Chapter 80

Joyce and Elizabeth travel to Pearson Street in Folkestone, where Peter Ward’s flower shop has helped revive a struggling local shopping street. Peter appears to be a contented, respected florist, but Elizabeth and Joyce know he is Bobby Tanner, the former associate of Tony Curran.

At Casa Café, Peter buys them cappuccinos and Elizabeth shows him the photograph linked to both Jason Ritchie and Tony’s murder scene. Peter recognizes the Black Bridge but says he has never seen that photograph before and was not sent a copy himself. Elizabeth explains that this could mean either Tony’s killer does not know where Peter is, or that Peter is the killer.

Elizabeth asks whether Jason could have killed Tony. Peter dismisses the idea, saying Jason stayed away from the violent side of the operation and was essentially gentle, though Joyce notes that Jason still funded a major drugs ring. Elizabeth then raises Turkish Johnny as another possibility, and Peter adds new information to the old story.

Peter says Johnny’s disappearance was not simply a flight to Cyprus after the Black Bridge killing. Someone informed the police about Johnny, and when Johnny fled, Johnny took one hundred thousand pounds of Tony’s money from his flat. Tony was furious and later went to Cyprus several times trying unsuccessfully to find Johnny, creating a strong possible motive tied to the current photograph and murder.

Peter asks how Elizabeth found him, fearing that Johnny may also be back and leaving photographs by bodies. Elizabeth reveals she traced Peter through Woodvale Cemetery by checking CCTV on Troy’s birthday and the anniversary of Troy’s death, spotting the same Folkestone flower-shop van both times. Elizabeth then promises not to reveal Peter’s location if Peter comes to Coopers Chase the next day to repeat his information to Jason and the police.