Frozen Grave (28 page)

‘What did you take that to mean?

‘I messaged him on Naughties and said I’d be in touch but I haven’t yet. Could be that.’

‘Then send a message now, please – we may catch him before he starts work. Ask him if he’s all right and tell him you’re sorry for not making it but you were attacked by
persons unknown in the car park. Let me know what you get in response. Did you ring the Audi garage yet about your car?’

‘Yes. I said someone will be along to pick it up.’

‘I’ll get that organized now with Sandford. Keep me informed and I’ll do the same. I will need to look into your Naughties account, if that’s okay? I’ll make sure
it’s just me and Willis.’

‘Yes, okay. When you looked at the Naughties website, did you see my profile?’ she asked.

‘Hard to tell.’ Carter was lying. He had looked for it and he had found it. He knew Harding’s body very well. He’d been near it many times. He’d imagined her naked
more than once. But when it came down to it, it had been her hands that had given her away. He’d watched them work countless times. She had old hands for her age. She had short fingernails,
except when she had acrylics put on for something special, and this had been such a time. Harding always went for the same colour on her nails: dark burgundy. Yeah, the hands had definitely given
her away, even when they were parting her labia for the camera.

‘That means, yes – then, okay. I have nothing left to hide, as it were. It doesn’t bother me anyway – I just don’t want to see T-shirts with photos of my bits on
the front.’

‘Of course.’

‘I mean it, Carter – I’m holding you personally responsible.’

‘Can we have your laptop?’

‘No, you can’t. Don’t push your luck.’

‘Do you always send messages from your laptop? Carter asked.

‘Yes, I do.’

‘If we send a message and he checks the IP address, he’s going to know it’s not you.’

‘Then I’m going to have to do this with you. I’m not having technicians dismantle the hard drive in my laptop.’

‘Okay, I understand. Go online at your usual times and reply to any messages you have. We’ll be over to see you later. Did you reply to the Dogger?’

‘Not yet.’

‘When you do, keep it interested but vague.’

He finished up his conversation and stood and picked up his coat.

‘Don’t get comfortable, Willis – we’re off to talk to Mrs Ellerman.’

They parked up and walked across the road to the house. Carter was watching the movement at the kitchen window. A shadow passed there. They stood and waited after ringing the
bell. Dee Ellerman was dressed in black leggings and a dark tunic top. Her dark hair was scraped back into a ponytail. She had large dark eyes that looked tired and slightly dazed as she came to
the door. Carter wondered if she was on medication.

‘Sorry to bother you. Mrs Ellerman?’

‘Yes?’

They showed their warrant cards. ‘Can we come in for a chat?’

She looked from one to the other, before stepping back into the house.

‘My husband isn’t home.’

‘It’s you we’d like to speak to.’

They followed her as her slippered feet shuffled across the parquet floor and into the living room. The parquet floor gave way to green-flecked carpet.

‘Would you like us to take off our shoes?’ He could see by her face that she wanted to say yes but instead, her eyes flicked towards the kitchen entrance. ‘We’re happy to
sit in the kitchen, if that suits you better?’

She led them into the kitchen, which was L-shaped with a living area at one end.

‘Would you like a drink?’ she asked.

‘No, thanks.’ Willis couldn’t risk spilling anything. She was clumsy to the extreme.

‘Love a coffee, please,’ said Carter. ‘We won’t keep you long, Mrs Ellerman. Thank you . . .’ he said when she handed him a cup. He took a sip of the coffee and
tried not to grimace. ‘We wanted to have a chat with you about your husband. He seems to have got himself in a spot of trouble with complications in his life.’

‘The letter, you mean?’ She sat opposite Carter and Willis.

‘Yes. You’ve seen it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did your husband show it to you?’

‘God, no! I got a copy in the post.’

‘What did you make of it?’

She sat with her elbows on the table, her hands clasped. She stared at her hands. ‘I was expecting it.’

‘How do you mean?’ asked Carter.

‘It’s not the first time women have got in touch with me.’ She glanced up at them both.

‘This has happened often?’ Carter said, smiling sympathetically.

‘It has increased in the last five years.’

‘Since your son died?’ asked Willis.

‘Yes.’ She looked from Willis to Carter. ‘Craig. My son was called Craig. My husband was responsible for his death.’

‘Is that what you believe?’ asked Carter.

‘That’s what happened. He was showing off in his car. He skidded taking a corner too fast and he hit a tree. Craig died two weeks later when the life-support machine was switched
off.’

‘We are so sorry, Mrs Ellerman. I know it must still be very raw for you.’ Carter leant forward, to put his hand on her shoulder.

She bowed her head, composing herself. ‘Yes.’

‘It must be very difficult for you, especially when you’re alone here. Mr Ellerman is away from home a lot, isn’t he?’ Carter asked.

‘All the time. He comes home at weekends but he doesn’t always stay. This place reminds him too much of Craig. We remind each other of Craig.’

‘Yes, I understand; it must be so difficult. Would you like to speak to someone in our victim-support unit, Mrs Ellerman?’ Carter asked. ‘It’s always helped people in the
past.’

‘No . . . thank you.’ She looked at the clock on the kitchen wall.

Carter glanced at Willis; she took out her notebook.

‘Okay, well, we’ll get on with some questions, then we’ll be out of your way,’ said Carter as he drank the rest of his coffee. Willis took out a copy of the letter and
handed it to Carter. He took it from her and opened it up, turned it round to face Dee Ellerman.

‘When you got this letter, what did you think?’

She shrugged. ‘Not a lot. Nothing surprises me any more. I perhaps wondered at the amount of women on the list. That’s a lot of lies, even for my husband.’

‘Excuse me for asking, Mrs Ellerman, but why do you stay with him?’ asked Willis.

Dee Ellerman turned to her.

‘I don’t know. I stay because we have all this together, maybe.’ She looked around. ‘Maybe because he is my connection to Craig. I couldn’t bear to leave this
place, to leave Craig.’

‘I understand,’ said Carter. ‘But, financially, it must be a struggle. Do you have a large mortgage?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t handle that side of things. JJ doesn’t want me to worry about that.’

‘So what do you know about
his
finances? Do you take an interest in his business at all?’ asked Willis.

‘I listen to his plans sometimes but I don’t know the ins and outs. I never look at his bank statements.’

‘Did you know that he was in financial difficulties?’

‘Yes. The bank keeps ringing.’

‘That must be difficult, stressful for you?’

‘JJ says to ignore them. He usually manages to find some money from somewhere every month.’

‘The women on the list seem to have parted with a lot of money,’ Carter said, glancing at the letter.

‘More fool them.’

‘Mr Ellerman never mentioned his fund-raising to you?’ asked Willis.

‘No.’

‘So what do you feel about the women on this list?’ asked Carter. ‘Do you feel anger? Shame? Sadness? Do you feel sorry for them in any way?’

She shook her head. ‘They knew what they were getting into. They knew he was married. They shouldn’t have done it . . . got involved with a married man.’

‘But he promised them he would leave you,’ Willis said, her eyes fixed on Dee.

‘Lies come naturally to him.’ Dee looked at Willis and glared. Her sadness had been replaced by anger. ‘He will promise anything to get what he wants,’ Dee continued.
‘He never had any intention of living with any of them.’ She rolled her eyes, as if she couldn’t care, but her hands were shaking.

‘What about you, Mrs Ellerman? Will you stay with him now?’ asked Carter.

She didn’t answer for a few seconds and then she shook her head sadly.

‘I don’t see how I can.’

‘Mrs Ellerman, what do you know about the Spanish properties?’

‘I don’t know much about them. He’s always talking about us living out there. It’s been his goal for several years now but the business always seems to keep us here;
there’s always a crisis.’

‘Do you have any paperwork that we can see for these properties?’ Carter asked.

She hesitated and then stood. ‘Of course. It’s in his office.’

‘Would it be easier if I came with you, to help?’

‘Yes, perhaps it would.’

Carter looked back at Willis and smiled.

Lisa’s gym was packed with people – it always was in January. They’d all be gone by March. New Year’s good intentions were hard to sustain. She managed
to get away and phone Megan during her lunchbreak.

‘I failed to keep calm about it all. I just couldn’t do it. I realized when I looked at him that I really fucking hated him for what he’s done. I couldn’t be that
two-faced, even though I tried. Sorry.’

‘Not to worry. It will work out, I’m sure. I’ll phone Paula and Emily and tell them that it’s important they keep on his good side.’

‘The thing is, Megan. I’m really thinking that we should go to the police about it all.’

‘I appreciate that you’re angry but we need to stick to our plan. As soon as the police get involved and charges are brought against him, the money becomes ring-fenced. You stand a
good chance of losing it.’

‘I’m not sure if I care any more. My hate for him outweighs the desire to get my money back.’

‘Please, Lisa, just let the scheme play out. Give us a chance, all of us. We agreed we’d do this together, didn’t we?’

‘Okay, but I can’t promise.’

Megan came off the phone to Lisa and called Paula.

‘You have to keep him sweet, Paula, give him hope. Lisa is out of the equation.’

Esme and Fifi were finishing their turn when Ellerman stuck his head around the door of the ballet class. Paula didn’t think she’d manage it, but she did –
her eyes said it all – she was glad to see him but she was hurt.

She took her coat and bag from the seat next to her and waved him in. He walked in, grinning apologetically to the teacher, who smiled and looked as if she were delighted to see a dad in the
ballet class. Esme and Fifi skipped over to say hello before being ushered back.

They sat in silence, watching the girls for five minutes, before Ellerman reached out a tentative hand and placed it on Paula’s. She gently removed it whilst still smiling at the girls.
Ellerman leant forward in his seat and watched intently as the two girls hopped and skipped and pretended to be trees opening in spring and then, when the class was finished, they ran over,
excited.

‘Come on, let’s go for pizza.’ Ellerman looked at Paula for approval. The girls shrieked with excitement. He knew there was no way that she could refuse now.

‘Okay then.’

She stood and picked up her belongings and sent the girls off to pick up theirs.

When they got outside they looked for his car.

‘I am driving that Kia four-by-four, the white one,’ said Ellerman.

‘New car?’ Paula asked.

‘Thought I could do with a change. Family car, really. Now I can fit the girls in the back. And I know it’s Saturday but I hoped you wouldn’t mind if I called in.’

The girls got in, thrilled.

Paula looked at him.

‘Did you get this car for us?’

Ellerman didn’t answer. He just smiled and looked pleased with himself. He’d been loaned the car whilst the Range Rover was in for a service.

After the pizza they went home. The girls were read a story and put to bed by Ellerman, and Paula stood awkwardly in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of white wine.
Ellerman came up behind her; he knew he’d done the best job he could possibly do at remaining credible in her eyes. He stood behind her, not touching, just being close.

‘The girls were so sweet today. Like little fairies, jumping around.’

‘Yeah – they love their ballet.’

‘We should take them to see
The Nutcracker
, or
Swan Lake
. They’d love it.’

‘Yeah, maybe.’

‘We could make a weekend of it in London.’

‘Yeah, perhaps.’

‘Paula – I want you to know that I really do love you and the girls. I wouldn’t spoil that for the world. You know that, don’t you?’

‘Talk is cheap.’

‘But not for me . . . I mean every word. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.’

She turned round, her glass of wine in her hand.

‘I know that. I know you care about me – about the girls. But . . . I also know that I might not be all you want. I know I’m not the most intellectual person on earth. I
don’t have a lot to say about certain subjects but I do my best and I feel a lot for you. I didn’t realize how much until I got the letter.’

‘That fucking letter.’

‘Yeah.’ She turned away and began tidying the kitchen. ‘It was a massive shock. At first, I thought it must be some kind of scam and then I saw my name, my address, all my
numbers written on that sheet of paper.’

He reached out for her and she didn’t resist this time. ‘I cannot tell you how sorry I am, baby.’ He kissed her forehead. ‘I love you more than you know. I promise you
that’s true. Paula, I thought I explained to you – I can’t say it any more clearly – I love you and someone has been trying to split us up. You mean the world to
me.’

‘And all those women on the list?’

‘It’s all a pack of lies. I have no idea who most of them are.’

‘Really?’

‘Well, some of them I recognize – they are past girlfriends –
well
in the past – they were work colleagues or friends, friends’ wives even! It’s like
someone has gone through all my contacts and picked out the women and decided that I’m having a relationship with them all. It’s absolute nonsense.’