‘By that he meant where she worked as a prostitute?’
Julie nodded.
‘Do you know Lesley’s full name?’
She shook her head. ‘I’d only met her once. She was with Ann Marie once when she came to meet me at the care home. Ann Marie only introduced her as Lesley her flat mate.’
‘And did you get another visit from the police?’
‘We rung them every day for about ten days to see if they’d heard anything or found her, and then two detectives came to the house and asked me and mum lots of questions about Ann Marie. You know like you’re doing now – about her background, her friends, boyfriends. We told them about Jamie Baxter and how he’d got her into drugs and I told them what she’d told me about this man she said she was meeting.’
‘So at that stage they started taking Ann Marie’s disappearance seriously?’
‘Yes, but I told them it was too late by then and got a bit annoyed. Mum calmed me down. They promised they would do everything they could to find her and they did come back to us on several occasions and kept us up to date. They told us they’d questioned Jamie and he’d got an alibi – he was with his new girlfriend the Saturday she’d disappeared. They’d quizzed the shop keeper and recovered Ann Marie’s and Lesley’s clothing and they’d looked at the flat but they said everything appeared to be okay. There was no sign that there’d been a struggle or anything in there. They asked us if we had any idea where she might be, but we hadn’t a clue. Ann Marie was twenty-one when she disappeared.’ Julie looked from Hunter to Grace. ‘This body you’ve found, do you think it’s Ann Marie?’
‘Hunter shrugged his shoulders. ‘I honestly can’t say at the moment. As I said earlier the only way we’ll know, I’m afraid, is by a DNA comparison. We need to take a mouth swab from you if that’s okay?’
She nodded. ‘I’ve got a daughter of my own you know. I’ve called her Ann Marie. She’s twenty-two herself and got her own place. She knows about my sister going missing and I ring her every day to see if she’s all right. In fact, if I don’t ring before a certain time she rings me. It’s made me so overprotective.’
Statement taken and DNA sample obtained, Hunter and Grace said their goodbyes on the doorstep of Julie’s home.
Hunter was about to turn to make his way back to the car when Julie engaged his eyes.
She said, ‘I’d like to bury her – put her with dad. Mum would want that. It just seems right.’
Hunter watched her eyes start to glass over. He wanted to say that it might not be Ann Marie, but somehow he knew different. Everything that had been said pointed to their victim being her younger sister. He said nothing. Instead he offered up a sympathetic smile and turned on his heels.
* * *
‘I’m sure this is our victim,’ said Hunter, taking the reins at evening briefing. He was standing beside the incident board pointing to an A4 size copy of a photograph of a mousey haired, thin faced girl, with heavy blue/grey eye make-up. She had a strong jaw. ‘We’ve got to wait for the DNA result but I’m convinced that the person we’ve found in the old chapel is twenty-one-year-old Ann Marie Banks, from Chapeltown, Leeds, who was last known to be alive on Saturday, the twelfth of May, nineteen-eighty-four.’ He tapped her photo. ‘This is the last photograph we have of her and she was seventeen in this. Her older sister Julie says that even though she was four years older than that photo when she disappeared, it bears a strong resemblance because she looked a lot younger than her age, although she did say that when she went missing she had lost some weight and her face looked gaunt because of her drug use.’ Hunter went on to outline the circumstances of Ann Marie Banks’ disappearance gained from that morning’s interview. ‘From our talk with Julie it has thrown up some very interesting information which totally convinces me that the body is that of Ann Marie Banks. First, our victim certainly fits the profile in terms of height and size and hair colour, and secondly, we have the old injuries to her ribs and wrist when she was beaten up.’ He took a step forward from the board. ‘What is also interesting is the van aspect. Julie Adamson told us that when she last spoke with her sister, she told her that she was going out that Saturday evening with a man and that he was picking her up in his van. As we know our victim was found lying on a piece of carpet that is believed to have come from the back of a van.’ He tapped the photograph of the white jumper and pink trousers. ‘We have shown Julie Adamson the clothing our victim was wearing but she doesn’t recognise any of it, however, she does recognise the loop earrings. She said her mother had bought Ann Marie a similar pair for her sixteenth birthday.’ He took a breath and looked to Dawn Leggate, to see if she wished to respond. He could see she looked tired. Her hazel eyes no longer held their sparkle. He wasn’t surprised – she was putting in visits to the hospital to see Michael in between her incident room work. In fact, she had only got back from visiting him ten minutes prior to evening briefing. He had bumped into her as she was closing the door of her office and had asked how he was. She’d told him that though there were signs of improvement Michael still wasn’t out of danger. He had been taken back to theatre that afternoon to have his fracture pin-and-plated and he was still heavily sedated. It must be a really worrying time for her he thought as he held her gaze.
When she didn’t respond he prompted, ‘I don’t know what your thoughts are boss, but for me everything fits.’ She gave him a slow nod. ‘It certainly looks as though you might have discovered who our victim is and, if it is her, somewhere to start our enquiries. Good work. I’ve asked for the DNA sample to be prioritised so we could have a result as early as tomorrow morning. She momentarily closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples. Blinking her eyelids open she said, ‘You’ve also gained some information about Ann Marie’s flat mate?’
Hunter responded, ‘Yes boss. Grace has made some checks since we got back and we believe that woman is Lesley Jane Warren. Interestingly, Lesley is also listed on the Missing Person Index. She was officially reported missing by her mother twelve days after Ann Marie’s disappearance. That report was made following the visit by the detectives investigating Ann Marie’s disappearance. Thanks to Julie Adamson, we know that Lesley Jane Warren was alive on Sunday the thirteenth of May, nineteen-eighty-four, because she spoke with her on the phone. But after that she simply disappeared without trace. Extensive checks were made by the police at all her local haunts and with all known associates but without gain. Lesley was known by police in Chapeltown; she had been cautioned twice for prostitution and she also had a conviction for shoplifting. She was twenty-three years old back then.’
SIO Dawn Leggate threw Hunter a look to check he had finished. When he returned a nod she said, ‘At the moment, although it looks as though our victim is Ann Marie Banks, without a DNA match we merely have speculation. What is significant is that on the date she went missing Braithwaite was AWOL from prison and it coincides with the fire at the chapel. And on that note that is where I want to leave things for now. If we get a hit tomorrow, then it certainly throws up new lines of enquiry. Especially with regard to her flat mate.
* * *
Doctor Anna Wilson listened to the rain outside machine-gunning the roof of the forensic tent. For the past ten minutes she had noted it getting louder and faster with each passing minute, and now, for the first time since the weather had changed she could feel the cold: The forensic suit she was wearing offered no protection whatsoever to the drop in temperature. She checked her watch. 8.30p.m. Time to call it a day, and time to tell her team to pack up their equipment – the mix of experienced staff and students were working with the ground penetrating radar outside the inner cordon. Gosh! They must be soaked through. Even though she had heard the rain getting heavier she had been so focussed on finishing excavating the last section of the grave-site by the end of that day that she hadn’t given a thought for her team nearby. Stabbing her trowel into the damp soil and gripping its handle, she eased herself up, slowly straightening out her spine. It had been a long
day. She was about to call out to her team and tell them to pack up when the voice of her supervisor shouted up, ‘Anna, I think we’ve found something!’
CHAPTER TEN
DAY SIX
‘Can I have your attention everyone,’ called Dawn Leggate, lifting her voice above the chatter as she strode to the front of the room. ‘I think you’ve already heard, but I’m making it official – we’ve found another body buried in the construction site!’ She parked herself on the edge of a desk. ‘I was called away from the hospital last night. Doctor Anna Wilson and her team have found more human remains with the ground penetrating radar, and what’s interesting is that they are less than a dozen yards from where we found our first victim. Duncan Wroe turned out last night, together with a forensic team and they’ve secured the site ready to start work on the excavation this morning. As yet, we don’t know what we will find. I have been told that the remains are only a couple of feet below the surface – roughly the same depth as our first victim.’ She paused momentarily, glancing at the incident board. Then continuing, she said, ‘This is a game changer. Until Doctor Wilson excavates the site we won’t know what we’ve got, but given last night’s revelation about Ann Marie’s flatmate, Lesley Jane Warren, I am going to begin preparations for another body find. And I am opening out the search parameter. I have a meeting with the POLSA Inspector this morning and we are going to grid-mark the area to conduct new searches. With regard to our enquiries, until Doctor Wilson uncovers the remains and tells us what we’ve got, we still focus on our first victim.’ She began tapping the tips of her fingers, ‘We chase up that DNA result. We need it urgently. We really could do with knowing if our victim is Ann Marie Banks, especially as the murder MO of this victim fits with the others. And we plough through the existing lines of enquiries you’ve all been allocated.’ She slid off the edge of the desk and hand smoothed the front of her skirt. ‘You have enough to get on with guys.’
* * *
Detective Constables Tony Bullars and Mike Chapman traced Susan Braddock to a semi-detached house in the nearby town of Goldthorpe. She answered the door after the first couple of loud knocks from Tony. In her early fifties, with short dark hair, she eyed them with intense suspicion. Tony flashed his warrant card and introduced them. ‘We’re making enquiries into the body we’ve found on the construction site at Chapel Meadows.’
She responded by screwing up her face, moulding puzzled features.
Tony returned his identification to his inside jacket pocket. ‘We think you might be able to help us.’
She slackened her brow. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘We believe you used to play around the old chapel with some friends when you were younger – back in the eighties?’
Now her face changed to one of bewilderment. ‘Well, yes, but how…’
Tony interrupted, ‘Susan, your name was given to us by a retired police officer called Jennings, who used to be the community bobby for the Chapel estate. The body we’ve found was buried beneath the wooden floor of the old chapel and he’s told us that he once interviewed you and your mates about a fire that was started in the chapel in May, nineteen-eighty-four?’
She blushed slightly, ‘Good God! Bobby Scott you mean?’
Tony nodded.
‘Crikey, I remember that now. I was only thirteen. He scared the bloody life out of me and my mates. My mum wouldn’t let me go out for a fortnight after that. He accused us of trying to burn the old chapel down.’
‘Yes we know. He’s told us a little bit about it. Can we come in and have a chat?’
‘But it had nothing to do with us. We got blamed because we used to play there.’
Tony took a step forward. At six-foot-tall, with an athletic build, and a clean-shaven strong jaw with cleft chin, he was a commanding presence. ‘We could still do with having a chat with you.’
His door-step action caused Susan to back up into the hallway. She said, ‘I don’t know how I can help you. And what’s the fire to do with this body you’ve found?’
‘I can explain all that,’ Tony replied, flashing his blue/grey eyes and taking another step forward.
Susan Braddock turned and started walking back into the house, shrugging her shoulders. Tony and Mike followed, closing the door behind them. She took them into the kitchen.
She called over her shoulder. ‘I was just making a drink. Do you want one?’
Tony glanced at his partner who returned a nod. Tony said, ‘Coffee would be great. Milk please, two sugars for me and none in the other. My colleague’s on a diet.’
She smiled as she filled up the kettle, ‘I’m always on a bloody diet. It’s not working.’ Following a pause she asked, ‘Have you spoken with any of the others?’
‘You’re the only one we’ve managed to trace so far.’ Mike Chapman replied. Mike was a complete contrast to his partner. Four years’ senior to Tony, at 34, with unruly greying hair he looked a lot older, and whereas Tony was tall and slim, he was chunky, despite having lost three stone over the last six months. He had recently grown a goatee beard and moustache which, although trimmed, still looked untidy on his face.
‘How did you find me after all this time?’
‘Facebook.’ Tony answered.
She gave him an incredulous look, before bursting into laughter. ‘Well I wasn’t expecting that. Facebook.’
‘It’s how we get a lot of our breakthroughs these days. It’s almost our first port of call when we’re trying to trace someone. It’s also how we catch a lot of our villains would you believe? One recently did a selfie whilst he was doing a burglary near here and put it on for his mates to see. I mean how stupid is that?’
Susan gave another short laugh and switched on the kettle. ‘Bobby Scott used to scare the shit out of us as kids. He was bloody huge. As soon as we saw him we’d run a mile.’
‘He’s still a big fellow and he’s in his seventies now,’ said Mike.
‘We never started that fire you know. He tried to say it was us but it wasn’t.’ She bounced her gaze between the detectives. ‘Honest. I’m telling the truth.’ The kettle boiled itself off and she made three coffees. Handing Tony and Mike one each she said, ‘I’ve seen it on the news about the body you’ve found but I don’t see how I can help.’
Tony responded, ‘To be fair Susan we don’t know if you can. What we’re looking at is the probability that fire at the chapel was started around the same time as when the body was buried there.’
Her face suddenly paled.
Tony picked up on it. He said, ‘Is there something the matter?’
She spluttered and set down her coffee, ‘Jeez! We knew something was wrong that night, but we never told Bobby Scott when he interviewed us – we were too scared, because we knew we shouldn’t have been in the chapel.’
‘What do you mean Susan?’
She covered her mouth and looked shocked. ‘Talk about visiting the past...’ Shaking her head, she added, ‘I think we might have seen something.’
‘What do you mean you might have seen something?’
‘It wasn’t as much seen, as what we heard.’
‘Can you tell us what that was?’
She shot a glance to Tony. ‘Did you say May, nineteen-eighty-four?’
Tony nodded. ‘That’s when the fire was, according to PC Jennings, he wrote it down in his pocket note book. It was actually the thirteenth – a Sunday evening. Does it ring any bells?’
‘It being the Sunday evening it does, though I can’t remember the month, and nineteen-eighty-four was right because, as I say, I was thirteen. I remember it being Sunday because we always used to go there the night before school. We used it as a sort of a den. The place was really creepy and we’d go there as a sort of dare. It was somewhere we could have a crafty smoke and we’d play hide-and-seek, that kind of thing. Steve – Steve Simpson who used to live in the next street used to tell us ghost stories and all about the supernatural. Scared the shit out of us.’ She broke into a
smile and pulled her eyes away, drifting them to the window, as if reminiscing.
‘So you were there that night of the fire?’
She brought back her gaze. ‘Yes, but as I say we had nothing to do with that. It was the other two people who broke in.’
‘Two?’ Tony shot a quick look at Mike and then fixed her eyes. ‘You say two people?’
‘It’s a long time ago now, but I’m sure I can remember thinking there were two. To be honest I didn’t see anyone exactly – it was their voices I heard. I’m sure it was two men. We were upstairs in the gallery at the time. Steve was telling us another one of his stories when we heard them breaking in downstairs. We thought at first it was Bobby Scott coming to get us and we were crapping ourselves, but then when we heard their voices we realised it wasn’t. We kept our heads down thinking they’d have a quick look around, realise there was nothing worth nicking and then bugger off, but they didn’t. I could hear this groaning and dragging noise and so I peeked over the balcony…’ She broke off and her face lit up. ‘…That’s it, it’s coming back to me now. I looked over the balcony but it was too dark to see anything clearly, but I could see two people. They were just below us and I could see they were bent over this long bundle. Steve told me to get down in case they saw us. Everyone was bricking it. None of us dare move.’
‘Did you look over the balcony again?’
‘No I kept my head down.’
‘Can you remember what else you heard? Anything they said?’
‘Not what they said. They seemed to be groaning more than anything and I could hear them dragging something. I guessed it was the bundle they had. Then I heard them smashing up the floorboards.’ She took a long look at Tony. ‘It’s all coming back to me now. We never told Bobby Scott this because we thought we might get into trouble.’
Shadow of the Beast: A DS Hunter Kerr Novel Page 9