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Authors: Graham Hurley
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stuff - one or two development possibilities, bits and pieces of MoD land. It all made sense, I’m not blaming him, but compared to the returns you can make around London, the sums just didn’t stack up.’
‘So it must have been something else, musn’t it? To make him that interested in Portsmouth?’ Barber wouldn’t let go.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
Faraday was watching him carefully. ‘The lease he took on the house in Port Solent,’ he said. ‘That tells me he was down here a good deal.’
‘He was. And renting was much cheaper than hotels.’
‘So how often did he come down?’
‘A couple of times a week. Some weeks less, some weeks more.’
‘And you always compared notes afterwards? You were in the loop? You knew what was going on?’
‘Yeah, more or less. I was never his keeper. That wasn’t the way it worked. But yes, he kept me up to speed.’
‘So why so much time down here?’
‘Tipner, mainly.’
‘Which you couldn’t understand.’
‘Which I didn’t fancy. It’s a judgement call. We had a difference of professional opinion, that’s all.’
‘But I still don’t get it, Mr Benskin. Here’s a guy whose judgement you really respect. He doesn’t make mistakes, not big mistakes. So there has to be a reason, doesn’t there? About the strength of his interest in the Tipner site?’
With some reluctance, Benskin nodded. Tracy Barber cleared her throat. Her voice was low.
‘The man’s dead, Mr Benskin. The least you owe him is an answer.’
‘OK.’ He frowned, taking his time. ‘Jonno believed he was on the verge of some kind of breakthrough. He believed he could turn the deal around. Frankly, I thought he was talking bollocks.’
‘What kind of breakthrough?’
‘All the serious profit in the Tipner site is residential. As it is, there’s a big problem. Partly social housing again, partly the way the planners have zoned the place. But there’s a big piece of land next door, acres and acres of it, right by the harbour. At the moment it’s used as a firing range. If the MoD were to release it, you’re looking at a prime, prime site.’
‘And the Ministry of Defence?’
‘They’ve always said no. They’d barely even discuss it.’
‘But Mallinder?’
‘Jonno thought otherwise. He said they could be convinced. And he said he was the guy to do it.’
‘Having acquired the site from the current developers? ’
‘We hadn’t got that far, nowhere near. But yes, you’re right, that was the plan, that’s the way it would have to go.’
‘And you’d benefit from this sudden windfall?’
‘Obviously. And Jonno was right. It would have meant a lot of money.’
Faraday asked about paperwork, about files Mallinder would have kept on the Tipner project, about names and contacts and detailed records of meetings he’d attended. Benskin said he’d organise it, send the stuff down.
By now, mid-morning, he was plainly anxious to leave, but Faraday hadn’t finished. He wanted to know about the last couple of weeks, about any signs of stress or tension he might have noticed in his partner, about possible pressures in Mallinder’s private life - in short, about any tiny clue that might explain the small black-smudged hole in his forehead.
At each question Benskin shook his head. Jonno lived for his work and his family. He was about to move house to a bigger place in Wentworth. He was looking forward to their planned expansion into foreign markets, chiefly Spain. At this Faraday pressed for more detail, but Benskin was unforthcoming. Plans were still at an early stage. They were looking at a number of possibilities in terms of partnership but even an outline contract was at least six months away.
At length, after nearly two hours, Faraday called a halt. Should the need arise, he’d be back for more detail, perhaps another interview. Benskin, on his feet now, said nothing. Tracy Barber escorted him back downstairs to the front desk,
‘So it must have been something else, musn’t it? To make him that interested in Portsmouth?’ Barber wouldn’t let go.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
Faraday was watching him carefully. ‘The lease he took on the house in Port Solent,’ he said. ‘That tells me he was down here a good deal.’
‘He was. And renting was much cheaper than hotels.’
‘So how often did he come down?’
‘A couple of times a week. Some weeks less, some weeks more.’
‘And you always compared notes afterwards? You were in the loop? You knew what was going on?’
‘Yeah, more or less. I was never his keeper. That wasn’t the way it worked. But yes, he kept me up to speed.’
‘So why so much time down here?’
‘Tipner, mainly.’
‘Which you couldn’t understand.’
‘Which I didn’t fancy. It’s a judgement call. We had a difference of professional opinion, that’s all.’
‘But I still don’t get it, Mr Benskin. Here’s a guy whose judgement you really respect. He doesn’t make mistakes, not big mistakes. So there has to be a reason, doesn’t there? About the strength of his interest in the Tipner site?’
With some reluctance, Benskin nodded. Tracy Barber cleared her throat. Her voice was low.
‘The man’s dead, Mr Benskin. The least you owe him is an answer.’
‘OK.’ He frowned, taking his time. ‘Jonno believed he was on the verge of some kind of breakthrough. He believed he could turn the deal around. Frankly, I thought he was talking bollocks.’
‘What kind of breakthrough?’
‘All the serious profit in the Tipner site is residential. As it is, there’s a big problem. Partly social housing again, partly the way the planners have zoned the place. But there’s a big piece of land next door, acres and acres of it, right by the harbour. At the moment it’s used as a firing range. If the MoD were to release it, you’re looking at a prime, prime site.’
‘And the Ministry of Defence?’
‘They’ve always said no. They’d barely even discuss it.’
‘But Mallinder?’
‘Jonno thought otherwise. He said they could be convinced. And he said he was the guy to do it.’
‘Having acquired the site from the current developers? ’
‘We hadn’t got that far, nowhere near. But yes, you’re right, that was the plan, that’s the way it would have to go.’
‘And you’d benefit from this sudden windfall?’
‘Obviously. And Jonno was right. It would have meant a lot of money.’
Faraday asked about paperwork, about files Mallinder would have kept on the Tipner project, about names and contacts and detailed records of meetings he’d attended. Benskin said he’d organise it, send the stuff down.
By now, mid-morning, he was plainly anxious to leave, but Faraday hadn’t finished. He wanted to know about the last couple of weeks, about any signs of stress or tension he might have noticed in his partner, about possible pressures in Mallinder’s private life - in short, about any tiny clue that might explain the small black-smudged hole in his forehead.
At each question Benskin shook his head. Jonno lived for his work and his family. He was about to move house to a bigger place in Wentworth. He was looking forward to their planned expansion into foreign markets, chiefly Spain. At this Faraday pressed for more detail, but Benskin was unforthcoming. Plans were still at an early stage. They were looking at a number of possibilities in terms of partnership but even an outline contract was at least six months away.
At length, after nearly two hours, Faraday called a halt. Should the need arise, he’d be back for more detail, perhaps another interview. Benskin, on his feet now, said nothing. Tracy Barber escorted him back downstairs to the front desk,
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