Page 91 of Joker in the Pack

“He didn’t. Upset a few too many people, did Ronnie, and came out feet first after barely a year inside. He’s buried in the same row as his mother.”

That much I knew. Aunt Ellie’s son was long gone, and we’d hit a dead end, quite literally. A shame, because Ronnie would have made such a promising suspect.

“What about Betty Hazell’s son? Do you know him?” Nye asked.

Carol’s mouth set in a hard line. “Larry always was a strange one. When he was a teenager, he used to go around borrowing from washing lines. Ladies’ smalls were his favourite. I always thought Betty must have dropped him on his head as a baby, but she won’t hear a bad word said against him.”

A bit like Aunt Ellie and Ronnie, then.

“Have you seen Larry around lately?”

Carol leaned back in her chair and took a sip of tea as she thought. “He picked Betty up after a WI meeting, let’s see, two months ago? No, three. We’d just begun discussing the Christmas food drive, and that was at the beginning of November.”

“She told one of my men she hadn’t seen him for at least twice that long.”

“I’m sure it was him. He got out to open the door for her, and I remember thinking he needed a good haircut.”

“Can you remember what he was driving?”

“I’m not very good with cars, dear. It was maroon, that’s as much as I can tell you.”

“Don’t worry—I’ll check whether there’s a car registered to him.” Nye paused to take a gulp of milky tea. “How about Warren Hannigan?”

Warren? Why was Nye asking questions about him?

“Young Warren? I don’t know him personally. Why? Is he a suspect?”

“Should he be?”

“Well, I’m not one to gossip…”

I glanced at Nye, and he couldn’t keep a straight face either.

“But there was an incident not so long ago that made everyone see him in a different light.”

“What kind of incident?”

“Warren’s an artist in his spare time.”

“What kind of artist?” Nye asked.

“Landscapes, mainly, but that’s not what he used to paint. Women…” She leaned closer. “Women with no clothes on!”

Nye smiled faintly. “I’m not sure that’s a crime.”

“No, but he hired one of the girls from the village to pose for him, and she said he touched her. Inappropriately.”

I choked on a mouthful of coffee and coughed until Nye thumped me on the back. Warren did what?

“I understand Warren doesn’t have a criminal record,” Nye said.

“Young Claire never did press charges. Too scared, if you ask me. What kind of man takes advantage of an innocent girl like that?”

“How do you know he took advantage of her?”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? All the arty-farty stuff was just a ruse to prey on the fairer sex. If I were you, I’d pay close attention to that one.”

“I’ll look into it.”

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