NO AGE TO DIE: The release of a dangerous prisoner leads to murder (DCI John Blizzard Book 9) by John Dean (free ebook reader for android .TXT) 📗

‘Tell me anyway.’

‘Well, I saw a picture of a young man on a website the other day. It said that he has something to do with a church in your area. St John’s, I think it’s called. There’s been a bit of trouble there.’

‘You could say that,’ said Allatt. She sat forward in her chair and tried not to sound too eager. ‘Which man are we talking about?’

‘Well, like I say, it’s probably nothing but it said that he was called Edgar Rose-Harvey. It’s just that he called himself something different when he attended our church. He went by the name of Edward Lester.’

‘Did he now?’ Allatt jotted the name down on a scrap of paper. ‘And when was this?’

‘About eighteen months ago. He left in rather a hurry. I do not wish to come over as a gossip, DC Allatt, but some people said that he was not to be trusted. I mean, he was very charming but I did hear that he tried to persuade a couple of the older ones to give him their bank details.’

‘And did they?’ asked the constable.

‘I don’t think so. People started talking and he disappeared.’

‘Did anyone report it to the police?’ asked Allatt.

‘I don’t think so. He left the area so there was no need.’

‘And it’s definitely the same man you saw on the website?’ asked Allatt.

‘I think so. He’s changed his appearance. His hair was darker when I knew him and he had a moustache and a beard but I’m sure it’s him. Anyway, it’s probably not important. I just thought I’d tell you.’

‘And I thank you for doing so,’ said Allatt. ‘Are you sure you won’t tell me your…?’

The line went dead and Allatt stared at the name on the piece of paper for a few moments, trying not to get too excited. As the newest member of Blizzard’s CID team, she was desperate to make an impression and something told her that the phone call was important. She reached for her keyboard and typed in the name Edward Lester. Nothing came up, so she typed in the words Edgar Rose-Harvey. Again, nothing came up and she sighed in disappointment just as Chris Ramsey walked past her desk.

‘What’s the problem?’ asked the detective inspector.

‘I thought I had an interesting lead. I’ve just had a call from an old dear in Oxford who says that she knows Edgar Rose-Harvey by another name and that he’s a bit dodgy.’

‘He got a record?’

‘No, that’s the problem. I’ve just keyed in the name she gave me – Edward Lester – but nothing came up. Same with Edgar Rose-Harvey.’

‘Yeah, we checked him out when this thing first blew up,’ said Ramsey. ‘Why don’t you try Edward Lester on soft intelligence? It’s a long shot but you never know. Someone may have put something in.’

Allatt called up another database and Ramsey looked over her shoulder as she keyed in the name and the information scrolled onto the screen.

‘Oh my,’ said the detective inspector. ‘Oh my, oh my.’

* * *

David Colley had just bought a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea and sat down at one of the tables in the canteen to enjoy his delayed lunch when the front office rang to say that Phil Calvert had called to see him. After muttering ‘no rest for the wicked’, he limped to the reception area, wolfing down his food on the way. The sergeant was intrigued as to what would bring the businessman in on a Sunday and, on entering the front office, he was struck by Calvert’s worried expression. Colley ushered him into an interview room and gestured for him to sit down.

‘What’s up?’ he asked as Calvert slumped heavily into a chair.

‘I’ve just heard about the old fellow who was knocked over by the bloke you were chasing.’

‘Tom Raine?’

‘That’s him. Someone said that he’s in hospital. Is he going to die?’

‘It was touch and go, last I heard,’ said Colley. He sat down at the desk. ‘Why so interested?’

He watched in surprise as Calvert buried his face into his hands.

‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this,’ he said in a low voice. ‘I wouldn’t have got involved if I thought that anyone would be hurt. He promised that no one would be harmed.’

‘He?’ said Colley. ‘I assume that we are talking about Bob Lennox?’

Calvert shook his head.

‘You don’t know the half of it,’ he said.

* * *

An hour later, as Colley was concluding his conversation with Phil Calvert, Blizzard was in Arthur Ronald’s office. There was a knock on the door and Sarah Allatt and Chris Ramsey entered the room. The constable was carrying a piece of paper and both of them looked excited.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ said Ramsey, ‘but there’s been a development that you need to know about.’

‘Sounds intriguing,’ said Blizzard.

‘Oh, it’s more than that. Tell them, Sarah.’

‘We received a call just before lunch from a woman who attends a church in Oxford,’ said the constable. ‘She saw a picture of Edgar Rose-Harvey on a website and wanted to tell us that she knows him by a different name.’

‘Interesting,’ said Blizzard.

‘That’s putting it mildly, guv. See, when we checked the name Edward Lester out, it turns out to be an alias. One of many, in fact.’

‘Alias for whom?’

Allatt handed him the piece of paper. Blizzard scanned it, gave a low whistle and passed it to Ronald, whose eyes widened as he read it.

‘So, what else do we know about this Matthew St Clair character?’ asked the superintendent. ‘Assuming that’s his real name.’

‘We think it is,’ said Ramsey. ‘Well, we did some digging and it appears that he is more used to moving in society’s higher circles