“Go on,” pushed the old man.
“I’m really sorry, but we found Alex this morning in your basement.”
It took a little time for the dust to settle and the penny to drop. “Dead?” Armitage asked.
“I’m afraid so.”
“How?”
“We don’t know the details yet, but from everything we’ve pieced together it would appear to be drug related, which is why we wanted to see how much you knew before we told you.”
Armitage stayed silent for a few moments. Gardener noticed his eyes turn a little red-rimmed, coming to the conclusion that there was no truer statement than the one Cragg had made earlier about blood being thicker than water. For all his nephew’s wrongdoing, Alex Wilson was still Armitage’s family, and probably pretty close judging by the emotion.
“Would you like some time to yourself?” Gardener asked.
Time did pass before he replied. “No, Mr Gardener, I would much rather press on and get this whole nasty business out of the way, so that when I leave here, I know I’m done.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am, but I just hope there are not too many more questions.”
“Not really, no. Do you know someone called Jackie Pollard?”
“I’ve heard the name, but that’s all. Is he another of these druggies?”
“Let’s say he has more than a passing interest. I just wondered if there had been a connection between him and your nephew.”
“I couldn’t tell you,” replied Armitage. “How long has it been going on, Mr Gardener? The drugs?”
“We can’t tell you just yet. I’m sure you’re aware he’s done a couple of stretches in prison?”
“Yes, but I thought that was robbery and violence, all of which I put down to his gambling addiction. You’re going to tell me different, aren’t you?”
“The first term may have been what you thought, the others don’t appear to have been.”
“So he must have been at it years,” Armitage was talking to himself. “Why the hell didn’t someone tell me? I could still have helped, but I would have sought a professional. There’s a very good surgeon near to where I live, Dr Sinclair, he would have helped. He deserves a knighthood, that man, especially for how he’s helping Gary’s mother.”
“Gary?” asked Gardener.
“Gary Close. I feel sorry for that young man.”
“Is his mother ill?”
“Brain tumour from what I hear, but she’s in the best possible hands.”
A silence descended in the room.
Gardener rose from the table. “Mr Armitage, I’m sorry to have broken the news to you. I think it might be best if we leave you for a short while to gather your thoughts and come to terms with your loss. If you’d like someone to accompany you home, please just say.”
Armitage nodded.
Before Gardener reached the door, he turned to face the old man.
“Just one more thing. We’d like to hold on to the shop keys a little longer, at least until we’ve finished our investigation.”
“That won’t be a problem, Mr Gardener. You can keep them forever, for me. I won’t be setting foot back in the place. Wife’s been nagging me for years to retire. I reckon now’s as good a time as any, don’t you?”
Chapter Sixteen