Cold Case

by M A Comley

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Sally ate her lunch while she dealt with the paperwork that had appeared on her desk during her absence. At five minutes to two, she left her office and tapped Jack on the shoulder as she walked through the incident room. “Coming to question Hawk with me?”

  “If I have to,” he said, rising from his chair.

  “No, you don’t have to. You stay there. Joanna, want to accompany me?”

  The constable leapt out of her seat and snatched up her notebook and pen. “Would love to, boss.”

  Sally grinned at the gobsmacked expression on Jack’s face. “That’ll teach you to wind me up, Bullet. Maybe you’ll think twice next time. Nice sandwich, was it?”

  Jack’s nose twitched. “Yeah, it was. Thanks, boss.”

  “Good. It had something a little extra in there, if you know what I mean.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “Didn’t what, Jack?” she teased, winking at him. “We’ll be back in a while, folks. We’ll have a catch-up when I return.”

  Following Sally out of the incident room, Joanna asked, “Did you, boss?”

  “What? Put a little extra in his sandwich? Nah, not this time. Hopefully, it’ll make him think before he picks on me again. I love making him squirm like that, ex-soldier or not.”

  Both of them laughed, but they had straightened their faces by the time they entered Interview Room One.

  The redheaded constable sitting at the table turned to look at them when they entered the room.

  Sally shook the woman’s hand. “Hello, Constable Hawk. All right if I call you Caroline? I’m DI Sally Parker, and this is DC Joanna Tryst.”

  “Caroline is fine, ma’am.”

  “Good. Can I just say before we begin that you’re not in any trouble? All I want to do is get your take on what happened to PC Thomas’s wife. I see from our records that you have been partners with Patrick for the past thirteen years. I know it’s asking a lot for you to remember back to the day Aisha lost her life, but if you can try, that’ll be a great help.”

  “Crikey, that is a big ask, ma’am. I’ll do my best.”

  “Primarily, I suppose I’d like to know how Patrick has coped since that awful day occurred?”

  “Like anyone else who has grieved a loved one, ma’am. No differently.”

  “Has he been with anyone else since that day?”

  Caroline’s gaze drifted down to the table, and she studied her interlocked hands carefully before she replied. After a while, she looked Sally in the eye and shook her head. “Sorry, I was trying to think back over the years, but I have to say no. I don’t think he’s ever mentioned even being slightly interested in another woman, ma’am, which is a shame. He’s a lovely man.”

  “It is. Grief can be very destructive, especially considering the way Aisha was murdered. Can you think back to the day the incident happened? He found his wife after he’d finished his shift. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I got a call late that evening to tell me that she had died. I was devastated for him. No one deserves to come home to a scene like that in their own house.”

  “Was Patrick pleased how the initial investigation went?”

  Caroline contemplated the question then shrugged. “I think so. He just let the guys do their job.”

  “Even when things ground to a halt, it didn’t bother him?”

  “Not that I can recall. Are you saying that the officer in charge messed up, ma’am? Is that why the investigation has been reopened?”

  “No, I’m not inferring that at all. The case has come to us because some new evidence has presented itself.”

  Caroline’s eyes widened. “Wow, it has? Can I ask what that evidence is, ma’am?”

  “No. It’s on a need-to-know basis.”

  “Sorry for asking.”

  “No need to apologise. I’m sure I would do the same if I were in your shoes. Can I ask if you got involved in the investigation back then?”

  “No, ma’am. I was never asked. I suppose because Patrick and I were partners, that would have been frowned upon.”

  “Maybe you’re right. Partner or not, it wouldn’t have prevented me from trying to help out.”

  Caroline frowned. “Maybe if I had inspector epaulettes, it would have been a different story, ma’am, but a PC nosing around would have been seen as interfering with a case.”

  Sally nodded. “You could have a point there; forget I asked. So, you supported your partner, but tell me, did you ever suspect him?”

  Caroline collapsed back in her chair, and her mouth hung open for a second or two. “That’s terrible, ma’am. No, I’ve never thought Patrick would ever have the inclination to do something as horrendous as taking another person’s life, let alone killing the woman he was head over heels in love with.”

  “And were they? In love? Or were they performing some kind of charade for their friends and family? Although, from what we gathered from his mother-in-law, it would appear that some ties had been cut there, am I right?”

  “Firstly, yes, Patrick loved Aisha dearly. And secondly, her family suck. They should have supported the marriage. Did her mother tell you that none of Aisha’s family showed up for the wedding? Although they did attend the reception afterwards.”

  “No, that little detail was never passed on to me. Why did they turn up for the reception? Any idea?”

  “I’m presuming because the service took place in a church. You know what these people are like?” Caroline said, bitterness evident in her tone.

  “‘These people’? I’m not understanding where you’re coming from, Caroline.”

  “Sorry, ma’am, I didn’t mean that to come across as racist. It’s a different culture we’re dealing with here. They have rules, or so it would seem, and if those rules are broken, then someone has to pay the price.”

  Sally couldn’t tell if the constable was just being ignorant or if there was another inference entirely behind her words. She leaned forward a little. “Pay the price? Are you suggesting her family might have killed her?”

  Caroline shook her head vigorously. “No, ma’am. I merely suggested that she went against her religion, and they punished her by cutting her off.”

  “And yet they attended the reception. That’s very strange.”

  “It is, ma’am. Maybe that’s something you should ask them about.”

  “I will. Don’t worry.” Sally’s mind was filled with questions, but she didn’t want to bombard the constable, so she asked, “Has Patrick ever mentioned if he or Aisha were feuding with anyone at the time of her death?”

  “Ma’am? I’m really not understanding this line of questioning. I thought you knew who was responsible for her death: the two burglars. Can’t for the life of me remember their names now.”

  “As I said before, new evidence has come into our possession, and we’re just trying to piece the puzzle together.”

  “Are you dismissing the two burglars, ma’am?”

  Sally sighed. “Between you and me, yes.”

  Caroline fell silent and stared at her hands, twisting on the table. “I can’t believe it... after all these years. If there’s anything I can do to help, all you have to do is say the word.”

  “Thank you. All you can do for now is tell us how Patrick has reacted over the years. For instance, has he had bouts of depression? Did he grieve much at the time?”

  “I can’t really tell you more than I have already. He’s always been a quiet, deep-thinking kind of guy. Yes, he suffered from more quiet spells than normal directly after Aisha left us, but that’s normal, I would suspect. He’s definitely never given me the impression that he was ‘in on it’. I told him years ago that he can turn to me if he has a problem that he needs to share. He chooses not to.”

  “That’s sad. Perhaps he has a good family behind him, people he can rely on.”

  “Both his parents died a few years ago—not long after Aisha, I think—and he was an only child.”

  Sal
ly puffed out her cheeks. “Okay. Please, can I ask you to keep our meeting to yourself? And if you think of anything more that is likely to help this case, will you ring me?” She pushed a business card across the table.

  “Of course. I hope you catch the bastard this time round, ma’am.”

  “My team and I are going to do our very best to ensure that happens, Caroline.”

  The three of them stood up and left the interview room together. Caroline marched off ahead of Sally and Joanna.

  “What do you make of that?” Sally asked.

  “It’s all very sad, ma’am. I didn’t really gain much from what the constable had to say. Am I missing something?”

  Sally turned to smile at her. “I’m not sure. I’ll tell you what I think as soon as we get back to the office. I’d like you to look into how Patrick’s parents died. Maybe that will point us in a meaningful direction, because at the moment, we really don’t have a lot.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  They ascended the stairs together. At the top, DCI Green was waiting for Sally. “You go ahead and action what we spoke about, Tryst. I won’t be long.”

  Joanna gave the DCI an awkward smile and trotted away.

  “Hello, sir?”

  “Inspector. Any news on the cold case yet?”

  “Far too early for that, sir. We’re working through the list and interviewing anyone involved, but that’s going to take time.”

  “What’s your gut instinct telling you on this one?” he asked impatiently.

  Sally’s mouth turned down, and she shook her head. “Hard to tell at this early stage, sir.” That’s all you’re getting out of me for now. You can’t expect me to come up with the goods after only working on the case for a day. The initial investigating officer worked the case for over six months and failed to come up with the goods.

  He grunted and turned on his heel. “Keep me informed every step of the way, hear me?” he called over his shoulder before he stormed off.

  “Yes, sir.” She walked towards the incident room with a grin stretching her lips apart. Joanna was looking out for her arrival and motioned for Sally to join her. “What have you found, Joanna?”

  “Something or nothing, boss. Depends how you want to look at it. I pulled up the death certificates for Thomas’s mother and father. His father died of a heart attack; he suffered from a congenital heart condition for years apparently. That was eight years ago, and the mother died around three months later.”

  “Of what?”

  “Nothing suspicious. She just gave up. Stopped eating and went downhill rapidly. The pathologist said that it was likely that she died of a broken heart.”

  Sally tutted. “How awful for her, and for Patrick to have to contend with so soon after losing his wife. Not sure how I would have coped under the same circumstances.”

  “Me neither, if I’m honest, boss. Where do we go from here?”

  Sally clapped to draw everyone’s attention. “Grab a coffee, folks. Time for a conflab.”

  Chairs scraped as Jack positioned them in a circle around the incident board. Joanna and Jordan collected the coffees from the machine while Sally contemplated what she was going to say next.

  When Joanna handed her a coffee, she took a sip then set the cup down on the desk beside her. Once everyone was settled, she cast her eyes over the team. “The DCI collared me outside to see how the case was progressing. I had to tell him that it isn’t—I hate doing that. I know we’ve only been working on the case less than thirty-six hours, but I need to shift this sinking feeling I have here.” She ran her hand across her flat stomach.

  “Wish we had more to go on, boss. The truth is we haven’t,” Jack pointed out unnecessarily.

  “So, let’s go over what we do have. So far, we’ve spoken to the victim’s husband and mother, and Patrick’s partner on the beat. All that has thrown up is that Aisha’s parents hated her husband and the fact that they married behind their backs and out of Aisha’s faith. Joanna came up with the idea of an honour killing. While I can see why she thought that, I’m not a hundred percent sold on the idea. The mother didn’t really come across as being vindictive enough to be involved in that kind of shit, however, we still need to question Aisha’s father, get his take on things.”

  “When do you want to do that?” Jack asked.

  “I prefer it if it was either today or tomorrow. The jury is still out for me on Patrick Thomas. He hasn’t shown me any reason to suspect he was involved. Conversely, he hasn’t really shown why we should discount him, either. According to his partner, he’s a quiet man and a deep thinker. He hasn’t said anything that could point the finger to him being the culprit over the years. He also had to contend with the loss of both parents a few years after he lost his wife, which would increase any likely grief he might have been suffering from.”

  “So, what next?” Jordan asked.

  “We keep questioning people, beginning with the neighbours. Odds are that they’ll have changed since then, but it’s something we shouldn’t neglect. Plus, we need to visit the school and see what her work colleagues have to say. Jack, you and I will do that. I’d like the rest of you to try and track down anything to do with the burglars—friends, relatives, look into their financial situation if you can find anything after all this time. I want to know why they turned to crime, what sentences they served, if any. You know the drill. Let’s keep at it, guys. Something will show up soon. If it doesn’t, then we’re gonna have the DCI breathing down our necks pretty soon.”

  “Boss, what about having a word with the leading investigator on the case?” Stuart asked.

  “Yep, that’s another avenue for Jack and me to pursue. All right, let’s drink up and crack on.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sally and Jack pulled up outside the semi-detached house that was adjoined to Patrick Thomas’s home.

  “Not sure I’d be very keen to have this house next to mine. It’s a bit of a tip. Don’t people care about the value of their homes these days?” Sally grumbled as they walked through the small gate and up the concrete drive. They stood inside the arched porch, knocked on the door, and waited for it to be opened.

  Almost a minute passed before a grey-haired gentleman of retirement age greeted them. “Hello? If you’re selling double glazing, sling your hook. I ain’t interested. Just because my windows need a bit of painting, it don’t mean that they don’t keep the draft out. Got that?”

  Sally smiled. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Yates. I’m DI Sally Parker, and this is my partner, DS Jack Blackman. Would it be possible to come in and speak to you for a second or two?”

  The old man frowned and raised his glasses to look at her properly. “Bloody turning out DIs young nowadays, aren’t they? How old are you? Twenty-five?”

  Sally felt the colour rushing into her cheeks. “Thirty-one actually, sir. May we come in?”

  “Not until you tell me what it’s about.”

  “About an incident that occurred in the neighbourhood ten years ago.”

  “What? And you’re just investigating the case now? I know the police are bloody hopeless these days—didn’t realise standards had dropped that much.”

  In spite of the man’s remarks, Sally really liked him, as she could see the similarities to her dearly departed grandfather. “Things haven’t got quite that bad yet, sir. We’re looking into a cold case.”

  “Ah, why didn’t you say that in the first place? Well, come in out of the cold. Want me to pop the kettle on for you?”

  “No, thanks anyway.”

  Sally and Jack followed him up a grubby hallway and stopped outside the first door on the right. He sat in an upright chair, positioned next to an old oil heater that was throwing out a generous amount of heat considering its age.

  “Don’t just stand there. Take a seat, the pair of you.” The two detectives sat on the sofa opposite him. He laughed when Sally jumped out of her seat again. “Oops, I forgot to tell you to watch out for the killer springs
. That needs to go off to the tip, that thing.”

  Sally turned around and decided to perch on the arm of the chair instead; she noticed Jack was trying hard to suppress a grin. She glared at him, and he averted his eyes back to the old man. “Mr. Yates, am I right in thinking that you’ve lived at this address for a number of years?”

  “That’s right. Don’t ask me to give you an exact number. I’d say it’s probably over twenty years. Why?”

  “So you’ll remember the incident that happened at number twenty-four, ten years ago?”

  “Pretty hard not to remember something like that, duck. Bloody hell, horrendous it was... and to a copper’s wife. You just don’t expect that kind of shit to go on, not on your own doorstep,” he said, shaking his head in disgust.

  “It was a sad case. We’re revisiting it because we’ve uncovered vital new evidence—before you ask, I can’t really divulge what that evidence is. Can you tell me what you told the investigating officer at the time? Maybe you’ve thought about something that has bugged you over the years, something you might have left out of your statement?”

  “I don’t think I left anything out. Pretty sure I told that officer everything I knew.”

  “Which was?” Sally smiled.

  He scratched his temple, and his eyes narrowed as he thought. “Let me see... give me a minute to run through things in my mind. It’s a tad rusty after all these years.”

  “What job did you have, Mr. Yates?”

  “I used to be a primary school headmaster.”

  “How wonderful.”

  “Hush now, or I won’t be able to think properly.”

  Sally raised her eyebrows at Jack, amused the old man was reprimanding her as if she were one of his students.

  Mr. Yates clicked his fingers and nodded. “I remember it all now. It’s like a movie replaying in my mind. I was outside letting my cat out—poor thing has gone to pussy heaven now, anyway—and I’d not long arrived home from school when Aisha pulled up. She was always really amiable, had time to speak to people, never cut anyone off, except one person. I’ll tell you about him in a second or two.”