‘So I’ve noticed. He’s a happy enough bloke though. Obviously more able to handle it, not like Julie and myself,’ he said biting into a chicken sandwich from the plate appreciatively.
‘Julie your ex? Did you ever bump into her afterwards, Jon? Tell me if I’m being nosy.’
‘Yeah-once. She married her chap, sent me a Christmas card last year and let me know she was expecting a baby. I suppose I’ll get a card any day now telling me that she’s had it. With the sex, weight and name,’ he growled and helped himself to another sandwich.
She studied his rueful face. ‘You didn’t want children?’
He stared back at her. ‘Actually I did. But it didn’t happen for us. Luckily, I suppose, as our marriage didn’t work. So - tell me more about this business tycoon Berkley. He’s the local mayor and held in with high esteem in the town and like Ludlam he’s on the police committee too, I understand.’
‘Yes, he has a son, Michael, studying at Ludlam’s school. Only the best for Berkley’s son and heir. He’s more academic than his father though. I doubt if he’ll want to take on the family business. Simon knows him quite well. Plays rugby with the local schoolboy team occasionally. He’s a nice boy, came here several times. Good looking and rather shy. It’s a pity; he’s not interested because the business came down from Jack Berkley, Tom’s great-grandfather. And Tom is really serious about that.’
‘Then there’s Roger Welbeck. You probably know him? He’s a heating engineer.’
‘He fitted this place up with gas radiators when first I moved in. I didn’t fancy building up coal fires and he’s checked on the library heating. And, I think he’s been putting in the radiators for Esmeralda Corrie in her flat, while she’s staying at the hotel. He’s a local and well established. His grandfather was a fisherman and his father before him too but Roger became a landlubber. There’s not much room in fishing these days. His brother took on the boat. What else do you want to know? You’ve met his wife.’
‘But what about Roger himself? His wife told me that she was aware that Maureen Carey was not short about coming forward. And didn’t care if she knew it. There was a good motive for murder. If he didn’t want his wife to know, Maureen was gabby enough to invite Sara’s dislike while she was being painted. But Roger was perhaps not aware of this and was afraid about his wife’s reaction.’
She looked at the paper with the names written down on it. ‘You’ve got Raymond Perkins here. You can’t think, Jon, that this youngster killed Maureen, do you? ‘
‘Well - he’s not given us the correct information about his whereabouts on Thursday evening, Viviane. He’s keeping something back. Partly I think because he’s afraid of his gran. He’d been in the Nag’s Head and not where he said he was. And he does have a motive. Jealousy. Maureen provoked him deliberately by telling she had another admirer. He’d been getting his oats frequently and then she cuts him off. He’s bound to feel rejected and angry. He’s young, it’s all those hormones and he feels real bad.’
‘But you don’t know that it is anyone of these. It could be someone else entirely. Surely if the same person attacked both girls these motives wouldn’t come into play, Jon. Not unless you can find a connection between any of these men and both young girls.’
‘Hmn, I suppose we can strike out Aiden Ludlam. Dull as ditchwater, despite the outer charisma. But both Roger and Tom Berkley are still on the list as possibles, and, according to Mrs Flitch, Raymond Perkins got a twinkle in his eye whenever Yvette served him in the Nag’s Head but didn’t relish Yvette treating him like a silly kid. It could be he wanted to take out his anger on her after he’d killed Maureen. Killing becomes easier a second time.’
‘I don’t believe it.’ She picked up a sandwich and nibbled it thoughtfully.
‘Raymond could have more wits about him than we give him credit for - and intended to make the deaths look like a psycho’s handiwork so that he wouldn’t be suspected. Meanwhile we’re still checking up on his movements that evening and Yvette’s after she left the Nag’s Head.’ He paused.
‘And that brings her boyfriend, Cliff Jones, into it. We know that Eric Turner, the taxi driver took her to the chapel. Yvette was also playing around and I’ve been warned that Jones was on a pretty short fuse. How would he react if he discovered she was cheating on him?’
‘Both girls then were murdered in the same fashion and this information has not been released to the general public. So - did Jones plan to pick out some another unsuspecting girl before killing Yvette and it was Maureen who was his first choice,’ Viviane said slowly. ‘I can’t see that happening, can you?’