At this point in the story, Perez interrupted. ‘Was anyone else in the house? Tom’s wife, for example?’
‘Not his wife, no. I think his daughter was there when we arrived. A pretty young thing. But she soon said she had work to do and left us to it.’
Perez nodded for Barnes to continue.
‘We’d had quite a lot to drink by then, and he brought out a selection of good malts. We were talking about our families, and Tom said he’d worked away in the past and how difficult that was and how wives didn’t always understand. He had this way of persuading you to confide in him.’ For the first time Barnes seemed embarrassed rather than simply resentful. ‘By the end of the evening I’d given him a cheque.’
‘Can you be more specific, please? For the notes.’ Perez nodded briefly towards Sandy. ‘The cheque was payment for what service?’
‘It was an introduction fee. Tom Rogerson had promised to set me up with a woman.’ Barnes paused briefly. ‘The next day I told myself I’d simply been ripped off and nothing would come of it.’
‘But it did?’ There was curiosity in Perez’s voice, but no judgement.
‘Exactly a day later I received an email in my personal account, giving a time and a place for the meeting.’
‘When was this?’
‘About three months ago.’
Sandy looked up at Perez and knew exactly what he was thinking. Alison Teal hadn’t been in Shetland three months ago, unless she’d made a trip for which they had no record. But Tain had been empty then and available for Rogerson’s use.
‘The name of the woman you were to meet, please?’
‘Elena.’
‘And the place?’
‘A small house in Ravenswick.’
Sandy knew exactly what that meant. Barnes might not have known the name of the house, but they did. Tain. Once the home of an elderly spinster called Minnie Laurenson, left to an American publisher called Sandy Sechrest, and occasional residence of Craig Henderson and Alison Teal.
‘Did you keep the appointment with Elena?’ Perez asked.
There was a pause. ‘I did.’ Barnes seemed about to justify or excuse his decision but thought better of it.
‘And was the encounter satisfactory?’
Another pause. ‘It was.’
‘Could you describe Elena to me, please?’
‘She was tall and slender with very long and very straight fair hair. Small features. Is that enough?’ Barnes was starting to become resentful again and to bluster, but the description was enough for Sandy, who recognized the woman he’d seen with Tom Rogerson in the Scalloway Hotel on the evening of his Valentine’s treat with Louisa.
Perez continued to ask Barnes questions, but the civil engineer had little other useful information. He was quite clear that he’d never met Alison Teal or anyone of her description. In the end they let him go. His colleagues were already boarding a coach to Sumburgh, where, it seemed, the storm was less ferocious.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Willow didn’t waste time thinking about what had happened at Jimmy Perez’s house the evening before. There would be opportunities for that later and, besides, perhaps nothing of any importance at all had happened. She might feel dizzy with hope – giddy, as she felt when she was at the top of a cliff looking down at the waves breaking below. But she knew it would be wise to limit her expectations. Perez had promised nothing. Today she had to focus on getting the information they needed from Alison Teal’s brother. Nothing else could be decided until the case was over.
A local police officer had informed the man of his sister’s death. He’d gone along to the prison where Jono Teal was being held, with the probation officer who’d known Jono for some years. Willow talked to the probation officer first. Her name was Hazel Sharpe and she was middle-aged and tough, more cynical than most police officers Willow knew. Hazel gave the impression that nothing at all would shock her.
‘Tell me what you know about the family,’ Willow said.
Much of the information Hazel passed on they’d gleaned previously, from interviews Alison had given at the height of her popularity. It seemed the actress hadn’t exaggerated the tough childhood; the feckless parents and the informal adoption by the grandparents on the Norfolk coast still formed a part of the story.
‘I have the impression that Alison was the golden girl,’ the probation officer said. ‘Perhaps she was an actress even then, becoming what was needed to survive, the sweet little girl that her grandparents doted on. Jono was trickier to handle. Not so bright and he hated school. I think they were all relieved when he left home and joined the army as soon as he could. I think he did OK in the forces. The discipline suited him and he made good friends. He only started getting into trouble when he left.’
‘Did he keep in touch with Alison?’
‘I think they saw each other when he was on leave. Jono was scarcely literate and I can’t imagine the woman I met as a great writer, so I doubt they kept in touch by letter. It was a long time ago, before everyone used Skype or Facebook. They seemed fond enough of each other, but when Jono was still in the army they were leading very different lives.’
‘So you met Alison?’ Willow thought this was an unexpected bonus.
‘Only once, and that was a bit later, soon after Jono left the army, when I was preparing his first presentence report. He’d been picked up that first time for shoplifting and he’d said he was homeless. The court wanted an address before they’d give him bail. Alison took him in. She’d already been written out of the TV drama then, but she still saw herself as a minor celebrity. She was living a very different life from her brother. There was a flat in a swanky bit of North London. A kitchen full of gadgets, but no food in the fridge. What my Nan would call “fur coat and no knickers” style.’
‘What did you make of her?’
There was a pause. ‘It’s a long time ago and I did so many of those home visits, so it’s hard to remember details. She sticks in my mind because I’d liked that drama on the telly and I was a bit star-struck. That flat wasn’t the usual sort of place I visited through work. The first thing I noticed was that she was beautiful. Model-beautiful. More stunning than she looked on the screen. I visited in the morning and she’d just got up. No make-up and still in her dressing gown, but gorgeous all the same. And perhaps because of that I could see she might be a spoilt brat. But she’d put Jono up, hadn’t she? She didn’t have to do that. I thought she was alright.’
‘How long did Jono stay with her?’
‘I don’t know,’ Hazel said. ‘That time he was let off with a fine, which I presume his sister paid, and I didn’t have any involvement until his next court appearance. By then he’d shacked up with a woman in Bermondsey, and Alison was out of the picture.’ The probation officer paused. ‘After that his route through the criminal justice system was pretty predictable. The woman left him and he drifted into stealing again. He met up with some thugs inside and they started giving him driving jobs when he came out. That was the closest he could get to the friendships he’d found in the army, I suppose. Now he’s serving a stretch for armed robbery. It’s bloody sad.’
Willow was using Perez’s office to make the call and looked out of the window. The sea was churning and spray was blowing almost into the town. It was a long way from criminal London. ‘What’s Jono Teal like? As a man.’
Hazel paused again. ‘A bit pathetic, by the time I knew him. Likeable enough and desperate to please, but he’s never really grown up. He just seems weak these days. It’s hard to think now that he was once a soldier and fit enough for active service.’
‘I was hoping to talk to him,’ Willow said. ‘I don’t know if he’s told you, but his sister was killed. Here in Shetland. We could use some up-to-date background. Only it’s a long way for me to do a visit.’