Name To a Face (26 page)

Whybrow was late for their appointment at the Café de Paris. Harding sat at an outside table, sipping a beer and studying the passers-by drifting aimlessly and affluently between the competing architectural extravagances of the Casino and the Hôtel de Paris. He wondered if both the lateness and the choice of venue were deliberate tactics on Whybrow’s part: an engineered opportunity for Harding to consider the realities of wealth and the power that underpinned it. No one dressed scruffily in Monte Carlo. No one had dirt under their fingernails or cause to hurry. The Place du Casino was an arena for the discreet display of material prosperity tax-free, unencumbered, unashamed. It was the world Whybrow moved in and was familiar with. Harding was the outsider, the unwelcome interloper, the fish who did not understand how small he was in a pond only the likes of Whybrow knew the real size of. That he should think twice before issuing any kind of challenge here was implicit; that he should take the easy way out, self-evident.

But he was not about to, however long he was kept waiting. And that, it turned out, was not so very long after all.

Whybrow looked as languidly groomed and casually elegant as usual. He greeted Harding with a measured smile and a knowing tilt of the head. “This must make a pleasant change from England,” he said, casting an appreciative glance around the sun-splashed square.

“And from Munich,” Harding countered.

“True enough.” Whybrow nodded to the approaching waiter. “Perrier. And… another beer for you, Tim?”

“Sure.”

“OK.
Perrier. Une bière.”
The waiter bustled away. Whybrow sat down in the shade, plucked off his sunglasses and looked expectantly at Harding across the table. “Not started back to work yet, then?”

“Not yet.”

“Luc reliable, is he?”

“Yes,” Harding replied, cautiously. “He is.”

“Trustworthy?”

“Certainly.”

“You’re lucky. Having people you can really trust around you is the key to success in business. And not just in business, of course. But they’re not easy to find.”

“In my experience, trust breeds trust.”

“You think so?”

“I do.”

“Well, it’s a point of view.” And it was one Whybrow pondered as the waiter returned with their drinks. He deposited them with a flourish, lodged a second bill under the ashtray and departed. Whybrow watched him go, then said, “As you can imagine, most of the staff at Starburst are still in shock following Barney’s death. My enforced absence last week left matters a little… rudderless. So, I have clients to reassure and issues to resolve aplenty. It’s a pleasure seeing you, of course, but…”

“You want to know why I insisted we meet.”

“Yes. Though I hope I didn’t force you to insist.”

“Have you consulted Carol about these… issues you need to resolve?”

Whybrow’s posture stiffened slightly. He sat forward in his chair. “Don’t take this amiss, Tim, but what have the details of how Carol wants me to manage Starburst International to do with you?”

“Nothing, I suppose.”

“As I recall, you said you wanted to discuss Hayley”

“So I do. But it’s all connected, isn’t it? Hayley, Barney, Carol, you and… Starburst International. All… linked.”

“By what?”

“Ah well, that’s the big question, isn’t it?”

“It’s a question that eludes me, I’m afraid. What are you trying to say?”

“I heard about Nathan Gashry’s death while I was in England.”

“I naturally assumed you had.”

“What did you make of it?”

Whybrow shrugged. “Suicide’s generally an impenetrable act. I had some dealings with the man on Barney’s behalf when we were arranging how to finance Kerry’s treatment at the Horstelmann Clinic. For what it’s worth, I thought him… arrogant but insecure. A little… flaky.”

“Potentially suicidal?”

“In retrospect, yes.”

“His girlfriend thinks otherwise.”

Whybrow frowned. “You’ve spoken to her?”

“Any reason why I shouldn’t have?”

“None. Apart from the obvious.”

“Which is?”

“That you must have better things to do with your time.” Whybrow flattened his palms on the tabletop in a strange, declaratory gesture. “Carol tells me you’ve established Humphrey Tozer stole the ring from Heartsease. It’s helpful to have that loose end tied up, I suppose, but essentially irrelevant. As is whatever self-destructive impulse drove Nathan Gashry to take his own life. Barney asked you to deal with a small problem for him and you did your best, I don’t doubt, but since then it seems to me… you’ve been out of your depth.”

“I have?”

“As confirmed by your failure to anticipate the threat Hayley posed to Barney.”

“But she didn’t pose a threat, Tony. That’s the point. Not after her aborted attack on Carol. Specifically not in Munich five days later. She posed no threat there at all.”

Whybrow’s hands left the table. He sat back. “I’m not with you, Tim. You were there when Hayley murdered Barney. You saw her do it.”

“Not exactly. I saw someone who
resembled
Hayley. Someone
got up
to resemble her.”

Whybrow gave him a long, hard look. “Surely not.”

“I’m certain of it.”

“Certain… it wasn’t Hayley?”

“Exactly.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Well, I am. And I’ll be telling the German police as much very soon.”

Whybrow glided one hand slowly over the crown of his closely shaven head. Was he nervous? Harding could only hope so. “What’s made you question the evidence of your own eyes, Tim?”

“I’ve done a lot of thinking in the past few days. A lot of… reviewing. I’ve sorted out what really happened from what I was manipulated into believing happened.”

“Really?”

“Nathan Gashry’s death clinched it for me. He knew Hayley hadn’t asked him to call Barney. He was paid to say she had. Or blackmailed. Or… otherwise induced. It doesn’t much matter how or why. What matters is that he was a weak link in the chain. That’s why he was taken out.”

“Taken out?”

“Murdered.”

“You seem to be developing a rather elaborate conspiracy theory in the glaring absence of an alternative suspect. Who but Hayley could have had any reason to kill Barney?”

“That’s not for me to say.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I imagine it’s all about money. Maybe Barney wasn’t willing to be as… financially flexible… as someone else wanted him to be. Or maybe he discovered someone was… cheating him. Either way when Hayley attacked Carol, she handed that someone a golden opportunity to get Barney off their back once and for all, with Hayley ready and waiting to take the blame.”

“I see. Well, this is… amazing.”

“But true.”

“You intend to tell the police what you’ve told me?”

“Yes.”

“So, why tell me
first?
”

“Because, once I’ve convinced them Hayley’s innocent, they’re bound to cast around for another suspect. I expect they’ll start with Barney’s business associates. It’d be logical. Money is the root of all evil, after all. That could cause you some… embarrassment.”

“Why?”

“You were acquainted with Nathan Gashry. You said so yourself. If Nathan mentioned you to his girlfriend, or his sister; if there’s any suggestion he didn’t fall to his death but was pushed; if there’s any irregularity however slight, in Starburst International’s recent dealings… Well, I don’t need to spell it out, do I?”

“You’re trying to spare me a lot of… inconvenience.”

“Something like that.”

“Carol’s not going to be pleased by your… change of heart, you know.”

“I can’t help that.”

“And the police may not believe you. They may conclude you were in league with Hayley all along.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“Indeed. A chance certainly is what you’re taking. Well, well, well.” Whybrow sipped his Perrier. He had remained calm and softly spoken. Nothing hinted at inner turmoil. Unless it was the knotting of his brow. “Perhaps you need to make a fresh start in life, Tim. I can see the case for it. Barney’s death. Your… unsatisfactory… relationship with Carol. A somewhat… untargeted lifestyle. Yes. Pastures new. A clean break. A change of air. It’s probably to be recommended. The only difficulty may be… funding. If so, I could… offer to help.”

“No.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m not asking you to buy me off, Tony.”

Whybrow looked genuinely surprised, almost hurt. “What
are
you asking me to do?”

“Back up my change of story with some additional evidence that someone other than Hayley killed Barney.”

“Any suggestions who that might be?”

“Ostensibly, Nathan Gashry had the same motive as Hayley: revenge. Officially, he paid for Kerry’s treatment, which could be taken to prove he’d gone on loving her after their break-up. He lured Barney to the rendezvous in Munich. And he committed suicide in a fit of remorse… about something.”

“Thus denying himself the opportunity to refute authorship of a confessional email sent from an internet café around the time of his death. A hypothetical email, I mean. At this stage.” Whybrow allowed himself the slenderest of smiles. “What an unexpectedly fertile imagination you turn out to have, Tim. I’m quite… impressed.”

“I’m not trying to impress you.”

“Obviously not. Nevertheless, you do.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“We have… an understanding.” The smile broadened infinitesimally Or maybe the sparkle in Whybrow’s eyes made it seem to. He offered his hand. Harding had not expected this: a sealing of the bargain. But he was committed. They shook. “When will you tell Carol?”

“This afternoon.”

“And
what
will you tell her-exactly?”

“That I’m no longer sure it was Hayley I saw at Nymphenburg.”

“She won’t take that well.”

“No.”

“And by the time certain other evidence inculpating Nathan Gashry… comes to light… you’ll be gone.”

“Probably yes.”

“You should expect hard words from her.”

“I do.”

“She may have an opportunity to take them back, of course. If you attend the funeral.”

“Not sure I’ll be able to do that.”

“You’ll be with Hayley by then, I suppose.”

Harding did not respond. Nor did he glance away. He went on looking Whybrow squarely in the eye. Several seconds passed. A silent acknowledgement communicated itself between them. Then the moment was gone.

“Ever try your luck in there?” Whybrow asked, nodding towards the Casino.

“No.”

“Very wise. Luck, of course, has nothing to do with it. But then you don’t need me to tell you that, do you?”

“I’m just no gambler, that’s all.”

“No gambler?” Whybrow snickered softly. “I beg to differ. In fact… I’d say you were a natural.”

Carol was not at home when Harding arrived at the apartment at four o’clock. Her texted reply to his phone message had simply said she would see him there, so he was not greatly surprised. He let himself in by the garden entrance and waited by the pool. Twenty minutes or so elapsed while he recollected coming to see Barney less than three weeks before, knowing virtually nothing of the Tozer family and absolutely nothing of the Foxtons and the Martyns and the Gashrys. He had entered a parallel world that day, of the kind Hayley had later told him about: an alternative reality from which he could not escape, even if he wanted to; a land of no return.

A movement caught his eye through the patio doors. He headed over to them and spotted Carol on the far side of the room. She looked at him expressionlessly almost wearily, then walked slowly across to the doors and slid them open.

“You came, then,” she said neutrally.

“I said I would.”

“You said you’d do lots of things.” She was wearing slightly too much make-up and one of her more obviously couturish outfits. It was a look he had once found searingly sexy. But that, as he knew, had been in a different life. “Are you coming in?”

He stepped into the room. She moved to the table, where she had dropped her handbag, fished out her cigarettes and lit one. The sigh she gave after the first inhalation suggested it was badly needed.

“Christ, what a day,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

“I’m sorry it’s been so rough for you, Carol.”

“Please don’t make it any worse, then.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I’m going to have a drink. D’you want one?”

“No, thanks.”

“Please yourself.”

She walked through to the kitchen. Harding listened to the clack-clack of her high-heels on the tiles, the opening and closing of the fridge door, the clunk of ice in a glass, the fizz of tonic; only the gin was silent.

She returned to the room and sat down, taking a deep swallow from her glass before setting it before her on the table. “Undertaker. Lawyer. Now you. And no one has any good news. You don’t, for certain. Right?”

“Not good, no.”

A long draw on the cigarette; a flick of ash into one of Barney’s bespoke giant wooden ashtrays. Then: “Sit down, for Christ’s sake.”

“OK.” He took the chair on the opposite side of the table from her and sat forward on the edge of the cushion, incapable even of pretending to relax.

“Well?”

“I found out who killed Kerry.”

“Are you going to tell me it really was Barney?”

“No. It was all about Josephine Edwards. Last time we spoke, I asked you if you remembered her. The Martyns cured her, Carol. Kerry wanted to write the story up for the national press. But the Martyns didn’t want any publicity. Sabotaging her diving gear was intended to scare her off. But… it worked too well.”

“The Martyns did it?”

“Yes.”

“To stop people finding out they’re… faith healers of some kind?”

“Some kind, yes. A very strange kind.”

“Shit.” Another drag. “That’s just… so stupid.”

“Stupid?”

“All this… mess… because Kerry stuck her nose in where it wasn’t wanted among the islanders.”

“That’s about it.”

“Poor old Barney. I should’ve believed him all along. I almost feel sorry for Hayley So much… hating in the wrong place.”

“She didn’t kill Barney.”

“What?”

“I found that out too.”

Carol shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. “What are you saying?”

“She was on St. Mary’s at the time. John Metherell will swear to that. And I’ll swear it wasn’t her I saw at Nymphenburg.”

“Not her?”

“No. A lookalike. More of a dressalike, actually. A close enough resemblance at a distance, on the run, but not Hayley. Someone hired, to do the job. The same job they did on Nathan Gashry to stop him admitting Hayley didn’t ask him to phone Barney.”

“Who did ask him, then? Who hired this… dressalike?”

“Tony Whybrow”

A long blink. A slug of gin. Carol’s hand shook faintly as she returned the glass to the table. She stared at Harding intently. “Are you serious?”

“Never more so.”

“Can you prove this?”

“No. Which is why I’ve struck a deal with Tony. For your sake as well as mine-and Hayley’s.”

“A
deal?”

“Nathan Gashry will take the blame. We’ll… take what we can get. It’d be crazy to accuse Tony openly Carol. He’ll have covered his tracks well. You can be sure of that. And he’d be a dangerous enemy. Look what happened to Barney. You said you thought Tony might have been cheating him. Well, I reckon you were right. Barney must have found out and issued some kind of ultimatum. It was a fatal mistake.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me Tony Whybrow had my husband killed. And you’re also telling me to do nothing about it.”

“Nothing… for the moment.” He took out Unsworth’s card and slid it across the table.

“What’s this?”

“Unsworth is Scotland Yard’s man at Europol. That’s his personal number. According to him, Starburst International is a front for big-time EU fraud. The sort of thing you read about. VAT. CAP. Generous slices of Brussels payola. I’m assuming you didn’t know. Is that right?”

Carol smiled faintly and shook her head. “I didn’t know.”

“Unsworth’s offer is this. Put some hard documentary evidence of illegality his way and you get immunity from prosecution when they move on Starburst. You also get to keep whatever capital you’ve taken out of the company to date. Tony carries the can. Well, as finance director and the brains behind all the scams, so he should. It’d be the best kind of revenge, Carol. The kind he deals in himself.”

“How do you and… Unsworth… expect me to get this evidence?”

“You’re in control of the company now. You couldn’t be better placed to get it. Tony probably plans to let you in on Starburst’s trade secrets little by little. His strategy will be to persuade you to turn a blind eye to what he’s up to and enjoy your share-Barney’s share-of the profits. All you have to do is play along, keep Unsworth advised, then, when the time comes, pull the rug out from under Tony’s feet.”

“And when
would
the time come?”

“I don’t know. That’d be for you and Unsworth to agree between you. It could be quite a while. But don’t they say revenge is a dish best served cold?”

“You’ll be long gone, of course. With Hayley”

“Does that matter?”

“No. It doesn’t.” A deep, last draw on the cigarette. She crushed it out in the ashtray with studious emphasis, then looked up at Harding. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry”

“What d’you mean?”

“It won’t work, Tim. None of it will. I went to see Barney’s lawyer this afternoon. There’s a… wrinkle in the paperwork. It seems Barney signed an agreement with Tony last year giving Tony the right to buy Barney’s shares in Starburst International at a fixed-meaning knockdown-price should Barney wish to retire or, in the lawyer’s words, ‘seek otherwise to divest himself of his shareholding.’ And that, apparently, includes bequeathing it to me. Tony can buy me out.
Will
buy me out. For a sum he’s budgeted for. Which won’t leave me in the gutter, but does mean I’ll never get my feet under Barney’s desk at Starburst-or my hands on any Starburst accounts.”

A lengthy, heavy silence settled between them. The significance of what Carol had said ate into Harding’s thoughts like acid. Whybrow had known from the outset that he would gain complete and overall control of the company. The agreement was a vital part of his calculations. Maybe there had been no ultimatum, no suspicion whatever on Tozer’s part. Maybe Whybrow had simply greeted Hayley’s intervention as an ideal opportunity to stage a long-contemplated coup.

“This deal you’ve struck may suit you and the sainted Hayley,” Carol resumed bitterly, “but it does nothing for me. Nothing at all. So, thanks, Tim. Thanks a bunch.”

“It can’t be-”

“But it is.” The words were spoken by Whybrow, enunciated with all his syrupy precision. For a second, Harding thought he was hallucinating. Then he looked towards the doorway leading to the hall. And there was Whybrow, smiling in at them.

“Shit,” Carol murmured.

“I promised to return those things of Barney’s he had with him when he was killed, if you remember, Carol,” Whybrow said softly. “That parcel from the
Kriminal-Polizei
you asked me to collect. It included his keys, of course. So, I let myself in earlier. I thought I’d wait for you to turn up. Then I decided to take a nap. Well, it’s been a stressful day, as Tim will confirm. The waterbed’s very comfortable, isn’t it? I might buy one myself. I’m not sure how long I slept, but I certainly feel refreshed. Your voices woke me. Sound carries in this apartment, don’t you find? Open plan. Hard surfaces. Nothing to soak it up, I suppose. Anyway, the acoustics are remarkable. And revealing. From the landing, I heard every word you said. So, there’s no need to worry about losing out under the deal Tim negotiated with me, Carol. Because that’s off. As of now.”