Silent Graves

by Sally Rigby

  ‘I’m sorry, but that’s not up to me. The fact is, he did help you and he also lied during a police investigation to cover it up. Is there anything you’ve not told us?’

  ‘No, nothing.’

  ‘Thank you. I do have to make this official. Kenneth Robertson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murders of Anita Bailey and Jayne Kennedy. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said.

  ‘Stay here while we arrange for someone to take you down to the custody sergeant.’

  She ended the recording, and they left the room. George joined them in the corridor.

  ‘We’ve nailed Malcolm Payne, but I think the girlfriend is also involved so we’ll see her first. The Robertsons won’t be able to alert either of them while they’re here in custody. I’ll also need to see the super before we speak to him. George, you come with me to see Elizabeth Franklin. Brian, I want you to go upstairs and see if you can trace the caravan.’

  Chapter 32

  ‘I need to speak to Claire,’ Whitney said, as George pulled out into traffic. ‘I want to find out whether it’s possible to tell from the remains if it was carbon monoxide poisoning that killed them. I’ll put her on speaker so you can hear.’ Whitney keyed in Claire’s number and put her phone on the dashboard.

  George grimaced at the rough way Whitney placed it there, hoping that the leather hadn’t been scratched. She kept some leather polish at home, she’d take a look when she got back and buff up any damage.

  ‘Dexter, pathology,’ Claire said, when she answered.

  ‘It’s Whitney and George. I’ve got you on speaker. We’d like a quick chat about the girls found on Oak Tree Farm.’

  ‘Have you received the report?’

  ‘Yes, but this is about something else. We suspect they might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty gas heater as they’d been tied up and left in a caravan overnight with the heating on. Their bodies were found the next day with no obvious indications of how they had died.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Claire said.

  ‘Question. Is it possible that the bones could have absorbed some of the chemical?’ George asked.

  ‘No. There are many things you can learn from the bones, but that’s not one of them. I can tell if someone had diabetes, or gout, or arthritis, because these can alter the shape of the bones and some of them will become fused. We can sometimes detect whether a person has had cancer because of how the bones were impacted but poisoning from carbon monoxide leaves no such trace. How certain are you of the cause?’

  ‘Not one hundred per cent, but it’s the assumption based on what we’ve learnt so far. We don’t have the caravan to confirm this, and even if we did find it, I doubt there’ll be any evidence there. Brian’s looking into it.’

  ‘Your new boy. How’s that working out?’

  Whitney frowned in George’s direction.

  ‘Good.’

  ‘I didn’t scare him off then?’

  ‘Were you worried you had?’ George asked, puzzled by Claire’s interaction as it wasn’t like her to want to chat.

  ‘No. But I’m now trying to be more considerate of others’ feelings. Ralph suggested it the other night.’

  Whitney mouthed Wow in George’s direction.

  ‘You can’t be too nice, I enjoy watching you subject people to your treatment,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I’m sure it won’t last, I don’t suffer fools gladly.’

  ‘That’s more like it. By the way, now we’ve got you on the phone, can you spare the time to come out for a Christmas drink with George and me?’

  ‘When?’

  ‘What about Christmas Eve?’

  ‘No, I’ve got to endure the departmental drinks party then. Make it in the new year.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll be in touch. Thanks for your help.’

  ‘I didn’t do anything,’ Claire said as she ended the call.

  ‘It’s a shame she can’t help, but now we have the confessions it should be enough. In my view, we’re looking at manslaughter rather than murder, but that’s up to the Crown Prosecution Service. It’ll be interesting to hear what Elizabeth has to say.’ Whitney picked up her phone and returned it to her pocket. ‘The three of them were very close, and much of what Mr and Mrs Robertson has told us is vague, especially the way they were able to take the girls.’

  ‘It might be that they had a weapon and that’s what persuaded the girls to go with them.’

  ‘Yes, but you’d have thought they would have mentioned it. Mind you, they were so upset by it all it could have slipped their minds. I’m sure it will all unfold soon enough. By the way, Clyde wants to meet you sometime.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because you’re working with the team. There’s no rush. Let’s get the case sorted first.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll leave it with you.’

  After arriving at Glasson Ltd they parked outside and stepped through the doors. The receptionist looked up at them and smiled.

  ‘Have you come back to see Elizabeth?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, we have. Please will you call her.’

  After waiting a few minutes, Elizabeth hurried down the corridor towards them.

  ‘Chief Inspector?’

  ‘We would like another word with you,’ Whitney said.

  Elizabeth led them to a small room that had a circular oak table with four matching chairs. In the centre of the table stood a jug and four glasses.

  ‘We have Mr and Mrs Robertson at the station, and they’ve been arrested for the kidnap and murder of Anita Bailey and Jayne Kennedy. We know the story and wish to question you on your role,’ Whitney said once they were seated.

  The woman’s face paled and she hugged her chest. ‘M-my role?’

  ‘Yes. We also know that Mrs Robertson’s cousin, Inspector Malcolm Payne, was involved.’

  ‘What did they say about me?’

  ‘It is our belief that you lured the girls to a place where Mr and Mrs Robertson could kidnap them.’

  George nodded her approval at the way Whitney skirted around the question and implied that they knew Elizabeth had been a part of it.

  ‘Um—’

  ‘You might as well tell us the truth because it’s going to come out sooner or later. It will be easier on you if you tell us exactly what happened, especially as you were only sixteen at the time and that will be taken into consideration.’

  The woman gave a sigh. ‘Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know. Yes, I did know of their plan to kidnap Anita and Jayne. They asked me if I could arrange for the girls to go to a secluded spot for them.’

  ‘What did you say when they asked? Did you try to stop them?’

  ‘No. I hated Jayne and Anita for what they’d done and thought it would serve them right to pay. It wasn’t as if the Robertsons planned to kill them. They wanted to scare them into stopping their drug selling. But … it all went wrong.’

  ‘I’d like you to explain exactly what happened,’ Whitney said.

  ‘It wasn’t hard to orchestrate. We were in the same class at St Paul’s and I told them I wanted to buy some drugs but didn’t want to be seen doing so at school. They believed what I said and agreed to meet me at Westfield Park. I chose a time and place when I knew it would be quiet. I let Mr and Mrs Robertson know the details so they could be there, too, and drive them away.’

  ‘How did the Robertsons persuade Jayne and Anita to get into the car?’

  ‘Mr Robertson had a gun and he used that.’ George nodded. She’d been right.

  ‘What sort of gun?’

  ‘It was old and rusty. An old pistol, I think. It might have come from the war. You’ll have to check with him.’

  ‘What happened when you were all at the meeting point?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘Mr Robertson threatened them with i
t, and they started to cry, begging him not to hurt them. He had no trouble convincing them to get in the car. Mrs Robertson drove, while he sat in the passenger seat, positioned so he could see them. He kept the gun pointing at them for the whole journey.’

  ‘Did they try to escape?’

  ‘No, they were too scared.’

  ‘Where were you?’

  ‘I was seated between them in the back.’

  ‘Did they know you were part of the plan or did they think you’d all been caught?’

  ‘Nothing was said, but I think they might have believed I was caught too. Mr Robertson aimed the gun at all of us. It’s possible he didn’t want me incriminated once it was all over.’

  ‘But wouldn’t they have realised you were in on it when he didn’t tie you up?’ George asked.

  ‘No, because when we got to the caravan, he put them in separate bedrooms and tied them up with rope. They probably thought I was in the lounge area. He’d gagged them so they couldn’t speak to each other. He then locked them in and we all left.’

  ‘Did you go back with them the next day when they found the bodies?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘No, I didn’t. They told me about it later when I called at their house to see them. It was such a shock. I hated them but didn’t want them dead.’

  ‘We believe they died of carbon monoxide poisoning from the gas fire which might have been faulty.’

  ‘I remember Mrs Robertson putting it on for them because she said it got cold at night. I know that sounds strange considering they’d kidnapped them to teach them a lesson. But Mrs Robertson is a very caring woman. If only she hadn’t done that, they might still be alive.’

  ‘That’s pointless speculation,’ George said.

  ‘Did you know about Inspector Payne being involved in the cover-up?’

  ‘Yes, I did, but they didn’t tell me exactly what he’d done.’

  ‘Elizabeth Franklin, I’m arresting you on suspicion of being an accessory in the murders of Anita Bailey and Jayne Kennedy. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’re to accompany us to the station. We won’t put you in handcuffs, we will walk out together.’

  ‘But what about my work?’

  ‘Right now, work is the least of your worries,’ Whitney said through gritted teeth.

  Chapter 33

  After Elizabeth Franklin was taken to the custody suite for processing, Whitney turned to George.

  ‘The super asked me to provide her with an update before we do anything about Payne, so I’ll go now and ask for permission to bring him in.’

  ‘I’ll wait for you in the incident room. I’ll catch up on my emails.’

  ‘Good. I want you to observe his interview as it’s going to be a tricky one and I’m not sure whether the super will want to be involved, or whether she’ll leave us to it. Hopefully the latter.’

  Whitney took the lift to Clyde’s floor and hurried along the corridor to her office. The door was slightly open, and the super stood by the window staring out. Whitney tapped gently before walking in and standing beside the door.

  Clyde turned and smiled. ‘Come in.’

  ‘The case is solved, ma’am,’ she said, walking further into the office.

  ‘Fill me in, we’ll sit around the table.’ The super gestured to the meeting table on the far side of her office. None of the Jamieson stuff of keeping them separated by the desk which Whitney had always felt he’d done to exercise his power over her.

  ‘You’re not going to like this, but we have confirmation that Malcolm Payne was definitely involved.’

  ‘We’d prepared ourselves for this, but it’s still a difficult situation. Tell me everything.’

  ‘Mr and Mrs Robertson, with the help of their dead son’s girlfriend, Elizabeth Franklin, lured the two victims to a quiet place in Westfield Park. Mr Robertson threatened them with a firearm and forced them into the car, which was driven by Mrs Robertson. Franklin remained with them. The victims were taken to a caravan, tied up and left overnight in separate rooms. The intention was to teach them a lesson, but Mrs Robertson was worried about the weather and left the gas fire on for them. When the couple returned the following morning, the girls were dead. Although we can’t prove any of this, because it’s too long ago and there’s no trace of the caravan, we believe the fire was faulty and the girls died of carbon monoxide poisoning.’

  ‘The silent killer,’ the super said, nodding. ‘No smell to warn them, although if the girls were tied up, they most likely wouldn’t have been able to do anything to save themselves. How was Malcolm Payne involved?’

  ‘Mrs Robertson contacted him when they found the bodies and explained the situation, but what happened next is unclear. We’re unsure if Payne told them where to bury the bodies, or whether he did it himself. I suspect he might have done it, as he knew the farm well from shooting there regularly. The Robertsons didn’t want to incriminate Payne because they were scared of what might happen to him in prison, as he’s an ex-police officer, so they’re being deliberately vague about it. What I’d like to do next is interview Payne to find out the exact sequence of events and, through questioning, we might be able to ascertain from him his actual role in the proceedings.’

  ‘Okay. Bring him in and let me know how it goes.’

  ‘You mentioned earlier that we should be more informal when bringing him in, so he believes he’s helping us. Would you still like it handled in this way?’

  ‘No. Based on the evidence we now have he should be brought in as we would any other suspect.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am. Do you wish to be part of his interview?’

  ‘That’s your area of expertise and I won’t interfere but keep me up to date at all times.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am. I’m going to ask Dr Cavendish to observe and I’ll interview with DS Chapman.’

  ‘We will need to hold a press conference later. I’ll ask Melissa to arrange one. This is excellent work, Whitney. I’m very impressed with the way the investigation has been conducted by you and your team.’

  Whitney left the super’s office and returned to the incident room, still surprised by the difference in the treatment she was receiving. She’d also noticed that the super had referred to Melissa by name. She doubted Jamieson knew it as he’d only ever referred to the PR department.

  She called the team to attention. ‘The super has given permission for us to bring in Malcolm Payne for interview. I’m going to ask uniform to do that, so he realises it’s official. Dr Cavendish will be watching. Brian, you’re with me. We need the truth, but I don’t need to tell you that we have to follow regulations to the letter.’

  It had to be said, even though she was confident her sergeant wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise the investigation.

  ‘Yes, guv. I understand,’ Brian said.

  ‘Ellie, contact Anthony Gibson and let him know he can resume work on the development.’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  Whitney went into her office and tried to focus on some of the never-ending admin she had to do, but made little progress. An hour later, she received a call from the front desk to say Malcolm Payne had arrived and he’d been left in one of the interview rooms. She collected George and Brian and the three of them hurried downstairs.

  ‘We’ll take this interview steady, remembering he’s an old man who broke the law. He most likely realises that he’s been caught and will understand what’s going to happen. We will respect his position as a retired inspector.’

  ‘Why?’ Brian asked. ‘I say we go in hard. Even if he has retired, there’s still going to be fallout for the force.’

  ‘What he did was put his family first. You should be mindful of the fact it would have been a tough choice for him to make,’ George said.

  ‘He covered
up two murders and that’s not what we do in the job, however much it impacts our family,’ Brian said, his lips set in a thin line.

  ‘Two accidental deaths,’ Whitney said, correcting him. ‘I’m not prepared to discuss this any further. We will be running things my way.’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  After arriving at the interview room, George left them and went into the observation area.

  Payne stood when Whitney and Brian went in to speak to him.

  ‘What’s going on? I was escorted to the station without being told what was happening. I’m not impressed by being treated in this way and demand to know why I’m here.’

  ‘He’s going on the offensive to put you off your stride,’ George said. ‘Impressive, for his age. I suspect he knows full well why he’s being interviewed.’

  ‘Please sit down, Malcolm,’ Whitney said.

  ‘It’s not good enough. I don’t expect to be treated like this. I was taken out of my home by officers in uniform for all the people in the village to see. What are they going to think, that the village isn’t safe? That they’re living near a criminal? I’m very unhappy about my treatment and will be taking it further. I still have plenty of contacts in the force.’

  ‘Sit down,’ Whitney repeated, her voice calm but firm. She leant over and started the recording equipment. ‘Interview twenty-second of December. Those present: Detective Chief Inspector Walker, Detective Sergeant Chapman. Please state your name,’ she said to Payne.

  ‘Malcolm Payne.’

  ‘Mr Payne, we have been interviewing Peggy Robertson, your cousin, regarding the recent discovery of bodies at Oak Tree Farm.’

  A raft of expressions crossed his face, from disbelief to resignation and he slumped in his chair, all the fight gone out of him. Whitney was surprised by how quickly it had happened, considering how forceful he’d just been towards them.

  ‘I doubt he’ll give you much trouble now he realises what’s going to happen,’ George said.

  Whitney gave a nod. ‘Mr and Mrs Robertson are both here at the station and have been charged for their part in what happened to Anita Bailey and Jayne Kennedy.’