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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
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  68. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

Caroline and Dexter shared a look. They knew where to find him if they needed him. She handed the man her card. ‘Alright, well this is my number and my email address. If you think of anything else, get in touch, alright? You never know. It could be the key to catching whoever killed Roger.’

34

Caroline and Dexter drove back into Oakham, skirting the town centre to head to the Wisteria Hotel. They parked up in the hotel’s car park, having stopped momentarily to let a fire engine with full sirens leave Oakham Fire Station, which was directly opposite.

Having manoeuvred her Volvo into a spot she was almost certain she wouldn’t be able to get out of again, Caroline and Dexter got out of the car and headed for the hotel’s reception desk, smiling and nodding at the doddery old gardener as they passed.

The woman on reception — Katie, according to her name badge — smiled as they entered and welcomed them.

‘No reservation, I’m afraid,’ Caroline said, showing Katie her badge. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Caroline Hills, and this is Detective Sergeant Dexter Antoine. We’re looking for some information about a guest who’s been staying here.’

‘Okay… Is there a problem at all?’ Katie asked.

‘We don’t know yet. Do you have a man by the name of Arthur Clifton staying here?’ Caroline could tell by the look on her face that they did, but she made a show of checking the system on her computer anyway.

‘Yes, we do. I don’t know if he’s here at the moment, though. He tends to leave after breakfast and doesn’t come back until late, from what I can tell.’

‘It’s fine,’ Caroline said, smiling. ‘We don’t need to speak to him. Can you tell us how long he’s been a guest here, please?’

‘Well, on this particular stay it’s only since Monday night, but he did have another stay with us very recently.’

‘How recently?’

‘He was with us for almost two weeks, then checked out for a few days, before coming back on Monday.’

‘I see. Do you have dates for that first stay, please?’ Caroline jotted down the dates that were on the screen, knowing she now had evidence that Arthur Clifton had been less than honest with them about his whereabouts. ‘That’s brilliant. Thank you. You’ve been more help than you can possibly know.’

Caroline and Dexter left the Wisteria a few minutes later with a spring in their steps, giving an even bigger smile to the doddery old gardener as they headed back to the car.

35

Arthur Clifton looked downtrodden but determined as he sat opposite Caroline and Dexter in the interview room. Caroline had ordered his arrest, now knowing he’d been in the country far longer than he’d admitted — and was in Rutland on the night his brother was murdered.