Imperfection (DI Gardener 2)

As the past will always reveal

One has paid while others remain

But be warned, a deal is a deal.

Chapter Nine

Briggs finally broke the silence.

“I can’t work out whether he’s a psychopath or a genius. If you’re nuts, you don’t leave puzzles that have been very cleverly put together with an obvious meaning.”

“The puzzles are inconsistent,” said Gardener, stepping back from White’s corpse. “The verse on the body is something he’s made up. The writing on the wall in the dressing room read more like a quote to me.”

“From anything you recognise?” asked Briggs.

“No,” replied Gardener. “But let’s be honest, it could be anything.”

“What’s he trying to tell us?” Briggs asked.

“The fact that he’s harboured a grudge for a long time?”

“Maybe,” said Briggs. “And he’ll make us work to prove his point. The key to the investigation hinges on the clues he’s offering.”

Each man stepped outside the room, leaving the pathologist to finish his job. The quicker he did that, the quicker they would have their report.

“You see, that’s where he shows his intelligence,” said Reilly. “That verse on the old guy’s chest was something he created. He knows what he’s doing, and it’s been well planned. He knew who he wanted and where to find him. What he’s doing now is making us play his game. It’s cat and mouse. Are we clever enough to catch him?”

“If he killed Leonard White the day before,” said Gardener, “he must have known about the tour and where he was staying. So, we need to find out where he was staying. After he’d killed him, he went to a lot of trouble to impersonate him and make a public spectacle of the whole thing, before quietly and confidently walking out of the theatre.”

“How did he get him into the place and do what he did without being noticed?” asked Reilly.

“I think it’s an inside job,” said Briggs. “Let’s face it, he managed to blend in, and he must have known his way around the theatre, particularly that one.”

“Paul Price seems to think not,” replied Gardener.

“Doesn’t matter what he thinks,” said Briggs. “He doesn’t want it to be an inside job because it looks bad on him and his theatre. What’s your opinion on Price? Is he capable of murder?”

“Anyone’s capable of murder,” replied Gardener. “I think he’s hiding something. The only thing he was bothered about was upsetting the smooth running of the place. Never mind that some bloke’s just been killed on his stage in full view of everyone. But my gut instinct tells me he’s not involved.”

“All the same, we’ll have him investigated,” said Briggs. “And the rest of them that run it. If word gets round, no one’ll work there.”

“I’m not sure about that. I don’t think anyone is trying to bring the theatre into disrepute,” said Gardener. “I think it’s personal. Leonard White, and others according to the verse on his chest, has upset someone. That someone is out for revenge. Here’s one to think about. Leonard White was in his seventies. The others probably will be too, so how old is the guy we’re looking for? I can’t imagine someone that old being able to do everything he’s done single-handed.”

“Well, from what we’ve seen, boss, he was able to blend in and get others to help him without them knowing. Even if he is as old as them, the real problem is still identifying him. If he’s a make-up specialist, where the hell do we start? For all we know, he could have crept back into the theatre last night and watched us. We might have even interviewed him.”

“We’ll have to go through White’s past with a fine-tooth comb, and that won’t be easy,” said Briggs. “He’s been around a long time, spent a lot of his life in different parts of the country. His wife will be able to help us there. She rang me just before I went in to see Fitz to say she was at The Queen’s Hotel.”

“Sean and I are going to talk to my dad,” said Gardener. “He and White were friends, have been for quite a number of years. He’s also a big film buff, never away from the cinema. Maybe he’ll remember something that will help.”

“That’s interesting,” replied Briggs. “If that quote on the dressing room wall is from a film, your dad might recognise it.”

“Bit of a long shot there, sir,” said Reilly.

“I don’t doubt it, but every now and again the long shot pays off.”

“We’ll certainly give it a go. But it’s been a hell of a shock to him. I don’t want to put him under too much pressure.”

“Okay. Well, if you need any help, if you’re uncomfortable, you only have to ask.”