldn
’
t see that any
one car in particular was following her. Maybe it was all in her mind.

She
had a visitor waiting outside her house when she returned there at lunchtime.
Julia smiled as she got out of her car.
“
Hello,
it
’
s a
surprise to see you, Vivianne. Are you okay?
”

DS
Pendleton
’
s mum
didn
’
t
look okay. She wrung her hands and looked over her shoulder.
“
Can
we talk?
”

“
Of
course, do you want to come inside?
”
Julia offered.

Vivianne
looked over her shoulder again.
“
No, I
’
d
better not, I can
’
t stay long.
”
She looked directly at Julia and
said,
“
It
’
s
about Jason, he
’
s heard that you
’
re
making your own enquiries into Hugo Barnes
’
death. He
’
s
very upset, I don
’
t like to see him so upset. He told me
that he
’
s got
the murderer under arrest, he doesn
’
t know why you
feel the need to stick your nose in. Sorry, that was his expression.
”

Julia
folded her arms.
“
What exactly are you trying to tell me?
”

Vivianne
looked down the street and back again.
“
You
need to leave this case alone. Jason knows what he
’
s
doing. It won
’
t
look good for him if you
’
re getting yourself
involved, his superiors might wonder if he
’
s got
the right man locked up. That wouldn
’
t be good for
his career.
”

Julia
frowned.
“
Is
this a warning? Has your son sent you to warn me off the case?
”

Vivianne
gave a brittle laugh.
“
No! Of course
not! He
’
s
concerned about your welfare, he doesn
’
t want you to
get hurt.
”
She forced a smile.
“
I
really have to go now. I do apologise for bothering you.
”

Julia
didn
’
t say
a word as Vivianne got in her car and drove away.

Something
was wrong. Why was DS Pendleton so intent on framing Cain for this murder? And
had he sent his mum to warn her off? Vivianne had certainly looked
uncomfortable doing his dirty work for him.

The
more Julia found out about DS Pendleton, the less she liked him.

Her
appetite had disappeared so she decided to drive to the police station to
confront DS Pendleton. She pulled into the main car park and got out of the
car. She was stopped in her tracks.

“
Get
back in your car, Ms Blake, you have no business here.
”

“
You!
I
’
m so
glad to see you,
”
Julia
smiled at DI Clarke.
“
I
’
ve
got so much to tell you about Hugo Barnes. Do you know what your sergeant has
been up to? Do you know who he
’
s arrested?
”

DI
Clarke gave her a steely look. There wasn
’
t a
hint of friendliness in his eyes.
“
My sergeant has
filled me in on all the facts. I have to inform you that your employee, Cain
Andrews, has admitted to killing Hugo Barnes. He
’
s
made a full confession to DS Pendleton.
”

“
No!
”
Julia
’
s
hands flew to her chest.
“
That
’
s not
true! It can
’
t be!
”

“
It
most certainly is true. Get in your car and drive away.
”

“
No! I
want to see Cain, I want to find out why he
’
s
confessed. It wouldn
’
t surprise me if your sergeant has
forced him to confess.
”

DI
Clarke took a step closer. Julia could almost feel the coldness coming from his
breath. He said,
“
Mr Andrews doesn
’
t
want to see you, or your father. He was quite clear about that. He
’
s confessed,
and that
’
s all
there is to it. Listen to me clearly, Ms Blake, go home and leave this matter
alone. Do you understand?
”

“
Of
course I don
’
t
understand! What about the obvious suspects in this case? I left you messages
about Dinah West, and Hugo
’
s brother! And
what about the last case Hugo was working on?
”

DI
Clarke
’
s
shoulders dropped slightly.
“
Calm down, you
’
re
becoming hysterical. I
’
ll say this for
the last time, go home and leave this matter alone.
”
He moved forward and opened her
car door.

Julia
felt her eyes stinging. This couldn
’
t be happening.
Why would Cain confess? She knew he hadn
’
t
killed Hugo. And why was DI Clarke letting this happen? She didn
’
t
want to cry in front of the inspector so she quickly got in her car and drove
away. She let the tears fall as she drove.

She
worked furiously at her afternoon cleaning jobs, letting out all her anger on
windows and bathrooms. There was no way she was going to leave this matter
alone!

Fred
Baker took one look at her as she stood at his doorstep later and said,
“
You
look like you need a strong cup of tea, or a whisky. Come in, you look like you
’
re
about to explode.
”

“
I think
I am,
”
Julia said through gritted teeth.
“
You
won
’
t
believe what
’
s
happened since I saw you last.
”

“
Come
into the kitchen. Tell me all about it whilst I make some tea. I do have whisky
if you
’
d
like some.
”

“
I
’
m
tempted, but no, thank you.
”

Julia
told Fred about Cain
’
s confession. He made the appropriate
tutting noises as he prepared the tea. He placed a big mug in front of Julia
and said,
“
Sounds
like the police have got the wrong man.
”

“
Exactly,
”
Julia said. She took a big drink
and let the warmth seep through her body.
“
I
hope you
’
ve
found something out for me. I can
’
t bear the
thought of Cain going to jail again for another crime that he didn
’
t
commit.
”

Fred
beamed at her, a sparkle in his eyes.
“
Oh, I
’
ve
been very busy, let me tell you! I
’
ve found out
more than one secret about Hugo
’
s last case.
Wait
’
til
you hear this!
”

Chapter 31

Fred
put a pile of papers in front of Julia.
“
I
think we
’
ll
start with Smoking Man. Or shall we call him Robbie, that is his name after
all.
”

“
What
’
s his
surname?
”
Julia asked.

“
Dear
girl, let me be dramatic, will you? I
’
ll get to that
in due course. Right, the most interesting thing about Robbie is that he died
twice.
”

“
Pardon?
”

Fred
smiled happily.
“
Exactly! Robbie used to live locally. I
’
ve
checked his background. He was a bad man, a criminal, he used to beat his wife,
was a snitch to his friends and generally the sort of lowlife that everyone
wanted to see the back of. He got himself involved in an armed robbery which
went wrong. Robbie ended up killing a police officer. There was no honour
amongst thieves and my sources tell me that his so-called friends were more
than happy to give him up to the police. And, you can imagine that his
long-suffering wife was delighted to hand him over to the authorities too. But he
made a run for it and was nowhere to be found.
”

“
What
happened to him?
”

“
This
is where we get to his first death. Or a faked death. Robbie
’
s
first death certificate shows that he drowned, an apparent suicide. A body was
discovered and identified by the wife as being that of her husband. It seems
that the wife lied because, my sources tell me, Robbie moved abroad. Being the
criminal that he was, he soon made himself known within criminal circles. He
moved around Europe, changed his name of course. Then he came back to the UK
two months ago.
”

“
Why?
”

Fred
tutted.
“
I
wish you
’
d
stop interrupting, you keep breaking my flow.
”

Julia
sipped her tea and nodded at him to continue.

Fred
did so.
“
Robbie
had heard that someone was asking about him, a certain Hugo Barnes.
”
He raised his finger.
“
Don
’
t say
anything! Yes, our own dear friend had tracked Robbie down. Hugo must have
worked out that the first death certificate was a fake. And Robbie
’
s
wife had now remarried, and in doing so had committed bigamy. I
’
m
sure Hugo must have thought the wife knew she
’
d
committed bigamy. She
’
d wrongly
identified Robbie
’
s body all those years ago. Maybe Robbie
told her he
’
d
disappear if she promised to help him with his fake death.

“
But
now Hugo had got himself involved. I think he probably made contact with
Robbie. Then maybe Robbie thought he
’
d like to come
back to the UK and see his wife again. Maybe he
’
d
fallen on hard times and wanted to get some money out of her.
”

This
story reminded her of Cain
’
s father, but
she didn
’
t
want to get off track.
“
Sorry to
interrupt, but how is Robbie connected to William Roper and his family tree?
”

“
Aha!
Talk about a bigamy fest! Listen to this. You told me that William Roper was
still married to that Maria person when he came to the UK. And he
’
s
already admitted that he committed bigamy when he married his next wife. And,
pay attention because this is getting complicated. His second wife is the
mother of Bethany Roper, the woman that asked Hugo to look into her family
tree. Well, her mother, the second wife of William, died in childbirth. William
married again ten years later, still not having obtained a divorce from Maria.
”

Julia
gasped.
“
He
committed bigamy again! Knowing full well he was still married to Maria. I can
’
t
believe it!
”

Fred
smiled and waited dramatically.
“
Julia, William
Roper married the wife of Robbie. He was still married to Maria, and she was
still married to Robbie.
”

“
No!
Have people no shame?
”

“
I don
’
t
think they have. You said that William Roper had come clean to his wife about
his marriage to Maria. Do you think that his wife will come clean to him about
her marriage to Robbie?
”

Julia
thought for a moment.
“
She doesn
’
t
need to. Robbie is now dead, he was run over. I
’
m presuming
that you
’
ve
seen his second, or real death certificate.
”

“
I
have. I also have a photograph of Robbie when he was younger. Would you like to
see it?
”

“
Of
course,
”
Julia said.
“
Although
I have a feeling that I know who killed Hugo now, and why.
”

Fred
pushed a photograph towards her. Julia studied it. She sighed.
“
Heck,
just what I thought.  What am I going to do now?
”

“
You
’
re
going to get justice for our friend.
”