Deadly Betrayal: A gripping crime thriller full of mystery and suspense (Detective Jane Phillips Book 4)

by OMJ Ryan

  ‘No,’ said Carpenter, ‘and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I went round to his house. The guy’s old, fat and wrinkled, with a perma-tan. He looks like a melted candle, for God’s sake. I couldn’t understand why she would choose him over me?’

  ‘Love can do strange things to people,’ said Phillips.

  ‘It wasn’t love!’ scoffed Carpenter. ‘It was lust.’

  ‘So what happened then?’

  ‘Once I’d calmed down, she told me it was all a mistake and promised me it was over. She said she wanted to make another go of our marriage – but that was just bullshit too.’

  ‘So when did you realise the affair was still going on?’ Phillips already knew the answer, but wanted to check if Carpenter’s version of events matched with what Townsend had said.

  ‘I got a call to the house one night, on the landline. Vicky was out, and when I answered, a woman just said, “Your wife is still having an affair with Townsend. I thought you’d want to know”, and then hung up.’

  ‘Did you recognise the voice at all?’ asked Phillips.

  Carpenter shook his head. ‘No.’

  ‘What about the accent? Was it distinctive in any way?’

  ‘No. Just a regular Mancunian. I tried dialling 1471 to check where the call had come from, but it was listed as unknown.’ Carpenter exhaled loudly. When he spoke again, his voice cracked. ‘Jesus. I thought it hurt the first time I found out she was cheating on me, but that second time… When I asked Vicky if it was still going on and she said yes, it crushed me. I couldn’t believe she had lied to me again.’ He shook his head and burrowed his palms into his eye sockets, fighting tears.

  Jones continued to make notes. Phillips remained silent for a long moment, allowing Carpenter to regain his composure. When he appeared ready, she continued.

  ‘If you knew the marriage was over, why did you continue living together?’

  ‘Money,’ said Carpenter. ‘I was pretty sure she had started talking to a divorce lawyer, so I did the same. He told me in no uncertain terms not to leave the house or it would be much harder for me to get my fair share of our assets. Believe me, the last thing I wanted to do was see her every day, knowing she was with him, but I wasn’t going to let her fuck me over on the money too.’

  Phillips nodded. ‘I know this isn’t easy to talk about, but when were you last intimate with your wife?’

  ‘Sex, you mean?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Before I found out about the affair.’

  ‘The first or second time you found out?’ said Phillips.

  ‘The first. Knowing he’d been there, inside her, touching and kissing her all over…I couldn’t bring myself to be with her in that way. I had hoped that, in time, I could come to terms with it, but maybe I was kidding myself. Once the trust has gone, intimacy is very difficult. Why is that important, anyway?’

  ‘Oh, just standard procedure,’ Phillips lied, and quickly changed tack. ‘Do you know anything about what she was working on before she died?’

  Carpenter shook his head. ‘No. Vicky never talked about her work, and now I know why. She probably wasn’t there half the time she claimed to be.’

  ‘She never mentioned anything about the St John’s Towers Development?’

  ‘No. Like I say, we never discussed her job.’

  ‘Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Victoria?’ Jones asked.

  ‘Apart from me, you mean?’ he said with a wry chuckle, but his grin quickly disappeared and his mouth fell open. ‘I’m joking of course.’

  Jones didn’t react. ‘Did anyone ever threaten her?’

  ‘Not that I know of. Having said that, there’s been a few odd things that have happened over the last month or so.’

  ‘Like what?’ said Jones.

  ‘Her car was damaged when it was parked on the drive. Someone threw acid over it. I thought it must be vandals, so I checked the CCTV we have that covers the front of the house. The wire had been cut! That freaked me out, I can tell you.’

  ‘Did you report it to the police?’ Jones asked.

  ‘Yeah, but nothing came of it. A couple of uniformed officers came round, took a statement, and I never heard from them again. Anyway, I got a guy in to repair the CCTV and a few weeks later, as I told you the other night, we were burgled. They came in through the kitchen door.’

  ‘And did you get that on CCTV?’ Phillips asked.

  ‘No. The camera on the back is a dummy.’

  Phillips did her best to hide her frustration. She’d lost count of the number of CCTV cameras pointed at crime scenes that had turned out to be dummies. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘I’m not sure if it’s relevant, but not long after that, our cat went missing. It turned up on the drive a few days later with a broken neck. We figured it must have been hit by a car and one of the neighbours had found it and put it on the drive, but when I asked them about it, no-one had seen anything. It was really weird. Vicky got very upset about that. She loved that stupid cat.’

  ‘And you didn’t?’

  ‘It was her cat from before we met. I’m more of a dog man myself, but Vicky wouldn’t entertain the idea.’

  Phillips stared in silence at Carpenter for a long moment, watching for any signs he may be lying, but he appeared genuine enough. She eventually smiled and signalled to Jones it was time to leave. ‘Thank you, Mr Carpenter. You’ve been very helpful. We’ll leave you in peace now.’ She passed him her card. ‘If you think of anything else, please call me, any time, day or night.’

  Carpenter examined the card in his hands as Phillips and Jones stood. ‘When can we bury her, Inspector?’

  ‘We’ll need the final sign-off from the pathologist, but I’m hopeful it won’t be too long now. Someone will be in touch as soon as that happens.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Carpenter said.

  ‘We’ll see ourselves out.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell him Victoria was pregnant?’ asked Jones a couple of minutes later, as they arrived at the car.

  ‘You heard him. They’d not had sex for three months, and she was only four weeks gone. Some things are better left unsaid.’

  Jones appeared agitated. ‘I think he deserves to know, Guv. It doesn’t seem fair to keep things from him about his own wife.’

  ‘Do you want to tell him?’ snapped Phillips.

  Jones shook his head.

  ‘Well, in that case, shut up and get in the car.’

  7

  Manchester Town Hall, a gargantuan example of Victorian Neo-gothic architecture located in the centre of Manchester, had taken nine years to build and was completed in 1877. Everything about the design was intended to be grand, but as time passed and repairs and upgrades became dependent on public funding, large parts of the interior had fallen into disrepair. As Phillips and Jones waited to see Eric Jennings – leader of the Council Planning Department, and Victoria Carpenter’s former boss – Phillips was also struck by the contrast between the original building materials and the relatively cheap-looking furniture that adorned Jennings’s personal assistant’s office. She also noted that the young assistant's eyes were red and puffy, as if she’d been crying.

  ‘Are you ok?’

  The young woman sniffed hard and smiled. ‘Yes, thank you. I’m just a bit upset about Vicky. It’s come as such a shock.’

  ‘You mean, Victoria Carpenter?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did you know her well?’

  ‘Fairly. I was her personal assistant as well as Mr Jennings's. I worked for her for almost a year.’

  ‘And you are?’

  ‘Cindy Shaw.’

  At that moment, the large oak door to Jennings’s office opened and a thin man with stark features appeared. He had a wispy ginger beard and small metal-framed glasses. Phillips guessed he was in his late fifties.

  ‘DCI Phillips, DS Jones?’ said Jennings. ‘Please come in.’

  The furniture in Jennings’s office matched
Shaw’s in its cheapness, and the large room, with its vaulted ceiling, had the unmistakable smell of an ancient, untouched building.

  ‘How can I be of help to the Greater Manchester Police?’ asked Jennings as he sat behind his desk.

  Phillips and Jones took seats opposite.

  ‘We’d like to ask you a few questions about Victoria Carpenter, if you don’t mind?’

  Jennings’s brow furrowed, ‘A terrible shock to us all. I must say, I feel terrible. I never had any idea she was depressed, let alone suicidal.’

  Phillips decided to keep the true nature of Carpenter's death to herself for the moment. ‘It’s come to our attention that Victoria was very busy with her work, and in particular the proposed development of St John’s Gardens and Tranquil Park.’

  Jennings flinched slightly. ‘How do you know about that?’

  ‘It’s our job to know these things, Mr Jennings. What can you tell us about that particular development?’

  Jennings sat back in his chair and folded his thin arms across his pigeon chest. ‘There’s not much to tell you, to be honest. The site is currently classed as green belt and protected, and there is a proposal going through the planning process currently that is looking to rezone it so it can be built on.’

  ‘And who is the proposed developer?’

  ‘I’m afraid that’s confidential at this stage, Chief Inspector.’ Jennings gave her a forced smile. ‘I’m sure you understand.’

  Phillips resisted the temptation to threaten him with a formal interview at Ashton House – for now. She would keep that one in her locker for later, just in case. ‘Is it correct that Victoria was against the rezoning?’

  Jennings raised an eyebrow. ‘Who told you that?’

  ‘That’s confidential at this stage. As I’m sure you understand?’

  ‘Touché, Chief Inspector,’ replied Jennings. ‘Well, I suppose one could say that Victoria had some reservations about the St John’s development initially, but she soon changed her mind.’

  ‘So, you’re saying she supported it?’ asked Jones.

  ‘Yes.’ Jennings nodded his head vigorously. ‘In fact, I actually spoke to her the day she died and she told me what a great opportunity it would be for the city. It will, after all, create hundreds of jobs and bring millions of pounds-worth of investment into Manchester.’

  ‘What time was that? When you spoke to her?’

  Jennings reclined in his chair and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. ‘Sometime after lunch…about two-ish, I’d say. I popped into her office to drop off some paperwork and she mentioned it then.’

  ‘That doesn’t seem to tally with what we’ve heard about Victoria and how she was passionately against the rezoning,’ said Phillips.

  ‘Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but she had no issues with it when we spoke. Quite the opposite, in fact. She was all in favour of it.’

  ‘Really? That’s odd, because as we understood it, she was actively feeding protest groups legal documentation in order to help them block the rezoning.’

  Jennings’s lip curled into a slight snarl. ‘I don’t know who’s giving you that information, Chief Inspector, but I know nothing about it, nor do I believe it.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have any emails or written confirmation that testify to her support, would you?’

  ‘I’m afraid not. Like I say, she told me face to face in her office.’

  ‘Was anyone with you at the time? Ms Shaw, for example?’

  ‘No,’ said Jennings firmly. ‘It was just the two of us.’

  At that moment, Jennings’s phone buzzed. ‘Will you excuse me? I should take that.’

  ‘Go ahead,’ said Phillips. She glanced at Jones. They’d worked together for so long she could tell what he was thinking from the expression on his face. And he was in clear agreement with her thoughts: Jennings was lying.

  ‘Thank you, Ms Shaw,’ said Jennings, and replaced the receiver. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with? If not, then I have an appointment on the other side of town and I’m afraid I need to leave now or I’ll be late.’

  ‘Don’t let us keep you, Mr Jennings,’ said Phillips. She stood up and ushered Jones out of the room.

  As they passed through Cindy Shaw’s office on the way to the main stairs, Jennings’s assistant was notable by her absence.

  ‘Was it something we said?’ joked Jones, nodding in the direction of the empty chair.

  Phillips grinned, and continued walking. When they reached the stairs and she was sure they were alone, she stopped Jones in his tracks. ‘Jennings is lying, isn’t he?’

  ‘One hundred percent, Guv.’

  ‘If Townsend’s telling the truth, there’s no way Carpenter would have changed her mind on the rezoning,’ said Phillips.

  ‘So why say that she had?’

  Phillips set off down the stairs, and Jones followed. ‘I dunno, Jonesy. But I think it’s time to check Jennings’s version of events with Townsend, see what he has to say.’

  ‘Good idea, Guv.’

  ‘And in the meantime, let's dig into Mr Jennings’s background, see if he’s got anything to hide.’

  ‘On it,’ said Jonesy as they stepped onto the ground floor and walked briskly towards the exit.

  As they made their way back to the car, Phillips called Don Townsend on her mobile. He answered promptly. ‘Jane, have you got an update for me?’

  ‘Nothing of note as yet, Don.’

  ‘Oh.’ Townsend sounded deflated.

  ‘Look, it’s probably wise not to expect too much too soon. In terms of the investigation, it’s still very early days yet.’

  ‘I know, I know. I’m just struggling to get my head round it, that’s all. I need to know what happened to her.’

  ‘And you will, in time. You have my word on that.’

  ‘Thanks, Jane. So, what can I do for you?’

  ‘What can you tell me about Vicky’s boss, Eric Jennings?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘That useless prick? He’s a total wanker.’

  ‘And what makes you say that?’

  ‘Because of how he treated Vicky,’ said Townsend. ‘He’s a fucking bully and a snake.’

  ‘What do you mean he’s a bully? How so?’

  ‘Look, I can’t prove anything because he’s far too slippery to leave a paper trail, but he was trying to force Vicky into supporting the rezoning of St John’s Square.’

  ‘And how was he doing that?’

  ‘Emotional blackmail, saying that by being so vocal about her opposition to the development, she could cost the city hundreds of millions of pounds and deny thousands of people the chance to find work. You see, she was honest with him about how she felt – too honest at times, and very clear on where she stood regarding the rezoning: vehemently against it. Her stance was widely known within the Town Hall, and Jennings didn’t like it because A, it made him look bad. In his eyes, his assistant should be toeing the department line, and Vicky just wouldn’t. And B, she was casting doubt in the minds of senior officials who were tasked with reviewing the proposals.’

  ‘Are you sure he didn’t know about her helping the protest groups?’

  ‘Well, I can’t be a hundred percent sure, but we were very, very careful. She used her own private laptop to do all the research, for example—’

  ‘The same laptop that was stolen?’ Phillips cut him off.

  ‘Come to think of it, yeah. Shit! You don’t think Jennings was behind the burglary, do you?’

  Like all reporters, Townsend had a vivid imagination, and Phillips knew better than to feed it. ‘I think burglary might be a bit out of Jennings’s league, Don. It’s probably just a coincidence,’ she said.

  Walking beside her, Jones turned and raised an eyebrow. She knew instantly what he was thinking. Like the rest of the team, he was well aware of the fact Phillips did not believe in coincidences. In truth, the stolen laptop could yet prove to be connected to Carpenter’s murder, but she wasn’t ready to let Don Tow
nsend know that.

  She changed the subject. ‘Jennings said that Vicky had had a change of her heart regarding the rezoning and fully supported it.’

  ‘Utter bollocks,’ spat Townsend.

  ‘He reckons she spoke to him on the day she died, offering her full support.’

  ‘He’s lying. There is no way in hell she would have changed her mind. The night she died, she was drafting the next set of instructions for the planning protest groups. The leaders of the group were planning on presenting at the next public hearing regarding the rezoning. If she was supposedly supporting it, why would she be doing all that work?’

  ‘That’s a very good point.’

  ‘Plus, if she had changed her mind, she’d have told me. I was in it with her. There's no way she’d keep something like that from me.’

  ‘Ok, Don. I had to ask and look into what he said.’

  ‘If you want to look into anything or anybody, look into Jennings. He’s as bent as a nine-pound note. Vicky was convinced he had a vested interest in the development going ahead,’ said Townsend.

  ‘How do you mean, a vested interest?’

  ‘I can’t be sure because, like I said, he never left any trails, but she was convinced he was taking kickbacks from developers coming into the city.’

  ‘And why did she think that?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘Just the way he was with certain projects and developments. There was a number of them in the last year alone that he seemed to obsess over, and they were always the most contentious – and always approved. That’s not in line with the culture within the Town Hall, which is “don’t rock the boat”, and Jennings is not the kind of man to stick his neck out unnecessarily. He never did anything unless there was something in it for him. He’s on the take, Jane. I’m sure of it.’

  ‘Maybe he is,’ said Phillips, ‘but can anyone prove it?’

  ‘God knows I’ve tried to find evidence, but so far I’ve not been able to come up with anything. I’ll just have to keep on looking.’

  Phillips and Jones arrived at their car.

  ‘Look, Don, I appreciate you want answers, but I think it’s best you leave the digging to us now, ok? I promise I’ll keep you updated as and when I find something I can share.’