A Roman Shadow, page 10
“Sorry, sir, are we saying the two cases are connected?” asked Tom looking confused.
“Possibly,” replied Shadow.
“Oh come on, Chief!” said Jimmy in an unusually exasperated tone. “Okay I know Le Vel sells his chocolates to businesses in China and he lived in Hong Kong, but he isn’t connected to the museum at all.”
“Perhaps not, Sergeant, but I still keep coming back to the fact that his father dealt in old coins,” persisted Shadow.
“So? I’ve got friends whose dads are dentists. It doesn’t mean I’d let them pull my teeth out, Chief.”
Shadow sighed. He knew Jimmy had a point, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Le Vel was involved somehow. Surely after thirty years of working in the police, he should be able to trust his instincts.
“Humour me, Sergeant. Heaven knows I’ve humoured enough of your theories. Let’s just say I have a hunch about Le Vel. He knows Hong Kong, China and old coins. He’s also close to Jacqui who is a jeweller, he’s got a van, he’s more than capable of charming young impressionable girls.”
Jimmy began to protest again and Shadow held up his hands.
“I know, I know he isn’t connected to the museum.” Shadow paused and frowned before turning to Tom.
“Take that list of volunteers up to Sergeant Hedley and ask him to read through it and see if he knows if any of them were connected to Le Vel or his father. For all we know Maud could turn out to be his great-aunt or second cousin,” he said. George was bound to know, but Shadow wasn’t prepared to climb all those stairs twice in one week.
Tom scurried away with the list, leaving Shadow and Jimmy in an uncomfortable silence. It was rare for Jimmy to disagree openly with him; in fact Shadow couldn’t recall another occasion. Something strange was definitely going on with his young colleague. Rather than reprimanding him, Shadow decided to keep him busy instead.
“Look, why don’t you chase up the insurance company and see if the Eboracum Museum have placed a claim yet. Then check what happened with that nail bar that was closed down by immigration. Make sure the owners haven’t managed to open somewhere else. After that go and speak to the Chinese tour party again. They leave for Edinburgh today, don’t they?”
“Yes, Chief,” replied his sergeant with a nod of his head, but he didn’t quite meet Shadow’s eye.
Shadow decided to retreat to his office. He sank into his chair and rummaged through his desk drawers for indigestion tablets. All this hurried eating and being upset with Jimmy was playing havoc with his stomach. As the chalky mint tablet dissolved in his mouth, he spun his chair around and stared out across the river. For a moment he watched as two geese flew above the brown swirling water before swooping under the ornate arch of Lendal Bridge, then he picked up the phone. With a heavy heart he dialled the number for Jonty Woodhead, the accountant.
“Is Paul Le Vel a client of yours?” Shadow asked, after exchanging the usual greetings.
“No,” replied the accountant.
“Has he ever been?”
There was a pause at the end of the line.
“Yes, when he was listed as a director of his father’s company.”
“Was the company wound up when Ernie Level died?”
Another pause.
“No it went into liquidation. You do know you could find all this information at Companies House don’t you, Shadow?”
Shadow ignored him.
“Did Paul change his name to Le Vel after that?”
Another even longer pause.
“He was called Paul Level when he was my client.”
Shadow thanked the accountant for his time once more. It seemed Le Vel hadn’t always been the successful businessman he liked people to think he was. Shadow then made a call to the estate agent whose board was in the window of the old coin shop on Swinegate and made an appointment to view.
After noting down the time, he let his thoughts drift back to the whiteboards downstairs. He was certain whoever stole the coins couldn’t be working alone. On the back of one of the many ignored Post-it Notes that littered his desk, he began jotting down names. Stephanie and Tim were married, but it seemed her loyalty lay with Pete. Then there was Pete and Glenn who seemed practically inseparable. Dorothy he now knew was friends with Genevieve and then he came back to Le Vel who may or may not be in a relationship with Jacqui. For a moment he stared at the list with arrows he’d drawn linking names, but it didn’t help: he still couldn’t see how it all fitted together.
He screwed up the Post-it and tossed it into the bin. Then he spent a peaceful hour completing the Yorkshire Post crossword. When the last clue was solved, he pulled on his jacket and left his office, avoiding both Tom and Jimmy.
*
Shadow had arranged to meet the estate agent outside Ernest Level’s old shop. The young man in the shiny suit, holding his mobile phone to his ear arrived a few minutes after him. He shook Shadow’s hand and unlocked the door while still continuing his conversation. Shadow stepped inside. It was cold, damp and quite dark with a musty smell. Shadow tried flicking on the light switch, but the electricity appeared to have been turned off. As the agent was still talking, he took the opportunity to take a look around unhindered. There was an old glass-topped counter and a few wooden shelves still screwed to the wall. In the back office there was nothing more than a faded green carpet covering the floor and a large safe in the corner. Shadow knelt down to take a closer look. It was bolted to the wall and floor, but the door was unlocked, and it was empty inside.
“That’s available by separate negotiation I believe, Mr Shadow,” said the agent, who had finally finished his call. Shadow had failed to mention he was with the police when he made the appointment.
“Can I see the upper floors?” he asked.
“Of course, no problemo. Follow me,” replied the young man.
The first floor consisted of a small kitchen, an even smaller cloakroom and what must have once been the jeweller’s workroom but was now empty of all equipment. The second floor looked like it had only every been used for storage with its low sloping ceilings and shelves running along the walls. Everything was covered in cobwebs and a thick layer of dust.
Shadow felt disappointed. He wasn’t sure what he’d hoped to find. All he knew was that if Ling was still alive, she had to be hidden away somewhere in the city, but it was clear nobody had been in here for months. With a heavy sigh he made his way back down the stairs while the agent still chattered away behind him, extolling the virtues of being located in such a fashionable area of the city.
“What business did you say you were in?” the young man asked, when his volley of comments had failed to get a response from his client.
“I dabble in this and that,” replied Shadow evasively.
“You sound like the previous owner and his son for that matter.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Paul’s a great bloke. He’s got a chocolate shop over on Monk Bar Court. Does a lot of exporting, so he tells me.”
“Didn’t he want to use this place for his own business?”
“No, maybe he thought it was too close the other chocolatier’s.”
“Maybe he simply preferred Monk Bar Court.”
“He can’t like it that much. His lease runs out in two months and he hasn’t made any plans to renew as far as I know.”
Shadow paused for a moment, feeling a little confused.
“When you said previous owner, did you mean Ernest Level or Paul?”
“Well both really. Paul inherited this place from his dad. He rented it out for a few years, but then he sold it a couple of months ago to an investment company.”
“I see,” Shadow replied. Had he known this before, he probably wouldn’t have bothered viewing the place. “Well thank you for showing me the property. I’ll think about it,” he said as he stepped back out into the street. The estate agent’s face dropped with disappointment and he hurried out after him, but before he could press Shadow on his plans, his mobile rang again. Shadow waved goodbye to the young man as he tried to balance the phone between his ear and shoulder and lock the shop door at the same time.
Shadow had only taken a couple of steps when he almost collided with Ellie Treanor hurrying out of her own shop.
“Oh, hello there,” she said, her eyes flicking over to the estate agent who was still chatting and struggling with the door. “Am I getting you as a new neighbour?” she asked.
“No, nothing like that,” replied Shadow briskly. “You look like you’re in a rush.”
“Yes, I’m on a mission of mercy. Jacqui is desperate to finish a specially commissioned pair of earrings for a customer down in London. It seems we are both working to a tight deadline this week, but being Jacqui, she has run out of earring backs. I’m taking her some silver ones. Honestly, she’s so forgetful! It wasn’t a problem, of course, when she was next door.”
“Perhaps she’ll move back,” suggested Shadow, thinking about what the agent had said regarding Le Vel not renewing his lease. Ellie’s face broke into a broad smile.
“Oh that would be lovely! I know Paul convinced her she didn’t need to rent somewhere so expensive when most of her business is online.” Ellie paused and pursed her lips for a second. “But I do miss her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must dash. I know Jacqui wants to get the earrings finished and posted out as soon as poss!”
“Yes of course I won’t keep you,” he said stepping to one side as she trotted away.
“Goodbye, Chief Inspector Shadow!” she called out as she went, causing the estate agent to look round in confusion. Shadow ignored him and set off in the opposite direction. His plan for trying to visit the old coin shop incognito had failed. He should have known better than to think he wouldn’t be spotted by someone who knew him. York might technically be a city but take away the tourists and students and it felt more like a small town.
The phone in his pocket buzzed. He took it out and squinted at the screen. It told him he had missed two calls from Tom and there was a text from Jimmy telling him the insurance company hadn’t received a claim from the museum as yet. He returned the phone to his pocket and kept walking. While he was considering this last piece of information, he passed a newsagent’s and noticed the latest edition of The Herald in their window. ‘Mystery at the Museum’ read the headline accompanied by a slightly blurred photo of Ben and Ollie in their forensic suits standing outside the Eboracum Museum.
Shadow sighed and shook his head. So much for keeping things on the QT. Tim Dunnington would not be pleased. Another visit he had failed to keep quiet.
*
As he left the Swinegate Quarter, he recalled he had forgotten to collect his bag of dirty laundry that needed to be dropped off at Maggie’s, so he changed direction and headed towards the river. On his way back to Florence he picked up a pork pie from his favourite shop on Shambles to have for his lunch. Some peace and quiet on the river was exactly what he needed.
Unfortunately, peace and quiet eluded him. He had no sooner finished his last mouthful of pie than his neighbours, the geese started honking loudly. They had been sat quietly on his roof, basking in the winter sun when he arrived, but now something had clearly upset them.
“For crying out loud,” he complained to himself.
As he stepped off Florence with the bag of laundry in his hand, he saw Dr Shepherd walking along the path towards him. She was accompanied by Pendle, the unfortunate dog from Genevieve’s café.
“Isn’t it a lovely afternoon, Chief Inspector?” Dorothy said as she drew closer. “Genevieve is busy at the café, so Pendle and I thought we’d make the most of it.”
Shadow watched as the one-eyed, three-legged dog careered down the path, sending the furious geese honking on to the river.
“Nothing slows him down does it?” he remarked, his lips almost twitching into a smile.
“A bit like his owner.” Dorothy laughed. “Genevieve doesn’t let anything stop her getting what she wants either. Is there any news about the investigation at all, Chief Inspector?”
“There are a few leads we are following,” Shadow replied. “I should warn you though, The Herald are running a story about the museum in this evening’s edition. I doubt you will be able to contain news of the theft for long.”
“It was only a matter of time I suppose.” Dorothy sighed. “However, the world of museums is a small one and word soon spreads. Our reputation is probably already completely shot. It’s going to take nothing short of a miracle to restore the Eboracum’s standing in the eyes of the other curators and museum directors.”
Shadow nodded sympathetically.
“I understand an insurance claim hasn’t been made yet.”
“No, the company has been informed of course, but as we still aren’t exactly sure of what’s been taken…” She trailed off and sighed. “I rather think Tim hoped you might recover the stolen pieces and the whole nasty business could be forgotten about.”
Shadow diplomatically decided not to say anything, but his face must have shown what he thought of Tim Dunnington. Dr Shepherd smiled and patted him on the arm.
“Don’t worry, Chief Inspector, the rest of us are a little more realistic. I know you are trying your best, but I doubt very much I shall ever see those beautiful coins again.”
Shadow watched as she continued her walk along the path. He jumped slightly as she gave a surprisingly piercing whistle and Pendle bounded away from the geese to join her.
As the sun was still shining, Shadow decided to walk along the section of the city walls that led back to Lendal Bridge. He had no desire to return to the station where the atmosphere had felt strained all morning. Besides, the fresh air might help him think. His mind drifted to Le Vel and what Ellie had said about him encouraging Jacqui to leave Swinegate. Why would he encourage her to move when, at that time, she would have been paying him rent? Even Ellie, who clearly wasn’t a big fan of Le Vel’s, seemed to think it was a nice thing to do. Had Shadow got the man all wrong?
When he approached the river, he spotted Jake pulling a wheeled basket and throwing a stick for a delighted Missy. He paused to watch them for a moment. In his opinion, throwing a stick for a dog was one of life’s simple pleasures. Jake might sleep out in the cold every night, but right now Shadow couldn’t help but envy him just a little.
Chapter Seven
Down 5.
This structure stopped them all going South or West (5 letters)
“What are you staring at?”
Shadow felt himself blush. He’d been studying Maggie’s hands as she was writing out his receipt. He thought he was being discreet, but it obviously hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“I was just looking at your hands to see if they were—” he struggled to think of the right words “—um, age-appropriate.”
Maggie gave him a withering look.
“Have you never thought of opening a charm school, John?”
“Sorry, it’s only because someone mentioned the missing Chinese girl’s hands,” he tried to explain, although he wasn’t about to admit that he’d become slightly obsessed with looking at people’s hands and feet. From Jacqui’s scars to Le Vel’s pudgy fingers and Glenn’s tiny feet to Ben’s massive ones.
“Well, I’m long overdue a manicure,” said Maggie as she assessed her fingernails with a frown. “The nail bar I normally go to was shut down suddenly.”
“Would this be the same place Stephanie Dunnington visited?”
“That little madam! Heavens she must have been their best customer—she was never out of the place,” replied Maggie. Her lips folded into a line and she raised an eyebrow. Her look told Shadow everything he needed to know about Maggie’s opinion of Stephanie. “Apparently they were employing illegal immigrants there,” she added. “Well I say employing; as it turns out it was more like exploiting them. Not paying the minimum wage, terrible working conditions. I used to go at least once a month. I should have noticed something wasn’t right.”
“Did any of the girls ever say anything to you?”
“No, I don’t think they spoke much English and you know how I like to rattle on.”
Shadow tried not to smile. That may have been the understatement of the year.
“Where were they from?” he asked, wondering if there could be any connection to Jing. Now, it was Maggie’s turn to look embarrassed.
“I’m ashamed to say I don’t for sure. Vietnam I think, but it’s hard to say. They only said the odd word and they all had their long dark hair tied back and wore masks covering their mouths and noses. I should have paid more attention. I felt terrible for them when I heard about what happened. Once when I was there, I tried asking one of the girls where her home was. I’m sure she said Ho Chi Minh City, but the only thing I knew about the place was that it used to be called Saigon. Then all I could think to tell her was how much I liked the musical, you know, Miss Saigon. How flippant of me to witter on about a trip to the West End when she was probably scared and lonely.”
Maggie was clearly cross with herself. The writing on his receipt was becoming more and more erratic. As she spoke, Shadow suddenly remembered the girls working in Le Vel’s chocolatier’s kitchen with their hair covered along with the lower half of their faces. He’d been as guilty as Maggie of not paying them closer attention. He quickly looked at his watch. Chocolates from Old Elbow Lane would be closing in a few minutes.
“I’ll be back soon to pick up the receipt,” he said as he headed to the door.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Maggie asked in surprise.
“I just need to go and check something,” he called over his shoulder as he stepped out into the street.
He hurried towards Monk Bar. All the shops were closing for the evening and the Minster was striking five. As he turned into Monk Bar Court, he saw the light was still on at the chocolate shop. He opened the door and there was a jangle from the old-fashioned bell as he stepped inside. The shop itself was empty and as he looked through into the kitchen, he could see the four assistants. They were chatting to each other as they removed their old-fashioned hats and aprons and hadn’t noticed him arrive. With a feeling of relief, he saw that they were three blondes and a redhead.
