Frozen Grave (Willis/Carter #3)(65)

‘Yeah – the intention to kill was there from the start.’

‘This road is on the way out of the city, isn’t it? Does it get much traffic coming through?’ asked Willis.

‘Only during work hours. It’s not a short cut. Most people go on the bypass. It’s quiet in the evenings. There’s no trouble with parking on this street.’

‘Any recent reports of trouble that might lead up to this kind of thing? Anti-social behaviour? When was the last arson attack you had in the city?’

‘Last summer we had a school set on fire,’ replied Tucker. ‘We have a couple of kids for that. We’ve looked into her company – no court cases pending, no customer complaints, mainly praise for the company.’

‘So, this is personal then,’ said Carter as they stood outside the front of the house. They could see the white of the SOCO forensic team moving past a window upstairs. The blackened stairwell was in front of them as they looked through the open door.

‘Can we talk to the neighbours again?’ asked Carter.

‘Be my guest.’

They knocked on the door to the right of Gillian’s house. It was answered by a man in his late seventies.

‘Hello, Mr Tiller, it’s Detective Sergeant Tucker again. Sorry to bother you. These are two detectives from London who are helping to investigate what happened next door.’

‘Terrible. Terrible shame.’

‘Did you know Gillian well, Mr Tiller?’ asked Carter.

‘Well enough. I’ve only been here a couple of years. If she saw me then we would stop to speak. She was a nice woman. Kept herself to herself.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘Terrible shame.’

‘Did you ever see anyone visiting Gillian, Mr Tiller?’ asked Willis.

‘Like friends, you mean?’

‘Anyone really. What about in the last week?’

‘I don’t see much at all. The weather’s been so bad I haven’t ventured far.’

‘Do you have a car?’ asked Willis.

‘No, dear – not any more.’

‘Do you know the people who have cars on the street?’

‘Yes, I suppose so. When I go down the Spar shop at the end of the road I see the same cars. One of them belonged to Gillian; that’s the blue one over there.’ He pointed to a Polo.

‘Do you know anyone else’s?’

‘That white one down there, with the dog sticker on the window, that belongs to a man and his friend, they live at number 85, that’s three doors the other way. Then there’s the lady in 89 – she has a green hatchback, three-door.’

‘You have a good eye for cars, Mr Tiller.’ Tucker picked up the thread of the conversation.

‘Is there any car you see sometimes and don’t know who it belongs to?’ asked Willis.

Tiller thought about the question and nodded.

‘Yeah. Someone further down the street has a visitor sometimes. He drives a very fancy car. Beautiful-looking machine. Aston Martin.’

‘Have you seen the person driving it?’ she asked.

‘Once I saw a man getting in it and driving off.’

‘Would you recognize him again, Mr Tiller?’ asked Carter.

He shook his head. ‘I only saw the back of him as he got in the car.’

‘Did you see which house he came from?’ Carter stood back to look up and down the street.

‘He had his back to me so he must have come from this end of the street. I’m sorry, I can’t remember more than that. I wish I could help.’

‘Okay, thanks – you have been a help.’ Tucker smiled. Tiller turned back towards his front door.

‘What are you thinking?’ asked Carter as Tiller went back inside.

‘Just that there’s no residents’ parking here. Someone might park here to go to work or commute,’ said Tucker.

‘But are you too far away from town to think that someone would park here for the station?’ asked Willis.

‘Yes, I think so. There’s free parking nearer than this. I think anyone who parks here is visiting someone on the street. I’ll double-check the statements from neighbours when we get back. Mr Tiller was pretty sure on the make of car.’

‘There are only so many registered Aston Martin owners in the UK,’ said Carter.

Tucker nodded. ‘We’ll get searching.’

In the evening, Carter went to the men’s room in the pub in the centre of town – the Fat Pig was warm and cosy and served great food. They were waiting for their food to arrive. Willis fiddled with her cutlery – she was starving and trying not to show it.

‘You worked with Dan long?’ Tucker asked, whilst drinking a bottle of real ale.

‘Just over a year.’

‘He’s a great bloke. You’re lucky – there’s a lot you can learn from him. Great detective.’

‘Yes, he is.’

‘I was made up when I heard he’d got promoted. It was too long coming.’

‘I know. He definitely deserved it.’

‘And some. Took him long enough.’

‘Yes. How do you know one another?’

Tucker took a few seconds as he waited for the waiter to finish setting down the condiments.