Simmonds was clearly shocked. ‘Oh my God, that’s terrible! What happened to her?’
‘She was strangled and sexually assaulted.’
Simmonds looked shaken as he sat down on his dental high stool and shook his head in disbelief. ‘I heard something on the radio about the murders in Peckham. There was no mention of Helen’s name.’
‘We only found out who the victim was yesterday when her mother identified her body.’
‘It must be awful losing a daughter like that. What about Simon, Helen’s son? How is he?’
‘He’s with his grandmother. I don’t think he fully understands what has happened yet.’
‘That poor boy. Please tell Helen’s mother how sorry I am for her loss, and if there’s anything I can do for her or Simon to contact me.’
‘Of course. I’m sure Mrs. Matthews will appreciate your kind words and offer of assistance. I believe you fitted Simon with braces?’
‘Yes, about four weeks ago. Helen told me some of the kids at school teased Simon about his “goofy teeth.” She asked if I could give her any advice on what to do... about his teeth, that is, not the bullying. Helen brought Simon to the clinic and, after examining him, I told her braces would solve the problem.’
Jane found herself warming to Simmonds. ‘I believe you did the work for free?’
‘Yes. I knew Helen couldn’t afford it, and probably struggled to make ends meet as a single parent, so I wanted to help her out.’
Jane was curious. ‘I spoke with your receptionist about Simon. She checked the dental files and there was no record of him having treatment here.’
Simmonds smiled and nodded. ‘That’s right. To be honest, I did the work on Simon out of hours and didn’t keep a record. I was worried the other dentists in the practice might be upset if they found out I was doing dental work for free.’
‘How long had Helen Matthews worked here?’
Simmonds paused. ‘About ten months. I was socializing with a colleague who was moving to York. I mentioned I was looking for a cleaner and he recommended Helen. I got her in on a trial basis, but she was very thorough, so I hired her. In fact, she was the best cleaner we’ve ever had.’
‘Can you recall when you last saw her?’
Again, Simmonds thought. ‘To be honest, no, other than one evening a week or so ago when she brought Simon in for a braces check-up. Helen’s hours here were generally ten a.m. to two p.m. and I would be dealing with patients, so I saw her only rarely. The treatment rooms are cleaned by the dental auxiliaries, as the equipment is very expensive and there are anesthetic drugs stored there. Helen cleaned all the other areas and my flat on the top floor. She also did some ironing for me, so I’d leave her wages in an envelope on the living room table.’
‘Would you happen to know where else Helen worked as a cleaner?’
‘I’m sorry, I don’t.’
‘Could you give me the name of the colleague who recommended her?’
‘Peter Brown. I’ve got his York number in my flat. I can call him and ask if he knew where else Helen worked.’
‘That would be helpful, thank you,’ Jane said, and Simmonds started to walk towards the door.
‘It’s OK, you don’t have to do it right now,’ she assured him. ‘I’ll give you my work number and you can ring me at the office if he’s able to help. Have you ever heard the names Aiden Lang or Ben Smith? Perhaps Helen Matthews mentioned them to you?’
Simmonds thought about it for a second. ‘No. Are they friends of hers?’
Jane handed him a picture of Aiden Lang. ‘Smith is an alias used by this man. His real name’s Aiden Lang.’
Simmonds looked closely at the picture. ‘No, he doesn’t look familiar. Is he a suspect?’
‘We believe he may be responsible for the murder of Helen and two other women.’
Simmonds shook his head sadly. ‘He looks so young. Would you like me to show the other dentists this photograph?’
‘There’s no need for now,’ Jane said, and he handed her back the photo. ‘But thank you for your time and your assistance.’
‘Would you be kind enough to let me know the details of Helen’s funeral, please? I would like to attend and pay my respects.’
‘It may be quite a few weeks yet before the coroner releases her body for burial. But as soon as I know, I’ll be in touch.’
On her way out, Jane popped into the waiting room and picked up the dental journal she had been reading.
‘Would it be all right if I took this?’ she asked the receptionist.
‘I’m sure that would be fine. We have a couple of copies, I think.’
As Jane rolled up the journal and slipped it into her coat pocket, the receptionist leant forward and spoke in a whisper. ‘If you’re still looking for Helen Matthews and she turns up here, should I phone nine-nine-nine?’
‘I’m sorry to tell you that Helen Matthews has been murdered. I’ve been trying to find out where else she worked.’
The receptionist gasped, put her hand to her mouth and rocked backwards on her chair.
‘Do you know where else Helen worked as a cleaner?’ Jane asked.
‘No. I didn’t really know her and we rarely spoke.’
Jane pulled out the picture of Aiden Lang. ‘Have you ever seen this man before?’
The receptionist took her time studying the photograph. ‘He looks familiar... Has he got a tooth missing?’
Jane felt a little surge of adrenalin. ‘You know him?’
‘Not personally, no, and he’s not a patient here. But working as a dental receptionist has made me notice people’s teeth more. I can’t be sure, but a week or so ago I left the clinic and it wasn’t until I got to Oxford Circus tube station that I realized I’d left my purse in the reception desk drawer. I had to walk all the way back to the clinic and I saw a young man, like the one in the picture, standing by a car outside the clinic. He looked at me and I said, “Good evening.” He smiled and nodded. I noticed he had a tooth missing here.’ She pointed to the right side of her mouth. ‘When I came back out a few seconds later he was still there by the car, talking to the driver who had his window open.’
‘Can you remember what color his hair was and what he was wearing?’
‘Let me see... He had a dark jacket on with the hood up over his head, so I couldn’t see what color his hair was, and I’m not sure about his trousers, but they might have been flares. He seemed quite smart.’
‘What time was this?’
‘Well, I left work at just after six p.m. It’s ten or so minutes to Oxford Circus. I realized I’d forgotten my purse and turned back. That’s another ten minutes, so it must have been about six thirty.’
Jane nodded, eager to get more details. ‘What about the car? Can you remember the make or color?’
‘Definitely dark, and it was big. It might have been a Mercedes like Mr. Simmonds has.’
‘What did the driver look like?’
‘Well, it wasn’t Mr. Simmonds. He was white and looked older than the young man in the coat. I didn’t really get a good look at him.’
‘Can you remember what day it was?’
‘No, but it was either the beginning of last week or the end of the week before.’
‘Would you recognize either of the men again?’ Jane asked, desperately hoping for a positive answer.
‘Maybe the younger one with the missing tooth.’
‘Thank you.’ Jane wasn’t sure how this new information could help the investigation, but she was keen to get back to the station and share it with Moran.
Chapter Sixteen
Jane walked to her flat to collect her car, which was parked in a side street. As she drove back to Peckham, she wondered if Helen Matthews had taken Simon to see Simmonds for his braces check-up on the same evening the man who looked like Aiden Lang was outside the clinic. If that person was Lang, then it was possible he was waiting for Helen and Simon. She also wondered about the man in the car, but realized he could simply have been a waiting mini cab driver, or someone who had stopped to ask directions.