‘Did anyone leave during the film?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’
‘Did the lights stay off the whole time?’
‘Yes, Donald turned them off at the start then back on when the film finished.’
‘How did Donald seem after the film?’
‘He was a bit emotional. Most of us were as it’s that kind of film. Mary was crying as you would expect. It brought back memories of what had happened to Ella. She said she would like to think of Ella that way, safe. Donald gave her a hug and told her that–’
‘Told her what?’ Meadows asked.
‘That she would see Ella again one day and that God had seen to it that Ryan had been punished.’
‘What do you think he meant by that?’
‘Well, I assume the fire. That he meant it was God’s will. You don’t think that Donald had anything to do with that fire, do you?’
‘How did Mary react to Donald’s comments?’
‘She just nodded and wiped her eyes. I don’t think she said anything in particular.’
‘How often do you have these film nights?’ Edris asked.
‘Every two weeks.’
‘How many have you had?’
Vicar Daniels thought for a moment and muttered the names of films as he counted on his fingers. ‘Five.’
Edris wrote in his notebook. ‘So, the film night was planned in advance.’
‘Yes.’
‘Why were only five people invited?’
Good question, Meadows thought.
‘It wasn’t just five. There was a notice up in the church inviting anyone who wanted to come. I had planned to use the church hall but as there were so few of us I thought it would be cosier here.’
‘You said Donald called you last Saturday night,’ Meadows said.
‘Yes.’
‘Did he give you any indication of why he was frightened of going to the police? Tell you what he had done? I know you have a duty to keep confidences but given the circumstances it would be better if you told us everything you and Donald spoke about.’
‘He said he was afraid of being arrested but he didn’t say what for. He said he had done something bad. He didn’t tell me what that was. I thought maybe it was something minor. Donald took the Bible very seriously and would even feel guilty if he swore. I didn’t think whatever he had done would have serious consequences. He certainly didn’t tell me he had attacked Stacey Evans.’
‘You told us he was cold and hungry. Sarah took him a blanket and food on Saturday evening. Did she tell you?’
‘No, and Donald didn’t say she had been to see him, so I assumed he hadn’t eaten since the Friday night. To be honest if I’d known where he was, I would have gone to him and tried to persuade him to come home. If I had–’ Vicar Daniels voice broke. ‘I’m sorry.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Maybe he would still be with us. I’m sure he would have been able to give you some explanation. I really can’t see Donald killing that poor girl.’
‘We don’t think Donald acted alone. Who was he close to?’
‘Sarah, but that was because of Erin.’
‘What about Rhodri Lewis?’
‘I wouldn’t say they were good friends. Donald kept to himself.’
‘The writing on your front door about the false prophet. You thought you may have said something during a sermon to offend someone. Could it be that the killer thinks you know something, and it was a warning to keep quiet?’
‘I can’t see that.’
‘Is there anything you can think of that doesn’t seem important? Something out of place. Someone maybe said something to you?’
Vicar Daniels shook his head. ‘I can’t think of anything.’
‘As you know, the writing on your door wasn’t the only time we came across biblical references. It was also written on the bodies of the victims. Different verses each time. Can you think of anyone in your parish that is extreme in their views?’
‘No, not in the way you are implying. Bill is about the only one that probably knows the Bible better than me but I wouldn’t call him extreme.’
‘Do you know anyone that wears a wig?’ Edris asked.
The vicar looked confused. ‘No, look you are asking me to point a finger at my parishioners. I can’t see any of them committing murder.’
‘We have to look at everyone closely,’ Meadows said. ‘Even the most unlikely.’ He nodded at Edris.
Edris flicked through his notebook. ‘Can you tell us where you were on the evening of Monday, the 28th of September?’
‘I… well… you don’t think–’
‘We have to check.’
‘I’ll look in my diary.’
They followed Vicar Daniels to his study where he pulled out a leather-bound diary.
‘The 28th you said?’
‘Yes.’
‘I was visiting a parishioner in the hospital until 8 p.m., so I guess I would have got home about 9 p.m.’
‘And after that?’
‘I would have changed and sat in the sitting room reading. I usually go to bed around 10 p.m.’
‘What about Sunday evening, the 18th of October?’
Vicar Daniels flicked the pages. ‘Evening service at 5 p.m. then we had a wardens’ meeting, we usually finish at 7.30 p.m. It’s then an early night for me. After two services I’m all done in by a Sunday evening.’
‘You said that last Sunday you were up until midnight waiting for Donald.’
‘Yes, that’s correct. I was at the church. I thought he may come. It was a long night.’
‘Okay, we’ll leave you to get on with your visits. We would appreciate your discretion, particularly where Donald is concerned as we have to speak to his parents.’
‘Of course,’ Vicar Daniels said. ‘Poor souls. It will be an awful shock for them on top of losing their son.’
‘I’m sure they will be grateful of your support,’ Meadows said.
As they walked back through the graveyard, Edris asked, ‘Do you believe him?’
‘I’d like to,’ Meadows said. ‘If they sat down at eight twenty and turned the lights off, Donald could have slipped out and be waiting for Stacey to leave the shop. He could even have left a bit later; he watched her long enough to know she would take that route home and stop for a smoke. Most films run about two hours so it would be enough time for him to kill her and get back to the vicarage in time to switch the lights back on.’
‘He would have to be very cool to carry that off,’ Edris said.
‘Vicar Daniels said that Donald was emotional after the film. Maybe it had nothing to do with the film. I get the impression the vicar is not telling us everything. Maybe it’s out of loyalty for his parishioners, and I guess he sees the best in people and finds it hard to believe one of them could commit murder.’
‘Just like someone else I know,’ Edris said with a smile.
‘Well, people are complex. Different shades of grey. You can find the good if you look.’
‘Yeah, and you can also find the bad,’ Edris said.
Meadows opened the lychgate and stepped through. ‘I think we should call on Sarah Kelly. See what she has to say about the film night. Someone should have noticed Donald’s absence for that length of time, and she and Tomos were sitting next to him.’
‘Yeah, that one is definitely a darker grey. She’s like a big fat mood cloud sucking out all the happiness.’
Meadows laughed. ‘I wouldn’t quite describe her like that. You have to remember she is still suffering from grief, but I think she’s involved at some level. She’s been obstructive since the start of the investigation.’
‘Yeah and she was there the night you got attacked.’
‘I can’t see her hitting me over the head, but who knows, she could have been part of it. She was very persuasive about not calling anyone else out that night because of the storm.’
They had arrived at Sarah’s house and Meadows gave a loud knock on the door. It took a few m
inutes and another knock before Sarah opened the door. She didn’t look pleased to see Meadows and Edris standing on her doorstep.
‘This better be important,’ she said as she pulled her dressing gown tightly around her body. ‘I’ve not long gone to bed. I was on shift last night.’
‘We won’t keep you long,’ Meadows said as he followed her inside.
‘I heard you arrested Rhodri, can’t you people get anything right?’ She plonked down on the sofa. ‘Poor Gemma has enough to deal with. She called me last night in work. She was sobbing.’
‘I can assure you we had very good reason to arrest Rhodri. So you are good friends with Gemma then?’
‘Yes.’
‘And with Rhodri?’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Are you good friends with Rhodri or is he more than a friend?’
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t make a habit of sleeping with married men. We are just friends, or rather he is the husband of a friend, that’s all.’
‘Would you say that Rhodri and Gemma are happy together?’
‘What sort of a question is that? They have their ups and downs like any married couple but any more I couldn’t tell you.’
‘Has Gemma ever given you any indication that she’s frightened of Rhodri?’
‘No, as far as I know he is a good husband and father. Life hasn’t been easy for the two of them and now you are making things more difficult. The whole village is buzzing with gossip about his arrest. There is a Halloween party at the community centre tomorrow for the little ones. Gemma feels that she can’t show her face. So now Harry won’t be able to go out and have some fun.’
‘I have no intention of making things difficult for that family but I’m conducting an investigation into the murder of five people. I think the last thing this village needs is to dress up and scare each other,’ Meadows said.
‘Five?’
‘Yes, we now know that Ryan and Jean Phillips’ murders are connected to Stacey, Donald, and Dr Rowlands.’
‘Oh, them.’
‘You knew them?’
‘No, but I knew what they did to Mary Beynon.’
‘So you think they deserved to die in the fire?’
‘A little girl is dead because of them.’
‘What about Stacey Evans and Dr Rowlands, did they deserve to die?’
‘You reap what you sow.’
‘What about Donald?’
Sarah shook her head. ‘No, Donald didn’t do anything wrong. He shouldn’t be dead.’ Tears filled her eyes.
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Yes.’
‘The thing is you haven’t been honest with us from the start. You have kept back information; now you need to tell us the truth, for Donald’s parents’ sake.’ Meadows nodded to Edris.
Edris flipped open his notebook, took a glance then turned his attention to Sarah.
‘Tell us about the night Stacey Evans was murdered. I suggest you think carefully because if you lie again I will arrest you for perverting the course of justice.’
Sarah raised her eyebrow but didn’t appear concerned. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘When you watched the film, where were you sitting?’
‘On the sofa next to Tomos.’
‘And where was Donald sitting?’
‘On a chair. He had brought one in from the kitchen as there was nowhere else to sit.’
‘Who was sitting closest to Donald?’
‘Me.’
‘Were the lights on or off?’
‘They were off.’
‘Who turned them off?’
‘Donald as he was closest to the switch.’
‘Did Donald leave during the film?’
Sarah hesitated. ‘He muttered something about going to the toilet.’
‘How long was he out of the room?’
Sarah shrugged her shoulders.
‘Five minutes? Half hour? Two hours?’ Edris asked.
‘I don’t know.’
‘He was sat next to you. I’m sure you would have noticed his absence if he was gone for any length of time. I’ll remind you that you vouched for him the night Stacey was murdered.’
‘He was gone for some time. He had been unwell recently, so I assumed he had an upset stomach.’
‘And you didn’t check on him?’
‘No, I was engrossed in the film. What does it matter if he left the room?’
‘It matters because evidence shows that Donald attacked Stacey that evening,’ Edris said.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Sarah snapped. ‘Donald wouldn’t kill anyone. I suppose it makes things easier for you. Put the blame on Donald as he is not here to defend himself. What do you think that will do to his parents?’
‘Then tell us what Donald spoke to you about up the quarry,’ Meadows said. ‘He wasn’t just frightened about speaking to the police. Who was he afraid of? You said that Donald didn’t deserve to die. Help us to find the person responsible for his murder.’
‘I can’t help you.’
‘Can’t or won’t?’ Meadows felt anger spike his veins. ‘Haven’t enough people died already? Who are you protecting?’
‘I’m not protecting anyone.’ Sarah stood. ‘I’ve answered your questions now I would like you to leave.’
Meadows stood. ‘Don’t leave the area.’ He looked around the room. ‘Where’s your dog?’ Meadows asked.
‘With Tomos. He has him when I do the night shift so he can take him out when I sleep.’
‘That’s nice of him. Tomos is also a good friend of yours?’
Sarah shook her head. ‘Who I’m friends with is none of your business. Now I would like to get back to bed. I have another shift tonight.’ She walked to the front door and opened it.
‘Thank you for your time,’ Meadows said as he stepped out the door.
Sarah shut the door without any further comment.
‘Bloody woman,’ Meadows said as he walked back to the car.
‘You think she’s lying?’ Edris asked.
‘Yes, our only hope is to turn up something in the house search or the DNA results come back positive, otherwise we are going to have to let Rhodri Lewis go. I have a bad feeling that unless we catch the killer soon someone else is going to die.’
Chapter Twenty-eight
DCI Lester was sat in the office and Meadows felt the team’s unease. It wasn’t that Lester was a difficult boss, he was fair and played by the rules. It was more that they wanted to make a good impression and so far they had little to show for the investigation. Meadows was sat back in his chair and listening to the conversation. He felt at ease in Lester’s company. Rank and status had never impressed him, and he felt himself no better or worse than the next person.
‘So, nothing at all?’ Lester said.
‘No, sir,’ Valentine answered. ‘The house search didn’t turn up anything. Nothing on his computer of interest and forensics found nothing in the car.’
‘I see,’ Lester said. ‘That and the fact that the voluntary DNA sample came back negative means that we are going to have to let him go.’
‘I don’t think that’s wise,’ Meadows said. ‘Rhodri Lewis has motive and opportunity and given the injuries inflicted on the doctor–’
‘You don’t have any solid evidence against him. He’s not the only one who has motive and given that Donald Hobson killed the girl it could be argued that he wrote on his own body before jumping off the quarry.’
‘There was morphine found in his blood, sir,’ Edris said. ‘And signs of a struggle and no marker pen found.’
‘Yes, but those are things that could be explained. You know how it goes in court. You don’t have enough for a conviction.’
‘Donald Hobson didn’t act alone,’ Meadows said. ‘If we let Rhodri Lewis go then there could be another murder.’
Lester seemed to be considering this. ‘So are you saying Rhodri Lewis, Donald Hobson, and a third person comm
itted these crimes? How many other suspects do you have?’
Meadows stood up and walked over to the incident board. ‘All these have motive for the murders. Tomos John gave Donald an alibi, he also made a complaint against the doctor along with his father, Ellis John. Ellis doesn’t have an alibi. Tomos’ mother died of a stomach complaint and was in a lot of pain, the doctor was forced to drink bleach, I suspect to mimic the pain in the stomach of his mother. Sarah Kelly phoned Tomos the night she spoke to Donald, she claims she didn’t tell anyone where Donald was hiding but she seems very close to Tomos. He even takes care of her dog when she is on night shift. Sarah Kelly has motive for killing both the doctor and Stacey Evans. She was also at Bill’s farm the night I got attacked and the only person we know of that knew Donald’s whereabouts.’
‘Vicar Daniels also provided Donald with an alibi, he would certainly know the Bible. Although I can find no motive for him committing the murders and a Bible verse was written on the vicarage front door. Paskin, what did you manage to find out about the vicar?’
‘I spoke to the bishop. Vicar Daniels took over the parish from the old vicar. It was his first post, and he has been there since. Not one single complaint. Lots of positive comments on the church website. He does a lot of good in the community. Things like giving out turkeys to all the hard-up families at Christmas. Organising fundraising for specialist equipment for Harry Lewis among other things. He’s wealthy in his own right and was also left a considerable amount of money along with a house when an elderly parishioner died. He transferred it all to the church.’
‘He doesn’t sound a likely suspect,’ Lester said. ‘What about this Bible Bill character? Sounds like someone who would hold extreme views.’
‘DNA and house search came back clear,’ Meadows said. ‘There is nothing to tie him to the murders other than he was Erin’s father.’
‘Well now, that’s the same as Rhodri Lewis. You also have prints from a brick thrown through the Phillips’ house window and the limestone found with the doctor. You have no matches on those.’
‘No.’
‘Then I’m afraid my decision stands. Let Rhodri Lewis go. Until you have some solid evidence, you haven’t got enough to charge him, especially as there are others that have equal motive and opportunity. You already have Stacey Evans’ killer. That at least will give the family some answers.’
A Knot of Sparrows: a murder mystery set in the heart of the valleys Page 18