by JANICE FROST
Jonty looked up, as if for reassurance. Ava felt a sudden wave of pity for him and gave him an encouraging nod. She knew how it was to feel responsible for a sibling who was a little different. Though Ollie had never been given a diagnosis, she guessed he was somewhere on the autistic spectrum.
“Barney wasn’t hard work, not really. But I got fed up with him always tagging along. I just wanted to have a normal life like everybody else my age. I didn’t want to be Barney’s carer. My mum was always asking me to ‘look after Barney for a bit.’ She’d say to keep an eye on Barney while she did this or that chore. But I seemed to spend longer and longer ‘keeping an eye on Barney,’ while my mum seemed to find more and more things to keep her busy. Don’t get me wrong. Mum had problems too. She was . . . depressed, though she didn’t know it at the time. Everyone commented on what a wonderful brother I was, how I was so good with Barney. So patient. I spent hours showing Barney how to dress himself. How to ride his bike with stabilisers.” A small smile. “But even I couldn’t get him off them. And I was the only one who could calm Barney down when he kicked off. I’d watch Thomas the Tank Engine or play trains with him for hours.”
Ava glanced at Neal. She saw that he, too, was moved by Jonty’s story. Still, they needed to get him to talk about Seth.
“Like I said, it was harder when I hit my teens. You know how it can be at that age, you’re so bloody sensitive about how you look to your peers. Girls were especially unkind, some of them. I had low self-esteem, I started self-harming . . . . To cut a long story short, Seth talked to me about it all and he helped me understand better. He seemed like a good mate . . . back then.”
Ava nodded. This fitted the picture they had of Seth.
“Why did Seth threaten to hurt your brother, Jonty? What did he want you to keep quiet about?” Ava pressed, but gently.
She had a sudden thought. Had all Jonty’s talk about Barney and presenting himself as a victim been intended to soften them up? To provide a mitigating context for some greater crime? If she’d learned one thing in police work, it was not to be blindsided by a sob story.
A prolonged silence followed her question, and extended into several minutes. Long enough for Jonty to put his narrative together. Ava watched him closely. He was a big guy whose shyness and nervousness made him appear smaller than he was. It struck her suddenly that he was mimicking his brother Barney a little. Barney, too, was big, but childlike and vulnerable. Disarming.
“You need to talk to us, Jonty,” Neal said.
“I . . . it was all about the girls,” Jonty said. “He threatened to hurt Barney if I told anyone about the parties.” Now they were getting somewhere. Ava leaned forward in her seat.
“Come on, Jonty,” Neal said, impatience in his tone now. “What girls? What parties? Nobody threatens to hurt people over ordinary parties, son. So what are we really talking about here?”
“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong, at first,” Jonty said pleadingly. There it was again. The little boy lost.
“Seth said he had a friend who was having a party and I could come. He suggested I ask two or three of the girls in my therapy group along. It sounded like a bit of fun, you know. He said he’d get some beers.”
“These girls he asked you to bring along, they were what, fourteen, fifteen at the time? Didn’t it strike you as a bit strange that someone Seth’s age was asking you to invite girls that age to a party? Girls whom I’m assuming had ‘issues,’ as they were receiving counselling.”
“It does now, but not at the time. Seth didn’t seem that much older. He was a mate and we all thought he was . . . cool. The girls who came along, they all fancied him.”
“What happened at these parties? Did Seth have sex with the girls? Were there other men involved?” Neal said.
Jonty twitched and fiddled with his watch strap. “Yes,” he said at last. “To both questions.” He looked at Neal imploringly. “It didn’t seem like such a big deal at the time, I didn’t realise it was wrong. We were all drunk, having fun. There was no . . . coercion. The girls didn’t seem to mind having sex with Seth. He was good-looking and, like I said, they all fancied him. It didn’t seem like . . . like they were being raped or anything.” Jonty raised his hands. “I know. I know. I was fifteen, and that’s how it seemed to me then. I know better now.” Sixteen, Ava thought. She was beginning to find Jonty’s repeated denials of responsibility a little hard to swallow.
“How often did Seth hold these parties? And how long were you involved in them?”
“I don’t know. I went along three, maybe four times.”
Ava frowned. “And Seth has been in touch with you more recently than eight years ago? When did he threaten to hurt Barney?”
“It was because of . . . of Leanne, you know, that woman who was found in the river.”
“Leanne Jackson?” Ava asked. Jonty nodded. “You knew her from CAMHS?” Another nod. “Did Leanne go to these parties you were telling us about?”
“Yes.”
“And she contacted you? About Seth? Did she want you to tell the police about Seth abusing underage girls?” Ava asked.
“We met a few times. I liked Leanne,” he said, his lips trembling. “I used to talk to her about Barney.” He’d fancied her. It occurred to Ava that Barney wasn’t the only one who benefitted from their relationship. Jonty wasn’t above using his brother to elicit attention from women. They would probably see him as unthreatening and compassionate. Jonty had taken his brother to Jeffers. It was unlikely that it had been for Barney’s entertainment alone.
Jonty looked down. “Leanne was a good person. She didn’t deserve to end up like that.”
“And just to clarify, Leanne told you of her suspicions about the fate of some of the girls who’d been at CAMHS at the same time as the two of you?”
Jonty mumbled, “Yes.”
“Leanne, Chantelle Clarke, Michaela Smith, Ruby Kennedy. These women are all dead, Jonty. Didn’t it occur to you to come to us with the information you had on Seth?” Ava pinched herself. “That’s when he got in touch with you and threatened Barney.”
“I . . . heard about Chantelle . . . and . . . and . . . Michaela. But I thought Leanne was being stupid. They both topped themselves, didn’t they? No one murdered them.” This lack of empathy for Chantelle and Michaela seemed oddly at variance with the stories he’d just told them about being so caring.
“I changed my mind when I heard about Leanne and Ruby. Seth knew Leanne had contacted me. I don’t know anything else.” His voice rose.
“Actually, I think you do. Look, Jonty, it’s time you stopped holding back. It should be blatantly obvious to you now that we suspect Seth Conway of being involved in Leanne’s death, at the very least. I’ve given you my word that your brother will be safeguarded, but so far you’ve given me little reason to believe that he’s in need of protection.” Neal leaned forward and pushed his face close to Jonty’s. “What are you not telling us, son?”
Ava feared that Jonty would clam up, or demand legal representation, but instead he seemed to be thinking.
“He came up to me one night when I was out with Barney. At Jeffers.”
“Jeffers nightclub?” Neal asked.
“Yeah. Lex Thorner was performing some of his songs there that night. Barney loves him, loves musicals. I don’t know how Seth knew I was going to be there. He sat down next to me and Barney, and next thing I know he’s warning me not to say anything about Leanne and what she’d been up to. He told me to shut up about the past or he’d make sure Barney suffered. And . . . and he asked me about Jess.”
“I want to ask you about Jess Stokes now, Jonty,” Neal said.
“Is she okay?”
“We don’t know. Her landlady hasn’t seen her for a couple of days.”
“I tried to warn her.”
“What do you mean?” Ava was puzzled.
“That day on the bridge . . . I saw her watching. We spoke about Leanne, and Jess told me she knew h
er when she was at school. Then we spoke again at college a couple of times. She said she was going to try to find out what happened to Leanne.” A pause. “So I sent her a note.”
“A threatening note?”
“Yes. I was only trying to protect her. I didn’t want her crossing Seth.”
“What did the note say?” Neal asked.
“It said to stop looking into things that didn’t concern her, or people she cared about might get hurt. Something like that. I’m not very good with words. I put it that way because I knew she was a kind person and cared about other people more than herself. I knew that if I threatened her personally she’d just carry on.”
Ava leaned back and folded her arms. So much for caring Jonty.
“Did you act on the note?” Neal said.
“What? No! Of course not. I just wanted to put her off. I hated that I had to scare her to do it.”
“So you didn’t do anything to Jess’s neighbour’s dog?”
Jonty looked appalled. “You mean hurt it? Hurt a dog? Barney would never forgive me.”
Neal pressed on. “Did Jess say anything to you recently? Before her disappearance? Did she tell you that she’d found something significant? Did she know about Seth Conway?”
“No. I don’t know.” Jonty was becoming agitated. “If he hurts her—”
Neal interrupted. “What do you know about Seth Conway’s present whereabouts?”
“Nothing. I don’t know where he is, or where Jess could be.”
“I don’t get it,” Ava said. “Jess hadn’t seen Leanne for years. Why would Seth see Jess as a threat? Did you tell Seth that Jess was asking questions?”
Jonty shifted in his chair. “No, I swear. I wouldn’t put her in danger like that.”
“Enough.” Neal gave an impatient sweep of his hand. “This interview is terminated.” He jabbed at the recorder’s off button.
“Are you going to arrest me?” Jonty asked.
“Just . . . go home, son.” With a nod to Ava, Neal stood up and strode out of the door.
“So, can I go?” Jonty asked, as if he couldn’t believe his luck. Ava gave a shrug. She watched him get up. Sitting down, he had been hunched, deferential. Now, standing at his full height in the confines of the interview room, he was an imposing presence. As if reading her thoughts, he slumped his shoulders and lowered his head.
Ava returned to the office to look for PJ. “Fancy a bite to eat?”
To her surprise, PJ shook her head. “Got weight watchers tonight. I’ve brought a salad in. Anyway, I think I’ll get to work on tracing that iron, see if I can find the artist.”
“Okay, let me know if you need any help.”
In need of some fresh air, Ava left the station and walked to the marina. It was a fine day. She considered going for a run, but opted to eat instead. She bought a sandwich and sat on a seat overlooking the river. Something was bothering her. If Jonty hadn’t told Seth about Jess’s investigations, how come he saw her as a threat? Or even known about her at all? Ava shelved it for now. Questions had a way of finding answers in the long run.
She tore up some bread to throw for the swans and her gaze drifted to the bridge near where Leanne’s body had been discovered. Ashley Hunt had said she would likely have died of her wounds if she hadn’t drowned. Seth Conway was the kind of monster that Ava would delight in sending down for a very long time. Her appetite gone, Ava shredded what was left of her sandwich and tossed it to the swans. The question of how Seth had found out about Jess still hadn’t gone away. It was just on hold.
Back at the station, she found PJ poring over images of narrowboat ware — watering cans and buckets, planters and mugs, brightly decorated in the traditional way with ferns and flowers, roses and castles.
“I never realised how pretty these designs are. Look at the detail on that planter. I might order some of these for my garden.”
“Any luck?” Ava asked.
“I’ve narrowed it down, no pun intended,” PJ said. “There’s a local woman who runs her own business decorating and selling narrowboat and canal ware. She’s also something of an expert on the subject. I was thinking of driving out to see her this afternoon, if that’s okay.”
“Fine with me. Better just check with the boss. I’m going to make some calls.” Ava felt better after her time spent with the swans and she was ready to try skyping Alyssa Ballard.
After eight years in Australia, little of Stromfordshire was left in Alyssa Ballard’s accent. “I was really pleased to hear from Leanne,” she told Ava. “The timing was perfect. After years of running away from what happened back then, I’d finally made up my mind to speak out. It was such a coincidence hearing from her. As soon as you catch that bastard, I’ll book my flight.”
Alyssa had attended CAMHS as an adolescent after developing school phobia. She had met Seth there, and attended a number of his ‘parties.’
“The thing is,” Alyssa said, “I really fancied him. We all did. I didn’t want to get him into trouble. He was so good to talk to, you know. I thought he was the only one who really understood what I was going through. Try telling someone you’re school phobic — they just laugh. But not Seth. He knew all the right words. I was so naïve.”
“You don’t need to explain anything to me, Alyssa. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. You were just a child, and Seth took advantage of it.”
“How can I help you, Sergeant?”
“I’d like you to concentrate on your conversation with Leanne. Try to remember anything that might help us locate Seth. Did she give you any indication that she knew where he was, or that she’d been in touch with him?”
Alyssa’s answer was unexpected.
“She had spoken with him, I know that much. One night she had too much to drink and called him up. She told him she was after him, and he wasn’t going to get away with harming any more girls. She was going to make him pay for what he’d done to us. She got his number from someone she worked with, I think. A young girl who knew him when he worked at the Trust and fancied him.”
Natalie. Natalie had believed Leanne was seeing Seth. She’d claimed to have overheard a conversation between them, but she’d omitted to mention that it was she who put Leanne in touch with him.
Alyssa’s image began to break up on the screen. The connection was going, but it didn’t matter. Ava had what she wanted. There was just enough time for her to thank Alyssa before the screen went blank. Ava shut down her laptop with shaky hands.
She burst into Neal’s office with the news.
“Good work, Ava,” he said. “Contact the Trust and find out if Natalie’s there today. If so, get down there and talk to her. PJ can accompany you.”
* * *
They pulled up outside the Trust. Ava sighed. “Here we go again. Wouldn’t it be just great if people told the truth for once?”
“Don’t be too hard on her, Ave. She’s just a kid. And she couldn’t have known Seth was a killer.”
“Hmph.” Ava wasn’t in the mood for taking prisoners. She did smile at the receptionist, though. She was beginning to regard her as an old friend.
Bryony seemed troubled, concerned for Natalie. “I’ve asked Natalie to wait in the kitchen,” she said. “She’s a bit upset. I told her she wasn’t in trouble. I hope that was alright?” With a glance at PJ, Ava reassured her that they were just seeking information.
Natalie was red-eyed and frightened. Beth Upton was with her and asked if she could stay.
Ava nodded. “Natalie, I’ll come straight to the point. We need to contact Seth Conway as soon as possible. We have reason to believe that he’s a very dangerous man. We also know that you gave his contact details to Leanne.”
Natalie gave a sob, and held out a pink post-it note.
“This is Seth’s number?” Ava asked, incredulous.
Natalie shook her head. “It’s the number of the school he was working for after he left here. I don’t know his address or anything. I only know that number b
ecause I once overheard him talking to the head of the school just before he left the Trust. I checked his phone when he wasn’t looking. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t know Seth had done anything wrong. Did . . . did he kill Leanne?”
Ava tried not to show her exasperation. “We don’t know. But we do need to question him. It would have helped if you’d thought to give us this information the first time we came.”
“Sorry,” said Natalie in a shaky voice that made Ava feel like a bully. PJ gave Natalie a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, which only exasperated Ava all the more.
“So you wrote down Seth Conway’s number. Were you intending to contact him?”
“I liked him,” Natalie said. “I was thinking of contacting him, but then I overheard Bryony telling Beth how he treated that girl at the nightclub. And . . . and then Joe asked me out.”
Don’t ask, Ava said to herself. “And you gave Seth’s contact number to Leanne, why? Did she ask you for it, or did you overhear something she said too?”
Natalie nodded.
“Why on earth did you tell us that you heard Leanne arguing with Seth Conway? Was that even true?”
Natalie hung her head, looking utterly miserable. “I don’t know. I just thought—”
“You just thought you’d pay him back for ignoring you by trying to get him involved in a murder investigation?” Ava felt like giving Natalie a good shaking.
Back at the station, Ava called the number Natalie had given her and asked to speak with the principal. It was a school located in Nottinghamshire that specialised in helping children with emotional and behavioural issues.
The principal checked Ava’s credentials and called her back. “We had a Seth, but his surname was Richardson, not Conway. He was a visiting mental health nurse who did some therapy sessions with our students.”
We had a Seth. Ava’s heart soared and sank simultaneously with the principal’s use of the past tense. “Does he still do work for the school?”
“No. He was agency. I can send you all the information I have on him and the agency, if that would help.”