The Sleepover

by Carol Wyer

  ‘No. I’ve not seen him since Saturday.’

  ‘What time was that?’

  ‘We went to the youth club for a bit but there wasn’t much going on so we went to the amusement arcade and messed about on the machines.’

  ‘Where was that?’

  ‘The arcade near the old bingo hall on Pine Way.’

  ‘Near where the Curtis family lives.’

  ‘It’s a fair way along from their place.’

  ‘How long were you there?’

  ‘A couple of hours. Then we hung out in the park and came home at about eleven, I guess.’

  ‘Anyone see you?’

  ‘Probably. It was packed but there wasn’t anyone I recognised.’

  Natalie made a note to check the cameras along Pine Way and inside the arcade. ‘And the park?’

  ‘Empty apart from us.’

  ‘Did you set eyes on Roxy that night?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘What about Ellie?’

  ‘Nope. Didn’t see her either.’

  ‘She was at the youth club. I’m surprised you didn’t see her there.’

  He rubbed again at the angry red spot. ‘She wasn’t there when we were.’

  ‘Are you telling me the truth?’

  ‘Absolutely. Ellie wasn’t there.’

  Natalie would get his alibi looked into. For now, she and Murray still had to talk to Nadia Fryxell, Habib’s girlfriend, so they took their leave; however, Natalie wasn’t convinced by his story. No matter what he might say, his body was telling a different one.

  Sergeant Gretchen Fryxell was on leave and at home in her semi-detached house in Armston-on-Trent. She was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and floral gardening gloves and looked completely different out of her uniform. Both Natalie and Murray knew her from work, where she worked in narcotics – a solid, square-faced woman with a permanent frown.

  ‘Hi, Murray, Natalie. What brings you here?’ She patted the head of her wire-haired pointer, who’d accompanied her to greet the visitors.

  ‘I’m afraid it’s official business. Is Nadia in?’ Nadia was the same age as Josh and had recently finished her GCSE exams.

  ‘She’s sunbathing in the back garden. What is it?’

  ‘Habib Malik. He was found hanging from a tree in Linnet Lane, opposite a house that burnt down on Saturday night.’

  ‘Oh Lord! Habib? She’ll be devastated. Do you want me to break the news to her?’

  ‘Actually, we need to talk to her. We think his death’s suspicious.’

  ‘But you just said he hanged himself.’

  ‘No. I said we found him hanging. We aren’t sure he committed suicide.’

  Gretchen pulled off her gloves. ‘I’ll tell her and then bring her inside. Could you put the kettle on, Murray? The teabags are in the pot marked tea. She takes two sugars.’

  The kitchen was brightly lit by the sun streaming through the windows, intensifying the orange and red of the splashback tiles that were under the overhead cupboards and behind the large sink. Murray filled the kettle and reached for the pot. The mugs hung from hooks under an ochre cupboard. Gretchen clearly liked colour in her life. The place was quite a contrast to the sombre flats they’d visited on the Galloway Estate. From her vantage point, Natalie observed Gretchen traverse the freshly cut lawn to where a long-limbed girl wearing a turquoise swimming costume was laid out on a sunbed. She crouched down, took the girl’s hand in hers and spoke to her. Nadia sat up and the magazine she’d been reading tumbled to the ground. Gretchen sat down on the bed beside her and enveloped her in a motherly embrace. In the kitchen, the kettle bubbled and whistled.

  Natalie watched as Gretchen helped her daughter put on a towelling robe, as if she were a toddler unable to dress herself, and marvelled at a mother’s love. She understood it. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children. Gretchen was protecting hers, helping Nadia deal with the shock. ‘They’re coming inside.’

  Murray stirred the tea and placed the mug on the table. No sooner had he set it down than Gretchen entered, her arm around Nadia even though she was a head and shoulders taller than her mother. The girl’s teeth were chattering in spite of the warm day.

  ‘Sit down, love. Drink the tea. It’ll help,’ said Gretchen, and she pulled out a chair for her daughter. ‘This is DS Anderson and DI Ward. They work at Samford like me. They’re going to ask you a few questions about Habib. I want you to try and answer them all as thoroughly as you can and help them find out what happened to him. Will you do that for me?’

  The girl nodded and Gretchen gave her forehead a kiss.

  Natalie gave Nadia a small smile. ‘I’m so sorry about Habib. How long have you known him?’

  ‘Six months but we’ve only been seeing each other seriously for the last three.’ She grasped the mug tightly.

  ‘Were you supposed to see him last night?’

  ‘No. We hadn’t arranged anything.’

  ‘And you’re certain of that?’

  ‘Definitely. I went out with Mum to the cinema.’

  ‘That’s right. We went to Tamworth and had a pizza afterwards. We returned about ten.’

  ‘Did you text Habib or speak to him?’

  The girl nodded. ‘We were on Snapchat for ages yesterday morning. I didn’t speak to him after that. I kept my phone turned off in the cinema. I texted him after the film when we were eating and he seemed fine. He said he was in the middle of something and couldn’t talk but he’d have a nice surprise for me later. I tried to get hold of him today but he didn’t answer and I thought he was out with Tucker. He couldn’t mean this, could he, Mum? This isn’t the surprise?’ Her voice trailed away and the teeth-chattering began again.

  Her mother prised the mug from her curled fingers and covered both hands with her own. ‘No, love. He said “a nice surprise”. He had something else in mind.’

  Natalie had picked up on the way Nadia had spoken Tucker’s name and asked her,

  ‘How do you get on with Tucker?’

  ‘He’s okay.’

  ‘I get the impression you don’t like him too much.’

  ‘I don’t dislike him but I didn’t like the way he pushed Habib about. He was really bossy. Sometimes, he’d behave like he owned him – click his fingers and say, “Come on,” and Habib would follow him like a dog. I think he was scared of Tucker.’

  ‘Did he say anything that made you suspicious?’

  ‘There were a few times. It didn’t matter what we were doing, if Tucker texted or rang him, he’d drop everything and go. It happened once when we were in town together. We’d not been there five minutes when Tucker sent a message telling him to meet him urgently. He said he had to go and we argued about it. I thought Tucker was deliberately trying to stop us seeing each other but Habib wouldn’t have it. He said I was way off, and if he could stay he would but he had to leave. I didn’t get it. I told him if he left I wouldn’t see him again. He came to the house to apologise the next day and explained he owed Tucker for looking after him when he was younger, and we made up.’

  That was a possibility. Tucker and Habib had been friends for a very long time.

  ‘Did he mention anyone who was out to harm him?’

  ‘No. I know he wanted to move away from Clearview. He was hoping to get an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce and move to Derby. He’d applied and was waiting to hear back. He hated Clearview and the Galloway Estate. He said it was like living in a ticking time bomb.’

  Twenty-Six

  Tuesday, 3 July – Late Afternoon

  Natalie, who was driving her own car and had sent Murray on ahead to HQ, stopped off at a petrol station to refuel, grab something to eat and ring Aileen to tell her what they’d uncovered so far. The fact was, it was insufficient. The Curtis family had been involved in altercations with Habib and Tucker in the past, and there appeared to be a rivalry between the families. They still hadn’t established a connection between Roxy, her mother, the Langs and Habib. Her superior sounded
vexed but there was little more Natalie could give her. Until they made a significant breakthrough, they could only work with the evidence they had. Aileen would have to appease the press the best she could.

  She chugged the cold bottle of water and peeled back the cellophane on her cheese sandwich. It tasted bland but she ate it anyway and took advantage of having a couple of minutes to herself to ring home. Leigh would be home from school, and having interviewed Nadia and Gretchen, she had a desire to have a few words with her own daughter. Leigh picked up the phone.

  ‘Hi, sweetie. How was your day?’

  ‘Okay. Why?’

  ‘Just wondered.’

  ‘It was okay. It was school. Can’t wait for the holidays.’

  ‘Won’t be too long. Listen, I was wondering if you’d like to go and see Ocean’s 8 at the cinema with me.’

  ‘I’ve seen it already.’

  ‘When was that?’

  ‘The other day on DVD.’

  ‘It’s out already?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  There was a spike in her daughter’s voice that indicated she wasn’t telling the truth. It was unlikely the film was on DVD yet. One of her friends had probably got hold of a pirated copy. However, Natalie hadn’t rung for a row; she’d wanted to feel that special maternal bond. ‘Well, how about we watch something else then?’

  ‘Yeah, okay.’

  It wasn’t quite the response she’d hoped for but it was at least something.

  ‘You choose a film you fancy seeing and we’ll go this coming weekend.’

  ‘If you’re not busy.’

  ‘Leigh, busy or not, I’m due a day off and I’m going to spend some of it with you.’

  ‘Okay.’ The voice sounded more cheerful. Natalie had succeeded and it felt good.

  ‘Is Josh about?’

  ‘No. He’s out and Dad’s dead annoyed with him.’

  ‘Is Dad there?’

  ‘He’s working in his office. Are you coming home for tea?’

  ‘I’ll try. It might be a bit late so keep mine warm for me.’

  ‘It’s chicken salad!’

  ‘Keep it cool for me then.’

  ‘Ha!’

  ‘See you later.’

  ‘Yeah. Bye, Mum.’

  The chat had both cheered and troubled her. Learning Josh had riled David was slightly worrying. David didn’t often lose his rag with the boy. If anything, he was the patient one and she was far more likely to fuss or nag.

  Since finishing his exams, Josh’s personality had started to change and he was becoming increasingly aloof. She forced the last of her plastic-tasting sandwich into her mouth, started up her engine and blew out her cheeks with a noisy exhalation. She’d find out what was going on later. Everything and everyone close to her had to take a back seat while she was working an investigation, and sometimes that felt too great a burden for her to bear.

  When Murray returned to the office after talking to the Fryxells, he found Ian talking on the phone and Lucy back at her desk.

  ‘Where’s Natalie?’ Lucy asked.

  ‘She had to appease Aileen. I think the big boss wanted something to tell the press but we haven’t got anything new. What about you?’

  ‘Ellie said Roxy and Tucker were an item.’

  ‘Not what Tucker says. Reckons Roxy fancied him but he didn’t encourage it.’

  ‘Not the same version I was given. Ellie also says Seth and Charlie attacked Habib a few years ago, when they were all at school.’

  ‘Ah, that’s interesting cos Tucker told us that same story.’

  ‘Ellie spoke to Roxy briefly on Snapchat before she went off to find Crystal and Sandra.’

  ‘And Tucker didn’t see Ellie at the youth club. Great!’

  ‘Maybe he didn’t,’ Lucy said with a light shrug.

  ‘Do me a favour, Lucy. One of them is shitting us.’ He pulled out a chair and was about to sit down when he said, ‘You’ll never guess who Habib’s girlfriend is.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Gretchen Fryxell’s daughter.’

  ‘Fuck me! Gretchen the bulldog?’

  ‘That’s the one. Lives in a really nice house in Armston. Her daughter’s lovely. Doesn’t look anything like her mum.’

  ‘That’s a blessing then, isn’t it?’ Lucy flashed white teeth for a brief second.

  Ian spun around and interrupted their conversation. ‘That was one of the technical team on the phone. They’re processing Habib Malik’s mobile and they’ve just found out that he purchased several packs of Xanax over the last few months. It’s a benzodiazepine medication used to treat anxiety orders: panic, depression and agoraphobia.’

  Murray spoke up. ‘That makes sense. He got beaten up as a kid, seems to have been bossed about by his best friend, lost his mother to cancer and wanted desperately to get away from the Galloway Estate. I can see why he’d need it. It also supports the theory he killed himself – a teenager with mental health issues could well intend on taking his own life. If we didn’t already suspect he’d been murdered, that information would only make it seem more likely he’d killed himself.’

  ‘Surely he’d be on prescription drugs if he had an anxiety disorder, not buying them himself?’ said Lucy.

  ‘True but plenty of people read up about conditions online and self-medicate. It’s reasonable to assume he bought them for himself.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ Lucy replied.

  Ian continued, ‘There have been a few cases of kids buying drugs off the Internet and selling them on. If Habib wasn’t getting them for himself, he could have been doing just that.’

  ‘Let’s not jump to hasty conclusions,’ said Lucy. ‘We should see what Pinkney comes up with first, and if there are traces of the drug in his bloodstream. It’s more important we focus on why he was killed.’

  ‘I’d say dealing drugs was a possible reason,’ Ian insisted. ‘Somebody could be exacting revenge. He lived on the Galloway Estate, Lucy! It’s not exactly Beverly Hills there.’

  ‘Beverly Hills? Where’d you come up with that? You watch too much television,’ scoffed Murray.

  ‘You know what I mean. All sorts of rough kids live there. Loads of them are into drugs.’

  Lucy rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘Okay. Let’s consider it an option.’

  Murray spoke up again. ‘Anyway, that aside, Natalie wants us to talk to the Curtis boys again. Somebody’s not being straight with us and we need to get to the bottom of the incident surrounding beating up Habib. If Seth and Charlie did have it in for him and Tucker, we might have to consider their involvement in his death.’

  ‘I’ll come with you.’ Lucy pushed back from her seat and made for the door.

  Murray stood up again and hesitated before speaking to Ian. ‘You okay here?’

  ‘Of course. Why shouldn’t I be?’

  ‘Just checking,’ said Murray. He put a friendly hand on the man’s shoulder.

  ‘I’m okay. Really.’

  Lucy, who’d observed the friendly gesture, called out in a cartoon voice, ‘Miss you already!’ and blew Ian a kiss.

  ‘Fuck off!’ Ian replied with a laugh.

  ‘Reckon you can manage for half an hour without him?’ she joked as she and Murray made their way downstairs. ‘I’m beginning to worry about you two. I’ll have to tell Yolande to watch out and that she has a love rival.’

  ‘Like he said, “Fuck off!”’

  She laughed and bounded ahead of him.

  Natalie was coming up the stairs and almost bumped into them.

  ‘We’re going to talk to the Curtis boys,’ explained Murray.

  ‘Ellie reckons Habib was victimised by them,’ said Lucy.

  ‘That’s what we’ve been hearing too,’ Natalie responded.

  ‘My interview notes with her are on my desk if you want to go through them. Some of what she told me contradicts what you learnt.’

  Natalie readjusted her bag on her shoulder and let out a sigh. ‘Thanks. I’ll read the
m. I might try and get hold of Gavin and Kirk again, ask them about Habib.’

  Murray shook his head. ‘Daisy told me they’ve gone to London and isn’t sure when they’re back. Could be tonight.’

  ‘Why are they in London?’

  ‘Some networking event and visiting friends. Oh, and I also found out Daisy and Kirk are seeing each other behind Gavin’s back. They’ve not told him yet but are going to. Kirk is now staying with a friend and isn’t going to move back in with Gavin once the insurance money comes through. It crossed my mind that Daisy and Kirk might both have been involved in setting fire to the house so they could create a situation where they’d be together, but it seems extreme and now Habib’s dead as well, I’m not so sure.’

  ‘I can’t work out why they’d want to kill Cathy or Habib, or why Roxy was in that house, but it is possible Daisy and Kirk arranged to burn down the house to claim insurance money then move in together. Jeez – people and their bloody secrets!’ said Natalie, rolling her eyes. ‘Okay. I’ll ring Gavin and Kirk or I might even try the nightclub later and see if I can track down the elusive duo. Let me know how you get on.’

  Natalie bent over her desk and rested her forehead in her hands. She’d read Lucy’s interview notes. All the damn lies: Ellie, Roxy, Tucker… they were all doing her head in. Ian was tapping at his keyboard; the clicking penetrated her brain and distracted her. She admonished herself for being oversensitive to the noise. It didn’t usually trouble her. She was tetchy and tired, and in the corner of her mind was a reminder that Josh wasn’t behaving as he usually did. She had no idea why he’d suddenly changed and wondered if any parent ever understood their teenage children. The internal phone rang and she lifted the receiver. Mike was on the line.

  ‘I stopped off at the technical department to see if there were any new developments… and there are. Habib set up an account and purchased Xanax but the delivery address isn’t his home address. The drugs were sent to number eight-seven, The Towers, Galloway Estate.’ It was Tucker’s address.

  ‘How did he pay for them?’

  ‘Debit card.’

  ‘In his name?’