SECRET CRIMES a gripping crime thriller full of suspense

by MICHAEL HAMBLING

  ‘I’m well enough to be at work. I just have to be careful, that’s all.’

  Lily paused. ‘You’re a transsexual, aren’t you?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘I thought it when you first came in, and your voice has kind of confirmed it.’

  Sophie became angry. ‘That’s totally irrelevant. DC Gregson is an officer in my unit and you, Ms Dalton, need to stick to what we’re here for.’

  ‘She’s quite protective, isn’t she?’ said Lily. ‘That’s good. I bet not everyone has been as supportive as her. You are very good, though. I can only tell cos I’ve met lots over the years — at parties though, not when they’re at work. I know the signs. It’s like a sixth sense with me.’

  Sophie was ready with another rebuke, but Rae interjected. ‘It’s okay, ma’am really. I don’t mind.’ She turned back to Lily. ‘Yes, you’re right. And the DCI has been totally supportive. I love my job with her. That’s why I’m back today, even though I could have swung another few days off.’

  ‘You’re really lucky, you know. To have a boss who looks after you so well. I’m jealous in a way, cos I never did. I suppose that’s why I ended up in the mess I’m in.’

  'I still don't fully understand how you’re involved, Lily,' Sophie said.

  The reply was sharp. 'No, you wouldn't, would you? I expect people do exactly what you say. If I tell people what to do they laugh at me. It’s easier for me just to lie back and enjoy life the best I can. That’s how I met all these people. I just gave up trying to lead a respectable life, as my parents would have called it. What was the point? I’d tried to do everything right, please people just like a good girl should, but my life got into one big mess. So I started seeing men for sex. And I liked it. Not just anyone, though. It was always through people I met, at parties. It was just after that when I met Brian. He knew people who organised these parties and he got me onto their lists. That was when I lived in Portsmouth. He was a kind of protector for me. It was all good for a couple of years but then it went wrong when he got the sack from the police. That really shocked him and he got difficult, really moody and he drank too much. But we stayed in touch, even after I moved to Poole.'

  'Why Poole?'

  ‘It’s got a good party scene and I was picking up lots of invitations. I’d make it clear that I expected something for taking part in a threesome or foursome, and I was usually treated really well. I decided that I could tap into things a bit better if I was local, so I moved here.'

  'So how were you involved with what happened on Friday night?'

  ‘Brian texted me mid-evening on Friday to see if I was free to come down to Swanage for the night, but I was seeing another man at the time and couldn’t make it until after midnight. I drove down and picked him up. He seemed to be a bit down. I parked the car in the lane at the back of the hotel and we went in through the grounds. Brian seemed to know where he was going. I knew Paul and Sarah, but I didn’t realise they were an item until then. I’d met her a couple of times at parties. She was a bit of a live wire, always pushing the boundaries. Derek was quieter but good fun. So the four of us had a good time for a few hours, then Brian and I left at about two. Brian collected the car from the car park and followed me back to Poole and stayed for a few more days. We were shocked when we heard the news about Sarah. Neither of us knew what to do. Then we found out that Paul’s body had been found too, and that shook us, it really did. I mean, what was going on? So Brian stayed on while we talked things over. He was with me until Friday night. It wasn’t us that harmed either of them, Sarah or Paul. Please believe me. They were fine when we left them.' Lily broke off at a muffled sound outside the door of the flat. She made to stand up, but Sophie gestured for her to remain seated.

  ‘Were you expecting anyone, Lily? It sounded as if someone stumbled against the door.’

  ‘No. I hardly ever get visitors midweek mornings and I don’t think any of the neighbours are in. They’ll all be out at work.’ Lily looked frightened.

  Sophie went to the door, followed closely by Rae, but there was nobody there. Sophie told Rae to remain in the flat, and hurried along the corridor to the stairs. Was that the faint sound of footsteps coming from the stairwell? She heard a door bang, so she ran down the stairs two at a time. All was silent on the ground floor. She raced to the entrance doors. She heard a car starting up. Sophie ran outside and into the car park in time to see a dark blue Ford moving rapidly out of the entrance into the road. Its number plate was partly obscured. She halted, panting.

  ‘Blast,’ she said. ‘Fuck, bugger and blast.’

  When her breathing had slowed, she made her way back up to Lily’s flat. Rae was standing at the window.

  ‘Did you see the car?’ Sophie asked.

  Rae nodded. ‘A completely nondescript blue Ford. Could be a rental. But it was too far away to get the licence plate.’ There was concern on her face. ‘I had an awful feeling of déjà vu. Was it the right thing to do? Go after him?’

  ‘Possibly not, but I didn’t join the police force to be cautious about everything. Same as you.’ She turned to Lily. ‘We need to get you out of here, Lily. Can you pack enough clothes to keep you going for a few days? We’ll stay with you until a team arrives to move you to a safe house.’ Sophie nodded to Rae and left the room to arrange safe accommodation for Lily. When she returned, Sophie took a photo of John Renton out of her bag. Rae had taken it surreptitiously with a hidden camera at their meeting at Brize Norton. ‘Have you ever seen this man before, Lily?’

  Lily studied the picture closely, her brow furrowed. Finally she shook her head. ‘No. I’m pretty sure I haven’t. Problem is, I’ve known so many men. But this one? He doesn’t ring any bells. Sorry.’

  Sophie didn’t know whether to feel disappointment or relief. ‘It’s not a problem,’ she said. ‘It’s just someone who cropped up during our investigations. So he wasn’t a friend of Brian or Derek’s? Not as far as you know? And you haven’t met him on your own?’

  ‘I had big gaps of time away from Brian, so I wouldn’t know all his friends. But if you’re asking whether I’ve ever had sex with this man, then the answer’s no.’ Lily’s voice was choked. ‘I’m not a common prostitute, you know. I don’t sell myself for sex. How could you think that? I do parties and sometimes I’ve seen men, women and couples that I’ve met at the parties. That’s it.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to offend you, Lily. And I wasn’t implying that I thought you were a prostitute. I don’t judge people like that. I’m investigating two murders, and I have to be absolutely sure about everything. I would be failing in my job if I did any less.’

  Lily regained her composure, her face once again like a china doll.

  ‘Do you have a job at the moment, Lily?’

  ‘No. I was waitressing at a café near the quayside, but it closed at the end of September. I don’t know if it’s going to open again at Easter for the summer season. The only other job I really liked was when I worked behind the counter in a cake shop. I could chat to people and have a laugh. I loved it there. But it closed when the owner moved away, and I went back to my old ways. It's easy, you see. I've been married twice and they both failed. Maybe I pick the wrong type of man to marry. The right type of man doesn’t want to marry me anyway. He just wants to have me for fun.’

  Lily blew her nose loudly.

  ‘I noticed a few days ago that there’s a job vacancy in a café in Wareham. They sell pies and cakes,’ Sophie said. ‘Your other café experience would be useful. Why don’t you apply for it? It’s near the quayside. You’d need to drive in or get the bus. I don’t know how convenient that would be.’

  Lily looked at her suspiciously. ‘Why are you telling me this? What’s in it for you?’

  ‘I need a spy on the inside to give me advance warning of any expected cream cake deliveries.’ Sophie laughed at the puzzled expression on Lily’s face. ‘Do I have to have a reason, Lily? Can’t you just accept it as a favour that doesn’t have a hidden motive? Anyway, it’s enti
rely up to you. Take it or leave it.’ She glanced at her watch, then at Rae. ‘We’ll wait until your nanny arrives to take you somewhere safe. Then we must be off.’

  Chapter 23: A Hunted Look

  How did you get on, Barry? Any progress?’ Sophie had brought back a selection of sandwiches and snacks, and the team were huddled around the central table in the incident room for a working lunch.

  ‘I’ve double-checked, and there’s no doubt someone else has been doing some digging, but it all stopped two weeks ago,’ he said.

  ‘Just before the murders,’ Rae added.

  ‘Exactly. And it was a man, sounding confident, who was convincing as a police officer. He gave the impression of being middle-aged.’

  ‘Could it have been Shapiro?’ Jimmy suggested.

  ‘I had another talk with him and he denies it. He’s still happy to be here, by the way. Well, maybe not exactly happy, but he told me that at least he feels safe here. He’s not pushing to get out, and I can understand that. Maybe I’d feel the same if I was him and I thought there was someone out there wanting me dead.’

  ‘Did you believe him?’ Sophie asked.

  ‘Yes, I did.’ Barry shrugged. ‘I think he’s genuinely scared. I didn’t mention anything about Lily Dalton by the way. Several times he looked as though he was on the verge of telling me something, but then held back. How did you get on with Lily, ma’am?’

  Sophie thought for a moment. ‘She’s not as innocent as she makes out. I don’t mean that she had anything to do with the murders, just in her attitudes and opinions, particularly where Shapiro’s concerned. She kept making out that he isn’t as bad as we think and that he went back into the flats on Saturday to see how Rae was. But that doesn’t square with what the squad car crew said about the way he behaved. I think she sees people through the proverbial rose-tinted glasses.’

  Sophie finished her sandwich. ‘We’ll put him out of his misery this afternoon. Maybe once he knows that we know about Lily, he’ll open up a bit more. Eat up, everybody and let’s get back to work.’

  * * *

  Sophie could see exactly what Barry meant. Even though he was safely in custody, Brian Shapiro had a hunted look about him. His eyes were rimmed with dark shadows and he looked around as if demons were lurking in shadowy corners, waiting to jump out at him.

  ‘Good afternoon, Mr Shapiro.’ Sophie tried to sound breezier than she felt. ‘How are you? Sergeant Marsh here still thinks that you’re holding back on a great deal of information that might be important to us. Is he right?’

  Shapiro grunted.

  ‘We know about Lily Dalton, by the way. So would you like to expand on your account of last weekend?’

  ‘How did you find out about her?’

  ‘We’ll have an exchange of information, shall we? You tell me something and I’ll tell you something back. How does that sound?’

  Shapiro stared at her and then nodded.

  ‘She phoned, worried about you and about her own safety. Once we had her number it didn’t take us long to find her address. Now it’s your turn.’

  ‘Is she safe? Is she alright?’ Shapiro sounded anxious.

  ‘Yes. We saw her this morning and she was moved to a safe house an hour ago. Now tell me something.’

  ‘Lily was with us on that Friday night. She picked me up and we joined Derek and Sarah in the hotel room.’

  ‘Yes but what I meant was, tell me something I don’t already know. We’ve had a full account of Friday night from Lily. I’m trying to solve two murders here, Mr Shapiro. Tell me something I can use, for God’s sake.’

  He shook his head. ‘That’s just it. I don’t know anything. I don’t know why it happened. I don’t know who it was. If I knew anything I’d tell you.’

  Sophie leant across the table and stared into his eyes. ‘Now let me tell you something, you miserable little toad. You refused to tell us about Lily when we gave you every opportunity on Saturday. You could have said that she was in danger, you could have given us her address, but you didn’t. We only just got to her in time this morning. Someone came calling while we were there. If she hadn’t called us, if the person on the phone here hadn't been so concerned, if I hadn’t decided to follow up on it, if we’d have been delayed getting to her, she’d probably be lying sprawled and bloody on her kitchen floor right now. And all because of you. I need information. I need to know two things. Was Sarah secretly married again? And was there someone watching you and Derek on Friday evening?’

  ‘What? Married again? If she did, she never told me, and Derek never mentioned it, so he didn’t know.’ He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. ‘Watching us? You mean, apart from that creep Ed something or other?’

  ‘Yes, I do mean apart from him. Earlier, before you met the two women. Just after you had the argument with the roadie who was trying to bring kit in to the pub.’

  Shapiro shut his eyes. ‘There was a guy near the bar. He was scanning every bloke in the place. Derek reckoned he was gay.’

  ‘We know about him. Anyone else?’

  Shapiro shook his head. ‘No. I didn’t see anyone else, but Derek muttered something about someone in the corner, well away from us. He said the guy looked our way a couple of times. I couldn’t see because of a fat woman in front of me. By the time she moved, he’d gone. I just forgot about it.’

  ‘Did Derek say anything about what he looked like?’

  ‘I don’t remember him saying anything.’

  ‘Did he say anything at any other time? About spotting someone looking at you both, I mean?’

  ‘No, never. Except for gay blokes, like the one that evening.’

  ‘So the fact that he mentioned it might have meant something. This man wasn’t just someone looking around him vaguely, like people do in pubs. Don’t you agree?’

  Shapiro shrugged.

  ‘Come on, Mr Shapiro, you know how this works. You’re an ex-cop. Am I on the right track here?’

  ‘Okay, you might be right. It had never happened before, so I guess there must have been a reason for Derek to mention him. But the guy didn’t stick around. One minute he was there, the next he was gone.’ He paused, scratching at a hand. ‘Do you think it might have been him? But why?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine. But there must have been a reason for it. It was too carefully planned to be otherwise. But I really don’t think I want to share any more of my thoughts with you, Mr Shapiro, not if you’ve got nothing else for me. I’ve been doing some digging into your past, and I don’t like what I’ve found. Maybe Lily thinks you’re a changed character but I doubt it. Manipulating lonely and vulnerable women into drinking too much and then forcing them into group sex is multiple rape in my book, so don’t think you’re getting out of here scot free. I despise men like you. Women need the criminal justice system to protect them from the likes of you, and I intend to ensure they get that protection. Do you understand me? So don’t get your hopes up that I’ve seen some kind of light as far as your possible guilt or innocence is concerned. When this murder inquiry is over, I’ll be throwing the book at you for the other stuff, all the things that have messed up other women’s lives. You’re an ex-cop so you should know the difference between right and wrong.’ She rose from her seat. ‘You did know, of course. You just chose to manipulate them anyway, for your own sick ends. And that’s despicable.’

  Sophie walked out of the room.

  Chapter 24: An Intricate Web

  Monday afternoon

  So who was the man who’d been masquerading as George Smith from Portsmouth’s police force? Whoever he was, he had used a pay-as-you-go mobile phone with an unregistered SIM card. All of the calls had been made from the Portsmouth area. The GPS data from the signals showed them to have originated in the town centre. Whoever it was might have used a café or bar as a base while he made his calls. They were almost impossible to trace. It had all been planned very carefully indeed.

  Marsh sat back in his chair, his hand
s behind his head, and pondered. Could it have been Shapiro? He had insider knowledge of police procedures, after all. But Shapiro just didn’t seem bright enough. And why would he have needed to ask these questions anyway? He was a close friend of Sarah’s lover. He would have known about the other weekend festivals from Derek. He might even have been present at them. No, there would have been no real need for him to have checked the bookings in this way. So it had been someone else, possibly someone with an intense hatred of the murdered couple. Either that or someone looking to gain from their deaths.

  He suddenly stood up and tapped on the door of Sophie’s office. She’d been reading through another set of forensic reports, looking for any clue they might have missed. She looked up.

  ‘What if we’ve been going about this the wrong way, ma’am? What if we’ve made the wrong assumption?’

  She leant back in her chair. ‘Explain please, Barry.’

  ‘We’ve assumed Sarah was the main target and that Paul Derek was only killed because he knew too much, or saw something that might have identified her killer. But what if it was the other way round? What if he was the intended victim and Sarah was killed to silence her?’

  Sophie thought for a while. ‘Is there a motive, though? I can’t think why he would have been the prime target. Any ideas?’

  ‘It could be his work, ma’am. He was the senior IT manager. What if he’d spotted something going on? Serious fraud or something like that. And he wasn’t careful enough with his suspicions. Wouldn’t that be a good enough motive? And killing his girlfriend would naturally shift our focus onto her rather than him. The thing that made me wonder is the sheer amount of effort that’s gone in to cover the killer’s tracks. It isn’t just a crime of passion, is it? It’s got to be something else, surely?’

  Sophie frowned. ‘The problem is, technical forensics have gone through all the data on the company system with a fine tooth comb and haven’t found anything. There’s no indication that Derek had any enemies, other than his wife. Everyone else has always said what a nice guy he was. I don’t see his wife being capable of killing two people and then covering it up so neatly. Other than Pamela Derek and her family, we’re the only ones who know about his other, darker activities. Oh, and possibly some of his group-sex victims. But none have turned up other than Brenda Plant, and I don’t for a moment think it was her. A wronged husband? It would have to have been someone with a deep resentment combined with top-notch planning abilities. But if Derek was the main target, why kill Sarah as well? Few people knew about their relationship, not even their closest workmates. We’re looking for the same kind of individual whichever of the pair we think was the main victim. Someone out to avenge a perceived injustice or personal insult. It’s a revenge killing, Barry. That’s what I think. And that makes it more likely to be a man. It has to be a man who feels deeply wronged, enraged and insulted by something Sarah did to them. But I do take your point. It’s conceivable that a husband of one of Derek’s willing or unwilling sex partners found out and took revenge. Maybe we should double-check everything we have on Paul Derek in case we’ve missed something.’