‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ Brock sighed. ‘Terry has been a very naughty boy.’
‘That must have scared the life out of Eleanor,’ Kathy said with disgust. ‘No wonder Peg was petrified.’
‘We’ll have to show it to her before we see him.’
‘She’s been booked into the Bedford in Southampton Row, down the road. There’s a WPC with her still.’
‘And no keys to number 22?’
Gurney shook his head. ‘I think we should get a search warrant for all his salons.’
‘All right. Well done, Bren, we’re getting somewhere. We’ll get over to Peg and then to the Yard and speak to the monster Romeo again. I’ll fill you in on our day as we go. Kathy, I’d like you to check something else if you would.’ He pointed to the diagram on the white board where the two circles overlapped. ‘Bob Jones. Let’s just make sure he hasn’t got any more to tell us.’
20
By the time Kathy reached the architect’s office, Bob Jones’s secretary, Sophie, was tidying up her desk for the night, getting ready to leave. She buzzed her boss and gave Kathy a sharp look when she said that she was there on a private matter.
‘You’re not a rep, then. Only Bob gets annoyed if reps call without an appointment.’
‘No, I’m not a rep.’
‘I didn’t think so.’
‘Could you tell?’
‘Oh yes, the women reps tend to be very sharp dressers. Oh’-she blushed-‘don’t get me wrong. I mean I think you’re more like me, you like to be smart but comfortable too. But they go a bit over the top, you know, all power dressing and shoulders and heavy make-up and enough perfume to knock you over.’
Kathy smiled. The other woman was wearing a red and white polka dot dress with a wide, white collar, and Kathy didn’t really feel that being told she had the same taste in clothes was much of a compliment.
‘Have you been working with Bob since he set up on his own?’ she asked.
‘Oh, much longer than that.’
‘You didn’t decide to go with the other company to their new offices when they split up, then?’
‘Oh no. I like working with Bob. I mean they were a good firm and everything, but I couldn’t work in an office like that. It’s so bitchy, and some of the girls are hopeless. That Janine! Mr Lowell thinks she’s wonderful, but she used to drive Bob crazy. He said she was deaf in her telephone ear, too vain to wear glasses, couldn’t walk properly because of those stiletto heels she wears, and her brain was preoccupied with her latest affair, so the result was that the partners kept getting messages all scrambled up, and turning up for meetings on the wrong day and everything, and no one could ever work out why!’
They both laughed. Kathy wondered if Sophie was in love with her boss just as it occurred to Sophie that Kathy might be thinking that. ‘Oh well,’ she said briskly. ‘I must push off now. My boyfriend and I have got tickets to The Phantom of the Opera tonight. Have you seen it?’
Bob’s head appeared on the spiral stair up from the drawing office, and he called out, ‘Sergeant! Hello, I didn’t think I’d have the pleasure of seeing you again.’
Sophie blinked with surprise and stared after Kathy as she and Bob disappeared into the conference room.
‘My God! I had no idea.’ Bob Jones looked appalled. ‘I haven’t read a paper for a couple of days. Miss Harper! She was the upright, dark one, wasn’t she? I thought she had an air of tremendous natural dignity about her. That’s just awful. Is this some kind of serial killer or something?’
Kathy looked puzzled. ‘But you never met her, did you?’
‘Yes, briefly. Just as Meredith was showing Judith and me out of Eleanor’s flat that time, the other two sisters returned. It was a bit embarrassing really, coming out of someone’s flat when they hadn’t invited you there in the first place. She was quite pleasant, but I was uncomfortable all the same.’
‘Oh.’ Kathy was still puzzled. ‘Did you mention the books or documents to her or the other sister?’
‘No, we left that to Meredith to bring up. Is that why you’re here? Or was it just an excuse to see me again?’ He grinned, and then, seeing her expression, coughed and looked serious. ‘Sorry, that was stupid. Only I’ve often thought about you and that other chap you were working with. You never found out who killed Meredith, I take it?’
‘No. But with the new murder we’re reopening that inquiry. We thought you might be able to help us in a few areas, actually. First of all, can I ask you if you have any involvement now in the Jerusalem Lane redevelopment project?’
‘The dreaded Citicenter One? No, not any longer. I was upset about the whole situation when we split up, and I don’t suppose First City Properties are likely to put any work my way for a bit. All the same, I’ve kept in touch with some of the people there, and architects are incredibly busy at the moment, so you never know. When some of the fitout work comes along, I might get a look-in. Can’t be too proud when you have to pay the rent at the end of the month. Why?’
‘Would you be willing to give us your opinion on one or two things-just advice, not formal evidence? We need a better insight, you know.’
‘I don’t see why not. Depends what the questions are, I suppose.’
‘Well, try this one.’ Kathy fixed him with her wide green eyes, which he found somewhat unsettling. ‘Can they build this development around number 22 without buying it?’
Jones scratched at his chin in a gesture which reminded her of Brock when he was thinking.
‘Anything’s possible, but I’m sure Slade would hate it, and so would everyone else-Herbert Lowell, the Canadian developers, the American architects. The whole aim of the development is supposed to be a corporate identity for the twenty-first century, whatever that means-you know, part of London after the big bang, twenty-four-hour trading round the globe between New York, Tokyo and London, all that stuff. Old Mrs Winterbottom’s house falling apart in the middle of it all would spoil the image a bit, I should think.’
He thought some more. ‘Have you got plans of the development?’
Kathy shook her head. ‘I suppose we could get them.’
‘Never mind. There was a review of the project the other week in The Architects’ Journal. Hang on. I’ll see if I can find it.’
He returned in a moment and laid the magazine open on the table, sitting down beside Kathy.
‘Here we are. These will do. There are basement-level and podium-level plans here. The existing number 22 isn’t shown, but let’s see’-he drew on the plans with his pencil-‘that’s the line of Jerusalem Lane, and number 22 must be about there. Well, yes, that completely screws up the entrance road down to the underground service areas and car park.’
‘Couldn’t that be moved over to avoid the existing building?’
‘Have you ever thought about becoming an architect, Sergeant Kolla? I could teach you how to draw if you like… Sorry. Where were we? Oh, not really. That would bring the entrance too close to the street junctions at the corners of the site. The highway engineers wouldn’t allow it. That was one of the constraints-the service and carparking traffic had to be taken in off Marquis Street, and had to be just so far back from the street corners.’ He shook his head. ‘Tricky.’
‘All right. Next question.’ Kathy found it disconcerting to have him sitting on the same side of the table as herself. ‘Here’s a list of all of the people who work for First City Properties or are involved with the project among the consultants’ firms. If Derek Slade wanted to get rid of Meredith Winterbottom and her sisters, who would he get to do it?’
Bob Jones blinked at her. ‘Are you serious? Yes, I can see you are. Wow.’ He shook his head and got to his feet. He started to pace round the room, looking at the list. ‘I don’t know that I can help you with this, Kathy. Can I call you Kathy?’
‘You’ve got a good memory, Mr Jones.’
‘Bob, please, since I’m not a suspect. Look, I can’t see Derek Slade ever doing such a thing.’