‘Yeah, I know what it feels like to almost lose a child so I imagine the pain must be unbearable.’
‘Did you think that Ryan and Jean Phillips dying would bring her some peace? You figured you’d got away with killing the doctor so why not those two.’
‘No, I didn’t kill the doctor and I didn’t kill Ryan and Jean Phillips.’
‘Where were you the night of Sunday the 18th of October?’
‘I already told you I’m not good with dates. It’s not like I have a social life. I work and go home.’
‘Do you have any evidence that links my client to any one of these murders? From what you’ve said so far all you have is a weak motive and possible opportunity,’ the solicitor said.
No, Meadows thought. ‘Your client does have a strong connection to at least three of the murders. Added to that, the injuries on the doctor are consistent with amputations on his son’s hands and feet.’ Meadows took a copy of the post-mortem report and handed it to the solicitor.
The solicitor read through it, the look on his face showing the disgust he must be feeling. He put the report down.
‘Tell me, detective, was this writing – these Bible verses – found on all the victims?’
‘Yes, apart from Ryan and Jean Phillips. A brick had been thrown through the window with the Bible reference written on it.’
‘Well, it looks to me like your killer is just randomly picking out people they think have done wrong. I’m sure a lot of people know of Harry’s condition. There are other injuries to the doctor that do not tie in with your theory. From what I understand the doctor had a few enemies, as did Ryan and Jean Phillips. My client has answered all your questions. He’s been honest about his affair. So are you going to charge him?’
‘We’ll be holding your client while we await the DNA results from the samples he gave when he came into the station. We will also conduct a search of your client’s home and vehicle.’
‘How long will that take?’ Rhodri asked.
‘They can hold you for twenty-four hours,’ the solicitor said.
‘Given the seriousness of the crime, we will be applying to detain your client up to ninety-six hours,’ Meadows said.
‘I will of course oppose it,’ the solicitor said. ‘My client is needed at home to support his wife in the care of their child.’
‘I note your concerns,’ Meadows said. ‘Rhodri, I would advise you to take some time to think things over. If you didn’t kill Dr Rowlands but know who is responsible, you’re not doing yourself any favours by keeping quiet.’ Meadows ended the interview and Rhodri was taken back to the cell.
‘Sorry to have kept you so late,’ Meadows said.
The solicitor smiled. ‘It’s no problem.’
‘I’ll get the paperwork done for the extension and get a copy sent to you.’
‘I’ll come back in the morning to speak to Rhodri.’
‘Good, he needs all the help he can get.’
Mike from forensics was waiting in the office. He stood up when Meadows and Edris entered.
‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ Mike said. ‘I’ve got something for you that will solve one of your cases.’
Chapter Twenty-six
Mike placed a folder on Meadows’ desk and opened it as the team gathered around. Paskin hadn’t left the office and Valentine had returned, claiming she didn’t want to sit around in an empty flat.
‘I can now confirm that Dr Rowlands was killed in the tool shed of the graveyard. Traces of the doctor’s blood were found on the floor even though some effort was made to clean it up. Here and here.’ Mike pointed the markers out on the photograph. ‘Blood, hair and skin were also found on the wheelbarrow.’
‘So that’s how the killer moved the body,’ Edris said.
‘Yes, but you’d still have to be fairly strong to get the body into the wheelbarrow and push it to the grave,’ Meadows said.
‘Yeah and Rhodri has certainly got the strength.’
‘That’s not all,’ Mike said. He took out another photo. ‘Synthetic hairs found on the doctor were a match for the ones found on Stacey Evans and also Donald Hobson. DNA samples taken from Donald were a match to the samples taken from under Stacey’s fingernails.’
‘What? That can’t be right,’ Meadows said. ‘Donald was at the vicarage the night Stacey was murdered, with five other people.’
‘I’m afraid there is no mistake, he was also a match to the pubic hairs found on Stacey. Looks like Donald Hobson is your killer.’ Mike handed him the report.
The team around him looked as stunned as Meadows felt. He read through the report and put it down on his desk.
‘I can’t believe it,’ Valentine said. ‘The kid threw up when we went to arrest him. I can’t see he’d have the stomach to kill Dr Rowlands, certainly not the way he was killed.’
‘But if Donald is our killer then who killed Donald?’ Paskin asked.
‘Well, for a start everyone who was at the vicarage that night has lied, including the bloody vicar. The question is why would they all cover for Donald? And clearly he didn’t act alone in the killings,’ Meadows said.
‘What if Rhodri called Stacey that night and got her to come around to the house. He holds her there and waits for Donald then they take her to the Cwm and kill her,’ Paskin said.
‘It wouldn’t fit with the time of death and his wife would have had to be in on it,’ Meadows said. ‘I’m not ruling out Rhodri as an accomplice to the other murders.’
‘What possible motive could Donald have for killing Dr Rowlands, and Jean and Ryan Phillips?’ Edris asked.
‘The same as Sarah Kelly, I guess,’ Meadows said. ‘Donald would have known about Erin’s visit to the doctor and Sarah’s complaint to the GMC. As for Ryan and Jean Phillips, the only one with a solid motive for killing them is Mary Beynon and I don’t think she has the strength to be Donald’s accomplice.’
‘So, what do we do now?’ Edris asked.
‘It’s late, go home and get some rest. Paskin, did uniform report on Sarah Kelly’s movements?’
‘Yeah, she was at home, took the dog for a walk then went into work. She is on shift all night.’
‘Good, so she’s not going anywhere, and neither is Rhodri. We’ll come back in the morning and look at this mess with fresh eyes.’
* * *
Meadows drove home with the windscreen wipers at double speed. It was on these cold, dark, and wet nights that he was glad of his cottage. He had spent some tough winters in the commune. Endless days of rain and surrounded by mud. The cold would chill you to the bone so, no matter how many layers of clothes you wore, you never felt warm.
As he parked outside his cottage the headlights of the car picked out the broken slates laying on the ground. It reminded him that he had to ring the insurance company to get the roof fixed. It also turned his thoughts back to the night of the storm. If it hadn’t been for the flooding, we wouldn’t have found the doctor, he thought. Why only conceal the doctor and not the others? It had to be that the doctor’s injuries would lead them to the killer which put Rhodri Lewis in the frame. He really hoped they would turn up something from the house search or forensics would come back with a match.
He jumped out of the car and made a dash for the cottage. Once inside he changed his clothes, made a cup of tea, and rolled a joint. He sat in the armchair smoking, and felt his muscles loosen and allowed his thoughts to wander. He couldn’t believe that Donald was responsible or played some part in all four murders. The first time he had met him he had been afraid and the first words out of his mouth were, ‘I didn’t kill her.’ Meadows had thought the statement odd at the time but maybe Donald hadn’t been the one to put his hands around her throat. He had hated Stacey so he might have played a part in restraining her, but no, forensics showed that he was the one to sexually assault her. Did someone persuade him? Rhodri or Sarah?
Meadows took another long drag of the joint. There was something else bothering him. If Sarah
killed Donald, then why take the food and blankets one day and go back to kill him the next? So far as they knew, it was only Sarah and Vicar Daniels who knew Donald was at the quarry. Vicar Daniels? Could he have killed Donald? What would be his motive?
Meadows shook his head. He was getting off track but the more he thought about it the more complicated the case became. There were too many variables and more than one suspect. Could it be that Donald had killed four people then written on himself before jumping off the quarry? Finally, tiredness overcame him, so he went up to bed and lay his head on the pillow. Sleep didn’t come easily. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Donald lying at the bottom of the quarry. The limestone, his eyes snapped open. The fingerprints on the limestone and the brick thrown through Jean Phillips window didn’t match Donald’s fingerprints. There was someone else there, he thought. It has to be Rhodri Lewis. Meadows sighed. It didn’t make a difference; he still had to go and tell Donald’s parents that their son had committed a terrible crime.
* * *
The sun was fighting to break through the clouds as Meadows arrived at the office. The team was already in and were sat around the incident board awaiting instruction.
‘Okay, as Donald was a match to the attack on Stacey, I think we should start there,’ Meadows said. ‘His alibi for that evening was watching a film with Vicar Daniels, Sarah Kelly, Tomos John, Gemma Lewis, and Mary Beynon. All gave the same story. Are they all lying to protect Donald and if so, why? Paskin, I would like you to find out all you can about Vicar Daniels and Tomos John. Valentine and Hanes, I would like you to conduct the search on Rhodri Lewis’ house and vehicle. We are looking for anything that ties him to the murders, particularly a wig. I want you to tread carefully. See if you can persuade Gemma to take the child out of the house when you search. Both are vulnerable. I want phone records checked for all of these.’
Meadows pointed to the board. ‘Edris and I will speak to Vicar Daniels, see what he has to say about the film evening. Until forensics come back to us matching Rhodri to the crime scene, we keep looking. Everyone on this list apart from the vicar had motive for killing the doctor. One of them threw a brick through Jean Phillips’ window and hit the doctor with a piece of limestone. Gemma also has motive for killing Stacey if she had found out about her husband’s affair. You need to check all the dates with her. She will protect her husband, but would she keep quiet if Rhodri killed Donald? The other thing to consider is that she may be afraid. Any questions?’
‘What about Mary Beynon?’ Paskin asked.
‘I think it unlikely she will give you any information. She may have seen something on the night Dr Rowlands was killed. Maybe heard Rhodri coming home late. For now, let’s concentrate on Rhodri Lewis and unpicking Donald’s alibi. We need to find something on Rhodri and charge him by the end of the day or we are going to have to let him go. It doesn’t look like we will get an extension to hold him longer.’
Chapter Twenty-seven
The sun had lost its battle against the clouds and when they arrived in Gaer Fawr a mist hung over the village, dousing it in a fine drizzle of rain. The church looked peaceful as they entered through the lychgate and took the narrow side path to the tool store. The store was built of stone and had a slate roof and wooden door. It looked as old as the church and, as Meadows pushed open the door, he wondered what its original purpose had been.
Inside there were still markers on the dirt floor where forensics had identified blood or other points of interest. Some of the tools had been removed along with the wheelbarrow.
‘They must have gagged the poor sod,’ Edris said. ‘Anyone walking along the pavement would have heard his shouts.’
‘Yes and there was also the risk of getting him in here unseen. He would have been brought here by car, that much we know. I guess they parked outside the gate. Made sure there was no one around. It would have been dark and late so chances are it was quiet, then they drag him inside and kill him.’
‘Or he could have been knocked out in the car, so they grab the wheelbarrow to move him,’ Edris said.
Meadows stepped out of the shed. ‘So Donald and Rhodri? You would need two drivers. I’m guessing Donald at least had a provisional licence and was learning to drive. We’ll have to check with his parents. One gets rid of the doctor’s car, the other follows to pick him up. I would imagine it would need them both to move the doctor in the wheelbarrow to the top corner of the graveyard and dig a grave.’
‘That’s a lot to do in one night. How long would it take them to dig a grave?’
‘It was deep,’ Meadows said. ‘Vicar Daniels reckoned about six hours.’
‘And then they have to clean the shed and get home covered in dirt? I can’t see it.’
‘Maybe they dug the grave beforehand.’
‘That’s a horrible thought.’
‘It is,’ Meadows agreed. ‘That part of the graveyard isn’t tended to very often. The last cut of the grass would have been done for winter so they could have worked on the grave over a few nights and no one would have noticed.’
‘Yeah, that works. But how did Rhodri persuade Donald to help him?’
‘Or maybe it was Donald that instigated it. He knew about Rhodri’s affair, so he had that over him. Donald had as much reason to hate the doctor. He would know about Sarah’s complaint to the GMC. His parents said they thought he was never going to get over Erin’s death and maybe he never did,’ Meadows said.
‘Yeah, but murder?’
‘Well, I doubt Rhodri would need much persuading. Although I would say out of the two Rhodri would be more likely to be the instigator. There is also Gemma to consider. I’m sure she would have noticed Rhodri coming home late that night. His clothes would have been dirty and probably bloodstained.’
‘She would likely keep quiet to protect her husband.’
‘Or she could be in on it. Dr Rowlands would have got out of his car for a woman. Yet she seemed genuinely upset about Donald.’
‘Maybe she didn’t want Rhodri to kill him?’ Edris said.
‘Then what about Ryan and Jean Phillips?’
‘Rhodri lives next door to Mary Beynon, she sees him come home in the early hours after he’s killed the doctor so to keep her quiet he torches Ryan and Jean’s house.’
‘But Ryan and Jean died before the doctor was found so Mary Beynon wouldn’t have made the connection; besides that’s a lot of people to be involved.’
‘Yeah, I guess. Maybe once they had killed the doctor and thought they got away with it they decided to kill again. Picking out victims they thought deserved to die. They did leave a three-week gap before killing Jean and Ryan Phillips.’
‘We just need to find out how Donald managed to be in two places at the same time. Right, let’s see the vicar,’ Meadows said.
The church was locked so they took the shortcut through the graveyard to the vicarage.
Vicar Daniels looked harassed when he answered the door and was fixing his dog collar.
‘Morning detectives,’ he smiled. ‘I’m afraid you’ve caught me in a bit of a hurry. I overslept this morning and I’m just about to go out to see Gemma Lewis. From what she tells me Rhodri has been arrested. Is that correct?’
‘Yes,’ Meadows said. ‘I’m afraid we are going to have to delay you a bit longer.’
‘You better come in then.’
Vicar Daniels led them to the kitchen where plates were piled up in the sink and a bread knife and tub of butter sat on the counter.
‘Excuse the mess,’ Vicar Daniels said. ‘My parishioners come before domestic duties. I really should get a cleaner. Now, how can I help you?’
‘The night of the 20th of October, you said, Donald was here watching a film.’
‘Yes, that was the Tuesday night, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes. Are you sure about the time he arrived and left that evening?’
‘He arrived around eight, he was always punctual, and left just before eleven.’
Me
adows was finding it difficult to believe that the vicar could lie so easily. He showed no outward signs of deceit. He was looking Meadows in the eyes and seemed relaxed.
‘What time did you start watching the film?’
‘I guess it would have been before eight thirty, no later. Quarter past or twenty past, something like that.’
‘And did he leave at all during the evening?’
‘Not that I’m aware of. To be honest I was rather tired that evening, so I dozed off during the film. I had seen it before. He may have left the room to go to the toilet, I suppose.’
‘Was he definitely in the room when the film finished?’
‘Yes, because he turned the lights on.’
‘We now know that Donald was responsible for the attack on Stacey Evans.’
The vicar’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Donald? Surely not. I really can’t see him doing anything like that. No, he was here.’
‘You see our problem. If Donald attacked Stacey on the Tuesday evening how could he have been sat the whole time watching a film? You see, Stacey finished work at half eight and died sometime between nine and ten,’ Edris said. ‘You say you may have dozed off but there were four other people in the room. Are you certain of the times?’
‘Yes, Donald came earlier than the others to help me set up the room.’
‘We’d like to see the room,’ Meadows said.
Vicar Daniels led them to the sitting room which was situated at the front of the house. The room had an old-fashioned feel to it with a dado rail running around the wall and landscape oil paintings hung below. Dark green curtains surrounded a bay window where the television sat on a stand. A green patterned sofa and armchair were positioned in a semicircle around a coffee table and facing the window.
‘There is not enough room for six people,’ Meadows said as he glanced around the room. ‘Where did everyone sit?’
‘I was in the armchair, my usual place. Gemma sat next to Mary on the sofa. Donald helped me move the two-seater sofa from my study and we placed it here.’ Vicar Daniels indicated a space between the sofa and armchair. ‘We set it back a little so everyone could see the film. Tomos and Sarah sat here. Donald had a chair from the kitchen. He switched off the lights once everyone was seated.’
A Knot of Sparrows: a murder mystery set in the heart of the valleys Page 17