Who kidnapped Fortune Flight?
Who injured Kieran Stone?
Gerard Llewellyn
Retired racehorse trainer Gerard Llewellyn was the man who kidnapped Fortune Flight and injured Kieran Stone in the process.
Llewellyn wanted a share of the value of Fortune Flight and when Toby Merriman refused he decided to kidnap the horse.
He demanded a ransom but he was prepared to hold on to the horse for as long as it took to ruin Toby Merriman. The horse was being kept safe at the plot where Llewellyn intended to build his retirement house.
He hadn’t meant to injure Kieran Stone but panicked when the stable hand showed up unexpectedly.
The Clues
- Llewellyn admitted he and Toby Merriman had a fight about the money from the future sale of the horse
- The dogs did not bark in the yard so it suggested the dogs knew the person who took Fortune Flight
- Llewellyn Racing Stables owned a horse box and Gerard Llewellyn had access to it
- The field where the horse was kept was the plot where Llewellyn planned to build a retirement property
- The field was accessed along a chalk track and chalk was found on the drive up to the Llewellyn Racing Stables the next morning
- The blue bolt cutters had fingerprints belonging to Llewellyn on the handle where he took them from Kieran Stone. The fingerprints were contiminated with blood.
- The yard’s own bolt cutters were found in a hedge by the gate.
- Llewellyn knew the stable hands in the area and knew that Rennison’s house share was away which might make him look guilty.
What about the other suspects?
Are you wondering what the other suspects were up to?
Toby Merriman was desperate to get his wife to sell Fortune Flight while they were still married so that he could use the money from the sale to pay off his gambling debts – debts he owed to Fallon Lesley. Merriman put a threatening note on his wife’s car windscreen. It was in capitals but you would think she would recognise his handwriting!
Fallon Lesley had made pointed remarks to Merriman about selling the horse to him but they did not amount to threats.
Poppy Erskine left the scene before she might get caught and whilst she had every intention of ruining the chances of running of the racehorses she had no more intent than that. She had carried the bolt cutters to the yard so her fingerprints were on the handle but not contaminated in blood.
Kieran Stone’s fingerprints were also on the bolt cutter because he took it from Poppy and carried it to the stable.
Goergia Llewellyn may have had a suspicion about her father’s involvement but she couldn’t believe he would injure Kieran Stone. She knew the dogs would bark if a stranger was in the yard.
Which case will you investigate next?
The Death Of Gideon Love
Available October 4th
£35