‘We suspect Aleksy Iskow, Vishal Salike and Joe Rowland were working for your client without payment, and were housed in squalid conditions,’ Morgan said.
Patricia Perry’s eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. She leaned forward, about to say something, but Norris put his hand on her forearm.
‘Mr and Mrs Perry are simply guilty of having too much community spirit. They were looking after those poor men when they had nowhere else to go,’ he stated in a nasal voice.
‘They were using a bucket as a toilet,’ Karen said. ‘I doubt many people would choose to live like that.’
‘That’s their lookout,’ Patricia Perry snapped. ‘If they can’t be bothered to walk to the lavatory, it’s up to them. And as for the men staying in the garage . . . I don’t see why I should be expected to clean up after them.’
Norris delivered a stern look of warning to his client. ‘The Perrys simply provided the accommodation they had to hand. Of course it wasn’t ideal, but it was better than the poor men sleeping rough on the streets.’
‘There are shelters in Lincoln that could have accommodated those three men in a lot more comfort,’ Morgan said.
Norris pulled a white handkerchief from his suit jacket. ‘Yes, but the men wanted to stay with Mr and Mrs Perry. It was their choice.’
‘And why would they choose to do that?’
‘You’d have to ask them,’ he replied, dabbing his eyes with the handkerchief.
Keeping her writing small, Karen scrawled a note on the pad in front of her: Money?
Norris wasn’t cheap. How could the Perrys afford to pay for his services? They hadn’t hesitated to call the solicitor as soon as they knew they’d be questioned. Interesting. It made Karen wonder if Norris’s bill was being paid by someone else. Someone with a lot of ready cash whose business interests were tied to the Perrys.
Patricia Perry cocked her head and squinted at the pad. Karen turned it face down on the desk, making the woman scowl.
‘We’d like to ask you some questions about a murder that took place in the early hours of the morning,’ Morgan said.
‘I already told you I know nothing about that. Why do you assume we’re involved?’ Patricia snapped.
‘We’re not assuming anything, Mrs Perry. We just want to ask some questions because the murder occurred not far from The Red Lion.’
Norris put a hand on Patricia’s arm again. ‘My client knows nothing about the death of that poor man.’
‘Just because it happened in Canwick doesn’t mean we know anything about it,’ Patricia insisted.
Karen and Morgan had decided not to mention the beer mat during the interviews. The time and date written on the mat could be important, and they didn’t want to tip off the Perrys. Karen suspected the twenty-second of May at three p.m. referred to a drop-off or a meeting at the pub. If the Perrys thought they’d be caught out, they could cancel whatever was supposed to happen this Wednesday, but if it went ahead, they might be caught red-handed.
The interview continued, with DI Morgan leading the questions. Norris still insisted his clients were being Good Samaritans. Everyone was entitled to legal representation, but Norris had to know the Perrys had been exploiting these men, so how did he look himself in the mirror after working for them?
When Patricia Perry began to answer each question with a smirk and ‘No comment’, Karen knew they were wasting their time, but a case like this one was a waiting game. They’d need the evidence from the three men, along with information from regulars at the pub and any other staff they could track down. With some luck, a search of the premises would provide evidence that even Norris couldn’t refute.
After the interview had ended, and Karen and Morgan were preparing to go and get Rod so they could sit through what would likely be the same ridiculous circus all over again, Patricia Perry called out, ‘I’ll have a cup of tea while I wait for my husband. And a couple of biscuits. Good ones. I’m partial to a chocolate digestive if you have any.’
Karen gave the woman a tight smile and replied through gritted teeth, ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
The arrogance of the woman was breathtaking. She really didn’t think she was in any trouble at all. She’d escaped without charges last time, and probably assumed she’d get off scot-free this time, too.
‘That was one of the most infuriating interviews I’ve ever sat through,’ Karen said as they headed down the corridor towards the custody suite.
‘Yes, and we’re unlikely to charge them today. Hopefully we’ll have more luck when we get the warrant.’
‘We saw how those men were living. How can Norris possibly expect us to believe they were acting altruistically?’
‘He doesn’t. He has to know what the Perrys are like. He simply doesn’t care. As long as he gets paid, I suspect he’s perfectly content.’
Karen checked her watch. ‘Before we make a start with Rod, I should go and check on our three victims.’
‘Yes. We’d better get them something to eat.’
‘I left them with some sandwiches earlier, but they probably could do with a hot meal. I’ve arranged for temporary accommodation at the rest centre in Lincoln.’
‘Good. Did the background checks reveal anything troublesome?’
Karen’s checks hadn’t revealed any criminal records or outstanding County Court Judgments. She’d only run into one problem. ‘Aleksy Iskow and Joe Rowland are registered and have a paper trail. But I can’t track Vishal down. He’s never been on the electoral roll. No National Insurance number and I can’t trace him in any database. It’s like he doesn’t exist.’
Morgan nodded slowly. ‘I suppose that can only mean he didn’t enter the country legally.’
‘He says he’s been here for ten years, though,’ Karen said. ‘I need to do a bit more digging. Maybe I’ve missed something.’
Morgan shot her a look. He knew as well as she did that it was unlikely she’d missed anything. But if Vishal wasn’t in the country legally, that certainly complicated things. They would need to inform border control, and unlike the other two men, Vishal wouldn’t be free to come and go.
It was likely he’d end up in the Immigration Removal Centre at Swinderby.
‘We need to question him, so if he’s amenable, we could keep him here,’ Karen suggested. ‘Obviously we can’t just let him go to the rest centre where he could walk out at any time, but I’d feel better if we knew more about his background before handing him over to border control.’
Morgan looked thoughtful. ‘Perhaps. That could work, but we have an obligation to inform the relevant authority.’
‘True, but he’s an important witness in this case, and it’s still possible we’ll find he entered the country legally.’
Morgan raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Perhaps,’ he said again. ‘I have a feeling this runs deeper than just these three men. From what you told me about the previous case, it looks like the Perrys have been exploiting people for a long time. And who is easier to exploit than someone who’s in the country illegally? They have no one to turn to for help.’
Karen pushed open the door and they entered the stairwell. Morgan was right. It was likely Vishal was an illegal immigrant, which meant he would go from being treated terribly by the Perrys to living in the Immigration Removal Centre until he was sent back to Nepal.