Silent Graves

by Sally Rigby

  ‘So you admit to selling drugs for him at school?’ Whitney asked, pulling out her notepad and pen from her pocket and making some notes.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you took over from Jayne and Anita, who worked for him previously?’

  ‘Yes, they’d gone to work for another dealer. From what I remember he’d given them a bigger cut.’

  ‘How did Shaw react when they left him?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘He wasn’t happy about it. He …’ His voice tailed off.

  ‘He did what?’ Whitney asked, locking eyes with him.

  ‘As I remember, he made some threats.’

  ‘What sort of threats?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘He said he’d make sure they wouldn’t make any money, that we would have all the drugs business in the school and they’d be left with nothing.’

  ‘Did he threaten to physically harm them?’

  ‘Not that I remember.’

  ‘When he spoke to Anita and Jayne outside the gates on the day they went missing, could they have been having an argument about them leaving him?’

  ‘Yes, that’s entirely possible. I wasn’t there, but in the afternoon, he wasn’t happy because he was the one who’d recruited them in the first place.’

  ‘Do you know the name of the new dealer they started working for?’

  ‘No, I don’t. Shaw will, though.’

  ‘I’m curious about there being two drug dealers supplying the school. There must have been a lot of drug-taking going on. Was there enough for both dealers to make a profit?’

  ‘It wasn’t like the drug operations of today. Kids took pills and smoked weed, but not large quantities and the dealers’ operations weren’t huge. From what I remember Shaw telling me, it was a sideline.’

  ‘It must have helped your business when the girls disappeared.’ Whitney locked eyes with him. He didn’t look away.

  ‘A little.’ He paused. ‘But … surely you’re not suggesting that I had anything to do with it? I didn’t. You have to believe me. I knew nothing about what happened to them.’ His eyes darted from Whitney to George. Panic etched across his face.

  He wasn’t coming across as guilty.

  ‘We’re investigating all avenues. According to Shaw, on that afternoon you were together. Is that the case?’

  ‘It’s very likely, as there was a time when I regularly skipped school and would spend time with him. We’d go and play snooker or sit in a pub. I’m not proud of my behaviour and what I got up to, but that’s all in the past. As you can see,’ he gestured to his examination room. ‘I managed to get my life back together. I left school at sixteen and worked in a shop for several years. When I was twenty, I enrolled at college and studied for my A levels, then went on to university and became an optometrist. But, as I’ve already told you, my family knows nothing of this. They’d be appalled if they found out.’

  ‘Mr Young, anything you tell us will be treated as confidential, but we do need to solve these murders. Jayne and Anita were only sixteen. Whatever they did, they didn’t deserve to die.’

  ‘I understand.’ He bowed his head.

  ‘You said it was very likely that you were with Shaw on the7th of May. Can you be more specific?’

  ‘I don’t remember exact days from all those years ago, but if he said he was with me, then I’m inclined to believe him.’

  That would hardly stand up in court.

  ‘Returning to the threats Shaw made against the girls, were they on the day that they went missing?’ George asked.

  ‘Maybe. I’m not sure. It could have been. Yes.’

  ‘Only a moment ago, you weren’t one hundred per cent certain that you were with Shaw on the 7th of May, yet now you’re remembering his mood after seeing the girls. Why is that?’

  ‘The more we’re talking, the more it’s coming back to me. That’s all,’ Young said. ‘You should know, it’s how the memory works.’

  ‘Is there anything else you can think of that might help us in our enquiry into the girls’ deaths? Do you know of anyone who had a grudge against them, other than Shaw?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘No. I hardly knew the girls.’

  ‘Did you buy drugs from them before you started selling for Shaw?’

  ‘No. I didn’t dabble, apart from the occasional joint. I was more into beer at that age.’

  Whitney doubted there was anything else he could help them with, but at least they were getting a better idea of what had been happening at the time the girls went missing.

  ‘We may wish to speak to you again, so don’t leave the city without contacting me first.’ Whitney handed him her card.

  ‘Am I a suspect?’

  ‘We’re in the early stages of the investigation and you are central to our enquiries.’

  ‘But I didn’t do anything.’

  ‘In which case you have nothing to worry about.’

  Whitney opened the door to the examination room and they left. Once outside she turned to George.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘His mannerisms didn’t indicate guilt. He was ashamed and panicked that his past had come back to haunt him, but I do believe him.’

  ‘I agree. Let’s get back to the station and push forward with finding this second dealer.’

  The drive back was relatively quick and they headed back to the incident room.

  Whitney called everyone to attention and waited until all eyes were focused on her.

  ‘We’ve just returned from visiting Nigel Young, the optometrist, who sold drugs for Shaw after the girls left him and began selling for another dealer. Something that Shaw had neglected to tell us. Young also mentioned that Shaw had argued with the girls and, afterwards, made threats against them, but we don’t know if he followed them through. Ellie, please arrange for George and me to visit the prison again first thing tomorrow morning, so we can find out who this second dealer is.’ She turned to George. ‘Is that okay with you?’

  ‘Yes, that’s fine.’

  ‘Brian, have you been to see Shaw’s wife yet?’

  ‘Yes, guv. We arrived back a few minutes before you. She’d been at the hospital this morning when we called. We only chatted to her for a short time. She wasn’t well.’

  ‘What did she tell you?’

  ‘She confirmed that Shaw was involved in drug dealing in the 80s but said she knew nothing of the two girls, as she didn’t get involved in the business. She was on drugs herself at that time and couldn’t really remember much. I asked her about Nigel Young and she said the name rang a bell but that was all. She couldn’t tell us anything about his relationship with Shaw. It was a wasted journey.’

  ‘I disagree.’ Whitney said. ‘Every little piece of information adds to the picture. Our main priority now is to discover who this other dealer was and interview him. Brian, contact Kathleen Henderson, and ask her if she thought Shaw and the girls were arguing when she saw them.’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  ‘Shaw has got a lot to answer for when we see him tomorrow, and I won’t accept him fobbing us off.’

  Chapter 16

  I turn on the television, weary after spending several hours in the garden digging over the empty borders so the soil could be prepared for next year’s planting. I know it will be worth it, when everything is in full bloom, but every part of me aches and all I want to do is settle down with a cup of coffee and a biscuit. Old age is no joke.

  I drop on to the sofa and, no sooner do I relax into it when my body tenses as I stare open-mouthed at the TV.

  Images of Oak Tree Farm fill the screen. The whole area is cordoned off, and a lone yellow digger is stationed to one side.

  Dear God. This can’t be happening.

  I lean forward to ensure I don’t miss a word that the newsreader is saying.

  They’ve found the bodies. After all this time.

  How?

  They’ve been there for years and now suddenly they’ve been dug up? I watch further as the cameras pan the scene. It�
��s unrecognisable from how I remember it.

  I knew there were plans for a housing development on the farm but hadn’t realised it was going to be on the exact spot where the bodies had been left. I should have checked, and then done something about it. But the thought didn’t even cross my mind.

  Thousands of acres to choose from and the development ended up there.

  What were the odds?

  I don’t know what to do. Are the police going to be knocking on my door anytime soon?

  That’s stupid. There’s no way they can link me to it. I need to stop panicking.

  I’ll have to weather this storm like I had to when it all happened.

  I’ve thought about the girls over the years but have trained myself to put them to the back of my mind. I’m mostly successful, but every now and again, the thoughts rear their ugly heads and capture me in their grasp.

  Then I tell myself that I can’t change anything. It’s something that has to be lived with. Forever.

  Will there be any DNA on the bodies after all this time? I’ve no idea how the science works.

  Even if there is, there shouldn’t be any of mine though because I didn’t touch them with my bare hands.

  My eyes are glued to the screen as they interview the farmer and he explains how his digger operator came across the bones during the excavation.

  I can’t believe they managed to identify the bodies so quickly. There was nothing personal left on them which could be used and even if there was, you’d think that after this length of time it would have all degraded.

  Technology these days is frightening. Thank goodness it wasn’t around when they died.

  Will they be able to identify how they actually died?

  It was an accident. A fatal accident. I hadn’t intended it to happen.

  They weren’t nice girls, though. I shouldn’t be saying that, under the circumstances, but it’s the truth. It was their own fault that they ended up there. No one else can be blamed.

  I’m not excusing what happened.

  Their families didn’t deserve to lose them in that way.

  But it was out of my hands and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I’m not caught.

  Chapter 17

  ‘Do you know what time you’ll be back?’ Ross asked her, while they were eating breakfast on Saturday morning.

  George had forgotten that she’d arranged to spend the day with him, when she’d agreed to go back to the prison with Whitney, and he’d already booked for them to see a performance of Hamlet late afternoon, at a theatre in Oxford, close to where he lived.

  ‘We should be back by lunchtime. I’m sorry to change our plans.’

  ‘I’ve got plenty of work to be getting on with this morning. I’ll go home and you can drive out to my place later?’

  ‘Yes, that would be perfect.’ She finished her coffee, rinsed and placed her mug in the dishwasher. As she passed Ross, she leant down and gave him a kiss goodbye. ‘I’ll leave you to lock up.’ She’d given him his own key several weeks ago. Whitney had thought that was big. She’d done it for convenience, not for any other more significant reason.

  She drove to the station to collect Whitney. Thankfully, her pass had come through which meant she could go upstairs without having to wait to be escorted. When she entered the incident room, it was a hive of activity, even though it was the weekend. Brian, Doug and Meena were sitting at their desks, although there was no sign of Frank. Whitney was in her office and as George got closer, she saw the phone held to the officer’s ear. Whitney glanced up and beckoned her in.

  ‘Okay?’ Whitney asked as she ended the call.

  ‘Fine, thanks,’ George said.

  ‘Do you fancy going out for lunch later, after we’ve seen Shaw? A little bit of downtime would do us good.’

  ‘I can’t. Ross and I had arranged to spend the day together. I’m going over there once we’ve finished.’

  ‘Crap. Was he annoyed with you disappearing for the morning?’

  ‘No, he wasn’t. He understands that working with you is important. He’s working on a commission of a dog for one of his regular customers, so he now has more time to spend on it. When it comes to his work, he’s a perfectionist.’

  That was one of the reasons why they were a good fit. She liked things to be perfect, too.

  ‘Any talk of moving in together?’

  ‘Why do you keep asking? We’re taking it one day at a time. It works well for me.’

  ‘Okay, I won’t mention it again,’ Whitney said, holding up both hands. ‘Let’s go, the traffic shouldn’t be too heavy on a Saturday.’

  ‘I noticed everyone was in except Frank. Why’s that?’ she asked, as they left Whitney’s office and were heading down the corridor to the lift.

  ‘I don’t need them all in and you know how Frank likes his weekends off. Not to mention we don’t want to blow the overtime budget on a cold case. The super wouldn’t be too happy about that.’

  ‘That makes sense.’

  When they arrived at the prison, Shaw was waiting for them in the same room as the previous day.

  ‘What are you offering me?’ he asked the moment they walked in to interview him.

  ‘Nothing,’ Whitney said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

  George did the same and then glanced across at Shaw. He clearly had no idea what they knew, judging by his complacent attitude.

  ‘We’ve been to see Nigel Young, and he is fairly certain that he was with you during the afternoon of the 7th of May, after you’d been with Jayne and Anita.’

  ‘See. I told you.’ He sucked in a small breath.

  So, he had been worried about it.

  ‘But … we don’t know what you did after you left him, and that’s what we’re interested in knowing because according to Young, you were very angry with the girls.’

  ‘Nah. That’s rubbish.’ His eyes darted from Whitney to George and back again.

  Was he bluffing? Did he know?

  ‘They’d started working for another dealer, which you were extremely unhappy about.’

  ‘I don’t remember.’ He shrugged.

  ‘You’d better start remembering because we understand that you spent much of the afternoon talking about what you were going to do to get back at them for leaving you and going to the new dealer.’

  His arms were on the table and his fists clenched into tight balls. ‘Okay. I was mad because after I showed them what to do, and told them who all my customers were, they pissed off to work for someone else. I didn’t mean the threats. I was just sounding off.’

  ‘What were you going to do about it?’

  ‘Nothing to the girls. Cross my heart.’ He made a sign on his chest. ‘I just got Nigel to work for me instead. Boys were buying more drugs than girls at that time so I thought he could get me more customers.’

  He looked directly at them and his blink rate was normal. He was telling the truth.

  ‘I want to know about this other drug dealer.’

  ‘His name was Cyril.’

  ‘Cyril what?’

  ‘I dunno.’ He shrugged.

  ‘I’m going to need more than that. What else can you tell me?’

  ‘He lived on the Flaxton estate and everyone called him Hopper because he limped. He was short and had brown hair.’

  ‘Tattoos? Other distinguishing features?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Were the girls working for him when you spoke to them last?’

  ‘Yeah. I got told by a mate the morning of the day I went to speak to them at the school. I told ’em they’d be sorry if they nicked any of my customers.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?’

  ‘I knew you’d never believe me. You’d think I killed ’em, and I didn’t.’

  ‘Did they give a reason why they’d gone to work for him?’

  ‘Money. He paid them more.’

  ‘Did you offer to increase their money to stop them from leavin
g?’

  ‘No, because I’d got Nigel. I was going to drop them, anyway. Girls like that couldn’t be trusted. They giggled all the time and were a pain in the arse.’

  ‘That’s not the way to talk about murder victims,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I still didn’t do it and don’t know anything about it. I saw them that day at lunchtime, and afterwards was with Nigel for the whole afternoon. Then I went home. You can ask my wife.’

  ‘She has already been interviewed.’

  His eyes flashed. ‘Leave her out of it. She’s not well.’

  ‘You’ve just suggested we ask her. We pre-empted that.’

  ‘What did she tell you?’ he asked, panic in his voice.

  Had he been intending to tell her what to say?

  ‘She spoke to my officers but wasn’t much help because, according to her, she was out of it a lot of the time during the 80s.’

  ‘Did she say I wasn’t at home with her?’

  ‘No, because she couldn’t remember.’

  ‘You have to believe me. I had nothing to do with their deaths. This could ruin everything.’ He grimaced.

  ‘We’ll be speaking to the other dealer, if we can find him,’ Whitney said, ignoring his comment. ‘We may be back.’

  ‘What about you helping me get parole?’ Shaw asked.

  ‘I don’t think that’s a priority at the moment.’

  Whitney stood, and George followed. They walked in silence until out of the prison and made their way to the car.

  ‘I’ll call Ellie with Cyril’s name and description so she can crack on with finding him,’ Whitney said, once they were seated. ‘You can drop me off at the station and then go see Ross. Are you doing anything special?’

  ‘We’re going out for lunch and then to see Hamlet in Oxford. Ross has been looking forward to it.’

  ‘Aren’t you?’

  ‘It’s not my favourite Shakespeare play, but I’m sure it will be just fine.’

  ‘Look at you being all compromising,’ Whitney said, grinning.

  ‘I’m not even going to bother to answer that,’ she said.

  ‘Only because you know I’m right.’