He held out his hand and smiled. ‘Bart Preece,’ he said, simply.
Kim returned the handshake while introducing both herself and Travis. His touch was cool and firm, not unpleasant. She appreciated his omission of any qualification, or explanation, just simply his name. She’d already met the older brother at the gravesite, and the similarity between the two was breathtaking.
‘Thank you for the flowers that you took to the grave,’ Kim said.
He was as handsome as his brother, but his face was open and relaxed. His black hair fell just over his eyes.
He shrugged in a ‘least I could do?’ kind of way.
‘Nice bike,’ she said, nodding backwards.
‘It’s okay,’ he said, casually.
‘It’s an Ecosse,’ she clarified, in case he didn’t realise. ‘Titanium, 2,400 cc billet engine with 225 horsepower at the rear wheel.’
He laughed out loud. The sound was pleasant.
‘I’m sorry, officer,’ he said. ‘Please excuse my manners. I didn’t mean to be rude, I just didn’t expect that.’
She smiled at his apology. People rarely did expect her motorcycle knowledge. Especially men. She also knew that it was the most expensive production motorcycle ever made and cost roughly three hundred thousand pounds. Only thirteen had ever been produced. Not many people could afford more than a quarter of a million for a motorbike.
‘Want to take a closer look?’ he asked, as Travis sniffed his displeasure beside her.
Oh boy, did she ever. She would love to inspect the predominantly carbon fibre material used to keep the weight low. She ached to stroke the hand-crafted Berluti leather seat.
She shook her head. ‘Not right now,’ she answered. She was here to do her job.
‘I assume you’re here about the discovery on Cowley’s land,’ he said, turning serious.
‘Well, your land,’ she said.
He smiled. ‘We don’t really see it as ours any more. They’ve been there for so long.’
The dogs milled around his legs, wagging their tails but not stepping forward.
‘We’d like to get a bit more information about the family; dates, that kind of thing,’ Kim explained.
‘Of course,’ he said, turning to the door. ‘That’ll be my brother you want.’
Kim kept pace with Bart while Travis lagged behind.
Bart leaned towards her, conspiratorially. ‘As the younger brother, I am spared the minutiae of the business. I prefer the great outdoors,’ he said, with a smile.
‘So, your role is?’
‘I tend the grounds, Inspector,’ he said. ‘Well, to be fair, myself and a team of seven,’ he admitted. ‘And to be even fairer, they do most of the hard work.’
Despite his magnanimous attitude towards his staff, she was guessing he did his job very well. The estate grounds that she could see were immaculate.
‘How much land does the property have?’ she asked, following him inside the house.
‘Twenty-seven acres,’ he said, passing through the hallway as he spoke. The dogs followed faithfully behind.
He passed without a second glance at the stained glass panels embossed with family crests or at the life-size portraits of what must be his ancestors lining the walls.
Unaffected was the word that came to Kim’s mind when describing the man guiding her. Even amongst the grandeur through which he strolled so nonchalantly, Bart’s thoughts appeared to remain outside.
‘We have an orchard, an ornamental lake, a seventeen-peg fishing lake, and fallow deer woods at the southern edge.’
There was a great deal of pride in his words.
Bart paused before a dark wooden door that looked heavy. He tapped lightly and then pushed it open.
The Labradors charged through the door.
‘For goodness’ sake, Bart, get those mutts out of—’
The man stopped speaking as he saw them.
‘My brother, Dale,’ Bart said, waving them through and ignoring the chastisement.
‘We’ve met,’ Kim said, entering the room.
Seeing the two of them together, Kim noted that Dale Preece was as dark as his brother but with an extra few pounds. She reminded herself of the difference in age. She knew it was only a couple of years but it appeared greater, due to the severe business suit and annoyed scowl of the older Preece.
Dale Preece offered a small kick to the Labrador closest to his feet. There was a small yelp before Bart called Ant and Dec back to him.
Kim ignored the frisson of irritation within her and continued to appraise the man before her whose blue eyes were serious, intense.
Bart nodded in her direction as he ushered the dogs out and closed the door after him.
Handsome and rich; Kim could only imagine the time these boys had had in school.
‘Mr Preece, now is the time we need to speak to you about the discovery on your land,’ she said.
He nodded absently as he sat and pointed to two chairs, indicating they should do the same.
As she sat she glanced beyond him to the view. Two rows of fruit trees formed an archway that travelled far into the distance. A figure with warm blonde hair appeared to be strolling and pausing occasionally to tend the trees.
‘Of course,’ he said, shortly. ‘I’ve been on the phone with the solicitors half the morning.’
‘Why?’ Kim asked.
‘To clarify our culpability as owners of the land, of course.’ He moved some papers around forcefully. ‘I pay them enough for a straight answer,’ he said.
‘The only person “culpable” is the person who committed the crime,’ Kim said, wondering if that answer was straight enough.
‘Thank you, Inspector but if you don’t mind I’ll take that under advisement.’
Suit yourself, Kim thought, feeling a little irritated by his manner.
‘So, if you could ask your questions as quickly as possible,’ he said, without looking at them. ‘I’m a very busy man.’
‘And we’re just shooting the breeze trying to find out who buried multiple bodies on land that you own,’ she answered shortly.
Travis covered his mouth and coughed beside her.
She ignored his covert warning about her manner because finally she had Mr Preece’s attention. A clutch of papers had stilled, mid move.
He slowly lowered them back down to the desk as he spoke.
‘I thought it was one person, one skeleton?’
‘It was until it was discovered that there were two bodies, and most likely a third.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ he said.
‘How long have you owned the land, Mr Preece?’ Travis asked.
Kim allowed him to interject, as her attention was again drawn to the garden.
The woman’s upper body had come into view. She appeared to be pushing something.
‘We’ve owned that land for over ninety years. It was bought by my great-grandfather from a First World War widow. He paid double the market value for land he did not want.’