Immoral Justice

by M A Comley

  “I have five minutes. Anything wrong?”

  “Plenty. Where do you want me to start?”

  “Oh dear, I wish I hadn’t asked now. Anything in particular bugging you enough to ring me?”

  “I’ve just come in and seen on the wires that Gerry Sutherland is dead. Is he with you?”

  “He is. I’m just about to start his PM now. I take it you know this man?”

  “Yep, and so do you.”

  “I do?”

  “The body buried in the man’s garden on the newbuild site the other day—the site was Sutherland Homes. He’s the developer.”

  “Oh, crikey! To be honest with you, I haven’t had a chance to even look at the victim yet, and I didn’t associate the name. What’s going on, Lorne?”

  She sighed heavily. “Crap! I wish I knew. My team are searching the archives to see if anyone has demonstrated publicly about all these newbuilds being erected. That’s the only avenue I can think of looking down for now.”

  “I see. Well, good luck with that.”

  “Wait a minute. I should be asking if Mr. Sutherland took his own life or if he was murdered?”

  “I wasn’t here when the body arrived, so I can’t give you that information as yet. Let me do the PM and ring you the minute I have something concrete to share with you.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave him in your capable hands then.”

  “Speak soon.”

  Lorne replaced the phone in its docking station and sat back in her chair.

  Katy walked into the room a few moments later. “Graham’s here now, you asked me to fetch you when he arrived.”

  “Did he say why he was late?”

  “Only that he was held up because of an accident on the M25.”

  “That makes a change. Okay, I’ll be out shortly.”

  Katy stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind her. “Is everything okay with you, Lorne? I hope you don’t mind me saying, but the last few days, you’ve seemed a little distant.”

  “Take a seat.” Once Katy was seated, Lorne said, “I didn’t tell you because we’re waiting on the results of some tests to come back. Jade found a lump in her breast.”

  Katy placed a hand on her cheek. “Oh no, that’s got to be every woman’s worst nightmare. You mentioned tests. What sort of tests? I haven’t got a clue about what sort of procedures are involved in something like this.”

  “I didn’t say anything sooner because I’m still trying to process it myself. I have to say that it’s knocked the stuffing out of me. On the other hand, it’s brought us closer together. You know I said I had a dentist appointment the other day? I lied. I went with Jade to the hospital. They performed a biopsy, and we’re still waiting on the results. They should be known in the next day or two. It’s as scary as hell being in this situation, and that’s only from my angle. Lord knows what sort of turmoil she must be going through. She’s surprised me, though. In the past, she’s always come across as such a wimp, but not this time. She’s strong and determined to beat this, if only for the boys’ sake.”

  Katy shook her head. “I suppose we never truly see someone’s real character until the chips are down, right? Gosh, I don’t know what to say except to wish her well. It must be scary for her boys. Do they know?”

  “Not really. She just told them that she was having tests because she hadn’t been feeling well lately. They’re still too young to know the ins and outs about something this bad. I mean, if it is cancer. It certainly puts life in perspective when something like this touches your family.”

  Katy’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds ominous. What are you getting at, Lorne?”

  “Nothing. Just stating a fact. Nothing sinister intended, I promise. We’ve agreed to spend our Sundays together from now on.”

  “Who? You and Jade?”

  “All of us. When Mum and Dad were alive, we always made a point of spending our Sundays together as a family. We’d both like to get back to doing that. It’ll be lovely having the kids around.”

  Katy snorted. “I’ll remind you of this conversation in a few months when you start complaining about the things they get up to at your gaff.”

  “Ever the pessimist, Katy.” She stood up and walked towards the door. “Come on, let’s go do some brainstorming.”

  Lorne crossed the room towards the whiteboard and picked up the black marker pen. She added Gerry Sutherland’s name to the list, alongside Maurice Barratt’s, plus the photo of the second victim still yet to be identified. That reminded her, she needed to ask Patti to chase up the forensic anthropologist when she called back later with the results of Sutherland’s PM.

  “Right, ladies and gent. Here’s what we have so far… Maurice Barratt, who worked for Harris Homes, was tortured and found murdered in the disused warehouse close to Canary Wharf. A few days later, this victim was found.” Lorne pointed to the photos of the second victim’s remains found at the Sutherland Homes site, disposed of in black bags.

  “Do we have an ID on the victim yet, boss?” Graham asked.

  “No. I’ve made a mental note to ask the pathologist this afternoon. Which leads me on to the third victim, Gerry Sutherland. We’re unsure as to the cause of his death at present. Patti is in the process of carrying out his PM at the moment. We’ll have a definitive answer this afternoon as to whether we’re looking at another murder case or whether he found it impossible to deal with the stress and decided to end his own life.”

  “What’s your gut saying, Lorne?” Katy prompted.

  “Not much, to be honest with you. If you pressed me harder, I would fall down on the side of murder, given the other cases we’re dealing with. He didn’t seem the suicidal type to me, but who can really tell nowadays? We need to pay his next of kin a visit first thing, Katy. If he’s married, his wife will be able to fill us in more if he suffered from depression or not. He seemed a little stressed to me when we met him. I wouldn’t have singled that out to mean he was suffering from depression necessarily.”

  Katy nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with you. Karen, can you source Sutherland’s details for us after the meeting?”

  Karen gave Katy the thumbs-up.

  Lorne turned to the board again and circled a name on the suspect list—Larry Watson. “This man has to be top of the list for me.”

  “In what respect? You think if Gerry’s death comes back as murder that Larry killed him?” Katy asked.

  “Something about him doesn’t sit well with me. We know he’s got a violent streak and that he abuses his partner.”

  “Can I stop you right there, Lorne? Isn’t it mostly the case that when husbands beat up their wives that it’s because they’re too cowardly to lay their hands on a bloke?”

  “I think nine times out of ten that’s indeed the case. There’s also the aspect of him going from site to site. Maybe he took umbrage at us questioning him the other day and went to have it out with Gerry Sutherland. Perhaps things turned nasty, and he ended up killing Gerry and dumping his body in the Thames. Purely speculation on my part at present, but if you guys can come up with an alternative motive, I’m all ears.”

  The team remained silent.

  “So, Katy and I will go and visit Sutherland’s next of kin first thing, and then we’ll trundle over to see Larry Watson again, if only to gauge his reaction when he sees us. I need to revisit the site and have a word with the site manager anyway.”

  “About anything in particular?” Katy asked, her pen tapping on the side of her face.

  “I forgot to ask if there had been any form of accidents on-site, like the other sites had reported recently. There’s also that angle to consider here… Watson was involved in most of the accidents that have come to our attention so far. I’m not much of a believer in that much coincidence, are you?”

  “There is that,” Katy admitted.

  “Anything else that we might have missed so far? Any other alternative suggestions as to who the culprit might be and a possible motive?”<
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  Again, the team shook their heads and remained silent.

  “Very well. Karen, if you can get the Sutherland information for us ASAP, Katy and I will make a move. I need you and Graham to keep digging into possible objections that were raised against these sites. Would it be worth you putting the word out on the street, Graham?”

  “I can try, boss. We’ve got nothing to lose.”

  “Exactly. Thanks, guys. I know we don’t have much yet, but let’s squeeze the life out of what we do have until something more positive comes our way.”

  Karen handed Lorne the details of Gerry’s address and next of kin a few minutes later. “My take on it is that his wife is already aware that Gerry is dead. Are you ready to go?”

  Katy collected her jacket from her chair and followed Lorne out the incident room and down the stairs to the car.

  DCI Roberts was just entering the building. “Morning, ladies. Are you in a rush?”

  “Very, sir. Did you want to see us?” Lorne asked.

  “It can wait. I’d like an update on the murder case you’re working on when time permits, Inspector.”

  “I’ll do that as soon as we return, sir.”

  “Very well. I’ll be in my office all this afternoon. I’ll look forward to you dropping by then.” He walked through the entrance to the station.

  “I’m still sensing things are a little frosty between the two of you,” Katy observed once they were in the car.

  “I think it’s your imagination. Everything is fine on my part.”

  “Hmm… really? Okay, I’ll stop hounding you. I’ve yet to be convinced, though.”

  Lorne shot her a warning glance not to press things further and started the engine.

  They arrived at the Sutherlands’ house twenty-five minutes later. The home was a Georgian mansion situated in the middle of a cul-de-sac consisting of similar-sized properties.

  “This is worth a pretty penny. It really irks me.”

  “What does?” Katy asked, looking puzzled.

  “I’ve yet to meet a developer who chooses to live in a newbuild.”

  “That’s a fair point, I suppose. I don’t blame them. Newbuilds may be efficient to run, but they lack character to me. This place is a different story entirely.”

  “Let’s see what his wife has to say.”

  Lorne rang the ornate bell and listened to the joyful sound it made inside as it echoed around the downstairs of the property. Before long, the large oak door was opened by a smartly dressed woman in her fifties. Her eyes were red and puffy.

  “Hello, are you Mrs. Sutherland?”

  “I am. And you are?”

  Lorne and Katy flashed their warrant cards.

  “DI Warner and DS Foster,” Lorne answered. “Would it be possible to come in for a quick chat?”

  “Is this about my husband?”

  “Yes.”

  “You better come in. As you can imagine, I’m still in a state of shock. Come through to the drawing room.”

  They followed the woman through the immense hallway that was dominated by a large sweeping wooden staircase. The walls were decorated in a subtle floral wallpaper, and there were several small marble columns. Beautiful vases filled with seasonal flowers and a few bronze horse ornaments stood prominently on a few of them. Before long, Lorne concluded that Mrs. Sutherland was the one behind the interior design in the beautiful house.

  They entered the drawing room, and Mrs. Sutherland immediately invited them to take a seat in one of the numerous Queen Anne-styled chairs adorning the room. She plucked a tissue from the gold tissue container on the side table next to her and dabbed at her eyes, careful not to smudge her mascara. “It was such a dreadful shock to have two police officers come knocking on my door late last night.”

  “I can imagine. I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Sutherland. When was the last time you spoke to your husband?”

  “He rang me at lunchtime yesterday. He was a cheeky bugger, always called me during his lunch to see what was on the menu that evening. He loved his food and was always thinking of his next meal. That’s probably why he was the size he was. I’ve tried several times to put him on a diet, but to no avail, and now he’s…”

  “So he had every intention of coming home for dinner yesterday evening?”

  “Yes. When he didn’t show up at six, his usual time, I rang him. One time, his phone was answered, but then it went dead. I shrugged it off, thinking he’d forgotten to charge his battery again. He was always forgetting to do that.”

  “I see. When was the last time you rang him?”

  “Around ten thirty. I gave up then and went to bed.”

  “Did your husband have any suicidal tendencies that you know of?”

  The woman pulled her shoulders back and stuck her chin in the air. “Certainly not. Are you insinuating that you think my husband killed himself? I can assure you he would never have done that. Especially not now.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Our daughter is getting married next month. We’re knee-deep in making all the arrangements for it. We’re having a marquee on the lawn, and the caterers have been sending round the samples of the meals they’re planning to put on… oh dear, what on earth are we going to do now? I couldn’t bear to have the wedding take place here now. Not if Gerry is no longer with us. To hold a celebration of that magnitude a month after his death would seem callous to me. My daughter is going to be devastated. She doesn’t know about her father yet, as she’s away on business. I have strict instructions not to ring her, as she’s in important meetings.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you interrupting her under these circumstances.”

  “It’s not the type of thing I’d choose to tell someone over the phone, Inspector. She’s due home in a few days. I’ll sit her down and explain the situation to her then.”

  “If you think that’s the right way to go about things. I know if my father had died, I’d want to be told immediately.”

  Mrs. Sutherland glared at her. “That’s where we differ, obviously. My daughter is a highly successful businesswoman, and my husband and I, bless his soul, have always shown our support and abided by her wishes. If she tells me I’ve done wrong in not telling her right away, then I’m prepared to suffer the consequences.”

  While Lorne admired the woman’s spirit in the face of adversity, she couldn’t help thinking that Mrs. Sutherland was going about things the wrong way. Once her daughter found out about Mr. Sutherland, she was in danger of driving a wedge between herself and her daughter, at a time when their support for each other should be paramount.

  Lorne smiled at the woman. “I didn’t mean to cause any offence.”

  “You haven’t. Different families deal with every circumstance differently. As I’ve stated already, I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing or not. Only time will tell. Was there anything else, Inspector?” she asked dismissively.

  “Until we receive the post-mortem result, we won’t know if Gerry’s death will be classed as foul play. May I ask if he had any enemies?”

  Mrs. Sutherland tilted her head back and laughed. “Are you kidding me? People in the newbuild trade always have enemies. The competition is rife to gain the contracts in the first place, and then once the construction stage begins, to keep the build on schedule. It becomes intolerable at times.”

  Lorne and Katy looked at each other before Katy continued taking her notes. “Can I ask you to be more specific? Is there anyone in particular that comes to mind who your husband has had a problem with? Perhaps in the last few months?”

  She waved a hand in front of her. “That, I don’t know. Like all wives, as soon as my husband started complaining about work, I tended to switch off. Of course, I regret my actions now, and if I could turn back the clock, I would do it in an instant.” Tears misted her eyes, and her face softened a little.

  Until that point, Lorne had assumed the woman was hard and unemotional, in spite of the redness in her eyes
when she’d opened the door to them. “That’s a shame. I mean, we could really do with a few names to help our investigation. We’ve visited most, if not all, of the newbuild sites in the immediate vicinity to your husband’s site, and everyone seems friendly enough. A couple of the sites have suffered a few accidents of their own over the last few months, in fact.”

  She shook her head. “Then I can’t help you, Inspector. I’m sorry that’s the case.”

  “Any names would be a help, if any come to mind,” Lorne pressed again.

  Mrs. Sutherland thought over the question for a moment or two, then, disappointingly, shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m simply not able to think straight at the moment. Maybe if you leave a card, I can contact you later if anything comes to mind.”

  Lorne withdrew a card from her pocket and placed it on the small table beside her. “Have you owned this property long, Mrs. Sutherland?”

  “I’m not sure exactly why you’re asking such a question, but we’ve lived here for the past eight years.”

  “Thank you, it might help our investigation in the long run. Do you only have the one child?”

  “No. I have a son who lives in America. And before you ask, yes, I’ve rung him to inform him about his father. I knew that Ben would be able to handle his father’s death better than my daughter, Laura. A mother recognises these things. Please don’t condemn me for keeping my husband’s death from Laura.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. You know your children far better than anyone else. Do you get on with your neighbours?”

  “Yes. We don’t have a lot to do with anyone really. Of course, we wave to each other in the street, but that’s as far as it goes. I suppose we all know that we’d be there for each other if any one of us was in trouble.”

  “Good to hear. Before we leave, is there anything that has happened within the last few months that you think we should look into?”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t think of anything right now.”

  Lorne stood up, and Katy followed. Mrs. Sutherland escorted them through the house and to the front door. She shook hands with them both.