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Authors: Roger Silverwood
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days?’
‘No, Inspector. I’ve told you. He’s always been the same miserable , nit-picking so-and-so ever since I knowed him.’
‘Did he ever tell you about his dreams or nightmares?’
‘Naw, he wouldn’t tell me anything like that. All we ever talked about was meals, money and muck. He wasn’t much with the social chat, Inspector.’
‘Right, thank you, Mrs Johnson.’
‘Is that all you want to know?’ she said, jumping out of the chair.
‘For now, thank you. Yes. Now I want to see Mr King’s chauffeur …’
‘Mark Rogers. He’s outside waiting,’ she said, making for the door. She looked back and added, ‘And if you hear of anybody wanting a good housekeeper, tell them I will be looking for a good job in a week or two, will you?’
He hesitated. ‘I doubt if I shall meet anybody that could afford you,’ he said.
She frowned. It turned to a smile as she pulled open the door. ‘You’re right there, Inspector,’ she chuckled.
Angel added, ‘Ask Mr Rogers to come in, will you?’
‘Very well, Inspector.’
SIX
T here was a knock at the door and it was opened by a smart young man in his thirties. He wore a dark suit and carried a peaked hat.
He closed the door and turned to face Angel.
‘Please come in and sit down,’ Angel said.
The young man came tentatively into the small sitting-room and sat down in a chair opposite Angel.
‘You were Mr King’s chauffeur?’
‘Yes, sir,’ he said. ‘Mark Rogers. I also maintained his cars.’
‘How long have you worked for Mr King?’
‘It’s about eight years now.’
‘And what exactly did you do? What did you do yesterday, for instance?’
‘Hmm. Yesterday? Well, I picked him up in the Mercedes at eight o’clock and took him to the Head Office on Pontefract Road, then I came back here. I was getting some warm water to wash the upholstery when my mobile rang. It was a message to say that Mr King wanted me back there straightaway to take him to Blackburn. The company has a brewery there. So I put my best jacket back on and my hat and dashed back to Pontefract Road to pick him up. He wasn’t pleased because I’d kept him waiting three minutes. He took a secretary with him and dictated some emails to her. He also made some phone calls. Anyway, I got them there for 11. He said he wouldn’t belong, but it was actually after two before they returned. It was a good job I had my sandwiches because it was after 4 before I got back to Pontefract Road. I dropped them off and then filled up the car with diesel. I returned to Pontefract Road and waited until 5.30 when I brought Mr King back here, then I knocked off and went home.’
‘Have you any idea how he came to be found dead in the swimming pool?’
‘No, sir. None at all.’
‘Did you notice any difference in his manner this last week or so?’
‘No, sir. There was one thing about Mr King, and that was he was always the same. He never seemed to vary. He told me what to do, and as long as I did it, he was satisfied. He never grumbled as long as he got his own way. If he wanted to go somewhere, I took him there the quickest and safest way I knew. He was a bit short on charm and was never polite, but I could live with that. He was the boss, he paid my wages, good wages, and he didn’t mess about. That satisfied me.’
‘So you never noticed that he was worried or afraid or nervous about anything lately, as if he had something on his mind?’
Rogers’ eyebrows shot up. ‘Mr King? No, sir. The only thing he was bothered about was the business. As long as the breweries kept on making the booze and selling it, nothing else seemed to bother him.’
‘Did he ever tell you about the dreams he was having?’
‘Dreams? No. I would have thought he would have been far too busy to have time for dreams, sir.’
‘And you saw no change in him at all this past week or so?’
‘No, sir. Not at all. The only time I’ve seen him the slightest bit out of sorts was when he and his
‘No, Inspector. I’ve told you. He’s always been the same miserable , nit-picking so-and-so ever since I knowed him.’
‘Did he ever tell you about his dreams or nightmares?’
‘Naw, he wouldn’t tell me anything like that. All we ever talked about was meals, money and muck. He wasn’t much with the social chat, Inspector.’
‘Right, thank you, Mrs Johnson.’
‘Is that all you want to know?’ she said, jumping out of the chair.
‘For now, thank you. Yes. Now I want to see Mr King’s chauffeur …’
‘Mark Rogers. He’s outside waiting,’ she said, making for the door. She looked back and added, ‘And if you hear of anybody wanting a good housekeeper, tell them I will be looking for a good job in a week or two, will you?’
He hesitated. ‘I doubt if I shall meet anybody that could afford you,’ he said.
She frowned. It turned to a smile as she pulled open the door. ‘You’re right there, Inspector,’ she chuckled.
Angel added, ‘Ask Mr Rogers to come in, will you?’
‘Very well, Inspector.’
SIX
T here was a knock at the door and it was opened by a smart young man in his thirties. He wore a dark suit and carried a peaked hat.
He closed the door and turned to face Angel.
‘Please come in and sit down,’ Angel said.
The young man came tentatively into the small sitting-room and sat down in a chair opposite Angel.
‘You were Mr King’s chauffeur?’
‘Yes, sir,’ he said. ‘Mark Rogers. I also maintained his cars.’
‘How long have you worked for Mr King?’
‘It’s about eight years now.’
‘And what exactly did you do? What did you do yesterday, for instance?’
‘Hmm. Yesterday? Well, I picked him up in the Mercedes at eight o’clock and took him to the Head Office on Pontefract Road, then I came back here. I was getting some warm water to wash the upholstery when my mobile rang. It was a message to say that Mr King wanted me back there straightaway to take him to Blackburn. The company has a brewery there. So I put my best jacket back on and my hat and dashed back to Pontefract Road to pick him up. He wasn’t pleased because I’d kept him waiting three minutes. He took a secretary with him and dictated some emails to her. He also made some phone calls. Anyway, I got them there for 11. He said he wouldn’t belong, but it was actually after two before they returned. It was a good job I had my sandwiches because it was after 4 before I got back to Pontefract Road. I dropped them off and then filled up the car with diesel. I returned to Pontefract Road and waited until 5.30 when I brought Mr King back here, then I knocked off and went home.’
‘Have you any idea how he came to be found dead in the swimming pool?’
‘No, sir. None at all.’
‘Did you notice any difference in his manner this last week or so?’
‘No, sir. There was one thing about Mr King, and that was he was always the same. He never seemed to vary. He told me what to do, and as long as I did it, he was satisfied. He never grumbled as long as he got his own way. If he wanted to go somewhere, I took him there the quickest and safest way I knew. He was a bit short on charm and was never polite, but I could live with that. He was the boss, he paid my wages, good wages, and he didn’t mess about. That satisfied me.’
‘So you never noticed that he was worried or afraid or nervous about anything lately, as if he had something on his mind?’
Rogers’ eyebrows shot up. ‘Mr King? No, sir. The only thing he was bothered about was the business. As long as the breweries kept on making the booze and selling it, nothing else seemed to bother him.’
‘Did he ever tell you about the dreams he was having?’
‘Dreams? No. I would have thought he would have been far too busy to have time for dreams, sir.’
‘And you saw no change in him at all this past week or so?’
‘No, sir. Not at all. The only time I’ve seen him the slightest bit out of sorts was when he and his
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