Pauline Rowson - The Suffocating Sea

'Already done, sir,' Cantelli shouted back, and to reiterate his point another police vehicle on blue lights swept into the yard.

Horton turned to Cantelli. 'How's Selina?'

'Very angry. Blaming us for her father's death. I've left her with the personnel officer.'

Cantelli looked distant for a moment. Horton could see that this death and Selina's reaction had reminded him of his own bereavement. He had lost his usual bounce and wasn't even chewing his gum.

'Come on,' Horton said, 'there's someone I want to talk to before Dennings puts his oar in.'

With Gilmore dead, who did that leave as their killer? A relative of that skeleton as he'd suggested to Uckfield, or a hired killer, because Sebastian and the others had been, or were, involved in drug smuggling? If so, Horton reckoned they'd have little chance of catching him and his heart sank at that. He didn't fancy living with the prospect that his life might still be in danger, particularly if he pursued inquiries into his mother's disappearance. And then there was his future with Emma. Despite saying it wasn't his case, Horton knew he had to follow it through, either officially or unofficially, no matter what DCI Bliss might say.

In reception, Horton nodded at the worried-looking security officer. He'd noticed the CCTV cameras on Saturday when they'd come here, and now he said, 'Do those run twenty-four hours?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Let us have all the recordings for last night, early this morning, and for last Wednesday, and Friday evening. I'd also like the ones at the entrance and any others you have on the yard. We'll pick them up on our way out.'

Horton wondered if they'd get anything from them, but it was worth checking. With Cantelli following he made for Janice Hassingham's office, knocked briefly and entered. She was at her desk but she didn't appear to be doing any work. Horton thought she looked unwell. She was pale and her eyes were ringed with fatigue.

'Is it true that Sebastian is dead?' she asked.

'Yes.'

She nodded sadly and waved them into seats across her desk.

'Were you working late last night?' Horton asked.

'Yes, but I didn't see anything or anyone. Seb returned from London at about four thirty. I know that because he came straight to my office to ask me about the accounts. It's our year end on thirty-first of December and there's always a lot to do this time of year. He stayed for about thirty minutes, whilst I ran through the final figures, which are showing a healthy profit. Then he returned to his office, or so I assumed. He wasn't in a very good mood, said the conference had been a complete waste of time organized and chaired by…well, incompetent people, although Seb was more coarse with his choice of language.'

Horton could imagine. 'Was he still here when you left?'

'Yes. His car was parked in its usual spot. I left here at eight o'clock, went straight home, had something to eat, watched TV and went to bed.'

And Horton guessed it was the same every night for Janice. 'Where is home?'

'I have an apartment in Admiralty Towers in Queens Street, not far from the harbour.'

Horton knew it. A whole rash of expensive and exclusive apartments had erupted on the site of the old brewery, cheek by jowl with council flats in one of the most deprived areas of Portsmouth — the one that Rowland Gilmore had administered over.

'Did you ever visit St Agnes's?' he asked casually.

She eyed him keenly. 'No. Wrong faith. I go to St John's Cathedral. But if you're asking did I ever see Rowland or come across him, then the answer is yes, very occasionally when I was walking to Mass or coming back from the shops. And before you ask, Inspector, no, we never spoke and I never so much as acknowledged him. Besides, I don't think he recognized me.'

'Why didn't you speak?'

She shrugged her shoulders. 'I didn't see any need to. Sebastian had nothing to do with his brother so I didn't think it was necessary or appropriate for me to strike up an acquaintance.'

Horton wondered if she blamed Rowland Gilmore for not saving her brother, and along with him Tom Brundall. Sebastian had been at the helm so perhaps he was absolved of any blame.

Horton left a short pause before asking the next question, a critical one. 'Ms Hassingham, when your brother was fishing with the Gilmores and Tom Brundall, did he ever say anything that made you think they might be doing something illegal?' He saw her stiffen.

'Of course not.'

Horton eyed her carefully. It appeared she was telling the truth. Her shock and surprise at his question seemed genuine.

'Did Sebastian see his brother after that encounter at the Town Camber?'

'He might have done. I don't know. I wonder what will happen now. I suppose Selina will take over the business.'

And how would Janice take that? From her frown, he guessed not well. They left her to her work. Horton noted that she didn't hurry along the corridor to comfort Selina.

'Sad woman,' Cantelli said when they were outside. 'It's as if you're staring at a world of missed opportunities and regrets when you look at her.'

And you were, Horton thought. 'Let's take a look in Sebastian's office.'

There was no police officer on the door and it wasn't locked. Dennings hadn't got round to that yet, which was rather remiss of him. He should at least have sent a uniformed officer up here to seal off the room. Maybe he thought they'd already covered that, Horton grudgingly admitted.

He crossed to Sebastian's gigantic desk, whilst Cantelli rummaged around in the filing cabinets. 'What are we looking for?'

'You don't need me to tell you that. But if you come across.. ' Horton paused as he tried to pull open one of the desk drawers. It had got stuck on something, a piece of paper right at the back. He stretched in and released it and the drawer opened easily. It was an itemized telephone bill for the last month. Horton didn't expect to find the killer's phone number on it — Sebastian Gilmore wouldn't be that stupid — but it would certainly be worthwhile checking out these numbers and talking to Gilmore's contacts and friends. Maybe, Horton thought, scanning the numbers, they'd discover that Sebastian had spoken to his brother more recently than twelve years ago. They'd also need to check his landline. But it was Dennings' job to organize this. Horton had to get on with those CID cases as no doubt DCI Bliss would soon remind him.

'I wonder where Gilmore's mobile phone is. It wasn't on his body or in his car.'

'Perhaps his killer threw it into the fish tank,' Cantelli said, peering inside. 'There are some ugly-looking buggers in here.'

'I don't expect they find you their pin-up of the month.' That got a small smile from Cantelli.

'It's surprising what ends up in these things; drugs seem to be popular. The number of poor bloody fish I've seen high.'

Finishing his search of the desk, Horton glanced out of the window as the SOCO van entered the yard.

'Get PC Johns, Barney. He can stand guard here.' Horton continued his swift search whilst waiting for Johns. It revealed nothing. He left Johns with instructions not to admit anyone, and joined Cantelli who had collected the CCTV recordings from the security officer. At the station Cantelli took the tapes to the CID office to view while Horton gave Sebastian Gilmore's itemized telephone bill to Trueman. Any news on Peter Croxton?' Horton asked.

'Which one? We've found twelve so far.'

'Lucky his name wasn't Smith then. I'll be in my office if you get anything new.'

Horton was pleased to see that DCI Bliss wasn't around. He would dearly love to get a piece of evidence before Dennings. He hoped that one of the recordings might show someone entering that warehouse after Sebastian Gilmore, though he couldn't really believe the killer would be that stupid or they'd be that lucky.