Prima Facie

by Netta Newbound

  “Did you tell them what’s happened?”

  Sally shook her head. “I’ve been putting it off, but I’ll call them soon.”

  “I can make that call for you?”

  Sally’s eyes flashed, as though considering it, then she shook her head again. “No. I need to do it myself. Thanks though.”

  “Don’t mention it. Anything else I can do for you? Any friends I can call?” Frances pushed. “I think you need someone with you.”

  Sally’s eyes filled and spilled over in an instant. “No friends. Miles said we only needed each other.” She began to sob.

  Adam jumped to his feet. “I’ll fetch you a glass of water,” he said, and rushed to the kitchen.

  He opened several cupboard doors before finding a glass, and, after running the tap for a few seconds, filled it and headed back to the lounge.

  “There you go. Do you need anything else?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll be fine now. Will I be charged for killing Miles?”

  “It is likely there’ll be some charges. But considering the evidence against him, and the cold-blooded murder of his victims, this is clearly an act of self-defence. English law permits a person to kill another so long as they are defending themselves and use no more than reasonable force.”

  “But I will need to go to court?”

  “Probably.” He smiled sadly. “There will be a trial. A judge will appoint a jury to decide if you used any unreasonable amount of force, but I honestly don’t expect them to rule against you. You’re the victim and, if anything, you should be rewarded for your bravery.”

  Sally shook her head and wiped her eyes on a tissue. “You can’t call it bravery. I was petrified, but it was either him or me.”

  Frances rubbed Sally’s arm. “Well, we’re grateful for what you did. And your dad would be so proud of you.”

  Sally nodded as more tears ran down her face.

  “Just one more question, and then we’ll leave you in peace,” Adam said.

  She blinked in agreement, and made a trumpeting sound as she blew her nose.

  “Did you recognise any of the clothes Miles wore last night?”

  Her eyebrows furrowed as though tapping into her memory bank. Then she shook her head. “To be honest, I can’t recall what he was wearing. He could have been naked for all I noticed.”

  “Thanks, Sally. We’ll be in touch in the next few days.”

  *

  Back at the station, Adam requested the SOCO report, but Rachel, his contact, told him it wasn’t ready yet. “Can you do me a favour and check if any bloody clothes or overalls were found at the scene?”

  “Hang on a sec.”

  He could hear a muffled conversation going on in the background, but he couldn’t tell what they were saying.

  “You there, Adam?” Rachel said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “No. They didn’t find anything like that. Sorry.”

  “No problem. Thanks for checking.”

  Slamming the phone on the desk, he pinched the point in-between his eyes. Fucking Felix had put a bug in his head, and it was driving him mad.

  “Something wrong, boss?” Frances said, handing him a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks, Frances. You go home. You’ve been here ages.”

  “I’m alright for another hour or so. What’s going on?”

  “Although it kills me to admit it, I think something’s off about the whole thing.”

  Frances groaned. “Is this because of what Felix said? Because your explanation makes the most sense.”

  “Maybe. Oh, I don’t know. I’ve hardly had any sleep in days, so maybe I’m not thinking straight.”

  “Why don’t you go home and get some rest. I’ll stay with Cal. And shouldn’t you be with your wife, anyway?”

  Cal knocked on the open door. “Something odd, boss. Muldoon had nothing in any of his pockets. He didn’t have a bag or keys, not even a penny piece to his name.”

  Adam closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. “Let me guess. There were no random cars parked in the vicinity either?

  “Nothing,” Cal said apologetically.

  “He must’ve had an accomplice. In fact, I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before.”

  “Go and spend time with your son, Adam,” Frances said. “Come back to it with a clear head and fresh eyes in the morning.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I’m getting nowhere fast. I may as well be sleeping.” Standing up, he shoved the laptop into his briefcase.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind if I shoot off? I’m neither use nor ornament in this state,” he said, joining them in the main office.

  “Don’t forget these. And tell Amanda congrats from us.” Frances handed him the balloons and tucked the teddy under his arm.

  “Thanks. I will.”

  “And I would love to see a photo of baby Stanley tomorrow, if possible.”

  “I’m hopeless. Aren’t I?” He smiled. “Oh, by the way, his name’s Andrew.”

  ***

  I stand at the door as the detectives walk away. They are totally taken in by everything. Given the energy or the inclination, I would laugh. But a severe depression has descended on me along with the realisation I have committed my final murder.

  Outside appearances show I’m in mourning. My dear father was brutally murdered, so, of course, I’m bound to be depressed. But in truth, I’m pleased the controlling old bastard has gone—he’d lingered much too long in my opinion.

  I’m aware of the real reason for my depression. Like an alcoholic, or drug addict, the high I’d experienced watching someone take their last breath had awoken a need in me. But I can’t kill again seeing as Miles is no longer around to pin it on. The police are stupid, but they aren’t that stupid.

  As an only child, my father’s estate makes me a very wealthy woman. And then there is Miles’ life insurance. I hadn’t thought to cancel it when he left. I could sell the apartment and move away. Start all over again. Yet, nothing appeals to me. Nothing else in the world can give me the rush I crave.

  ***

  Adam called into the florist on his way to the hospital and picked up the biggest pre-made arrangement he could find. Formal visiting hours were restricted, but partners were allowed in any time between 7.00am and 9.00pm.

  He glanced at his watch, just after 3.00pm—much later than he expected to be. Amanda would be wondering where he’d got to.

  He headed to her ward first to drop off the cuddly toy, balloons and flowers. He looked like a walking advert for the local florist.

  Sandra stood waiting for the lift as he stepped out of it.

  “Oh, hi, Adam. Congratulations. Your son is simply delicious.”

  “He is, isn’t he? How’s Amanda? I tried getting here earlier, but I’ve had another shocker of a day.”

  “She’s fine. Apart from being a little weepy earlier today, but that’s understandable. As a new mum, being kept from her baby is hard to cope with. But she’s fine. I’m going to pick up the kids from school and bring them back for ten minutes to see the baby. Is that okay?”

  “Of course it’s okay. See you when you get back.” He pressed the button to call the lift for her again.

  Amanda was standing at the window looking out over Pinevale when he arrived at her room. “Oh, you’re here. I’ve been worried.”

  “Sorry, Mand. I couldn’t get away.” He kissed her forehead. Then he handed her the cuddly toy and untangled the ribbon from his hand. “Here you go. The teddy and balloons are from Holly.”

  She took them from him and smiled. “I wonder if we’ll be allowed to put the teddy in his incubator.” She tied the balloons to the end of the bed and sat the teddy beside them.

  “No harm in asking.” He handed her the flowers. “And these are from me to say thank you. You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

  “Aw, they’re lovely, Adam. Thanks.”

  “And they don’t need a vase, there’s a container inside the stand.”<
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  She made a space on the bedside table for them. “How’s work? Is everyone relieved the case is closed?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s wrong? I know that face, Adam. Something’s wrong.”

  “No.” He shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “Nothing’s wrong, but things are not as cut and dried as I first thought. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about work. Do you want to take me to visit our son?”

  “Of course. He’s missed you, you know?”

  “Has he now? And he told you that, did he?”

  “He certainly did. Every time the door opened today, his little head bobbed up to see if it was you.” She nodded, enthusiastically. “It’s true.”

  “We better head over there sharpish, then. I wouldn’t want to upset his nibs now, would I?”

  Chapter 43

  Sandra and the kids came back soon after. The nurses allowed them in to see baby Andrew one at a time. Considering their ages, Adam was proud of how well Emma and Jacob behaved.

  After a few minutes, Adam kissed them all goodbye and left. He was almost dead on his feet.

  Arriving home, he groaned as he remembered he hadn’t told Amanda of the social workers’ visit. He considered calling her, but thought better of it. There was no point upsetting her now.

  The flashing of the house phone caught his eye and, following the prompts, he received a message from a Detective Inspector Merchants from Wolverhampton police, who wanted to arrange an interview with him and Amanda as soon as possible.

  Although expected, the call made him feel uneasy. He hated the thought of a jobs-worth copper trawling through their private lives, trying to dig up as much dirt up as possible.

  Once he’d downed a cheese sandwich and cup of tea, he showered and changed into a T-shirt and sweat pants and opted to get his head down on the sofa.

  After staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, he switched on the TV and watched a couple of American sit-coms, back-to-back. After an hour of this, he began pacing the room. The discrepancies in the case needed further investigation before sleep would be remotely possible. And although it suited him right now to walk away, he wasn’t that kind of detective.

  Changing into his trusty black jeans, he grabbed a jacket, his briefcase, and keys and headed back to the station.

  *

  Ensconced in his office, he pulled out the file and slowly picked his way through it. He made notes on his desk pad as he went.

  A week ago tonight, Muldoon argued with Lana, threatened Sally and murdered Michael. The fact they found his DNA all over the apartment couldn’t be used as Muldoon lived there for the three years prior.

  Evidence against him:

  Fingerprints on the crowbar used to gain access to the apartment, and also on the murder weapon, belonged to Muldoon.

  DNA from the faeces left on the wall also belonged to Muldoon.

  Motive:

  He’d threatened Sally earlier for causing trouble between him and Lana. He’d always thought Michael lusted after Sally.

  Alternative motive:

  Michael could have caught Muldoon trashing Sally’s apartment.

  On Wednesday/early hours of Thursday morning, Lana and Dean were murdered in their beds. A different murder weapon used from the previous night showed this was pre-meditated.

  Evidence:

  DNA from the faeces matched that found at Sally’s apartment.

  A hair belonging to Muldoon was found beside Lana on the bed.

  Motive:

  Lana had ended her relationship with him after listening to Sally’s stories.

  Dean assaulted Muldoon when he returned home to find him roughing up his daughter.

  Natasha and Angela were murdered late Thursday evening. The killer seemed to be escalating at this point. He attacked both women while they were still awake, and Angela had been undressed, her underwear cut open.

  Evidence:

  Once again, they found a couple of Muldoon’s hairs and his faeces at the scene.

  Motive:

  Natasha gave a live interview to the local news slating Muldoon and Sally.

  Another thing that bothered him about this murder scene was that the path leading up to the house was caked in mud from the recent storm, yet they didn’t find any footprints belonging to the killer.

  Adam put his pen down and rubbed his chin. It didn’t make sense that the killer would so blatantly leave his DNA all over the place, yet cover up his footprints. Plus they hadn’t found any more fingerprints at any of the crime scenes which indicated he wore gloves. Why?

  He slammed his palms down onto his desk in sheer frustration. Why the hell hadn’t he noticed this before?

  He returned to the files.

  Friday night Muldoon left a message for Adam to find on his car windscreen. Clearly, he wanted to let them know he’d found out where he lived.

  On Sunday, Muldoon let himself into Adam’s house, somehow knowing the alarm wasn’t set and where to find the key. He cleaned the house from top to bottom and left a pile of crap in the toilet—more than a few days’ worth, that’s for sure. He found and took Amanda’s box of clippings.

  On Monday morning, an envelope had been left for him in reception questioning Mary’s true parentage. Sally received the same type of envelope with several photos inside showing her at her father’s bedside the night before. Another taunt, as the house was being watched by the PPU. Then DCI Williamson found another envelope on his desk containing the same information as Adam had.

  Later that night, Muldoon lets himself in to Charlie Kemp’s house and kills the dying man and his nurse. Afterwards, he disposes of his clothing and changes into a clean outfit before lying in wait for Sally to emerge from the bath.

  This had struck Adam as odd when Sally first told him, but he just shrugged it off. But, why did Muldoon wait? If his intention was to kill her, why not just march straight into the bathroom and catch her unawares?

  Another thing that bothered Adam was the fact Muldoon was filthy, as though he’d been living on the streets barefoot for a week. But, it was even worse than dirt from the street. Felix said his feet were covered in human waste and in-between his buttocks caked in excrement, as though he hadn’t wiped himself in a while. Adam thought back to Muldoon’s car and hotel room. Both were incredibly neat and tidy. It didn’t make sense that he’d allow himself to get so dirty.

  A thought suddenly struck him. If Muldoon had cleaned Adam’s house from top to bottom just the day before, why were his hands and nails thick with dirt and God only knows what else?

  He headed into the main office directly to the whiteboard.

  Focusing on the images of his house, another thing occurred to him. Scrutinising the image of their bed, it was clear the intruder lay with his head on the pillow. The lowest black mark from their shoes would have been made from that position. The highest mark was clearly made when they sat on the pillow, their back to the wall.

  He looked at Muldoon’s profile again and nodded. Just as he thought, Muldoon was 6’2”. Right now he couldn’t be certain, he would need to wait until he went home to measure, but he didn’t think the person who made the marks on the bed could possibly be anywhere near 6’2”.

  Adam was angry with himself for doing what he prided himself on never doing, namely taking the evidence at face value and allowing himself to be blindsided. Now that he was looking at the evidence with fresh eyes, it became clear to him that if Muldoon was indeed guilty, he would have had to have an accomplice.

  Several things slotted into place in his head making the puzzle complete.

  He jumped to his feet as the realisation struck him with the speed and voracity of a freight train. He slammed the heel of his palm to his forehead. How fucking stupid had he been?

  The team would take some convincing. And he was aware how crazy it sounded, but he knew without doubt, Sally Kemp was their killer.

  Chapter 44

  The more he thought about it, the mor
e it became blindingly obvious. But what evidence did he have? He couldn’t just march into Sally’s home and pray for a confession. She was much wilier than that.

  He would even have a job convincing the team, who’d all been thrilled at the current result.

  He headed home at midnight, showered, and set the alarm, so he could return to the station by 7.00am.

  He was sitting at the communal desk when Calvin breezed in.

  “Oh, hi, boss. If I’d known you were here I’d have brought you one.” He held up a takeaway coffee cup.

  “I’m all coffeed out, thanks, Cal.”

  Eyeing him suspiciously, Cal approached the desk, peering over Adam’s shoulder.

  Adam pulled down the laptop lid and grinned. “Nosy, aren’t we?”

  Cal sniggered and trotted back to his desk.

  “Can you ask the team to come in for a briefing, Cal?”

  “Has something else happened, boss?” He turned to his computer, scanning through his messages.

  “Nothing you’ll find on there. I’ll reveal all once the others arrive.”

  “Frances too?”

  Adam considered this for a moment. Frances would kill him if he left her out after all the effort she put into finding Muldoon.

  “Give her the choice, Cal. But only if she feels up to it.”

  He took his notes and laptop back into his office and checked his emails. The SOCO report had come through and he quickly added a few details to his list.

  He called Sandra and caught up with the kids, promising to try his best to pick them up from school and take them to visit the hospital again. He knew they could be a handful, but Sandra sounded happy enough. He hoped to be able to step up and spend much more time with them all as soon as he finished with Sally.

  Soon enough, Cal tapped on the door and popped his head in. “They’re all here, boss.”

  Back in the main office, he found his team seated, waiting expectantly.

  “Congrats on becoming a daddy.” Julie got to her feet and hugged him.

  “Yeah. Nice one, boss,” Les chipped in.