I'm Virtually Yours by Jennifer Bohnet

up on the M4 near Exeter. Police initially stopped him for speeding in his Merc. Of course once they realised who he was he was arrested and is now on his way back to answer some questions about Black Sam.”
    â€œIt’s too early to know what really happened to Black Sam,” Will continued soberly. “It could of course have been a simple accident but the police aren’t ruling out foul play. They were really interested in what I could tell them about last night.”
    â€œYes, Will. About last night,” Ben said.
    Will glanced at his dad. “After you left, I made some coffee and settled down in the wheelhouse. Nothing happened for a couple of hours then I saw someone rowing downriver toward the slipway. Pettyjohn and Black Sam in the tender dinghy from his yacht. Luckily the workboat camera batteries were charged and I managed to get a couple of photos — including one of the can of petrol in the bottom of the dinghy. Hope to hell they come out. Be no disputing the evidence then.” Will paused and looked at Lillian.
    â€œThey were making their way to set fire to the wooden day boats we’d left on the slipway waiting to be launched.”
    Lillian gasped in horror.
    â€œSeeing Pettyjohn start to climb from the dinghy onto the slipway with the can of petrol I decided enough was enough and switched on the searchlights from the wheelhouse before shouting at them.” Will laughed. “I spooked him so much he lost his balance and fell into the water. That was a good moment,” Will added, remembering the look on Jack Pettyjohn’s face as he’d fallen.
    â€œBy the time Black Sam had pulled him back into the dinghy the air was blue. It got a lot bluer too when I told them I had photographic evidence and intended going to the police with it. The things they threatened to do to me personally were…let’s say, not fit to be repeated. But I figured they weren’t about to set fire to anything, seeing that Jack was soaked through and I’d rumbled what they were up to, so I decided to leave them to it.”
    â€œGood decision,” Lillian said quietly. “So you don’t know how Black Sam ended up dead in the river?”
    Will shook his head. “No. But I suspect Jack Pettyjohn does. He’d already threatened him for failing to do exactly what he wanted.”
    â€œBut I still don’t understand why you took off down channel?” Ben said.
    â€œI’d switched the ship-to-shore on for five minutes before I went to sleep and I heard the skipper of the
Mary-Jane
talking to the coastguards saying he was making for here. Spur of the moment thing — I decided to take a look and see if it was ‘our’
Mary-Jane
.”
    â€œYou could have told us what you were up to,” Lillian said. “Not knowing where you’d vanished to was scary — particularly when Black Sam’s body was found and the police suspected you were involved.”
    â€œSorry about that, Mum. I’d left my mobile on the barge and I honestly thought I’d be back before you and Dad were up. I didn’t expect the police complications.”
    â€œSo did you find out who’s on board the
Mary-Jane
?” Ben asked.
    Will shook his head. “No. The self-steering gear was rigged up and working. The skipper was clearly catching up on sleep. Once I’d seen it was our yacht, I decided to escort her in from a distance.”
    â€œI was thinking of going over,” Ben said. “Now you’re back we could go together?”
    Will nodded. “Why don’t we all go — a proper welcoming party.”
    â€œOh,” Polly said. “Before you go, I forgot to tell you. Worldsend asked me to arrange a meeting with you tomorrow afternoon. 3.30. The lawyers will have the papers ready for signing by then.”
    â€œLawyers acting as proxy?” Will asked.
    â€œSomebody from Worldsend is coming,” Polly said.