Condemned, R.C. Bridgestock [most romantic novels TXT] 📗

‘Whatever you want to tell us.’ Mikes responded.

‘I’m a businessman,’ he said.

‘Hobbies?’ asked Mike.

‘I like the finer things in life, fine dining, the theatre, my cars, but my passion is amateur dramatics.’

‘What is your business exactly?’ prompted Wilkie.

‘I’m an entrepreneur.’

‘What exactly is an “entrepreneur”?’ asked Wilkie.

‘An entrepreneur is someone who operates a business, or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks.’

‘That could be anyone who starts up a new business?’

James Thomas nodded. ‘I suppose so, yes.’

‘What do you actually buy and sell?’

‘If I see something where I think there’s a profit to be made, then I’ll invest in it or buy it outright. Whatever that might be.’

‘Like Crownest?’ said Mike.

James nodded. ‘Yes, but like I said, I don’t just deal in property, or land. I buy and sell anything that I think might be profitable, that’s why I called the business JT Developments, as it covers a multitude of investments.’

‘Then, you’re telling us that you are driven by money?’

‘I used to be.’ Thomas paused. ‘You see I was brought up on a council estate in a strong working-class family. As it happened, we were classed as rich because we had glass in our windows. It wasn’t easy for my parents. I’ve worked hard to get where I am today.’

Mr Thomas appeared to be happy talking about himself. ‘Where would you say that is?’ Mike probed a little harder.

‘I have my own house, and I am financially stable, which enables me to invest and support charitable causes.’

‘My officers tell me that you lived in Rome for a while. Is travelling something that you like to do?’ the detective continued.

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. ‘If the mood takes me. I don’t have anyone to answer to but myself.’

‘You live alone?’ said Mike.

James smiled. ‘You know I do.’

‘Never met the right person or through choice?’

‘In my early twenties I went to Rome to become a priest, something I had trained for, but although I had a terrific time, I met someone.’ James swallowed hard. ‘It was unexpected, and traumatic, and my life took a very different road from the one I had planned, and I guess you could say that from then on, my disillusion with the wider world began.’

‘You fell in love, he let you down?’

James looked at him with surprise. ‘How did you know that?’

‘Call it intuition, but, let me assure you, I have no issue with your sexuality.’

James smiled, a genuine smile. ‘Well, let’s just say, from that time I have carried with me a sense of rejection and unfulfillment which often comes to the fore in bouts of low mood or when things are not going to plan.’

‘So you have a temper?’

James nodded his head. ‘As your boss saw first-hand at Crownest that day. I just get frustrated.’

‘When did you first meet Jonathan Raglan?’ asked Mike.

‘A few years ago. I have quite a portfolio of properties which I have acquired from him over the last few years, and now he contacts me if he has been to value property which he thinks might be of interest to me.’

‘Okay, so we have determined from our little chat that you are an intelligent, generous man. What is your involvement with Crownest?’

James Thomas turned his head sideways to look at his solicitor, who nodded his head for him to continue.

‘Crownest is probably the worst investment I have ever made. It was sold to me by Raglan as an undesirable property whilst it stood, but with the promise that when it was demolished, it would leave prime land for development. He assured me that plans would be passed by the council to build several prestigious detached houses. Offers were invited for the sale of it, and I subsequently put an offer in which was immediately accepted. Plans were drawn up for the development, at my expense I might add, and planning permission was put in to the council. Then out of the blue, Raglan informed me that the sellers had accepted a higher offer from another buyer, which I was obviously very upset about because I thought I had already completed on the property. The approved planning permission for the new houses came back several days later, so when Raglan rang me to say that Crownest had come back on the market, I immediately put my offer back on the table, to have it accepted again. In the meantime, the Dixons had already moved in, temporarily I was told… As you can imagine I wasn’t very pleased about this because we couldn’t immediately start the demolition… and, you know the rest.’

‘We’ve heard other people’s versions of what happened on the night of Faisal Hussain’s murder, but we’d like to hear yours,’ said Mike.

‘Raglan told me that the couple renting were reluctant to leave the property. He said that, knowing the couple, if I was willing to offer them a monetary incentive, he was sure they would depart. Delays for me meant losing money, so I wasn’t against this idea. It turned out that when I arrived at Crownest, Jonathan Raglan was already there. He was acting very strangely. However, the couple, introduced to me as Brad and Brittany Dixon were hard to strike a bargain with, and in the end, Raglan offered to go halves with me for the price they were demanding. I remember thinking at that point that he didn’t look great, but he hadn’t looked well in recent months… although he remained a shrewd businessman nevertheless.’

‘Had you met the couple, the Dixons, before that night?’ interrupted Mike.

James nodded. ‘Yes, I saw them briefly when I went to the address previously with Joe Greenwood, the owner, to discuss the house demolition.’ Suddenly, James’s eyes grew large and round. ‘Anyway, the time I went to discuss the Dixons’ departure, the next thing I knew was that a big, angry-looking Asian guy had burst into the hallway brandishing a gun, and before anyone could do or say anything, this guy had Brad Dixon’s head