old-fashioned filing cabinet were all that could fit into the small space. Two doors led off from the reception, and Anna was politely asked to sit, and the woman introduced herself as Mrs. Kelly.
“I am a sort of general dogsbody. We have two offices, and my husband owns the company. We’re unusually busy right now, with a lot of people wanting their debts sorted. It’s strange, isn’t it? Bad times for some and good for others.”
“Is Mr. Potts in?”
“Not yet, but he’s due any moment. He’s training two new employees, and they were out early, but I told someone who called wanting to get particulars from him . . .”
“That would have been from my station.” Anna passed her card to Mrs. Kelly.
“Yes. I said he was expected back at lunchtime, but sometimes there may be a problem that needs sorting. My husband is in his office, if you’d like to talk to him.”
“I would, yes, but can you tell me a little about Mr. Potts first?”
“Ask my husband. I’ll just tell him you are here.” The woman glanced at the card Anna had passed to her and crossed a few paces to knock on one of the office doors. She gave a small smile. “One moment.”
Mrs. Kelly was fast, darting into the office before Anna could say anything. She came out almost as quickly and held the door ajar. “Ron will see you, Detective Travis.”
Ron Kelly was a short, squat man with a pair of wide red braces and checked trousers. The thick leather belt around his waist looked as if it held his girth in too tightly. His desk was filled with files and trays overflowing with papers. A computer took up most of the rest of the space on his desk. In here, the smell from the fish-and-chip shop was overpowering.
“Sit down, love, I’m Ronald Kelly.” He was pompous, and when he stood to shake Anna’s hand, he seemed no taller than when he was sitting behind his desk.
“Let me just say that Eric’s one of my most trusted employees,” he went on immediately. “He’s been with me for nearly eight years, so you won’t hear me say a word against him. Lovely bloke, he is—do anything for you, and he’s good at his job.”
“I actually wanted to talk to him about his sister-in-law, Margaret Potts.”
Kelly looked confused.
“Margaret Potts was murdered, and I am investigating her death,” Anna explained. “I would just like to ask Mr. Potts some questions about whether he knew her well and could perhaps help me trace some of her friends. I was given Eric’s name by his brother, Stanley.”
“I don’t know anything about the poor woman, but I know of the brother. I’ve not actually met him, but he’s a bad lot, by all accounts. I’m certain Eric has nothing to do with him. In fact, I’ve not heard him mention his name for a long time. He was in prison, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, he was.”
“So this poor woman was his wife?”
“Yes.”
“Eric’s not said anything to me about her, but then, he’s a private sort. We don’t mix socially, and he’s not in the office that much. Most of his work is out on the road, see.”
“What work did he do before he came to your company?”
“Army. He’d done twenty years’ service. I’ve been looking for his CV, but to be honest, after so many years working here, I couldn’t tell you where it is. I’ll get the wife to try and dig it out; she handles most of the paperwork.”
“Thank you, but I doubt it will be necessary. Do you employ a lot of ex–army officers?”
“Yes and no. Got a couple on the books along with ex-coppers, but not all of them are regulars like Eric. I bring them in when I’m overloaded. Funnily enough, right now we’ve got a shedload of work on. Eric’s out with two guys this morning, showing them the ropes. There’s a lot of outstanding debts at the moment, with nonpayment of rent a big problem.”
At that moment, Mrs. Kelly tapped on the door and popped her head round to say that Eric had returned and was in his office.
Anna stood up. There
“I am a sort of general dogsbody. We have two offices, and my husband owns the company. We’re unusually busy right now, with a lot of people wanting their debts sorted. It’s strange, isn’t it? Bad times for some and good for others.”
“Is Mr. Potts in?”
“Not yet, but he’s due any moment. He’s training two new employees, and they were out early, but I told someone who called wanting to get particulars from him . . .”
“That would have been from my station.” Anna passed her card to Mrs. Kelly.
“Yes. I said he was expected back at lunchtime, but sometimes there may be a problem that needs sorting. My husband is in his office, if you’d like to talk to him.”
“I would, yes, but can you tell me a little about Mr. Potts first?”
“Ask my husband. I’ll just tell him you are here.” The woman glanced at the card Anna had passed to her and crossed a few paces to knock on one of the office doors. She gave a small smile. “One moment.”
Mrs. Kelly was fast, darting into the office before Anna could say anything. She came out almost as quickly and held the door ajar. “Ron will see you, Detective Travis.”
Ron Kelly was a short, squat man with a pair of wide red braces and checked trousers. The thick leather belt around his waist looked as if it held his girth in too tightly. His desk was filled with files and trays overflowing with papers. A computer took up most of the rest of the space on his desk. In here, the smell from the fish-and-chip shop was overpowering.
“Sit down, love, I’m Ronald Kelly.” He was pompous, and when he stood to shake Anna’s hand, he seemed no taller than when he was sitting behind his desk.
“Let me just say that Eric’s one of my most trusted employees,” he went on immediately. “He’s been with me for nearly eight years, so you won’t hear me say a word against him. Lovely bloke, he is—do anything for you, and he’s good at his job.”
“I actually wanted to talk to him about his sister-in-law, Margaret Potts.”
Kelly looked confused.
“Margaret Potts was murdered, and I am investigating her death,” Anna explained. “I would just like to ask Mr. Potts some questions about whether he knew her well and could perhaps help me trace some of her friends. I was given Eric’s name by his brother, Stanley.”
“I don’t know anything about the poor woman, but I know of the brother. I’ve not actually met him, but he’s a bad lot, by all accounts. I’m certain Eric has nothing to do with him. In fact, I’ve not heard him mention his name for a long time. He was in prison, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, he was.”
“So this poor woman was his wife?”
“Yes.”
“Eric’s not said anything to me about her, but then, he’s a private sort. We don’t mix socially, and he’s not in the office that much. Most of his work is out on the road, see.”
“What work did he do before he came to your company?”
“Army. He’d done twenty years’ service. I’ve been looking for his CV, but to be honest, after so many years working here, I couldn’t tell you where it is. I’ll get the wife to try and dig it out; she handles most of the paperwork.”
“Thank you, but I doubt it will be necessary. Do you employ a lot of ex–army officers?”
“Yes and no. Got a couple on the books along with ex-coppers, but not all of them are regulars like Eric. I bring them in when I’m overloaded. Funnily enough, right now we’ve got a shedload of work on. Eric’s out with two guys this morning, showing them the ropes. There’s a lot of outstanding debts at the moment, with nonpayment of rent a big problem.”
At that moment, Mrs. Kelly tapped on the door and popped her head round to say that Eric had returned and was in his office.
Anna stood up. There
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