by M J Lee
‘Now you’re clutching at straws. Half the suburbs of Manchester are on that tram line.’
‘Did you look south of the river in the area of the pub?’
‘Well, no. Why would we? The river is a natural barrier.’
‘Not if there’s a bridge across it.’
‘Don’t take that tone with me, DI Ridpath, I’m still your superior officer.’
‘Enough,’ Claire Trent suddenly shouted. ‘You two will have to learn to work together. We have a murder we need to solve. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, boss,’ said Ridpath.
Turnbull stayed silent.
‘Well, Paul?’
‘I still think Michael Carsley did it. Last night, he was close to confessing, I could feel it in my water.’
‘When do you have to release him?’
‘At four p.m. this afternoon.’
‘I’ll authorise an extension if I have to, but only if it is totally necessary.’
‘I’m sure he’ll confess soon. The evidence against him is mounting up. Now I have to ask him why he lied about the time… if he did lie.’
‘OK, keep the pressure on. I’d like a confession before four if possible. Ridpath, I want you to follow up on what you’ve discovered…’
‘But I’m the Senior Investigating Officer, and I should be—’
Once again, Claire Trent held up her hands to stop him speaking. ‘Nothing has changed, Paul, you are still the SIO. Ridpath is following alternative lines of enquiry, that is all.’
‘But…’
‘I’ve made my decision, Paul.’ She dismissed him by turning to Ridpath. ‘We have only one day left to resolve this. What’s your plan?’
He thought for a second. ‘Re-look at the footage, go and see Daniel Carsley’s friends and check their account.’ He scratched his head. ‘There’s one thing I can’t get out of my mind. Why did HOLMES highlight the attack in Liverpool? It’s been puzzling me for the last couple of days.’
‘That was discounted by the pathologist. Two different MOs, two different causes of death. Therefore two different killers,’ argued Turnbull.
‘So close to each other? Liverpool is a mere thirty-five miles away.’
‘I do know where Liverpool is, Ridpath,’ snapped Claire Trent.
Turnbull stood up. ‘I’ve had enough of this crap. Michael Carsley did it and I’m going to prove it.’
He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
‘I don’t think he’s a happy man,’ Ridpath said to the still shivering door.
‘Watch yourself, Ridpath. Paul Turnbull is not a man you should cross.’
‘I think it’s a bit late for that.’
Chapter 55
‘Right, Chrissy, do you have the addresses of the friends of Daniel Carsley?’
‘The ones he played basketball with?’
‘Exactly.’
She logged on to the computer. ‘Hang on, they are on the list of witnesses from the day David Carsley disappeared.’ There was the sound of tapping keys and then the whirr of the printer beside her desk. She handed him the paper with five names on it. ‘You want me to keep looking for the Hyundai and the Vauxhall?’
‘Yeah, keep hassling DVLA, we need the information, particularly if any of the car owners live in the vicinity of the tram line.’
‘Right.’
‘And get on to Liverpool. See if you can arrange for me to meet the SIO on their investigation.’
‘DI Fitzgerald?’
‘That’s the man.’
‘I’ll have a try, Ridpath, but I don’t know how keen he’ll be to have somebody looking around a case he’s already closed.’
‘And book a time with their pathologist, if you can. Do we have the report?’
‘It’s on file.’
‘Could you send it to Dr Schofield? I’d like his opinion on it.’
‘Isn’t this a bit of wild goose chase, Ridpath? The case is done and dusted. They have their perp.’
Ridpath shook his head slowly. ‘There’s something about it that bothers me, Chrissy. Two child-killers living within thirty-five miles of each other and killing at the same time? What are the odds? And I don’t believe in coincidences.’
‘Well, that’s what it could be.’
Ridpath turned round and stared across a sea of empty desks on the MIT floor.
‘Where’s Emily?’
‘With the techie nerds. She’s going through the footage again.’
‘Right, I’ll find her.’
On the way out he was accosted by one of the few detectives on the floor, Harry Makepeace.
‘I see you’ve pissed off our glorious leader, Ridpath.’
‘What did Turnbull say?’
‘Well, it wasn’t that clear between the swear words. Something about going behind his back and stabbing him in the front. I’d avoid him if I were you. He’s smoking downstairs before heading back to Wythenshawe nick.’
‘Thanks for the heads-up, Harry.’
‘No worries, you do have a habit of getting up his nose. Rather you than me – he’s not somebody I’d cross.’
Ridpath pushed through the doors heading to the tech floor. He found Emily still viewing the footage. ‘Anything new?’
She shook her head. ‘Nothing. The only thing we have is the twelve thirty footage.’
‘OK, you’re with me.’
‘We’re back on the case?’
‘For the moment, but I think we’ve pissed off Turnbull.’
‘About time, he’s a pompous prick,’ Reynolds said loudly.
‘And there speaks the voice of reason,’ said Emily, patting his shoulder. ‘What about the footage?’
‘Don’t worry, I know what you’re looking for, I’ll go through it with a fine-tooth comb and try to clean up what we have.’
‘You’re a star, Phil.’ She kissed him on the side of the head and the man blushed a bright beetroot red.
‘When you two have finished the mutual admiration society, we have a case to work.’
Emily put on her jacket. ‘Where are we going?’
‘To see the lads who played basketball with Daniel. Everybody seems to have forgotten about them.’
Chapter 56
At some time during the night, his mother died.
He discovered her in the morning, still sitting in front of the television. Her body was cold and her eyes closed.
It was probably the larger dose of diazepam that finished her off. He had mixed it into her cocoa as she watched Strictly.
Why did he do it?
He’d finally had enough. Yesterday, she accused him of not caring for her as well as she’d cared for him when he was young.
He supposed that had sent him over the edge. Anyway, it was done now.
She was dead.
He spent the morning tidying her up; putting on her make-up and eyeliner, ensuring her lipstick was a perfect cupid’s bow and tidying her clothes.
He didn’t intend to move her.
She would sit there with him, watching the telly like she always did. But silent now, finally.
He’d read about Dennis Nilsen, of course. Keeping those he had killed with him because he wanted company. He supposed it would be the same with his mother. She would be there for him in death as she had never been in life.
After he’d finished arranging her clothes, he stepped back and stared at her. He’d better get some air freshener from the supermarket. In this weather, she’d start to smell pretty quickly. He would keep the air conditioning on high just in case.
It did mean he no longer had to worry about bringing prey back to the flat. It was time he found something new to play with now that Mother was gone.
He stroked the cold cheek feeling the clammy skin beneath his fingers.
He would miss her, but at least he was free now.
The butterfly has left the cocoon.
Chapter 57
Ridpath pushed open the garden gate and walked
up the path. This detached house was substantial and set back from the road, on the other side of Wythenshawe Park. It was an age and a class apart from the council estate.
He rang the bell and a middle-aged woman answered. Her hair was rigid and dry, stacked up in a beehive like something out of the 1960s.
‘We’d like to speak to Tony Greene, please.’
‘And you are?’
‘Detective Inspector Ridpath and Detective Sergeant Parkinson from Greater Manchester Police. It’s about the disappearance of David Carsley.’
‘The police were already around here about two weeks ago. I told them I was out that day and saw nothing.’
‘It’s not you we’d like to speak to but your son Tony.’
‘Tony’s done nothing wrong.’
‘We didn’t say he had. Could we have a chat with him?’
She thought for a moment and then opened the door wider. ‘You’d better come in. Wipe your shoes, please.’ She indicated the mat in the hall.
Dutifully, Ridpath wiped his shoes, going that extra mile to make sure they were clean.
‘I’ll get him for you. He’s doing his homework at the moment. He’s at the grammar school, you know.’
She went upstairs, returning two minutes later with a young boy, tall for his age.
‘Hi Tony, my name’s Detective Inspector Ridpath. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the day David disappeared.’
The boy stayed silent.
‘Can you answer a few questions for me?’
The boy shrugged his shoulders.
‘Can you tell me what happened when David disappeared?’
‘We were playing basketball… then Daniel realised his brother was missing so we went looking for him but couldn’t see him anywhere.’
‘You were playing basketball with the boys from the estate? I thought I told you never to mix with them.’ Mrs Greene’s voice could shatter cut glass.
Her son stayed silent.
‘That’s great, Tony, we just want a few more details about that day. How did you guys meet? Was it by chance?’
Tony glanced at this mother and then shook his head. ‘I texted Daniel. I was so bored at home and Mum had gone out.’
‘I told you to stay in that day and read. Why—’
Ridpath interrupted her. ‘So you texted Daniel. What time was that?’
‘About noontime. I also texted the other guys and we agreed to meet up at one p.m. in the park near the basketball court.’
‘Are you sure of the time, Tony?’
He nodded.
‘Are the messages still on your phone?’ asked Ridpath.
He nodded again.
‘Can you show them to me?’
‘My phone’s upstairs.’
‘Go and get it, please.’
They sat in the lounge room, listening to a clock tick on the mantlepiece. Finally, Mrs Greene blurted out, ‘He’s a good boy, I told him never to pal around with those boys from the estate. They’re a bad lot, you mark my words.’
‘He’s not in trouble, Mrs Greene, and they’re not a bad lot. They were just playing basketball together.’
Tony returned with his phone and showed Ridpath the messages. The first was timed at 12.05.
Wanna meet for a game?
The reply came a minute later from Daniel.
Yeah, stuck in house. Right minging. Dad’s watching telly and brother’s a pain.
Mint. I’ll text the others. Meet at one?
I’ll try, need to work on my dad lol.
Dad says OK but have to take me bro
Gr8
‘So you’d done this before, arranged to meet?’
Another glance at his mother. ‘Yeah, it’s no fun stuck inside.’
‘So you went out and met the Carsleys?’
‘Yeah, saw them at the playground. Dan’s brother was playing on the swings.’
‘What time was this?’
‘A little after one. One of the guys was late. So maybe ten past one.’
‘Are you sure?’
Tony Greene frowned. ‘Yeah.’
‘About the time, I mean.’
‘Yeah, about ten past one.’
‘And Daniel’s brother was with him, playing on the swings.’
‘That’s what I said.’
Ridpath glanced across to Emily. What the hell was going on? It couldn’t have been David Carsley on the tape, then. But the description matched perfectly.
It was Emily who asked the next question. ‘What happened next?’
‘We went to play basketball.’
‘What about David?’
‘He stayed in the playground.’
‘On his own?’
Tony Greene nodded. ‘Daniel didn’t like his little brother hanging around with us so he told him to stay there while we played.’
‘So how many others were on the court with you?’
Tony counted on his fingers. ‘Altogether six of us. Me and Daniel, the Cassidy twins, Mike Murphy, and Fred Simpson, but Fred was called away by his mum after a couple of minutes. Right narked he was.’
‘Not easy to play basketball with only five people.’
‘It’s easy, we played attack vs defence. Three defenders versus two attackers.’
‘But that means you just used one basket, right?’
‘Yeah, you only need one.’
‘Which one? The one closest to the playground or the one furthest away?’
‘The one furthest away. The basket at the other end has a hole in it.’
‘Who played attack?’
‘I did with Daniel. We’re the best.’
‘So let me get this right. If you’re playing at this end, your back would have been towards the playground, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So when did Daniel notice the man was speaking to his brother?’
‘What do you mean? What man?’
‘Daniel told us he noticed a man talking to his brother and ran to tell him to stay away.’
Tony Greene frowned. ‘I don’t remember that. We played all the time. When Daniel noticed his brother wasn’t in the playground, we all ran with him to look. We’d had enough anyway.’
Ridpath stared at Emily Parkinson.
She took up the questioning. ‘Are you sure, Tony? This is important. Did Daniel ever leave the game to run back to his brother?’
‘No, he was with us all the time. You can ask the others if you want.’
Chapter 58
Ridpath stood outside the house trying to work it all out.
‘I don’t understand what’s going on,’ said Emily. ‘I could have sworn that was David Carsley on the CCTV monitor in the ATM, but it couldn’t have been him. Tony Greene has confirmed David was with his brother in the playground at ten past one.’
Ridpath ran his fingers through his rapidly thinning hair. ‘The way I see it, there are two possible scenarios. It was him on the ATM CCTV and the man in the white car picked him up and dropped him back at home.’
‘But both Daniel and the father said they were at home all morning. The tweets suggest they are telling the truth. Plus to get in the white car and then be taken home means he knew the man. But Turnbull asked if they knew anybody with a white car and they said no.’
‘The second scenario is it wasn’t David but somebody else.’
‘I don’t buy that. The clothes matched and he looked like David. I had Phil Reynolds run the facial recognition software and it came back as an 87 per cent match. He can’t be in two places at the same time, it doesn’t make sense.’
Ridpath stared down at his feet, realising he hadn’t polished his shoes in ages. They looked ugly and uncared for. ‘And we have an even bigger problem,’ he finally said.
‘What?’
‘Daniel Carsley has been lying to us. Tony Greene said he never left the basketball court all the time they were playing…’
‘…So he couldn’t have warned any man to stay away from his brothe
r.’
‘We don’t even know whether the man exists or not.’
‘But he gave us a detailed description of him. We’ve had it in every newspaper for the last two weeks.’
‘Perhaps he created the man from something he had seen at school or on TV.’
‘But why would Daniel lie to us?’
‘I don’t know, but it’s probably time to ask him, don’t you think?’
‘Do we have time for lunch?’
Ridpath checked his watch. ‘It’s just after noon now. Let’s grab a sausage roll from Greggs and eat it on the way.’
‘The last of the healthy eaters, Ridpath.’
‘You can grab one of the vegan sausage rolls if you’re worried about your health. I hear Piers Morgan rates them.’
‘Thanks a bundle.’
He opened the car door and stopped, staring into mid-air.
Emily had already fastened herself into the passenger seat. ‘Hello, Earth to Ridpath. There’s a sausage roll calling your name, but we have to drive there.’
He slipped into the car slowly. ‘I’ve had an idea. There is a third scenario – a way David Carsley can apparently be in two places at the same time.’
He slipped the car into gear.
‘Sorry, Em, no time for lunch, we need to get moving.’
‘Where?’
‘Back to HQ first and then to see Daniel Carsley.’
Chapter 59
Molly Wright was doorstepping Wythenshawe police station. It was one of the ugliest buildings she had ever seen, looking more like a brick barn than a bastion of law and order.
The photographer standing next to her was eating a Holland’s Meat and Potato Pie.
‘Is that all you ever eat?’
‘Nah, in the morning I have bacon butties.’ As he spoke the crumbs of the pie tumbled from his mouth. ‘Best start to the day is a bacon butty. I like mine with a couple of slices of black pudding and a good slather of butter between two doorstops of white bread.’
‘Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen.’