by Celina Grace
“That’s entirely understandable, Mrs Widcombe,” Kate said sympathetically, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Jenny nodded, tears still falling. “We’re just trying to see if we can make any sense of this tragic happening.”
“I understand that. What can I tell you that might help?”
“Well, we were hoping you could tell us something about Joshua and Kaya’s relationship. They were together quite a while, weren’t they?”
Jenny frowned. For a second, anger overcame the sadness in her face. “I know I’m supposed to say that they were very happy together,” she said and something hardened the softness of her voice. “And I suppose they were, at first. But I didn’t – there was something...”
Her voice sank to a whisper and then petered out completely. Kate watched her closely.
“You didn’t like Kaya?” she prompted, after the silence stretched out into a minute.
“No, I didn’t. Not much.” Jenny’s gaze flickered and fell to her clasped hands. “She was very beautiful, of course – really gorgeous – but I never really liked her. She just seemed so pushy, so overbearing. I really think she almost bullied Joshua into going out with her.” Her eyes rose to meet Kate’s. “I know that sounds terrible.”
“Please, do go on, Mrs Widcombe.”
Jenny sighed and wiped her eyes again. “Maybe I’m being uncharitable. I’ve met her mother, of course, and she seems very nice – nothing like Kaya in personality. I don’t know, it must have been hard for them after Kaya’s dad left. Perhaps that’s why she felt she had to be so – so over the top all the time.”
Kate nodded and let the woman speak. She glanced over at Fliss, who was writing busily. Jenny stopped speaking. A little colour had come back into her cheeks.
Kate decided to take the bull by the horns. “Kaya’s friends told us they seemed to think that Kaya had the impression that Joshua was, well, seeing someone else. Do you think that might have been the case?”
Again, anger showed on Jenny’s tear-stained face. “No, I do not. Joshua wasn’t that kind of boy. I don’t know where Kaya got that impression but she was wrong.” She was clasping and re-clasping her hands almost compulsively. Kate wondered whether she was protesting just a little too much. How well had she really known her son? Was Jenny just doing what every mother would do – presenting the best aspect of her dead son, as if it mattered now anyway. Kate looked around the room, noting all the family pictures: plenty of Joshua as a young man and as a child. She thought of the pain Jenny must feel every time she caught sight of one of the photographs – it would be a stab to the heart every day, wouldn’t it? But surely, taking away all of his pictures would be worse...
She dragged her attention back to Jenny, who was still speaking. “Kaya was paranoid. I overheard a couple of arguments that they had. She kept accusing him of lying to her, as if Joshua would do that. Silly girl. She—” Jenny bit her lip and hesitated for a second. “She was so paranoid in what she was saying that it did cross my mind that she might have been on drugs.”
“Do you have any evidence for that?” asked Kate.
Jenny shook her head. “No, I don’t. It was just a thought. But it was ridiculous for her to think that Joshua would betray her like that. If anything, I would have thought she was far more likely to cheat on him.”
Was that true? Kate wondered as she and Fliss said their goodbyes and headed out to the car. Did Jenny really have any evidence for that or was it just her obvious dislike of the girl showing? Dismissing the thought, she climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Nothing very illuminating there,” she remarked to Fliss as she drove away.
“Mmm. I guess if we find something in Kaya’s phone records that might be worth following up, though.”
“Yes,” said Kate, stifling a yawn. This day seemed to be going on forever and they didn’t seem to have achieved much. The grey clouds in the sky above her were darkening, and as they reached the road that led to Abbeyford Police Station, the first drops of rain began to speckle the windscreen.
Once they were back at their desks, Fliss set to work on tracking down Kaya Trent’s mobile phone records. Kate looked at the teeming piles of paperwork on her desk and groaned inwardly. She heard the ping of a text message coming through on her phone and checked it, to see a picture message from Olbeck of a cocktail glass on the slatted white wood of a beachside table, a distant glimpse of palm trees and a white sandy beach in the background, the accompanying text how’s work? Signed off with a winking emoticon. Bloody git. Kate pondered for a moment and then took a picture of her extended middle finger and sent it back to him, minus a message. Sometimes a picture really did say a thousand words.
Chuckling, she looked up to see Fliss holding out a sheaf of paper.
“Phone records,” was all she said.
“That was quick.”
“Oh, we had them anyway, when we thought it might be a murder case.” Fliss pulled herself up. “Well, you know. Both of them having been murdered.”
“I know what you mean,” said Kate, taking the papers and searching for a suitable highlighter pen. “Here, I’ll do this lot and you can do that lot.”
Still trying not to yawn, Kate settled down to her work, thinking longingly of home time.
*
Anderton called them all together first thing the next morning. Kate, feeling bouncier after an uninterrupted night’s sleep, swivelled in her chair to face the whiteboards. Anderton waited for the general hubbub of the room to die down and then began his usual pacing as he began to talk.
“Morning, team. Firstly, thanks for all your hard work on this case so far. Anyone got anything to add that I’m not yet aware of?” He paused but nobody had. “Right, good. Now, as you are no doubt aware, the medical evidence proves quite conclusively that it was Kaya Trent who cut the wrists of both Joshua Widcombe and herself, although it seems likely that Joshua died of an overdose of barbiturates as opposed to blood loss. On the face of it, we’re looking at a murder-suicide, and that’s the report I’ll be giving to the media this afternoon.” He paused and took up the folder that was lying on the desk next to him. “There’s nothing to connect anyone else with this case; forensic evidence at the scene shows that the only people there, apart from the victims, were John Dawson, Zac Downey and Evelyn Hindmarsh, which tallies exactly with the statements that they have already given us.” He looked at Kate. “Kate, Fliss, you’ve been checking Kaya Trent’s phone records, haven’t you? Anything out of the ordinary there?”
Kate shook her head. “Nothing. Every number we found has been accounted for.”
“Well, there you go. Much as there’s going to be a lot of media speculation about the motive, and I’m heartily sorry that the parents are going to have to go through that, I’m now officially announcing that we’re closing this one down. Job done. Anyone want to say anything?” There were negative murmurs, shrugs and shakes of the head. “Fine. Again, thanks for your work on this one. Now, moving forward—”
The ringing of one of the desk phones interrupted Anderton. Theo reached out to answer it, and as Kate watched his hand move towards the receiver, she was suddenly hit by a sense of dread. She actually shuddered.
“CID,” Theo said, lounging back against the desk as he brought the phone to his ear. He listened for a moment and then stood up sharply. Kate felt a jump of her heart. Something bad had happened, she knew it. Intently, she watched Theo’s face as he talked to whoever was on the other end of the line, trying to work out what had happened.
There was silence in the room as Theo put the phone down eventually, his face sombre.
“What’s up?” asked Kate, unable to wait any longer.
“There’s been another suicide,” Theo said. Fliss gasped a collective murmur eddied about the room. “At the college again, in the woods. Another girl.”
Anderton had stilled, unusually for him. Now he sprang back into motion, turning on his heel and making for the door. “I�
�m taking this one. Kate, you’re with me.” Fliss and Theo looked slightly taken aback, and Anderton added, “It doesn’t need all of us to be there. I just want to have a look for myself.”
“Why?” demanded Theo and then looked shocked at his own daring.
Anderton looked at him levelly. “Just call it a feeling, okay? I wasn’t there, first time around. I want to be sure we’re not missing anything.” His gaze fell on Fliss and he obviously reconsidered. “Actually, Fliss, you’d better come too. You were there last time, you might be able to spot something useful.” He paused at the door, tapping his foot impatiently. “Come on, ladies.”
Fliss and Kate scrambled for their coats and bags. By the time they both obtained what they needed, Anderton had already gone and they had to run down the corridor after him, leaving Theo and Rav muttering a little in their wake.
Chapter Seven
“Who discovered the body?” Kate asked, once they were all in Anderton’s car and speeding towards the college.
Anderton made a noise of annoyance. “I was so eager to get out the door, I didn’t stop to ask. Ring Theo, Kate, and find out for me.”
As Kate dialled the office number, she watched the hedgerows and grassy banks slip by beside her window. It was a sunny day but the sky was heaped with mounded white clouds, and every time the sunlight was blotted out, the chilly wind could be felt. All the trees were in leaf now, most with foliage of that springtime lime green that lasts so little time before the leaves darken and thicken with age.
Kate listened to her colleague on the other end of the line, thanked him and terminated the call. “John Dawson,” was all she said to Anderton and watched his eyebrows shoot up.
“Indeed. Right, I want him in for questioning, for a start.”
Fliss, who was normally quite quiet and shy around her boss, was obviously sufficiently startled to make a comment. “Do you think he might be involved, sir?”
Anderton glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. “I’ve no idea. My reckoning is, find one body, that’s unfortunate. Find two, that’s turning into something of a pattern. I just want him questioned further, that’s all, for now.”
Both women nodded. They had turned into the long winding driveway of the college now and the trees threw dappled shadows across the windscreen of the car as they drove along.
There was a small reception committee waiting for them in the car park: Doctor Hindmarsh and John Dawson. Kate covertly examined his face as she got out of the car but she could see nothing there except shock and a certain grimness. Doctor Hindmarsh was almost in tears.
“Could you lead us to the body please, sir?” was all Anderton said. John Dawson said nothing but nodded. As they all went to walk away, Doctor Hindmarsh stopped suddenly, hugging her arms across her body. “I’m not sure I can,” she whispered.
Kate and Anderton exchanged glances. “DC Durrant, would you accompany Doctor Hindmarsh to her office, please? We’ll join you afterwards.”
Fliss nodded, her face impassive. Kate and Anderton watched her shepherd the head teacher away, towards the main school building, and then turned back to Dawson.
“This way,” he said gruffly and began to march away along a winding footpath that seemed to lead into the woods. Kate and Anderton followed him. Anderton asked a few questions: when and how and what, and Dawson answered him civilly enough, although he had to stop and clear his throat a few times. The path took them past the theatre building and, for a horrible second, Kate thought that they were heading towards the outdoor amphitheatre once more, to see another limp doll spread-eagled on the grassy floor of the stage. But they passed the turn-off for the stage and followed the path deeper into the woods. Soon the path was almost lost underneath a layer of leaves and leaf mould. Dawson came to a halt, rather suddenly.
“In there,” he said hoarsely, inclining his head. Kate could already see the dark shape of something just beyond, in the dimness of the forest, and her heart began to beat a little faster.
“Wait here please, sir,” Anderton said, and then he and Kate stepped carefully forward. As they got to within ten feet of the body, they could see it clearly. A young girl, very young – sixteen but no older, Kate thought, with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The girl’s face was obscured by her long brown hair but the noose around her neck could be seen, a piece of green twine that was tied to a tree branch several feet above the girl’s head. She wore the school uniform, the pale tights ripped into holes in places and darkly stained along the insides of her thin legs.
They both looked for a minute longer and then, in one mind, turned back to Dawson.
“Do you know who it is?” Anderton asked quietly, when they’d re-joined him.
Dawson shook his head. Since they had entered the woods his pallor had increased, and after a moment, Kate suggested that they walk back to the main building, looking over at Anderton, who nodded minutely, for approval.
“The school will have to be closed, Doctor Hindmarsh,” Anderton said when they were all four seated in the principal’s office.
Doctor Hindmarsh, red-eyed and pale, nodded. “I’ve already done so, and my staff are turning parents away at the gates. We have a text message system that parents sign up to and I’ve also made some phone calls and posted an update on the school website. I haven’t mentioned...mentioned why – I’ve said there’s been an incident, but I know I’ll be inundated with calls and questions. What should I say?”
Anderton glanced at his watch. “Unfortunately, I can’t really give you any more information other than that you already have. It looks as if another pupil has committed suicide, but there will obviously have to be a post-mortem before we can be certain. My Scene of Crime technicians will be setting up a cordon right now.”
There was a moment’s silence. John Dawson was sitting with his hands clasped between his knees and his head bowed. Kate watched Doctor Hindmarsh take a deep breath, obviously steeling herself for what she was going to say next. “Do you know who it – it is?”
Anderton shook his head. “I was hoping you could help us with that, Doctor. I know you’re very distressed but it would really help things if we could find out who she is, contact her parents, that sort of thing...”
Doctor Hindmarsh had grown increasingly pale at Anderton’s words but, as Kate guessed, the woman hadn’t risen through the ranks to take control at one of the most prestigious art colleges in the country for nothing. She watched the head teacher take another deep breath, square her shoulders, and then nod in acquiescence. “If I must, I must,” was all she said, but she rose, smoothing down the black trousers of the suit she wore. Kate watched her adjust her glasses with trembling fingers.
Out in the corridor, Anderton drew Kate to one side. “I want you to interview Dawson. See if you can pick anything up, anything odd or whether he’s just bloody unlucky in coming across three corpses.”
Kate nodded, glancing back at the head teacher’s office where Dawson still sat, slumped. “Should I take him back to the station?”
“No, he’s not under caution. Just find a quiet place somewhere here. I’ll be back soon, hopefully with an I.D.”
Anderton released Kate’s arm with a friendly squeeze. It was the first time they’d touched in a long time and Kate was slightly disconcerted by her reaction. She seemed to feel the touch of his fingers more intensely than normal. Oh, it was nothing, she told herself, annoyed. You’re just tired and overthinking things. Trying to bring her mind back to the job, she turned back to the office. They may as well stay there; it was quiet and private, although she could hear the telephone in the school secretary’s office next door ringing frequently. Anxious parents, she thought, and tried not to think about the parents of the girl even now hanging in the woods. Had they missed her already? Or did they think she was safely at school, tucked behind a desk? Kate remembered the green twine noose, the way it had dug into the soft skin of the girl’s neck, a band of lividity surrounding it like a dark necklace, and felt a lu
rch of nausea that was unusual for her. Blowing out her cheeks, she pulled herself together and went back to Hindmarsh’s room.
“Mr Dawson? Would you mind if we had a quick chat?”
For a moment, it looked as though he hadn’t heard her. Then the man looked up, his eyes dull, and nodded silently.
“I’m really sorry that you’ve had such an awful experience,” said Kate. It always helped to start softly. “Can I get you a hot drink, a cup of tea or something?”
“I’m fine,” said Dawson, staring down at his hands.
“Could you just take me through what happened this morning?” Kate got out her notebook and pen, clicking the button on the end. “You were on your way to work?”
Dawson nodded. He cleared his throat. “Just like the last time. I left the house about seven and took the back path into the forest.”
“You live close by?” asked Kate.
“Aye, just about a mile away from the school boundaries. It’s a tied cottage.”
“It comes with the job?”
“Aye.”
“So you always take the same route to work?”
“More or less. Sometimes, if I know there’s stuff to be done at the front, I’ll drive around to the main car park. But mostly, I walk.”
Kate nodded, scribbling. “So what happened on your walk in?”
Dawson cleared his throat again. “I saw it. The body. If you’re coming from the other way, like, rather than from the college, it’s a lot clearer. I could see it from fifty yards away, this big dark thing hanging from a tree. I didn’t think at first – I didn’t think it were somebody at first... I just thought, I don’t know, someone had hung a bag of rubbish up or left a coat or something. Then I got closer and...and I could see it were a girl, one of the students.”
“You didn’t know who it was?”
“No. Not this time. Everyone knew Kaya and Joshua, but this lass... I couldn’t see her face, right, and I wasn’t going to touch her.”
“Yes, I see. You didn’t touch or move the body at all?”