Broken Silence

by Danielle Ramsay

  ‘DI Brady, can I remind you that you still have presented no evidence that my client murdered Sophie Washington,’ Claudia interrupted.

  Brady looked at her and nodded.

  ‘I’ll get to that part in a minute,’ he replied evenly.

  Claudia shot him a look which asked what the hell was going on.

  Brady knew that he should have disclosed the vital information that Shane McGuire had told him. But he had been so thrown by Claudia’s sudden appearance that he had barely had a chance to get his head together for the interview. As it was, he was grateful he could string two words together with her sat opposite him.

  He turned his attention back to Ellison, deciding that he’d worry about Claudia later.

  ‘So what happened? Got carried away in the moment? And then before you realised it, she had stopped breathing?’

  Brady leaned forward.

  ‘You must have panicked? After all, it was just an accident. You didn’t really mean to kill her, did you?’

  Ellison stared hard at Brady as he shook his head.

  ‘I didn’t kill her …’ he said.

  Brady ignored him.

  ‘You put her clothes back on first. After all, she was just fifteen years old. No one would have expected her to have been having sex, let alone with her teacher,’ Brady slowly said, shaking his head. ‘But you were certain that no one knew about you and Sophie, weren’t you? So confident that you thought you were going to get away with it. You realised then that you had to make her death look like a random attack. So you picked up a chunk of stone and smashed her face beyond recognition.’

  ‘Someone actually did that to her?’ Ellison questioned, surprised.

  ‘You should know,’ Brady replied in a low voice.

  ‘I … I would never have harmed her …’ Ellison replied.

  Claudia gripped Ellison’s arm; a firm reminder to keep his mouth shut.

  ‘No, you just fucked her, didn’t you?’ Brady questioned.

  Ellison narrowed his blue eyes and gave Brady a ‘so what?’ look.

  ‘We got some lab results back. Results that I think will interest you, sir,’ Brady said as he held Ellison’s stare.

  Ellison shook his head, confused.

  ‘I’m afraid so, sir.’

  Ellison turned to his solicitor.

  ‘My client would now like to make a statement,’ Claudia interrupted.

  Brady realised Claudia had presumably told Ellison to keep quiet until he had no choice. It was time for Ellison to set the record straight. Ellison definitely didn’t want to be charged with murder, which meant he had to try to convince Brady otherwise. Whether Brady believed him or not didn’t matter, that was up to the courts now.

  Ellison looked at Claudia.

  ‘Remember, stick to exactly what we discussed,’ she instructed reassuringly.

  ed from ClaudEllison lookia back to Brady, his face fraught with panic.

  ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t murder her … It’s not what you think … I swear I didn’t murder her!’ Ellison panted.

  ‘Prove it,’ coolly demanded Brady.

  ‘All right … I was seeing Sophie,’ Ellison reluctantly confessed.

  He dragged a hand through his hair as he looked at Brady.

  ‘But it’s not the way you’re making it out. I know it was wrong … but … it just happened. We were on the school trip to Germany and she just kept throwing herself at me … you know?’ Ellison said, shaking his head.

  Brady did his best to keep his cynical comments to himself. He’d heard it all before. He’d interviewed enough men like Ellison over the years to recognise their delusional thinking.

  ‘She … she looked much older than fifteen. You saw her,’ Ellison said, turning to Brady. ‘And so, I thought why not? She was more than up for it.’

  Brady fought to hold his thoughts in.

  Ellison’s eyes dropped to his fidgeting hands as he uneasily continued.

  ‘Any man would have done what I did … even you,’ Ellison said, as he challenged Brady.

  ‘All I know is that she was your fifteen-year-old pupil and you crossed the line,’ Brady stated. ‘And she wasn’t the first, was she? Dr Jenkins already established that you have a history of seducing your underage students. But this time you got caught out. This time she wasn’t going to put up and shut up like the other kids. Not Sophie, she wanted more than what you were giving her. And when she realised you were just using her, like you’d used the others, then she wanted to make you pay. Didn’t she?’

  ‘No, it wasn’t like that,’ Ellison replied cagily.

  Ellison stared at Brady’s unyielding expression.

  ‘I don’t expect you to understand …’

  ‘No, I don’t understand,’ Brady coolly answered.

  Ellison didn’t reply. Instead he looked at Conrad who was sat, tight-lipped with unmoving, cold, steel-grey eyes. Ellison nervously cleared his throat.

  ‘I never once forced her. It wasn’t like that. She came on to me. Sophie would tell you …’ Ellison faltered, lost for words.

  ‘But that’s the problem. Isn’t it? Because Sophie can’t tell us, can she? All we have is your word,’ Brady pointed out evenly.

  ‘I didn’t murder her. I swear to you!’ cried Ellison anxiously.

  ‘Then tell me what happened that night,’ Brady calmly suggested as he leaned forward.

  Ellison swallowed as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

  ‘I … I met her at The Beacon for a couple of drinks. But then … then we had an argument. You see, she was always pushing me to tell people about us. I tried to explain to her that I’d lose my job, even go to prison if it came out. But, she wouldn’t listen,’ Ellison said slowly.

  What more did he expect? Brady thought cynically. He resisted the temptation to state the obvious to Ellison. Brady tried to look sympathetic as he nodded for Ellison to continue. But it was hard.

  ‘She was desperate to leave home. She said she hated her step-father and that she had to get out. She suggested that we move to London and start a new life there. I would get another teaching job … no one would know … But she didn’t realise it wasn’t that simple. The band was starting to get some local recognition … I couldn’t move. Not after all the hard work I’d put in. And … and whatever it was that was between us had gone. You know? The relationship was over whether she wanted to believe it or not.’

  Brady realised then that Sophie needed Ellison more than he had needed her. She had wanted an out from home, from Simmons and that was where Ellison came in.

  ‘And then what happened?’

  Ellison dropped his eyes as he thought it over.

  He shrugged. ‘I don’t know where she went. She asked one of the bar staff to ring her a taxi and then she left in a strop. She was really mad with me,’ Ellison quietly said.

  He looked back up at Brady.

  ‘That was just after eleven and then … I didn’t see her until later. I rang her about midnight to try to talk to her. I don’t know where she was, but there was a lot of noise in the background. I presume it was another pub. But she showed up twenty minutes later where we used to meet, which was by the gap in the fence next to her house. Where … where I presume you found my handprint,’ Ellison uneasily explained. ‘She was threatening to tell the school about what had happened so I agreed to meet her to talk her out of it.’

  Brady nodded.

  ‘We had sex first and then we talked for a while afterwards. I tried to reason with her that it was best if we finished it.’

  ‘Where? Where did you have sex?’ Brady asked, resisting the urge to point out that buggering and fucking a fifteen-year-old kid wasn’t classed as just having sex.

  Ellison looked at him, surprised that it mattered.

  ‘In the ruins of the farmhouse. It’s secluded there. It’s where we used to go when we met.’

  ‘Was anyone else there?’ Brady questioned, wondering if Ellison had seen the girl that Shane Mc
Guire had talked about.

  Ellison shook his head. ‘Not that I saw. It was dark and I wasn’t really looking. At that time of night it’s not the kind of place you expect to see someone,’ he answered.

  ‘And?’ Brady prompted.

  Ellison looked at him. ‘Like I said I tried to explain to her that maybe we should be cooling things. That’s when she lost it. She got really mad and started shouting and making these crazy demands. Then she started threatening that she would tell everyone anyway as a way of forcing me to stay with her. I tried to reason with her, but nothing was working. So, I left.’

  ‘What happened before you left?’ Brady calmly asked, fighting the adrenalin coursing through him as he thought about Shane McGuire’s evidence.

  ‘Like I said, we were arguing and so I decided to go home. It was pointless talking to her when she was like that,’ Ellison replied as he anxiously ran a hand through his hair.

  ‘What? Pissed?’ Brady asked.

  Ellison dropped his eyes, refusing to look at Brady.

  ‘What time did you leave her?’

  ‘I … I don’t know … I can’t be sure … maybe around one? Oh Christ … I … I’m not sure …’

  Brady sat back and contemplated everything Ellison had said. He turned and looked at Conrad who had sat poker-faced throughout the interview.

  ‘I don’t get it. How did your lab results show my sperm in … in …’ Ellison looked at Brady, confused. ‘I … I was wearing a condom.’

  ‘I recommend that next time you read the back of a condom packet. At best they are only 98 per cent effective,’ Brady coolly answered.

  Ellison numbly shook his head as he absorbed the evidence against him.

  ‘I didn’t murder her … you’ve got to believe me …’ Ellison muttered.

  ‘Well … this is the problem, sir, I have a witness who says otherwise,’ Brady confided as he leaned in towards Ellison.

  ‘Enough, DI Brady,’ Claudia interrupted. ‘I think it’s time we had a chat.’

  Brady nodded. As he terminated the interview he couldn’t help noticing that Claudia looked angry with him.

  Brady got up and walked out of the interview room followed by Claudia.

  He heard the door slam behind him.

  ‘I should bust your balls for that!’

  ‘Someone’s already tried, remember? Oh, yeah I forgot, you left as soon as you found out that I’d been shot! Maybe you didn’t realise how bloody serious it was!’

  Claudia furiously swept her red hair back off her face as she shot Brady a ‘don’t fuck with me’ look. It was a look he’d seen often.

  ‘You know the rules!’ she stated furiously.

  ‘And what about you? You’re back? Just like that? No word for six bloody months and then you just turn up at work?’ angrily questioned Brady.

  ‘Why? Does it bother you?’

  ‘You know the answer to that.’

  ‘Do I, Jack?’ Claudia bitterly questioned. ‘I don’t know you any more. I don’t even think you know yourself! And anyway, it’s a bit rich you acting all aggrieved that I’m back. What’s the problem? Am I cramping your style? Is that it?’

  ‘I’m sorry?’ questioned Brady, confused.

  ‘Amelia Jenkins? But then again why am I surprised given your history, Jack?’

  Before Brady could say anything, Claudia abruptly changed the subject.

  ‘So, what exactly do you have on my client?’

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Brady watched Ellison.

  He was speechless.

  Brady had just informed him that he had been charged with the murder of his pupil, Sophie Washington. It was to be expected; the evidence was damning. Even Claudia didn’t put up a fight when she’d added it all together.

  ‘But I didn’t kill her … I swear I didn’t,’ Ellison desperately pleaded.

  But no one was listening.

  ‘Do you hear me? You can’t do this to me! You’ve got the wrong man,’ Ellison repeated frantically.

  Brady sceptically looked at Ellison.

  ‘They all say that.’

  ‘But I’m telling the truth … I didn’t hurt her,’ Ellison pleaded.

  ‘That’s a matter for the courts to decide,’ Brady coolly replied.

  ‘But … but why? It doesn’t make sense! She was just an easy shag, that’s all. She was the one who complicated things by trying to make it something more than what it was!’ Ellison shouted. ‘She was just a fucking slapper! Why would I murder her?’

  Brady stared, unmoved at Ellison’s contorted, angry figure.

  ‘Our witness overheard the victim threaten to reveal your sordid relationship. If she did, then that would have been the end of your profession as a teacher, let alone your band, and the beginning of an indeterminate prison sentence.’

  Ellison frantically shook his head. ‘It wasn’t like that.’

  ‘No?’ Brady questioned. ‘You yourself said that the victim had threatened to expose your relationship. When she wouldn’t listen to reason, I believe you lost your control and attempted to silence her by whatever means necessary. She started screaming. So you choked her until she stopped screaming and finally, stopped breathing.’

  ‘No!’ Ellison yelled. ‘No!’ He stared at Brady with wild desperation.

  ‘Why would I do that terrible thing to her face? She meant nothing to me. I wanted to end the relationship for fuck’s sake!’ Ellison retaliated.

  ‘Exactly,’ Brady answered evenly. ‘The attack on her face was such an act of fury that it could only have been committed by someone emotionally involved with the victim. Someone who had a motive to want her dead.’

  Ellison shook his head, his bright, blue eyes fiercely rejecting what Brady had said.

  ‘You see, a stranger would have just murdered Sophie and then left,’ Brady quietly explained, shaking his head. ‘But you were still filled with anger and hatred at what she had threatened to do to you. After all, she had threatened to take everything you’d worked so hard for from you, sir,’ Brady stated. ‘Your band is all you’re interested in. Being a teacher pays the bills, but what you really want to do is make it big in the music business. What would havehappened to your music career if word got out that you were having a sexual relationship with your fifteen-year-old student? One that you had tired of. Wouldn’t exactly be a great PR stunt, now would it?’

  Brady turned and nodded at Conrad to signal the close of the interview.

  ‘You bastard! This has got nothing to do with Sophie!’ Ellison shouted as he stood up. ‘You’re trying to set me up. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. This has more to do with me spending the night with your girlfriend!’ Ellison asserted as he aggressively shoved the table at Brady.

  Brady didn’t react. He was too aware of the fact that Claudia was taking note.

  Not to mention Conrad.

  ‘I saw the way you looked at her when she was talking to me. Couldn’t handle the fact that she moved on to me? She told me all about the other night. Fuck! You’re old enough to be her dad, you sick bastard!’

  Brady instinctively clenched his fists.

  ‘It’s not my private life that’s under scrutiny here,’ Brady stated.

  ‘Yeah? Well it bloody should be!’

  He saw Conrad motion to the officer by the door to get help to remove Ellison.

  The officer did as he was instructed and left.

  ‘What’s wrong? You don’t want your colleagues knowing that their boss likes to shag seventeen-year-old girls? Is that it?’ Ellison demanded of Conrad.

  ‘You know something? You’re not that different from me! You can pretend you’re better than me. But you and I, we’re very alike!’ Ellison stated with bitter satisfaction. ‘And just for the record, your girlfriend was a really good shag. But then, you’d know that, wouldn’t you?’

  Brady felt as if he had been punched in the abdomen. He could feel the nausea rising to the back of his throat. He couldn’t look at
Ellison, let alone Conrad. And he certainly couldn’t bring himself to look at Claudia. He could feel her burning green eyes weighing him up for the low-life he had become. He couldn’t even face himself without a Scotch.

  ‘I’m sorry you heard that,’ he muttered in Claudia’s direction as he turned and walked out.

  ‘Call yourself a copper? You’re a fucking hypocrite, that’s what you are!’ Ellison shouted after him. ‘You’re the one who needs locking up! Not me!’

  Brady heard Conrad use some choice words directed at Ellison. He couldn’t look at the two officers who had returned to handle Ellison. He just kept his head down and headed back to his office. Sure, he’d nailed him, but at what price? If there had been any chance of Claudia taking him back Ellison had ruined it. Or if he was honest, he had ruined it. No one else. He swallowed back the pain as he thought of what he’d lost, again.

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Brady looked up from his desk distractedly.

  ‘Good job, Jack,’ Gates congratulated as he stood in the doorway.

  ‘Thank you, sir,’ replied Brady, accepting that there was a first time for everything.

  ‘I’m surprised that you’re not with the others,’ Gates said, frowning.

  Brady shrugged. ‘Six months of paperwork,’ he lamely offered.

  That and he wanted to make sure he kept out of the way of Claudia. He hadn’t seen her since Ellison’s arrest and decided it was best left that way; at least until things had cooled down.

  Gates accepted his excuse. Brady knew he had other things on his mind. He had a press conference to attend at headquarters. An arrest had been made and the public had to be told. Conrad had been invited to accompany Gates. Brady was pleased for him. He deserved it. And he looked the part, more than Brady ever would.

  ‘Make sure you join them. You should be there. It’s just after nine, so I reckon you should be calling it a day, don’t you?’ Gates added firmly before closing the door.

  Brady presumed it was Gates’ guilty conscience kicking in. That was, if he had one. It should have been Brady sat with Gates during the press conference; he was after all Gates’ next-in-command, not Conrad.