Trial by Execution

by T. M. E. Walsh

  ‘Well, she’s in danger. You need to help her.’

  ‘Devon, you’re not making much sense.’

  ‘We did it, okay? Well, not exactly, but we arranged it.’

  ‘You need to stop, slow down,’ Claire said. ‘I can’t help anyone unless you calm down and start from the beginning.’

  Devon sucked in a deep breath. ‘I should’ve gone with her. She called me, begged me to go with her. After what I helped get her into, I should be there.’

  ‘Devon, just tell me-’

  ‘We helped kill Knox!’

  Claire stopped in her tracks, stood rigid.

  ‘We made sure he was in that wood, in that spot. We knew what was going to happen,’ he said. ‘We are as much to blame as whoever it was that cut him up.’

  Claire tried to calm him down when she heard the panic in his voice. ‘Who is we, Devon?’

  ‘Beckett, me… Janet,’ he said, his voice sounding heavy with the knowledge he’d gone against his own code never to be a grass. ‘As his offender manager, Janet knew Knox was going to be released, knew his official release date – the real one. Beckett called a few media outlets, spread the rumour, but no one took the story, so we improvised.’

  ‘Someone did bite,’ Claire said, her thoughts racing to Adam Crowley, his confronting Knox.

  Devon paused. ‘Then why did no one pursue him?’

  ‘News rooms were being inundated with prank calls, people wanting their five minutes of fame, offering dubious information. It would’ve got lost in the noise.’ Her thoughts raced to Janet and her involvement. ‘What’s Janet done?’

  ‘When no one printed the story, she said we had to do more. She said it was fate Knox had been assigned to her-’

  ‘After her sister,’ Claire cut in.

  Devon paused. ‘You know? How can you know about her?’

  Claire looked at Simon. ‘We have a mutual acquaintance… You mentioned John Beckett, too?’

  ‘He didn’t want Knox here any more than we did. He… Look,’ he said, becoming agitated, ‘I’m only telling you all this to help Janet. Beckett manipulated sign-in times and deleted any CCTV footage that could incriminate me or throw up any questions, motives, whatever.’ He paused. ‘I persuaded Knox to go into the woods that day. I told him Janet would be waiting for me, and he would have the perfect opportunity to do… to do what he was looking to do if he went in my place.’

  ‘He went to assault her, you mean?’

  ‘He would’ve done.’

  Claire paced the room again. ‘Janet wasn’t the one who-’

  ‘Killed him? God, no. No, but she was in on it. She told us – me, Beckett – that she had arranged it with the Headleys. Lure Knox to the wood, that exact spot, the one I’d shown him earlier that day, and the rest would be taken care of.’

  Claire shut her eyes tight. ‘Do you realise what you’ve done?’

  He half laughed. ‘If you think I care what happened to Knox, you’re wrong. I care about the danger Janet’s now in.’

  ‘With who? The real killer?’

  ‘I’m not sure he would harm her, but she said she was convinced that what we did, what it led to, caused the murders of Tilly and Helena somehow.’

  Claire took a deep breath. ‘It must be Stuart Headley. He’s got the motive, and the means,’ she said.

  Devon’s voice sounded resigned to the fact he’d been incredibly stupid. ‘She said she could be wrong. We were never supposed to know who would kill Knox. Janet said the Headleys knew someone who could do it, someone we wouldn’t be linked to. We all had our part to play in this, and it was better we didn’t know the full plan laid out for Knox.’

  Claire paused. ‘Why risk your future for Janet?’

  ‘I help her; she helps me… she promised she could get me out of this place sooner.’

  Claire sighed heavily. This wasn’t good. ‘Where is she now?’

  ‘Gone to the regeneration reserve. She said she could talk to him, and bring this thing to an end. She saw we did the wrong thing. Killing Knox hasn’t solved anything.’

  Claire lost her patience. ‘You think? It was stupid and naïve, that’s what it was.’

  ‘I know that, and now Janet’s in danger and I should have gone with her. I let my pride get in the way.’

  Claire understood then. ‘She led you to believe there was something more between you both, didn’t she?’

  Devon was silent.

  ‘When did she leave?’

  ‘Not too long ago. She’s gone to confront a killer and I let her. I’ve been in bits over this. I’ve done some bad things in my time, but…’

  ‘Stay where you are. Let me handle this.’ Claire paused when she heard nothing the other end of the line. ‘Devon?’ She looked at the screen of her mobile.

  He was gone.

  CHAPTER 62

  Stefan had been back at the incident room for ten minutes and briefed Donahue on what they had so far.

  ‘I’ve got a copy of the CCTV footage of the man who killed Skye, Sergeant Swanson and an agency cleaner at the hospital,’ he said, handing Donahue a DVD. ‘There’s not much to go on. Their face is deliberately obscured from the camera.’

  ‘What’s the situation down there now?’

  ‘No one’s being allowed in or out at the moment, and there’s a crime scene to contain. This man killed three people in there.’

  Donahue handed the CCTV footage to Matthews. ‘Have a look at this, see if you can get anything from it.’

  Elias came up beside them then, handing Stefan new information.

  ‘Skye was definitely having an affair with Sean,’ Elias said, handing him pages of printouts. ‘She had another email account, one her boyfriend, Danny, wasn’t aware of.’

  Stefan frowned as he read the emails.

  His mobile started ringing. It was Claire.

  ‘The Headleys are involved in this,’ Claire said, gripping her mobile to her ear as she made to leave Simon’s house. ‘Devon Hemmings, from the hostel, said Janet was heading to the regeneration reserve to confront who she believes to be the killer. I’m going there now. We need officers at the Headleys’ house. Ffion must know who killed Knox.’

  Claire filled him in on Janet’s sister.

  ‘Janet arranged Knox’s murder with Ffion, at least partly. Send officers to the hostel, too. We need to speak to the manager, John Beckett – he edited the hostel’s CCTV footage, the part that would’ve shown Crowley leaving the wood, the way he said he did – and Devon needs to make a formal statement.’

  ‘Why edit Crowley out?’

  ‘In case he was the killer? Janet, Beckett, Devon – they were never supposed to know who would kill Knox. Maybe they were covering all bases and deleted anyone who went in and out of the wood around the time Knox was killed?

  Stefan told her about the emails exchanged between Skye and Sean.

  ‘That might explain why Sean attacked Raja,’ she said. ‘He must have known Skye could’ve been pregnant, and maybe his guilt got too much for him. Raja couldn’t give him children and here he was playing around with Skye.’

  ‘All right, I’m on my way to the Headleys’, but you need to stay where you are,’ he said.

  Claire didn’t speak.

  ‘Claire, I mean it. We’ll dispatch officers to the reserve but you’re not to go on ahead.’

  ‘Janet could end up like the rest, Fletch.’

  ‘Until we have mobilised units, you’re to stand down.’

  No reply came from the other end, and he swore when he realised she’d hung up.

  ‘Damn her.’

  *

  ‘You can’t go alone,’ Simon said, following Claire from the living room.

  ‘I’ll call for support, but Janet could be in danger right now. I have to go.’

  He made a face, and not a happy one. ‘I’ll come with you.’

  Claire stopped in her tracks. She turned to face h
im. ‘You don’t need to do that.’

  ‘I know, but what kind of man would I be if I let you do this alone? It could be dangerous. Look what could’ve happened at the quarry.’

  ‘Simon, I don’t need a babysitter.’

  He started to climb the stairs. ‘That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Stop being difficult. Give me a minute to get dressed and we’ll go.’

  When she didn’t answer he looked down the stairs at her. She was staring up at him. ‘Go,’ she said. ‘Hurry up, we haven’t much time.’

  Simon headed up the rest of the stairs. When he was in the bedroom, Claire opened the front door, and eased it shut after her, as soundlessly as she could. She ran to her car.

  She started to reverse and then glanced up at the house. She saw the curtain in the upstairs bedroom pull back. Simon’s silhouette was visible as he looked out of the window.

  She stopped the car, peered up at him.

  Any old feelings of desire she’d once had for him were long gone but she was heartened by the protectiveness he still extended towards her.

  However, that couldn’t sway her emotions right now.

  Any guilt she felt about bailing on him quickly vanished when she thought about his telling Crowley about her relationship with her father.

  It was a low blow.

  Claire backed the car out of the drive and headed back towards Haverbridge.

  CHAPTER 63

  00:45 am

  When Stefan arrived with a team of officers at the Headleys’ home, the main gates to the house were open. He saw the couple’s Porsche Macan in the driveway and all the lights were off inside the house.

  When Stefan had parked up beside the Porsche, he wasted no time getting out and heading to the front door.

  Stuart Headley opened the door after several minutes of knocking.

  He gave Stefan the once over, his face registering his irritation. He stood wrapped in a towelling dressing gown tied tight around his waist. His hair was sticking up at all angles, and he looked groggy from sleep. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he squinted as he took in the other officers behind Stefan.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ he said, hand now holding the door frame, blocking entry to the house. ‘Have you any idea what time it is? You could’ve woken the twins.’

  Aware that this might be a delaying tactic, Stefan wasted no time. ‘Where is your wife?’

  Stuart looked stunned. His lips parted a fraction as he went to speak.

  No sound came out.

  He looked back inside the house, in the direction of the stairs.

  Ffion was coming down the steps slowly, looking as if she was still half asleep. Stuart returned his attention to Stefan.

  Stefan jutted his chin out, silently trying to solicit a response from him.

  ‘You had better have a good explanation for this.’

  Stefan didn’t look fazed. ‘It’s Raymond Knox we’re here about.’

  Stefan’s face was steely when Stuart half laughed at him, not quite believing him.

  Then Stuart’s face dropped. ‘You’re serious?’

  Stefan remained silent, eyes ever watchful.

  Stuart shifted, dropped his arm down from the door frame, suddenly feeling vulnerable. ‘Can we do this inside, please?’ He looked out past them, towards the main road at the bottom of the drive. ‘I don’t want people to start talking more than they do already.’

  He ushered Stefan and the officers inside, through to the living room. ‘Just what is this all about?’ he said, wrapping his arm around Ffion when she stood by his side.

  Stefan turned to them both after looking around the room, trying to spot anything that didn’t feel right.

  ‘Mind if we check upstairs?’ Stefan said.

  Stuart looked bemused. ‘I don’t, but Inspector, first you can start telling us what’s going on before we really do have an issue.’

  ‘Janet Casey?’ he said, and instantly saw the recognition on Ffion’s face. Stuart didn’t even flinch.

  ‘Who?’

  Stefan looked at Ffion. ‘Are you going to fill him in or shall I?’

  *

  Stuart stared at his wife, wide-eyed, his skin pale, drained of colour, after Ffion told him about Janet and her sister, Evie, and their connection to Knox.

  Stefan saw the look on his face. ‘You didn’t know?’

  ‘No!’ He started to pace the room. ‘Fi, why didn’t you tell me any of this?’

  ‘I didn’t think you’d understand,’ she said.

  ‘Why wouldn’t I have understood?’ he said. He didn’t wait for her to answer. His eyes locked with Stefan’s. ‘You can’t think Fi had anything to do with this? With Knox?’ he said. ‘She’d never…’

  He broke off, ran his hand through his hair. He looked at his wife, who he now noticed couldn’t meet his eye.

  ‘Fi?’

  She sucked in a deep breath. Released it. ‘I’m sorry, Stu.’

  He looked at her as if she were suddenly a stranger to him. ‘We talked about something like this, I’ll admit. After what Knox did, who wouldn’t talk about it?’ he said, turning again to face Stefan, while the other officers looked upstairs and in the living room around them. ‘But that’s all we ever did.’ He came closer to Stefan. ‘We talked about it. She wouldn’t really kill anyone.’

  ‘Did you know Tilly Hartley or Helena Daniels?’ Stefan said to them both.

  Stuart nodded. ‘They contacted me through Twitter and Facebook. Pair of silly fantasists. I never engaged with them other than to tell them to leave us alone.’

  Stefan looked at Ffion.

  She gave a sullen nod of her head. ‘They tried, through social media. They were obsessed with what I went through. I blocked them.’

  Stuart paused, sudden realisation dawning on him. ‘You think we had something to do with their deaths? Is that it? Knox, too?’

  Stefan didn’t speak. Instead his eyes went to Ffion’s. Stuart turned around slowly to stare at her.

  ‘Tell him, Fi. Tell him this is nonsense,’ Stuart said.

  ‘He’s right,’ she said, tears beginning to brim in her eyes. ‘I arranged it with Janet.’

  Stuart stared at her. He looked shell-shocked and Stefan knew he wasn’t play-acting. This was real. The poor bastard hadn’t been party to any of it.

  ‘I think you’d better tell us everything,’ Stefan said.

  Ffion sat down on the sofa. She told them how she had become involved with Janet and Evie when DCI Simon Forrester had charged Raymond Knox. She told them how Beckett, Devon and Janet had arranged to set Knox up, while she’d help plan who they would get to murder Knox himself.

  ‘We looked at your phone records,’ Stefan said. ‘Your emails, even the ones you thought you’d deleted. We didn’t find anything.’

  Ffion nodded. ‘We communicated through pay-as-you-go mobiles, never used our names. When it was done, when Knox was dead, we disposed of them.’

  ‘Jesus, Ffion, what the hell were you all thinking?’ Stuart said, his voice raised.

  Seconds passed and then they heard a cry coming from an upstairs bedroom. Ffion rushed to the hallway. ‘That’s one of the boys,’ she said over her shoulder.

  Stefan went to follow, but his mobile rang. He looked at the caller ID.

  Elias Crest.

  ‘Crest?’ he said, answering the call.

  ‘I’ve been trying the Guv’s phone; it’s diverting to voicemail; she must have a patchy signal.’ He paused, sounding out of breath. ‘Listen carefully, this is important,’ he said. ‘I’ve got something on that dog from the quarry.’

  *

  When Ffion came back downstairs, she looked emotionally drained. She looked to Stuart.

  ‘It was Toby,’ she said. ‘He’s fine, gone back to sleep.’ She saw the look on Stefan’s face as he ended a call he’d taken while she’d been upstairs.

  ‘What’s happened?’

&n
bsp; Stuart sat down, his hands shaking with shock. ‘Fi, what have you all done?’ he said through gritted teeth.

  ‘Ffion,’ Stefan said. ‘Janet thought she knew who killed Knox. She thinks she can bring them back from this brink, from this downward spiral they’re on. It didn’t begin and end with Raymond Knox,’ he said, as the cold realisation passed over her face. ‘Tell me everything you know. Janet Casey’s life might depend on it.’

  CHAPTER 64

  Janet arrived at the entrance to the reserve and parked her car in front of the gates. She grabbed her torch from the glove compartment and got out of the car just as her phone went off, indicating a text message.

  I’m at the lagoon. There’s a hole in the fence halfway down from the main gates to your left. Please hurry. I don’t trust myself any more.

  Janet felt a shiver dance down her spine. She walked slowly to the left-hand side of the entrance and shone her torch along the boundary fence.

  She felt her stomach somersault. She was in way over her head. Any prior thought she’d had that confronting him on her own was a good idea was fast disappearing. What if she was wrong, and it wasn’t him? How would he would react at being accused of such horrendous crimes?

  But what if it is him?

  What if he has no intention of turning himself in? What if he realises I know too much?

  No, Janet, she told herself. He wouldn’t hurt you.

  The she heard a vehicle approaching.

  She swung round and saw the headlights in the distance, getting closer.

  She stayed firmly rooted to the spot. The car came into view. It slowed as it neared the gates to the reserve, drove past Janet and parked next to her car.

  Janet breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.

  Raja got out of the vehicle.

  ‘Janet?’ she said.

  ‘Oh, Raja,’ she said, rushing towards her. ‘I’m so glad it’s you.’ They hugged each other. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Sean called me,’ Raja said, squeezing Janet tighter. ‘He sounded suicidal. I asked him where he was and he said here… right where Evie was…’ She trailed off, not wanting to say the words. She took a step back from Janet.