‘It’s number nine,’ Edris said.
‘OK, you can take the lead, I’ll just observe.’
‘Oh, right.’ Edris looked nervous as he straightened his tie.
‘I’m supposed to be training you when we’re on this case. I’ll have to report your progress back to Lester.’
‘Of course, but I only ever take notes when I work with Blackwell.’
‘You’ve already interviewed Sam Morris and Epworth on your own. I would’ve thought by now you’d realise I work a little differently.’
‘Yes, and I am grateful for the opportunity.’
‘Good. Then let’s get to it.’
As they approached the door it opened and a stocky man with a receding hairline stepped out. ‘You must be the cops. You better come in before the neighbours start twitching their curtains. Nosy bastards around here.’
The sitting room was small with a worn leather sofa and two mismatched armchairs. Several empty lager cans were dumped on the coffee table. Meadows noticed a photograph next to the television of two young girls in school uniform. ‘Your children?’
‘Yeah, they don’t live with me anymore. Split up with the missus a few years ago. She got the house and the kids. That’s why I’m renting this dump.’
Meadows took a seat and leaned back while Edris perched on the edge of an armchair and took out his notebook. He nodded to Edris, indicating that he should begin the interview.
‘When you called the station you said you had seen Sam Morris at approximately 5 p.m. on the afternoon of the twentieth of June, 1987. Can you be certain of that?’
‘Yeah, like I said on the phone, there was a match that day, it had been dry in the morning but rained during the game. We were all bloody stinking at the end of the game.'
‘Did you speak to Sam Morris?’
‘No, we weren’t mates, he was one of those swots. He was walking down Turnpike Road.’
‘You said you were with a group.’
‘Yeah, Me, Wayne Allen, Titch, that’s Gary Lane, and Dai Roach.’
Edris wrote the names in his notebook then looked at Meadows, who nodded.
‘Why didn’t you come forward at the time?’
Steven squirmed in his seat. ‘It’s a bit embarrassing.’ He rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin. ‘The thing is, he was going out with Bethan at the time, don’t know what she saw in him. If anyone was gonna go out with one of the hotties it was supposed to be from our gang. You know what it was like at that age. Anyway, Matt said Sam was guilty and deserved to get arrested so we should keep our mouths shut.’
‘Matt Thomas?’ Meadows, who had been quietly observing the interview, leaned forward in his chair. ‘Matt was with you that day?’
‘No, he had a knee injury so wasn’t playing. It was later when we mentioned that we had seen Sam Morris and that we should go to the police that he persuaded us not to.’
‘Persuaded you?’
‘Matt Thomas had a way of getting you to do what he wanted. It was better to be on his side. You know what I mean.’
I know only too well. Meadows sat back in his chair and let Edris continue with the questions.
‘So do you think Matt Thomas was jealous of Sam? Did he fancy Bethan?’
‘Who didn’t? But she was two years younger than us. Matt was going out with Katie Pritchard at the time. Look, Sam was seen with Gwen that afternoon, everyone thought he did it.’
‘So why come forward now?
‘I saw the reconstruction and thought, what if Sam didn’t do it? You said on the TV that Sam left Gwen at four o’clock at the cattle grid.’ He looked at Meadows. ‘If I saw him at five then perhaps he didn’t do it, he was heading home. What if the police wasted their time when they concentrated on Sam? I thought if I came forward this time it might help. I won’t get in trouble, will I?’
‘I shouldn’t think so, but this could have saved time in the original investigation and spared Sam Morris years of living under a cloud of suspicion.’
Steven looked at the floor and shuffled his feet. ‘I’m sorry. We were just kids.’
‘Well, thank you for your time.’ Meadows stood up. ‘We will be talking to the others that were with you that day, in the meantime if you remember anything else that may be important please call the station.’
‘So I guess we can cross Sam Morris off the suspect list,’ Edris said as he slipped into the passenger seat.
‘Check out the others in the group, see if they confirm Steven’s story. I think we should pay a visit to Matt Thomas.’ That’s one visit I’m going to enjoy. Meadows smiled to himself as he started the engine. ‘While we’re up this way we’ll call on Sue Collier. I want to go over her statement and see why she left it so long to report her daughter missing.’
Sue didn’t seem surprised to see them. She busied herself in the kitchen making tea then brought in a tray and placed it on the sitting room table where Meadows and Edris were seated on a plush cream sofa. Edris eyed the biscuits that were set on a china plate.
‘Sugar?’ Sue asked.
‘Two, please,’ Edris smiled.
Meadows declined and watched Sue fill the teacups. She handed one to Edris. ‘Help yourself to biscuits.’ She moved the plate into the centre of the table, handed a cup to Meadows, then took a seat, smoothing down her skirt. ‘So what can I do for you, Detective?’ she asked Meadows.
‘We’ve had a good response to the reconstruction and are now following up new lines of enquiry.’
‘It was very good, although it did bring everything back.’
‘That’s what we had hoped to achieve, that it would jog people’s memories. In your statement you said there had been an argument between yourself and Gwen that morning. Could you tell me what the argument was about?’
‘Oh, I don’t really know.’ Sue’s hand fluttered at her neck. ‘You know how teenagers are. I think she wanted to buy something, a new outfit, something like that.’ Sue picked up her cup and sipped.
She’s lying. ‘Gwen remembers it being more than just a teenage disagreement, she says that she was very distressed.’
Sue fidgeted in her chair. ‘She didn’t tell me that she’d remembered that morning.’
‘She recalls arguing with you but not what the disagreement was about.’
Sue visibly relaxed. ‘I can’t see why it would be so important.’
‘Could you just talk me through that day please?’
Sue put her hand to her temple as if to ward off the physical pain that came with the memory. ‘Gwen was supposed to go shopping with Bethan that morning, I didn’t expect her back until the afternoon. She must have come back while I was in the garden, I didn’t hear her come in. Not long after she came downstairs, we had words, and she went out again. There’s nothing more to tell.’
‘David Collier was here that day?’
‘Yes.’ Sue coloured.
‘Was he in the house when you and Gwen argued?’
‘Yes.’
‘And he went after Gwen when she left the house?’
Sue bristled. ‘He only followed her to the gate then he came back inside.’
‘What is your relationship with David?’
‘He’s my brother-in-law, he’s taken care of me and Gwen since my husband died.’ Sue glared at Meadows.
‘Was he angry with Gwen that day?’
‘No, what are you implying?’
‘I’m not implying anything. He chased after Gwen that morning and when he caught up with her at the gate he tried to restrain her.’
‘No it wasn’t like that.’ Sue’s temper flared. ‘He wanted to make sure that she was OK. She was upset when she left the house. He wasn’t angry with her and he came straight back into the house.’
‘He went out looking for her later that afternoon. Several witnesses saw him.’
‘He thought he could talk to her and calm things down, then bring her home so we could make up.’
‘Did you often argue with Gwen?’
>
‘No more than any other mother and teenage daughter.’
‘It was David that made the call to report Gwen missing?’
‘Yes, he stayed with me because I was so worried.’
‘The call was logged at 12.15 a.m. You left it late, was that because you thought Gwen had run away?’
‘Yes,’ Sue whispered. Tears gathered in her eyes and she twisted her hands on her lap.
‘It must have been a serious argument then,’ Meadows commented before draining his cup. He stood up and looked down at her. ‘Thank you for your time today, I hope it wasn’t too upsetting for you.’
Sue walked them to the door. ‘David would never hurt Gwen.’
‘I hope you’re sure of that,’ Meadows replied.
‘What do you think?’ he asked Edris when they were seated in the car.
‘I don’t know. I don’t think she would cover for David Collier if she thought he had hurt her daughter. Maybe she doesn’t remember what they argued about that day.’
‘Oh, I think she remembers. Every second of that day will be etched in her mind. I suspect her relationship with David is more than platonic and if you love someone that much then it’s hard to think them capable of hurting someone. Perhaps the argument was between David and Gwen and that’s why she won’t tell us. She is definitely hiding something.’
‘Are we going to see David Collier now?’
‘No, I want you to arrange for him to come in to the station. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to a formal interview.’
‘So where now?’
‘Let’s go and see Matt Thomas, then we will call on Giles Epworth.’
It took them almost an hour to reach the supermarket where Matt worked as a manager. He appeared wearing a navy suit with a red striped shirt which strained at the buttons.
‘Please come up to my office.’ Matt gave a tight smile.
They walked up a flight of stairs in silence. Once in the office Matt closed the door and took a seat behind a desk.
Meadows noticed the absence of a family photograph and wondered how many staff meetings took place with the young female staff. He tried to push away the image as irritation crawled at his skin. He pulled up a chair and sat opposite Matt.
‘This better be important. I don’t appreciate you coming into my workplace.’ Matt’s eyes narrowed.
‘We interviewed one of your old school friends this morning.’
‘Yeah, who’s that?’
Meadows ignored the question. ‘He told us that he saw Sam Morris at 5 p.m. on the day of the attack.’
‘And what’s that got to do with me?’
‘He claims that you persuaded him not to come forward with the information at the time.’
Matt’s face reddened and Meadows could see the tension in the other man’s shoulders. ‘Is that what he’s telling you? Well, I can’t be held responsible for what he saw or didn’t see.’
‘Why would you want him to hold back information that could have been helpful to the enquiry at the time?’
‘Look, we were just kids. We all know that bastard is responsible for what happened and he got away with it. Loads of people saw him with Gwen that day and he was screwing Beth.’
‘If our source is telling the truth – and we will be checking with the others in the group he was with that day – then it’s not possible that Sam Morris attacked the girls. He was on Turnpike Road at 5 p.m. and has an alibi for later that evening. Were you seeing Bethan at the time? Is that why you were jealous of Sam Morris? Where were you that day?’
‘How fucking dare you!’ Matt jumped up from his seat and leaned across the desk. ‘I could ask the same of you. You were always sniffing around Gwen.’
Meadows could feel Edris’ curious look. ‘I meant you weren’t playing rugby that day, why not?’
The colour drained from Matt’s face and he sat down heavily in the chair. ‘I had a knee injury so I stayed at home. Look, all of this has got me on edge. I’m worried about Gwen, you should never have dragged all this up. No good will come of it.’
‘Wouldn’t you like to see the person responsible caught?’
Matt huffed. ‘If there’s nothing else, I have to prepare for a meeting.’
‘No, that will be all, for now,’ Meadows smiled.
‘I think you enjoyed that,’ Edris grinned as they walked back to the car.
‘The guy was an arsehole in school and he hasn’t changed.’
‘Interesting reaction when you asked him where he was the day of the attack.’
‘Yes, I picked up on that too but I think it has more to do with his dislike for me than anything else. It’s likely that he persuaded the others to keep quiet about Sam Morris for spite and no other reason. I just wanted the satisfaction of making him squirm. Still, I think you should have a dig around, see what you can find out about him.’
The phone vibrated in Meadows’ pocket. He took it out and saw Gwen displayed on the screen. Has Matt called her to complain already? He answered the call and listened as Gwen recounted her memory of Epworth in the classroom. Meadows felt a surge of excitement. First the sighting and now this. He filled Edris in on the conversation as he drove.
‘Wouldn’t there have been other complaints if he’s some sort of pervert?’
‘Not necessarily. Most victims don’t file complaints. Think about it: he’s a person in authority. First a teacher, then a headmaster. There would be the fear of not being believed. There is also the possibility that if he only targets older girls, say fourteen- or fifteen-year-olds and those girls have a crush on him, then they wouldn’t see anything wrong if he took advantage of them.’
‘So you think that Bethan Hopkins had a crush on him, he got her pregnant and panicked.’
‘It’s a possibility, Sam Morris was ruled out as being the father of the baby and from what Gwen just told me, Bethan certainly had a crush on Epworth. Let’s see what he has to say for himself. If we hurry we may be able to catch him before he leaves the school.’
Chapter Eighteen
Giles Epworth took up his usual position at his office window to watch the pupils leaving school for the day. He spotted Ariana Thomas walking with Jessica Evans. They were soon joined by a group of boys. He could tell from their body language that there was a mutual attraction, you could almost see the testosterone in the air. Little sluts, just like their mothers at that age. Always hanging around the boys, teasing. Maybe I would have been better off in an all-boys school. His eyes scanned the crowds, he knew most of the pupils by name and had a good memory of all those who had passed through the school during the time he had worked there.
He was about to turn away when he saw a car turn through the school gates and into the car park. Two figures emerged and as they drew nearer he felt his stomach clench. Winter Meadows and Tristan Edris, what do they want? He had watched the reconstruction, even though he had promised himself he wouldn’t, he had been drawn to it like passers-by to a car crash. There was nothing in it to draw attention to me, the police didn’t question me last time so there is no reason for them to question me now, and it’s probably something to do with the school security.
He watched the two men enter the building. Winter Meadows, he was here the same time as Bethan and Gwen. Moody boy, intelligent, but a bit of a loner, a misfit from a commune. Giles’ lips twitched. Shouldn’t have to worry about him. Now Tristan Edris, cheeky little sod and a slut magnet. He turned away from the window, his mind still in the past, swirling through all the pupils he had to reprimand over the years. They never should have made us give up the cane, yes, a good whack never did me any harm. An image of the cane swishing through the air and landing with a crack on bare flesh stirred his arousal. Giles adjusted his trousers and sat behind his desk awaiting his visitors.
There was a sharp rap at the door, it opened and Catrin peered around.
‘Visitors for you, Headmaster. DI Meadows and DC Edris.’
‘Show them in.’ He could see
the gleam of excitement in her eyes. She’ll be on the phone gossiping as soon as she closes the door. He made a show of shuffling papers on his desk as the two men were shown in. He looked up and smiled. ‘Hello again, Tristan, and Detective Inspector Meadows, Your name sounds familiar. Were you also a pupil here?’
‘Yes, many years ago.’
‘So what can I do for you?’ He sat back in his chair, hoping to give the impression that he felt relaxed in their company. ‘Please sit down. Since Tristan’s last visit we have been extra vigilant with security and the talk on personal safety from your colleague was very well received.’ Keep talking, show that you want to be helpful. He folded his hands and placed them on his lap.
Meadows smiled. ‘That’s good to hear. As you will be aware, a reconstruction was aired last Friday evening and we’ve had a good response. We are currently following up new lines of enquiry.’
‘Oh yes, I did hear about the reconstruction, but unfortunately I didn’t get time to watch it.’
‘A witness has come forward claiming to have seen you on the mountain that day with Gwen Collier.’
That’s not possible, no one saw me, unless he came forward … No, he wouldn’t. Giles could feel the perspiration gathering on his forehead. Meadows’ eyes bored into him. ‘Really? How bizarre. I’m sure there must be some mistake. I certainly would’ve remembered seeing Gwen that day.’
‘Were you on the mountain that day?’
‘Too be honest, I don’t recall. It’s such a long time ago.’ He could feel the familiar tightness in his chest. Breathe, relax, they don’t know anything.
‘I appreciate that, but given the nature of the crime committed that day and the media coverage I would’ve thought that day would be fairly memorable. You were living in Bryn Melyn at the time?’
‘Yes, I’ve lived there since 1980.’
‘Do you often walk up the mountain?’
Careful, he’s trying to trick you. Giles glanced at Tristan who was scribbling notes. ‘On occasion. I have a dog so I do a fair amount of walking. It gives me time to think. I also suffer from angina and the doctor recommended I take exercise.’ Stop rambling. A pain tugged at his chest. He wanted to rub it with his hand but was afraid the gesture would be taken as nervousness.
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