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John knew his brother was about to be released from prison, it stood to reason he’d remove pictures of his gay lover before he had a chance to talk to Jimmy and prepare him. It wasn’t easy for someone to accept their brother was gay. It had taken her almost three years and several hundred miles to come to terms with the idea that the closest thing she’d ever have to a nephew would be Stimper the King Charles Spaniel.
    Did it also explain the missing computer? Possibly. John may have been worried Jimmy would look through the saved files or catch sight of an email. But it rather begged the question of where the missing items were. Did John have an alternative hiding place? Had he entrusted them to his lover for safekeeping? A lock up garage somewhere? Or had his lover killed him and removed the evidence?
    She paged back through the browser history until she returned to the home page of Smiles Estate Agents. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number. It was answered on the second ring.
    “Smiles Estates. Jennie speaking. Can I help you?”
    “I wonder if you can.” Meinwen reverted to her native accent, the South Wales lilt disguising her voice more effectively than a shop full of gadgets. “I believe my late brother worked for you. John Fenstone?”
    “That’s right. We were all so sorry to hear of his passing.” Jennie sounded sincere, but then that was part of an estate agent’s training, wasn’t it? “I don’t think he ever mentioned a sister, though.”
    “No, I don’t suppose he would. I hadn’t seen him since our mam died nine years ago. It fair broke her heart, him being gay.”
    “Oh, that’s such a shame. He was lovely, our John. Life and soul of the place, he was. Everybody loved him.”
    “That’s lovely to hear. I wonder, though, did he leave any personal possessions at the office?”
    “I don’t think so. There’s a picture on his desk of him and another man. I could package that up and send it on, if you like.”
    “Yes, please. You don’t know who the friend is, do you? I’m arranging the funeral and obviously I’d like to invite anyone who was important in John’s life.”
    “I wish I did. He’s quite handsome. If he wasn’t gay, I’d have made a play for him. He looks like a hunk.”
    “Super.” Meinwen revised her opinion of Jennie downward. “Did John have any salary, leave entitlement, death benefits or endowment polices due?”
    “Ooh. I’ve no idea. Mr. Wilkins deals with all that and he’s out for the day. Could he call you tomorrow, perhaps?”
    “Yes, that would be fine.” Meinwen relayed her number. “You don’t happen to know who his solicitor was, by any chance? He wasn’t one for filing, our John.”
    Jennie giggled.“I’m with you there. He used to drop all his filing on the edge of my desk and flirt with me until I agreed to do it for him.”
    “Flirt with you? That doesn’t sound like the brother I know.” Meinwen was being perfectly truthful. John’s behavior didn’t sound like Jimmy at all.
    “Oh, you know.” She softened her voice into a croon. “‘If I was attracted to huge breasts and ruby-red lips I’d spend all day curled up under your desk gazing up at you and giving you blow jobs.’ I know that sounds terrible when I say it but it was hysterical when he did it. He used to flirt with everyone. Even the customers.”
    “I’m almost surprised he wasn’t sued for sexual harassment.”
    “Oh no. You knew he wasn’t being serious. He was like that with everybody. The customers loved him. Especially the buyers. He’d give them advice for their interiors as they were going round. He was a huge hit. He used to say he could sell an igloo to an oil sheik if he could choose the curtains.”
    Meinwen chuckled politely. She’d see his interior design skills in an hour or to when she met Jimmy at their house. “Fancy him being like that. He was always so subdued with his family.”
    “Perhaps he was one of them...you know...ends in