Grant gritted his teeth. And it was lucky for McGowan Delaney had made it because with Riley splattered below there was no chance to squeeze him for information, was there? Without Delaney, those children would have been dead.
‘Like I told you,’ Grant said, ‘go straight to the station and report to DCS Fox.’ Grant’s tone was deadly dark and he turned and walked away. He sent a message to DCS Fox – Urgent. DS McGowan is to be relieved of duty. Bring Hector Mason into protective custody. I’ll explain later.
52
In the back of the ambulance, Sylvie overheard people talking about Nick Riley jumping from the roof. It meant she had a chance. Now there was nothing to connect her to Riley. Maria, the only other loose end, was also taken care of. It had been useful Maria was the one to risk dropping off the phone and after that Maria was disposable. Sylvie congratulated herself on her idea of giving Maria an overdose.
It seemed ages ago that Sylvie had seen Nick Riley meet with Maria in Himlands Heath. After Maria had handed him the key from the Glover house, Sylvie had followed him and spotted him entering a pub. It had been dark inside with the usual British pub smell of beer and old carpeting. She had got to the bar just as he was handed a pint.
Sweeping back her hair, Sylvie smiled at him and then at the barman.
‘A white wine please.’
Apart from a pockmarked face, the most notable thing about him was the way his ears stuck out. He stared at Sylvie like she was an alien. When she went to pay, she deliberately dropped her purse. He retrieved it for her.
‘Gosh that’s kind of you. There aren’t many gentlemen around these days.’
It had been funny to watch confusion spread across his face. That’s when she realised he wasn’t used to attention from women. Which meant he would be easier to manipulate. Sylvie had cut him another smile.
‘Looks as if I’ve been stood up.’
‘A nice girl like you. I can’t believe it.’
She raised her glass. ‘Cheers.’
When he introduced himself he fumbled his drink and beer slopped over.
‘Pleased to meet you too,’ Sylvie said. ‘I suppose it’s my bad luck you’re probably meeting someone special.’
As her chat-up line met him head on, he froze, a band of froth clinging to his upper lip as he stared at her.
‘I’m not meeting anyone. I only popped in for a quick pint.’
He had a rasp to his voice and his eyes were cold and hard yet she sensed a weakness in him. She guessed he didn’t get many offers like hers.
She shimmied up onto a bar stool and crossed one leg over the other. ‘Oh, really? At least something’s turning in my favour.’
53
Ruby got to Brighton as quickly as she could. She waited while Sylvie Delacourt was treated by paramedics. They had Sylvie in the back of an ambulance, checking her over.
‘Ruby,’ Grant called, as he jogged towards her.
‘I heard what happened to Riley,’ Ruby said.
‘Listen,’ Grant said. ‘We found them. We’ve got Emily and Lisa.’ Grant led her away from the ambulance.
‘Thank goodness,’ Ruby said.
‘Yes, though…’
‘What is it, sir?’
‘Emily might not make it.’
Ruby watched as Grant wiped at the corner of his eye.
‘Delaney got there just in time,’ Grant said. ‘Emily was in a critical state and I’m waiting on news.’ Grant glanced at his phone as if willing it to ring.
‘Oh no.’ She clutched his arm. ‘What happened on the roof, sir?’
‘It’s complicated. Diane lost a lot of blood and I’ve sent McGowan back to the station – I’ll explain later. How is Sylvie?’
‘Sylvie’s in a state of shock,’ Ruby said. ‘She told me she’s been kept prisoner. It seems Riley ambushed her. He kept her handcuffed to the bed and Sylvie says he drugged her.’
‘Does she need to go to hospital?’
‘I don’t think so. The paramedics told me she doesn’t have any physical injuries.’ Ruby scrunched her nose. ‘I’m not certain Sylvie’s story is as straightforward as it seems.’
Grant raised an eyebrow. He thought back to when he was in the bedroom with Sylvie. Her wrists had not been sore from the cuffs. It had struck him as odd.
‘I’ve not got time for nuances right now. Care to elaborate?’
‘Why would Riley keep Sylvie locked up? The man already had Emily and Lisa so what did he want with the au pair?’
‘I agree her story doesn’t make sense. That’s why I wanted you here.’ Grant ran his hand through his hair. ‘Sylvie is saying she’s the victim in this but maybe it’s not as straightforward as it seems. Give me a minute.’
Lack of a red mark on her wrists. Was it enough? Did he have grounds to arrest Sylvie Delacourt? Was there more to the au pair’s story? Grant was finding it difficult to concentrate because he needed to know about Emily. And Diane.
‘Sir?’ Ruby asked.
Grant watched as Billingham’s officers wound the operation down. Emily had been flown to the hospital by air ambulance. Grant paced. It was only minutes, though it seemed like an eternity before Grant received a message from his paediatrician friend.
I have Emily. She’s in intensive care and it will be touch and go until the antibiotics have a chance to act. She’s slightly conscious which is a good sign, though she is not yet out of danger.
Grant sent his silent thanks skyward.
He tapped a quick ‘thank you’ reply then turned back to Ruby. He trusted her judgement and his own take on the au pair. There was more here. He needed to search for one final piece of evidence concerning the identity of Nick Riley’s true accomplice.
54
Sylvie pushed her hair back from her face. She closed her eyes and listened to the paramedics talking as they went about checking her over.
A lot had happened since she’d followed Nick to the pub and chatted him up. That day, he’d been practically drooling over her by the time she delivered her ultimatum.
‘I know you’re up to something with Maria,’ she’d told him. ‘If that’s even her name. I know she got friendly with me to wheedle her way close to the Glovers. Tell me what you’re up to or I’m going to the police.’
It had been a huge gamble. If they hadn’t been in a public place maybe Nick would have hurt her. As it was, Sylvie had already given him a hard-on by stroking his leg and he had seemed stunned by her mouth and by the threat which came out of it.
‘How do you know? Did Maria tell you?’ he asked.
‘She’s too stupid for that. It was pure chance – I saw Maria take a key. Then I followed her and that’s how I met sweet little you.’
Nick had a mean, pinched face. ‘What do you want?’
‘I want an in.’
It had been a brazen request and Sylvie knew it. The bitter kick in the gut she’d received from Jack Glover spurred her on.
Nick sized her up. She watched him trying to get a handle on her and failing. To give him a bit more persuasion, she slid her hand back towards his dick.
‘How do I know you’re not a cop?’ Nick asked.
‘Give me a break, do I look like one? Besides, I hate the Glovers. So any plans you’ve got to screw them, I’m interested. And I don’t want Maria to know. You and me get to be partners in whatever scam you’re pulling off and we’ll do it behind her back.’
Nick had shaken his head in incomprehension. Of course, he had no idea Sylvie had been on the verge of telling Maria the biggest and most important secret of her whole life only to discover Maria wasn’t a friend at all. She’d been stringing Sylvie along and Sylvie didn’t like feeling a fool, nor being screwed with.
Nick had been cautious and cynical, of course he had, until, a while later, he started to appreciate her.
The paramedic took the blood pressure cuff off Sylvie’s arm. ‘We’ll take you to the hospital for some quick blood tests and then you’ll be able to go, miss,�
�� he said. ‘You have no physical injuries from your incarceration though you may suffer from the mental stress.’
‘It was horrible,’ Sylvie said. ‘He was a mad man. I won’t ever feel the same again.’
‘Hmm. If you experience worrying symptoms in the next few days, I recommend you make an appointment with your doctor.’
She leant her head back. ‘I still feel so shaky.’
The paramedic tucked the blanket around her. ‘After the ordeal you’ve had, you’ll need to take things slowly.’
‘Thank you, I will,’ Sylvie said.
The detectives were hanging around the back of the ambulance and she needed to get her story straight for when they questioned her. Sylvie hoped she’d be able to shake them off and then get to the money before they did.
55
Blood had been taken from Sylvie to find out what substances Riley had forced into her. Sylvie complained of memory blanks and overwhelming anxiety and the paramedics said she might be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Grant went to Himlands Heath high street. He wanted to question business owners and then he needed to get to the hospital and talk to the children and bring in forensics to check their clothing. Dealing with McGowan’s suspension was in Fox’s hands.
An hour later Grant was sitting at his desk impatient for the lab to contact him when they finally did.
No intoxicants in Sylvie Delacourt’s blood.
Bingo.
Grant’s expression was grim as he read Sylvie her rights. ‘Sylvie Delacourt, I am placing you under arrest for conspiracy to commit abduction, false imprisonment and demanding money with menaces…’
The young woman refused to have a lawyer present. Grant took her to an interview room where Ruby was waiting.
‘I’m going to be recording this,’ Grant said. ‘Let’s start with everyone saying their name for the record and then I want you to tell me how you came to be at Riley’s house.’
‘Why have you brought me here? Why have you arrested me?’ Sylvie asked. ‘I’m the victim here and you’re treating me like a criminal! I have rights. He took me by force. Riley was a mad man.’
‘And now he’s dead and I can’t get his side of the story. I need to piece together what happened.’
‘The stuff he pushed down my throat messed with my mind. It’s all a jumble.’
Grant flipped open the lab report. ‘There were no intoxicants in your blood.’
Sylvie didn’t miss a beat and she started to cry.
‘Perhaps you could begin with how you got to be with Nick Riley?’ Grant asked.
Ruby passed over a box of tissues. ‘Take your time, Ms Delacourt.’
‘All I remember is coming out of work late.’ Sniff.
‘Are you talking about your job as a waitress at the seafront coffee bar?’ Grant asked.
‘That’s right.’ Sniff. ‘It was dark. He must have been waiting because he pounced on me and put a hood over my head.’
‘And this was when?’
‘I’m not sure. It’s all mixed up in my head.’
‘My colleague and I questioned you at the coffee bar,’ Ruby said. ‘Was it the same day?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know.’
‘And around what time?’ Grant asked.
‘About ten thirty.’
The Inspector nodded. ‘Was there anyone around? Did you shout for help?’
‘It was stupid of me when I think about it because I went out the back entrance. It gives out onto an alleyway and it’s shorter to walk home. I didn’t see anyone. When he forced the hood over my head I panicked. I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was going to die.’
‘I see. And then?’
‘The next thing I remember I was chained to a bed and that’s where I stayed until you found me.’
Ruby was watching Sylvie very carefully. ‘Did Riley speak to you?’ she asked.
‘I don’t remember.’
Ruby made encouraging noises. ‘Hmm. What about food and drink?’
‘I had water, and he let me use the bathroom. Of course, I thought about escaping and it was impossible. Why are you asking me these things? He attacked me. He kept me chained up.’
‘We’re trying to understand why Nick Riley would snatch you after he took Emily and Lisa. You said you don’t know him,’ Ruby said.
‘I’ve never met him before, no.’
‘Except it seems he knew you and he knew enough to know where you worked. Is it possible he met you while you were working for the Glovers?’ Grant asked.
Sylvie was screwing a tissue up and ripping it to pieces. She kept shifting around and glancing at the uniformed constable in the corner. It was as if she felt her captor was still there, though Ruby was not fooled. Sylvie Delacourt had been a brilliant actress from the beginning. For a moment, Sylvie stopped and considered Grant’s idea.
‘If he was following Emily and Lisa then I suppose it’s possible he saw me from a distance. I mean, you hear about people who get obsessed, on the news and stuff. Do you think he might have been the type to get fixated on me?’
‘When he had you tied up, did he touch you?’ Ruby asked.
‘I d-don’t think so.’ Sylvie started crying again. ‘How can I be sure? Maybe he d-did something and I can’t remember it!’
‘And he never mentioned Emily and Lisa? He never spoke about them?’ Grant asked.
‘He liked to sit on the end of the bed and stare at me. It was creepy. I was freaked out and who knows what the hell was going on inside his head. I just wanted him to get away. And no, he didn’t talk about the children.’
Grant glanced at Ruby and he gave a small nod. Grant had a brown envelope in front of him and he slid out a photograph. ‘Do you recognise this person?’ he asked.
Sylvie peered at it. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘A yes or no answer please,’ Grant said.
‘No. I’ve no idea who it is.’
‘You’ve told a very convincing story,’ Grant said. ‘Now I’d like to tell you what I think. You told my officers you are pregnant and Jack Glover is the father. This is what I believe happened – you and Maria Fernandez became friends. Then at some point, you realised you were being played and you found out Riley and Maria’s aim which was to kidnap Emily and Lisa and demand a ransom. At that point you could have come to the police and you didn’t. Instead, you recognised a wonderful opportunity for getting back at Jack and for cashing in at the same time. I think you teamed up with Nick Riley. Likely that was your real reason for moving down to Brighton.’
‘That’s crazy. You’re making it up.’
‘Was it you who copied the key to the Hardman’s house and then slipped it back where it should be? Or Maria?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. This Maria woman, I’ve never met her.’
‘Untrue. I have video footage of the two of you together at a gym in Himlands Heath. You seem to be quite friendly with Maria Fernandez, in fact, the staff there told me you trained together frequently during the time you worked for the Glovers.’
It hadn’t taken much for Grant to find out Maria frequented the gym. The staff confirmed his suspicion the two young women knew each other. What he couldn’t work out was how exactly Sylvie got in on the kidnapping plan.
‘Wait. Oh yes now I remember. Yeah sure, I met up with her once or twice on the treadmills though I don’t remember her name. So what? I’ve no idea what she might have been up to. If you think she’s involved in abducting the children why don’t you ask her yourself? Instead of trying to drag me into it.’
Grant took out a second photograph. It was a crime scene shot of Maria’s body. ‘Because Maria Fernandez is dead. But I think you knew that already, didn’t you?’
‘Riley abducted me! He kept me against my will. You’re not allowed to talk to me like that.’
‘You colluded with Riley in the abduction of Emily and Lisa. You knew the location of the children all along. When officers arrived at
Riley’s residence you chained yourself to the bed to make it look as if you were innocent, and you concocted your whole story. That’s why there were no marks on your wrists from the cuffs, because you’d just put them on.’
‘Did you have handcuffs with you the whole time?’ Ruby asked. ‘Just in case we came after Riley and you needed an escape story?’
Grant placed his hands flat on the table. ‘That was quite clever. You might be interested to know we’ve located the one million. Will we find your prints on the notes? I think so.’
Billingham’s team had recovered the money stashed in Riley’s van, in a garage several streets from the apartment block.
‘You kept the location of the children secret even though you met with me and with my officers. At Riley’s house, you also declined to pass vital information on about their whereabouts, even when you had another chance to save them.’
‘You’re making this up. I’m innocent. You don’t have a shred of evidence–’
‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ Grant said. ‘It seems you have a favourite shampoo with an orange scent and Lisa Glover recognised it from your hair. You left them for dead. Lisa told us the last person who visited them in the locked room was a new woman. You wore a mask but Lisa realised it was you.’
‘From the scent of my hair? For God’s sake, Lisa is a child! She’s mistaken. I never went there. You can’t take the word of a four-year-old…’
Grant fixed Sylvie with his grey eyes. He’d met despicable criminals in his time and Sylvie Delacourt was one of the worst – a young woman willing to throw away the lives of two children. He savoured his final words.
‘There’s also the fact a long hair was found on the front of Emily’s clothing. It’s the same colour as yours. It will be tested for DNA and I’m sure it will be a match. The only explanation is – you visited them in the locked room. On at least one occasion. Which means you were Nick Riley’s accomplice.’
Deadly Lies Page 22