Dead Money (A Detective Inspector Paul Amos Lincolnshire Mystery) by Rodney Hobson Page B
Authors: Rodney Hobson
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relaxing further.
“Nope,” he said simply.
“So you were not aware that he already had a reputation for aggressive dealing? You weren't worried that he might swindle you out of your business?”
“Mr Jones was a gentleman,” Berry blurted out with surprising indignation. “He always played fair, kept his word. He always,” Berry put great stress in the word, “had done.”
“I thought you said you didn't know him before he took over your company.”
Berry was flustered. Amos now discovered why the eyebrows were twisted up to a point. Berry twirled them whenever he got nervous.
“Well, I didn't really know him,” he floundered. “We'd done business with him, him being in the same line of business. I didn't actually know him.”
“You speak very highly of him,” Amos proffered, “Considering what he did to you.”
Berry was thrown again.
“What d'ya mean?” he demanded gruffly.
"Your business," Amos said. "Swindled you out of your business."
“He did no such thing,” Berry came back indignantly. “It was my partner Dick Wardle who cheated me. If it hadn't been for Mr Jones I'd have been left with nothing. Wardle took the lot and cleared off. But Mr Jones was a gent like I told you. He gave me a bit of cash.”
Amos picked up the papers in front of him. "For the purposes of the tape. I am showing Mr Berry documents relating to the takeover of Mr Berry's company by Raymond Jones."
Amos selected several papers, passing them one at a time across to Berry, who glanced up and down them but said nothing and passed them back.
"So?" he asked Amos.
"So, you can't read," the officer announced. "You've no idea what those documents say, have you?"
"Course I do," Berry persisted but he was looking round wildly as if he hoped a door would suddenly open up along one of the bare walls surrounding him.
"Then tell me," Amos suggested quietly, "which of these papers has nothing to do with you and Mr Jones."
Berry sat sullenly, refusing now to even look at the papers.
The point established, Amos moved on: "So you couldn't read the details. How do you know whether the deal was fair or not?"
"Mr Jones explained it all to me. Wardle had taken all the money out of the business. It was hardly worth anything. In fact, Mr Jones said I would be liable for debts that Wardle had run up without me knowing it. He did his best for me like I told you."
Amos pondered this touching declaration of faith for a few moments.
"Mr Jones gave you odd jobs to do, didn't he?" Swift took up the questioning.
"It was nothing much. I didn't have to declare it to the social services, did I?" Berry asked in desperation. "Look can I have a drink? A cup of tea?"
Swift had the bit between her teeth and was all for turning the rack tighter. She was disappointed when Amos demurred without hesitation.
“Of course you can,” he responded sympathetically. “Sergeant Swift and I will organise it. We'll be back in a few moments.”
Chapter 22
The two officers left Berry alone while they sent for tea and took stock in the corridor out of his hearing.
"I am convinced," Amos said after a few moments thought, “that Berry genuinely believed Jones. He really believes it was just his former partner who swindled him and that Jones actually came to the rescue. Then he relied on Jones for cash handouts to supplement his state benefit."
"If that is right," Swift butted in, "then what motive has he got for murdering Jones? Surely he wanted Jones alive, not dead."
Amos shrugged his shoulders.
"You could be right," he admitted. “Unless Jones had decided not to use him any more. But I must admit that doesn’t ring true.”
They stood in silence until tea was delivered and the interview was resumed.
"I don't see any reason to involve social security if you cooperate," Amos said smoothly. "I'm not putting the tape back on so nothing you say now can be used against you."
Berry seemed mollified.
"Now tell me about the
“Nope,” he said simply.
“So you were not aware that he already had a reputation for aggressive dealing? You weren't worried that he might swindle you out of your business?”
“Mr Jones was a gentleman,” Berry blurted out with surprising indignation. “He always played fair, kept his word. He always,” Berry put great stress in the word, “had done.”
“I thought you said you didn't know him before he took over your company.”
Berry was flustered. Amos now discovered why the eyebrows were twisted up to a point. Berry twirled them whenever he got nervous.
“Well, I didn't really know him,” he floundered. “We'd done business with him, him being in the same line of business. I didn't actually know him.”
“You speak very highly of him,” Amos proffered, “Considering what he did to you.”
Berry was thrown again.
“What d'ya mean?” he demanded gruffly.
"Your business," Amos said. "Swindled you out of your business."
“He did no such thing,” Berry came back indignantly. “It was my partner Dick Wardle who cheated me. If it hadn't been for Mr Jones I'd have been left with nothing. Wardle took the lot and cleared off. But Mr Jones was a gent like I told you. He gave me a bit of cash.”
Amos picked up the papers in front of him. "For the purposes of the tape. I am showing Mr Berry documents relating to the takeover of Mr Berry's company by Raymond Jones."
Amos selected several papers, passing them one at a time across to Berry, who glanced up and down them but said nothing and passed them back.
"So?" he asked Amos.
"So, you can't read," the officer announced. "You've no idea what those documents say, have you?"
"Course I do," Berry persisted but he was looking round wildly as if he hoped a door would suddenly open up along one of the bare walls surrounding him.
"Then tell me," Amos suggested quietly, "which of these papers has nothing to do with you and Mr Jones."
Berry sat sullenly, refusing now to even look at the papers.
The point established, Amos moved on: "So you couldn't read the details. How do you know whether the deal was fair or not?"
"Mr Jones explained it all to me. Wardle had taken all the money out of the business. It was hardly worth anything. In fact, Mr Jones said I would be liable for debts that Wardle had run up without me knowing it. He did his best for me like I told you."
Amos pondered this touching declaration of faith for a few moments.
"Mr Jones gave you odd jobs to do, didn't he?" Swift took up the questioning.
"It was nothing much. I didn't have to declare it to the social services, did I?" Berry asked in desperation. "Look can I have a drink? A cup of tea?"
Swift had the bit between her teeth and was all for turning the rack tighter. She was disappointed when Amos demurred without hesitation.
“Of course you can,” he responded sympathetically. “Sergeant Swift and I will organise it. We'll be back in a few moments.”
Chapter 22
The two officers left Berry alone while they sent for tea and took stock in the corridor out of his hearing.
"I am convinced," Amos said after a few moments thought, “that Berry genuinely believed Jones. He really believes it was just his former partner who swindled him and that Jones actually came to the rescue. Then he relied on Jones for cash handouts to supplement his state benefit."
"If that is right," Swift butted in, "then what motive has he got for murdering Jones? Surely he wanted Jones alive, not dead."
Amos shrugged his shoulders.
"You could be right," he admitted. “Unless Jones had decided not to use him any more. But I must admit that doesn’t ring true.”
They stood in silence until tea was delivered and the interview was resumed.
"I don't see any reason to involve social security if you cooperate," Amos said smoothly. "I'm not putting the tape back on so nothing you say now can be used against you."
Berry seemed mollified.
"Now tell me about the
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