Where There's A Will

Chapter Twenty-Three

Mason sipped at his almost cold coffee while his partner got the recorder set up, and once that was done he got straight down to business. "Where were you between one-thirty and three on Sunday night?"

"I already answered that question before," Ben Logan said without even looking at his solicitor. "Don't you guys talk to one another. Try asking Stone, he's the one in charge of the case ain't he."

Mason gave a small smile. "Not anymore. Detective Inspector Stone has had to take over another investigation; I am now in charge of this case. I have spoken to the inspector, as it happens; I've also looked into the alibi you provided earlier."

"Well then, why're you asking the same questions he did?"

"Because, Mr Logan, I don't believe your alibi," Mason told him. "Your friend, Mr Ashford, gave the same as you, but the only part of it we've been able to confirm is that you, your brother, and Mr Ashford were in the Horse and Jockey until it closed at midnight. After that we ran into a few problems; none of the staff at the takeaway you say you went to; Nando's according to Mr Ashford, remember serving the three of you, and you don't appear on the shop's CCTV footage from Sunday night." He paused for several moments to see if either Ben or his solicitor were going to respond to that, when they didn't, he continued, "Nor do any of you appear on any of the CCTV footage recorded on the cameras to be found between the Horse and Jockey and Mr Ashford's home – my team and I have spent the last few hours going through the footage." Still Ben said nothing, though his solicitor did look at him questioningly. "Why don't you tell me where you really were between one-thirty and three on Sunday morning."

Ben finally responded by leaning over to hold a whispered conversation with his solicitor; it lasted for about a minute and then he said, "Guess we got unlucky and didn't walk by any of the cameras you checked." He shrugged as if it was no big deal and nothing to worry about.

Mason smiled. "I don't see how that's possible; there is no route you could have taken to get from the Horse and Jockey to Mr Ashford's house without passing at least one of the cameras. If you include the stop at Nando's for food, which can't be proved, then you would have passed, and been visible on, two or more cameras. Now, I'll ask you again, Mr Logan, where were you on Sunday morning between one-thirty and three?"

"I was at Ash's place from about one, with Ash and my brother, we was there for the rest of the night," Ben said.

Mason studied Ben Logan without speaking for almost a minute – as much as Ben tried to project confidence and innocence, Mason could see in his eyes that he was troubled by the ease with which his alibi had been punctured. "If you don't want to tell me the truth, maybe Mr Ashford will, or your brother; yes, Mr Logan, we found Jerry, he was at Mr Ashford's and is now in custody. We'll bequestioning both of them once they sober up."