Chapter 40

40

The young guard was trying hard to be friendly and helpful. Despite that, she was getting under Diana's skin like a pulsing pimple. She wanted space and peace.

‘Martina, would you bring Aaron out for fresh air? Just to get him out of the house. I'm not up to it.'

The bloody guard refused. ‘I'm sorry, Diana. I have to stay with both of you.'

Was she afraid of separating them? Had she an ulterior motive? Diana didn't have to feign a headache to escape, because her head was already thumping.

‘I'm going to lie down, then.'

‘I'll bring you up a cup of tea,' Martina said.

‘No, I want to close my eyes for a half-hour. You okay with Aaron down here?'

‘Erm, yeah. Sure.'

She didn't look sure at all, but Diana couldn't worry about that. She needed headspace.

In her room, she flung herself on her unmade bed, wanting to scream. Crying and screaming worked for some, didn't it? She felt lost in a sea of putrid uncertainty. That detective with his questions had totally unnerved her. Why had she mentioned Laura being turned down for a mortgage? Would they investigate that further? If so, what would they discover?

And what about that other murder? John Morgan. And Laura as an escort? What the hell was that about? Was it even true, what the detective had said? He'd have no reason to lie to her. It must be true.

Had Laura got herself involved in a den of iniquity?

Like mother, like daughter.

While Boyd was busy drafting a warrant to obtain access to Greg Plunkett's database, complaining that it'd be difficult to haul a judge off a golf course on a Saturday, Lottie talked to McKeown.

‘How did it go with Diana Nolan?'

‘Not great. She's on edge, which is to be expected with the shock of her daughter's murder. But I sensed she was hiding something. Then again, I could be wrong.'

‘Martina might get her to open up.' Lottie thought for a moment. ‘You don't think Diana killed her own daughter, do you?'

‘No, nothing like that, even though she has no one to corroborate her alibi. She was minding her grandson that night. She's thin as a whippet. No way she'd be able to haul Laura's body to where she was found. Plus, Laura would have had no difficulty overpowering her.'

‘She could have had help. Motive, though?'

‘None that I can think of.'

‘And she's left to raise Laura's son,' Lottie said, ‘so I doubt she'd have killed her.'

‘She did mention that Laura was turned down for a mortgage. She was looking to buy a townhouse.'

‘Greg Plunkett said she needed money for a deposit. Where was she looking to buy?'

McKeown looked at Lottie earnestly. ‘Diana said she mentioned Pine Grove.'

She pulled up straight. ‘What? Where we found John Morgan's body. Could their murders be linked?'

‘Different MO. Just a coincidence.'

She thought he was probably right. ‘I suppose it's the only new development around town at the moment. But you'd think she might have looked to rent somewhere first, or get on the council housing list.'

Kirby walked in as she settled behind her desk.

‘The very man,' she said. ‘How'd you get on?'

‘Met the developer, Gordon Collins. He's one swish guy. You should have seen the jeep he's driving. Swear to God it has cream leather seats and him in and out of building sites.'

‘What did he have to say?'

‘John Morgan's mother, Brenda, asked Collins to give John a job. The mother lives in London. Big in banking over there. I did wonder how Collins came to know so much about her and the family. The father is in Australia – years now, according to him – and that's where John worked before developing a gambling addiction.'

‘Really?'

‘Collins says John was clean, but there might be something there. I for one know how hard it is to kick that particular habit.'

‘Okay. I'll have to contact the mother and inform her of?—'

‘Collins already told her.'

‘What?' She shook her head. ‘London, you said?'

‘Yep, and he confirmed that she'd bought a house from him.'

‘Did you get her contact details?'

‘Yes.' He forwarded her what Collins had sent him.

‘Anything else?'

‘I'll look into John's gambling. Maybe he relapsed and was killed over a gambling debt.'

‘Maybe. I wish Lynch was here. She's great at trawling through bank details.'

‘Boyd isn't too bad at it either.'

‘Request a warrant for John Morgan's financials and see what turns up. The mother might give her consent, but no harm working on it just in case. And while you're at it, draw up one for Laura Nolan's finances too. Get digging.'

‘Right, boss.'

As Kirby left her office, Boyd appeared in the doorway waving a sheet of paper. ‘I have the warrant drafted for Plunkett's database.'

‘Bring it to the super. She can read over it before it goes to the judge.'

‘Do you think his operation is a matter for the vice unit?'

‘Probably, but we need to investigate if he's involved in murder first. If Farrell mentions it, fob her off. We need to keep it under our control for now.'

‘If you're sure?' He turned to leave.

‘Boyd?'

‘I'd like you to call on Charlie Lennon, the estate agent.'

His face brightened, and she felt bad about dousing his enthusiasm for a new home. ‘Not to buy a house. I need to find out what she knows about Gordon Collins and the Pine Grove set-up.'

‘All the workers have been interviewed, and from reading back over the interview notes, it appears no one had a bad word to say about John Morgan. That said, none of them had any dealings with him outside of work or knew what he was really like.'

‘I'd like to get a handle on Patrick Curran and Gordon Collins. See if your Ms Lennon can throw any light on them.'

‘ My Ms Lennon? Come on, that's not fair.' He'd disappeared before she could apologise. Since when did Boyd become sensitive to a bit of banter?

She stared at the phone number for Brenda Morgan and tried to formulate the questions she needed to ask the grieving mother. The main question being, who would want to kill her only son?