Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
After five minutes of watching cars and people go by, Lily decided the least she should do was get the champagne she’d promised Flynn. That might save her from chewing all her nails down to the quick. Also, her bum was going numb on the cold step.
She’d just peeled herself off it when her attention was drawn by a quick succession of high-pitched barks from an excited Pixie heading her way.
“Hi!” Lily said to Mr Patel at the other end of the lead while she crouched to greet Pixie. “Is Gigi still not well?”
“She says she’s feeling better, but she still looks under the weather and she’s panicking about the work she missed yesterday so I said I was happy to be on Pixie duty again.
” His eyes flashed with mischief. “I think it was actually my wife who said it, but I enjoy the walks. And it’s good to feel useful. ”
Lily straightened up. Between her visit with Mr Harper and Flynn’s revelation, she’d completely put the issue with Mr Latham out of her head for the morning, but it came rushing back to her now.
“I found out something about Mr Latham,” she said softly.
He took a step closer and lifted a quizzical eyebrow.
“It turns out he didn’t own the building. I suspect he may have been unlawfully collecting money from you.”
“That can’t be right.” Mr Patel shook his head. “Mr Latham was the landlord.”
“According to the Land Registry, he doesn’t own the building,” Lily explained. “It’s owned by Mr and Mrs Silverton.”
“No. They’re the previous owners, before Mr Latham bought the place. Maybe the records weren’t updated.”
“I don’t think that’s the case.” Lily shrugged.
“All I know is that the Silvertons are the registered owners of the building. I wondered if Mr Latham was collecting rent for them, but from all I’ve found out over the last couple of days, I suspect he was doing things he shouldn’t have been.
Flynn and I are going to look into it more, but I wanted to update you on what I’ve found so far. ”
“I think you ought to come inside,” Mr Patel said. “When my wife hears about this, she’s going to have lots of questions. It’ll be better if you’re there when I tell her.”
“I was actually just about to…” She trailed off.
What she’d been about to do was distract herself from thinking about Flynn’s phone call.
Chatting with the Patels about Mr Latham would do the job just as well as a trip to the shop.
She’d pick up the champagne later. “Never mind,” she said. “I have a bit of time.”
Following him inside, she waited while he returned Pixie, then trailed him into his flat where he called for his wife. Soon, Lily was ushered into the immaculate living room by Mrs Patel and took a seat on the couch to repeat what she’d already told her husband.
“I knew there was something off about him,” Mrs Patel seethed when Lily had filled her in. “What are we going to do about it? Should we speak to the police?”
“They’re aware of it and will look into it in the next few days.
In the meantime, Flynn and I will try to track down the Silvertons and ask them some questions.
” She paused, wondering if that was still their plan for the afternoon.
Whichever way the phone call went, tracking down the building owners probably wouldn’t be high on Flynn’s priorities.
“How can we help?” Mrs Patel asked, clapping her hands together. “I’m not working today so you can put me to use however you’d like.”
“I’m not sure what there is to do. Flynn is working at the moment. He was going to help me look into it later.”
“Why don’t we get started with that now?” Mrs Patel said eagerly.
“I suppose we could look up the address,” Lily said. “Do you have a computer? It’s probably easier than my phone.”
Five minutes later, Mr and Mrs Patel huddled at either side of Lily on the couch, while she tapped away on the laptop balanced on her knees.
“Here we go.” She pointed at the Silvertons’ address, not sure why she hadn’t registered it the first time she’d looked at the Land Registry.
It wasn’t exactly hidden. “If Flynn has time later, I’ll get him to drive me over there.
” Hopefully, he’d be up for it because she felt an urge to figure out exactly what Mr Latham had been up to.
“Wanstead is only half an hour away,” Mrs Patel said. “We can go now. No need to disturb Flynn when he’s busy.”
“Oh.” Lily checked her watch.
“This is exciting!” Mr Patel said, rubbing his hands together. Then his eyes flicked uncertainly to his wife. “Am I coming with you?”
“Definitely,” she replied. “We need you along in case we need some muscle.”
Lily’s mouth hung slightly open as she tried to figure out if Mrs Patel was being sarcastic. In a physical altercation, she was certain Mr Patel would cower behind Lily and Mrs Patel.
“Come on!” Mrs Patel clapped again as she stood. “Let’s get going.”
“I’m actually not sure…” Lily’s mild protests went unheard as the Patels hurried to the door.
In the hallway, she glanced at Flynn’s door.
“Wait one minute,” she said, then quietly put her key in Flynn’s door and tiptoed inside.
His muffled voice drifting from the bedroom indicated he was still on the phone.
Her heart rate went through the roof at the thought of the call.
Resisting the urge to eavesdrop, she backed out of the flat again and turned to the Patels. “Flynn’s still on a work call,” she said. “So it looks like I have a bit of time.”
Mrs Patel’s driving style was as assertive as her personality, and Lily clutched at the back of the passenger seat on a couple of occasions when she took corners with a little too much speed.
The only thing that slowed the journey was her habit of doubting the navigation system.
Lily concluded she resented being told what to do, so went rogue a few times.
It was almost forty minutes later when they pulled up in front of the modest detached Victorian house. Compared to the apartment buildings in Flynn’s neighbourhood, it was an elegant, upmarket place but with homely vibes rather than being intimidating.
“What do you think?” Mrs Patel said. “Shall we all go in, or will that intimidate them?”
“I’m not sure,” Lily said, peering out at the house. “I don’t know what to expect.”
“You go in, Lily,” Mrs Patel said with a flick of her hand. “We’ll wait out here. Give us a wave if you need the big guns.”
Mr Patel nodded. “Probably better not to overwhelm them to start with.”
“Okay,” Lily said.
Mr Patel reached into the back and patted her hand. “Your getaway vehicle is right here if you need it.”
Chuckling, Lily exited the car and wandered up the short driveway with a shiny Range Rover parked on it. The house might be welcoming, but the expensive car put Lily on edge.
The tall woman who answered the door wearing a cream trouser suit, was slightly unnerving too.
“It should be there,” she said without looking at Lily. “You’ll have to look again. I know I left it there.” She stretched a hand out to Lily, palm up.
It took Lily that long to realise the woman had a device in her ear and wasn’t speaking to her at all.
“Well,” she spat, her gaze shifting to Lily. “I haven’t got all day. Aren’t you people usually in a rush?”
Lily narrowed her eyes. “What people?”
A lock of the woman’s blonde hair fell out of her bun when she craned to look at the road. “Aren’t you delivering something?”
“No.”
“Hang on,” she said, apparently speaking to the person in her ear. She pressed a button on the device and looked sternly at Lily. “What do you want then?”
“I’m looking for Mrs Silverton?”
“Well, good luck to you. She’s not here.”
“Does she live here? Or Mr Silverton? I thought this was their house.”
The woman sighed dramatically. “Not any more. They moved a few months ago.”
“Okay. I don’t suppose you know where I can find them? Do you have a forwarding address? Or a phone number?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t give it out to some random person who knocked on my door.”
“I…” Lily tried to speak, but the woman cut her off.
“Clearly you don’t actually know the Silvertons well, or you’d know that they moved.” She began to close the door. “I don’t have time for this.”
As soon as the door shut, Lily could hear the woman continuing her previous conversation. Turning, she was amused at Mr and Mrs Patel peering eagerly through the car windows.
“No luck,” Lily said when she opened the back door and slipped inside. “The Silvertons moved a few months ago, and the woman I spoke to wasn’t friendly. She refused to give me any information.”
“What do we do now, then?” Mr Patel asked.
Lily shrugged. “Go home, I guess.”
“How disappointing,” Mrs Patel said. “I really thought we were going to find out what Mr Latham had been up to.”
“Me too.” Briefly it crossed her mind that she wouldn’t usually be so easily deterred, but there was also a voice in her head chastising her for going off on one of her investigations when Flynn might need her around.
There was no message from him, so she assumed he was still on his call.
At least this little trip had kept her mind occupied.
“We could try the neighbours,” Lily suggested as Mrs Patel turned the engine on.
“What was that?” Mr Patel asked, twisting in his seat to look back at her.
“We could knock on a few doors and see if anyone knows the Silvertons. Maybe we’ll find someone more helpful than the woman I spoke to.”
“That’s a great idea,” Mrs Patel said, switching the engine off again and turning to look at the nearby houses. “Should we split up?”
Lily nodded and exited the car. “I’ll take this one,” she said, pointing at the house right next door.
This time the homeowner was immediately more approachable. The older lady in jeans and a yellow blouse smiled gently as she opened the door.
“Hi,” Lily said. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’ve just been at your neighbour’s house looking for the Silvertons, but apparently they’ve moved. I wondered if you might know them.”
“William and Ruth?” Her eyes shone with fondness. “They were lovely neighbours. I do miss them.”
“I asked the new owner if she could put me in touch with them, but she wasn’t very helpful.”
The lady in front of her rolled her eyes. “They’re a funny pair. I took them a cake when they first moved in, but she wouldn’t accept it because it had gluten in it. She seemed offended by it. So I’m afraid we haven’t got to know them at all.”
“That’s a shame. Have you kept in touch with the Silvertons?”
“Not really. We’ve exchanged a few messages since Ruth left, but that’s it. We promised we’d meet up, but so far it hasn’t happened.” Her lips pulled into a frown. “It’s so sad about William. He used to be such a capable man. Shadow of himself now.”
“Sorry,” Lily said. “I don’t actually know them. I’m trying to track them down regarding a property they own in Walthamstow.”
“Do they still have that place? I thought they wanted to sell it. That was a terrible business as well. Poor Ruth has been put through the wringer these last few years, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t suppose you could give me her number?” Lily said. “Or her new address?”
“Yes. Hang on.” She moved to the dresser in the hall and rooted in a drawer, then came back with a card from Ruth Silverton, announcing her new address.
There was no mention of her husband on it, but Lily didn’t like to pry into what exactly the situation was.
Instead, she took out her phone and took a photo of the details, then thanked the lady.
“Please tell Ruth that Janet says hello if you speak to her.”
Lily promised she would and thanked her again before backing away. At the car, Mr Patel stood running a hand over his hair.
“Are you wet?” Lily asked, noticing drips flying from his head.
“Two little boys got me with their water pistols when the door opened,” he said, grinning.
“Little rascals. I didn’t have any luck getting the Silvertons’ new address.
” His eyes lit up as he turned to his wife, walking towards them with a piece of paper in her hand.
“It looks like someone had better luck than me!”
“They didn’t know the Silvertons well,” Mrs Patel said.
“So they couldn’t help, but I got a recipe for bread and butter pudding.
” She stopped by the car. “I don’t usually like the stuff myself, but their house smelled divine, and the guy said he’d never liked it either until he found this recipe.
” She beamed as she studied the recipe. “Not a wasted trip now, no matter what happens.”
“I got the Silvertons’ new address,” Lily said, holding up her phone. “A phone number too.”
They both peered in.
“That’s not too far from here,” Mr Patel said, then eyed his wife questioningly.
“Not far at all,” she agreed. “Let’s go!”
As she climbed into the car, Lily went into her messages. Still nothing from Flynn. Surely he must know something by now.
She sighed heavily. If Ruth Silverton lived nearby, it didn’t really make sense to abandon their mission now.
Hopefully, Mrs Silverton was at home.