‘You don’t have to fight it, Emma. These are emotional times. You and your people did some incredible work.’
‘I’m not fighting it. I’m happy for them. They finally got her back. I’m happy for Dennis too. I think he needed this as much as they did.’
‘You might be right. Maybe he can leave some of his demons behind now.’
‘Thank you, George. I know I haven’t said it.’
George smiled. ‘You don’t need to. I may have got in the way more than I helped at points, t—’
‘You did!’ Emma cut in. ‘But we needed that. I think we needed someone to get in our way a bit. I know I did. I just wanted you to know . . .’ She was struggling for the words.
‘I do, Emma.’ George carried the drinks back in. Mary and Colin had recovered enough to speak.
‘On the phone. You said it wasn’t as clear as you thought. About that . . . that animal. What did you mean?’
Dennis took a deep breath for a second time. He had insisted on the way over that he wanted to be the man to tell them.
‘We can no longer be certain that it was Henry Roberts that killed your daughter.’ George could see that Dennis had braced himself and he allowed a pause for their reaction. He got a stunned silence. ‘If it were my daughter, I would want to know.’
‘What . . . what do you mean?’
‘He was involved. There is no doubt about that. He is now talking to officers so we are getting a much better picture. He has been interviewed a number of times this week. He wouldn’t talk at all at first, but Inspector Elms came back up and was able to convince him to tell us what happened. Or at least to give us his side of the story.’
‘And you believe him?’
Dennis licked his lips. ‘I do.’ He turned to George. ‘We all do.’ George felt both sets of eyes on him. He nodded his head. George could see that Colin’s demeanour was starting to change. His breathing was becoming quicker and he let go of his wife’s hand to make a fist. George stepped in.
‘I know this is a shock. Dennis here can tell you the full story. There is justice at the end of it. A version of it at least. Just hear him out.’
Dennis had been dallying. He seemed to take the hint. ‘Henry Roberts owned property. Or at least his family did. Some were straight rentals, some were operating as care homes. He upgraded some of his stock at the same time. He changed the heating systems and ended up with a number of old industrial-sized water tanks that he was storing at his home. He put word out that that they were for sale. They were made of copper and worth quite a bit. Liam Cooney replied to that advert. That’s how Henry Roberts met Liam Cooney.’
‘Water tanks and Liam Cooney? What is all this about? Who killed my daughter?’ Colin’s breathing was faster still. Mary grabbed his hand again. She held it tight.
‘Colin, let him speak. I want every detail. That’s what we’ve always asked for.’
Dennis wrung his hands before continuing. ‘Liam Cooney was already very close to John Lawrence, who you know well. John Lawrence was accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls who were part of his choir or congregation. We know that for a fact. Just this week we have been able to identify half a dozen. None of the girls wanted to say anything, they were too scared. They knew Lawrence’s place in the community. Chloe . . . she was the first person to stand up to him. She told him she was going to the police.’
‘John Lawrence killed her?’ It was Mary’s turn to interrupt.
‘No. But he may have assaulted her — indecent assault. Then he asked Liam Cooney to kill her. Henry was asked to help. If you believe Henry’s story he thought he was there just to scare her. They used one of the water tanks I mentioned to conceal the evidence after.’
‘Conceal the evidence? What does that mean?’
Dennis hesitated. ‘They were able to change the shape somewhat. Then they set a fire under it. Extreme heat ruins any forensic opportunities.’ The couple collapsed again. Dennis continued before they had a chance to come back with any more questions. Dennis seemed to have skilfully avoided the Brazen Bull.
‘From what we now believe, Liam Cooney was made of evil. He made detailed drawings of torture methods, devices and kept a diary of his wishes. He stalked one of his other victims for well over eighteen months. He wrote out his plans for her, for what he would do to her. I have never seen anything like it. He was a depraved fantasist and Lawrence and Roberts were able to assist him in making his fantasies come true. So depraved was he that we now believe he was involved in the death of his own mother.’
‘Oh the Lord have mercy!’ Mary uttered.
‘And potentially the murder of Roberts’s mother to prevent her from changing her will. Roberts was used for his size. He’s struggled to fit in anywhere his whole life and Lawrence saw that and sold him a very warped version of Christianity. He also convinced Roberts that silencing Chloe was right for the church. When Chloe was killed, Roberts wanted out. But Cooney wanted to hurt more. It woke something in him, a deep desire. He demanded Roberts help him. Roberts saw the only way to get out was to go to prison. He shaved his head and got a distinctive tattoo. Then he used his own van for the girl who got away. He tells us he faked it — he let her get away. He knew she would be able to identify him. He wanted to be caught. As you know, Roberts is a wealthy man. He hatched a plan to get himself out. He knew he was sick before he went to prison. But he paid off a doctor to fake medical notes and screening results among other things to make it appear far worse. He didn’t eat either so he looked emaciated. He used Cooney and Lawrence to assist. Lawrence went along with it to be rewarded financially, Cooney so he could continue his killing. Roberts convinced him to wait until he got out of prison — then Cooney could kill and the police would blame Roberts — who had nothing to lose. Once he was out of prison he convinced Cooney that Lawrence was intending to speak to the police, to make sure Cooney went to prison too. Cooney was already mistrustful — he was paranoid. Cooney nailed Lawrence to a cross and broke both his legs with a shovel so he would suffocate under his own weight. Cooney had already kidnapped two more girls at this point. He took them to a remote spot on the coast where he was planning on torturing and killing them. Roberts bludgeoned Cooney to death using the flat side of the same shovel. He made a phone call alerting police to where he was and then he sat and waited for them to arrive.’
It was clear that Mary couldn’t take it all in. Her mouth opened and closed like she was gasping for air. Colin fared a little better but he still took a few seconds to reply.
‘So what — he’s a hero now, is he?’
‘No. He’s a long way from being a hero, Mr Pope. He’s a convicted criminal who will spend the rest of his days in a high-security prison. He’s still a murderer. He does have cancer, but it’s treatable. He will live a long and miserable life. He signed every penny of his family’s wealth over to his brother after he helped the police find him. He has nothing left. Henry Roberts snatched those women, including Chloe, so that Liam could live out his sick fantasies. He will face justice for that. He said he will spend every day repenting of his sins and pleading for forgiveness. Cooney and Lawrence are already facing up to their sins. But their judgement is in the pits of hell where they will spend their eternity. I take comfort from that. I can’t imagine what you might take comfort from, but I wanted to come here today to give you some closure. To give you some understanding of exactly what happened. This will be a long investigation, we’re still piecing it all together but this is essentially where we are.’
Colin had noticeably backed down. Mary shook her head silently from side to side. George knew a shell-shocked couple when he saw one.
‘This is a lot to take in,’ George said. ‘You will have questions, I’m sure of it but they will probably come later. How about we all leave you alone for a little while? Let it all sink in. When you want to speak again you just need to pick up the phone.’
‘Absolutely,’ Emma said. ‘You have my number. Use me as your contact. I w
ill be up to speed with the very latest but also if you have any questions at any time.’
Mary managed a rushed nod. Colin stood up. He tucked his shirt back in forcibly and offered his hand. ‘Thank you. I know this has been hard. On us all. But you found her. We will always be in your debt for that.’
George stepped back out into the pleasant spring sunshine. Dennis was last out. He looked different. Maybe it was the sun hitting his face but he looked less burdened. He stood taller. He walked easier. They walked to the car.
‘You want me to drop you back to your car then, George?’ Emma said. ‘You’re sure you won’t come for a coffee?’
‘I’m sure. Thank you, though.’
‘And this is definitely it, is it? You’re out?’
‘Yeah it is! I retire officially in thirty days.’
‘This case has claimed a lot of good officers.’
‘It wasn’t just this case, Emma. I’ve been considering it for a long time now. It’s right for me. I don’t like who I’ve become. You might not believe this, but people used to like working with me!’
‘I do find that a little hard to believe! So what? You think you can just walk away from all this?’
‘I think I can. My daughter sees me as a postman. She said I look good in shorts. I think I might give it a go!’
‘George Elms the postman . . . I’m not sure I can picture that.’
‘Well, one thing we all know, the world’s full of surprises.’
‘We’d better get you back to your car then. So you can get back to Langthorne.’
‘Well actually, my family are up here. We thought we would get away for a few days and I happen to know this lovely little holiday home for rent. It overlooks the River Wye. It’s in a beautiful little place — a million miles from serial killers and torture methods. Symonds Yat, it’s called. You might have heard of it?’
THE END
OTHER BOOKS BY CHARLIE GALLAGHER
Maddie Ives Books:
Book 1 - He Is Watching You
Book 2 - He Will Kill You
Book 3 - He Will Find You
The books of the Langthorne Series:
Book 1 - Bodily Harm
Book 2 - Panic Button
Book 3 - Blood Money
Book 4 - End Game
Book 5 - Missing
Book 6 - Then She Ran
Book 7 - Her Last Breath
The box set containing books 1-3 of the Langthorne series is currently available at just 3.99p (as a digital download).
Standalone books:
Ruthless
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Book 1: BODILY HARM
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BODILY-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01MR94IP5/
https://www.amazon.com/BODILY-gripping-crime-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01MR94IP5/
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller starts with a vicious stabbing of a pretty teenage girl and her boyfriend on a local bus. She happens to be the mayor’s niece. It’s the final straw for the community. The police are desperate to get results and decide on a risky course of action involving undercover infiltration of the notorious Effingell Estate.
Detective George Elms knows this hellish place extremely well, and his sharp investigative mind is put to work to solve the crime. The police are under immense media pressure and conveniently a local lowlife confesses to the attack. But George is not convinced. There are many layers of criminal and police motivation, and few people are what they seem.
BOOK 2: PANIC BUTTON
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PANIC-BUTTON-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01N4WATRV/
https://www.amazon.com/PANIC-BUTTON-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B01N4WATRV/
Someone is killing the officers of the Langthorne Police one by one. And in a sadistic twist he makes each victim push their radio panic button before they die, thus broadcasting their last moments to the entire force.
Book 3: BLOOD MONEY
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLOOD-MONEY-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B06XYNY624/
https://www.amazon.com/BLOOD-MONEY-gripping-thriller-twists-ebook/dp/B06XYNY624/
What would you do to save your dying son? Imagine the doctors told you there was a cure, but only if you had the money. What would you do to get the money to save your son’s life?
FROM CHARLIE GALLAGHER
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Thanks so much for reading, Charlie.
VOCABULARY
A & E: accident and emergency department in a hospital
A Level: exams taken between 16 and 18
Aggro: violent behaviour, aggression
Air raid: an attack in which bombs are dropped from aircraft on ground targets
Anorak: nerd (it also means a waterproof jacket)
Artex: textured plaster finish for walls and ceilings
Auld Reekie: Edinburgh
Barm: bread roll
Barney: argument
Beaker: glass or cup for holding liquids
Beemer: BMW car or motorcycle
Belt and braces: using two means to the same end, i.e. thorough
Benefits: social security
Bent: corrupt
Bin: wastebasket (noun), or throw in rubbish (verb)
Biscuit: cookie
Bloke: guy
Blow: cocaine
Blower: telephone
Board: as part of the promotion process in the police you will face a ‘board’ or an interview panel.
Bob: money
Bobby: policeman
Breach of Licence: in a lot of cases, UK prisoners can be released early — sometimes having served only half their sentence. In this case the person released is on licence for the time he/she still has to serve and this will have good behaviour conditions. If these conditions are not met then the licence is breached and the person will be returned to prison to serve the rest of their sentence
Brickie: a bricklayer
Brown: street name for heroin. Usually the complete reference would be a ‘bag of brown.’
Brown bread: rhyming slang for dead
Bun: small cake
Bung: bribe
Bunk: ‘do a bunk’ means escape
Burger bar: hamburger fast-food restaurant
Buy-to-let: buying a house/apartment to rent it out for profit
Call sign: characters used to identify who’s broadcasting on police radio
Cannon: slang for a firearm of any sort
Car park: parking lot
Care Home: an institution where old people are cared for
Carrier bag: plastic bag from supermarket
Charity Shop: thrift store
Chat-up: flirt, trying to pick up someone with witty banter or compliments
Chemist: pharmacy
Childminder: someone who looks after children for money
Chinwag: conversation
Chippie: fast-food place selling chips and other fried food
Chips: French fries but thicker
Choring: theft, usually when referring to stealing from shops/shoplifting
CID: Criminal Investigation Department
Civvies: civilians who work for the police
Civvy Street: civilian life (as opposed to army)
Cling film: plastic wrap for food
Clock: punch
Clutch: a pedal that needs to be pushed in order to change gear in a manual car
Cock and bull: made up, nonsense
Cock up: mess up, make a mistake
Common: an area of park land/ or lower class
/>
Comprehensive School (Comp.): high school
Co-op: UK supermarket chain
Cop hold of: grab
Copper: police officer
Cough it: a police term for someone admitting an offence in interview.
Council: local government
Coverall: coveralls, or boiler suit
CPS: Crown Prosecution Service, decide whether police cases go forward
Dabs: fingerprints
Dan Dare: hero from Eagle comic
Deck: hit (verb)
Deck: one of the landings on a floor of a tower block
Desperate Dan: very strong comic book character
DI: detective inspector
Digestive biscuit: plain cookie
Disability benefit: in the UK, persons deemed illegible to seek or take on employment due to ill health are given an additional monthly payment called a ‘disability benefit.’
Disqual driver: in the UK you can be disqualified from driving if you accrue twelve points or more (four offences where you receive three points for a simple speeding offence for example). There are also other ways to be disqual, such as being convicted for a drunk-drive offence.
Do a runner: disappear
Do one: go away
Dooby: slang for a rolled-up cigarette containing marijuana
Doc Martens: heavy boots with an air-cushioned sole
Dog van: food truck usually found in industrial estates, large hardware store carparks or laybys to busy roads, these are mobile vans or trailers that serve fast food to passing customers.
The George Elms Trilogy Box Set Page 79