Page 46 of Her Last Walk Home

‘Detective Larry Kirby.’

‘This about young John Morgan? I can’t get my head around it.’

You and me both, Kirby thought. ‘Can I have a word?’

‘Is Patrick in there?’ Collins pointed to the office with his hat.

‘Yes.’

‘My car, then. Patrick is a nosy fucker.’ He turned his back on Kirby and climbed into the jeep.

‘Nice leatherwork,’ Kirby commented on the cream livery as he sat into the warmth.

‘A pain in the arse to keep clean. How can I help you, Detective?’

‘Tell me about John. I believe you recommended him for the job here.’

‘I did.’

‘How did you know him?’

‘Through his mother, Brenda.’

‘Oh. Right.’

‘It’s not like that.’ A sly smirk crossed Collins’s face before his lips turned down. ‘A business acquaintance.’

‘We haven’t been able to unearth any next of kin.’

‘I’m not surprised. Brenda is a private woman.’

‘I want to make contact with her. She has to be informed about her son’s death before his name is released to the media.’

‘She already knows. I phoned her.’

‘Hmph,’ Kirby snorted. ‘We need to call on her in an official capacity.’ He didn’t like Collins’s smugness. ‘I’d appreciate it if you could give me her number and address.’

‘I can, but she lives in London.’

‘Right, I still need it. Do you know her well?’

‘She bought one of my houses. Her intention was to relocate here within the year.’ Collins peered through the windscreen at a point somewhere in the distance. ‘I doubt that will happen now.’

‘Because her son is dead or for some other reason?’

‘I think she intended living here with John until he got his life sorted.’

‘Was there something wrong in his life?’

‘No, I don’t mean it like that. I meant until he got settled.’

‘He wasn’t settled?’

‘You’re twisting what I’m saying.’

‘Forgive me, Mr Collins, but we are finding it difficult to obtain any information about John. I’d appreciate your help.’

‘Look, I gave him a job as a favour to his mother.’

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