Broken Silence: A tense psychological thriller

by Fran McDonnell

  Isobel was wakened by the alarm at half past six. She got up and showered and then wakened Patricia. By the time Patricia had her shower Isobel had tea and coffee and some sourdough bread on the table. When the phone rang at a quarter past seven, they were on their way out the door to the car to make the journey into Limerick.

  “Malcolm?”

  “He’s up. I’ll keep you informed. Patricia, I’ve sent you the recording of our talk with Joseph yesterday and also the picture of the car in the garage with the number plate on show. Good luck with Eoin and Alanna.”

  Isobel said, “We’ll need it.”

  Malcom hung up.

  Patricia said, “Are you nervous?”

  Isobel inhaled. “Yeah, I think they’re going to be annoyed that we didn’t tell them sooner.”

  Patricia nodded.

  Isobel’s phone rang again. “Hi, Isobel.”

  “Laura?”

  “Yes. Isobel, I can’t stop thinking about Brian Fitzwilliam. Do you think Nicky could have been attacked because we sent him a letter about his behaviour to her sister? Do you think he attacked her as revenge?”

  “I don’t know, Laura. It may not be the letter. But what I do know is that in order for us to prove anything, and I stress the word prove, you need to forget about last night and get on with your life as normal. Please. Do not say anything to Nicky yet. Now is not the time. At the moment flying beneath the radar is about the only thing that is on our side.”

  “Sorry, Isobel. I just can’t believe that he could do that and then would face Nicky in court and talk to her afterwards.”

  “I know. He came and introduced himself to me too the day after my attack.”

  “No way.”

  “Oh yes.”

  “That’s sick.”

  “True, but It’s not uncommon for perpetrators to want to be close to their victims. It can be part of their psychology. But the good thing is that that is one of the reasons that he ended up on my radar. Be patient. We’re getting there.”

  “It’s just such a shock to think that a colleague could do this.”

  “I have to go, Laura. Not a word.”

  “Not a word.”

  Colette welcomed them at the door with hugs. She led them to the kitchen where she had coffee made.

  Isobel said, “Hi Eoin, hi Alanna.”

  “How come we needed an early Sunday morning meeting?” Eoin asked.

  Alanna said, “It better be good.”

  Isobel said, “It is.”

  “Shoot!” said Eoin.

  Isobel raised an eyebrow at Patricia then took a deep breath. “Malcolm did some asking around in Killaloe and found that the night I was attacked a Ford Focus registration 04 L 247, dark-red was parked in the entrance of a house between Killaloe and the place I was attacked.”

  Alanna said, “The same number as that Ford focus that was near Brenda’s house before she was attacked? The one we were telling you about the other night?”

  Patricia said, “Yes.”

  “We spoke to Brian Fitzwilliam,” Eoin said. “He sold it to someone and they haven’t registered it. We’ve tried to trace it but have had no luck yet. But if it was in Killaloe on Wednesday night then it’s still nearby.”

  Isobel said, “We’ve found it.”

  Eoin stood up abruptly. “What? Where?”

  Patricia pulled out her phone and brought up the picture that Malcolm had sent to her phone.

  Alanna reached for the phone. “Great, where is it? We’ll go and get it and find whoever has it now.”

  Isobel grimaced.

  Eoin said, “Come on, Isobel, What’s the problem?”

  “It’s in a garage in the boatyard in Killaloe.”

  Alanna said, “Let’s go then. Or is there another problem?”

  Isobel nodded. “The person who keeps the car in the garage in the boatyard is Brian Fitzwilliam.”

  There was a stunned silence.

  Eoin said, “Are you telling me that you think Brian Fitzwilliam attacked you?”

  Isobel lifted her chin. “We have a witness who saw him leave the pool at the University Hotel that night without swimming and then turn up the next night with a scratch on his right arm.”

  “You’re serious about this. You think that Brian Fitzwilliam is The Shadow?”

  Isobel said, “Why is that so hard to believe? He lied to you about the car.”

  Eoin paced up and down. “Trust me, he’ll have a great excuse for that.”

  Alanna said, “Isobel, it’s very little and it’s all circumstantial.”

  “We know.”

  Patricia blurted out. “His wife left him. She ran off with someone she met when their son was playing basketball.”

  Colette said, “That would do it. That would explain why all of the women were associated with the basketball club. He was enacting punishing his wife.”

  Eoin said, “You think this is credible, Colette?”

  “Yes. So far there is no reason why it couldn’t be him. He has had a trigger event. There is a connection to the basketball club. He knows enough about forensics to know how to protect himself. He’s a solicitor clever enough and meticulous enough to plan it.”

  Patricia said, “He has a boat in his mother’s name where we think he may keep the trophies.”

  Isobel said, “And, as far as we know, Brian has the black rubber suit in the car, or he had on Wednesday evening. And one of the staff members we spoke to in the boat yard hasn’t seen him there until last night.”

  Patricia said, “We came to you today because Malcolm saw something last night that made him afraid that Brian might be getting rid of evidence.”

  Her phone rang. She glanced at it.

  “It’s Malcolm.”

  Isobel said, “He’s watching Brian as we speak.”

  Patricia said, “Eoin and Alanna are here. I’m putting you on speaker phone. We’re just telling them what we know.”

  Malcolm said, “Brian’s on the move. I’m following him. He seems to be heading in from Killaloe towards Limerick City. He is driving his mother’s car.”

  Eoin said, “Which road?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Isobel said, “Are you on the same side of the bridge as the boatyard or did you cross the bridge.”

  “We crossed the bridge and then turned left.”

  “It sounds like they are coming in the Corbally road.” Eoin rubbed his hands over his mouth. “Keep following him. Don’t lose him. We’ll be in touch.”

  Eoin paced up and down and then turned to Alanna. “What do you think?”

  Alanna pursed her lips. “He lied to us. He needs to explain that. Let’s stop him and ask about the car. We had approached him about it already so a stop and search on a car of interest seems warranted.”

  Eoin said, “We need to be really careful about any searches. Get Agnieska and Chin taking statements from the guy in the boatyard and the guy at the fitness club, oh, and the woman in Killaloe, whose entrance the car was parked in. See if they have enough to get a warrant to search the car.”

  Isobel said, “And for a DNA sample. If we can prove that he attacked me, then surely you’ll be able to search anywhere you need.”

  Eoin nodded. He put his hands in his pockets and continued to pace up and down.

  Alanna finished on the phone. Eoin turned to her.

  “Are you ready to do this?”

  “Hell, yeah. Where do you want to stop him?”

  Eoin pursed his lips. “What about after the bridge and before the lights in Corbally? There’s a straight stretch there with no turn-offs – you know, along by the school. There’s nowhere to go. Get a Garda car to wait at the lights. We’ll wait at the garage before the bridge and pull out behind him. It’s Sunday morning. It should be fairly quiet.”

  Alanna said, “Give us Malcolm’s number.”

  “OK,” said Isobel. “I’ll text it.”

  Eoin said, “Let’s go.”

  “What about us
?” Isobel asked.

  Eoin shook his head, already busy with details.

  Alanna said, “Why don’t you go and wait for us in Henry Street? We’ll be bringing him there and we might need you to go through everything again before we talk to him.”

  Isobel nodded. “Good luck.”

  But they were gone.

  Chapter 56

  Isobel and Patricia were in the conference room in Henry Street. They had been shown up there immediately they had arrived, given some coffee and left alone ever since. After pacing up and down for a while Patricia pulled out her phone and played a game. Isobel stood by the window. She knew they were up against it. She prayed that they could piece enough evidence together. If the suit was still in the boot of the car then surely that would be enough. She wondered what Malcolm had witnessed the night before on the boat. Could Brian have thrown evidence overboard? If so, it was gone. The fast-moving river would have swept it out to sea. It could be halfway to America. Isobel wondered if their evidence had flowed past Henry Street last night while they had been sleeping. Would the car, observed near her attack and near Brenda’s, be enough to get a DNA sample? Isobel realised she was obsessing. She took a deep breath. There was nothing to do now except wait and see how things would unfold.

  Suddenly the door opened. Superintendent Carruthers swept in.

  “Well, you’ve certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons.”

  Isobel bit her lip. “Are things going OK?”

  The Super held his hand flat and seesawed it. “Eoin and Alanna have picked up Brian, driving the car he claimed to have sold. He refused to answer any questions without a solicitor present. I pity the poor sod taking that job.”

  Patricia said, “What about a search of his car?”

  “That hasn’t been done yet. We’ve spoken to one of the judges about a warrant.”

  Isobel stepped towards him. “And?”

  The Super looked at her for a moment. “He takes a stern view of solicitors lying to members of the gardaí. He’s inclined to allow a search of his car but no other searches at present.”

  Isobel exhaled. “So they have to find something.”

  “Yes.”

  “What about a DNA sample?”

  “Not at the moment. Eoin suggested that you be present for the search of the car. Forensics have preserved the evidence and have had the car moved here on a lorry. They are going to look at it now. I volunteered to take you down.”

  Isobel and Patricia followed the Super down the steps and out to where the Ford Focus was parked. There was plastic under it and a number of men in white suits leaning in through the open doors.

  Eoin turned as they arrived.

  “Any luck?” Patricia asked.

  Eoin turned. “Nothing obvious. There was no bag on the seats or under them or in the boot.”

  Isobel stood on tiptoe. “What about where the wheel is kept in the boot? Is there anything there?”

  Eoin grinned at her. “They have been going over the carpet with a fine-tooth comb and are just about to lift it out and have a look.”

  Even though it wouldn’t help Isobel found herself standing on tiptoe.

  One man built like a rugby player was squeezed into a white forensics suit. With gloves on and a metal prod he lifted the carpet.

  “There’s no wheel here. But there is a rucksack.”

  Isobel clutched Patricia’s arm. “Oh, my God!”

  Another technician stepped forward and took photographs of the bag in situ. Then the white-clad rugby player lifted out the rucksack and carried it to a nearby table which was covered in a protective sheet. Again, photographs were taken. Eoin stepped forward to open the bag. With gloved hands he removed a polaroid camera, some scissors and then a black rubber suit and some folded blue material

  There was silence. No one moved. Eoin looked at Isobel.

  Isobel licked her lips. “There should be blood on the inside right sleeve.”

  Eoin nodded.

  The rugby player collected some probes and a bottle of liquid. “I’ll check for blood.”

  Carefully he exposed the sleeve of the suit. He rubbed the probe along it and then put it into the liquid. It changed colour. He looked at Eoin and nodded.

  “The suit is positive for blood.”

  Isobel gasped.

  The rugby player stepped towards her. “We’ll check it against the DNA that you got from your attacker. It’s going to take 24 hours.”

  The Super nodded. “That’s enough to hold Brian Fitzwilliam.” He turned to Isobel. “You said in your statement that your attacker wore a black suit. This car was near the scene at the time of the attack. That’s enough for a DNA sample from Fitzwilliam.” He turned to the rugby player. “Get those samples tested as quickly as you can. We need that information yesterday.”

  Eoin said, “What about a search warrant for the boat? That’s where there may be evidence, trophies of his other attacks.”

  The Super shook his head. “Given who he is, I think, we need the DNA to definitely link him to a crime before we will get extended search warrants. I can only imagine what stories and excuses he is going to come up with. You know yourself, with his own clients, how he finds loopholes, has impossible stories to explain facts. I know this seems over, but to send this guy to prison for the crimes that we believe he has done, well, that fight isn’t over yet.”

  Eoin made a face.

  The Super looked around at them all. “Good job, everyone.”

  Malcolm shook his head. “I knew it would be like this. I’m going back to Killaloe to watch the boat.”

  Eoin put out his arm. “Don’t go onto the boat. Don’t search yourself. I don’t want any claims of tampering or set-ups.”

  Malcolm shook him off. “I’m not stupid. I have done this before, you know.”

  Eoin put his two palms up. “Of course.”

  Malcolm shook his head tiredly.

  Patricia said, “We’ll come too.”

  Eoin said, “I thought you might like to be here for us questioning Mr. Fitzwilliam and getting his DNA sample.”

  Malcolm said, “You stay. You and Isobel found this guy. You deserve to see him squirm.”

  Isobel said, “But you haven’t slept.”

  Malcolm smiled. “Don’t worry. Bella is going to help me keep an eye on things.”

  “We’ll come and relieve you as soon as we can.”

  Chapter 57

  Agnieska showed Isobel and Patricia to an observation room. Through the two-way glass they could see Brian pacing up and down and talking to another man. Where Brian was tall, good-looking and athletic the other man was much shorter with a stomach that spoke of his love of good food. Agnieska pointed to a button. “There won’t be any sound until Eoin and Alanna switch on the access. I have work to do so I have to go. If there are any problems or you need anything come and find me.”

  When the door closed behind her, Isobel asked, “What do you think?”

  Patricia made a face. “I think that, apart from a few officers, no one realises who has been caught. Whether that is because they doubt it or because Eoin and Alanna have kept things quiet, I don’t know.”

  “God, I hope we can get evidence to prove what he did to Emer and the others. At the moment his attack on me is the only thing that we can prove.”

  Patricia sat and folded her arms. “I want this guy in prison for life.”

  Isobel nodded. They waited in silence.

  Brian continued to walk up and down gesticulating widely. His solicitor sat at the table saying little and, when he did, he was obviously trying to calm him down.

  Patricia said, “I would say that being his solicitor is a thankless task.”

  Isobel grinned. “I don’t think that he takes advice well.” She inclined her head. “That could be a good thing. Maybe he’s too arrogant to listen.”

  Patricia grinned back. “I hope so.”

  After ten minutes the solicitor stood up and put his head outside the door
. He spoke to someone and then resumed his seat. He gestured for Brian to do the same.

  With obvious reluctance Brian sat down. Once seated, he seemed to realise where he was and his face became a mask and his body stilled. Time stretched.

  Patricia stood up and paced around. “What’s taking so long?”

  Isobel shook her head. “They’re making him wait. Tactics, I would say.”

  Patricia sat and took out her phone. She went back to whatever game she had. Sometime later the door to the interrogation room opened and Alanna and Eoin walked in with cups of tea. Alanna pressed a button on the wall and Isobel and Patricia had sound.

  Eoin said, “Would you like some tea, Brian?”

  Brian squeezed a smile. “No, thank you. Perhaps we could sort out this misunderstanding as quickly as possible so that I can visit my mother in her nursing home.”

  Eoin smiled in an equally forced way. “Of course.”

  Brian’s solicitor said, “This is ridiculous, Brian is an officer of the court. He shouldn’t even be here.”

  Alanna said, “All in good time.” She turned on the recording equipment and gave the date and then gave her name and rank. “Present are …”

  Eoin followed with his name and rank.

  Alanna gestured to Brian who gave his name.

  “And his solicitor …”

  “Aidan Carey.”

  Alanna read the caution.

  Aidan Carey said, “Surely that isn’t necessary, this is a simple misunderstanding.”

  Alanna said, “Brian Fitzwilliam, for the tape, do you understand the caution I have given you?”

  Brian rolled his eyes.

  “For the benefit of the tape, Mr. Fitzwilliam, I need you to agree and vocalise that you have been cautioned and understand your rights.”

  “I’m a solicitor, of course I understand them.”

  “Then you also understand that I need you to be very clear. I’m going to read you your rights again and then I want you to answer clearly for the tape.”

  This time the procedure went off without a hitch.

  Eoin said, “We want to make sure that everything is done one hundred per cent by the book.”