Wednesday 25 November 2015

Episode 10 - Tanner


Saturday

It was early when they got to Tanner’s lodgings on Saturday morning. To Cleo’s surprise, Jim Tanner was quite a youthful character, not at all like Delilah had described him. He was full of the joys of spring and seemed to have recovered from not getting his pub back, though that was because, as he confided in Cleo, he was going to open a chip shop very near. 
Tanner gave Cleo and Dorothy no indication that he wanted to return to manage the Dog and Whistle. Cleo gave no indication that she knew he had wanted to and been a worry to Delilah, who might admittedly have been making a mountain out of a molehill.
“It wasn’t making any money,” he said. “But it is now, I understand, so it’s time high time I got back in the saddle. Dr Marble said I stood a good chance of getting the lease annulled if I pursued my claim, having recovered from the sudden illness that took me to Mallorca.
That was the moment Dorothy started to wonder about Jim Tanner.
“Of course, when I take over the pub again, I’ll make the chip shop into a takeaway and get rid of all the new-fangled stuff inside. Upper Grumpsfield does not need a foreign restaurant.”
“It sounds as if you have made concrete plans, Mr Tanner,” said Cleo.
“When did you consult Dr Marble?” Dorothy asked.
“Sometime last week,” said Tanner.
 “Did Dr Marble tell you that those plans will go through?” Cleo asked.
“He said that he would have consult his law books. To be honest, I thought that was a bit peculiar.”
“Maybe he needed to jog his memory, Mr Tanner,” said Dorothy.
“Or maybe someone else went there and tried to get their hands on the pub lease,” said Cleo, worried now that perhaps Mitch had taken the law into his own hands.
“Do you suspect someone?” Tanner asked.
“No,” said Cleo. “When you were there, did Dr Marble seem nervous?”
“He had a funny twitch, Miss Hartley, but that housekeeper woman has kept him going, I think. I wouldn’t be surprised if… well, you know.”
“Surely not,” said Cleo.
“There’s funny business there, for sure, but I’m not one to pry,” said Tanner. “If he helps me to get the pub back, he can count on my discretion.”
“I wouldn’t try to get the pub back, Mr Tanner,” Cleo advised. “Delilah’s doing a first class job with her assistant and I’m not so sure that people would prefer chips to pizza these days.”
“She’s not married to that bloke. I’ll get her for indecency,” said Tanner.
His breezy manner hid a rather nasty character, Cleo decided. Delilah had been right not to come with them.
Cleo did not comment further on the pub lease, but she wondered if Dr Marble was still reliable. She was quite sure that Tanner could not get the pub back legally.
***
They had drifted far away from talking about her reason for visiting Delilah’s landlord, so Cleo decided to rein in the conversation while making a mental note that she would ask Delilah if there was anything in the lease that would make it possible for Tanner to get rid of her, for instance on grounds of indecent behaviour. She would have to warn Delilah in what direction Tanner was thinking. If it was the pot calling the kettle black, that would be in Delilah’s favour. If, for instance, Tanner had deserted his wife to carry on with some other woman, he would be on very shaky ground from a moral point of view.
“Excuse me one minute, Mr Tanner,” she said. “I need to make a short phone-call,” and went outside to talk quickly to Delilah. Delilah thought Cleo was joking and told her that  she would talk to Mitch about it and they would start selling fish and chips, just in case. They could even make a grand opening for it, with an article in the local Gazette. Apart from anything, it really was the pot calling the kettle black, since Jim Tanner had once been one of Mrs Riddle’s conquests, but had not been as attractive a catch as Dr Marble. He was certainly carrying on with someone now, but she had no idea who it could be.
Cleo made a mental note of that thwarted relationship between Tanner and Mrs Riddle. You never knew when you were hearing something useful to an investigation.
With Cleo outside making that phone-call, Dorothy was called on to fill in the gap.
“I’m doing a historical survey of the village,” she explained. “I’d like to know about Kelly’s farm. I understand it’s very historical.”
“Your coloured friend is a detective, isn’t she?”
“She just came along today, Mr Tanner. It’s actually me who should be asking all the questions.”
***
Cleo came back into the room in time to hear about Dorothy’s quest for historical data. She nodded in agreement. Dorothy was now in charge and enjoying herself improvising, which in turn entertained Cleo.
Jim fell for the story about the survey and proceeded to tell the sleuths a great deal that he knew about the village, including the history of Monkton Priory, which he did not know was now owned by Cleo thanks to a cardsharping ancestor. He was not to find out, either, though he did tell tales about the old Hartley family who, according to him, was the most powerful clan around before the head of that family apparently lost everything at cards.  He had not known John Hartley, Cleo’s father, but had heard that he was a nice gentleman before he got into hot water with some show-girl or other. Since that show-girl was Cleo’s mother, Cleo decided not to comment.
“I don’t suppose you also knew the old Kelly family, did you?” Dorothy asked.
“Of course I knew them. Terrible tragedy,” Tanner said.
“What tragedy?” 
“Don’t you know about what happened at the farm, Miss Price?”
“Only vaguely, Mr Tanner.”
“The Kellys were gassed in their sleep by their heating oven, an old bit of junk spewing carbon monoxide.”
“How awful! What a good job they had a son to take over.”
“A son, you say? Never! Between you, me and the gatepost I’m sure he’s an imposter.”
“What makes you think that?”
“If I had a son, I’d tell everyone, but they never mentioned one.”
“Perhaps they had fallen out with him,” suggested Dorothy.
“My wife swears that Paddy Kelly was just there for what he could get, and he got it all.”
“But that’s terrible,” said Dorothy. “And no one has done anything about it all these years, I suppose.”
Jim stopped in his tracks as he was going to answer that last question.
“Hey, why are you nosing about in the Kelly story?” he said.
“The more details about the local people I have, the better can I write up the village history,” fibbed Dorothy.
“Well, be warned. If I were you, I wouldn’t write any of this in your history book!”
“Why not? It’s all such a long time ago.”
“The Norman Conquest was a long time ago. The Kelly Conquest was recent, and Kelly has been known to turn nasty.”
“That makes me shiver,” said Dorothy.
“That could be someone walking over your grave,” said Tanner. “Just make sure you don’t land in it too soon.”
***
When the sleuths were on the way home, Cleo said she thought Jim Tanner was morbid and had wanted to get all that off his chest. He probably knew even more about Kelly, but Dorothy thought it unlikely that he would say any more. She had decided that Tanner had started to play games with her just to see how she would react. People did that sometimes to liven up a conversation or put an end to it. Dorothy was glad she had been going to shooting practice regularly.  Cleo was glad she had not taken the gun out of her handbag.
***
“The whole business was too long ago, Dorothy,” said Cleo. “Whatever happened has been conveniently forgotten by most. I dare say that Jim Tanner does not want to be reminded of Paddy Kelly, either. He didn’t sound as if they were friends. Maybe he was keen on Magda or was even a client and just wanted to forget a rather frustrating period in his life. He would not tell you that he had been a hooker’s client. Men are very secretive about how they spend their pocket-money.”
“Paddy Kelly seems to be pivotal for our investigation, Cleo, but to be honest, I think the whole business stinks!”
“So much so that I think I should go back to Dr Marble and compare notes with him. Now we know a bit more about what happened before we came here, it should be interesting to see what Dr Marble has to say. And this time you must come with me, Dorothy.”
***
It was nearly lunchtime when Cleo dropped Dorothy off at her cottage door and drove the hundred yards or so back to her cottage. There were rather irate messages from Gary wondering why she did not answer her mobile and was not at home to answer the phone.
“He never gives up, does he?” commented Robert, who was cooking.
“What are you doing here, Robert?”
“Gloria is skipping lunch and I’ll take over at about two so that she can have the afternoon free.”
“I’ll call Gary back now,” said Cleo. She tapped Gary’s number on her mobile and went out into the front garden where Robert could not hear her.
“Something wrong, Gary?”
“I was worried about you. Weren’t you at that solicitor’s house this morning?”
“No, yesterday. He’s a harmless old man, Gary.”
“Didn’t you want to report on that?”
“He has a nephew named Harry who was behind bars for violence., but the guy was not there yesterday.”
“Well, just take care. I hope you aren’t taking on too much.”
“I’ll try not to. What have you been doing apart from phoning me?”
“Catching up on one or two other cases” said Gary. “When can I see you?”
“Soon.”
“Today?”
“Why not? Robert is working this afternoon. He us going to stay open later every Saturday and he still has to go round with his deliveries, so he’ll be busy for quite a long time.”
“Come for coffee and sex at Romano’s.”
“I’m not sure about the coffee, but I can get away when Robert has gone to the shop.”
“I hope I heard right.”
“You did. Three at Romano’s OK?” said Cleo.
“I can’t wait!”
***
Lunch with Robert was like a question time for Cleo. Robert was curious about Jim Tanner, whom he had known as a rustic, bawdy man.
“I don’t think we can be talking about the same guy,” said Cleo. “The one I met was quite charming, though Dorothy and I soon came to the conclusion that his friendliness was only a veneer. Delilah’s problems are just starting.”
“How?”
“He wants the pub back now it’s thriving.”
“He’ll be lucky.”
“I expect she’ll cope,” said Cleo. Tanner wants to get her for indecent behaviour.”
“As I said, he’ll be lucky. He’s given most of the women round here a run for their money and some of them would be sure to damn him openly if they could and probably claim support for their offspring.”
“Really?”
“Tanner is a gigolo.”
“Awesome. Taking lonely women for all they’ve got.”
“I don’t suppose he stopped at messing around with women. The pub wasn’t making any money, but he drove a flashy car and wore jewellery, Cleo. That stinks of money-washing or some other illicit trading.”
“He apparently went to Mallorca for his rheumatism, Dorothy told me.”
“He closed the pub suddenly and went off to Mallorca with someone else’s wife.”
“He’s in Lower Grumpsfield now, lodging somewhere while he ousts Delilah out of her bistro for immoral conduct.”
“She’d better marry Mitch,” said Robert.
“I’m not sure he wants marriage.”
“Since when do men have a choice?” said Robert.
“Do you want an answer to that question or was it rhetorical?”
“I’m not into rhetorical, whatever that is,” said Robert. He had an ongoing problem with Cleo’s further education. He tried to hide his learning deficits, but strange words always tripped him up and he was sure that Cleo was using them deliberately to blind him with science.
“I’m going into Middlethumpton later,” said Cleo.
“Baby clothes again?”
“Not just a layout.”
“A layout with a lay-about?” joked Robert.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Cleo.
“Layout is the wrong word unless that’s what you are going to buy. I don’t know what you Americans call your hanky-panky. Layette is the right word for baby clothes. Even I know that.”
“OK layette. What hanky-panky?”
“You tell me,” said Robert, and Cleo wished she could. “Are you having quads that need so many baby clothes?”
“I need to see Colin about records that have not been digitalized.”
“That’s all right then. I thought you were going to meet your lover.”
“That, too.” said Cleo automatically, before she realized what Robert had actually said. She would have to get out of that situation fast or tell the truth. Was she ready to drop that bomb?
“What else do you want me to do, Robert?” she said.
“I should think that’s enough for one afternoon.”
“I could stay the night at the Grand Hotel,” she said. “They do a good line in dead hookers in cupboards there.”
“Now you are joking,” said Robert.
“It would not matter what I said. I don’t think you ever believe me, Robert.”
“I do, really I do, but now I should be going. See you tonight.”
***
Romano was delighted to see Cleo,
“Gary’s gone ahead,” he said. “He’s in a better state than last time.”
“So am I, Romano. I can’t give him up.”
“How is the unborn bambino?”
“Still tiny. How do you know?”
“Gary told me.”
“It might not be his, Romano.”
“It is. Believe me, it is, Cleo,” said Romano-
“I hope you are right,” said Cleo.
***
Gary was already relaxing on the huge double bed in Romano’s guest room.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said.
“I told Robert that we are meeting and he didn’t believe me.”
“You really have a nerve, Cleo. Take your clothes off now you’re here.”
“Don’t hurry me, Gary. I spent the morning with one of Upper Grumpsfield’s gigolos.”
“Did you now?”
“To be honest, I’d rather be here.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Aren’t you going to ask who?”
A veil can be drawn over the rest of the afternoon.


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