The Silent Children

by Carol Wyer

  * * *

  Roger Jenkinson was a blubbering, miserable wreck of a human, full of remorse for his actions that had been driven by fear and greed.

  Robyn and Matt sat side by side in the interview room, waiting while he dabbed at tears.

  ‘I’ve not known what to do since Tessa was murdered,’ he said. ‘It knocked me for six. I’d only spoken to her on Monday and she sounded so happy. She said she had something important to tell me. Something really special.’

  Robyn said, ‘Miss Hall was expecting a child. We have confirmed you were the father. I imagine that was the news she was going to give you.’

  Roger made a guttural noise in his throat and choked back a sob. ‘Deep down, I guessed it would be that. We’d talked about running off together, pooling our winnings and starting a family. I was waiting for the right time to let Naomi down gently.’ He shook his head, unable to continue.

  ‘I’d like to know what happened earlier today, sir. Before and after you abducted PC Shamash.’

  ‘It wasn’t intentional. Ever since Tessa, I’ve been anxious. When I heard Anthony had died too, I figured there was something amiss – two of our quizzing side dead in the space of two days – it seemed too much of a coincidence. I thought I’d take matters into my own hands and lay low. Naomi didn’t know about the money. I didn’t want her to find out. It’s been hard enough to try and split up with her. If she knew about the money as well, I’d never have managed it. She was pissed off with me for going to the Peak District without telling her and has been pestering me ever since to meet up. I told her you suspected me of murdering Tessa and asked if I could hide out at her house for a while until it was all resolved. Of course, she agreed. I thought I’d be out of harm’s way there. I took my guns for protection and moved into her house, but then your officer turned up and parked right outside.’

  He shut his eyes to remember exactly what had happened…

  * * *

  Naomi pulls into the street, gets out of her car and slams the door shut. She marches into the house and calls for him.

  ‘You’re right. The police do think you killed Tessa,’ she says. ‘They asked me if I knew where you were.’

  ‘You didn’t tell them though, did you?’

  She smiles at him. ‘Roger, of course not. We’re a team. I look out for you and you look out for me.’

  Naomi drops her coat on the back of the kitchen chair. ‘You eaten?’

  ‘I wasn’t hungry,’ says Roger, taking up his usual position in the siting room, where he has full view of the comings and goings outside. He’s sure the bastard who killed Tessa will be after him too. It’s probably the same person who rang him to tell him to give the lottery money back. Well, he can get stuffed. Roger isn’t frightened of him. His gun is in the armchair. If anyone wants to try and take on Roger Jenkinson, they’ll be in for a surprise. Suddenly, a silver Vauxhall pulls into view and draws up outside the house. He recognises the police officer. He’s seen her at the station.

  ‘Fuck. The cops are here.’

  Naomi rushes into the room. ‘It’s that female PC. The bitch has followed me home. Bet she’s hoping to catch you here.’

  This messes things up. Roger bites his thumbnail and considers his options.

  ‘Got it,’ says Naomi, snapping her fingers. ‘We’ll pretend you’ve taken me hostage. Get her to climb out of her car and then we’ll steal it. She won’t be able to chase us on foot, will she? She seems to be alone so we shouldn’t get followed. We’ll head over to Bramshall Leisure. The cottages there are all empty. We can hide out until they find out who really killed Tessa. Have some “us” time. It’ll be like the old days when we both used to shoot together.’ She offers him a smile and kisses his forehead.

  That’s one good thing about Naomi, she always stays cool in a difficult situation. He agrees.

  The officer is on her mobile when they approach her car. Roger holds the Smith & Wesson to Naomi’s head and she looks suitably terrified. The woman catches sight of them in her mirror. Roger motions for her to climb out. As she does so, her mobile tumbles to the ground but she doesn’t notice it. She’s looking at Roger and asking him to put down the gun.

  He’s hoping to entice her into the house, tie her up and then escape with Naomi, but he hasn’t banked on the officer, who suddenly launches at him with considerable strength and attempts to wrestle his gun away from him. He panics and shoves her hard. She falls backwards and strikes her head on the pavement.

  ‘Oh fuck… fuck… fuck.’

  Naomi shushes him. ‘Quick, help me get her into the car before anyone sees us.’

  Luckily it’s a quiet road. There aren’t many houses, and those that are there are well shielded by trees and bushes. Nobody is likely to have witnessed the events outside Naomi’s house; besides, most people are at work.

  ‘We’ll take her to the health clinic in Uttoxeter. Leave her outside. Somebody will find her and help her.’

  They drive at speed and dump the officer, then race off towards Bramshall Leisure. Naomi is looking very pleased about the whole situation. He isn’t. He’s even more nervous. He forgot to retrieve the female officer’s mobile phone from by the car and it’s too late now to go back.

  ‘We’re good together,’ she says, putting a hand on his knee. ‘Really good.’

  Roger’s sense of paranoia has increased. Not only does he believe a killer is after him, but now so is half of the Staffordshire police force. He’s tetchy and anxious, and all the time Naomi’s treating it as if they’re out for a Sunday drive. The silky, soft tone she’s adopted is irritating him, as is the stream of questions she’s begun asking. He keeps silent and gradually he senses iciness. He isn’t feeling up to dealing with one of her moods. He just wants to hide – away from police, murderers and an over-inquisitive girlfriend.

  ‘You sure you don’t want to tell me something, Roger?’ she asks as they pull into Bramshall Leisure and turn off down a track towards one of the cottages.

  He shakes his head. Naomi throws him a look but he ignores it. Hopefully she’ll shut up. They draw to a halt and walk the short distance to the first cottage. Naomi knows the code to the small box by the front door that houses the door key, and extracts it. Together they slip unnoticed into the house.

  No sooner has he set down his gun than Naomi starts again. ‘You’ve been keeping something from me, Roger,’ she says, her hands on her hips.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re on about.’

  ‘Oh, you do. The police detective told me.’

  Roger sighs. He really doesn’t need this.

  ‘When were you going to let me in on it? You were going to, weren’t you? Or were you hoping to hide it from me, and drop me for that slag, Tessa? What was it you really liked about her, Roger? The fact she was such an easy lay, or that she also had a share in the lottery jackpot?’

  The argument escalates. Naomi won’t shut up. She’s furious with him for keeping the lottery win secret, even when he tries to explain they all kept quiet about it because the ticket was stolen. He attempts to convince her he kept silent for her safety, and tells her he thinks that whoever killed Tessa probably killed Anthony, and is after him too. She loses it big time then. Says he’s a lying, cheating bastard who deserves to be shot.

  ‘I thought you were keeping out of the way of the cops. If I’d known I could get killed too, on account of your greed, I’d never have helped you. You utter prick. I’ve stuck by you even though you two-timed me, kept me in the dark about the lottery win and treated me like shit some days. I loved you and I stuck by you but I’m not hanging around to be shot. You can handle this fucking mess on your own. I’m going home. I’m taking the car.’

  ‘Don’t do that. What if there’s more than one of them after me? I’ll never be able to get away if I don’t have a car.’

  ‘Fuck you,’ she screams and marches towards the door. He grabs her and drags her kicking and screeching back into the room. It’s all getting out of han
d. His life is in danger and his girlfriend is trying to leave him in the shit. He’s beginning to lose his grip on reality. He can’t stay in the middle of nowhere without some form of transport. He yells something at her that angers her even more and she lands a kick in his groin that floors him, and strides towards the door.

  ‘I hope he blows your fucking brains out,’ she sobs.

  He makes it to the door and spots her making her getaway. The stupid bitch is headed towards the car. He races back, reaches for his gun. He’ll aim to miss. It’ll frighten her enough to make her return to the house. She’ll see sense then. He fires. Naomi drops to the ground. He hears voices. There’s somebody else out there…

  * * *

  Roger had nothing further to say to the detective. He’d told her everything as it happened. ‘Is the officer okay?’ he asked. ‘I never intended to harm her.’

  ‘She’s okay,’ Robyn replied. ‘I’m afraid I have more bad news. Juliet Fallows was killed earlier today. Is there anything else you can tell us that might help us unearth this killer?’

  Roger Jenkinson paled further and shook his head. ‘If I’d found out who was behind Tessa’s death, I’d have shot him,’ he said.

  Sixty-Nine

  DAY ELEVEN – FRIDAY, 24 FEBRUARY, EARLY MORNING

  * * *

  Ella gave a twisted smile. ‘You’ll never understand,’ she said. ‘They deserved it. They all bloody deserved it.’

  ‘If you explain, I’m sure I would,’ Robyn said.

  There wasn’t a flicker of regret or recognition of the crimes she’d committed. Ella Fox had confessed to killing Henry Gregson, Tessa Hall, Anthony Hawkins and Juliet Fallows, but showed no remorse or guilt.

  ‘They badgered Liam into stealing the ticket, and when he refused, Hawkins threatened him. Hawkins, who’d pretended to be his friend and hooked him up with all the others, was going to make sure Liam lost his job and destroy our lives. Where would we go after that? How would we be able to look after Astra? Liam didn’t want to steal the ticket. We spoke about it after the night they asked him to take it.’ She recalled the evening with clarity…

  * * *

  Liam stumbles through the front door and into the kitchen, where Ella is waiting.

  ‘Hey, babe,’ he says. ‘You okay?’

  Hot tears stream down her face. ‘Not really. He was so rough this time. I can’t do it again, Liam. We have to find money for the rent next month. It was bearable when it was quick sex, but he’s started playing games. He blindfolded me, Liam. Like Clark used to.’ The trembling begins again.

  He rushes towards her, his face distraught, and pulls her into a tight embrace. ‘I’ll kill the bastard,’ he says, teeth bared.

  ‘No. Don’t! We’ll try and find somewhere else we can afford.’

  They stay entwined, so close their hearts beat as one. Finally, he whispers, ‘There is one way out of this.’

  He tells her of the plan. How the team members want him to steal the lottery ticket and how it would be possible to do so. He explains the looks, the smiles and the support from his new friends.

  ‘Liam, love. They’re not your friends. I see how they laugh behind our backs. I see the nudges and hear the soft sniggers. They’re using you. You, my love, are too gullible.’ She kisses his nose. ‘Don’t do it. It’ll go wrong. A security camera at work will pick you up and you’ll get caught. Tell them to get stuffed. We’ll find another place to live. There must be somewhere we can afford. I can’t face sleeping with McNamara again.’

  Liam kisses her head, his heart heavy with sadness. ‘I’ll phone Hawkins and tell him I’m not doing it. I’ll look for a flat for us to rent somewhere else. It won’t be as nice as this place, but as long as we’re together – you, me and Astra – we’ll be fine.’

  * * *

  Ella shelved the recollection, stared ahead and continued her monologue. ‘After Liam had taken the ticket, he couldn’t sleep or eat. He cried about it, almost every night. They didn’t care what effect stealing the ticket had on him, but I did. I detested them all – especially that Anthony Hawkins, who sucked up to Liam, all the while taking the piss behind his back. He was behind it all. He knew everything about my brother. He exploited him.’

  ‘I don’t understand how.’

  ‘Liam spent six months in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Hawkins was one of the prison officers who worked there – he learnt everything about Liam. When he came across him again, he knew exactly how to push his buttons and manipulate him. He knew Liam had real difficulties connecting with his peers. He’d seen first-hand how Liam retreated when around other people, yet wanted to be accepted. More than anything else, he’s always wanted that. He’s only ever wanted to be loved. Hawkins was never a true friend. None of them were. They suckered him onto the team purely for his intelligence and then they bullied him into taking that ticket. They are all guilty as hell.’

  While Robyn could comprehend Ella’s jealous hatred of the team who’d befriended and then browbeaten her brother, she still couldn’t fathom why Ella had gone to such extremes to murder them. She asked the question.

  ‘If Henry had snitched as he threatened to, every one of them would have crumbled like the cowardly bullies they really are, and made Liam the scapegoat. He’d have ended up in jail. He can’t go back to that place. He suffered such atrocities last time – disgusting, barbaric, humiliating indignities. He’d die. I know he would.’

  ‘But murder, Ella, brings a severe penalty, and as an accessory, Liam will be charged and go to jail for a long time. The penalty for murder is heftier than for theft.’

  ‘He’s blameless. It was my idea to kill them and I acted alone without his knowledge, so he can’t be charged.’ Ella’s head bounced from side to side, her eyes unfocused. Robyn persisted.

  ‘Even if that were so, he’ll still be charged with stealing and defrauding the lottery.’

  ‘A good lawyer will get him off. Astra needs him.’ Ella smiled suddenly.

  Robyn didn’t want to argue any longer. ‘I’m going to leave you for a minute, Ella. Would you like a cup of tea or anything?’

  Ella refused, her gaze now resting on a point above Robyn’s head, a smile on her lips, mind far away. Robyn nodded at David and left him watching over her.

  In the office, Matt had been dragging up everything he could on Liam Carrington and his sister. He’d been talking to staff at MiniMarkt and searching for the couple whose lottery ticket had been stolen. He was on the phone when Robyn put her head around the office door. He covered the mouthpiece and whispered, ‘Got something.’

  She edged into the room, mindful she’d spent days working non-stop on this investigation, and stretched, trying to galvanise her stiffening muscles back to life. Matt put down the phone.

  ‘The owners of the ticket have been identified as Mr and Mrs Roper. They were victims of a break-in last December. Mrs Roper got up in the early hours to get a drink of water and in doing so, disturbed a burglar. He attacked her with a blunt instrument, which police believed to have been a crowbar or similar, used to gain entry to the property. Her screams roused Mr Roper and caused the burglar to run off, empty-handed. Mrs Roper received a fractured shoulder and severe damage to her face – shattered cheekbone. A team from Lichfield was assigned to the case.’

  Robyn thought about the first time she’d interviewed Liam at MiniMarkt and the frail lady with the dark mark on her cheek, and recalled how Liam had directed Robyn into the back room when he spotted the woman and her husband. It hadn’t been for reasons of privacy after all. It had been because he couldn’t face the couple.

  ‘That’s too much of a coincidence. Liam Carrington supposedly steals the ticket from the couple in the shop, and they’re broken into soon afterwards. I don’t like this one bit. What details have you got?’

  Matt pulled up all the information she needed. Robyn stared at the screen and read through the statements. There remained one explanation for what had taken place, and it could als
o be the real reason Liam Carrington had experienced sleepless nights and nightmares. It would also account for why Ella felt she had to murder to keep the secret safe.

  Robyn ran her theory past him and he agreed it was a likely explanation. She issued him with instructions to call the Ropers and ask the important question that would provide the answer.

  She prepared to re-enter the interview room. She’d be in serious trouble if she was wrong, but it was a chance she was willing to take. She slid back into position.

  ‘Thank you for waiting. I need you to help me out, Ella. I’m still puzzled about how Liam got his hands on that winning ticket. He was asked to check it so he put it through the lottery machine and pretended it hadn’t won. Then he threw it in the bin and retrieved it later. That’s right, isn’t it?’

  ‘Finders keepers,’ said Ella, with a faraway look on her face.

  ‘And this made him very upset?’

  ‘He didn’t like stealing.’

  ‘But Liam had already spent time in jail for stealing, hadn’t he? He was convicted of theft in 1998 when he was seventeen.’

  ‘He didn’t steal anything.’ Ella’s voice rose. ‘He was framed. He didn’t do it. He loved Sid. It was Johnny Hounslow who stole the money from the safe. Johnny Hounslow and his slutty, evil girlfriend.’

  Robyn’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure what else she’d uncover. For now, she had to keep Ella on the right track.

  ‘I doubt pinching a ticket would have upset him enough to give him nightmares, especially as he was going to get his hands on a vast amount of cash that would transform your lives.’

  Ella lowered her gaze.

  ‘Here’s what I think occurred. I don’t think he got his hands on the ticket in the shop at all. He broke into the Ropers’ house to steal it. No doubt he had an idea where it would be kept. He’d have chatted to the Ropers and asked questions. They’re a friendly pair. He’d have advised them to look after the ticket, and they’d have told him where they put it for safekeeping. Or maybe you uncovered that piece of information for him.’