Chapter 82: Joyce

Joyce records the results of the trip to Folkestone with Elizabeth, where they met Peter Ward, now living under Bobby Tanner’s name and running a florist. Joyce notes that Peter’s past explains both his new identity and his unexpected knowledge of the flower trade.

Peter explains that after leaving Fairhaven following his brother’s death, he obtained a new passport and drifted into criminal work in Amsterdam. He joined a Liverpool gang that smuggled cocaine in flower lorries traveling between Belgium, Holland, and England, eventually using a purchased nursery as cover for regular shipments.

The operation collapsed when a florist in Gillingham accidentally received two kilograms of cocaine and reported it to the police. Peter and the nursery’s young manager hid in a sunflower field while police dismantled the scheme, and after further violence among criminals in Amsterdam, Peter left that life behind.

Peter used his money and genuine knowledge of flowers to become a legitimate florist. His current business still receives lorries from the same nursery, now only carrying flowers, and Joyce sees his peaceful shop as proof that he successfully escaped his past.

To answer Elizabeth’s suspicions, Peter shows CCTV from The Flower Mill on the day Tony Curran was murdered. The footage places Peter behind the till, apparently ruling him out. Peter believes Turkish Johnny killed Tony because Tony betrayed Johnny to the police and Johnny later stole from Tony.

On the train home, Joyce reflects on Peter’s story, wonders what Ron and Ibrahim have been doing, and postpones writing about Bernard because her thoughts have not settled. She has bought freesias for Bernard from Peter’s shop and plans to bring them to him the next morning, while also imagining Bernard might enjoy Bruges.