Frozen Grave (Willis/Carter #3)(80)

‘No, you said it wasn’t intimate.’

‘It was physically intimate, not emotionally. I’ve already told you – it wasn’t a serious relationship. I am a married man who enjoys the company of women besides my wife. It isn’t a crime.’

‘It was serious enough for you to text her every day.’

‘I didn’t text her every day. I told you, it was a casual relationship. She knew it was never going to go anywhere.’

‘Not according to her friends; she felt she was in a relationship that would definitely lead somewhere.’ Ellerman shook his head. He didn’t answer. ‘What can you tell me about Gillian, Mr Ellerman?’

‘She was just a normal sort. Not a lot more I can tell you really.’

‘A normal sort? Normal for you? Did she typify the women you go for?’ Ellerman didn’t answer. He shrugged.

‘She was professional, hard-working, career-minded. She was a strong character just like Olivia Grantham. Is that your type?’

‘I don’t have a type.’

‘Yes, you do – they have to be willing to part with a lot of money.’

‘I resent that accusation. I am always truthful.’

Carter could see that the lawyer was about to step in and stop the interview. Carter smiled and offered Ellerman something to drink.

‘How often did you see Gillian, do you think?’ Carter resumed his questioning.

‘Sometimes once a week, sometimes not for a fortnight. Whenever I had business down her way.’

‘Eighteen months is a long time to maintain a relationship.’

‘It is easier when you don’t see someone often. It was a casual relationship, as I said.’

‘And you think she viewed it that way?’

‘Yes, I think she did.’

‘Can I just stress, Mr Ellerman, we have ordered Gillian Forth’s phone records and we will see the truth.’

‘I have nothing to hide.’

‘So you told her all about the other women?’

‘No. That is my business.’

‘She didn’t know about the other women?’

‘No, not as far as I know.’

‘None of these women knew about each other until they got this letter, is that right?’

‘I can’t answer that.’

‘But they weren’t supposed to know about one another?’

‘No, obviously not.’

‘So that’s the kind of truth that you were talking about, is it? That’s your interpretation of the truth? Must be difficult for you to know which one wrote the letter? One of them has obviously done her homework.’

‘Illegally gained access to private information.’

‘You say your relationship was a casual one with Gillian Forth, but was it also a financial one?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘We know that Olivia Grantham invested in your Hacienda Renovations company – did Gillian Forth also?’

He didn’t want to answer; he mumbled.

Petron looked at him. ‘You don’t have to answer.’

‘No. But I have nothing to hide. Yes, I believe Gillian did invest a sum of money in my company.’

‘That will be . . . in the company that . . .’ Carter picked up the page where Ellerman’s bogus company was exposed. ‘The company that it says in the letter doesn’t exist.’

‘It does exist.’

‘Well, we know it’s a registered company. It has accounts that show a non-profit. It’s worth a nominal amount of one hundred pounds. Where does all the money invested go?’

‘It goes into restoring Spanish properties. I have some accounts I can show you.’

‘I don’t need to see them. We are conducting our own searches. If necessary, we will send officers out to Spain to hunt down the truth. We won’t stop now, Mr Ellerman. We’re very grateful to whoever sent this letter. We intend contacting each of the women and asking them all about their relationship with you. You had better prepare your wife for some unpleasant surprises. One more question, Mr Ellerman – have you ever heard of a hostel for the homeless called Faith and Light?’

‘No, I haven’t.’

Ellerman drove home after the interview, but first, his lawyer took him for a drink. They had a lot to talk through.

‘Okay – well, thanks for going through the list of these women with me,’ said Petron. ‘I will hopefully not need to contact them. We have to see what the police come up with. I can tell that they are just fishing at the moment. They don’t have enough to charge you with anything. They’re hoping the Spanish company, the women’s investments, will lead them to something. They don’t want to spend money getting sidetracked with going to Spain unless they can connect it with the murders. Just sit tight and don’t answer any more questions. Do you have alibis for the nights the women were murdered?’

‘I was either on the road or I was with a woman. I can call on them if I have to but I’d rather not.’

‘How many of those women are you actually involved with?’

‘I probably see five women regularly, another eight when I can. I haven’t seen the rest of them on that list for over a year.’

‘Jesus . . . if you don’t mind me saying so, that’s a lot of work to maintain that many relationships at once.’