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“It’s not as straightforward as you think. Me and my wee wife had a long conversation earlier. So far, all the other cards have indicated the reverse meanings. If we go with the reversed meaning here, it doesn’t make too much sense: fear of change or death, or lack of progress when making important decisions. That wasn’t Ronson. Guilt is also associated with the card, and that could well be him.”
“What about the upright position?”
“Well now, that could have a bearing: satisfactory outcome to a specific matter or period of life.”
“A satisfactory outcome for our killer,” offered Williams. “Meaning that our friendly solicitor has made some dodgy decisions, the outcome of which has gone against the law – and maybe even the killer.”
“That’s pretty much what we’re thinking,” replied Gardener, “that Ronson was as bent as they come. He defended the scum of the earth, mostly drug dealers. On more than one occasion, he managed to keep Hobson out of prison. Maybe his reward for that satisfactory outcome was plenty of money.”
Gardener pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is so bloody frustrating. The entire investigation has been nothing but a series of puzzles the killer has been feeding us.”
“Question is,” replied Williams, “have we worked out the answers?”
Gardener sighed heavily. “Judging by our achievements, I’d say not. Three people dead, one missing. Four possible people in the frame, all with some connection but no concrete evidence against any of them: one of whom we can’t find.”
Gardener stepped back, staring at an aerial map of the county on the board next to the ANACAPA chart. There had to be answer. The chances were it was probably something mundane and simple that they were overlooking. They had been running all over the place, trying their best to solve intricate puzzles, and had probably missed one vital clue sitting right under their noses.
Gardener sighed again when a thought came to mind. If he wanted to think like Sherlock Holmes, maybe he should start acting like him.
“Have we got any pins and some string, maybe some cotton, anything?”
David Williams left the room and came back with the items he’d requested.
“Okay, let’s do something very simple. Alan Radford was the DI in charge when I joined the force, and he took me under his wing. He was succinct and to-the-point, almost as if he spoke in bullet points, and he was damn good at what he did.
“We were struggling once with robbery and violence in Leeds. I remember it dragging on for months. All we had were bits of information. Someone had
seen this or that, a van at the scene, a car at another. One woman said she thought a local gang was involved. She fingered one or two of them, but there was no concrete evidence.
“Radford was studying an aerial map, like we have here, when he started putting pins in various places. Then he crossed the pins with the cotton. Eventually the points overlapped, and we came up with an answer. Not straight away, but one that finally led us to an arrest.”
“I remember Radford,” said Reilly. “I had a lot of respect for that man.”
Gardener stepped up to the map. “Okay, so what do we have?”
“We can start with Bramfield, sir,” said Williams. “That was the first murder.”
Williams put a pin in the map.
“Then we had Bursley Bridge,” said Reilly, taking a pin and pushing it into position.
“Shipston this morning,” said Gardener. After he’d put that one in, he ran the cotton through the three points, forming a straight line.
“So where now?”
“What about the hospital in Leeds?” Reilly offered. “That place seems to be well involved. And Andrew Jackson works there.”
“Okay. Put a pin in.”
“What about Ilkley?” added Williams.
“Ilkley?” questioned Reilly.
“Sinclair’s parents live there.”
“But his parents are not really involved,” Gardener countered.
“I realize that, sir,” replied Williams, “and I know it’s a long shot, but maybe you can satisfy my curiosity by putting a pin there and seeing where that leads us. It is close by, after all.”
