RISK

by Sam Skyborne

  “So how is Antoinette related to Cadwell?” Toni wished Maxine would stop with the games and just tell her what was going on.

  Maxine did not answer, waiting for Toni to put the pieces together herself.

  Toni glanced at the report for answers. “Antoine Donald Cadwell,” she read aloud. The penny dropped. “Antoinette Donaldson is Antoine Donald Cadwell?”

  Maxine nodded.

  “How? Through what? Gender reassignment or something?” Toni said hesitantly thinking back to her first impression of Antoinette. “When was she or he in the States? And why would you have his DNA on file?”

  “I was up half the night on the phone to my colleagues in New York. Donald Cadwell, as he was known then, lived in New York until about two years ago when he disappeared—well technically moved to the UK. But get this, according to his records he did not have gender reassignment.”

  Toni shook her head, struggling to follow.

  “Turns out our Donald was on the sex offenders list. He had been sentenced and instead of doing time he opted for voluntary chemical castration.”

  “What? And then left the country?”

  “Yes, he was deemed no longer a risk since the chemical castration removed his sexual urges, so he was given permission to travel provided he reported regularly to his probation officer and for continued oestrogen hormone treatment.”

  “So he came to England and started a new life posing as a transgendered woman?” Toni could not believe this.

  “Looks that way,” Maxine said. “I have already set the cogs in motion on our side to get him extradited.”

  The weight of the world suddenly descended on Toni once more. “This does not help Erika though. There was no DNA, nothing linking Donald to her. He was out of the country enjoying a complimentary oestrogen cocktail, probably, during the time of her murder.”

  Maxine shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going to go and organise the arrest and extradition. I’ll probably see you later at Lizbeth’s place.”

  Toni nodded, her thoughts no longer with Maxine, but focussed on Erika and the realisation that if Donald was her killer and if he was extradited he would never pay for his crime against poor young Erika.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Thursday

  When Toni got home she found Maxine and Lizbeth enjoying a bottle of Prosecco, apparently toasting Donald’s pending arrest and extradition. Maxine and her colleagues had the arrest planned for the following day around noon, by which time they would have all the paperwork in place.

  Toni was not in the mood to celebrate, so she retired to her room.

  Toni lay awake most of the night. She felt uneasy. If Donald had murdered all those women in the States, then the chances were very high he was responsible for Erika’s murder too. From what Toni had heard about the US cases, Erika’s murder fitted Donald’s MO almost perfectly. But, so far, she did not have enough evidence to prove that he did it. She was running out of time. If Maxine took Donald back to the States, even if Toni did then find the evidence, she was most unlikely to ever get justice for Erika.

  And then there was the irritating little fact of the CCTV footage and records that proved that Donald was out of the country during the time of the murder.

  She was still confounded by seeing Kevin meet with Lucille. What was he up to? She was sure it was nothing good. She needed to find out more. She marvelled at how a man could wield a police badge representing law, peace and justice one day and then do the dirty work for his militant father the next. How does someone lead such a double life?

  Either way, it seemed like her world was filling up with people living double lives.

  Toni sat bolt upright in her bed. That’s it! Why had she not thought of it before? It was so obvious!

  She grabbed her phone and dialled.

  A groggy voice answered the phone.

  “Three, hi. Sorry it is so late. I really need your help.”

  Toni paced up and down behind Three’s chair while Three logged into the database.

  “Remember Lawrence asked you to search for any flight records for Antoinette Donaldson and we found only two records during the time of Erika’s murder which indicated she flew to New York for that week.”

  It was 7am and Three was very tired after only having a couple hours sleep. It was going to be her day off and she had gone to a rave the night before thinking she would have a lie in. “Toni, cut to the chase. Surely you did not get me in here at this hour to tell me things I already know.”

  “What if Antoinette also travelled as Antoine or Donald? What if Antoinette left the country, but came back under a different identity?”

  Before Toni had even finished her sentence, Three was already typing in the search. “Full name?”

  “Antoine Donald Cadwell.”

  Three hit the return key.

  They both watched the hour glass twirl for a few moments. Toni hardly breathed fearing the ‘no search results found’ dialogue box would appear.

  Finally, two lines appeared on the screen.

  Toni leant forward over Three’s shoulder and squinted at the screen.

  “Result!” Three said. “There were two flights during that time booked in the name of Antoine Donald Cadwell, one from New York to London and a return two days later.”

  “What were the dates?”

  “The 12th and the 14th of February respectively.”

  Toni felt butterflies in her stomach. “Gotcha! That would put him in the country at the time of Erika’s death!”

  Three nodded.

  Toni grabbed the phone and dialled. “Aiden, I think we found our… man.”

  Toni ran to her car. She knew there was not much time. She had managed to convince Aiden that she was onto something with Antoinette but he needed to get the warrant issued.

  In the car, she tried to call Maxine to see if she could convince her to delay getting the European Arrest Warrant and hold off starting the extradition process. Maxine did not answer. She worried that Maxine would not easily give up this arrest but Toni was determined to get justice for Erika and Lucille right here in England first, then the Americans could do what they would with him later.

  When Toni pulled up outside Antoinette’s block of flats, although nothing looked out of place, Toni felt unsettled. The air felt too crisp, the shadows too dark, despite the warm morning sun already baking down on the outside courtyard. The whole neighbourhood seemed deathly quiet—the eye of a storm.

  She got out of her car and then thought better of it. She needed to stay out of sight.

  She sat in the driver’s seat tapping her steering-wheel, periodically glancing at her phone, willing it to ring. Aiden made her promise not to do anything until he gave her the go-ahead. For the moment, all she could do was sit tight and guard, observe and hope that Aiden got his paperwork sorted before Maxine arrived with her cavalry or Donald had a chance to make his getaway.

  Just after 11am Toni spotted some movement in the lobby of the block of flats.

  Oh crap! Toni thought.

  It was Donald dressed as Antoinette. He definitely looked like he was going somewhere for an extended stay as he had three varying sized suitcases with him, which he was struggling to manoeuvre from the elevator into the lobby.

  This did not bode well.

  Toni grabbed her phone and dialled Aiden. No answer.

  Just then a taxi pulled up outside the building.

  Oh shit! She had to do something.

  Toni jumped out of her car and headed over at a trot.

  “Oh! Hello, Antoinette,” she said, in her most jovial sounding voice.

  At that point Antoinette was tussling with one suitcase that had got stuck in the glass front-door to the building.

  “Oh, let me help with that!” Toni said and lunged for the suitcase to help pull it.

  “It’s okay, I got it!” Donald said as he blocked Toni and yanked the suitcase free himself. “Thank you, Ms Mendez,” he said, deliberately gathering his compos
ure.

  “You off on holiday?”

  “Yes, as it happens I have a flight to catch at 3pm.”

  “In that case, I am so glad I caught you. I have a few more urgent questions I wanted to ask you.”

  “Ms Mendez, I am sorry, as you can see I have a taxi to catch. It’ll have to wait till I get back?”

  “Antoinette, please, I really need your help. I can order you another taxi as soon as we are done.” Toni checked her watch. “There will be plenty of time to get to the airport.”

  “I am sorry Ms Mendez, I really do not like to rush and as you can see I have my hands full. My bones are getting older now so it takes me a while.”

  “Antoinette, how about I take you to the airport myself, as soon as we are finished?”

  “Can we talk in the taxi?”

  “I’d really like to have another look around your flat,” Toni said, hoping that would not scare Donald. She saw the unwelcome surprise flash across his features.

  “Ms Mendez, I have answered all your numerous questions happily up to now. I have welcomed you into my flat and I believe you even questioned my neighbours. Now, I sadly need to go and catch my plane.” Donald pushed past Toni.

  “Antoinette, really, I do need your help.” Toni had to think fast. She needed something that would make Donald want to co-operate. “Antoinette, you seem to be the only objective person who knew Erika and what her relationship was like with her wife.”

  Donald stopped.

  “We are looking into Lucille and we need some more information.”

  “Ex-wife,” Donald said plainly.

  “Sorry, yes, her ex-wife.”

  “What is it you are looking into?”

  “I can’t really say very much, as you can understand, but we don’t think everything was as happy in their marriage as it is presented, if you know what I mean.”

  That seemed to interest Donald. He glanced at the taxi and then looked at Toni.

  “Please, Antoinette. For your friend’s sake. If anything is amiss with Lucille Ransom-Evans we certainly do not want her to get away with it. You are my only hope.”

  “If that is the case, then why do you need to see inside my flat?”

  “Well, we think whoever murdered Erika might have been to see her at your flat. I think Maxine told you that already.”

  Donald nodded but continued to wait for Toni’s explanation.

  “So, we think Lucille might have been in your flat.”

  Donald thought for a moment. “I suppose I could do with a hand with my luggage to the airport.” He left the largest eggshell plastic suitcase in the path and started heading towards the taxi.

  If she could not get Donald to return to his flat, the least Toni could do was to stay with him and try to delay him until Aiden caught up with them. She grabbed the suitcase-handle and fell in step next to him.

  Maxine arrived at Donald’s flat with her team of four officers. Everything looked quiet. Two officers went around the back of the building. Maxine and the other two went to the front where they rang the doorbell.

  No answer.

  They waited and rang again.

  Just then two more patrol cars screeched to a halt at the bottom of the building with their lights flashing but without sirens.

  Maxine was very disconcerted.

  A handsome man with short dark hair in civilian clothes, followed by two more officers, emerged out of the front car and marched up the path to where Maxine was.

  “Hello, I am Detective Sergeant Aiden Duncan.” He presented his badge. “We are here to arrest Antoine Donald Cadwell. Please could you step aside. We will take it from here.”

  The officers, recognising his authority, stepped away from the door.

  “Over my dead body you will,” Maxine said not moving an inch. “On what grounds do you get to take charge?”

  “And you are?” Aiden asked.

  Maxine took out her badge. “I am Detective Maxine Bennett.” She handed him the paperwork she had secured earlier that morning.

  Aiden glanced at it quickly. “Great.” His tone was matter of fact bordering on dismissive. “Get the door,” he said to one of his officers. “We are going in.” The officer immediately rang a number of doorbells in the building.

  “What do you mean, ‘great’?” Maxine said, her anger beginning to flare. “This is Toni. Isn’t it? She has put you up to this to delay the extradition? Thought she might try something like this.”

  Aiden shook his head. “No, Detective, I’m merely taking charge of the arrest since this is my jurisdiction. You can fight out the extradition details in court yourself later.” Just then one of the neighbours buzzed open the door and Aiden and his officers pushed past her and headed into the lobby.

  A few minutes later Maxine rushed after Aiden and his officers up the flight of stairs and along the corridor to Donald’s door.

  Aiden proceeded to thump on Donald’s front-door. “This is Detective Sergeant Aiden Duncan. Open the door.”

  At the top end of the corridor Trisha appeared at her door with toddlers on both hips. She had obviously heard the commotion and was keen to know what it was about.

  “Oh, no one is in,” she offered.

  Aiden walked up to her. “Morning ma’am. Do you know your neighbour?”

  “Yes, you’re not the first one to ask me that this week.”

  “Do you happen to know where he… she,” he corrected himself, “has gone?”

  Trisha looked momentarily confused. “No, but I think she was going away for some time.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “I saw her leave this morning with a load of bags. Made an awful racket bumping into the walls. Woke up little Ben here.” She indicated the little snotty nosed brown-haired boy on her right hip. “Been struggling to get him back to sleep since.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Aiden said. “I’m going to leave Constable De Toit here. He has a few questions for you. I’m hoping you can help us.”

  Constable De Toit stepped forward and continued the conversation with Trish.

  Aiden pushed past Maxine who was hovering close behind him, back towards where his officers were waiting near Donald’s door.

  “Okay, do it,” he ordered the officer standing ready with the Enforcer3.

  One heave and thump and Donald’s door all but disintegrated.

  “I want every inch of that flat turned upside down and swept for any evidence that could link him to the crime. Let me know as soon as you find anything.” He took out his phone and headed out the building.

  Maxine followed him.

  “Detective Duncan, I really do not appreciate you swanning in and taking over like this. I had it under control—”

  “I am doing my job, Ms Bennett, to arrest a suspect in a murder investigation. If you feel that is taking control, I am sorry.”

  Maxine swallowed. She did not expect him to apologise. But before she could respond he continued. “So now if you will excuse me, I have a suspect to track down.”

  Maxine watched as Aiden made a call, rang off and then dialled someone else.

  “Check all the airports and ports for tickets booked under Antoinette Donaldson or Antoine Donald Cadwell,” he said into the phone.

  Maxine paced in a circle of frustration running her hands through her hair. He was right, she was a visitor and this was his jurisdiction. She was not used to someone coming in and undermining her like that. But, there was nothing she could do except sit tight and make sure he observed the right procedure.

  Just then something caught her attention behind Aiden. If she was not mistaken that was Toni’s car parked across the road.

  Once they set off in the taxi, Toni was eager to find out which airport they were headed towards. She decided not to ask outright for fear that would arouse Donald’s suspicion. Soon the taxi turned onto the A406 heading west and when it passed the M1 turnoff Toni surmised that they must be headed to Heathrow. She felt a little relieved. With sirens, that wa
s a pretty straight forward run, and it should allow Aiden enough time to catch up with them, provided she could let him know their destination somehow soon.

  Meanwhile, she tried to engage Donald in as much conversation, asking him as many leading questions about Erika, as possible. She noticed that Donald got particularly animated whenever they spoke about Lucille and Erika’s relationship. He told her about the numerous rows they had and how Erika used to run to him for refuge in his flat whenever they had one of their epic spats. Lucille had an incredible temper and that, according to Donald, combined with hubris was a lethal and evil combination.

  As the taxi turned onto the M4, much to Toni’s relief, they found themselves stuck in a huge traffic jam. This would buy Aiden some time to catch up.

  “Antoinette, please excuse me one minute. I am meant to be meeting my colleague later and this traffic is obviously going to cause a delay. I just need to text her quickly and let her know I’ll be running late.” Toni tried to keep her tone conversational while she fished out her mobile phone from her pocket.

  She saw she had a missed call from Maxine and a few text messages from Aiden.

  “Be there in 20 min. Got warrant,” Aiden’s text said. That was at 11.45am.

  Toni checked the time. It was 12.15pm.

  “At flat. No one here. WHERE are you?” the second text message read.

  Toni typed back. “With A… On way to Heathrow—”

  “Which terminal are we going to?” Toni asked Donald. When he did not answer Toni added, “I just need to tell my colleague which terminal to fetch me at since I left my car at your place.”

  “That colleague of yours is good, ain’t she?” he said. “You two been working together long?”

  “No not long,” Toni said. “She works me hard. Feels like I also need a holiday. Wish I was you. By the way where are you going?”

  “Oh, just to catch some sun for a few weeks.”