leave it with me...’ Fitzjohn smiled slightly. ‘Of course, it may come to nothing, but I'll be in touch. I’ll also find out who the man was who gave these photographs to Julian Gould, and speak to the officer who was in charge at the time of your wife’s death.’ Fitzjohn held up the photographs. ‘Do you mind if I keep these for now?’
‘By all means.’
James arrived home that evening to the sound of the telephone. He threw the mail on the hall table, lurched into the living room, and picked up the receiver. ‘Hello.’
‘Dr Wearing?’
‘Yes, this is James Wearing.’
‘My name’s Patrick Spender, Doctor.’
James sat down on the chair at the desk.
‘Dr Wearing, are you still there?’
‘Yes. You just took me by surprise. I’ve been trying to locate you, Dr Spender. I understand from Alex’s housekeeper that you’d been in touch with him recently.’
‘Yes, I have, and that’s what I want to speak to you about, but I hesitate to do so over the telephone. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you come to see me in Melbourne?’
‘Melbourne?’
‘I wouldn’t ask, Dr Wearing, if I didn’t think it important.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’m more than happy to travel to Melbourne.’ James reached for a pen and wrote down the address. ‘I’ll get an early flight in the morning.’
CHAPTER 14
Fitzjohn arrived at his office early the next morning. He settled himself at his desk, opened the file in front of him and looked through the photographs James Wearing had left him the previous day. As he did so, Sergeant Betts came into the room.
‘Morning, sir.’
‘Ah, good morning Betts. I’m glad you’re early, I want you to have a look at these. They’re the reason Dr Wearing came to see me yesterday afternoon.’ Fitzjohn handed Betts the photographs and recounted his conversation with James Wearing.
‘It sounds bizarre, sir.’
‘It does, but in light of our present investigation, I think it’s wise to follow it up, especially since Simon Rhodes has been mentioned.’
Fitzjohn sat back in his chair. ‘I’ve spoken to McAllister, who was the officer in charge at the time of Louise Wearing’s death. He’s going to look into the records, but doesn’t hold much hope of finding anything new. I want you to check up on the man who died in prison last week and supposedly took these photographs. You never know, it might give us a lead.’
Betts handed the photographs back to Fitzjohn. ‘I’ll see what I can do, sir. What about Gould?’
‘I was coming to that. See if you can locate him. Shouldn’t be too difficult.’ Fitzjohn gathered up the photographs and placed them in a folder on his desk.
‘Have you found out anymore about James and Alex Wearing’s relationship?’
‘Yes, I have, and by all accounts it was stormy.’
‘Oh?’
‘I spoke to Tristan Harrow. I think you’d agree he’s an odd sort, but forthcoming with information. I got the impression he disliked Alex Wearing and doesn’t have much time for James Wearing, either. Says there was no love lost between the two brothers and, on the whole, they avoided each other.’
‘Did he know why?’
‘No. I also spoke to Vera Trenbath, who confirmed what Tristan Harrow said but was kinder in her remarks. She said she’d always hoped Alex and James Wearing would settle their differences, whatever they were, but that brings me to my next point, sir. They weren’t brothers at all, but cousins.’
‘What?’
‘Yes. After I spoke to Dr Trenbath, I went to see Catherine Wearing and, in the course of our conversation, she let it slip. Apparently, her father-in-law, Harold Wearing, had a sister, Mary, who gave birth to an illegitimate child. She never named the father. Mary Wearing lived less than two days after the baby’s birth. Emily and Harold Wearing took the child in and brought him up as
‘By all means.’
James arrived home that evening to the sound of the telephone. He threw the mail on the hall table, lurched into the living room, and picked up the receiver. ‘Hello.’
‘Dr Wearing?’
‘Yes, this is James Wearing.’
‘My name’s Patrick Spender, Doctor.’
James sat down on the chair at the desk.
‘Dr Wearing, are you still there?’
‘Yes. You just took me by surprise. I’ve been trying to locate you, Dr Spender. I understand from Alex’s housekeeper that you’d been in touch with him recently.’
‘Yes, I have, and that’s what I want to speak to you about, but I hesitate to do so over the telephone. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you come to see me in Melbourne?’
‘Melbourne?’
‘I wouldn’t ask, Dr Wearing, if I didn’t think it important.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’m more than happy to travel to Melbourne.’ James reached for a pen and wrote down the address. ‘I’ll get an early flight in the morning.’
CHAPTER 14
Fitzjohn arrived at his office early the next morning. He settled himself at his desk, opened the file in front of him and looked through the photographs James Wearing had left him the previous day. As he did so, Sergeant Betts came into the room.
‘Morning, sir.’
‘Ah, good morning Betts. I’m glad you’re early, I want you to have a look at these. They’re the reason Dr Wearing came to see me yesterday afternoon.’ Fitzjohn handed Betts the photographs and recounted his conversation with James Wearing.
‘It sounds bizarre, sir.’
‘It does, but in light of our present investigation, I think it’s wise to follow it up, especially since Simon Rhodes has been mentioned.’
Fitzjohn sat back in his chair. ‘I’ve spoken to McAllister, who was the officer in charge at the time of Louise Wearing’s death. He’s going to look into the records, but doesn’t hold much hope of finding anything new. I want you to check up on the man who died in prison last week and supposedly took these photographs. You never know, it might give us a lead.’
Betts handed the photographs back to Fitzjohn. ‘I’ll see what I can do, sir. What about Gould?’
‘I was coming to that. See if you can locate him. Shouldn’t be too difficult.’ Fitzjohn gathered up the photographs and placed them in a folder on his desk.
‘Have you found out anymore about James and Alex Wearing’s relationship?’
‘Yes, I have, and by all accounts it was stormy.’
‘Oh?’
‘I spoke to Tristan Harrow. I think you’d agree he’s an odd sort, but forthcoming with information. I got the impression he disliked Alex Wearing and doesn’t have much time for James Wearing, either. Says there was no love lost between the two brothers and, on the whole, they avoided each other.’
‘Did he know why?’
‘No. I also spoke to Vera Trenbath, who confirmed what Tristan Harrow said but was kinder in her remarks. She said she’d always hoped Alex and James Wearing would settle their differences, whatever they were, but that brings me to my next point, sir. They weren’t brothers at all, but cousins.’
‘What?’
‘Yes. After I spoke to Dr Trenbath, I went to see Catherine Wearing and, in the course of our conversation, she let it slip. Apparently, her father-in-law, Harold Wearing, had a sister, Mary, who gave birth to an illegitimate child. She never named the father. Mary Wearing lived less than two days after the baby’s birth. Emily and Harold Wearing took the child in and brought him up as
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