by Carla Kovach
She glanced back at the crowd, albeit a much smaller one. Some of the earlier watchers had gone and a few new ones had replaced them. So many people were coming and going, Gina knew it would be impossible to keep a track of everyone. She removed her forensics suit and started walking towards the witness. ‘We need to know what happened to Amber Slater after she left to catch the bus that evening.’
Wyre’s brow furrowed. ‘Poor woman. Goes out for a date and never comes home. That could happen to any of us.’
Gina swallowed as she thought about her own past dating disasters. One of them had even become embroiled in a case, making her wary of dating again. Besides, no one had ever matched up to Briggs. She’d tried and each time she was with someone else, all she could see was his face. She shook those thoughts away. ‘I want to know who this man was. Did she arrive for her date? We need to get everyone back at the station up to date with an initial briefing, then I want to head over to the Fish and Anchor when we leave here. That’s where she was meant to be meeting her date. You going to come with me?’
Wyre nodded. ‘Definitely.’
Gina shivered as she glanced back. She pictured Amber in a seated position being stabbed in the chest while prising her stuck lips apart; that almost made her stomach turn. The ligature marks made it all the more sinister; an abduction. She ground her back teeth as she imagined the life seeping out of Amber and a slight dull headache began to throb above her brows. Amber must have begged and pleaded for her release and her killer thought nothing of stabbing her. Then, they’d callously dumped her in the lake, semi-naked. All for what?
‘Can you contact her friend, Lauren, and ask about next of kin? If she doesn’t know, the university should. I remember Lauren mentioning that Amber went home to stay with her father sometimes. We definitely need to speak to the university too. Maybe one of her tutors can lead us to more of her friends or they may have heard or noticed something.’
Wyre nodded and walked to one side to make the call.
‘Guv!’ Kapoor called to her in her screechy voice.
‘What is it?’ Gina began removing her crime scene suit.
Kapoor shuffled from foot to foot to keep warm as she pulled her gloves on. ‘The witness is talking. I think he saw the killer.’
5
I can’t bear to think about it. On Friday, the empty chair had been filled with so much hope but we weren’t meant to be. I now see that you weren’t Hailey. Deep down, I know the failure was my fault but that’s what second chances are for.
My hands itch for more and my head screams failure. That word won’t leave me alone. It could have all panned out so differently but now I have nothing. The cold is biting and I really want to be inside and warm but I know my failure will be brought up as soon as I walk through the door.
The park was always a place I loved to visit but now, with Amber being pulled from the lake, it will always be tainted. There are two women at the murder scene that I can’t get out of my mind. The one, sleek, black hair, petite and pretty. The other one is definitely senior in position and age. She has an air of authority in her mannerisms, hair wavier but still dark. She stands tall and looks strong. Her face tells a story. Maybe there’s pain in there somewhere. The way she tilted her head while looking at the body, I know she cares. I need someone to care about me. She’s a little pale, possibly not wearing make-up, but she doesn’t need it. I like her and I’m torn. I like them both.
Glancing around, my gaze locks on to one of theirs for the briefest of moments but that’s just enough to transfix me. I’ve decided who the best one is and I know I’ve made the right choice. I’m in a quiver and I shake my head a little. I can’t go there. It’s too risky. She’s in the police. I have to get out of here before I make a huge mistake. Walk and think, that’s what I’m going to do. There’s nothing like a wintry day to clear the mind. My boots crunch on a stack of undergrowth and I become still. I have to fade back into the background before someone wants to speak to me or take my address.
Confused. What should I do? I need guidance. I need a plan. I need something. Anything. My mouth is dry and my heart beats fast. A distraction, that’s what I need. I pull my phone from my pocket and log on to my favourite app as I disappear from the crowd. AppyDater is the way to go. This is where I will find what I’m looking for, not here.
Forget what I saw here today and keep looking for someone new. Leave the police alone. I search through the listing of local women once again.
Keep looking and don’t give up. I will find her amongst this sea of women.
She’s out there and if she won’t come willingly, I will take her and I will transform her, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
6
The witness was sitting on a park bench. He nodded as Gina approached and popped his phone in his pocket. His smart attire seemed unusual for a walk around the lake on a freezing cold January morning. Dark corduroys met brown boots. His blue tie and shirt underneath a charcoal grey woollen coat made him look like he was on his way to work. She glanced down at his footwear, the mud had almost reached his shins and the creeping damp soaked up the material.
‘I’m DI Harte and this is DC Wyre. Can I just confirm your name?’
Wyre blew on her fingers before snatching her pad and pen from her pocket.
The man leaned back and stared at the dull sky. ‘I’ve been through this with one of the officers.’
Gina’s attention became fixed on the sovereign ring he wore on his right hand, very similar to the one that her deceased husband Terry used to wear. She would never forget its imprint on her cheek after she’d forgotten to put his favourite shirt in the washing machine. Terry might be dead but his memory never left her and that ring was like him saying, I’m still here. She shivered.
‘Look, I know you must be shaken but I need to know what to call you.’ There was something in his tone that wasn’t sitting well with her. He was the person who discovered the body. For a person this smartly dressed, what had prompted him to head down to the shore of the lake? She glanced back at the crime scene in the distance knowing she needed to tread carefully. Right now, he was nothing more than a witness and there was no reason to suspect him of anything.
‘Otis Norton.’
‘Thank you, Mr Norton. Address?’
‘Thirteen Bloomsbury Avenue.’
‘Can you just go through how and when you saw the body? Please start at the beginning.’
He tapped his foot repetitively on the pavement. ‘Seriously? I’ve already been through all this and I’ve got things to do.’
‘And I’m sorry I’m asking you again but a woman has been murdered. Please, start at the beginning.’ A gust of wind blew an icy chill in their direction. Gina rubbed her hands together. He was beginning to test her patience.
His phone rang. He ended the call, looked at his watch and leaned back on the wet bench. ‘I got here about an hour ago. I parked back there.’ He pointed to the trees behind them that led to a path. This path fed into a gritty track that led to the lake. The very road that had no CCTV monitoring the comings and goings of people who chose to park there.
‘On Cedar Lane?’ Wyre spoke up.
He nodded. ‘Yes, my car’s obviously still there. Anyway, I walked down to the lake following the only track that leads from Cedar Lane.’ He emphasised the name of the road and stared at Wyre.
‘Go on.’
His phone rang again. He muted it and dropped it in the pocket of his overcoat. ‘I came out onto the lake and it was quiet, apart from a few joggers and a couple of people walking dogs. When I reached the path, I noticed something that looked like the shape of a human washed up. It wasn’t obvious to begin with as I was quite far away and it was a bit misty. Not being sure, I ventured down the bank to the shoreline. I walked past those fishing pegs and that clump of bushes until I reached her. I trod in the mud at the edge of the lake and reached down for her wrist hoping to find a pulse. One look at her told me she was dead.’ H
e stared at his boots and stopped tapping his foot.
He’d contaminated the scene. Gina knew that he would be asked to provide samples so that he could be eliminated. Something wasn’t adding up. Most people who found a body were more than happy to assist the police. He seemed like he’d had enough. Glancing back and forth like he was looking for someone wasn’t helping her to rule him out. ‘Are you waiting for someone?’
‘Erm, no. Can I go?’
Gina ignored his question. ‘You said you had something to tell us.’
‘Yes. When I found the body, I glanced back and saw someone rustling in the bushes back by the path, the one that leads back to Cedar Lane. All I could see was dark clothing but there was definitely someone there. I told your officer just as you were coming over.’
Gina glanced back. PC Kapoor was already cordoning off the spot.
‘When I caught them looking, I stared over thinking maybe that’s the murderer and I suppose I froze. It felt like they were there for ages but it must have only been a minute, maybe even less.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I have to go.’
‘Where is it you’re going?’
‘Seriously? Am I under suspicion?’
Gina felt an eye roll coming on but managed to hold it back. ‘Just take a look over there.’
The man glanced at the uniformed officers who were taking notes and speaking to onlookers.
‘We are asking everyone the same questions. You are all witnesses and we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t ask. The woman in the lake is someone’s daughter. She has friends and family. Imagine if she was a member of your family. You’d want us to do a thorough job, wouldn’t you?’ If she had a pound for every time she had to use that in her explanations, she’d be rich.
He undid a button on his coat. His face was reddening and he took a couple of deep breaths. ‘I was just walking. My wife is ill and sometimes I just need to get out of the house for some air. She’s terminally ill so you can imagine how hard things are at home. She’s been trying to call me, which is why I need to get back home. I don’t normally leave her for long.’
‘Thank you, Mr Norton. Is there anything else you can tell us about the figure you saw in the bushes? Did you see which direction they left in?’
He shook his head. ‘No, they were just there one minute and gone the next. That’s all I know. I really have to get back to my wife. You have all my details.’ He pulled his muted phone out of his pocket. ‘She’s trying to call me again.’
‘Okay. PC Kapoor is heading back over. She’ll take over from here. We’ll need you to go to the station to make a formal statement after finishing here and we’ll need your clothes and to take some samples.’
‘Oh, bloody hell!’ He stood, towering above Gina and Wyre.
‘Thank you.’ Gina met Kapoor halfway. ‘He’s not a happy man but we need his clothes and fingerprints for elimination purposes. Can I leave him with you?’
The uniformed officer smiled. ‘Of course, guv.’ Her voice pierced through Gina’s ears. She headed towards Wyre and gave Bernard one last wave as he headed behind the screen.
‘What do you think of our Mr Norton?’ Gina exhaled and a plume of white mist told her that the temperature was already starting to drop again.
‘I’d say there’s something he’s definitely not telling us. He’s caring for his seriously sick wife but he comes out in what looks like his best clothes for a random walk around a lake that he has to drive to. While you were talking, I checked where Bloomsbury Avenue is. It’s a fifteen-minute drive from here and is surrounded by lots of scenic walks and the river runs alongside it.’
‘Why would he drive all the way here for a walk?’
‘Exactly.’
‘We need to dig a bit deeper on him, that’s for sure. I don’t buy his reasons.’ She glanced back. As Kapoor was speaking to Otis Norton, his gaze met Gina’s for a moment longer than was comfortable.
7
The Fish and Anchor stood proudly on the country road just outside Cleevesford. Gina glanced at the bus stop before she pulled in. ‘That’s where Amber Slater should have alighted the bus to meet her date.’
Wyre nodded. ‘And now we’ll hopefully get to find out if she made it here. I called ahead like you asked and they have the CCTV on a hard drive that we can take away with us.’ She paused. ‘You know, George brought me here after he proposed.’
Gina had never been taken out anywhere this nice on a date or during her marriage. Terry had soon conditioned her to stay at home while he went to the pub before coming home to hit her. She remembered one particularly bad time she’d been screaming hysterically and he’d clasped his hand over her mouth, nearly suffocating her. She shivered as she thought of Amber Slater’s glued lips and knew that her panic would have been much worse. Was she being silenced in the worst possible way? Gina glanced at Wyre who seemed to be deep in thought. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
Wyre shrugged. ‘Maybe I seriously need to get back out there, have some fun and just think about myself.’ Wyre paused. ‘I now know how you feel when we all ask if you’re okay.’ A smirk flashed across Wyre’s face.
Gina pushed her past to the back of her mind and smiled at her colleague. ‘I’ll try not to ask again but just know that you can talk to me if you need to. I’ll shut up now.’ She parked the car in front of the building. The empty hanging baskets squeaked as the wind blew their rusty hinges. The walls were painted in a crisp white. Gina was sure she’d seen it mentioned that the gastropub had been shortlisted for the ‘Cleevesford In Bloom’ trophy. A cute loveseat greeted customers beside the huge door and everyone entering had to walk under an archway that was surrounded by climbing roses in the summer. But today, everything was bleak and the opaque skies that were filling with snow covered the landscape in a blanket of mist. The licensee’s name hung above the door: Lennie Dack.
‘Something smells good but I don’t know if I could face it after seeing that poor woman’s body.’ Wyre stood behind Gina and followed her into the pub that had barely been open five minutes.
The smell of frying onions oozed from the kitchen as a door burst open and a woman dashed out to place candles in bottles on the intimately separated wooden tables. Gina’s stomach began to rumble despite the horror of what she’d seen earlier, but now wasn’t the time to consider stopping for lunch, not with a murderer on the loose.
A short man with a bald patch and a circle of fuzzy speckled black hair started cleaning the bar. Gina squinted to read his name tag. Lennie. Just the person she wanted to see. His dark flawless skin had a shine that reflected the fairy lights dangling from the bar. This really was the perfect place for a romantic meal. His nose twitched and he turned away and sneezed into his elbow. ‘Excuse me. It’s the cleaning fluids. I’m allergic. Can I help you?’
Gina held her identification up. ‘DI Harte and DC Wyre. We spoke on the phone just now.’
A wide smile filled his face. ‘Ah, yes. I have the footage ready for you to take. It’s timestamped and all that and it covers the back of the pub, the front and the car park. We have CCTV on everything here so hopefully you’ll get what you need. Has something happened to one of our customers? I know the staff have all checked in.’
Gina smiled. ‘We hope not. We’re just following up on a lead at the moment.’ Gina opened her bag and pulled out the photo of Amber Slater that Lauren Sandiford had sent her only a few hours ago. ‘Do you recognise this woman?’
The man pulled a pair of glasses from underneath the bar and wiped them clean with his crisp white apron. He took the photo from her and held it under the light of the bar. ‘I’ve seen her in here before but not on Friday night. Maybe she was our no show. In fact, bear with me. What was the name again?’
‘Amber Slater.’
He grabbed a diary and flicked through a few pages. ‘Yes, no show.’
‘Is there another name on the booking?’
‘All we have is Amber Slater. She definitely didn’t turn up on F
riday. I was working all day from open until close and I personally greet each customer who comes here for evening service. We pride ourselves on making our customers feel special. We even make an effort to remember their names on arrival. We only have twenty covers and most people who book to dine stay for the evening. We’re not McDonald’s.’ He smiled. ‘We’re hoping to achieve a Michelin star soon and I’m proud to say, it’s on the cards.’
Gina took the photo back from him. ‘Can you remember when you saw her before?’
‘That’s a tough one.’ He scrunched his eyes up and turned again only to catch another sneeze. ‘Excuse me. At the back of my mind, I think I remember her coming in a couple of times but it was over a month ago. Of that, I’m sure. It was definitely before Christmas. She’s been in at least twice while I’ve been on duty and I can say for certain that she was with different people. Both male. I wish I could remember what they looked like. I am so sorry. We will have written over that footage too.’
‘But you definitely remember seeing her?’
He undid the top button of his shirt, shifting his black tie slightly. ‘I mean, she’s a really pretty girl. I know that sounds bad and I’m not a perv or anything but I remember her because of that. She was also polite too. Not all our customers use their ps and qs when we serve them etcetera but she called me Lennie and, along with the men she was with both times, left me a big tip. We always remember the big tippers.’
‘Did she seem intimate with either of these men?’ Gina hoped his liking of Amber might have made him take a little more notice.
‘I couldn’t say for sure. Our diners don’t see behind the scenes, but it can be chaos on a busy evening, which is why I probably don’t remember. I can’t remember anything about them except the men were handsome and well built, if you know what I mean. Looked like they went to the gym. One was white and older and I recall one maybe looking like he could be of Asian descent, maybe Indian, that part of Asia. I know Asia is a huge place but that’s the best I can do. Now I remember all that because I envied those men.’ He patted his slight pot belly. ‘I like my food too much. Never going to happen. I’m so sorry that I can’t give you more information but it was a long time ago. She definitely wasn’t here last Friday night.’