by Roger Rapel
‘Okay mate that’s good, now we need to know where’s the woman who was raped?’
‘She was Sumner’s girlfriend I don’t know where she is.’
‘After this video sequence Sumner punches her in the face that puts a more sinister overtone on the investigation?’
‘I don’t know where she is.’
‘I can’t say I believe you; we will be interviewing those on the video, so it will all come out in the wash?'
‘Look all I know is he never spoke of her after he left, he never mentioned her again.’
‘Okay, before we wrap this up, how many other different women are on the other videos and who are they; and more importantly, where are they now?’
Small sat in silence as Jim let him stew in his situation, he put his finger to his lips indicating to Sam not to speak.
Small just sat with his eyes closed as he began to shuffle his feet, then after ten minutes of silence.
‘You know she’s dead don’t you?’
‘I guessed as much.’
‘Look, I never killed her or the others.’
Jim’s ears pricked up, as he thought, the others? His mind went into overdrive.
‘How many Stuart, you’re doing really well?’
‘I think about 4 or five; look he killed them not me, I just helped dispose of the bodies.’
‘Well done Stuart, how did he kill them?’
‘Strangled them; that’s what he said; I was never there when he did it.’
‘Where did he do it?’
‘In his car I think then I helped him bury the bodies.’
‘Where are they buried?’
Jim then thought conspiracy to murder, he had to arrest him for that as well or all this evidence would be thrown out.
‘Okay Stuart, let me just stop you there for a moment I need to inform you that that you are also being arrested for conspiracy to murder and the same caution applies you understand?’
‘I never killed anyone why am I being arrested for that; I just helped him bury the bodies?’
‘If it had been only one, then yes I would agree, but with more than one you must have known what he was going to do, whether you agreed with it or not, you went ahead with it, you were complicit in raping women and used your house as the place where they were raped, knowing they were going to be killed by Sumner; that Stuart is conspiracy to murder.’
Jim looked at the sad looking excuse for a man sat opposite him, who was now full of remorse, but he hadn’t looked like that when he was involved in raping the women as seen on the video sequences.
‘Fuck me this is heavy duty stuff.’
‘Yes it is mate, I need to know where the bodies are so we can close this, and recover them so the parents can officially bury them properly, so where are they?’
‘Look he’s a sick bastard really sick; they are in some woodland, out of town on the edge of some farmers fields.’
‘Okay can you take me there?’
‘Yeah, it will get me out of here.’
‘Okay we’ll wrap this up, but just tell me, are all the bodies there?’
‘Yes, all close to each other.’
‘How many Stuart?’
‘God this is really bad isn’t it?’
‘That’s an understatement.’
‘I think 4 maybe five.’
‘In that number is one of them called Janet?’
‘Yes she was a long standing girlfriend of his.’
‘Did you know the names of the others?’
‘No they were just brought in by him.’
‘Besides the women on the tapes and the ones buried in the woods were there any other women that were raped in your house?’
‘Yes.’
‘How many and can you name them?’
‘Not really I think there were three, I think one might have been called Debbie she was a young girl I don’t know the others.’
‘What happened to Debbie?’
‘I think he said she’d run away, but she wouldn’t have talked anyway she was too scared he had really hurt her.’
‘You sure she ran away or was she killed by him as well?’
‘No I’m sure, I think if he had killed her, he would have told me if he had, he just said she was in hiding somewhere.’
‘Okay we’ll wrap this up and go for a drive, but before we do, is it muddy or easy going?’
‘Easy going we drove right up to the spot.’
‘Okay let me get a car and then we’ll head on out; are you sure you know the way?’
‘Yes, I know where it is.’
Jim left Sam Talking with Stuart. He got outside and called Langton as he punched the air. ‘Yes guv, he say’s four maybe five bodies in woods, one of them is Janet Crosby; we are just going to try and find the site, can you put the circus on standby and some uniform officers to protect the site if we find it. I will call you from the location.’
Jim drove according to Stuart’s directions; they drove past the entrance to the Larches estate as he directed Jim into a narrow track that ran alongside some agricultural land.
‘Okay not far now; easy; this is it, just hear.’
‘Right Stuart out of the car, I need to cuff you to Sam; rules and regulations okay?’
‘I won’t run promise.’
‘Sorry mate it’s regulations.’
Sam slipped on the cuffs Stuart; he then directed them a short distance to the edge of the woods.
‘Just here, that’s where the last one is.’
Jim saw fresh dig signs with undergrowth placed on top to hide the grave. Jim called Langton
‘We have one grave, with fresh signs of digging. The location is approximately 2 miles past the Larches estate entrance on the A road heading towards Cinder town. Then take a track on the left hand side and drive down a couple of hundred yards; I will place a sign on the side of the road till uniform get here with a cordon tape.’
Jim left Sam looking for the other sites. He drove back to the main road. He opened the boot, but couldn’t find anything to use as a marker; he then saw a plastic fertilizer bag in the hedgerow. He was just about to hunt for something to use as a peg when a Land Rover turned up, it was Brian the gamekeeper from the Larches estate. They greeted each other, as Brian stated he had been called as someone thought they had seen poachers. Jim explained the reason for being there. Brian’s face went ashen as he was told of the potential graves.
Brian went to the back of the Land Rover and took out a peg then used his hunting knife to fashion an arrow from the fertilizer bag. He then attached a cross piece to keep it erect. Jim asked Brian for five more stakes so he could mark the graves.
Brian followed Jim where he met Sam. Sam nodded to Jim, ‘he’s pointed out 5 potential grave sites.’ Jim nodded then said to Brian ‘is this all part of your estate?’ ‘Yes it’s just a small wooded area sometimes we shoot it, but not that often.’ Jim took Brian to one side. ‘Look Brian you better tell your boss that we will be looking for bodies in this area so will be digging and there will be a lot of activity for a week or so.’ Brian acknowledged Jim. Brian then left and drove back along the track, as he reached the main road he saw a police patrol car and directed them to where Jim was.
Jim directed the uniform crew to tape off the area then await the arrival of SOCO and under no circumstances to let anyone go tramping over the area.
Jim then called Langton confirming 5 grave sites identified. He also confirmed that a uniformed presence was there protecting the scene.
Jim got back to Central with Small. Sam bought some coffee and some sandwiches into the interview room.
‘Okay Stuart, you took us to the woods where you identified 5 separate locations close to each other where you say there are 5 bodies of women who had been brought to your house then raped by those present including you; then they were murdered by Sumner, is that correct?’
‘Yes, but, I didn’t have anything to do with their deaths.’
‘But you di
d help bury them; yes?’
Small looked down and began sobbing, more a sympathy sob than a real cry.
‘I say again, did you help to bury the bodies?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay Stuart I will arrange a charge then you will be in court in the morning.’
Jim prepared the charges; Small said nothing in reply to the rape allegations. He was then placed into the cells to await the morning’s court.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Jim had nominated Vicky as the interviewer of Lynda Small; he had made sure a video player was in the interview room and given her a copy tape for the interview.
Vicky brought in a junior detective Chris, to sit in and scribe the notes of the interview.
‘Okay Lynda your full name please?’
‘Lynda Small.’
‘Okay you have been arrested for indecent assault, kidnaping and rape you understand.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Do you want a brief?’
‘No don’t need one I haven’t done anything.’
‘Okay; you know your husband has been spoken to and he has been interviewed by other detectives; you understand?’
‘Yes.’
‘You enjoy sex Lynda?’
‘What?’
‘Do you enjoy sex?’
Lynda looked down and shrugged her shoulders.
‘I suppose, doesn’t everyone.’
‘Who do you have sex with?’
‘What?’
‘Simple question, who do you have sex with?’
‘My husband.’
‘Anyone else?’
‘No, what are you saying?’
‘Just asking a question; have you ever had sex with anyone else other than your husband in your house?’
‘Are you getting some kind of kick out of this?’
‘Just asking a question which is relevant to the enquiry?’
‘Well then, no I haven’t.’
‘Do you want to think about that answer?’
‘No I don’t need to, the answer is no.’
‘Okay have you ever had sex with a woman?’
‘What?’
‘Another simple question; yes or no?’
‘No.’
‘That is all I wanted to know?’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m about to prove you’re an outright liar?’
‘What I’ve told you is the truth?’
‘Well I’m about to blow a hole right through your truth.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Remember we searched your house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Tell me how long have you known Charles Sumner?’
‘Oh ages a long time.’
‘Has he ever bought women to your house?’
‘Like who?’
‘You tell me?’
Vicky wanted her to deny everything then bang, hit her with the video, as that would crucify her.
‘He had a couple of girlfriends.’
‘What were their names?’
‘I don’t know just girls he went out with.’
‘Why did he bring them to your house?’
‘Just for a drink.’
‘Okay did he ever have sex with them at your house?’
‘Not that I know of.’
‘Do you remember woman called Janet?’
‘I think so.’
‘Well she’s missing do you know where she is?’
‘No idea.’
‘Okay, I’ll go back to what I just said, we searched your house, have a guess what we found?’
‘No idea; what?’
‘A video camera and cassettes.’
‘Oh my god.’
‘Sorry, he won’t help you; on the tape in the video is some quite interesting footage, would you like to be reminded of what’s on it?’
‘Oh god no please you can’t show that, can you?’
‘It will be interesting for the jury to watch, you naked holding down women while they are being raped by men including your husband, then you using them for your pleasure as well?’
‘Oh I don’t know what to say?’
‘Well let me help you, I’ll ask again have you ever had sex with anyone else in your house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who?’
‘Lots of men and women.’
‘Did the women consent?’
‘Some did.’
‘Which ones didn’t?’
‘The ones bought by Charles.’
‘How did you know they didn’t consent?’
‘Because they struggled and had to be held down.’
‘Who held them down?’
‘Sometimes I did and sometimes others did.’
‘What happened to the women afterwards?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh come on Lynda, women raped, the fear of them reporting it to the police; what happened to them?’
‘I don’t know Charles would take them out after, then he and Stuart would go.’
‘Go where?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Let me tell you, Stuart led officers to grave sites pointing out where the women had been buried after being raped and strangled. So what did you know about that?’
‘I had heard they had done it.’
‘Done what?’
‘Killed them.’
‘Right you are also being arrested for conspiracy to murder as you said you were aware the women brought by Charles to your house were going to be killed?’
Vicky watched the confident woman in front of her now looking broken.
‘Did you talk to Stuart about it?’
‘Sort of.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘He just said they had buried the bodies.’
‘Okay so you knew that each woman who was bought to the house where you lived was going to be raped then killed? Then you took part in the rape and sexual assault, is that what you are saying?’
Small just sat there crying into a tissue and shaking her head.
Vicky thought; you weren’t shaking your head when you were holding the women down as you were being taken from behind on the video sequences.
‘Yes when you say it like that; well yes I did.’
‘And you did nothing to stop it?’
‘No how could I?’
‘Reported it to the police?’
‘No I couldn’t; they would have killed me as well.’
‘Okay we will leave it there for now, have you anything else to say?’
‘No just I’m so sorry, I should have said something.’
‘Yes you should of. What I want now, is the names of the other women who were present?’
‘I don’t know their last names, they were friends of Charles, I didn’t know them.’
Vicky then nodded to Chris, who pressed play on the video. Lynda turned her head away, she was there standing naked being groped and performing oral sex on the men whilst holding down the victims.
‘Okay Lynda those two women, their names please?’
‘I only know their first names; the dark haired one is Julie, the blonde was Maria, I don’t know if that was their real names, that’s all I knew them by.’
‘Addresses as well Lynda?’
‘I don‘t know that; not even sure if that was their real names.’
‘Phone numbers?’
‘No, Charles had those; he did all the arranging for the parties.’
The interview continued for a while longer then she was charged with rape and sexual assault.
Vicky found Jim where she let him know the result of the interview; he congratulated her on the interview, as she started to compile the remand in custody papers.
Jim had sent a team to Sumner’s house for him to be arrested and his house searched. But the jungle drums had beaten loudly; he together with some of the others on the video had done a runner.
Jim hearin
g the news was somewhat disappointed to say the least, he wished he had nicked him earlier, but he couldn’t be in two places at the same time.
Jim knew he had to view the other tapes as well to try and identify the other victims; he hoped Janet was in one of the sequences
He applied at court for remand to police cells for 3 days to allow time to view the tapes.
The court application was made; the CPS lawyer gave a good speech and although the defence lawyer’s tried to have the application refused; Jim knew the magistrates would be sympathetic to the police investigation; the Small’s were remanded as per the application.
Jim received the remaining tapes the same afternoon. He worked through them making notes; there were four more women being raped who he hoped would match the identities of the four victims in the graves. Then he came across the tape, the one he hoped would be there. He watched the woman being led in blindfolded with her hands tied, as soon as she was in the room, hands were all over her removing her clothes, some were unceremoniously torn from her. He instantly recognised her face as the blindfold was removed; from the pictures he had seen, it was Janet. She was struggling, but was overpowered by those present. The women held her down then, one by one the men raped her. The scene was graphic as Sumner jeered at her as she was being raped and defiled.
Once over she was led from the room by Sumner; she was in hysterics carrying her clothes in her arms; shortly after Stuart Small left as well. This confirmed his version of what happened. That video clip would have been the last time that Janet was seen alive.
Jim made notes for the further interviews of the Small’s as they featured in the rapes and sexual assaults on the other nameless victims. He saw that Sumner was the only person bringing each of the victims into the room blindfolded with hands tied, then stripped and raped by the men present with the other women joining in by holding the victims down as they too were engaging in sexual activity with each other and the men present.
He also noticed that it was the same people in the video sequences. Jim just sat and watched knowing that the sick bastards were aware or must have been aware that the unwilling women were going to be killed after being raped.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jim got home as he opened the door Jackie was standing at the sink dressed in one of his shirts again. She heard him come in but, loved to play the game of letting him creep up on her pretending she hadn’t heard him.