Broken Silence: A tense psychological thriller

by Fran McDonnell

  There was a knock on the door and another woman entered.

  “Is everything alright, Nicky?”

  Nicky nodded. “This is my colleague and friend, Laura Clarke. This is Sergeant Finnegan. They are asking about that attack on me.”

  “Because of the murder in Corbally?” Laura said, leaning against the desk.

  “Yes.” Alanna turned back to Nicky. “The black outfit that the attacker had on – could you describe it?”

  “It was a funny material, more like a plastic.”

  “And his face?”

  “That was covered too. There were holes for eyes and for his mouth.”

  “Perhaps you would take a look at these materials?”

  Patricia brought out the black fabrics.

  Nicky touched each one. “It’s hard to be sure but maybe that one.” She pointed to one sample. Patricia turned it over. She glanced at Isobel and Alanna and gave a small nod. It was the same one the other women had selected.

  Nicky paled slightly. Laura went to stand beside her.

  “Could you look at this image, please?” As Alanna handed her phone to Nicky, Isobel caught a glimpse of a picture of the black bondage suit.

  Laura leaned over Nicky’s shoulder to see the photo. “Was the black outfit the attacker wore anything like this?”

  The silence stretched.

  Laura said, “Nicky?”

  Nicky looked up. “Yes, it looked like that.” She put her hand to her mouth.

  Laura put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “It took Nicky months to get over that attack and be herself again.”

  Nicky reached up and patted her friend’s hand. “It’s OK.”

  “No, no. It’s not OK. You thought it was someone you had put away who had been let out of prison. You were nervous for months.”

  “You’re here now because you have more information.” Nicky locked eyes with Alanna. “Something in my statement is similar to the Michelle Cavan attack, or you wouldn’t be here now. Obviously, you know more about the suit he had on. I did wonder, you know, when I read about the strangulation. I don’t think I can be much help to you. The police weren’t that interested at the time because it was a failed attack. There were no forensics. He had that suit on. There was nothing to get a sample of.”

  Laura shifted behind Nicky’s chair.

  “Can you think of anything else that might help us?” Alanna asked.

  “Nothing that I didn’t tell you at the time.”

  Patricia asked, “Did he say anything?”

  Nicky rubbed her hands on her face. “He did.”

  Alanna said, “That’s not in the statement.”

  Nicky frowned at her. “Isn’t it?”

  Laura touched her shoulder. “You only remembered that two days later when we were talking.”

  “Oh, that’s right. You asked me about how I got away? How I remembered what to do? And I was telling you how frightened I was and that after I elbowed him in the stomach, he called me a bitch. I was terrified then. I thought he would kill me. Thankfully that other man came along.”

  Laura said, “He called you a bitch and …”

  Nicky turned and looked at her. “Nothing else. He didn’t say anything else.”

  “No, but you told me he did something else, remember?”

  Nicky closed her eyes and nodded slightly. “Yes.” She shivered. “That’s right. He spat at me.”

  Laura nodded. “Yes, he spat at you.”

  Nicky touched her face around her mouth. “It was disgusting, demeaning.”

  “And you were really frightened and worried that he would try again afterwards.”

  Nicky looked at them. “I got really paranoid. It was very tough.”

  Laura looked at Alanna. “It was two days later when Nicky remembered about being spat at.”

  “Yes. I think I was so relieved to have survived that I blocked it out. By the time I did remember it was too late. I had got rid of what I had been wearing.”

  “Yes, you gave me the clothes to get rid of them,” Laura said.

  “Oh yes, that’s right.”

  Laura grimaced. “When you told me about him spitting at you, remember, I asked you what you did then.”

  Nicky lifted her arm and demonstrated. “I wiped it on the sleeve of my running top.”

  Isobel gasped, then quickly stifled the sound.

  Laura looked at Alanna. “It was too late. There was no chain of evidence but …”

  Alanna shifted forward in her chair.

  “I kept the top. I had the clothes in my car, in the boot, in a bag. As soon as Nicky told me that, I got the top from the boot of my car and put it in our safe.”

  “You kept it!” Nicky said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Laura made a face. “You were so upset at the time, I thought it was best not to mention it. It was more in case something happened to you, in case you were attacked again. Any solicitor would have punched holes in it as evidence, but I thought if the gardaí got someone we could have it checked then to see if he was involved in your attack.”

  “Laura, you mean you still have it?” said Alanna.

  “Yes, it’s in the safe.”

  “Oh my God.” Alanna stood up. “We have a man who has raped and murdered and there’s no forensic evidence, nothing. If this is the same man then it’s invaluable. At the moment we feel as if we’re looking for a needle in a haystack and this sample could be like bringing a magnet to the haystack!”

  Laura looked at her. “What?”

  “If we know who the perpetrator is, we can search for evidence to convict him. Can you get me that bag, please?”

  Laura left the room.

  Nicky’s eyes were wide open. “You think it’s the same guy?”

  “We’re not saying that. There are lots of lines of enquiry.”

  “But enough is the same. I saw your faces when I identified the material and the picture.” She bit her lip. “Oh my God, I should have done more at the time.”

  “What more could you have done?”

  Nicky looked her in the eye and after a few moments nodded. “Sometimes I hate the law.”

  Alanna said, “Can I quote you on that?”

  Nicky smiled.

  Alanna said, gesturing to Isobel and Patricia, “We’re going to get him.”

  Nicky nodded. “See that you do.”

  Laura returned carrying a paper bag. She handed it to Alanna.

  “Please do not mention a word about what we’ve discussed to anyone,” Alanna said.

  Nicky frowned at her. “Of course not. We know the drill, blah blah, ongoing investigation, blah blah.”

  They all smiled.

  “We’ll be in touch,” said Alanna. “Thank you, Nicky. And thank you, Laura, for your clear thinking and decisive action.”

  Alanna halted in the porch of the building. “Can you give me a few minutes? I need to let Eoin and the Super know about this new info.”

  Isobel and Patricia went down the steps onto the street.

  Patricia stopped and said, “Oh, Isobel, I have to go back to London. My course is on for the next three days and the tutor won’t let me miss it. I’m sorry.”

  “Not at all. You have to keep your life going too and I’m fine.”

  “I’m coming back for the results next Monday. It’s typical that it’s this week that my course is on.”

  Isobel laughed. “Murphy’s Law.”

  “I would learn more being here and taking part in an active investigation but to get my Private Investigator licence I have to do this module. So I must go. And just when we have a breakthrough too!”

  “Ah well, maybe this guy’s DNA is in the system, and then it will just be a case of finding out where he was at the time of the attacks – phone records and all that stuff that the gardaí can follow up on.”

  Patricia laughed. “Yeah, we’re more the ‘wangle information out of people by talking to them’ sort of investigators.”

  “Ex
actly. If there are any developments I will let you know immediately. What flight are you on?”

  “Seven in the morning from Shannon to Heathrow. Sorry about the early start but that means that I will almost be in time for my classes.”

  “No problem.”

  Alanna came down the steps. “We have to drop this to the station. They’ll get it to the lab. It’s priority. Then we’ll go and talk to the other witness.”

  Chapter 23

  Joe Smith lived out in Corbally. Alanna drove. It was five o’clock when they pulled up outside his house in a small close opposite Brekkie.

  Isobel’s phone rang as they were getting out of the car. It was a private number. She gestured to the others to go on.

  “Hello? Isobel?”

  “This is Isobel.”

  “I saw your notice today.”

  Isobel moistened her lips. “Thank you for calling.”

  “I’m in two minds about doing this.”

  “I can understand that, but it would be a big help if you would talk to me.”

  “Can you do it tonight? At about seven o’clock?”

  “Yes. Where are you?”

  “In Castletroy. I’ll text you on the address.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Kate.”

  “I’ll see you at seven, Kate.”

  Isobel ran to catch up and slipped in the door of the house behind Patricia.

  Joe led them to a sitting room which was scrupulously tidy. Joe himself was dressed very precisely. Isobel checked out his shoes, very shiny, perhaps a military man. His demeanour bore that out. He stood straight-backed until they were all seated and then sat in the remaining chair.

  Alanna began. “Joe, we wanted to talk to you about the attack that you witnessed eighteen months ago.”

  He nodded.

  “Can you tell us about it, please?”

  “As I said in my statement, I was walking along when I heard this shout of ‘bitch!’. Then I heard a woman kind of making distressed noises. I started running. I heard a man’s voice saying, ‘You’re going to pay for that!’ He sounded very threatening. There was a hedge between us. I couldn’t see who was there or how many for that matter, so I figured that I needed to use the element of surprise. I found the gate into the field and I ran through it, shouting. I saw a man in a black suit and a woman in walking gear. She was backing away and he was going for her with his arms out.” Joe lifted his two arms and demonstrated reaching for someone as if to strangle them.

  “What happened next?”

  “When I started shouting the man turned and I held my arms out wide, looking as big and threatening as I could. I was going to rugby-tackle him but after a second he took to his heels and ran across the field. He was fast.” He looked around at his audience. “I wasn’t going to leave the poor woman so I pulled out my phone and rang the police and then did what I could for her, which wasn’t much. Her name was Nicky. Her throat was sore so she didn’t say much other than thank you. I offered to ring her husband for her. I gave her my phone and she talked to him. I think she was in shock – she asked my name about ten times. That’s about it. The gardaí came. I gave a statement. They didn’t seem hopeful about catching him but I do know that there were more Garda cars in the area for the next few months. I never heard anything more about it until now.”

  “Did he have a distinct accent?” Patricia asked.

  Joe frowned. “No, I didn’t notice.”

  Alanna said, “What description can you give us of the man?”

  “As I said, he was dressed all in black. He even had a balaclava thing over his head with holes for his eyes and mouth. He had a rucksack on his back and black runners on and, let me tell you, he could run. Even if I hadn’t wanted to wait with Nicky, I wouldn’t have been able to catch him.”

  “You were very brave,” Isobel said.

  Joe shook his head. “Not at all. I was in the Army. I think it was my strategic planning skills that won that day – surprise, give them no time to think. Nicky did so well. Her husband told me that she had done some course in self-defence. I think she elbowed the attacker in the guts and that bought her some time and thankfully I came along.”

  “Can you tell us anything else about the man, a general description?” Alanna asked.

  “He must have been about six foot, slim build. The suit covered everything so I have no idea about hair-colour or anything like that. Anyway he was gone before I got too close.”

  “Thank you,” Alanna said.

  “Do you think this guy had anything to do with Michelle Cavan?” Joe asked.

  “We don’t know. We’re just checking out other attacks in the area.”

  “They never caught the man who attacked Nicky, well, I assume not, as I was never called to give evidence.”

  Alanna stood up and the others followed suit.

  “It’s best not to speculate.” Alanna leaned towards Joe. “Or to discuss our conversation with anyone.”

  Joe smiled at her and tapped the side of his nose. “Mum’s the word.”

  Alanna nodded. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Smith.”

  “I’m glad to help. That man,” he looked at Alanna pointedly, “and the one who killed Michelle needs to be behind bars.”

  “That’s our goal.”

  Chapter 24

  Patricia said, “Here we are.”

  Isobel pulled up outside the address in Castletroy and turned off the engine.

  “If the DNA comes back a match to someone, are you still going to talk to all the women who reply to the notice?”

  “I guess, if the gardaí know who they’re looking for, then I can take it down. But I will talk to any women who contact me.”

  Patricia nodded. “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  A petite dark-haired woman answered the door, a tall man at her side. “Isobel?”

  “Yes. This is my friend Patricia.”

  “Come in, come in. I’m Kate and this is my husband Conor.”

  Where Kate was almost elfin, like with her short hair, Conor was blond, stocky and muscular, Viking-like.

  They all moved into the sitting room. Looking around Isobel could see evidence of a family, three children judging by the photos on the sideboard, two older ones, about ten and twelve both boys, and a younger girl, maybe three.

  Kate took her husband’s hand. “I rang you, Isobel, because you mentioned on your notice that you had found Michelle Cavan’s body. I suppose her rape and murder brought back everything to me.”

  “Kate has put in an awful week of it,” Conor said. “Her nightmares are back, she jumps at the least thing, she’s withdrawn.” He patted her hand. “I’m sorry, love, but you know you have been.”

  “I know it was in a different place and everything, but it did shake me up. It made me realise how lucky I am to be alive. I haven’t spoken about my attack, other than to a counsellor, because he warned me not to.”

  Patricia said, “Kate, would you mind if I record this on my phone? Your identity will be completely confidential. No one but Isobel and I will know who is talking.”

  Kate took a deep breath and nodded.

  Patricia organised her phone, then said, “When and where was the attack on you?”

  Kate took a deep breath and squeezed her husband’s hand. “I always walked on the path from the university into Limerick, along the river. I’ve been doing it for years. Because of the children, I usually wait until Conor gets home from work and then I go.”

  “When were you attacked?”

  “April.”

  Isobel flashed a glance at Patricia. “Your attack was in April?”

  “April 20th last year.”

  Isobel nodded. “Can you tell us what happened to you?”

  Kate took a deep breath. “One minute I was walking along, enjoying my walk, the next minute I was off my feet being dragged off the path into a field and then … and then there were hands around my throat and just darkness.”

>   “I know this is upsetting to recall but you really are helping us,” said Isobel.

  Kate nodded. “I came around a bit later. It was nearly dark. I was lying on a sheet of some sort. There was a man leaning over me. He had a mask on his face and a was all in black. He … he … he raped me.” She swallowed. “He warned me that if I reported it he would come back and harm my children. He told me I had two little boys and a baby girl. He knew that one of the boys was called Callum. And then he strangled me again. I passed out again. When I came around, he was gone and so was the sheet I had been lying on. I got up, pulled my clothes together and came home.”

  Conor said, “I knew there was something wrong but at first I couldn’t get her to tell me what it was. I put the kids to bed.”

  Kate said, “I needed time to think. When they were in bed, I told Conor everything.”

  Conor said, “I wanted to go to the police.”

  “But I wouldn’t let him. That man chilled me to the bone. I believed him that he would hurt my children and I wasn’t prepared to take that risk. I agreed with Conor that I should go for counselling and support, which I did. And I live a smaller life, a more contained existence. I tend not to go anywhere by myself. I manage to go to work but one of my friends collects me and drops me home. Conor takes the kids most places they need to go and I’m managing.”

  Isobel said, “You have been so brave in agreeing to talk to us. Thank you. We really appreciate this. If you feel up to it we would like you to examine some materials that we have brought.”

  “Material?”

  “Yes, can we ask you to feel these fabrics and see if any are similar to the ones involved in the attack?”

  “You have learned things about this attacker?”

  “Yes. We have learned some things about him. Anything you can tell us may help us find him and stop him. But remember. anything you say is confidential. We will protect your identity.”

  Kate nodded.

  Patricia lay out the fabrics. Kate identified the black latex and the blue fabric.

  Isobel pulled up on her phone the photo of the suit that Alanna had been using.

  “Was the suit anything like this?”