Close to Death

After their meeting, Horowitz is annoyed. He admits that he sometimes makes mistakes or misses things but also believes that he has often been more helpful than Hawthorne will admit.

In their last case together, Horowitz met Roland, Hawthorne’s adoptive brother, and learned that Roland’s father had adopted Hawthorne when his parents died. The brothers work for their father’s security firm, and both live in apartments owned by the company. Horowitz also learned the name of Hawthorne’s next client: Barraclough. Horowitz decides to try and find her—then he can find out the name of the firm and find out if Dudley works for them, too. He searches online and finds the client, Greta Barraclough, along with her address. He pats himself on the back for his successful investigation and decides to visit her immediately.

As he’s done on previous occasions, Horowitz talks himself into Greta Barraclough’s house by using his writing credentials. She recognizes him because her children read all his Alex Rider books. Greta confirms that she hired Hawthorne. She agrees to give him the firm’s name. However, she warns him that though they were efficient and successful, they cruelly enjoyed revealing her husband’s infidelity. She liked Hawthorne but warns Horowitz to stay far away from the company, Fenchurch International.

Horowitz goes to Fenchurch International. The building is huge, anonymous, and utilitarian. After consulting the receptionist, he goes to the fourth floor and meets Mr. Morton. Morton looks unhealthy and tired, and it is hard for Horowitz to believe that he is in charge of this global security firm.

Morton claims to not know Dudley. When Horowitz asks about how Hawthorne’s parents died, Morton’s manner changes. Morton becomes more aggressive and less friendly. He tells Horowitz that he knows who he is and knew he was coming that day. Further, he has access to his and his wife’s computers. Horowitz is shocked by the level of detail they have about his life. Morton tells him that he doesn’t want to appear in the Hawthorne novels and suggests that he stop writing about the Riverview Close case.

Morton tells Horowitz that the killer was Roderick Browne. Horowitz doesn’t believe him, but Morton shows him a newspaper article about Roderick’s death by suicide and the discovery of a note that seemed to confess to killing Giles. Horowitz realizes that Morton told him this to stop him from investigating further. He wants to probe Morton’s statement that “the story didn’t end well for [Hawthorne]” (212). When it becomes clear that he hasn’t convinced Horowitz to stop investigating, Morton tells him that he won’t like what he finds out about Hawthorne if he keeps investigating. Horowitz leaves the office more determined to find answers.

The next morning, Hawthorne and Dudley return to Riverview Close. They find the police there again, and DS Khan tells them that their services are no longer needed: The case has been solved. Roderick Browne has died by suicide and confessed in a note to killing Giles Kenworthy. Hawthorne doesn’t believe it and thinks that Roderick has been murdered, too.

Khan explains that Roderick was found in his locked garage with a canister of nitrous oxide and a plastic bag over his head. Sarah found him that morning when she needed to get into the garage and wasn’t able to find Roderick. She asked May, who had an extra key, to let her in the garage, and they found Roderick’s body. The car and the garage were both locked. They found a letter in the car, addressed to Felicity, in which he admitted to killing Giles.

Hawthorne wants to interview Felicity, but Roderick took her to her sister’s the day before. He then asks to see the letter and reminds Khan that if Roderick didn’t die by suicide, it would look bad for Khan if the murderer struck again. Khan agrees that they can stay and investigate for the day.

Hawthorne examines the crime scene. It is as Khan describes, with the addition of a puddle of water on the floor. In addition to the nitrous oxide, they found high levels of sleeping pills and alcohol in Roderick’s blood. They estimate that he died around midnight, the same time that Giles died. However, Khan reasserts that it couldn’t have been murder because the garage was locked from the inside.

Hawthorne also notices a few boxes on the floor that weren’t in Roderick’s tidy garage before: a “box of electrical bits and pieces” (225), a broken vacuum cleaner, and a garbage bag full of old DVDs. When he notices a skylight above the car, Khan tells him that it can’t be opened: “[T]he screws have rusted solid” (225). The note that Roderick left says, “I did something very stupid and have sent you away because I cannot bear you to see the consequences” (227). Hawthorne doesn’t believe that Roderick is referring to Giles’s murder. He also notices a section of drinking straw found in Roderick’s pocket, which Khan theorizes might have been for cocaine.

Felicity’s carer, Damien, arrives, not knowing about Roderick’s death—he had arranged with Roderick to stop by that day. He tells them that Roderick was very upset the previous day and told Damien that he was going to ask Adam for advice. Roderick’s death is a complete shock to Damien. He doesn’t believe that Roderick died by suicide, as he would never leave Felicity alone.

After Damien leaves, Hawthorne points out that Damien’s appointment with Roderick supports the idea that he didn’t die by suicide. Khan admits that Roderick was upset because Khan had interrogated him for two hours at the police station the day before. Dudley says that if Roderick did die by suicide, they now know why.

Hawthorne, Dudley, and DS Khan visit May and Phyllis. May is still upset over finding Roderick’s body with Sarah, and Phyllis tells them how upset Roderick was after Khan’s interrogation. They also say that Roderick planned to ask Adam for advice. Hawthorne wonders why he wouldn’t go to Andrew, the former criminal lawyer.

May and Phyllis tell the story of how they came to live in Riverview Close. They were nuns together for nearly 30 years—both entered the convent after their abusive husbands died. When May unexpectedly inherited money from an aunt, they left the convent and moved to Riverview Close. They opened their bookshop, The Tea Cosy, to keep busy.

May says that Sarah was the only person who knew she had a key to Roderick’s garage, but no one knew where she kept it. Although they were the ones who initially hired Sarah and recommended her to the neighbors, they still believe that she killed Ellery.

Hawthorne, Dudley, and Khan visit Adam Strauss. He tells them that Roderick came to his house immediately after coming home from the police station. Khan tries to defend himself against Adam’s accusatory tone, but like Dudley, Adam blames Khan for Roderick’s death. Khan asks for Adam’s phone to verify Roderick’s call and is forced to admit that they can’t find Roderick’s phone.

The previous night, Adam went to Roderick’s house after dinner. Roderick thought that the police believed he killed Giles. Adam tried to reassure him and left his house at about 10:00 pm. He tells them that Andrew Pennington came home just then and saw Adam leaving Roderick’s house.

When they visit Andrew, he confirms Adam’s story. He saw Adam leaving and heard Roderick thank him. Andrew tells them that over drinks once, Roderick said that he wanted to kill Giles, but Andrew wrote the incident off as “a couple of glasses of wine” (251). Before they leave, Dudley asks if anyone saw Andrew come home that night. Andrew admits that he saw Tom Beresford walk around the side of his house, possibly into the garage.

Khan believes that it is clear that Roderick killed Giles and then died by suicide. Hawthorne, however, brings up all the loose ends: Why did Roderick make an appointment with Damien? Why would he have done that to Felicity? Where is his phone? Why were his car keys in his pocket—put there after he got in the car and locked it? What about the straw in his pocket? However, Khan refuses to listen.