‘I think it would be prudent to keep a presence in Gaer Fawr for now. We can’t have uniform there twenty-four hours but if they are seen to regularly drive around and maybe walk around, talk to people, it will not only reassure the public but may deter the killer,’ Lester said.
‘I agree,’ Meadows said. ‘I’ve asked uniform to call on Vicar Daniels to check the security on the vicarage and the church.’
Lester nodded his approval.
‘Okay, Dr Rowlands, our first victim,’ Meadows continued.
‘That we know of,’ Edris said.
‘Well, given that no one else is missing from the area. I think it’s safe to assume,’ Meadows said.
‘What if the killer is not from the area,’ Paskin said. ‘Or they could have killed before. Perhaps we should be looking at any unsolved case or cases that looked accidental, or suicide. What about Erin Kelly?’
‘I’ve looked over the case. The outcome of the inquest was suicide. There was a thorough investigation and no evidence of foul play. I think the killer is a resident of Gaer Fawr. No one knew my plans to go to Bill James’ farm the night I was attacked. Bill James’ solicitor made one call to Sarah Kelly. She herself told me she had received the message. There were a number of men on the bridge that night dealing with the flood water. I identified myself. No one else would have got access over the bridge as it was blocked.’
‘Sarah Kelly could have made a call to someone,’ Edris said.
‘There is that possibility. So, are we agreed we need to treat Dr Rowlands as the first victim?’ Meadows looked around and saw the team’s nods of agreement. ‘Something must have triggered the killer.’
‘So we’re looking at a serial killer,’ Valentine said.
‘I don’t think we want to use that label at the moment,’ Lester said.
‘There are two victims,’ Paskin said. ‘And for all we know he could be planning his next kill.’
‘The connection between Stacey Evans and Dr Rowlands has not been made public,’ Lester said. ‘We need to keep it that way. There will be speculation given the close proximity of the victims. I’ll deal with the press, but we need to move quickly before he strikes again. I’ll also make an appeal for information.’
‘I agree,’ Meadows said. ‘I think our best option is to concentrate on Dr Rowlands. The victims were found with biblical references.’ He pointed to the board. ‘“The whore of Babylon” – it seems Stacey Evans was having an affair with a married man. Tech have provided a picture of the tattoo seen on the video. It looks like a baby’s hand print in the centre of the design. We need to be on the lookout for anyone with that tattoo. Maybe check local tattoo parlours to see if anyone remembers tattooing that design. It could be our killer or someone the killer wants to protect. Now to the doctor. “An Eye for and Eye” – it was a horrific attack, he was made to suffer. So, what is the doctor guilty of in the killer’s eyes? Paskin, what did you manage to find out?’
‘He wasn’t well liked. There is a Facebook page dedicated to complaints and general gripes about Dr Rowlands. It’s called “Doctor Rowlands is a twat.” A lots of posts, some examples: “Apparently it’s my fault I have underactive thyroid because I’m fat;” “He told me I had gout when I had an infection in my foot.” Those are some of the tamer ones.’
‘The injuries inflicted on the doctor were quite specific,’ Edris said.
‘You need to go through all the posts and bear the injuries in mind,’ Meadows said.
‘There were also three complaints made to the GMC. He was cleared of misconduct on all three cases. I’ve requested the details.’
‘Who made the complaints?’
‘Sarah Kelly, Tomos and Ellis John, and Gemma and Rhodri Lewis.’
‘As well as Sarah Kelly I’ve heard those other names before,’ Meadows said. ‘Edris?’
Edris flicked through his notebook. ‘Yes, you’re right: Sarah Kelly, Gemma Lewis, and Tomos John were at the movie night last Tuesday evening with Donald Hobson.’
‘So, they all have alibis,’ Valentine said.
‘Not Rhodri Lewis, or Ellis John, only Gemma Lewis and Tomos John were at the vicarage,’ Edris said.
‘We also have to consider the possibility that the killer isn’t working alone,’ Meadows said.
‘Yeah, I can’t see one person digging a grave and moving the doctor,’ Paskin said.
‘It’s not impossible,’ Edris said. ‘The doctor could have been lured to the graveyard. Easier than moving him afterwards.’
‘I can’t see it,’ Hanes said. It was the first time he had spoken during the briefing and everyone turned to look at him. ‘Why would anyone meet up in the back of a graveyard? And the doctor was called out.’
‘He’s got a point,’ Meadows said.
‘What if Linda Rowlands made the fake call after she killed the doctor?’ Edris said. ‘She calls her sons to help her out, then one of them kills Stacey. The doctor was known to be sleeping around.’
‘What have we got on the sons?’ Meadows asked.
‘Both have alibis. I’ve checked them out,’ Paskin said.
‘There is also Donald Hobson. Valentine, where are we with the search?’
‘All outbuildings on the local farms have been checked. We also searched his home again in case his parents were concealing him. They are very angry and worried. We’ve managed to get phone records from Donald’s network provider. He’s made two calls since he went missing. One to Sarah Kelly on Saturday night and one to Vicar Daniels last night.’
‘Interesting,’ Meadows said. ‘We already know he called the vicar but why did he call Sarah Kelly? Valentine and Hanes, look at all the video footage Donald took of Erin and check out their favourite places, particularly anywhere where he could shelter. If he’s not involved then I’m sure he knows something.’
‘Paskin, go through the Facebook posts and track down the administrator and look for those with complaints that match the doctor’s injuries. They will all need to be interviewed, take someone with you. Valentine and Hanes can give you a hand when they’ve finished with the search. Edris and I will talk to Sarah Kelly again then see the other two on the list that made complaints to the GMC.’
‘Do you need extra help?’ Lester said. ‘I can get a DS transferred from Carmarthen until Blackwell returns.’
Meadows didn’t like the idea of having a new face on the team in the middle of an investigation. ‘Folland has let me have a few uniforms, they are all up to speed on the case. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have someone take over Blackwell’s arson case.’
‘Okay, I’ll sort it out. I’ll let you get on.’ Lester left the room.
‘That’s all, thanks everyone, let’s meet back for a briefing after the interviews. Hopefully by then we will have a credible suspect.’
Meadows returned to his desk and picked up his jacket. ‘Edris, can you print off a copy of the post-mortem report for Erin Kelly? You can read it on the way. I’ll just check through Donald’s phone records, see who else he’s been calling.’
Chapter Eighteen
‘This is pretty grim reading,’ Edris said as Meadows drove towards Gaer Fawr. ‘Poor kid. She landed on the rocks face down.’
‘The doctor was buried face down. Could be significant.’
‘There is a fracture to the cheekbone which is consistent with the doctor’s facial injury. A lot of fractures but I can’t see anything specific to the hands or feet. She didn’t die instantly.’
‘Was she alive when they found her?’
‘No, she was pronounced dead at the scene which means she was lying there alone and dying. She had internal bleeding.’
‘Which the killer tried to achieve by pouring some sort of bleach down the doctor’s throat, maybe,’ Meadows said.
‘It’s very gruesome. Can you see Sarah Kelly inflicting those injuries on the doctor?’ Edris asked.
‘Who knows the limits someone can be pushed to. Sarah would have been present at the
inquest and heard all the details of the post-mortem. I don’t imagine you could ever get over that. All that anger and grief and nowhere to channel it.’
‘Yeah, I guess, but she can’t have killed Stacey Evans. She has an alibi and also it was a sexual assault,’ Edris said.
‘No, but she could have involved someone else?’
‘Like Bill James?’
‘The DNA results came back negative,’ Meadows said.
‘Okay, someone else then, working with Sarah.’
‘Someone who wears a wig.’
As they drove over the humpback bridge, they saw Sarah Kelly walking her dog.
‘We’ll just wait outside her house, give the village an opportunity to see us. Stir things up,’ Meadows said.
They had only been sat a few minutes when there was a knock on the window. Meadows turned his head and saw Mrs Hobson standing on the pavement.
‘Have you found Donald yet?’ Mrs Hobson asked as soon as Meadows stepped out of the car.
‘No, I’m afraid not. We do have officers searching for him.’
‘There was a frost this morning. He’s been out for two nights in the cold. This is all your fault, coming around and frightening him.’
‘I’m sorry if it looks that way to you,’ Meadows said. ‘We only want to ask him a few questions. If he contacts you, please reassure him that’s the case. We can talk to him at home if it makes him feel more comfortable.’
‘And you couldn’t have done that to start with? He hasn’t been in contact. For all you know he could be lying somewhere ill and alone.’
Mrs Hobson started to cry. A couple of people had stopped on the pavement opposite and were watching the exchange. Meadows wanted to give her some reassurance, tell her that Donald had spoken to Vicar Daniels, but he didn’t want to break his confidence.
‘We are tracking Donald’s phone, he made a call and is still in the area. I can’t tell you more than that at the moment. But at least you know he hasn’t gone far. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.’ Meadows was relieved when Sarah Kelly joined their group.
‘Has something happened?’ She touched Mrs Hobson on the arm.
‘No, they haven’t found him yet. You know what Donald is like. Tell them, he’s a good boy. He’d never hurt anyone.’
‘I know,’ Sarah said. ‘Try not to worry. I’m sure he’ll turn up.’ She gave Mrs Hobson a hug.
‘Can we have a word?’ Meadows asked.
‘Okay.’ Sarah took the keys from her bag and opened the door. ‘I’ll pop over later,’ she called to Mrs Hobson before stepping through the door. ‘People told me the same thing when I couldn’t find Erin, try not to worry.’ She shook her head as she walked into the sitting room. ‘It’s a stupid thing to say. It didn’t stop me worrying and it will be the same for Donald’s parents. You know when something is wrong. You feel it as a parent.’
Meadows looked around the room. Last time he had been there it was sparsely decorated, now it was stripped bare and several boxes stood in the corner.
‘Do you think Donald’s parents have cause to worry?’ he asked.
Sarah shrugged off her coat. ‘I dunno. I hope he’ll be okay. He’s a nice kid and he was a good friend to Erin. He comes over often to see me. Have a seat if you want.’ She sat in the armchair and the dog jumped on her lap.
‘How has Donald seemed to you over the past few weeks?’ Edris asked.
‘Alright, he wasn’t well last week but I guess another dead teenager brought it all back. Did you come here to ask me about Donald? Because there isn’t much else I can tell you. Like his mother said, he’s a good lad. Never been in any trouble.’
‘We came to talk to you about Dr Rowlands. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that his body was found in St Herbert’s graveyard,’ Meadows said.
‘Yeah, the village has been buzzing for the last couple of days.’
‘You made a complaint to the GMC about him.’
‘Yes, it’s common knowledge and you’ll probably find I’m not the only one to have done so.’
‘Can you tell us the nature of the complaint?’ Meadows asked.
‘In the weeks leading up to Erin’s death, she had become withdrawn. It was more than the bullying, although that was a major factor. She had lost weight, no interest in food, or plans for the future. She used to spend her weekends with Donald but in the end she just stayed in bed. Not bothering to get dressed.
‘I took her to see Dr Rowlands about two weeks before she died. He was dismissive, saying that most teenagers go through that stage – moody and staying in their rooms. Things didn’t improve so I took her back to see him the day she died. I insisted she needed help. I suggested anti-depressants or some sort of counselling. He basically told me I was being an overprotective mother. He went off on a tangent about the problem with kids these days. Schools stopping competitive sports not to hurt children’s feelings. Their every whim being met. He said Erin was oversensitive and she needed to toughen up. Go out more, buy some new clothes and put on some make-up, then she might feel a little better. That night she walked up to the quarry.’
‘Do you think Dr Rowlands could have prevented Erin’s death?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yes, he could have helped her when I first took her to see him. She was clearly suffering from depression. That point was made in the inquest. He could have referred her to a mental health team. He made her feel worse. He could have given her an option, a little hope that she would get better. She was in a dark pit with no way out and he took away her last chance.’
‘The GMC cleared him of any misconduct, that must have been very difficult for you,’ Edris said.
Sarah turned her attention to Edris. ‘Well, they only had his word against mine. He was the one to write up the medical notes, he would be unlikely to have written anything that would make him look bad. He probably changed it to look like there was no indication of Erin’s depression.’
‘And now he’s dead,’ Edris said.
‘I won’t pretend to be shocked or upset. I freely admit I detested the man. It seems my prayers have been answered. It won’t bring Erin back or do anything to diminish the pain I feel, but at least there has been some sort of justice.’
Meadows thought of the Bible quote and wondered if Sarah was referring to some Old Testament justice. She seems to think that the doctor got what he deserved, he thought.
‘I’m going to have to ask you where you were on the evening of the 28th of September. It was a Monday,’ Meadows said.
Sarah sat back in her chair and smiled. ‘You expect me to remember?’
‘You must have some idea.’
‘You think I killed Dr Rowlands and Stacey Evans?’ Sarah laughed.
‘You blamed both of them for Erin’s death.’
‘I was at the vicarage watching a movie the night Stacey was murdered.’
‘That doesn’t mean that you didn’t help plan to kill her,’ Edris said.
‘Oh, so you think I have someone who would avenge my daughter’s death? In case you haven’t noticed, I am completely alone, and I don’t have money to pay someone to do my bidding.’
‘You still haven’t told us where you were the night Doctor Rowland was murdered,’ Meadows said.
‘If it was a Monday night then I guess I would have been in work.’
‘Where do you work?’ Edris asked.
‘Parc Wern care home. I do the night shift. Four nights on four nights off.’
‘What time do you start?’
‘Eight and I finish at eight. You don’t think I killed the doctor, dug a grave and pushed him in, do you?’
‘Not alone, no,’ Meadows said. ‘There were certain injuries to Dr Rowlands that were consistent with Erin’s injuries. Also, a large piece of limestone was found with the doctor.’
‘Limestone is very common around here.’
‘Yes, but you can see how it looks. Both cases appear to be connected to Erin. If you are not involved then it is l
ikely to be someone close to you or who was close to Erin.’
‘I’ve told you there is no one.’ Sarah stroked the dog.
‘There’s Bill James.’
‘Whom you arrested and let go because he’s innocent.’
‘What were you doing at Bill’s farm the night I got attacked?’ Meadows asked.
‘I told you I was checking on the chickens.’
‘Yet you had a message to go the next morning. You knew I would be there. In fact, only you and Bill knew I would be there that night. Who else did you tell?’
‘No one. I didn’t think you would come in the storm, so I went to check. I didn’t see anyone on my way down.’
‘Did you phone anyone? We can check your phone records.’
‘Go ahead if you can’t take my word. I have nothing to hide.’
‘You haven’t exactly been helpful,’ Meadows said.
‘I have answered all your questions.’
‘You didn’t tell us that Donald had contacted you on Saturday night.’
‘You didn’t ask. Why would you expect me to volunteer that information?’
‘You know we are looking for him and his mother is worried.’
‘But Donald hasn’t done anything wrong. While your questions and implications don’t bother me, Donald is sensitive. It’s no wonder he’s run off.’
‘Where is he?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I think you do and you’re not telling us. What was the call about?’
‘That’s between Donald and me. He needed someone to talk to.’
Meadows could feel his patience slipping. ‘Are you moving house?’ He indicated the boxes stacked in the corner of the room.
‘I thought it was about time I had a clear out. I haven’t touched Erin’s things since she died. It’s time to move on, maybe I will sell up and move out of the area. Too many bad memories here. So, are you going to arrest me?’
‘Not today, but if I find that you have withheld information that could help catch the person responsible for the murders then I will arrest and charge you.’
‘Well, if that’s the case there isn’t any more I can tell you.’ Sarah stood and the dog jumped down. ‘I’ll see you out.’
A Knot of Sparrows: a murder mystery set in the heart of the valleys Page 11