‘I don’t know.’ It was the truth. I didn’t want to tell her how much it was freaking me out. ‘And I got myself into a bit of a situation last night with Trevor Bilton.’
‘Joe.’
‘I’ll sort it out’ I said.
She shook her head and walked over to the coat-stand. ‘I’ve got to think of Lauren, too.’
I watched her leave. I shouted that I’d tidy the mess. She’d gone. I sat back in my chair not knowing where to start.
I spent an hour tidying, trying to put things back as they were. Paperwork had never been my thing, so the process was slow and painful. Thinking I had things back to how Sarah liked them, I needed to get away from the place for a while. I decided to speak to Lorraine Harrison. I was sure the answer to Tasker’s death was close to home and it was time to rattle her cage a bit. I also wanted to speak to her away from her husband. I headed to the office she worked at. It was down Scale Lane, a two minute walk away. She wasn’t on reception. I told the woman that I needed to speak to Lorraine. She looked at me suspiciously before eventually deciding to call her colleague. She was photocopying in another room, but didn’t look too pleased to see me. I told her it was important. We went into one of the firm’s small interview rooms.
Lorraine closed the door behind us. ‘Have you got any news?’
I got to the point. ‘How well did you get on with Priestley?’ I asked her.
She looked surprised by the question. ‘Alright, I suppose. Why?’
I ignored her question and pressed on. ‘Nothing more than that?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Anything beyond friendship?’
She looked appalled. ‘Of course not. Why would there be?’
‘I’ve been told he had a thing for you.’
‘Who on earth would say that?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
She was doing the calculation. ‘Are you saying he killed Greg because of it?’
I said nothing, hoping she’d offer me something.
‘He was always a bit weird’ she eventually said. ‘But I don’t mean that in a particularly bad way. He was just always really quiet and intense. I never really thought he was interested in women, to be honest.’ She shrugged. ‘Or men, either. He just wasn’t that type of person.’
‘He must have shown some interest, surely?’
‘He certainly never gave any signs that he was interested in me. I haven’t seen him for years, so it doesn’t make sense. Even if he had been carrying some sort of a torch for me, he’d have gotten over it by now.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘He’s a got a wife, hasn’t he?’
She looked at me. I nodded.
‘It can’t mean anything in relation to Greg’s death?’
I’d known people to act with seemingly little motive. It sounded fanciful, but I wasn’t ruling anything out. ‘I’m in touch with his parents’ I said. ‘They think Greg had something to tell them. Some important news.’ I was sure she knew what I was talking about. I could see it written all over her face, but I wasn’t ready to push her on the matter just yet. It’d keep.
‘He wouldn’t tell them about us. We’d agreed.’
‘What else might he have wanted to tell them?’
‘Maybe something about Siobhan?’
‘Did you ever speak about her?’
‘No.’
‘Never?’
‘Not very often.’
‘You didn’t like her?’
‘Of course I didn’t like her, but I respected Greg’s position.’
I nodded. She’d said previously he wouldn’t leave Siobhan, given that she’d moved up to Hull for him. ‘But things weren’t right between them?’
‘Of course they weren’t.’
I found it difficult to understand. Even if he felt obligated, Greg had to be in charge of his own life. He couldn’t stay with Siobhan out of pity. ‘She was a bit young for him’ I said, thinking of what his mother had said to me. ‘They probably wanted different things.’
‘We never spoke about it.’
‘You must have an opinion?’
‘Of course I have an opinion. She was a leech who was only interested in Greg because he was famous and had some money. There was no other way she was going to launch her fashion career. Look at her. All she has is a shop in Hull. She’s hardly setting the world on fire, is she?’
I ignored her bile. ‘Did they argue?’
‘All the time. Greg would sometimes tell me things. I think he needed to get it off his chest and have someone listen to him.’
‘I don’t think Greg was happy, do you?’
She calmed down. ‘He wasn’t. He was always talking about needing something, but I don’t think he could ever figure it out for himself. I suppose music was his rock. He’d spend hours recording things in his studio. I’ve been putting some of the tracks onto a CD this morning. I didn’t want to do it at home in case Jason saw me. Greg was going to use them for his new solo album.’
I asked for a copy. I wasn’t sure what it’d tell me about Tasker, but it seemed worth a shot. She reluctantly agreed and disappeared to burn me a disc. She returned and passed me a CD-R.
‘I’ll do another copy for myself, but please don’t spread it around’ she said.
I said I wouldn’t. ‘Was Siobhan supportive of his music?’
‘I don’t think so. I don’t think he ever let her listen to anything like this.’
I asked the big question. ‘Would you have left your husband for Greg if he’d asked you to?’
She shook her head. ‘I couldn’t do it to Jason.’ She paused again before continuing. ‘What we were doing was wrong. I know that. I think we both needed a friend more than anything.’ She paused. ‘I think we both knew it wouldn’t work out for us this time, either.’
I turned the conversation towards her husband. ‘Jason’s never been a fan of the band?’
‘He’s not into music, but he’s a good man. We can rely on him. He’s right for me and Jay.’
‘He’s got a temper’ I said.
Her eyes narrowed before she turned away from me. ‘Why do you say that?’
‘I had him checked out.’
She turned back to me. ‘It was a long time ago when he used to drink. He made some mistakes and he’s paid for them. He’s doesn’t need people like you dragging it all back up again. It’s not fair.’
I said nothing, let her continue.
‘I know what you’re thinking’ she said. ‘He didn’t like Greg and he had a temper, so he must have killed him. I thought you were better than that. I thought you wanted to help. I’ve already had the police asking about him and I told them what I told you. My husband didn’t kill Greg. He’s not like that.’ She stood up and opened the door. ‘I’ve got work to do.’
The front door to the office was unlocked. I tried to think whether or not I’d locked it. It didn’t matter. I went inside. Don sat at his desk.
‘Don’t look so surprised to see me’ he said.
‘I’m not.’ I sat down opposite him. ‘How’s Sarah?’
‘Not so good.’
We stared at each other.
‘Who’s done this to us, Joe?’ he asked me.
‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t know?’
‘No.’ It was the truth.
‘What about these men who are following you?’
‘I’m trying to find out.’
He sat back and shook his head. ‘You’ve made a right mess of things’ he eventually said.
There was nothing I could say. He was right. I was going to have to listen whilst he tore a strip off me. Truth was, I probably deserved it.
‘I gave you an opportunity when no one else would’ he said. ‘I’ve always tried to show you that there’s a right way and a wrong way to this job. There are things we do and there are things we don’t do. This was never a job for us and now you’ve put all I’ve got left of my family in danger. I said last time that I couldn’t let that happen again, so it’s time to say enough’s enough. I can’t have people breaking into our office like this. Not when it’s my name above the door. You’ve gone too far this time’ he said. ‘Way too far. You don’t even know what you’re dealing with.’
‘And you think we should leave this to DI Robinson and his team?’ I said, arguing back. ‘Because this is real now. I’m sorry for the position it’s put us in, but it’s not going away. I have to sort it out.’
Don pushed aside my objection. ‘Robinson’s an old colleague and a friend. I’d trust him with my life.’
‘He’s hardly covering himself in glory.’
‘Hardly the point, is it? He’s doing his job to the best of his ability.’
‘So am I.’
‘There’s a difference.’
‘Not from where I’m sitting.’
‘Why are you doing this to us?’ Don asked me.
‘Because I’m involved. I have to.’ It was for Tasker’s parents. There was no point explaining this to Don. He was a head over heart type of person.
‘Kane Major hired you to help the band. Obviously, it’s sad what’s happened, but it’s not your problem, Joe. Can’t you see that? The only way to succeed in this business is to distance yourself. Don’t get too involved. Leave it to the police when you have to.’
I shook my head. ‘Have you checked the bank statements recently?’ I wanted to scream at him that he was the one being naive. We couldn’t back out now. I told him about Tasker’s parents and how upset they were. How I owed them.
Don looked at me like I was stupid. ‘Of course they’re going to be hurting, it’s only natural, but you can’t help everyone you meet. You can’t change the world like you want to, you just can’t.’
‘I’ve got to try.’ I had a lot of time for Don, but I couldn’t let him talk to me like this. ‘It’s not about the money. They need answers and I owe them. I let them down.’
‘How on earth did you let them down?’ he said. ‘That’s stupid talk, and you know it.’
‘I let Major convince me Tasker’s disappearance was nothing to worry about and that he’d be back. I should have done more.’
‘You wouldn’t have found him. It was needle in a haystack stuff. Nature of the job, Joe. You can’t win them all.’
I shook my head. ‘I didn’t do enough.’
Don looked at me. ‘How are you going to sort it out?’ he asked me.
I didn’t have a proper answer. ‘I’m getting closer’ I said.
‘Who killed him?’
‘I’m getting closer’ I repeated.
‘Not good enough.’
‘I’ve got to finish it’ I said. ‘It’s the only way.’
‘You’re kidding yourself. Listen to Robinson. If he’s telling you to let it go, let it go.’
‘I can’t.’
Don stood up and walked over to the window. He stopped and turned back to face me. ‘Have you totally lost the plot? I thought you were more switched on than this, Joe.’ He headed towards the door, but turned around to point at me. ‘You don’t even think about contacting Sarah. Are we clear about that? I’m not having her and Lauren put in danger because of your stupidity. We’re flying out later today to my sister’s place in Spain for a couple of days. I want this mess cleared up before we come back.’
He was gone before I had chance to say anything further.
It was times like this I wished I kept a bottle of whiskey in the desk drawer, like all good Private Investigators are supposed to. I sat at my desk, the office silent. I glanced at Sarah’s desk. Don’s words were harsh, but I knew I’d let him down. He had been the one person who’d seen something in me when I was in danger of falling to pieces. He’d taken a chance on me and invited me into his business. His way of working might have been different from mine, but I should have shown him more courtesy. The last thing I wanted to do was cause him or Sarah any trouble. Aside from my brother, they were the nearest thing I had to a family. Or used to have. The bottom line was that I thought I’d taken the job on for the right reasons, but I needed to make amends to Don now, show him that he could still rely on me. I needed to straighten things out for everyone’s sake.
I knew where to start.
I walked into the pub, looking for Trevor Bilton. I couldn’t see him, so I headed to the stairs. One of his men appeared and tried to stop me, but I wasn’t in the mood. I pushed him aside and increased my pace. Bilton was on the telephone. He smiled at me, finished his call. His mouth was a mess. He’d lost a front tooth when I’d punched him.
‘I thought you’d be keeping a low profile’ he said to me. ‘Given the circumstances.’
He stood up and walked around his desk to face me. The man I’d pushed aside as I’d made my way up walked in. Bilton shoved me into him. My arms were behind my back before I had chance to defend myself. He smiled, punched me in the stomach. ‘What a pleasant surprise this is.’
I struggled for breath, tried to shake myself free of the man’s grip. I was going nowhere. I looked up at Bilton. He smiled, punched me in the stomach again. I fell to the floor.
‘We’ll call that quits, shall we?’ he said.
I slowly stood back up, trying not to show that he’d hurt me too much.
‘Consider yourself lucky’ he said. ‘I’ve let you off lightly. Now, what the fuck do you want?’
‘I want you to stay away from my office.’
He looked puzzled. ‘Why would I want to visit your office?’
I told him what had happened.
He was jabbing at me with his finger. ‘If I want to speak to you, cunt, I’ll speak to you face to face. Why would I pull that kind of stunt? You need to get a grip of yourself.’ He gave the nod to his man to get rid of me. ‘See you around, Geraghty.’
I struggled back to my car and drove away from the pub. My mobile rang. I thought twice about not answering. I knew that Julia would call back. I relented, deciding to get it over and done with. The day couldn’t get much worse. ‘Now then’ I said.
‘What the fuck are you playing at, Joe?’ she said.
I said nothing and let her continue.
‘You never mentioned your plans for last night.’
‘I was going to ring you’ I said.
‘What stopped you, Joe? What stopped you calling me after you made this decision of yours?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You can do better than that.’
I pulled over so I could take the call properly. I didn’t need telling what a stupid decision I’d made. I apologised.
‘You think I can’t fight my own battles?’ she said. ‘I’ve managed this long without a knight in shining armour.’
‘I know.’
‘You just don’t go pulling stunts like that. Not for me. Is that clear?’
There was a moment’s silence. She’d said her piece. I’d acted without thinking and crossed a line. Nothing more needed saying. I told her what had just happened at the pub.