When the Evil Waits

by M J Lee

  ‘You want me to be in the meeting?’ asked Emily.

  Ridpath shook his head. ‘Best if I handle this one alone. If Turnbull is there it could get nasty.’

  ‘Do we have enough to prove Michael Carsley is innocent?’

  ‘I think so. We know David went with his brother to the park and then he vanished. My theory was he got bored waiting for his brother and decided to walk home. He was picked up by the man in the white car outside the ATM. Michael Carsley doesn’t have a car and can’t even drive so that rules him out.’

  ‘It had to be somebody David knew,’ said Chrissy.

  ‘Not necessarily. He was young and maybe he was starting to panic and felt lost. An adult stops and says he’ll drive you home. What do you do?’

  ‘You get in the car…’ said Emily.

  ‘At least, we know now why they left Scotland. I’ll get onto Glasgow and find out everything about Irene Carsley.’ Chrissy adjusted the City scarf around her neck. ‘Poor woman, what made her hit her kids?’

  ‘See if you can find out, it might help convince Claire Trent.’

  ‘When are we going to tell Daniel his dad’s going to be charged? I promised I would tell Ruby as soon as I knew anything. Well, I know something and we haven’t told him.’

  ‘He’s in no state to hear that news now.’

  ‘I agree, Ridpath, but can you imagine the state he’ll be in when he finds out? Besides, I gave my word.’

  ‘I agree, he must be told. Let me talk with Claire Trent, maybe I can convince her and Turnbull to release Michael Carsley.’

  ‘And if you can’t?’

  ‘I’ll come back here and tell him. He has to find out this evening. I’m sure it will be plastered across the newspapers tomorrow morning.’

  ‘It may be on the evening news…’

  ‘I’ll take that chance.’ Ridpath stood up. ‘I’m going back to HQ, do you want a lift?’

  They both nodded.

  ‘Ridpath…’

  ‘Yes, Chrissy.’

  ‘I don’t want to do this again.’

  ‘Do what?’

  ‘Be present at an interview. I just want to do my work in the office. In fact, I don’t ever want to leave there again.’ She paused for a moment, regarding both Emily and Ridpath. ‘I don’t know how you do what you do. It’s like you are…’ She searched for the words, ‘…vultures feeding on carrion. No disrespect meant.’

  ‘None taken, Chrissy.’

  ‘The interview made me feel dirty. How do you sleep at night?’

  ‘With difficulty, sometimes, Chrissy. I take a long hot bath to wash away the sins of the day,’ answered Emily.

  ‘And you, Ridpath?’

  Ridpath stood there, eventually answering, ‘I don’t.’

  Chapter 66

  Claire Trent was waiting for Ridpath in her office. Paul Turnbull wasn’t there.

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘I thought it better that he stayed away until I heard your new evidence. He’s convinced that Michael Carsley is guilty; no alibi, the domestic abuse of his wife and kids, and there is another reason why he was finally arrested this afternoon. Turnbull got a warrant to search the house, finding the underpants David was supposed to be wearing hidden in the bedroom.’

  ‘What was Carsley’s answer?’

  ‘He said David must have changed them before he went out.’

  ‘Why would he do that?’

  ‘Exactly Turnbull’s response. So what’s your evidence, Ridpath? It had better be bloody good.’

  He had spent a long time on the drive back to HQ thinking about the sequence of events and how best to present the evidence to Claire Trent. His theory that the boy had decided to walk home on his own was only that, a theory. But it did explain the video footage and the timeline.

  He decided to show Daniel’s interview footage first to give a better context for everything else.

  ‘You’ve just shot this?’

  ‘We concluded the interview not long ago, at slightly before five p.m.’

  ‘Get on with it, then.’

  Claire Trent sat through Daniel’s interview, not a glimmer of emotion appearing on her face. ‘So you only got two things from Daniel; he’d arranged to meet the boys in the park and he didn’t go back to check on his brother.’

  ‘It means we have to discount the story of the man in the playground. He made it up.’

  Claire Trent’s mouth soured as she thought of all the newspaper articles and wanted posters adorning lampposts, shops, police stations and post offices throughout Manchester, not to mention the press conference and interviews she had given on television, her newly cut hair and brilliant white teeth on prominent display.

  ‘Why would he do that?’

  Ridpath stared at the top of her desk. The wood wasn’t real, but a cheap veneer over MDF. ‘Guilt, probably. His dad had told him to look after his brother and he let his dad down. Guilt drives people to do strange things.’

  ‘In this case, to waste thousands of hours of police resources and manpower chasing somebody who didn’t exist. I should charge him for wasting police time.’

  ‘You can’t charge a ten-year-old who’s just lost his brother.’

  Claire Trent nodded. ‘More’s the pity. This interview was well done, Ridpath – congratulate Emily Parkinson for me, she has a talent for getting information. But none of it contradicts any of Turnbull’s evidence.’

  ‘You’re wrong, boss. I asked Daniel a question after the social worker said stop the tape. Luckily, Chrissy kept rolling.’

  Ridpath played the question about why they had left Glasgow, and the boy’s reply; that it was the mother who beat them, not the father.

  ‘This is merely the assertion of a ten-year-old. It wouldn’t stand up as evidence.’

  ‘But it gives the real reason why they left. Plus I understand now why Daniel refuses to live with his mother.’

  ‘Still…’

  ‘Chrissy is going to check with Child Services in Glasgow.’

  Claire Trent frowned. ‘OK, you’ve probably got a chance of removing one of Paul Turnbull’s planks of evidence, but you have to remember it was Michael Carsley who was given a warning, not his wife.’

  ‘I think it’s the reason the Procurator Fiscal didn’t proceed with the case. There wasn’t enough certainty about who was responsible for the abuse.’

  Claire Trent frowned again. ‘Get Chrissy to check it out. What else do you have, Ridpath?’

  Ridpath pulled out the street map of Wythenshawe showing the park. ‘It’s my theory that David Carsley got bored waiting for Daniel to finish the game so he decided to walk home alone…’

  ‘Any evidence for this?’

  ‘None, but it fits with the facts. The ATM camera is on the route from the park to David’s home.’

  ‘You’ve showed me the footage already, are you bringing it up again?’

  ‘It’s the key to the case.’

  She sighed loudly. ‘Show me the footage again, Ridpath.’

  He pressed play on his laptop, crossing his fingers as he did.

  Detective Superintendent Claire Trent stared intently at the images on the screen. ‘You still have the problems Paul Turnbull pointed out. The timing is an hour wrong and we don’t have a positive ID of David Carsley.’

  ‘We checked with the owners of the ATM. The camera time is supposed to be adjusted manually during maintenance. Apparently, they forgot. So when the time is actually one thirty, it displays twelve thirty. We’re getting a sworn statement from their head of security who is an ex-copper.’

  ‘At least that makes sense, but you then have another problem.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘If the timing is wrong, the video evidence is inadmissible in court. You can’t use it.’

  Ridpath thought on his feet. ‘That’s true, boss. We can’t use it to confirm the time, but we could use it to confirm an identification.’

  ‘Hmm,’ was all Claire Trent answer
ed, sitting back in her chair.

  ‘The other evidence is a similar white car was seen close to the disposal location of the body. We captured the footage from a tram.’

  ‘This is still pretty weak, Ridpath. We’re not even certain if it’s the same car.’

  ‘But the coincidence is strong, boss.’

  ‘Coincidence is not evidence, Ridpath, you should know that by now.’

  She sat forward and closed her eyes, resting her head on her elbows and running her fingers through her thick blonde hair. Ridpath could see the dark roots close to her scalp.

  ‘Let me understand this. We have a witness who admits he has been telling us lies and wasting our time. And we have a video with the wrong time which may or may not have pictures of David Carsley getting into a white car. Plus we have footage of a white car in the area where the body was disposed of, which may or may not be the same model and make. Have I summed this up correctly?’

  ‘You’ve forgotten one thing, boss.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘We are about to charge a man for the murder of his son who didn’t commit the crime.’

  Chapter 67

  The need, the hunger was growing inside him like a cancer, possessing his body, dominating his soul.

  The voices in his head were shouting now.

  Do it.

  Do it.

  DO IT.

  At work, he went through the motions, pretending all was OK, as polite and subservient as ever.

  Inside, he was ready to explode.

  He must act soon.

  We must act soon.

  Chapter 68

  Claire Trent raised her head, staring directly at Ridpath. ‘Leave everything with me.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  Detective Superintendent Claire Trent thought for a long time before finally answering. ‘You don’t have enough here to stop the arrest of Michael Carsley yet…’

  ‘But you saw for yourself. A man in a white car abducted the boy.’

  ‘A man in a white car apparently gave a lift to a boy who looked like David Carsley…’

  ‘At the same time and in the same area?’

  ‘You don’t have the right time.’

  ‘I’m getting a statement from the head of security of the ATM company stating the machine was one hour out.’

  ‘That will help… And the identification of David Carsley?’

  ‘Only two people could do that. Michael or Daniel.’

  ‘So your next steps are…?’

  Claire Trent was leading him to a conclusion. ‘I need to show the video to either of them and confirm the ID.’

  ‘But Turnbull probably won’t let you near Michael Carsley, so…’

  Ridpath sighed. ‘I need to interview Daniel Carsley again.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘This evening, if I can.’

  ‘If you get a positive ID from Daniel Carsley, I will persuade Turnbull and CPS to postpone charging Michael Carsley, pending the review of your evidence.’

  ‘Does persuade mean order, boss?’

  ‘No, it means persuade, but as you know, Ridpath, I can be very persuasive when I want to be. And Ridpath, you might want to ask Daniel about the underwear.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because if there is a reason why the underwear was hidden in the bedroom, then all of Paul Turnbull’s evidence has vanished.’ She begins to count off her fingers. ‘One, we have a positive ID of a man in a white car picking up David at the time he disappeared. Michael Carsley doesn’t drive. Two, I’m sure Chrissy will find evidence that it was the mother, not the father, who was abusing the children. And three, the only thing left is the underwear in the house. Not enough to justify an arrest for murder. In the absence of other evidence, the defence would be able to explain it away easily.’

  Ridpath frowned. ‘You told me before there were two other pieces of evidence against Michael Carsley. Leaving the house at one thirty and a fingerprint on the clothes.’

  Another long sigh. ‘Carsley has admitted he left the house at one thirty. He says he went to buy the kids some chocolate as a treat when they came back from the park.’

  ‘You’ve confirmed it’s true, haven’t you?’

  ‘He paid with a debit card as he didn’t have any cash. The receipt shows he bought chocolate at 1.40. He just forgot.’

  ‘And the fingerprint?’

  She put on an officious voice. ‘“The lab cannot confirm or deny the presence of a fingerprint on item 22/47.” Apparently, there was a mix-up in the chain of evidence. They’re saying they can’t get the staff.’

  ‘So… if I can get Daniel to ID his brother…’

  She raised her eyebrows.

  ‘…There’s only one problem. I don’t think I can get in to see Daniel again tonight. He was pretty upset at the end of the last interview and you heard the social worker at the end of the tape.’

  ‘It’s time for you to be persuasive, Ridpath.’ She checked the time. ‘It’s already six thirty. I’d get a move on if I were you?’ She went back to reading her file.

  Ridpath moved towards the door, then stopped, turning back. ‘How do you do the job you do, boss?’

  She paused in her reading and looked up. ‘Because you can’t go charging at every obstacle that gets in your way, Ridpath. Sometimes, you have to look up and work out a way to go round and still achieve what you want. That’s my job. You should consider it one day.’

  Chapter 69

  On the MIT floor, Chrissy and Emily Parkinson were waiting for the news.

  ‘What happened? Is she going to release Michael?’

  ‘Not yet. We have to get Daniel to confirm the ID of David Carsley.’

  ‘What?’ Emily’s mouth dropped open. ‘You’re going to ask a ten-year-old boy to watch footage of his brother being abducted?’

  ‘That’s about it.’

  ‘An abduction which he blames himself for allowing to happen?’

  ‘If he doesn’t confirm the ID, his father stays in detention.’

  She walked away and then turned back. ‘This is fucked up, Ridpath, really fucked up.’

  ‘And besides,’ added Chrissy, ‘Ruby Grimes won’t let you anywhere near him tonight.’

  ‘That’s what we’re going to find out.’

  Ridpath pulled his mobile phone from out of his pocket and dialled the number on her business card. The call was answered after three rings.

  ‘Ruby Grimes,’ she said brightly.

  ‘Hi there, it’s DI Ridpath.’

  Immediately, the tone changed. ‘Yes, what do you want?’

  ‘I have a favour to ask.’

  ‘If it’s about work, I don’t do favours.’

  ‘I need to show Daniel some footage this evening.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But you haven’t heard me out yet.’

  ‘The answer is still no. You got him worked up earlier. I’ve spent the last hour calming him down and he’s now eating his dinner. Afterwards, he’ll watch television with the other boys before lights out.’

  ‘Listen, we promised we would keep him up to date on any news about his father…’

  ‘Yessss.’

  ‘Well, he will be charged this evening at eight p.m. with the murder of David Carsley.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The father will be charged—’

  ‘I heard you the first time, Ridpath. How could they charge a man for the murder of his own son?’

  ‘They believe they have enough evidence. The only way we can get GMP and the CPS to back off is to present evidence that Michael Carsley didn’t abduct his son.’

  Her voice sounded suspicious. ‘How are you going to do that?’

  Ridpath took the plunge, crossing his fingers. ‘We’ve found footage from CCTV of David Carsley on the day of the abduction. We need Daniel to confirm it is his brother.’

  ‘No, definitely no. You can’t show footage from the day of the abduction. Daniel is going throug
h enough trauma without having to suffer more.’

  For a moment, Ridpath saw Polly opening the door, the flash of a gun muzzle, the sound of the shot, Polly falling backwards, another shot, Polly lying bleeding on the hall floor, her life oozing from her chest.

  ‘I understand, Ruby, but it’s the only way we can get them not to charge Michael Carsley. If there was another way, believe me, I would use it.’

  ‘Ask Michael himself, he could identify his own son.’

  Ridpath stayed silent.

  The penny dropped for her. ‘You can’t get in to see him, can you?’

  ‘He’s being questioned at the moment…’ Ridpath let his voice trail off.

  ‘So Daniel is your last hope if you want to release Michael Carsley?’

  ‘That’s it, in a nutshell.’

  ‘Damned if I agree and damned if I don’t. I’m stuffed either way.’

  ‘If there was another way of doing this, I’d use it, but there isn’t.’

  There was another long silence at the end of the phone.

  ‘How soon can you get here?’

  ‘Thirty minutes. Sooner if we can.’

  ‘Right. Seven thirty it is. I’ll warn Daniel you’re coming.’

  ‘Please don’t say anything about the reason.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘We can’t be seen to be leading a witness in any way. We must only show him the footage and film his answer. We can’t be seen to be giving him any inducement.’

  ‘The possibility of his father being released and not charged is an inducement?’ Her voice rose at the end of the sentence.

  ‘The courts might see it that way. We can’t take the risk.’

  He could hear her sighing at the other end of the phone. ‘OK, I won’t tell him and we’ll do the interview at seven thirty.’

  ‘Thank you, Ruby.’

  ‘Ridpath?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How do you do what you do?’

  It was the same question he’d asked Claire Trent only fifteen minutes ago.

  Unlike her, he didn’t have an answer.

  Chapter 70

  They set up quickly in the same room in the children’s home as before.

  Despite her previous disquiet, Chrissy had agreed to come with them. ‘He’s a City fan, you have to support your own.’