by M A Comley
Sally placed her mug and side plate on the coffee table. “The last thing I want to do is raise your hopes, as it’s very, very early days into the investigation. Too soon to say if Craig is innocent or guilty, but we’ll be doing our best to put any wrongs right in the investigation. A few months ago, we solved another cold-case that had a surprising outcome. The case had originally been investigated by Inspector Falkirk. That’s why my team have taken on this new role in a brand-new department. If the clues are there, we will find them. My team are like dogs with bones, determined little blighters.” Sally turned to face Joanna and winked at her.
“It would be wonderful to see him out of prison. Fifteen years, though! You’re aware that he’s up for parole in two years?”
“Yes, we read that in his file. Of course, nothing is written in stone there. He would only get parole if he’s been a model prisoner. We’ll do our best to get him out of there before then if we find evidence that he’s innocent.”
“We understand, and we’ll certainly keep our fingers crossed until that day arises. Are you aware that both his parents have died since he went to prison?”
“That’s a shame. No, I wasn’t aware of that. Through ill health?”
“His mother died of a broken heart, refused to believe that her son was guilty, but didn’t have the strength to continue to fight for him after several cancer scares over the years. Not long after Jill died, Stan, his father, passed away from a heart attack. He had an exceptionally stressful job working in London on the stock markets, something like that anyway.”
“Very sad. Was Craig allowed to attend the funerals?”
“Yes. Jill’s funeral was the first time we’d seen him for years. I was appalled by his appearance. Prison hasn’t been kind to him over the years.”
“May I ask why you stopped visiting him?”
Patricia looked at her husband for a split moment then back at Sally. “Neither of us could bear going there. I know how dreadfully selfish that sounds, but we just couldn’t overcome the anguish of sitting in the visiting room with the thought of all those murderers on the other tables close by.”
“I can totally understand that. How did Craig react to the news?”
“He was devastated, as you can imagine. We just couldn’t brush the thought aside and continue our visits.”
Fred placed his empty mug back on the tray. While his wife sipped at her drink, he replied, “I don’t know how Molly does it, going so often. She’s such a loving child, unlike her brother. We allowed her to start visiting her father once she’d turned eighteen. Her first visiting order came through on her eighteenth birthday. It made Craig’s day to see her on that special day.” He wiped a stray tear from the corner of his eye as he spoke.
Sally felt a lump growing in her throat. “Let’s hope we’ll be able to reunite them properly in the outside world again soon. My team and I will do our best to achieve that. You have my word. Would you mind going over the events of that day, as you remember them. I know it’s asking a lot of you.”
“Not at all. It’s something we’ll never forget.” Patricia placed her cup on the coffee table. “Anne had been at work, she had changed shifts that week, to cover for a friend.”
“Where did she work?” Sally looked at Joanna and nodded for her to note down what was said.
“At the Norfolk Sponge Factory. She wasn’t on the production line; she wouldn’t have stood working on that. No, she worked in the canteen, catering for the staff who were on duty around the clock. She had recently cut her hours down, so she only worked twenty-five hours a week usually. The week she went missing, she had agreed to help out and work full time. She was going to put the extra money aside to go towards a weekend away camping with the kids. They rarely went on holiday, couldn’t afford it.”
“I see. What shift was she doing that day?”
“Three to eleven. That’s right, love, wasn’t it?” Patricia asked Fred, her brow furrowing as she thought.
“Yes, that’s right. Stupid shift if you ask me.”
“The incident occurred when?”
“It was as she was walking home, we believe. According to Craig, Anne rang him at nine o’clock on her break and said she couldn’t wait to get home.”
“How did Anne usually travel home from work? Via public transport?”
“Good Lord, no. She only worked ten minutes from the house, so she always walked there and back.”
“Even at that time of night? Did she usually stick to the main road?”
“Usually, yes. Craig was beside himself when he learnt that she’d gone missing. If she worked her normal shift, sometimes he would drop by and give her a lift home. But at that time of night, there were the kids to consider. There’s no way he would have left them alone in the house while he went to fetch her, even if it was only a ten-minute round trip.”
Sally’s mind began to whirr. “So, he would have shown signs of guilt at the time for that reason alone, I take it. Maybe that’s what the original investigating officer picked up on when he questioned Craig—his guilt manifesting in that way. Falkirk misread the signs and thought he was guilty of doing the deed. Sorry, my mind is working overtime there.”
Patricia’s hand covered her mouth for a few brief moments. “My God, you’ve probably hit the nail on the head. I’ve never thought about that before. Neither of us had.”
“It’s just an assumption on my part at this stage, a logical one.” She turned to Joanna and asked, “Do you recall the officers finding any signs of a struggle anywhere?”
Joanna nodded. “Down by an industrial unit close to her home. They found traces of Anne’s blood. No other DNA at the scene, from what I can remember.”
“Thanks.” Sally smiled and asked Anne’s parents, “I take it the investigation team arrested Craig as soon as they found the blood. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right. They got a warrant to search the home and found a cream cable-knit sweater thrown in the bottom of his wardrobe. It had traces of blood on it. When they tested it, the blood matched Anne’s and they arrested Craig on the spot. That’s when we took the children into our care.”
Sally bit the inside of her mouth, thinking that she would have probably done the same given the evidence. “They didn’t check out his alibi?”
“No, he had no witnesses. The kids were in bed asleep. They only had his word on the matter. It’s such a mess. Tell us you can work your way around this, Inspector.”
“We’re going to do our best. If Craig was innocent, then the real culprit has lived his life freely up until now. That can’t be right. Which is why I need to ask you more questions. I’m sorry. If it all gets too much, just stop me, and we can pick it up another day.”
“Nonsense. Ask away. We want to help in whatever way we can.”
“Going back to Craig and Anne’s relationship, are you sure they never fought or had a cross word with each other?”
“No, never. In our eyes, they were the perfect couple. I knew my daughter inside out, Inspector. If she had lived a charade all her married life, I would have known about it. My daughter never, ever kept secrets from me, and I understood her every mood. I would have recognised the signs of any discomfort immediately.”
“What about any of their acquaintances? Did either Anne or Craig mention that they’d fallen out with anyone at all, either in their personal lives or at work?”
Patricia thought the question over then shook her head. “Not that I can remember. They just weren’t the type to fall out with their friends or colleagues. It’s unthinkable that should happen to either of them. Genuinely, you couldn’t wish to meet a more laid-back couple, I promise you.”
Sally hesitated before asking her next question. She swallowed hard then asked, “Do you think it would be possible to talk to Molly and Jamie? See what their recollections are from around that time?”
“Molly, I have no doubts about. She’ll do anything to help get her father off—sorry, that came out the wron
g way. I wasn’t implying that she would lie for him in any way.”
Sally smiled reassuringly. “I get your drift. What about Jamie? If we managed to track him down, do you think he would be open to speaking with us?”
“You can certainly try. What kind of reception you’ll get, heaven knows.”
“Does Molly still live with you both?”
“No, she’s just moved out, bought a house of her own. She won’t be home until gone five thirty. She works for a solicitor’s firm as a conveyancing secretary. Good pay but not challenging enough for her, she says, but it’s helped her to get on the property market. That’s what she’s been desperate to do for years. Maybe I can get her to ring you. Make arrangements when to set up a chat.”
Sally pulled a business card out of her jacket pocket and placed it on the tray. “I’ll leave that there. Please tell her not to be worried about the interview.”
“That’ll put her mind at rest. She can tell you how to get hold of her brother, too.”
“Can you think of anything that would help the fresh investigation? Maybe there’s something that has bugged you over the years that you thought the investigating officer back then should have been told?”
Patricia and Fred glanced at each other, but both of them shook their heads.
“Okay. Then I think we should begin our investigation from the beginning. We’ll try and keep you informed as we proceed. I’ll need to visit Craig in prison to get his take on the events that occurred back then. I hope he’s up to meeting me.”
“He’ll welcome the chance for the case to be reopened. He rang us last week when Anne’s body was discovered…” Patricia paused to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, then added, “He was as relieved as we were, but then the questions set in. Why? How? Where? When? Back to why again.”
“It must have been, and probably still is, something very traumatic for him to have to contend with. We’ll go now. Thank you for the refreshments and wonderful cake.”
Mr. Millward tried to stand up but slumped back in his chair, defeated.
“Stay there, sir, there’s no need for you to get up. It’s been a pleasure to meet you.” Sally shook his hand.
“And you, Inspector. Do your best for us.”
“We will, sir.”
Patricia opened the front door, and a cool breeze wafted into the hallway. “Thank you for your kindness, Inspector. We realise the case is in safe hands now. We never had that much confidence in the rabble dealing with the original case. You seem a very caring person.”
“I like to think so, Patricia. Keep the faith; we’ll do our utmost to get Craig out of there if he is indeed innocent. I’ll keep in touch as promised. Goodbye.”
Sally and Joanna waved as they left the house. In the car, Sally blew out a relieved breath. “Well, that was pretty intense. Those poor people. When they should have been enjoying life, they put their lives on hold to raise their grandchildren. How heartless of the boy not to keep in touch with them after all they sacrificed for him. Sorry for venting. You’ll get used to that after a while. It goes with the territory of being my partner.”
“Am I? Your new partner? I thought this was a one-off.”
“Stop that. I’ll get a complex if I think you don’t want to accept the challenge. I haven’t driven Jack away, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Joanna laughed. “I wasn’t thinking anything of the sort, boss. I’ve worked alongside you for three or four years now. I think I know you a little better than that, not much granted.”
“Ditto. Maybe we can get to know each other on our way out to the prison.”
“You’re heading out to see Craig Gillan now? Wouldn’t it be best to ring ahead and arrange a visit first?”
“Strike while the iron is scorching—that’s my motto, as you’ll soon learn. So, what made you sign up to the force? Have any members of your family been coppers over the years?”
“Dad was a constable in his early days. Didn’t like it. Too much paperwork for him, he used to tell me. What tickled me was that he went back to uni to become an accountant.”
They both laughed. “That’s hilarious. Definitely one job I wouldn’t entertain being thrown into. I hate the amount of paperwork I have to deal with daily as it is. Maybe that’ll change with the new role I’ve taken on. I can live in hope anyway. What about your mum? What does she do?”
“Mum works in a retirement home, on the night shift. She loves her job and devoting her time to care for others. It really upsets her when yet another story focusing on the brutality of care assistants in some care homes breaks in the press, because she and the staff at the Nightingale Home would never allow anything bad to happen to any of their patients.”
“I suppose it’s like everything else in this life—there is good and bad in everything. Look at what we’re dealing with now. Going over cases that were screwed up by a bad copper.”
“Yep, never thought of it that way.”
“While I’m driving, maybe it would be a good idea to ring the prison, just to check it’s all right for us to visit Gillan today. Tell them it’s a matter of urgency, and that should do the trick.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Sally had mixed feelings when the prison, built in 1887, came into view. Her ex-husband was serving his four-year sentence there and was due to be released in a few years. She was hopeful that her imminent marriage to Simon would put an end to his fixation with her. Only a few months ago, he’d arranged for someone to cause havoc in her life, vandalising her car and abusing her beautiful dog, Dex. She shook her head to dispel the vile image of her baby being trussed up like a chicken with silver tape wrapped tightly around his muzzle.
Joanna appeared to pick up on her trepidation. “Damn, I forgot. He’s here, isn’t he? Are you all right about this, boss? Should I go in instead of you?”
Sally tapped her on the knee and smiled. “No way. I’ll be all right. There’s no chance of me meeting my ex—at least, I hope there isn’t. Let’s not tempt fate by mentioning the pillock, eh?”
She drew the car to a halt in the car park, and together, they walked towards the intimidating arched entrance. The building was huge and reminded her of one that she’d seen featured in a film about the KGB in Russia years ago, Gorky Park. She shuddered as the door opened and a stern-looking gentleman in a suit greeted them with firm handshakes.
“Inspector Parker. I’m Governor Wilkinson. I was a little put out by your call, if I’m honest.” His tone reminded her of the strict headmaster she’d had at school.
“I’m sorry. We’ve only just taken on the case, and I felt it would be best to come and see Mr. Gillan before the true investigation got under way. Sorry if that has inconvenienced you at all.”
“I accept the situation for what it is. Despite the inconvenience, I’ve arranged a special room for you to interview Gillan. You’ll be away from the other prisoners; therefore, it’ll be easier on him once he’s back amongst them.”
“Are you saying that he’s likely to be terrorised by the other inmates if they learn that we’re here to question him?”
“Don’t look so shocked, Inspector. I can’t predict what will occur, but it has been known to happen in the past in such circumstances. The police have a bad reputation within these walls, as you can imagine.”
“Ah, I see what you’re getting at now. Thank you for doing all you can to avoid such behaviour. May I ask what sort of prisoner Gillan has been over the years?”
“A model one. He’s kept his nose clean, and there’s every chance that when his parole hearing comes up in a couple of years, he will be released on good behaviour. Providing he keeps out of trouble in the meantime.”
“In your opinion, do you think he was guilty of killing his wife?”
Governor Wilkinson stopped walking. “It’s not my opinion that counts, Inspector. Twelve jurors found the man guilty.”
“I know that. But surely you have an opinion about the men serving time in your pri
son, Governor?”
“Nope. I’m here to ensure the running of this prison goes like clockwork. I have enough filling my day without getting involved in every prisoner’s personal life.” He set off again and stopped outside a metal door on the right of the long, narrow corridor. He pushed open the door and stepped back to allow Joanna and Sally to enter. “Take a seat. The prisoner will be along shortly. May I point out that there is a camera in the corner? We will monitor what is going on at all times, although there is no recording apparatus set up in the room.”
“Thank you. Hopefully, Gillan won’t be tempted to strike us, but if he does, it’s reassuring that you will be on the other side of the camera.”
“Not me personally, but a member of my staff will be.” He closed the door, leaving them alone in the stark-white room.
“Not sure how I’ll feel questioning Gillan whilst being on Candid Camera,” Sally remarked, smiling at Joanna, who was also looking ill at ease.
“Seems a little bizarre to me. Makes me feel a lot safer, though, so that’s a plus.”
“There’s no need to be scared. From what we’ve heard about Gillan already, I’m sure he’ll turn out to be a pussycat. Although, who could blame him after being cooped up in this place for fifteen years if he’s altered. Will you take notes for me during the interview?”
“Of course, boss. I think we’re, or should I say, I’m worrying unnecessarily.”
They manoeuvred the two chairs so that they would be sitting close together and sat down. They waited a full five minutes until the door opened. A prison officer built like a gorilla, with a stern facial expression led a chained man into the room. He shuffled because his feet could only move independently for around eight inches, no more. The officer pushed Gillan into his seat and attached the cuffs around his wrists to the metal loop on the table.
Anger mounting, Sally’s eyes narrowed at the way Gillan was being manhandled by the goon. “Excuse me, is that truly necessary?”
The guard backed up to the wall, glaring at her disdainfully.
“You can leave us alone. I’m sure we’ll be perfectly safe.”