‘Well, first, you need to understand how the export companies work. Jason Thorpe has an office in Adelaide, so he can ship from there... but it’s just a small place, with one worker checking through the orders. He has a small office here in the city and he leases space at the docks to offload the crates, which are then shipped to wherever he has sold to.’
Jane sighed. ‘That’s all very interesting, Tim, but did you find out the reason why he parted company with Jason?’
Tim nodded. ‘Yes, I did. But he was just part of the chain that had been delivering for Thorpe. He said that he had four big, covered trucks. So, he also had to organise the other drivers. He was a really nice, genuine man... much older than his wife, but I would say he was an honest bloke.’
Jane closed her eyes. She could feel the exhaustion flooding through her.
‘Tim...’
‘Sorry.’ Tim turned a number of pages in his book. ‘OK, it goes back to last year, when Thorpe ordered a large shipment of red wine from one of the major vineyards. There was a real problem for the wine exporters due to a terrible season in the vineyards. The South Australian regions, just north of Adelaide, experienced a hot and dry summer, then they had had a wet March, which apparently put the kibosh on any real chances of producing quality reds.’
Tim studied his notes.
‘This is where it gets interesting, because one of the biggest export markets is China. Jason was trying to crack the Chinese market and over-ordered a substantial amount of red. He was basically left with it in his warehouse as it was almost undrinkable. He then made another disastrous purchase of rosé from a vineyard in Victoria. Mitch said the rosé was not really tried or tested, but Jason was convinced it could be really big.’
Jane felt like pulling out her hair. ‘You still haven’t told me why this guy Mitch left Jason’s employment.’
She had to wait yet again as Tim thumbed through his notebook.
‘Well, according to Mitch, nine months ago Jason’s business was going belly up. He was also getting a bad reputation with the owners of the vineyards for not paying for his goods... and he wasn’t paying his drivers either. Mitch said Jason was a loudmouthed snob who spent more time mixing with high society than he did trying to salvage his company.’ Tim smiled. ‘Apparently, our Jason is getting his leg over with one of the richest heiresses in Melbourne. Mitch said that sooner or later her father would find out that his daughter’s “suitor” was a lying, two-faced git who left decent men in the lurch, knowing they had families and mortgages to pay, and he would put a stop to the wedding.’
Tim turned yet another page. ‘This is interesting...’
‘Really?’ Jane said through gritted teeth.
‘Yeah... I did a few sums and Mitch told me that Jason had managed to get his hands on a large sum of money which is keeping him afloat. I reckon that money came from the sale of the Stockwell property.’
Jane passed Tim her untouched can of lager. ‘Good work, Tim. Very interesting. I would say, with Helena’s death the inheritance could save his skin, as Hadley hasn’t mentioned any other beneficiaries.’
Tim took a swig of his lager then let out a burp. ‘Excuse me, ma’am. I think you’re right. I also think, and this is from what Mitch told me, Jason has a very nasty side... it even brought them to fisticuffs once.’
‘Did this Mitch mention Beatrice?’
‘Not really... though he would sometimes see her in Jason’s Sydney office manning the phone. Jason appeared to go through secretaries like water. He paid them a pittance and treated them badly. According to Mitch, he “fucked them then kicked them out”.’
‘On that note, Tim, I’m going to have to kick you out because if I don’t go to sleep, I’ll pass out.’
Tim sprang up and picked up the empty cans. ‘I’ll just take these back to the bar, then.’
‘Thank you. Can you be ready by eight tomorrow? We’ll settle the hotel bill and go back to Mosman on the ferry. I want to be there bright and early.’
Tim hovered by the door. ‘So, you didn’t get much from Beatrice today?’
‘No, I didn’t. She has an amazing ability to deflect direct questions, but she can talk the hind leg off a donkey. Every time I tried to get her to talk about something important, I failed. I think I made the mistake of being too polite and, in a way, too careful. Tomorrow, I’m going for the jugular.’
‘Goodnight, then,’ Tim said.
He had barely shut the door behind him before Jane flopped back on the bed and was instantly asleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jane and Tim checked out of their seedy hotel with their hand luggage and caught the nine o’clock ferry to Mosman. At this hour of the morning the air was refreshing, but Tim’s sunburn was making him look like a lobster. He was wearing the cap that Mitch had given to him, and he had put some after sun on his burned nose.
They had noted the schedule of the return ferry, allowing plenty of time to get to the airport for their six thirty flight back to London, and took their time climbing back up the steps to The Glades. They arrived at the house at a quarter to ten, walking around to the back as they had done the previous day. Jane rang the bell and waited. She had to pull it a second time and was just about to pull it again when the door was opened by Tina.
‘Detective Inspector Jane Tennison and Detective Constable Tim Taylor. We have come to speak to both Beatrice and Jason Thorpe, please.’
‘I am very sorry, but they are not at home,’ Tina said.
Jane was taken aback. ‘What?’
‘They have gone to the ten o’clock service at church.’
‘But she knew I was coming.’
Tina looked apologetic. ‘I was not told that Mrs Thorpe was expecting visitors.’
Tina started to close the door, but Jane stepped forward, blocking it with her foot.
‘How long before they return, Tina?’ she asked.
‘Perhaps two hours, ma’am. It will depend on if they socialise afterwards with the other parishioners.’
Jane was furious. She gestured for Tim to pick up his rucksack and pushed the front door open with her hip.
‘Tina, please look after our bags. We will wait in the shade outside.’
Tina looked dubious, but Jane was so forthright that she eventually picked up the bags and stepped backwards.
‘You want coffee or tea?’
‘No, thank you. We’ll walk down to the waterfront.’
Tina watched them walk away and then closed the door behind them.
Jane was seething.
‘That bloody woman... I told her I would be here this morning.’
Tim tried to calm her down. ‘We’ve got plenty of time. We don’t need to leave until three.’
‘If she prattles on like she did yesterday, we’ll need a lot longer than that.’ Jane sighed.
She walked along the first tier of the garden and down the steps to the second tier, eventually coming to the third tier and the edge of the property with its glorious view of the bay.
‘My God, this really is a beautiful place,’ she said, calming down.
‘It is... although I think the sound of those parakeets would drive me round the bend. They never stop screeching,’ Tim said.
Jane hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the boathouse.
‘Where are you going?’ Tim asked.
‘The boathouse... come on.’
Steep steps led down to a low-roofed building that had once been white, but the paint was now blistered and peeling. From the steps they could see flat boards and iron rails that led down to the actual waterfront and a floating dock. Old iron chains were attached to a big wrought-iron wheel.
Tim was right behind her. ‘That must be to lower the boat down to the dock, but it doesn’t look as if it’s been used for a while.’