Three Little Maids(55)

‘Yes, Mr. Ludlam was there with his two children. And so were Mr. Welback and his wife in the wheelchair. She’s a nice lady. And Miss Leach, she was there too, talking to Mr. Ludlam.’ He stopped. ‘I saw you there too, Inspector and that lady from the library. You’ve come here because something has happened to Jodie. I’m right aren’t I?’ he declared angrily, with colour flaring up in his cheeks. ‘Why don’t you tell me? She’s been killed too, hasn’t she?’

‘Yes, son. I’m afraid so. Your young friend Jodie was murdered last night. Like Maureen and the French girl Yvette.’

‘No-o! ‘ His colour drained as quickly as it came and his face turned cheesy white. ‘Christ! Where? In the park?’

‘Raymond! Watch your language.’

‘Sorry, Gran.’

‘She was found in the park early this morning. You say you went to the Gents toilets. And when you came back she’d gone.’

‘That’s right. And I bloody well wish I hadn’t left her now.’

More protests came from his grandmother till Jon Kent intervened with a sharp look and said, ‘Well, Raymond if you can thank of anything that might give us a lead. Anything at all. Any person acting strangely. Or anything Jodie said to you which might mean she was meeting someone else later. Let us know now please.’

‘I thought she’d buggered off quick to get back to the hostel, yeah. She was pretty nervous. With a killer about she was right to be, wasn’t she? Gran wouldn’t let her sleep here - I offered to give her my bed.’ His grandmother looked upset as his words accused her. ‘She would have been here still if she had. Wouldn’t she?’





40




Back in the station news filtered through from a different direction. ‘A Mr. Ludlam has reported his car stolen last night, sir. And we had a Major Colby on the phone to us at 2am this morning telling us that a joy rider had disturbed the quietness of Foxglove Grove. A rather select part of the town. More than likely a kid from the estate had some fun. Quite steamed up the old Major was. He was spitting out rounds of ammunition for ten minutes or so. Said this wasn’t the first time they’d had trouble in their neighbourhood. And nothing has been done about it.’

‘That’s interesting. Did the Major manage to get the number and the make? After he’d calmed down a bit did you get that much useful information?’

‘Yes, sir. We did. And it matched up with Ludlam’s stolen car. And we can now tell him that it has been found. But it’s a complete right-off.’

‘Where was it found, Storey? On the estate? Burnt out, I suppose.’

‘Burnt out. But the wrong location, sir. It was spotted by a fisherman lying at the bottom of the cliffs. Dumped over the Rocky Point. No one in it. Thank God. Whoever drove it must have bailed out. Lucky for them. Would serve ‘em damn right though if they were.’

‘Well we have to pay him a visit anyway. And now is as good as any. He might be able to tell us more than Raymond did about last night. About Jodie.’

‘Good evening, Mr. Ludlam. Inspector, Kent, Sergeant Turner. I hope this is not an awkward time to call, sir.’

Aiden Ludlam rose from his desk to greet them with a pleasant smile and a look of surprise in his grey eyes as they came into his study.

‘Good evening. So - what can I do for you, Inspector, Sergeant Turner? I have the evening service to attend to at the chapel.’ He glanced at his wrist watch. ‘In one hour precisely. I have a sermon to study and check well beforehand.’

‘We shan’t keep you long, sir. We heard that you reported that your car was missing.’

‘Really! But is finding my car so important, Inspector? I’m sure you must have more important things to worry about at this moment. I heard about that other poor child just now on the news. So tragic.’

‘Yes, sir. But I have to inform you that your car was discovered at the bottom of the cliffs this morning near Rocky point. And I’m afraid it’s a complete write-off.’

‘Oh dear. What about the joy rider, Inspector? He wasn’t injured, was he?’

‘No, sir. He got out before it went over.’

‘Oh, I see. Well at least it was only the car that took the brunt of it. Who was it? Does anyone know yet?’ He shook his head despairingly. ‘We’re plagued with these young lads from the estate who make a habit of doing these crazy things to give them a buzz, I think they call it? Egged on by their pals. There could have been more than one on-board besides the diver. And it would be a stupid waste of young lives if they’d been killed, wouldn’t it?’