The Late Greats (16 page)

‘He’s doubled his price’ she said.

‘Bilton?’

‘Compensation for you punching him. Dental work costs.’

I was sure I detected a hint of pleasure in her voice as she told me, but I didn’t push my luck. ‘I guess your paper’s not happy?’

‘Not particularly, but they’ll pay it.’

‘Good.’

‘I’ve come to an arrangement with him.’

‘What kind of arrangement?’

‘I told him if he wanted his money doubling, we wanted something in return.’

‘What do we want in return?’ I asked.

‘Siobhan’s been in touch with him. They’ve set up a meeting and we’re going to be there.’

I had intended to approach her at the boutique where she wouldn’t want to cause a scene. This sounded like a much better plan. ‘When?’ I asked.

‘Tonight.’

‘That’s quick.’

‘At the pub.’

‘Right.’ It wouldn’t be my choice to go back there, but it made sense.

‘Tell me I’m not the only one working here, Joe. What do you know?’

‘I’ve found out Priestley had a thing for Lorraine Harrison. Did you know that?’

‘Where did you hear it?’

‘Major’s solicitor, so I assume it must have come from Greg.’

‘Have you spoken to Priestley?’

‘Not yet. I’ve just had a word with Lorraine.’

‘What did she say?’

‘It was news to her.’ I told Julia about Jason Harrison’s criminal record. ‘She wasn’t impressed I brought it up.’

‘I don’t suppose she would be.’

‘What do you think about Priestley?’

‘If you’re asking whether he could have had an argument with Greg and accidently killed him, why not? It happens, doesn’t it?’ She paused. ‘He was always a bit weird.’

‘How do you mean?’ It wasn’t the first time she’d said this.

‘Just a feeling I got off him. The rest of the band were great, but he was always a bit reserved. It might have been shyness. It might just be that he was weird.’

Her opinion of him was the same as Lorraine’s and I didn’t like coincidences. I told her about the break-in at the office and that Don and Sarah had left for Spain.

‘They’ve just walked away?’

‘That’s about the size of it.’ Not that I blamed them. ‘She’s got to think about her daughter.’

‘Even so.’

‘I’ve put her through a lot in the past. She doesn’t need this.’

‘What are you going to do?’ she asked me.

‘Keep asking questions, I suppose’ I said, before terminating the call and pulling back out into the traffic.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I didn’t
want to go back to the office, so I sat in the cafe I’d met Lorraine Harrison in previously. I’d barely touched my coffee when Marcus Whittle called. Major had listened to reason and returned to Hull on the day’s first train from London. It was something. He wanted to talk to me. Immediately. I was just as keen to talk to him. I walked through the city centre, towards his office. The receptionist sent me straight up to his suite. I walked in, no knocking.

Whittle looked up. ‘Thanks for coming so promptly’ he said. He indicated I should sit down.

I ignored him. The conference desk was covered in newspapers. They were still poring over the details. Major looked up. Winked. ‘Alright, PI? Solved the case yet?’

‘I’m not in the mood’ I said. ‘Where have you been?’

He sat back in his chair. ‘Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?’

‘I’ve had DI Robinson on my case, wanting to speak to you.’

Whittle stepped in, defused the situation. ‘Let’s not worry about him just yet’ he said. ‘We’re here to talk about the progress being made.’ He glanced at Major. The message was clear. He was saving me the bother of telling Major to watch his mouth.

‘Fucking hate this city’ Major said, throwing the newspapers to one side. ‘It’s no wonder anyone with any talent leaves. Shithole of a place.’

I turned to Whittle and raised my eyebrows.

Whittle ignored me and got proceedings underway. ‘If we’re quite ready, gentlemen. Obviously we need to keep things moving in the right direction’ he said. He turned to me. ‘What about Steve Priestley? What does he have to say for himself?’

‘I need to speak to him’ I said. I saw Major shaking his head. ‘Problem?’ I said to him.

‘Fuck’s sake, PI. Are you just pissing my money up the wall, or what?’

Whittle told him to be quiet. ‘Shall we start again and assume we’re all acting in good faith?’

Major eventually nodded. I followed suit.

‘Priestley’s next on my list’ I said. ‘I spoke to Lorraine Harrison earlier this morning and she said she had no idea he was carrying a torch for her. I get the impression people think of him as being either a bit weird or a bit intense.’

‘I never really liked him’ said Major. ‘New Holland was never about Priestley. It was me and Greg who got things moving because he never had the same vision as us. He couldn’t see the band’s potential like we could. It was like it was something for him to do before he got himself a proper job. Became a fucking accountant or something. I never got that kind of attitude. He never seemed to want to enjoy the ride. He was always a bit weird like that.’

‘He held the band together when Greg lost it’ I said.

Major shook his head. ‘Not really. He wrote some songs, but it didn’t mean it was his band. The gigs were always about Greg’s songs. Nothing really changed.’

‘Priestley’s wife said the reunion was a chance for him to get the credit he deserved for his songs.’

‘It was going to be Greg’s songs.’ Major laughed. ‘What else? Priestley wasn’t willing to accept the fact people weren’t going to pay to listen to the later stuff. It’s obvious, isn’t it? They want to hear the good stuff, the hits. Greg’s songs.’

He was right, but I could see how the situation might escalate in the rehearsal room. Neither Tasker nor Priestley would want to back down.

‘I think we need to pin Priestley down on his alibi’ Whittle said.

‘He’s already said he doesn’t have one.’

‘All the more reason, then.’

I held my hands up. ‘I’ll try again.’

‘What about me telling you I thought Greg was involved in something?’ Major said. ‘Have you sorted that?’

I told them about Trevor Bilton and his connection to Siobhan. ‘I might know more on that later’ I said.

‘Fuck’s sake, in your own time. What about Lorraine Harrison? Her husband didn’t like Greg very much. I’d be looking at him, too, if I were you, PI.’

‘How did you know about her and Greg?’ I asked him.

‘They go way back. It wasn’t a huge surprise to me that they’d got back together. It’s not a big deal.’

‘That wasn’t what you said before. You said you didn’t know what they were up to.’

‘I didn’t want to tell you.’ He shrugged. ‘It was Greg’s private life.’

The man was incapable of telling the truth. ‘What about Siobhan?’ I asked.

‘It’s not my place to judge.’

‘She’d followed him up to Hull.’

‘In exchange for her own boutique. She didn’t do bad out of Greg.’

I turned the conversation back to Lorraine Harrison. ‘Did you know Jason Harrison’s got a conviction for assault?’

Whittle nodded. ‘There you go.’

‘He’s on my list of people to talk to.’

‘Good’ Major said. ‘He was probably jealous of what Greg had achieved. He’s ordinary, got nothing going for him. I’m not surprised their marriage is dead.’

‘It’s not dead’ I said.

Whittle stepped back in. ‘Kane’s right. Priestley’s got every reason to resent Greg. Plenty to be getting your teeth into, Joe.’ His mobile rang. He said he had to take the call. He stood up and left the room.

Major waited for him to leave. Leaned forward. ‘Just the two of us, then.’ He stared at me before smiling. ‘Cards on the table time, PI. Do you reckon I killed Greg?’ Do you reckon I ran away because I was scared? Go on, tell me what you think.’

The time away from Hull hadn’t dulled his arrogance. I pointed at him. ‘I’m going to find out who killed Greg and I don’t care if you’re paying me’ I said. ‘I’ll play the cards I’m dealt. If they lead to you, they lead to you.’

Major shook his head, like he was pained by what I was saying. ‘I thought we’d been through all of this and got it straight. I didn’t kill Greg.’ He spoke slowly. ‘It doesn’t make any sense, does it? I was going to use this to relaunch his career, make us both some money. I needed him alive.’

‘Where have you been?’

‘I told you. I had to go back to London for some meetings.’

‘Just after Greg was found?’

Major leaned back in his chair and smiled at me, like I was simple. ‘That’s exactly right, PI.’

It took me a moment to realise what he was saying. I was appalled. ‘You set some deals up on the back of his death?’

Major shrugged. ‘The band’s never been hotter. There’s a lot to sort out. The label wants something in the shops as soon as possible.’

‘You heartless bastard.’

‘I’m not going to apologise to you. I’m looking out for the family’s long-term interests. There was nothing I could do here. I was in the way. I like to delegate, leave things to the professionals.’ He laughed. ‘Or at least the so-called professionals.’

I ignored the jibe. ‘What did you tell the police?’

‘I gave them a statement through my legal team.’

The big question. ‘Where were you the night Greg was killed?’

Major sat back upright. ‘I’m getting fucking bored of this chat, now. I was in the hotel, in my room, working. Satisfied?’

‘Did anyone see you? Receptionist, room service?’

‘No.’

We sat in silence for a moment, listening to Whittle on the telephone in the other room. Major spoke. ‘Why don’t you believe me, PI?’

‘I’m following the leads.’

‘Maybe you’re following your dick?’

‘Say that again?’

‘Still fucking Julia, are you?’

I leaned forward. ‘Mind your own business.’

Major sneered at me. ‘Don’t be so touchy. I’m only asking. I like to know to what my people are up to.’

I looked away. Controlled my temper. ‘Robinson tried to warn me off’ I said. ‘He told me I shouldn’t be working for you. He said I was getting involved in something way over my head, that I should back off. What did he mean?’

Major shrugged. ‘He’s not going to like you trampling all over his territory, is he? You should know that. You’re still here, aren’t you?’

His was right, but his attitude was infuriating. ‘Doesn’t explain why he took the time out to speak to me.’ I pressed on. ‘I’m being followed.’

‘Who by?’

‘I wouldn’t be mentioning it if I knew.’

Major laughed. ‘Don’t be so paranoid, PI. We’re in Hull. Who the fuck would be following you here?’

‘That’s what I want to know.’

Major shook his head and turned away. He’d had enough of our talk. ‘I’ve really got no idea’ he finally said.

I needed to calm down and talk to someone else after leaving Major’s office. I didn’t want to stand still. I drove out to Priestley’s farm. His wife told me he was in his recording studio. She pointed me towards a barn at the end of their yard. I walked across and let myself in. Priestley sat in front of his mixing desk, strumming an acoustic guitar. I coughed to get his attention.

He spun around and nodded to me. ‘I can’t say this is a surprise.’ He put the guitar down. ‘I’ve just finished some recording with my brother, Richard. He’s a got a band together.’ He smiled. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.’

I found a chair and sat down. ‘I’ve been hearing some unpleasant things about you.’

‘Is that right?’

‘It is.’

‘Shall I say it? You want to know if I killed Greg?’ He paused. ‘Do you really think I could do such a thing?’

I didn’t answer straightaway. Probably because I didn’t know. ‘When we spoke at Paull, you told me you had nothing to hide, so let’s say I’m open-minded.’

He picked up his bottle of water. ‘You’re taking a chance coming here, aren’t you?’

‘I’ll take my chances.’

‘The searchers will be out if you don’t report back within the hour?’

‘Something like that.’

He nodded. ‘What have you heard, then?’

‘I’ve heard you weren’t very popular within the band.’

Priestley shrugged. ‘I told you we’d had a falling out. It wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t the first time it’d happened over the years.’

‘Even though you’d have been playing his songs on the reunion tour?’

Priestley took another mouthful of water. ‘Nothing like that had been decided.’

‘I’m sorry to be brutal, but it would have been Greg’s songs.’

‘There would have been a balance.’

I tried another tack. ‘Major wasn’t very complimentary about the way you took over the band when Greg lost the plot.’

‘It makes him a hypocrite, then, doesn’t it? We never really got on, that’s true, but don’t let him fool you. He’s a businessman. He was never a musician or someone who cared about the music. His thing is doing deals, seeing who he can screw a little bit more out of. It’s all a game to him. When I stepped up to the plate with the songs, he carried on like we were best buddies. The bottom line was money, and to get money, he needed the band to function when Greg had his troubles. I made it happen for him, whatever he says about it now.’

I wasn’t going to argue with his assessment. Not after Major had gone back to London, touting for business on the back of what’d happened. But I had to keep an open mind. ‘If we’re talking about Greg’s murder, you see it gives you motive? There was a professional rivalry between you and Greg. The arguments could have become heated, neither of you wanting to back down. Sometimes things happen which we don’t intend when we’re angry.’

Priestley shook his head. ‘I loved Greg like a brother. It was always about the music for me, and that was what was most important to us. We’d argue and he was difficult to deal with, I can’t deny that, but any bad feeling never lingered.’

I’d listened to the tapes of Julia’s interview with Greg again. ‘Didn’t you resent him taking over your band?’

He shook his head. ‘There wasn’t much to take over. Sometimes you’ve got to know when to make sacrifices. Did I want to be a big fish in a small pond, or a smaller fish in a much bigger pond? Greg could do things I couldn’t do. I was happy when he came along.’