Gareth Dawson Series Box Set

by Nathan Burrows

  “Oh, arse,” Laura said, still giggling. “I’ll get a cloth.”

  “You will not,” Annette replied, waving her hand. “There’s been plenty of wine spilt on that carpet over the years.”

  The two women ordered their pizzas on Annette’s phone and sat back to wait for them to be delivered. Laura looked at Annette, pleased to see that the other woman had a contented smile on her face. Gareth had told her how lonely she’d become since returning to England and, when Laura told him they were going to have a girlie night in, he’d been really pleased.

  By the time the pizza arrived, another bottle of wine had been demolished. This one had disappeared much quicker than the first, and Laura told herself that she had better slow down. Annette heard the gate opening and was at the door by the time the delivery man was halfway up the path. Laura stood behind her like an excited schoolgirl.

  The pizza delivery man was about the same age as them, broad-shouldered, and with a mop of curly blonde hair. He grinned broadly at Annette as she took the pizzas from him and handed him the payment.

  “Keep it,” she said as he patted his pockets, pretending to look for change. “Have a drink on us.” He looked at them both and Laura could see that he knew the effect his smile could have on some people. Women, mostly.

  “Thanks very much,” he said with a flash of white teeth. “I certainly will.” He turned to walk down the path and they both watched as he did so.

  “Oh my God,” Annette said, closing the door. “Did you see him?”

  “I was right behind you, Annette,” Laura replied. “Of course I saw him.”

  “Bloody hell, I would. Wouldn’t you?”

  “Er, maybe.”

  “If it weren’t for Gareth, I mean,” Annette called over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen. Laura paused, not sure what to say. She didn’t think Gareth would have said anything to Annette, even though he was her sister. “Don’t worry, he’s not said a word, but it’s bloody obvious to me at least.”

  “Oh, okay,” Laura said, feeling her cheeks starting to flush. Whether it was because Annette knew about her and Gareth, or whether it was at the thought of Gareth, Laura wasn’t sure. “You get some plates, I’ll get another bottle.”

  61

  “Laura, can I tell you something?” Annette asked. They were both in the lounge. Annette was lying down on the sofa, while opposite her, Laura was sprawled out on an armchair with her legs looped over one of the arms.

  “Of course you can,” Laura replied. She looked over at Annette, but made no effort to move.

  “Well, two things, actually. One is that I’m stuffed.” She started giggling. “And the other is that I’m a bit pissed.”

  “That makes two of us,” Laura said, rubbing her stomach. “How was your Hawaiian?”

  “Lovely.” She groaned and sat up, pouring them both another glass of wine. “I only used to have that because Philip hated pineapple. It stopped him nicking any of my pizza.” Annette stared at the now empty bottle. “Bloody hell, I think we’ve done three bottles, girl.”

  “Three left then,” Laura replied with a chuckle as Annette lay back down on the sofa. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you miss him?”

  Annette paused before replying. It wasn’t an unreasonable question, but at the same time, she didn’t really want to talk about him. But she was going to have to at some point, so she might as well start now.

  “No,” she replied, sitting up. “I hated him, Laura. To tell you the truth, him managing to drown himself is the only good thing that’s happened to me since I married the bastard.” Annette watched as Laura processed what she had just said before sitting up herself.

  “Seriously? It was that bad?”

  “It was fucking awful, pardon my French.” She took a large sip from her glass. “He was a nasty piece of work. A total control freak.” Annette paused before deciding to just tell Laura everything. “He was more than happy to slap me around if I didn’t do what he wanted. Never left any marks though, not that anyone would be able to see.”

  “Oh,” Laura replied, her voice quiet. “Gareth said it was bad, but I didn’t realise it was that bad.”

  “It was. He wasn’t happy unless he was hurting me, and that included in the bedroom.” She glanced at Laura, who was staring at her glass of wine. “And then I find out that ours wasn’t the only bed he hurt people in.”

  “I’m so sorry, Annette,” Laura whispered. “I can’t even begin to imagine.”

  “Don’t be sorry, Laura. I’m not. I’m just angry that I let him hurt me for so long.”

  “Did you think about leaving him?”

  “I mean, seriously. Children?” Annette replied, ignoring the question because it was one she couldn’t answer. Of course she had thought about leaving him, but she never had, had she? “I work with children, Laura. Vulnerable children. And it turns out I was married to a paedophile.”

  The two women sat in silence for a moment. Annette was lost in her thoughts, and Laura looked as if she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Did you have any idea?” she asked, eventually.

  “None at all,” Annette replied. “I mean, you would think there would be some sort of sign, wouldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How do you hide something like that?” she asked, but Laura didn’t reply. “I need a drink, I don’t know about you.”

  “Let me go,” Laura said, getting to her feet. “I need a pee, anyway. I’d better not have too much more or I’ll be a right mess in the morning.” As she walked past, Laura put her hand on Annette’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. The simple gesture meant more to Annette than anything anyone had said to her since Philip had died. She felt a lump in her throat but she forced it down, angry that it had appeared in the first place. She wasn’t going to cry, not tonight.

  Laura returned a few moments later, having spent longer in the bathroom than Annette had expected. When she sat back down, a fresh bottle of wine in her hand, Annette could see that Laura’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were rimmed with red. Laura smiled at her as she opened the wine and poured them both a fresh glass.

  “What’ll we drink to?” Laura asked as she passed Annette her glass.

  “That one’s easy,” Annette replied, raising her glass in the air. “Fresh beginnings.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” They clinked their glasses off each other.

  “Someone knew, though,” Annette said a few minutes later.

  “Sorry?”

  “About Philip.”

  “About him beating you up, or…” Laura’s voice tailed away.

  “About the other thing. Someone knew.”

  “Oh my God. How do you know?”

  “Someone was blackmailing him. That’s what the police told me. They were asking me if I knew why he might be being blackmailed, but I didn’t say anything. It must be that.”

  “Do you think that’s got anything to do with the accident?”

  “I doubt it,” Annette replied with a sharp laugh. “Whoever was blackmailing him turned to me when they found out he was dead.”

  “You’ve got to tell the police, Annette,” Laura said, not sounding like someone who’d had so much wine.

  “That’s what Gareth said.”

  “Well, he’s right.”

  “They sent me some photographs a few days ago. Of him and a child. That’s how I found out in the first place.”

  “They sent you some photos?” Laura replied, her voice incredulous.

  “Yep,” Annette said. “I burned them in the garden. I’m surprised Gareth’s not told you.”

  “He’s not said a word. Shit, Annette, this is really serious.”

  “Gareth bloody well bugged my computer and saw an e-mail from the blackmailer. That’s against the law, isn’t it? Maybe I should tell the police about that?” Annette smiled as she said this and started giggling.

  “Annette, you
need to take this seriously. You have to go to the police.”

  “No, I don’t,” she replied. “I’ve sorted it out myself. I don’t need him being a hero all the time.”

  “How do you mean, you’ve sorted it?”

  Annette looked at Laura, who was shaking her head from side to side as if she knew exactly what Annette was about to say.

  “I’ve paid him off. So, boom. No more blackmailer.”

  62

  Laura stared at Annette, open-mouthed.

  “You did what?” she said, barely able to believe what Annette had just said.

  “I paid him off.”

  “How much?”

  “I’d rather not say,” Annette replied, “but I’ll be eating beans on toast until I get paid.”

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Annette,” Laura said. “Why on earth did you do that?”

  “So he would leave me alone. I just want all of this to be over. I want to bury what’s left of my husband, I want the bloody life insurance money, and I want to be free.” By the time Annette had finished, she was almost shouting.

  “I think I’ll get us another bottle of wine.” Laura got to her feet to go into the kitchen, even though the bottle they were drinking was still half-full. She wanted some space to process what Annette had just told her.

  Laura walked into the kitchen, folded her arms, and stared out of the kitchen window into the blackness beyond. She could just see the silhouettes of Annette’s neighbours’ houses with a sullen orange glow in the sky behind them.

  It was understandable why Annette had chosen to pay the blackmailer. Although Laura had never been involved directly in a blackmail case, she had covered them in some detail when she was studying for the bar. One of the characteristics of blackmailers that she remembered well was that they rarely asked for one payment, but kept coming back for more if the victim paid up. Laura was desperate to call Gareth, get him to come round and try to talk to Annette. She almost certainly wouldn’t be able to get back the money she had already paid, but perhaps he could stop her paying any more. Laura sighed in frustration at Annette’s reluctance to involve the police.

  She turned to the fridge, knowing that she couldn’t call Gareth or even tell him what Annette had just told her. If she wanted Gareth to know, Annette would have to tell him herself. As she turned to walk back into the lounge, she caught a glimpse of movement in the darkness beyond the window.

  “Annette?” Laura called out. “What’s in your back garden?”

  “How d’you mean?” Annette replied from the lounge.

  “I thought I saw something moving.”

  “That’ll be next door’s bloody cats. They think my entire back garden is their personal litter tray.”

  Laura peered through the window but couldn’t see anything, so she shrugged her shoulders and walked back into the lounge.

  “Philip would have been out there with a bottle of washing up liquid filled with vinegar, but I just can’t be arsed,” Annette said with a sigh. “Look, Laura. I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

  “Don’t worry,” Laura replied, putting the bottle on the table. “I know why you did what you did, but I just don’t think it was the right thing to do.”

  “I just want it all to be over.”

  “I know, I know. Maybe now it will be?” Laura said, knowing that it almost certainly wouldn’t.

  “I want to get away for a while, as soon as the life insurance comes through,” Annette replied. “When I spoke to my boss, he said I could take some unpaid leave if I wanted to.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “Greece, maybe. See if I can’t trap some poor unsuspecting lad. Do you know what, I’ve not had a shag in so long I think I’m a virgin again.”

  Despite the situation, Laura smiled. After everything that she’d been through, Annette was still able to joke about it. That said a lot about her resilience, which was a lot stronger than Laura had thought. She was made of sterner stuff than she had given her credit for.

  They both jumped when the doorbell rang.

  “Bloody hell,” Annette said, looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s gone ten.”

  “Maybe it’s the pizza delivery man with your change?”

  “I wish.” Annette got to her feet. “He’s light on his feet if it is. I didn’t hear a thing.”

  Laura was standing behind Annette when she opened the door, just as she had been when the pizzas were delivered.

  “Mrs McGuire?” It was Kate. Malcolm was behind her in a mirror image of Annette and Laura’s position. “Can we pop in for a minute? It won’t take long.”

  Laura’s heart started thudding in her chest as Annette stepped back to let them in. Kate and Malcolm followed Annette into the lounge and Laura peered down the garden path. Between the slats in the front gate she could see the nose of a liveried police car.

  “Well, this is all very cosy,” Kate said, sneering as Laura walked into the lounge. “I do hope we’re not interrupting anything?”

  “Mrs McGuire,” Malcolm said, cutting off any reply that Laura might have had. “As my colleague DC Hunter said, hopefully this won’t take long.” He reached into his pocket and took out his notebook, flipping it open. “Could you tell us where you were on the twelfth of February this year?”

  Laura looked at the tableau in front of her. The police hadn’t gone through any pleasantries, no apology for the lateness of the hour, no small talk about whether they would like a cup of tea or not. They had just walked in, stood either side of Annette, and asked her a question. Laura looked at Kate, and an unwelcome memory flashed across the back of her mind. She pushed it away and watched Annette intently.

  “Sure, that’s easy. I was in Bali with Philip. We were on holiday.” Laura saw Kate’s hand encircle Annette’s wrist. “Hey,” Annette protested, “what are you doing?” Her words were followed by a metallic snap as Kate handcuffed Annette.

  “Annette McGuire,” Kate said, her voice almost robotic. “I’m arresting you on suspicion of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned,” Kate’s eyes flashed to Laura’s for a split second, “something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”

  “Let go of me!” Annette shrieked. There was a second metallic snap as the other handcuff was fastened.

  “Do you understand?”

  63

  “This interview is being recorded,” Malcolm said, leaning forward to make sure that the digital recorder on the table was working. He didn’t really need it as the interview room had several cameras and a high sensitivity microphone built into the ceiling, but old habits died hard. “I am Detective Superintendent Malcolm Griffiths, and I’m based at Wymondham Police Station which is with Norfolk Police. What’s your full name?”

  “Annette Emily McGuire,” Annette replied in a small voice. Malcolm could see she was terrified, so he relaxed his voice to try to put her at ease.

  “And it’s okay if I call you Annette?”

  “That’s my name, yes.”

  “Lovely, thank you. Also present is Detective Constable Kate Hunter, also from Wymondham Police Station, and Miss Laura Flynn of Dewar Solicitors, who is representing Mrs McGuire. Now, Annette, I just need to go over a few things.”

  Malcolm re-read the caution that Kate had delivered earlier that evening and then asked Annette if she understood. She nodded and when he pointed at the recorder, said that she did. Then he stated the date and time of the interview. It was just after ten in the morning, which according to the police doctor would be about the time Annette—and her solicitor—would be sober.

  “Now, just to reassure you, at the end these tapes will get sealed up. We’ll sign and seal them and they’ll get stored in a secure place at Wymondham Police Station.”

  “Okay,” Annette whispered.

  “Can I get you anything before we st
art?” Kate said from her position next to Malcolm in the small room. “A drink, maybe?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

  Malcolm nodded to Kate to let her know that she was in charge of the interview from then on. He sat back in his chair, looking at Laura. She looked tired, and he wondered how much sleep she’d had. Probably more than Annette, Malcolm thought.

  “So, Annette. Could you tell us where you were on the twelfth of February this year.”

  “Sure,” Annette replied before clearing her throat. “Sure, I was in Bali.”

  “Where in Bali?”

  “A place called the Four Seasons. It’s by Jimbaran Bay.”

  “And you were there with your husband, Philip McGuire?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you. Now, the twelfth was a Wednesday. Do you remember what you were doing on that day?”

  “Yes, I do,” Annette replied. She glanced at Laura, looking for reassurance that she could continue. When Laura nodded her head, she carried on. “Philip had gone diving for the day, so I stayed at the resort.” Kate didn’t say anything, but just looked at her with an encouraging expression. “I sat by the pool, read a book for a while. You know? I don’t get this. What is it that I’m supposed to have done?” Laura put a hand on her arm and whispered something in her ear. Probably shut up and just answer the questions, Malcolm thought. He made a mental note to try to find out if the resort had any CCTV cameras, but he doubted it.

  “Do you know where Philip went diving?” Kate asked, ignoring Annette’s question completely.

  “No. He’d got in touch with a local club over there and arranged something with them.”

  “So you can’t say for certain that he did actually go diving?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Did you speak to anyone that day? While you were sitting by the pool?”