James Carol - The Quiet Man

‘And you didn’t see Mrs Gifford while the movers were there?’

‘Or Mr Gifford. The movers did everything. We thought that they must have sold their house, which was strange because we hadn’t seen any For Sale signs. Of course, the reason we didn’t see any signs was because the house hadn’t been sold. But we only realised that when we saw that Mr Gifford was still living there.’

‘If you thought that he’d murdered his wife, why didn’t you go to the police?’

‘I wanted to, but Bertie talked me out of it. He was always telling me to mind my own business. He used to say that I had too much imagination for my own good, and he was probably right. Anyway, a couple of months pass and the police haven’t turned up to arrest Mr Gifford, so I start to think that maybe Mrs Gifford has just moved out. And then Bertie’s cancer came back and I was too busy dealing with that to worry about what was happening further along the street.’

‘When did you last see Mr Gifford?’

She sucked another sharp breath through her teeth. ‘Some time yesterday, but I’m not sure when. Maybe the evening.’

‘You haven’t seen him today?’

Mrs Franklin answered with a definite shake of the head. ‘No, I haven’t. His car was gone when I woke up. I figured he must have had an early appointment somewhere. Of course, I’m thinking different now.’

‘What sort of car does he drive?’

‘A Ford. I’m not sure of the model but it’s an SUV.’

Winter smiled. ‘Thanks for your help, Mrs Franklin.’

‘My pleasure. Are you sure I can’t tempt you to a glass of iced tea? It’s another hot one today.’

‘Much as I’m tempted, I’m going to have to pass. But thanks for the offer.’

Winter walked back across the lawn to the path. Jefferies was beside him, matching his pace stride for stride. Neither spoke until they reached the sidewalk. A little further on up the street, Anderton was still talking to Freeman. Judging by the body language, things were winding up.

‘I’ve got to ask,’ Jefferies said. ‘Where did you get that photograph from?’

‘Which photograph?’

Jefferies smiled. ‘You know what I’m talking about. The one that’s in the back pocket of your jeans.’

‘Oh, that one. I found it.’

‘Just like you found Kirchner’s laptop.’

‘Like I already told you, I don’t know anything about that.’

‘Of course you don’t. And I don’t suppose you know how it managed to turn up at headquarters this morning. It was sent special delivery, by the way. And it was wrapped in bubble wrap. Whoever sent it wanted to make sure that it got to us in one piece.’

Winter smiled. ‘I’ve got no idea how that might have happened.’

‘According to our computer people, whoever looked at it didn’t do any lasting damage.’

‘That’s good to hear.’

‘You know, maybe it would be best if you gave me the photograph.’

Winter took it out and handed it over. ‘On the bright side, we now know that Gifford was married. And we know what his wife looks like. That sounds like two for two, if you ask me.’

‘Maybe so.’ He paused. ‘Look, I don’t mind bending the rules for Anderton, but there are limits. Stealing evidence is a step too far.’

‘I’m hearing you, Jefferies. I promise to be good in future.’

‘See that you are.’

‘If Gifford murdered his wife, then her stuff needed to go somewhere,’ Winter said. ‘A storage unit is one possibility. I’d offer to look into it, but that would take me and Anderton all day. You guys have the resources to do it in a fraction of that time.’

‘No problem.’

‘You also need to be on the lookout for his car.’

Jefferies smiled. ‘We’re way ahead of you. The BOLO has already been issued. So what do you think? Did he kill her?’

Winter shrugged. ‘He’s definitely capable of killing her. As for whether he did or not, that would depend on whether there was a good enough reason to. He’s not going to kill her for kicks. He’s not wired that way.’

‘So, what would constitute a good reason?’

‘Maybe she’d become surplus to requirements, or maybe she was somehow getting in his way. If either one had happened, then he wouldn’t have thought twice about doing it.’

‘Jesus, that’s cold. You make it sound like he’s swatting a fly.’

Winter thought this over, then said, ‘Yeah, that’s exactly what it’s like.’

Winter lit a cigarette, then settled down on the kerb beside Anderton’s Mercedes to wait. Ten yards further on was the police cordon. The two police cruisers that had been used to create it were parked nose to nose at an obtuse angle. The cars blocked his view of Gifford’s house. Not that it mattered. He’d seen everything he needed to see for now.

Global BC’s news truck turned into the street and parked behind the Mercedes. The timing was interesting. To get here so quickly, either they’d been listening in on a police scanner or they’d been tipped off. A Pontiac Firebird came screeching into the street. Charlotte Delaney was behind the wheel. It skidded to a stop behind the truck. By the sound of it, she’d left ten feet of tyre marks on the tarmac.

Winter did a slow count from twenty and had just got to five when he heard footsteps. He couldn’t see who it was because the truck was in the way, but it had to be Delaney. The two technicians that had come with the truck were both male, and these footsteps were definitely female. ‘Three, two, one,’ he whispered to himself, and then she was standing right in front of him. Her shoes had a two-inch heel and were the exact same shade of red as the Firebird. Coincidence or a conscious decision? Winter was veering toward the latter. Her pant suit was black and tight fitting. She smiled down at him.

‘Mr Winter, it is so good to see you again.’

‘And you, Ms Delaney. Always a pleasure. Nice car, by the way.’

‘Yes, it is. So, what happened to that exclusive you promised?’

Winter took a long drag on his cigarette and shook his head. ‘It didn’t pan out. You know how it is. Some stories fizzle and die before they have a chance to really get going.’

She held his gaze for a second longer than was comfortable. ‘How long have you been here?’

‘We arrived twenty minutes before Freeman’s people.’

Her perfectly plucked eyebrows went up in surprise. ‘You got here before the police?’

‘We did. Anderton is filling in Freeman as we speak. Incidentally, she was instrumental in identifying the killer. You might want to mention that in your next report.’

‘Have any arrests been made?’

Winter smiled. ‘I couldn’t possibly comment on something like that, Ms Delaney. This is an ongoing police investigation that’s now moving into its most sensitive phase.’

‘Sensitive how?’

Winter’s smile widened. ‘Like I said, I couldn’t possibly comment. Ah, here’s Anderton now.’

Delaney turned around in time to see Anderton squeezing between the police cruisers. She didn’t look any worse for wear as a result of her confrontation with Freeman. In fact, there was a bounce in her step, as though the whole experience had somehow energised her. The bounce faded a little when she spotted Delaney. She came over and stopped in front of the reporter. They stared at each other for a moment. Delaney broke the silence.

‘Good to see you again, Laura.’

‘I wish I could say that the feeling was mutual.’

Anderton looked down and waited for Winter to meet her eye. ‘We need to go.’

‘And where are you going?’ Delaney asked. ‘If you don’t mind me asking.’

‘Actually, I do mind.’ She looked down again. ‘Let’s go.’