by M A Comley
“Mind if I interrupt, boss?” Stuart asked.
“Go on.”
Stuart looked down at his notes. “While you were interviewing Colin Whiting, a Miss Nadine Thornley called to speak to you.”
“The name sounds familiar. What about?”
“It should. She’s one of Gemma’s friends who went out with her that night. We haven’t got around to speaking to her yet because she’s been working away. She’s some kind of sales rep. I’ve got her address if you want to drop by.”
“I take it she knows something that she thinks we should be aware of.”
“Could be. She sounded a bit upset on the phone. Otherwise, I would have suggested she comes to the station to see you.”
“Sounds intriguing. Come on, Joanna. Let’s go for a ride, see what Miss Thornley has to say.”
Sally rang the bell to the new block of swish apartments.
The door was opened almost immediately by a pretty brunette wearing a concerned smile. “Are you the police?”
“We are. I’m DI Sally Parker, and my partner is DC Joanna Tryst. I believe you have some information you’d like to share about Gemma Whiting, Miss Thornley?”
“It’s Nadine.” She opened the door to let them in. “We’ll go in the lounge.”
Once they were all seated on the two cream leather sofas, Sally asked, “First of all, I’d like to express my condolences. Did your friends inform you of Gemma’s death?”
“Yes, Audrey left me a message on my answerphone. I lost my mobile a week ago and haven’t had the chance to replace it yet. I was devastated when I heard what had happened. Gemma was such a lovely person. Have you arrested anyone yet?”
“No, we’re still going through a list of suspects. Sorry to be so blunt. My colleague said that you might have some valuable information for us.”
“I’ve hardly slept last night since hearing the news. Audrey said what kind of questions the police had asked her, and I’ve been mulling things over during the night.”
“Okay, take your time,” Sally said once she saw the tears welling up in Nadine’s eyes.
“Melinda was one of Gemma’s closest friends. Unfortunately, she died a few months back through cancer.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. Tragic news.”
“It was, to all of us, especially Gemma. After the funeral, I noticed a change in Gemma. Of course we were all really upset by our friend’s death, but it appeared to hit Gemma strangely for some reason.”
“Can you enlighten us as to how, Nadine?”
“Yes, she was hit as hard as all of us, but she recovered swiftly. She seemed much chirpier in herself after a few days’ grief, and I just couldn’t figure out why, so I came right out and asked her.”
“And what was her response?”
“She told me that it was as if a beacon of hope had gone off in her head the minute Melinda had passed. She assured me that she was distraught by Mel’s death, but it had given her the strength to alter her own way of thinking.”
“Strange. Thinking about what?”
“She meant her marriage. I know she and Mark haven’t really been getting along properly as man and wife—if you know what I mean?—for a few months now.”
“I see. Did Gemma have any love interests outside of the marriage?”
Nadine gasped and covered her chest with her splayed-out hand. “No. She wasn’t the type to have an affair.”
Sally glanced sideways at Joanna, hoping that her partner wouldn’t display any reaction to the news. She didn’t. “All right. Did she confide in you in which way this sudden strength would reveal itself?”
“She did. She told me that she had been applying for jobs out of the area.”
“So, you’re telling me that she had every intention of leaving her husband?”
“Yes, it was just a matter of time. She needed to find a way of securing her future first, before she said farewell to her past.”
“Do you know if she was successful in her search to find a job?”
“I got the impression she had been, but when the realisation struck, she stopped talking about it. Maybe she thought I’d let it slip to Mark. I wouldn’t have, but who’s to say how people react when they’re on the verge of turning not only their own lives upside down, but also that of those around them. She was very protective of Samantha, wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible to avoid upsetting her daughter too much.”
“That’s fair enough. Can I ask if you know what went wrong in the marriage?”
“Are you asking if Mark was ever violent towards Gemma?”
“I suppose that’s exactly what I meant. Was he?”
Nadine rubbed the side of her face as she thought. “Gemma didn’t mention anything to me. When I asked why she wasn’t willing to stick with her marriage and give it another go, she seemed quite evasive.”
“In what way?” Sally asked.
“I can’t tell you. She never confided in me that much, and I didn’t like to push her.”
“Interesting. Do you happen to know where Gemma was searching for jobs? Was it her intention to leave the area?”
“Yes. The London area, I believe.”
“That’s quite a trek. Is there anything else she mentioned in passing that you can recall?”
Nadine chewed her lip then shook her head. “No, not that I can think of.”
“One last question before we go. Did Mark’s brother, Colin, ever crop up in conversation?”
Nadine contemplated the question a few seconds then shook her head. “Again, I don’t recall her mentioning him, except in passing.”
“In passing?”
“You know, when he showed up at a family gathering with his wife, that sort of thing.”
“I see. Well, you’ve been really helpful. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. I hope you catch the person who did this. I always thought this was a safe area to live in, Inspector. Times really are changing, aren’t they?”
By this time, the three women had reached the front door of the small flat. “They are, unfortunately. Put it this way: our jobs are definitely getting harder to conduct.”
“Good luck.”
The door closed quietly behind Sally and Joanna.
“I think we need to drop by and see Mark, don’t you?” Sally said.
“I think so. It’s all rather intriguing, isn’t it?”
“You’re not wrong there, Joanna.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Sally parked outside the Whiting family home, the last thing she expected to see was Colin’s car parked in the drive. As Sally left her vehicle, she was alarmed to hear raised voices coming from inside the house, as well as the distinctive sound of a woman and child screaming.
“Shit! Quick, Joanna, call for backup.”
Sally left her partner and ran down the side of the property to the back gate. She pushed it open and rushed through the courtyard garden and in the door that led to the kitchen. Following the voices, she barged into the lounge, where the two brothers were tussling with each other. She rushed in and eased her way between them, pushing a hand into each man’s chest. “All right, break it up, you two.”
The men withdrew a few feet and scowled at each other.
“Thank God you arrived,” Yvette cried out. She was holding Samantha behind her back, shielding the child from the fighting men.
“What’s going on here?” Sally demanded. She remained between the men in case they started to fight again. Both of them had cuts to their faces; Mark had a split lip, and Colin’s eyebrow was dripping blood. Neither of them would tell her what the kerfuffle was about. She tried again. “If I have to drag you both down to the station to get it out of you, I bloody will. Now what’s going on?” Testosterone was emanating from the pores of both men as they locked gazes with each other through slits in their eyes. Yet neither one of them was willing to freely admit to Sally why they had been fighting each other. Sally turned to the men’s mother
and inclined her head. “Yvette, are you willing to divulge what this is about?”
“I think you should tell Colin to leave. He’s caused enough trouble as it is.”
“I will, once I’ve heard what’s been going on,” Sally replied harshly.
A breathless Joanna entered the room. “Backup is on the way, boss.”
“There, did you hear that? Now, speak.” Sally’s head swivelled between the two men, each appearing to have calmed down a touch, if only momentarily. “Yvette, maybe it would be better if you and Samantha left the room.”
Joanna escorted the distraught woman and her granddaughter from the room, and Sally took a step back to see if the two men could be trusted not to attack each other. “Why don’t we all take a seat and calmly discuss this, like adults? Surely you can see how much this is upsetting your mother and Samantha?”
Mark was the first to relinquish his angry gaze. He heaved out a breath and sat down on the easy chair in the corner. Sally turned to face Colin. With a raised eyebrow, she motioned for him to sit on the sofa. Then she moved over to the fireplace, leaned against the mantelpiece, and folded her arms. “Who wants to go first?”
Neither man responded.
“Colin, why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”
“All I did was come round and ask when the funeral was, and he started hitting me. I have no idea why.”
“Is that true, Mark?” Sally asked.
Mark Whiting’s head dropped. His chest rose and fell rhythmically as he tried to control his breathing. “Yes, it’s true. You’d beat the crap out of him, too, if you’d learned what I had today.”
“Which is?” Sally looked over at Colin, who was intently avoiding eye contact with her.
“Mum told me there was something going on between him and Gemma. I wanted to know what she meant by that, and he blurted out that Gemma was expecting his bloody child. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have reacted the same way, Inspector, if you’d been hit with that bombshell.”
“I’m sorry you had to hear the news like this.”
His eyes widened as he stared at Sally in disbelief. “You knew?”
“Yes, the information has only come to my attention within the last few hours. I asked Colin to come down to the station to give me an insight into his relationship with your wife, but didn’t get very far. I take it you had no idea this was going on, Mark?”
He flew out of his chair and paced the carpet in front of him. “Of course I bloody didn’t. I knew there was something wrong with Gemma but didn’t have a clue she was shagging my brother behind my back. I don’t know who I’m more disgusted with—him or her! Well, it’ll have to be him because she’s no longer here, but you get my drift. Is that why you killed her, you cheating bastard?”
Colin’s lip curled. “You’re out of your mind, Mark. I didn’t frigging kill her. I loved her…”
Mark’s arms spread out to the side and slapped hard against his thighs. “This just gets better and effing better.”
“Why don’t you both calm down?” Sally intervened.
“Calm down! Are you having a bloody laugh? I want him arrested.”
“For what?” Sally asked, unfolding her arms in readiness in case things became heated once more.
“For a start, for impregnating my missus. And for another, that act could be deemed a motive for killing her, couldn’t it?”
“I’ll do the detective work, if you don’t mind, Mr. Whiting. For your information, having an affair is not an arrestable offence in the eyes of the law.”
“Well, it bloody well should be, especially when one of the adulterers has lost their life in suspicious circumstances.”
Colin nodded. “Maybe you’re right, bro. Only the spotlight should be pointed at you, not me.”
“What? Are you bloody insane? I loved Gemma. What the hell are you insinuating?”
Sally held back for a moment, letting the men’s war of words take shape before she tackled anything they revealed.
“Well, she clearly didn’t love you. Why would she have sought comfort from me if she loved you?” Colin taunted in anger.
“The mind boggles, especially with your past record. Do you know about the sexual harassment case my dear brother got done for, Inspector?”
Sally nodded. “Yes, and I’ve questioned Colin at length about his previous conviction. I would have been foolish to ignore it. But I have to say, Mark, I was on my way over here to ask permission to look through Gemma’s computer and diary, if she had access to either of those two items.”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“I need to chase up another piece of vital information that has come my way this afternoon. If you refuse, I will get a warrant to remove these items if they exist.”
“Why would I refuse? I don’t understand. I want my wife’s murderer found as much as anyone else. I still think it’s him,” Mark said vehemently, pointing at Colin.
“Don’t be absurd, man. Give her the laptop and diary. Maybe that’ll prove how much she loved me and not you.”
Mark charged at his brother. Sally tried to separate them but struggled. “Joanna, get in here!”
Joanna barged into the living room with two uniformed officers close behind her. Sally stepped back and ordered the PCs to pull the men apart. “Take Colin Whiting out of the room.” Once Colin had been removed from the room, Sally pointed at the sofa. “Sit, Mark. I need to ask you a few questions.”
Looking bewildered, he dropped onto the edge of the seat. “What did I do? You expect me to just take that crap from him?”
Sally sat at the other end of the sofa with Joanna standing by the closed door. “No, I don’t. But fighting with him isn’t going to solve anything either, is it? Right, now that he’s out of the room, why don’t you tell me what it’s been like living with Gemma these last few months?”
“Hard. But that still doesn’t mean I would go out and kill her, if that’s your next question.”
“It wasn’t, but thanks for the clarification. Why didn’t you tell me when we first met that your marriage was having difficulties?”
He shrugged. “I genuinely didn’t think we were in that much trouble. Doesn’t every relationship go through fraught patches?”
“I suppose so. Will you give me access to the items?”
“Of course. I have nothing, and I mean nothing to hide.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate that. Can you get the computer and diary for me now?”
Mark left the room and returned carrying the two items a few moments later. “What is it you’re looking for?”
“I need to check on some information gathered today which could be crucial to the case.”
“Sounds all very secretive. Am I allowed to know what that information is, Inspector?”
“In time, Mr. Whiting. I’ll give you a receipt for the items. Any idea when Gemma’s funeral will be?”
“Her body is being released to the funeral home today. I need to go down there and arrange everything with them. I’m not sure if I’m up to it just yet. It’s hard to say farewell to a loved one, no matter what evidence you might find in there to the contrary,” he said, pointing at the personal belongings he’d just given Sally.
“I don’t doubt that. If you can let me know, I’d like to attend the funeral, if time permits.”
“Wouldn’t your time be better spent searching for the murderer? If you’re positive Colin is innocent.”
“In our experience, we like to show up at the funeral in case the killer decides to lurk. It’s not unknown.”
“Really? Why? To gloat about the crime he’s committed?”
“In a way. Some get a kick out of observing the pain and suffering they’ve caused to the victim’s family and friends.”
“That’s sick.”
Sally nodded her agreement. “It is. Very common, unfortunately.”
He returned to his seat and placed his head in his hands. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. Samanth
a has had nightmares every night since Gemma left us. How do you tell a five-year-old sensitive child that her mother will never walk through the door again?”
Sally tutted. “You mean you haven’t told her yet?”
He shook his head and looked her in the eye. “I can’t. I’ve gone part-time at work so that I can be here more for her. Mum does her best to help out. She keeps telling me that I should grow some balls—to ‘man up,’ if you like—and tell her. It’s easier said than done, though.”
“I’m sorry that you find yourself in such an untenable position, but you’re going to have to tell her sooner or later. She has a right to know the truth.”
“What? That someone killed her beautiful mother intentionally? Can you imagine how you would react if you heard those words at her young age?”
“I can’t. But for both your sakes, you need to sit her down and tell her the truth so that you can get on with your lives. You’ve said that you’ve gone part-time. Do you mind telling me how you can afford to do that, Mark?”
“The insurance money.”
Sally and Joanna exchanged shocked glances but said nothing. That piece of news put Mark Whiting further in the frame for being a major suspect.
“I see. What about the house? Is that paid for now?”
“Yes, the mortgage will be paid off as part of the life insurance package. We’re secure in that respect. Are there any more questions, Inspector? I’d like to see how my child is after the upset Colin caused her earlier.”
“One last question, if I may?”
“Of course.”
Sally smiled. “Going back to the state of your marriage—were things between you serious enough that either of you had mentioned the D word?”
“Divorce? No, never. Personally, I didn’t think things were that bad at all. Has someone told you otherwise? Did Colin suggest that?”
“No. I was simply asking the question. Maybe reading Gemma’s personal notes will uncover more than we’re expecting. Good luck telling Samantha about her mother’s death.”
“Thank you. What will happen about Colin?”