‘Yes. She followed me back to the house, used the toilet and then went back to her car,’ he said.
‘So let’s be absolutely clear about this. You’re saying Kayleigh Harwood followed you back to your house, she walked through the front door and down the hallway, which is when she might have held onto the rail you think?’
Regan nodded.
‘Norris Regan is nodding his head in the affirmative. Please, for the sake of the tape, could you confirm your actions please Norris,’ said Vicky.
‘That’s right,’ he said.
‘She used the toilet, which is when, of course, she might have put her foot up against the door so that no one came in. I see,’ said Dylan.
Regan nodded again. ‘Yes.’
‘I get it. Then she walked back to her car? She never went anywhere else in the house?’
‘No, that’s right, that’s just what happened.’
‘If this is as innocent as you’re making out Norris, I just can’t understand why you haven’t come forward before with this information. You have had plenty of opportunity. You knew we were looking for her...’
‘Because no one would’ve believed me. Would you?’ Norris Regan looked hurt.
‘But why wouldn’t we, if it is the truth?’ Dylan frowned.
Regan sat very still and quiet but the look of smug self-satisfaction was almost immediately wiped off his face.
‘Did she go back to her car alone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why didn’t you walk her back to her car Norris? Anything could have happened to her, and maybe did,’ said Vicky.
‘I told her she could stay.’ Norris fussed. ‘But she didn’t want to. She said her boyfriend and her mother would be worried about her and she wanted to ring them. Like I told you, my phone wasn’t working.’
‘Did she say that, or is that something you’ve just made up?’
‘No it’s true, it is,’ he said nodding his head vigorously.
‘So let me get this straight. The weather conditions were horrendous. She was dressed inappropriately for the weather. You went out to take her some refreshments. She came back to your house to use the toilet and then she went back to her car, alone?’
Regan nodded his head.
‘For the purpose of the tape, Mr Regan is nodding his head in the affirmative,’ said Vicky.
‘Weren’t you a bit concerned for the young girl?’
‘How was I going to stop her? She was not my problem,’ he said, looking down at his callipers.
‘But you have been portraying to us all along that you are the Good Samaritan who took beverages out to a young damsel in distress. Now you’re saying she was not your problem?’ Dylan said. Vicky took a sideways look at Dylan, she knew he was building up to a tongue lashing.
‘That was before.’
‘Before what, she rejected you? Wouldn’t play your sordid little games? The truth, Mr Regan, is that you were outside that night as a predator weren’t you? Just looking for that helpless victim, and when you heard the drunken young men banging on the car of what appeared to be a female’s car. You thought your luck was in, didn’t you? You frightened them off, or at least you thought you had, but one of them saw you go to her car with your honey trap. Kayleigh Harwood was young, pretty, dressed inappropriately for the weather and even better for you appeared stranded and vulnerable. You really must have thought all your birthdays had come at once. Did you ever stop to think she would feel like an animal in a trap?’
‘It wasn’t like that! It’s not true.’
‘Which bit isn’t true Norris? She wasn’t pretty, because she was, wasn’t she?’
‘I don’t remember.’
‘You don’t remember if she was young and pretty but you remember that she had a short skirt on. Okay.’ Dylan’s voice was getting louder and louder.
‘You took her to your house, didn’t you? She thought she had found a safe haven, didn’t she? But the truth is you’re a sex fiend, aren’t you? You couldn’t keep your hands off her, could you, and she rejected you, didn’t she? That’s why you...?’
‘I didn’t kill her,’ Norris screamed.
‘I was going to say abducted her,’ Dylan said softly. ‘Where is she now Norris?’
‘I don’t know where she is now and that’s the truth.’
‘Lies just roll off your tongue don’t they? If you had one ounce of decency about you, you’d at least tell us where she is.’
Norris Regan looked up to the ceiling in exasperation.
‘Kayleigh’s mum is out of her mind with worry. Just think how your mum would have felt if you had gone missing when you were a lad?’ said Vicky.
Dylan nodded to Vicky, who took over the interview.
‘How could you do this to her, Norris?’ Vicky pleaded with him.
‘I wouldn’t have got myself into that sort of situation, would I?’ he said matter of factly.
‘Come on Norris. She’s a young girl. Kayleigh is her mum’s best friend, like you were your mum’s friend. You know what it was like to lose your mother, so just think how hard it is for Mrs Harwood to lose her young daughter. Because Kayleigh is missing, Mrs Harwood doesn’t know if she’s alive or dead and that’s a thousand times worse for her.’
Norris didn’t look at Vicky but at the hands clasped on his knee. She could see he was seething inside. The muscles in his neck were taut, his breathing heavy. ‘Is what you’ve told us now the absolute truth?’ she said.
‘Yes, how many times do I have to tell you? That is my final word,’ he said shuffling to the edge of his seat.
Vicky continued to put questions to him but he remained silent. The officers collected their paperwork from the desk.
‘Just one last thing before we end the interview, Mr Regan. Do you know a Mr Paul Barrowclough?’ Dylan said.
Regans jaw dropped open, revealing a lower lip that looked like some red fungus growth. He didn’t reply but looked from Dylan’s face to Vicky’s.
‘Well, do you know him or not? It’s a simple question.’
‘No, no,’ he stuttered nodding his head in little jerky movements for a second or two.
‘Mr Regan is nodding in the affirmative,’ Dylan said for the purpose of the tape. Was his body language giving him away?
‘Okay. What you haven’t explained is the white fibres on your furniture in the lounge to us.’
Regan was silent.
‘Okay, well I’ll leave you to think about that for now. Interview over,’ he said.
Dylan walked slowly back to the CID office, he opened up his shoulders, stood tall and breathed in deeply.
‘You okay?’ asked Vicky.
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ he said, opening the door for her to enter the incident room ahead of him.
‘When you mentioned Barrowclough’s name you would have thought you’d touched the back of his hand with a hot spoon. He was quaking in his frigging boots... well, his leg irons,’ Vicky said.
‘The mention of his name certainly came as a bit of a shock to him, didn’t it? I don’t think he expected that. But he can’t stop himself lying, can he? I’m convinced Kayleigh is dead and he knows something about it – but where the hell is she?’
Vicky shook her head. ‘God only knows.’
‘By the way, look in Ned’s tray again to see if the billing enquiry results have turned up. We could do with knowing if there has been any contact between them before the next interview. If there is, as well as that little nugget of information about Barrowclough’s phone number written on his wall, we can also drop on his toes any contact that they had.’
‘We’re close... I just know it.’
‘The bastard is hanging on for dear life, I can tell,’ said Dylan.
‘Humans do that don’t we? We hang on for dear life when we think we’re losing something precious?’ Vicky said thoughtfully.
Dylan looked at her. ‘For someone so scatty, you talk a lot of sense sometimes,’ he cocked his head sidew
ays and half-smiled at her.
‘Cheers boss. That’s a compliment, right?’ Vicky said sticking out her tongue. Her mouth wide, she yawned like a lion.
‘Lisa will you get this one a strong coffee please,’ Dylan said. ‘She’s obviously lost the plot.’
‘Make it a stiff gin,’ she said.
‘In your dreams. Once Regan gets his sleep time tonight his twenty-four hour custody time limit will be up, so we have to get back in there and get some answers. I’ll prime the Divisional Commander – no doubt we’re going to need the twelve hour extension – while you look for those billing results. We’re going to be here for a few hours yet today lady, so I hope you’re match fit.’
Dylan picked up his phone.
‘Jen!’ he said.
‘Guess that’s, Jen I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she said, before he had got the words out of his mouth.
‘Ah, yes,’ he said. ‘Don’t wait up. We can put Kayleigh in Norris Regan’s house and we know he’s lied through his back teeth, but we don’t yet know what happened to her. We’re taking his house and garden apart. The surprise...’
‘Yes?’ Jen said, sounding brighter.
‘The surprise is, I’ve got tickets for ...’
‘Us to go on holiday when it’s all over?’ she said.
‘Not quite... you and Maisy to go to see your dad.’ The line went silent. ‘Jen? Are you still there?’
‘When?’
‘Tomorrow. Look, it’s all sorted,’ he said hurriedly. ‘I wanted to tell you face to face. I hoped you’d be pleased. I’ve arranged for your dad to collect you from the ferry. I wanted to tell you earlier. It just never seemed the right time.’
‘I can’t,’ she said flatly.
‘Of course you can.’
‘How can I get everything ready by tomorrow? You can be so damn thoughtless sometimes! I want to wait, we’ll go together... in a little while. Cancel the tickets,’ she said, a rising panic in her voice. ‘What about Max?’
‘I know what you’re saying, but I’m about as useless as a bucket with a hole in to you and Maisy right now. Think about it. It’s all booked and me and Max, we’ll be good.’ He didn’t realise how nervous he had been about her reaction until he put down the phone, but she didn’t jump at the chance of a visit to the Isle of Wight to see Shaun Turner again, and that had to be good news.
Jen put her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating fast. ‘Please Jack,’ she said quietly, ‘Please don’t send me away. Please don’t do this to me.’
Dylan was writing his policy log as Vicky scanned the telephone information.
‘Bingo Boss, we’ve got contact. Regan rang Barrowclough and visa versa. Checking times and dates now to see if they’re relevant,’ Vicky added excitedly.
‘Fantastic,’ he said picking up his ringing telephone.
‘Sergeant Languard, cells, boss. This isn’t good news, Regan has had to be sent by ambulance to Harrowfield General with a Police escort, he’s complaining of chest pains.’
‘Fucking hell!’ said Dylan, thumping the desk.
‘His custody clock has stopped until he returns, sir.’
‘Of course, yes. Thanks. I hope... he’s going to be alright.’
‘You do?’ he said.
‘We don’t want the bastard taking an easy way out now, do we?’
‘Ah, no. Well, there’s been nothing wrong with his appetite. He had a big plate of curry and chips for his tea.’
‘Curry?’ Dylan said, as his taste buds took a roller coaster ride. ‘And guess what, we’ll have to go without, since our canteen is closed. Where’s the justice there then?’
‘No sir, there isn’t sir. I’ll keep you updated.’
‘Vicky, you sorted that little job yet?’ Dylan shouted as he replaced the receiver.
‘I’m going as fast as I can,’ she said. ‘You don’t need to rush... Regan’s on his way to hospital, chest pains,’ Dylan said as he stood at his door.
‘Oh my God,’ said PC Jackie May.
‘Don’t worry, paramedics are fantastic these days, I’ve got faith they’ll save him for another interview,’ Vicky said, biting into a Crunchie bar.
‘He could be at the hospital for a while though, maybe all night for observations. He doesn’t have a history of heart problems that we know of, does he?’
‘No, probably bloody guilt.’
‘More like heartburn, he’s just had a plate of curry. But the delay might just work in our favour, especially if we can get a dawn raid together to do on Barrowclough’s place tomorrow morning?’ said Dylan, raising his eyebrows.
‘Now you’re talking boss, we’re on a roll – and don’t forget he’s my number-one suspect,’ Vicky smiled a Cheshire Cat smile.
‘You’re not going to let me forget, are you? But if it all goes pear-shaped, I won’t let you forget either,’ he said, with a wink.
‘From what I can see from this information, Regan telephoned Barrowclough the night Kayleigh went missing. There are a cluster of calls to and from that night and the day after, then nothing until around the time we did house to house enquiries.’
‘Thought he said his phone wasn’t working the night she went missing?’ said Dylan.
Andy, Ned and the rest of the team filtered into the incident room. It was late, they were all pale and tired and most couldn’t wait to get into a nice hot shower, but the debrief and update had to be done first.
The hospital confirmed that Regan would be detained overnight for observations. He hadn’t had a heart attack as suspected but they needed to rule out an infection, although the likeliest cause was indigestion. The drain on uniform staff to guard him was necessary but frustrating.
‘We’ve secured the house and the garden is over seventy five percent cleared, sir,’ said Andy. ‘And there’s been no further information or evidence discovered.’
‘Nothing much new this end either, since Regan has been whipped to the hospital. The cluster of calls shown on the billing information between him and Barrowclough are interesting, especially as Regan denied knowing him in interview,’ said Dylan.
‘Do you think Regan might have rang Barrowclough when he found Kayleigh in her car and continued to update him as the situation unfolded?’ said PC Jackie May.
‘Don’t know, but it looks almighty suspicious, don’t you think? What I do know is that we need to strike while the iron is hot. I’ve arranged with the HQ support team to send us twelve officers tomorrow morning to help us with the raid on Barrowclough’s address. I need you all there but we need to be extremely cautious about cross contamination. Our main objective is to arrest him, and to search for Kayleigh or evidence of his involvement in her disappearance.’
Dylan looked grave. He knew the team were exhausted, but he also knew they had to make a move sooner rather than later. The adrenaline rush would give them enough energy to do what was necessary with the next address – it had to, for the sake of the enquiry.
Briefing over, and everyone’s roles sorted for the next morning, it was off home for a few hours’ sleep, ready for the next phase of the investigation.
Chapter 36
‘Talk about ships that pass in the night,’ Jen said under her breath as she turned to the dressing table to pick out a handkerchief. Dylan’s suit and shirt was on the rail and she was choosing his tie when he walked in. Her heart melted at the sight of his tired, pale face – tonight was no night to give him a hard time, and although it was difficult she kept cool and calm. Dylan didn’t notice. His mind was elsewhere but something in her eyes made her appear more mysterious than any police enquiry.
As Dylan shaved the next morning, Jen placed a cup of coffee on the corner of the sink. ‘You tossed and turned last night.’
‘Yeah, I know, I’m sorry if I kept you awake. I tried to shut down, but my mind was buzzing. You know how it is love,’ he said, lifting his chin to shave underneath.
‘I’ve put some sandwiches and fruit on top of your briefcase. Go and do
what you have to do at work, then you can come home with a clear head. We can talk before I leave,’ she said.
‘No, we’ll talk when you get back. You go home and catch up with your dad,’ he smiled. Patting his face with a towel before taking her head in his warm hands, he leant forward and kissed the top of it, like a child.
Jen looked up at him, about to protest. Dylan put a finger to her lips. ‘Shhh.. It’s okay. I’ll pick you up at six to take you to the train station. We’ll have plenty of time to talk then. I’m not taking no for an answer.’ He turned away from her and splashed cold water in his face to stop her from seeing the tears burning in his eyes.
She reached out and her fingers lingered against the skin on his bare back for a moment or two before she turned and left.
‘Don’t forget to give Maisy a kiss from me when she wakes up every morning and tell her how much her Daddy misses her every night, yeah?’ he called. His voice was muffled. Through the half-closed door, she saw him splashing aftershave on his face.
‘I will,’ she said, quietly. He studied her reflection in the shaving mirror and walked into the bedroom, caught up with her and embraced her from behind. He could feel her warm naked body beneath her thin dressing gown. ‘Just remember how much I love you, Miss Jones,’ he said, nuzzling his face into her neck. ‘Much more than anyone else ever could – and don’t you ever, ever forget that.’ She turned to face him. He touched the tip of her nose with his finger. She looked longingly into his eyes and felt a deep stirring within her.
‘Better go, otherwise the raid will be over before I even get there,’ he said clearing his throat as he tore himself away to shrug on a crisp, clean shirt. ‘I’ve got some interviewing today that will produce some fidgety backsides.’
Jen smiled despite the situation and Dylan grinned back. ‘Yes, you’d better go,’ she whispered, pulling her dressing gown around her. She held out his handkerchief. ‘That won’t wait.’
Maisy stirred. ‘You’re a good man Jack,’ Jen said, lying down on the bed.
‘If I was a good man, I’d be jumping back into bed with my wife,’ he said with a deep groan.
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