Page 52 of Her Last Walk Home

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.’

‘MyMs 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?

---