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Authors: Mike Holman
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Sergeant Atkins had already been in touch with both of them. Neither could help with any idea of his whereabouts or the location of his intended business meeting. Sergeant Atkins’ notes revealed that both had appeared very genuinely and deeply concerned for his safety, as to be uncontactable for more than a day was, for him, very uncharacteristic.
Mrs Peterson described how, in his dealings within the fine art/antiques business, her husband would regularly meet complete strangers in hotels around the country to view or buy expensive works of art or antiques. These were people who insisted on complete one to one confidentiality for personal, tax or other reasons.
Her husband’s stance was not to ask too many personal questions of vendors. As long as he was as happy as he could be that the article was neither fake nor stolen then he was disinterested in the reason for the sale or the wealth or background of the vendor. He would just buy it cheap and sell it at a vast mark up whenever possible. Many of his sales were also conducted in a similarly secretive fashion.
They also jointly owned a small house clearance and transport business. This was something which Mrs Peterson predominately ran and organised on her own. It specialised in both the removal and delivery of antique items in the UK and Europe as an aside to the fine art/antiques business. Also house clearance and transport to auction of household goods mainly in probate cases with storage facilities within the old farm buildings on the estate. They only directly employed two drivers for the two lorries the business ran and employed others through agencies as and when needed. Other business interests revolved around property. They jointly owned other houses in the UK and Spain, all of which were rented out. Rental companies managed all this on their behalf and they had no day to day need to be involved other than to accumulate healthy profits. Both his and her parents were deceased and neither had brothers nor sisters.
Colin Peterson had an office in the house adjacent to the main sitting room. Both also shared an office within one of the converted barns where Mrs Peterson worked on a day to day basis. According to her, this was predominantly her domain.
All business interests were in their joint names. She claimed to have little to do with running the fine art/antiques business, putting most of her time into transport and shipping. She also enjoyed playing with the property market.
“Colin and I make good partners in business Tom. That’s why our marriage survives so well even though things in the bedroom aren’t quite so successful.”
“I noticed quite a few cars parked down by the farm buildings when we drove in Mrs Peterson, do these belong to employees?” Sweetface enquired.
“One or two. We rent part of one of the converted barns to a small computer software company. They employ a handful of people and have nothing to do with any of our businesses. They are merely tenants.”
On Mrs Peterson’s request Jackie had returned to the kitchen to make more coffee.
Maria Peterson had provided both Officers with a substantial amount of personal information. She was starting to tire of the whole procedure but it wasn’t an emotion she wanted to show in case either Detective misread it as a lack of interest in quickly tracing her beloved husband.
“Do you mind if DC Sweeting has a cursory look in your husband’s office to see if there is anything which might suggest where he may have been going that morning?”
Mrs Peterson sighed, a scowl appeared on her face. She seemed a little uncomfortable with the request.
“Is it really necessary Tom, only Sgt Atkins and I have already done that and I know he would hate someone going through his private business papers? He is a very very private man. Believe me I have looked several times, there is nothing.”
“Only a cursory look Mrs Peterson, from a Detective’s perspective, just a couple of
Mrs Peterson described how, in his dealings within the fine art/antiques business, her husband would regularly meet complete strangers in hotels around the country to view or buy expensive works of art or antiques. These were people who insisted on complete one to one confidentiality for personal, tax or other reasons.
Her husband’s stance was not to ask too many personal questions of vendors. As long as he was as happy as he could be that the article was neither fake nor stolen then he was disinterested in the reason for the sale or the wealth or background of the vendor. He would just buy it cheap and sell it at a vast mark up whenever possible. Many of his sales were also conducted in a similarly secretive fashion.
They also jointly owned a small house clearance and transport business. This was something which Mrs Peterson predominately ran and organised on her own. It specialised in both the removal and delivery of antique items in the UK and Europe as an aside to the fine art/antiques business. Also house clearance and transport to auction of household goods mainly in probate cases with storage facilities within the old farm buildings on the estate. They only directly employed two drivers for the two lorries the business ran and employed others through agencies as and when needed. Other business interests revolved around property. They jointly owned other houses in the UK and Spain, all of which were rented out. Rental companies managed all this on their behalf and they had no day to day need to be involved other than to accumulate healthy profits. Both his and her parents were deceased and neither had brothers nor sisters.
Colin Peterson had an office in the house adjacent to the main sitting room. Both also shared an office within one of the converted barns where Mrs Peterson worked on a day to day basis. According to her, this was predominantly her domain.
All business interests were in their joint names. She claimed to have little to do with running the fine art/antiques business, putting most of her time into transport and shipping. She also enjoyed playing with the property market.
“Colin and I make good partners in business Tom. That’s why our marriage survives so well even though things in the bedroom aren’t quite so successful.”
“I noticed quite a few cars parked down by the farm buildings when we drove in Mrs Peterson, do these belong to employees?” Sweetface enquired.
“One or two. We rent part of one of the converted barns to a small computer software company. They employ a handful of people and have nothing to do with any of our businesses. They are merely tenants.”
On Mrs Peterson’s request Jackie had returned to the kitchen to make more coffee.
Maria Peterson had provided both Officers with a substantial amount of personal information. She was starting to tire of the whole procedure but it wasn’t an emotion she wanted to show in case either Detective misread it as a lack of interest in quickly tracing her beloved husband.
“Do you mind if DC Sweeting has a cursory look in your husband’s office to see if there is anything which might suggest where he may have been going that morning?”
Mrs Peterson sighed, a scowl appeared on her face. She seemed a little uncomfortable with the request.
“Is it really necessary Tom, only Sgt Atkins and I have already done that and I know he would hate someone going through his private business papers? He is a very very private man. Believe me I have looked several times, there is nothing.”
“Only a cursory look Mrs Peterson, from a Detective’s perspective, just a couple of
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