‘I think Wilde was referring to husbands, Jon,’ Tanja Cale said.
Grace remembered an Oscar Wilde play he and Sandy went to see in the city’s Theatre Royal. ‘I think the line was about parents, actually, Jon and Tanja. But I get your drift.’ He turned to Tanja Cale. ‘How certain is this Harvey Dexter character?’
‘Absolutely adamant, sir.’
‘Does he still have the footage?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘We need to get him interviewed, and get a copy of the video.’
‘I’m seeing him straight after this briefing, sir. I’m going to his house.’
‘Nice work.’ He turned to DS Batchelor. ‘Any progress on what I gave you, Guy?’
‘Not much I’m afraid, boss. I’ve looked up everyone in the local area who might have a licence to keep a saw-scaled viper and there’s no one. But that doesn’t mean much, I’m afraid. I’ve also spoken to one of the country’s leading experts on venomous snakes — a herpetologist called Mark O’Shea. He’s the Consultant Curator of Reptiles at the West Midland Safari Park, and a well-known broadcaster. He told me that although we have strict rules about keeping venomous snakes in the UK, under the Dangerous Animals Act, anyone can buy them over the counter at the regular snake days at reptile fairs in Hamm, Germany, and in Houton, Holland, where no licence is needed and no questions asked. Saw-scaled vipers cost around one hundred and fifty euros, and you can take them away in a plastic container the size of a sandwich box. You can also walk through UK Immigration with a bunch of these in a bag completely legally — although you are supposed to register them within forty-eight hours.’
‘Seriously? Supposed to?’
‘Hardly anyone does.’
‘This is incredible!’ Grace said. ‘You can’t bring a harmless poodle into the country without a whole raft of veterinary certificates, but you can walk straight in with any number of creatures that can kill within hours?’
The detective sergeant raised his arms in a gesture of despair. ‘Yep. Unless a particular creature falls under CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — where they require what’s called either an Appendix 1 or Appendix 2 permit, no one is breaking any law by bringing creatures like this into the country. You could bring in cobras, black mambas, trapdoor spiders, scorpions, anything.’
‘Great,’ Roy Grace said grimly. ‘So we’ve no idea how many of our citizens have venomous reptiles in their homes?’
‘Nope,’ Batchelor said. ‘I’ve found a helpful Met officer who keeps poisonous frogs as pets — his name’s Andy Gibbs. He said most collectors keep their venomous snakes in secure vivariums — these are essentially glass cages with heaters and flora replicating the inhabitants’ natural environments. But as he said, there are some nutters who keep them under the bed in cardboard boxes secured with elastic bands.’
‘Why would anyone want to keep any poisonous reptile?’ EJ asked.
‘All kinds of reasons,’ Tanja Cale said. ‘I read up on it. Some people are just plain fascinated by them. A few get a power kick out of it. It’s like those gun freaks in other countries who get off on owning an arsenal of weapons.’
‘Or people who like bumping off their loved ones?’ said Alec Davies.
DS Batchelor went on. ‘I’ve checked Jodie Bentley’s mailing address — or at least one of them — at a specialist company called Brighton Poste Restante, which is also an internet café, at 23A Western Road, and no one there has ever seen her. But there is something that may be of interest. I was told by the manager there that a strange guy turned up on the morning of Sunday March 1st, around eleven o’clock, enquiring about Jodie — an American, who was quite bolshy. He was rude to her, then went away.’
‘Did she give you a description?’ Grace asked.
‘Not much of one. Said he was short and weaselly, wearing a padded anorak, a baseball cap and aviator sunglasses.’
‘Might have been someone on Walt Klein’s trail,’ Grace said. ‘An official or unofficial investigator from the States. But if it was official, we should have been notified and asked for assistance. Have you got any CCTV?’
‘I’ve requested it, but it’ll be touch and go whether there’s any that hasn’t already been recorded over.’
‘Anything else, Guy?’
‘Yes, boss. We’ve checked the address that Jodie Carmichael gave to the Goan police, according to the Coroner’s Officer. It’s a flat in Alexandra Villas, near the Seven Dials. There was no answer and the neighbours our outside enquiry team officers spoke to say they’ve not seen anyone there for many months. They believe it’s owned by a single woman who lives overseas.’
‘Did anyone give a description of her?’
‘Yes. It sounds like our dear Jodie.’
‘Interesting,’ Grace said.
Batchelor smiled. ‘Something the guys here might want to know — I read it on the internet — some venomous snake bites have a very unpleasant side effect for survivors.’
‘Which is?’ Grace quizzed.
‘It shrinks the male victim’s dick.’
‘Don’t let one near Norman Potting!’ Jon Exton said, lifting his head from his laptop. ‘Rumour is that it’s a bit small anyway.’
‘Thank you, Jon!’ Grace said. ‘Too much information.’
Grace made some notes in his policy book, then he looked up at the photo on the whiteboard obtained from Shelby Stonor’s mobile. ‘We urgently need to find the house where that was taken. Guy, you said you recognized the style of window as mock Tudor, but unfortunately that’s one of the most common architectural styles in the city. It’s definitely not the style of the Alexandra Villas area. I’ll give you the action of finding an architect and going with them to The Keep, where all the city’s architectural records are, to see if you both can find the house from any of the plans they have there. An architect may be able to work out the room dimensions from what’s on that photograph, and see if there is anything corresponding to the plans. I know it’s a big ask but it’s vital we find it.’
‘Yes, boss.’
Grace turned to Emma-Jane Boutwood. ‘EJ, I want you to take charge of viewing all the CCTV footage that Jack has asked for from 23A Western Road around eleven a.m., Sunday March 1st.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘I don’t imagine all snakes eat the same thing. Tanja, can you work with Guy to find out the diet of a saw-scaled viper and establish what that reptile food company was supplying.’
‘Scrotes?’ someone proffered.
‘Endless supply of them in this city,’ Dave Green, who had been brought in as the Crime Scene Manager, retorted.
‘A bit indigestible most of them, even for a snake,’ Jon Exton added.
Grace turned to Alec Davies and Jack Alexander. ‘I want you two to arrange the organization of a house-to-house supervisor and a team to cover the Roedean area.’ He pointed at the photograph of Rowley Carmichael and Jodie Bentley on the cruise ship. ‘See if anyone recognizes her, or knows of a neighbour who keeps reptiles. I don’t care how invisible she’s tried to make herself, you can’t live in a city without someone noticing you eventually. There’s got to be a plumber, or electrician, or a builder who’s been to her home, for God’s sake! She’ll be paying council tax; check the electoral register with all those different names. And the driving licence records. Has she ever had a parking ticket?’
He looked down at his notes. ‘The next task we have is to set up a family tree for our mystery lady. Jodie Danforth; Jodie Bentley; Jodie Carmichael; and where do Jemma Smith and Judith Forshaw fit in? She has detailed knowledge of venomous reptiles. And it’s likely she has a house in the Roedean area of this city in addition to this Alexandra Villas flat. Jack and Alec, I’m giving you the action of finding her. See where the flat in Brighton leads us. Is there a connection with Roedean?’