interested to see them in the hope that they might reveal some secret that would aid our investigation.
Taking advantage of Hammond’s absence, Dave took the wedding photograph from his briefcase and placed it on the side table whence he had taken it three days previously.
‘These are the last two years’ statements,’ said Hammond, flourishing a sheaf of bank documents as he returned. ‘Kerry always got online statements, but then printed a copy of them to keep here. I think she kept a duplicate set at the office as well. Very good with paperwork, was Kerry.’
‘Seems a bit pointless, getting online statements and then making a hard copy,’ commented Dave, who knew about these things. He glanced quickly at the statements and then put them in his briefcase.
‘I suppose so,’ said Hammond, ‘but Kerry was very much a belt and braces girl.’
‘Does the name Gary Dixon mean anything to you, Mr Hammond?’ I asked. I’d posed the same question to him at the airport when we’d told him of Kerry’s death, but I was interested to hear what he had to say this time. I was disappointed.
‘You asked me that at the airport,’ said Hammond, ‘and no, the name means nothing to me. Why, is it important?’
‘I’ve no idea, Mr Hammond,’ I said, ‘but a murder enquiry is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle: you collect all sorts of odd pieces and try to fit them together.’
‘I see.’ Hammond appeared unimpressed by this novel approach to solving serious crime. ‘When am I likely to get Kerry’s car back, Chief Inspector?’
‘There are still a number of scientific tests to be carried out on the vehicle, Mr Hammond.’ Although I’d noticed a new Mini Cooper on the drive when we’d arrived, it seemed that Hammond was more concerned about getting his hands on the Jaguar. Certainly more concerned than he seemed to be about his wife’s murder. But I was on the point of disillusioning him. ‘However, the Jaguar will be returned to its owners, Kerry Trucking Limited, once we’ve finished examining it.’
‘But it’s Kerry’s car, surely?’
‘It’s registered to the company,’ said Dave, ‘and it’s the company that’ll get it back.’
‘But Kerry owned the company.’
‘Not all of it,’ said Dave. ‘It’s something you’ll have to take up with her fellow directors.’
‘Which leads me to my next point, Mr Hammond,’ I said. ‘Do you have a copy of Mrs Hammond’s will?’
Hammond hesitated long enough for me to know that his answer, when it came, would be untrue. ‘Er, no, I’m afraid not,’ he said eventually. ‘In fact, I’m not sure she’d made one,’ he added, belying his previous statement that Kerry was a belt and braces girl. ‘Is it important?’
‘Not really,’ I said offhandedly, in an attempt to imply that it was of no real interest to me. But I was sure that a businesswoman with the assets that Kerry Hammond possessed would not have died intestate. Doubtless Bernard Bligh would know about it, and it was a possibility that Kerry Trucking’s company solicitors would have taken care of drawing up a will for Kerry.
But Hammond answered that question for me. ‘I do know that she used the company’s solicitors for private stuff, like the purchase of this house.’
‘Is the house jointly owned by you and your wife?’ asked Dave.
‘No, it’s in Kerry’s name,’ said Hammond tersely. I got the impression that such an arrangement did not please him greatly. ‘She lived here with her previous husband.’
‘Do you know where I can find these lawyers?’ I asked.
‘I’m afraid not. I seem to recall Kerry saying that all the paperwork, including the deeds for this house, were kept by a solicitor, but I’ve no idea which one. I dare say that someone at her offices in Chiswick will be able to help you.’ And then Hammond reverted to our previous conversation. ‘I imagine that the bulk of her estate will come to me,’ he volunteered, ‘although we’d never
Taking advantage of Hammond’s absence, Dave took the wedding photograph from his briefcase and placed it on the side table whence he had taken it three days previously.
‘These are the last two years’ statements,’ said Hammond, flourishing a sheaf of bank documents as he returned. ‘Kerry always got online statements, but then printed a copy of them to keep here. I think she kept a duplicate set at the office as well. Very good with paperwork, was Kerry.’
‘Seems a bit pointless, getting online statements and then making a hard copy,’ commented Dave, who knew about these things. He glanced quickly at the statements and then put them in his briefcase.
‘I suppose so,’ said Hammond, ‘but Kerry was very much a belt and braces girl.’
‘Does the name Gary Dixon mean anything to you, Mr Hammond?’ I asked. I’d posed the same question to him at the airport when we’d told him of Kerry’s death, but I was interested to hear what he had to say this time. I was disappointed.
‘You asked me that at the airport,’ said Hammond, ‘and no, the name means nothing to me. Why, is it important?’
‘I’ve no idea, Mr Hammond,’ I said, ‘but a murder enquiry is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle: you collect all sorts of odd pieces and try to fit them together.’
‘I see.’ Hammond appeared unimpressed by this novel approach to solving serious crime. ‘When am I likely to get Kerry’s car back, Chief Inspector?’
‘There are still a number of scientific tests to be carried out on the vehicle, Mr Hammond.’ Although I’d noticed a new Mini Cooper on the drive when we’d arrived, it seemed that Hammond was more concerned about getting his hands on the Jaguar. Certainly more concerned than he seemed to be about his wife’s murder. But I was on the point of disillusioning him. ‘However, the Jaguar will be returned to its owners, Kerry Trucking Limited, once we’ve finished examining it.’
‘But it’s Kerry’s car, surely?’
‘It’s registered to the company,’ said Dave, ‘and it’s the company that’ll get it back.’
‘But Kerry owned the company.’
‘Not all of it,’ said Dave. ‘It’s something you’ll have to take up with her fellow directors.’
‘Which leads me to my next point, Mr Hammond,’ I said. ‘Do you have a copy of Mrs Hammond’s will?’
Hammond hesitated long enough for me to know that his answer, when it came, would be untrue. ‘Er, no, I’m afraid not,’ he said eventually. ‘In fact, I’m not sure she’d made one,’ he added, belying his previous statement that Kerry was a belt and braces girl. ‘Is it important?’
‘Not really,’ I said offhandedly, in an attempt to imply that it was of no real interest to me. But I was sure that a businesswoman with the assets that Kerry Hammond possessed would not have died intestate. Doubtless Bernard Bligh would know about it, and it was a possibility that Kerry Trucking’s company solicitors would have taken care of drawing up a will for Kerry.
But Hammond answered that question for me. ‘I do know that she used the company’s solicitors for private stuff, like the purchase of this house.’
‘Is the house jointly owned by you and your wife?’ asked Dave.
‘No, it’s in Kerry’s name,’ said Hammond tersely. I got the impression that such an arrangement did not please him greatly. ‘She lived here with her previous husband.’
‘Do you know where I can find these lawyers?’ I asked.
‘I’m afraid not. I seem to recall Kerry saying that all the paperwork, including the deeds for this house, were kept by a solicitor, but I’ve no idea which one. I dare say that someone at her offices in Chiswick will be able to help you.’ And then Hammond reverted to our previous conversation. ‘I imagine that the bulk of her estate will come to me,’ he volunteered, ‘although we’d never
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