Missing on Dartmoor

by Julian Mitchell

  The offender was desperately trying to make a case for blamelessness, but deep down they knew that they alone were responsible for the death of an innocent man.

  *

  The detectives returned to the police station and were joined by Sergeant Harris. King outlined what they knew of the murderer, or at least a likely profile from the evidence gathered so far.

  “He’s fairly small in stature from Mrs Hope’s description and from the footprints found near the burned-out Defender at Cadover Bridge. Possibly has long hair, maybe ex-forces judging by his garb and his night vision goggles. Maybe smokes roll-ups and is ruthless: he’ll let nothing get in his way when thieving. We’ve got good DNA evidence from the discarded roll-up, if it was his, and the footprint impressions if they belong to our man. Sam, what was the shoe size from the footprint?”

  DC Dyson consulted a file on her desk and, finding the relevant part of the report, read directly from it: “It says here that it measured twenty five centimetres or about ten inches.”

  “And what’s that in shoe size?”

  “It depends.”

  “Depends on what?”

  “Whether it’s a male or a female print, sir. For a male it’s size eight and for a woman it’s more like a seven. So, in Euro terms for a man it’s size forty one or forty two and for a woman it’s more like a size forty.”

  Hammond, who had been silent for some time, wanted to have his say: “Although Mrs Hope referred to the attacker as a male, how could she tell? The DNA results will show gender.”

  King wanted to move on, but asked one final question on the Hope Case.

  “When are the results on the roll-up due?”

  Dyson didn’t know, but said she would chase it up. The inspector didn’t want to waste any time.

  “While we’re waiting for that result, I want us to get back to the Mary Cranson case and Sergeant Harris can review what we’ve got so far. As we all are under the same pressure from our boss, I’d like the four of us to hear the review and see if we are missing something that would help. Let’s grab a coffee and meet me in the incident room in ten minutes to go through what we’ve got so far.”

  *

  When all four detectives had reconvened, Harris began the review of the investigation into the disappearance of Mary Cranson. The sergeant went in to more detail than was necessary for her inspector for the benefit of her other colleagues who already had some knowledge of the case. King reached for a sherbet lemon.

  “Since Miss Cranson went missing on the first of February, we have interviewed everyone who was in the rugby club the night before she went missing and, therefore, knew where she would be the following afternoon. We still don’t know if this was a random abduction and, possibly, none of those people are implicated in her disappearance. However, we interviewed all of them and checked out their alibis. This has led to some revelations not connected as to why Mary simply vanished.

  “Her boyfriend, Tom Bowers, couldn’t have been on Haytor at the time she went missing as we know he didn’t leave his solicitors’ practice until 5 o’clock and it took him half an hour to get to The Rock Inn where they had arranged to meet. Although Jack Lacey was out and about on the moor, he, initially, didn’t tell us the whole truth of his whereabouts or what he was up to. Fortunately for him his mistress corroborated his story. George Kemp we know was up to no good, but that didn’t involve the disappearance, and Stella Bovis was at work all afternoon. Doctor Josh Ingram was in A&E all day and, his girlfriend, Alice, was at her parents’ hotel, before going shopping in Exeter: receipts from shops there confirm she actually was in Exeter from about four until five o’clock.”

  King knew that the sister was the least likely person to be suspected, but he admired his sergeant’s thoroughness.

  “Then, of course, there is Paul Betteridge, who did not tell us he had seen Mary just before she walked up Haytor. Rather stupidly neither did he tell us his daughter was with him. They may have been the last people to see her, or maybe the last but one! The hair sample found in his car did belong to Mary, but it is credible that, according to him, it got there following a lift he gave her some months before. The timings he gave about the window cleaning he did later in the afternoon checked out and I think it’s unrealistic that during the time that he cannot fully account for, they abducted Mary and disposed of her. My view, sir, is that he and his daughter are not involved.”

  “Okay, but until we catch the person responsible they will remain as suspects.”

  The sergeant continued: “Nothing was revealed when we tested the plumber Brian Cantwell’s van and, although he was travelling near Haytor at the time of the disappearance, the receipt for his plumbing part, and the time shown on it, did tally with his story.

  “Dylan Pearce wasn’t present when Mary announced she would be on Haytor the next day, so we have no reason to suspect him of any involvement. However, there is some discrepancy in his alibi as his father didn’t fully corroborate the son’s story that he was helping him working on the tractor that afternoon. So, I don’t think we can rule him out just yet.

  “So, that leaves the Sutton family, and it would seem that both Dick Sutton and his father were out on the moor at the time Mary went missing: the father allegedly on the tractor and Dick Sutton on the quad bike. You could argue that the father didn’t know Mary was out on the moor. There again it could have been a chance encounter between them or one of his sons may have mentioned her plans to him. Somehow his involvement just doesn’t seem credible. That’s not to say we should exonerate him completely, but, personally, I don’t see him as a lead suspect.

  “It’s alleged that Harry Sutton was at Quarry Farm doing work on the Utility Task Vehicle. The initial report from the forensic people states they couldn’t find any trace of Mary’s DNA on the UTV or the quad bike for that matter: mind you, all were remarkably clean considering they are working farm vehicles. We still await the final report on them.

  “There still remains some discrepancy between the time the father says he returned to the farm, and the time his younger son says he got back. I am also uneasy about Dick Sutton’s movements that afternoon. We only have his word that he was looking for his lost knife on the moor: he could have been anywhere, including near Haytor and he had plenty of time to abduct Mary. We’ve also heard that he still fancies her: means and motive?

  “So, there remain two possibilities: she has fallen in to a deep bog and been swallowed up or she was abducted, either by someone randomly passing Haytor or by one of the people who knew she would be on the moor that afternoon. Personally, I don’t believe the bog scenario as some trace of her would surely have been left behind. As for the abduction by a stranger I think that is extremely unlikely.”

  “Thanks, Lucy, for your comprehensive overview.”

  The sergeant always got a real buzz whenever her boss called her by her Christian name. He turned to his other detectives.

  “Well, you’ve heard a synopsis of the evidence. Do you have any questions or observations to make?” Hammond was quick to assimilate all the points made by the sergeant.

  “It seems to me, sir, and I agree with Sergeant Harris, we can rule out Mary getting lost or swallowed by a bog as she was too smart to let that happen. There remains the possibility it was a random abduction, but, again, I agree and just don’t think that is likely as she would have put up a fight and there would have been some evidence of a struggle. I think the probable scenario, sir, is that she willingly got into some vehicle meaning she knew the person and trusted him or her. But who? Like you, I think that farmer Sutton abducting Mary on his tractor is implausible.”

  At that point there was a knock on the door and a note was passed to the inspector and he quickly glanced at it.

  Hammond continued: “Rather than be thinking solely about the person who is responsible, perhaps we need to think which vehicle was most likely to ha
ve been used in the abduction. It’s true a quad bike can take a pillion passenger, and we know Dick Sutton was on the moor. However, if someone enticed Mary in to accepting a lift, the UTV would be the vehicle of choice. We only have Harry Sutton’s word that he was at Quarry Farm all afternoon servicing it.”

  King was impressed: “I think you’ve summed it up nicely, Alex. However, I don’t think we can completely discount the theory of a random abduction.” He opened the folded note he had been given.

  “Apparently, someone has come forward in response to the incident boards that are still near the Haytor car park. It seems that the witness doesn’t pass that way very often, but remembers he was passing on the Wednesday Mary went missing. He was travelling towards Two Bridges and Princetown. Just before 3.30 he is certain there was an army-type green jeep parked up, and, as he passed, a small, yellow car he had been following turned in to the car park.”

  King passed the note to his sergeant, which had the name of the witness, and didn’t need to ask her to pursue it although this task was later delegated to DC Hammond.

  “While we check out that reported sighting and await the final report from the Forensic team on the Suttons’ vehicles, it’s time to bring in the brothers for further questioning, separately of course. We really haven’t got anything else to go on and, like you, I believe one, or both, is lying.”

  While Sergeant Harris went to obtain the arrest warrants, King spoke to DC Dyson about the other pressing matter.

  “Well, Sam, have the Forensic boys decided on the gender of our Hope Farm killer yet?”

  “They have, sir: if the discarded roll-up was from the murderer, then a woman was responsible for the death of John Hope.”

  EIGHTEEN

  MISSING ON DARTMOOR The Sun’s front page headline announced, followed by the provocative subheading Friends quizzed over disappearance. This sort of coverage was not welcomed by the police or the relatives of Mary Cranson, and certainly not by her friends. An article behind the headlines appeared on page two quoting a local source, who had reliably informed the red top newspaper of Mary’s mysterious disappearance. Tabloids, and other national newspapers, tend to pick up stories, which may have a wider interest, from the local press. The delay of almost two weeks between Mary vanishing and it making national headlines, somewhat suggested that the local source had been proactive making their own approach to the paper.

  The article was very well informed as reference was made to friends who included an estate agent, a plumber, a doctor, a solicitor – acknowledged as the missing woman’s boyfriend – a window cleaner and some local farmers. No mention was made of a discredited car salesman.

  The article also poured scorn on the police as they had failed to find Mary Cranson after nearly two weeks, or apprehend the person, or people, responsible for her evident abduction. The paper intimated her friends were all suspects, but stopped short of accusing anyone, being careful not to expose it to a claim for defamation. Nevertheless, for Alice Cranson and Tom Bowers, in particular, it made for very distressing reading.

  King and Harris also read the article and were left feeling, however unfairly, they were the ones ‘in the dock’. It was not appreciated either by the people named, albeit only by their profession. They had their suspicions that the local source referred to was George Kemp and they were right. Following his dismissal from Cameron & Wise he had been unable to find other work: his court case was still pending and he lacked the temerity to ask his former employer for a reference. His addiction to gambling was showing the classic signs: he was secretive about his betting; was unable to control this self-destructive habit; was spending money he could not afford; was in debt to friends - what few he had left - and family; had maxed several credit cards and was struggling to make minimum payments on them. It was against this background that he had contacted the newspaper. The ‘blood money’ he received for the information would only slow, not stop, his financial downward spiral.

  *

  Meanwhile, the local news media were writing their own headlines, but this time not about Mary Cranson. DEATH ON DARTMOOR was the banner headline in the shouty capital letters of one local paper, the Plymouth Herald, as it recounted the tragic events at Hope Farm. Farmer killed in botched theft was the more sober headline in the Western Morning News outlining what had happened the night before last. Both newspapers also speculated as to what was being done to stop these well-documented thefts from farms on Dartmoor: the criticism of the police for not apprehending the thieves was implicit.

  The local BBC TV coverage opened its evening bulletin on site with a reporter doing a piece to camera at the entrance to Hope Farm. This report went beyond the tragic events of the previous night. Like the papers, it catalogued the numerous thefts from farms and, once again, stopped short of criticising the police. The more discerning viewers no doubt thought, that if the culprits had been caught earlier, John Hope would still be alive.

  *

  In the late afternoon Superintendent Edwards asked to see Inspector King and when the detective entered his office, all three newspapers, the top-selling red top and both local papers, were on his desk. The superintendent spoke even before the inspector sat down. “Doesn’t make for good reading does it Richard? I had the chief constable on my back yesterday and she’s really keen to get these crimes solved. So, can I give her any hope of an arrest in the not too distant future in either the Cranson case or the farm thefts, including the person responsible for the death of John Hope?”

  “Well, sir, we have identified that the Hope Farm tragedy was committed by a female…”

  “That’s a start I suppose as it rules out half the population.”

  The senior officer’s sarcasm was not appreciated by King, but he was too professional to overreact.

  “It’s progress, sir, and we have gathered other evidence in the form of a footprint and two items recovered from the stolen burnt-out vehicle. We also have a description of the thief from Mrs Hope. The main piece of evidence is the remains of a roll-up cigarette; that’s where we got the DNA sample to identify the culprit as a woman.”

  “How sure are you that the bungled theft at Hope Farm was the work of the same gang?”

  “Fairly sure, but we haven’t ruled out a copycat theft.”

  “Okay; stick at it. What about the Cranson case?”

  “We have eliminated most of the people who knew Mary would be on the moor the day she went missing. We have interviewed farmer Sutton and his two sons twice and we are still not satisfied with what they are telling us. We plan to interview all three again, this time under caution at the station. That said, we are also keeping an open mind as to whether it was a random abduction as there has been a sighting, albeit rather late, of another vehicle in the car park at the same time as Miss Cranson: we are checking that new information. However, we feel she must have known her abductor and went willingly with him or her.”

  “I’m coming under pressure, Richard, to reassign the Cranson case to another team as the chief constable doesn’t like bad publicity. I can resist that course of action for a short time, but I’ve decided, not beyond a week today. I’ve given you extra resources and you’ve still made little progress. If no further progress has been made in the missing woman case by then, I will hand it over to DI Hopkins and his team. I know that won’t be a popular decision with you and your detectives, but I need a fresh pair of eyes to look at it to see if something has been overlooked.”

  King was unimpressed with this threat and let his boss know.

  “I’m not in the habit of, as you put it, overlooking facts or evidence, sir. Giving me a deadline will not change anything. We are doing all we can to solve the Cranson mystery and the farm thefts.”

  “Nevertheless, the decision is made and the deadline is set. Should I have to hand over the case, I’ll do it on the basis you need to devote all your time to catching the murderer of Mr Hop
e. That’ll be all Richard.”

  As he left the superintendent’s office, King didn’t show it, but he was hurting inside and he was also as angry as hell.

  *

  It was Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, and particularly poignant for Tom Bowers. It was also training night at Bovey Tracey Rugby Club and its skipper was grateful that he nearly had a full turnout at training, – only Josh Ingram was missing as he had a date with Alice – which Jack Lacey took in the continuing absence of the coach. After the session and a shower, all the players were in the bar, but unlike most training nights after the hard graft on the pitch under floodlights, the atmosphere was rather subdued. A copy of The Sun was lying on a table near the bar: no one was reading it as most had seen a copy during the day.

  Now he was in a position of authority, it was left to Jack Lacey to comment.

  “So, who do you reckon is the local source? It’s pretty obvious to me it’s that bastard George Kemp. Not content with stealing from his employer, he’s now making money out of our misery. Well, it’s just as well he’s not here right now as if he was, so help me, if I had a knife, I’d cut his balls off!”

  This statement, delivered with some vehemence, was uncharacteristic of the normally placid estate agent, but had most of those around him nodding in agreement. None of the other friends spoke, but most thought, “Not if I can cut them off first.”

  There was another reason why no one spoke. That recurring question was spinning around the room with sideways glances being passed among the group. Yes, they accepted that Kemp was a despicable creep, but as far as they knew, he wasn’t an abductor or murderer.

  *

  Coverage in a national newspaper can make local matters worse. King spoke with his sergeant and detective constables. He told them of his uncomfortable interview with their superintendent and, although he omitted the sarcasm shown by the senior officer, he passed on what Edwards had said and his frustration at the lack of an arrest over the Cranson disappearance. He also told them of the ultimatum deadline in a week: namely, if significant progress had not been made by then, a new team of detectives would take over the Cranson case. The fact that they would continue with the murder enquiry and farm thefts provided little comfort to the by now beleaguered team.