Deadly Secrets (Detective Erika Foster #6)(75)

‘What about the Jobcentre?’

‘I can’t say I remember. It was almost two years ago.’

‘He was signing on, and his advisor found him the job. Did anyone get in contact with you to find out why the job had ended so fast?’

‘Yes, I think someone did…’ His voice trailed off. He smiled again, and came closer, perching on the arm of the chair in front of her. He wore a tailored chocolate brown three-piece suit. A gold watch chain hung from one of the pockets.

‘Can I ask what kind of photography you do?’

‘Portraits, mainly. Young couples, bouncing bundles of joy…’ He indicated a display of portraits on the back wall. ‘Nine times out of ten, you put a baby in front of a camera and it screams its head off. Although, I do tend to scare children.’

‘Do you take any other kinds of photos?’

‘Weddings, but I tend to go along on the day.’

‘Any erotic work?’

‘Are you asking on a personal level?’ he said, grinning the wide grin again.

‘No,’ she said. He was a handsome man, but there was something about him that made Moss uncomfortable.

‘Sorry, bad joke.’

She waved it away.

‘How would you rate Joseph as a photographer?’

‘I can’t say I got much of a chance, he was here for such a short time.’

‘Did he take photos for you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Photos of what?’

‘I let him do a session with a young couple who’d got engaged.’

‘Did he show an interest in photographing nudes, or anything more… I don’t know how to put it.’

‘Explicit? No. I’m not that kind of business… Look, I’m parched after a long morning, are you sure I can’t get you a cup? I can also look out my employment records to check if I made any other notes about Joseph and the contact I had with the Jobcentre.’

‘Okay, thank you,’ said Moss. Taro got up and went off through a door in the back, closing it behind him.

Moss had a look around the photographic studio. There was a large machine at the back used for processing pictures. It was covered in dust and junk, and had a ‘one-hour photo’ sticker on the front. Above it was a cabinet, displaying all of the options for having your photos produced: cups, jigsaws, magnets, hats and cushions. Each one had a stock image of a young girl holding a yellow balloon. On another wall were the examples of past shoots that Taro had indicated earlier: mostly baby photos.

Moss went over to the counter with the till. Behind it were shelves containing a trophy, and several plaques from 1991, when Camera Obscura won South London’s Business of the Year. An older version of Taro, presumably his father, was pictured with his wife and children, out the front of the shop.

‘You’ve found the embarrassing family photos,’ said a voice behind her.

Moss jumped, and turned to see Taro standing directly behind her. She forced herself to smile.

‘I’ve just put the kettle on,’ he said. She could see there was a storm coming: the cloud outside was heavy and dark. The lights inside reflected the interior of the studio back at them from the shop window. ‘I’ve found my records about Joseph.’

Moss came back to her chair, and Taro took the one opposite. He took a pair of glasses from his top pocket and put them on, then opened a folder. ‘I don’t have many people who come to work for me, but there have been a couple of assistants over the years. This is Joseph? I knew him as Joe,’ he said, holding up a passport photo of Joseph, taken in an instant photo booth.

‘Yes, that’s him,’ said Moss. Joseph stared up blankly, as most people do in ID photos, going through the motions. ‘I wanted to ask about your experience of employing him. Did he borrow any equipment? Did you meet anyone he was friends with or associated with?’

‘Is he under investigation?’ asked Taro, looking up from the folder, his face amiable and placid.

‘I’m afraid he’s dead.’

‘Oh, how awful. How?’

‘Suicide.’

Taro took off his glasses and chewed one arm.

‘That really is terrible. When?’

‘Boxing Day.’

‘So recent… And over Christmas, too.’ Taro started to leaf through the folder. He found another photo, this time printed in 10 x 8 format.

‘I did take photos of him.’

‘I thought he worked for you?’

‘He did. Joseph posed for me when I decided to transfer over to digital, and I needed to test the new cameras. I think I hung on for too long to the old technology and processing methods.’

The photograph was a full-length shot of Joseph, standing against the pale backdrop, wearing just a pair of jeans. He looked uncomfortable.

‘Why is he shirtless?’

‘He wanted some photos to give to a girl he was interested in,’ chuckled Taro. ‘Here’s another.’ He handed her a photo of Joseph standing in a crinkled pair of briefs. He was flexing his puny arms in what was supposed to be a macho pose, but it was the blank look in his eyes which bothered Moss. She’d seen that look before, a long time ago when she’d been fresh out of training college and had been assigned to work on sexual abuse cases. She’d seen that look on victims who had zoned out, and taken themselves to another place.