Chapter 13 Good News is Bad
Small and Falls sit quietly thinking on their way over to the Richards home, both equally pleased with themselves and the progress recently made on the case.
Small knocks on the door and stands waiting for a moment. Mrs Richards answers.
“Hello Mrs Richards, could we please come in for a chat?”
“Yes come in.”
Mrs Richards leads the way into the kitchen followed by both men, she then fills the kettle, switches it on and takes a seat at the table.
“Would anybody like a drink?”
“No thank you Mrs Richards” comes from both men
“Right then how can I help you?”
Small sits at the table directly facing Mrs Richards and puts his hands together,
“We have come to see you today Mrs Richards just to let you know that we have a man in custody that we believe committed these crimes. The evidence against him is very strong and we are hoping he will be transferred to Strangeways tomorrow morning pending a full investigation.”
Mrs Richards looks more saddened than happy about the news, but the officers can see she is trying to put a brave face on.
“At least no other family will now have to suffer the way me and my husband are suffering. Who is he?”
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this Mrs Richards but its Mr Capel, Emma’s form teacher.”
Mrs Richards breaks down in tears, she has spoken to this man on more than one occasion, attended parents evening with him, and she even voted for him as teacher of the year. All these moments quickly flash through her mind and she collapses in a heap on the kitchen floor.
The officers help her back to her seat at the kitchen table and console her until Mr Richards arrives home some time later.
Unshaven and completely drunk, he is very abusive to both officers, but quickly changes his temperament and he too breaks down in tears when they inform him of the arrest.
The officers ask Mr and Mrs Richards to keep this information to themselves, at least until next week when they have completed their investigation and have spoken to the press.
Neither officer speaks on the way over to the Redgrave house. They didn’t expect bells and whistles at the Richards home, but the news just seamed to destroy them all over again.
DCI small knocks at the door of the new build red brick house in the quiet cul-de-sac where Mrs Redgrave lives, no answer, they knock again, this time a little harder, still no answer.
They go next door to speak to the man whose dog had been savagely killed. This time he introduces himself as Errol Johnson and quickly invites both men in for a cup of tea.
“I’m afraid we can’t come in for a cup of tea Mr Johnson, this case is keeping us very busy.”
“Yes I guess it must be chaos, anyway how can I help you?”
“We are actually looking for Mrs Redgave, have you seen her today?”
“No I haven’t, in fact come to think of it I haven’t seen any of the family since the day after young Stephanie was killed.”
“I guess it must be too hard for them to stay there after what happened.”
“Yes, it is terrible what happened, they are such a nice family.”
“Anyway, could you please let her know when she comes back that DCI Small has been looking for her as I have some news about the case.”
“Have you caught the murderer? Is it someone local?”
“You’ll have your answers all in good time Mr Johnson but at the moment the case is still ongoing. Now if you’ll just pass on the message please?”
“Yes of course I will, I’ll keep my eye out for them coming back.”
“Ok thank you very much, she can contact me on this number.”
DCI Small hands his card to Mr Johnson and both officers set off back to the station.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Neglect
Chapter 14 Neglect
DCI Small flicks the record button on the tape he confirms the people present at the interview, along with the date and time of the interview.
“Mr Capel, now you have had a night to sleep on it would you like to tell us anything?”
“No Comment.”
“Has your solicitor not advised you that we have you banged to rights?”
“No Comment.”
“Where were you on the evening of Monday 5th April 2010?”
“No comment.”
“Mr Capel, you’re not doing yourself any favours here, we will remand you in custody until we can obtain a search warrant next week if you do not cooperate.”
Capel looks to his solicitor, who just shakes his head,
“No Comment.”
“OK, I can see this isn’t getting us anywhere. Is there anything further you would like to say for the benefit of the tape before we charge you formally with murder?”
Capel’s facial expressions change and the colour seems to drain from his face instantly, but he continues,
“No comment.”
DI Falls chips in “interview terminated at 9:55am on Tuesday 13th April 2010.”
The tape machine is switched off. Small smiles over the table at the two men sitting there. The solicitor, a small, fat, aging Jewish man with sideburns that give him a look of an old Elvis smiles back, thinking he’s done well by advising his client to say no comment all the way through the interview.
“Strangeways next stop then Mr Capel, we’re going to charge you with the murders of Emma Richards and Rebecca Redgrave. We’ll be requesting that our desk sergeant refuses bail for the safety of the public.”
Capel’s face falls then he looks at his solicitor,
“You said I would be out by tonight?”
“You will don’t worry, they always say that” replies the short, fat well dressed gentlemen in a very well educated middle English voice.
“OK Mr Capel we’ll leave you here for ten minute while we go and discuss bail with the desk sergeant.”
Small and Falls walk down the short corridor and turn right to where Desk Sergeant Beeston is. Small places a file on the table.
“Can we please discuss Capel with you James? We would like to have him remanded for the safety of the public.”
James Beeston had been a desk sergeant at Middleton Police station for almost 20 years, and he definitely did things by the book.
“Of course Small, just give me the facts, I don’t want to be here all day”
Small begins to read from a list he has on a clip board in front of him:
Capel taught the first victim Emma Richards, which establishes the direct contact.
He made it quite clear he didn’t like the fact that Emma had a privileged life.
He was anxious to be involved with the case from the outset and was obviously disappointed when he found out we wouldn’t be confiding in him, but would go through Mrs Redgrave. oThat’s probably why he decided to get Mrs Redgrave out of the picture by murdering her daughter.
He had a poor up bringing and was physically abused as a child.
Desk sergeant Beeston interrupts,
“I said facts Small not bloody speculation. Tell me what you have on him or the mans going home until you do have something.”
DCI Small shuffles the papers in front of him looking nervous, before DI Falls very confidently cuts in,
“Look James this guy did it, he won’t tell us anything but what he is telling us is crap. We just sat through an interview with him and all he’ll say is no comment. We had an interview with him yesterday and he swears he was in all night when the crimes were committed. We have 2 witnesses who saw him going out on both nights and they will testify. Also on the Thursday we have him on CCTV. Do I need to go any further?”
Beeston stands there nodding his head.
“Right well if the guy’s lying to us, then he obviously has something to hide and therefore I have no problem remanding him in custody pending a full investigation.”
“High five!” Comes from Falls and both men slap hands wi
th a large smile on their faces.
“Right we’ll just go get the prisoner for you James.”
“Hello Mr Capel, I’m desk sergeant Beeston, as my officers have informed you, you have been arrested suspected of the murder of two small girls. The officers have charged you with these crimes and it is my decision to remand you in custody pending further enquiries. Do you have anything further to say?”
Silence overwhelms the room only the echoes from the prisoners down the corridors can be heard. Mr Capel’s eyes begin to fill up with tears as he looks up into the desk sergeant’s face. No words will come out, he can’t believe he’s been charged with a crime, any crime, not him.
The small white van containing only Capel and 2 group 4 officers pulls into the large steel gates at the prison. Capel sits in a small cramped box in the back not much bigger that a coffin with a dark tinted window to his right. He sobs to himself.
Prison officers surround the van as it enters the gate checking every area of the van including sliding mirrors under to make sure nothing is being sneaked into the Prison. Squeaks can now be heard from a large steel gate opening in front of the van, then the van pulls into a small courtyard no bigger than a basketball court. The yard is surrounded by large wire fences and there is razor wire surrounding the top to make sure that anybody trying to escape is cut to pieces.
The Group 4 officers have been polite to Capel but that’s probably because they didn’t know who he was. He could see a much different look in the eyes of the men about to receive him into their custody though, these men knew who he was, what he had been accused of doing and he could see they hated him, they hated him deeply. The feelings of sorrow in Capel’s stomach quickly turn to fear as the enormity of what is happening to him begins to sink in.
A large Italian looking man stands in prison uniform inches from Capel’s face, his eyes are piercing and his breath smells strongly of cigarette tobacco and garlic.
“Strip.”
Capel looks to the officer for reassurance, there is none.
“STRIP.”
The officer shouts in his face covering him with spit. Capel begins to remove his clothes.
“ALL OF IT.”
Capel stands naked and shivering in the centre of a small cold room, the chill on his skin causes goose bumps and the fear in his stomach makes him feel sick and weak. Only he and this giant of a man stand face to face in the room, the officer leans in close to Capel, their lips almost touching.
“So this is what the man who has murdered those innocent children looks like in all his splendour?”
Capel stands frozen like a statue looking back at the man in front of him, the man who has the key to all the doors the power to treat him as he pleases. Then without warning Capel feels a thud to the side of his head like a hammer slamming into his skull, his ears are ringing and he’s on his knees almost unconscious.
“Get fucking ready con your mine now.”
The officer standing in front of him grabs some clothes from a table in the corner of the room and throws them at him. He then spits on Capel and leaves with a crashing thud as the large steel door slams behind him. Less than a minute later a small rat faced man comes into the room, thin lipped with small squinty eyes and feminine features he has the same uniform as the ape like man who has just left the holding cell.
“Come on Capel its time for you to meet the general population.”
He smiles, an evil little smile with a kind of snigger.
“They’re going to love you Capel” he sniggers again and walks from the cell.
Capel has never felt such humiliation, such hatred from everyone around him, he is an outsider in this place he does not fit. The fear and pain he has suffered as a child comes flooding back to him, he is back there, he is back to his childhood. The poem he wrote as a child that had won him his scholarship to university and set him free and on his career path as a teacher came rushing back to him.
NEGLECT
A little boy shivering not with the cold,
Body so young, mind not old.
A leather belt ‘oh so thick'
This.. and a temper... do the trick!
No mother's love, A father insane,
No loving embrace... A deep fear of pain.
Where's Jesus now .? He meek and mild,
There's someone who need's him..
A petrified child...
Caple is that petrified child all over again, he is once again shown the fear he had so long since pushed to the back of his mind. Now the father has turned into hundreds of angry prisoners and prison officers, this time the leather belt could be a razorblade, a piece of wood or a sharpened toothbrush handle. No loving embrace, well this hadn’t changed, he’d been alone for so long only prostitutes were his friends now, in fact ever, he had always struggled with adult interaction maybe that was through the abuse he had suffered as a child, all the degradation, the name calling, the physical abuse, that was about to start all over again, the past had come back to bite him and there was nothing he could do about it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Your fucked now mate
Chapter 15 Your fucked now mate, now your really fucked
The door to the cell slams loudly behind Capel as the rat faced officer closes it. Two beds but no cell mate, toiletries are set out above the sink and along the windowsill, he thinks ‘well at least they look after you here.’
He starts to have a look at what is there, shampoo, shower gel, some has been used before but he isn’t going to complain. The cell isn’t as bad as he’d expected either, a small colour TV on the wall purple curtains and windows that open. The wing was totally silent he could not hear a sound. He assumes maybe everyone is asleep, what else could they do sat in their cells 24hrs a day?
Suddenly there is a crash on the wing as a door slams open and a rush of load shouting noisy male voices fill the air.
“Ha ha we kicked your ass” He hears somebody shout.
“Fuck you Scouse bastards we’ll win tomorrow.”
In a matter of second he can hear doors banging shut and men shouting from cell to cell.
“Good game lads.”
“Top goal Banksy.”
“Shit defending Harris.”
“Fuck you nobhead.”
The fear he had entering the prison has suddenly returned tenfold, he prays he doesn’t have a cell mate, then the door crashes open and a giant of a man stands in the doorway sweating profusely, his white vest is soaked and he is panting like a gorilla, the hair covering his arms chest and back are clinging to his skin soaking wet, he stares into Capel’s face.
“What’s ya name mate?”
“Capel” he stutters,
“Cool, hey you been touching my fucking toiletries?”
“Sorry are they yours? I thought they were prison issue I haven’t used any though.”
“Good fuckin job mate you get sliced up for that in here. First time in then?”
“Yes I won’t be here long I’m innocent!”
As he said the word innocent the rat faced officer pokes his head in the door.
“You seen that guy that’s been killing those kids on the news Banksy?”
“Yeah sick cunt, he comin in here boss?”
“He’s your cell mate Banksy!”
The door slams shut with an almighty thud as Banksy turns to look his new cell mate dead in the face.
“Your fucked now mate, now you’re really fucked!”
The grin across the man’s face widens to the point where he can see every single tooth in his mouth.
“Guess what I’m in here for cunty.”
Capel sits on the bed silently, every part of his body is shaking uncontrollably.
“Well cunty, you know what I’m in here for?”
“No Banksy, I don’t.”
He uses the man’s name in a hope that he will warm to him slightly.
“I killed my brother in laws whole family, he hit my sisters little girl you see, fuc
kin bully boy, I shown him. I was hurt as a kid you see, hate those bullying bastards, you see why ya fucked now cunty?”
Capel’s face drops even further his shaking is now noticeable, very noticeable, he appears to be having a fit.
“I didn’t do it I’m innocent they have the wrong man.”
“Ha ha ha that’s what they all say, no child killer would ever admit it you see, its like being a fucking puff, god damn disgusting!”
Banksy turns to the small cell sink and begins to splash water on his face. He then turns to where the stereo is sitting on the table and picks it up with both hands.
“You like to chop em up don’t ya mate?”
Capel sits looking at the stereo system expecting the man in front of him to crash it into his face at any minute. Instead he turns to where the TV is and crashes it straight through the screen sending shards of glass everywhere. Capel can hear footsteps coming along the landing, then the rat faced officer opens the cell hatch
“What’s going on in here lads?”
Capel feels safe once again, thank god they are going to get me out of this cell, he thinks.
“Nothing sir just an accident” replies Banksy.
“An accident, sir he’s going to kill me!” shouts Capel.
“Just keep the noise down Banksy, do it quietly or I’ll have to move you.”
The rat faced officer winks at Capel with a smile and closes the hatch.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dead Man Walking
Chapter 16 Dead Man Walking
Ring Ring, Ring Ring, “DCI Small.”
“Small its Gary from Strangeways, think you need to come down here mate that kid killer you brought in has been cut to pieces by his cell mate, he’s been topped.”
“Oh what a shame, (he sniggers.) So what happened?”
“His cell mate must have found out who he was somehow, he smashed the TV in his cell took both his eyes out with the glass, then cut his throat.”
“Shit what a shame, poor man! I’ll be over there Monday Gary, thanks for the call, you can clean up the mess, won’t be any need for forensics, sounds pretty cut an dry to me.”
And Then They Were Dead Page 4