While Taylor drove, Jane flipped through her notebook back to her conversation with Mr Hadley. She was keen to clarify what he had actually said about the ownership of the property. It had originally been owned by Helena Lanark, but Jason Thorpe had power of attorney and could therefore sell it on her behalf. Jane underlined Helena Lanark’s name in the hope she could arrange an interview with her.
As they arrived at the front of the station, Tim dropped her off and went to park her car. As Jane climbed the steps, she heard her name being called and turned to see Sharon Forgham behind her, clearly in a very anxious state.
‘I want to speak to you,’ she snapped, ‘I just want to tell you that I’m not going to accept my daughter’s remains. I don’t care what the law says.’ She paused to get her breath. ‘After you came to see me, I’ve had my flat searched. I didn’t think there could be anything worse than having your husband murdered — but now you’re telling me he’s responsible for Samantha’s death. You have no idea the pain you’ve caused me. If it wasn’t bad enough to lose Brian, to now find out what he did to Samantha... you’ve left me nothing to live for.’
Jane wanted to find words of comfort, but Brian Forgham’s widow was so angry and upset, Jane felt it was more respectful to say nothing. Sharon Forgham gave her one last furious look, then turned on her heel. Jane watched her walk away, then went into the station and headed to her office.
Barbara knocked lightly on her door and walked straight in as Jane was hanging up her coat.
‘Barbara, would you mind knocking and waiting for me to tell you to come in?’ Jane said tetchily.
‘Oh, sorry. It’s just that I’ve got a message for you from DCI Carter. He had to go to Shoreditch and there is a Mr...’ she screwed up her face trying to remember, ‘a Mr Thorpe coming into the station this morning. DCI Carter told me to tell you to speak to him and then report back.’
‘Thank you, Barbara,’ Jane said without looking at her.
She flounced out as DC Taylor walked in without knocking. Jane sighed in exasperation.
‘Your car keys, ma’am. I couldn’t find anywhere to park in the street near the station, so as I was told DCI Carter’s out, I put it in his allocated space.’
‘I don’t think that’s a very good idea,’ Jane said.
‘I asked Barbara when he would be back, and she said he’d gone to Shoreditch and would be some time.’
She sat down at her desk. ‘Tell me, Tim, Barbara seems to have a rather over-confident manner, wouldn’t you say? Or perhaps I’m not quite used to a station secretary being privy to her DCI’s diary.’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘She is a bit over-familiar, but then gossip has it that she sees a lot of the DCI privately.’
Jane nodded to herself. ‘Thank you, Tim, that’ll be all. I might ask you to come back into my office in a while. Apparently, Jason Thorpe is coming to the station. Can you bring him up to me when he arrives?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ DC Taylor scurried out, looking a bit shamefaced. Jane thought he was probably chastising himself for repeating station gossip.
Her desk phone rang, it was DS Paul Lawrence. She was, as always, pleased to hear from him and as she knew that he had been assigned to examine the body of the baby she was eager to hear his results. They had worked extensively together in the past, and she admired his skill and dedication.
‘Just thought I’d give you a quick heads-up, Jane. I’m going over to the mortuary as the mummified baby has been taken back there. To be honest, I don’t think the lab quite knew what to do with it after old boy Johnson had finished doing his post-mortem.’
‘I haven’t actually read the post-mortem report,’ Jane said, ‘but it was a bit of a shock to find out the baby had been buried alive.’
‘Yes, I’m afraid if he found fibres in the airways and stomach that would prove that the infant was still breathing when it was buried,’ Paul said.
‘I’m really glad you’re on this case, Paul. Much as I like Emra Saddell, I don’t think there is anyone better than you, or anyone I can trust more to give me accurate information. I know it’s going to be challenging, given how long ago the baby was buried in that shelter — Johnson’s estimation was that it happened about thirty years ago. I’ll keep you updated with anything I uncover, and I look forward to seeing you soon.’
As she replaced the receiver, there was a loud knock on the door. Jane closed her eyes as she knew it would be Barbara. ‘Yes!’ Jane said, loudly.
‘The duty sergeant has called to say there is a Mr... I forgot... um, oh yes, a Mr Thorpe at reception. DC Taylor’s gone to get him.’
‘Thank you, Barbara. Would you be so kind as to bring us two teas from the canteen?’
Barbara pursed her lips. ‘Yes, of course. Milk and sugar?’
‘That would be perfect, thank you,’ Jane said with a brittle smile.
Chapter Seven
Jane opened her handbag and took out her compact, dabbing her nose and cheeks with powder, then combing her hair. She had just closed her handbag again when DC Taylor walked in, accompanied by a very handsome and exceedingly well-dressed man. He was wearing a pinstripe suit, and his tanned face and sun-bleached blond hair made it obvious that this must be Jason Thorpe. Before DC Taylor could introduce them, Jane stood up.
‘I’m Detective Inspector Jane Tennison, and you must be Jason Thorpe?’
‘Yes. How very nice to meet you. Just sad it’s under such distressing circumstances.’
‘Do sit down,’ Jane said, nodding at Tim to leave the room.
Jason opened his wallet and handed Jane his business card, showing he was head of a wine import company in New South Wales.
‘I would have come in earlier this morning, but I had a meeting to attend,’ he said.
‘Yes, the site foreman said you were with the developer,’ Jane said, eager to gauge his reaction.
He looked surprised. ‘Although I no longer own the property, having sold it to the developer, I was concerned that I might in some way be held accountable for what had been discovered and be presented with costs over the delays. I was relieved to hear they had permission to continue work at the site.’
Jane smiled, wondering if he was hiding something from her. ‘Yes, I believe today they were given clearance to demolish the shelter, where we made our tragic discoveries.’
Without asking permission, Jason opened a silver case from his suit pocket, pulled out a cigarette and tapped it on the closed case. He then took out what appeared to be a solid gold lighter and lit the cigarette.
‘Although I’m not privy to all the facts, what I’ve been told via my lawyer, Mr Hadley, is that the victim had been imprisoned inside the shelter by her own father.’ He exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke. ‘But I really have no further information to give you. I was just overseeing the eviction of the tenants with Mr Forgham when this horrific incident must have occurred.’
Jane couldn’t help feeling there was a rehearsed quality to what Mr Thorpe was telling her. She opened her notebook.
‘Yes, we know about the eviction of the tenants. The reason the poor girl was not discovered was because after Mr Forgham’s murder, and the final eviction, the house was boarded up and left empty.’
‘Yes, I suppose that’s correct.’ By now the ash on his cigarette was almost an inch long and Jason peered around the room as if looking for an ashtray. Jane, who rarely smoked, opened a drawer and took one out, putting it on the desk in front of him.
‘Mr Thorpe, could I ask the reason for the long delay between the final eviction and you selling the property eighteen months ago?’