Lyons gave her a few moments to compose herself and handed her some tissues from a box that was on the table.
“I know this is difficult, but can you tell us what happened next?” she asked.
“We drove off again. He was driving very fast, and eventually we came to this little place down by the sea. He had his boat there, and he got me out of the car and pushed me on board. He locked me in the bedroom, and then he started up the boat and set off out to sea,” Amy said.
“Why do you think he did this, Amy?” Fahy asked.
Amy looked down at the floor, and said nothing for a minute or two, but then lifted her eyes and said, “I know things about him and Emma.”
“What sort of things?” Lyons asked.
“You know. Bad things. But I don’t want to say. It was a secret we shared.”
“Amy, you can’t do anything to hurt Emma now. She was your best friend. Don’t you think she deserves your honesty at this stage if it will help bring the killer to justice?” Lyons said.
“Yes, but Mr Williams didn’t kill her – he couldn’t have. He was in love with Emma. They were having an affair!” the girl said.
“I see. And how long had this been going on, Amy?”
“About two years. It started when we were on a hockey trip to Derry. That was the first time. She was so excited,” Amy said.
“So, you’re saying that this so-called affair started when Emma was just fifteen?”
“Well, yes, but it wasn’t like that. She was really in love with him, till… till…”
“Till what, Amy?” Lyons said.
“Emma found out he was sleeping with one of the other girls. She was devastated. Of course, she broke it off with him at once. Told him where to go. And she said she was going to tell her parents. That would have put the cat among the pigeons, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, I should imagine it would. Had she actually told them yet?” Fahy said.
“No, I don’t think so. No, she mustn’t have. I would have heard about it. But she was going to. She said so. Don’t you believe me?” Amy asked, getting a little agitated.
“Yes, of course. We just need to get as much detail as we can, Amy. You’re doing really well,” Lyons said.
Chapter Twenty-five
Williams had asked for a solicitor, which delayed the start of the interview that Hays and Flynn wanted to get started on. But it wasn’t all bad, as the extra time gave John O’Connor longer to try to establish a link between Williams’ and Emma Fortune’s computer, and Sinéad Loughran longer to work on the forensic evidence from the boat and from the material collected from Williams’ rooms at the school.
At half past ten, a Mr Ernest Joyce, Williams’ solicitor, presented at the station and asked to see his client. Hays had encountered Joyce previously, and deemed him to be a reasonable sort, given his chosen profession, although he was inclined to be a bit too thorough for Hays’ liking. Such thoroughness rarely favoured the Gardaí when they were trying to get a confession.
By eleven o’clock, Hays was getting impatient, and decided to get things moving. He collected Flynn from the open-plan, and they went together to the shabbier of the two interview rooms where Williams had been brought.
“Good morning, Mr Williams, I trust you spent a comfortable night?” Hays said, sitting down opposite the man who looked anything but comfortable.
“I want to make a formal complaint. You assaulted me yesterday after you came aboard my boat without permission. That’s piracy you know?” Williams said.
“Eamon, you were there, did you see me assault the suspect?” Hays said.
“No, sir, I didn’t. All I saw was Mr Williams on the floor of the cabin. He must have lost his footing when the boat hit a wave,” Flynn said.
“And as for piracy, Mr Williams, you need to study your marine law a bit more. Now, can we stop this nonsense and get on,” Hays said.
“What exactly are you intending to charge my client with, Superintendent?” Joyce said.
“For the moment, abduction. But further charges may follow as we continue with our investigations.”
“And I presume you have evidence of this alleged abduction,” Joyce said.
“We have a statement from the girl who was abducted telling how your client put gaffer tape across her mouth, bound her wrists with plastic tie-wraps, and forced her onto his yacht where we both found her in a locked cabin yesterday. Will that do?” Hays said.
“Come now, Superintendent. That all sounds like the imaginative fantasy of an impressionable schoolgirl to me.”
“Mr Williams, do you deny asking Amy Cunningham to meet you two nights ago late into the evening when she was at home getting ready for bed?” Hays said.
“Yes, of course I do. That’s nonsense. It was she who demanded that I call round to see her. The girl obviously has a crush on me,” Williams said.
Hays said nothing, but he opened the folder he had brought with him into the room, removed the transcript of the text message that Williams had sent Amy and turned it around to show Williams.
“We have Amy’s phone, Mr Williams, and we’ll be able to get your text messages off it easily enough later this morning, so it would be better if you told the truth,” Hays said.
Williams looked at Joyce who shook his head imperceptibly, and neither of them spoke.
“So, can you tell us, Mr Williams, why you abducted Amy Cunningham?” Hays asked.
“No comment,” came the reply.
Hays stared at the man for a moment, and then tapped Flynn under the table.
“Mr Williams, how well did you know Emma Fortune?” Flynn asked.
“I knew her. She was in my form class, and she was on a couple of the sports teams that I help out with at the school.”
“Did you like Emma?” Flynn said.
“Yes, I suppose so. Not any more than any of the other pupils. But she was nice enough,” Williams said.
“Mr Williams, isn’t it true that you had a relationship with Emma Fortune – a sexual relationship, and that this had been going on since she was fifteen?” Flynn said.
“What? That’s nonsense. You can’t go around accusing people of things like that – it’s preposterous!” Williams shouted, looking plaintively at his lawyer.
Joyce remained cool.
“I presume, Sergeant, you have some evidence to back up this nonsensical fairy tale?”
“Are you denying it then, Mr Williams?” Flynn said.
“Of course I’m bloody denying it. It’s ridiculous. What sort of man do you think I am?”
“I need a comfort break, and I suggest Mr Joyce that you talk to your client and advise him to start cooperating with us, for his own good. Shall we say half an hour?” Hays said, getting up and signalling to Flynn to leave with him.
The two detectives returned to the open-plan office where Lyons was chatting to Fahy over a cup of tea.
“How did it go with the girl?” Hays asked.
“Oh, fine. She gave us a statement that should wrap up the abduction charge anyway. We sent her home, she’s pretty shook up still. Oh, and she told us that Williams was having sex with Emma too, but that Emma had dumped him recently and was threatening to tell tales. Apparently, it started when she was just fifteen,” Lyons said.
“Charming. Still, that’s only hearsay until we get some evidence. If we can’t link Williams to the plane crash, and so far, we haven’t any hard evidence to lay before him, we’ll have to charge him with the abduction, and get him in front of a judge,” Hays said.
“Christ, are you serious, sir? Surely we have enough to hold him a bit longer. Sinéad is working flat out to try and link all the evidence up,” Fahy said.
“We have to be careful. Joyce has already said he’s not happy about the warrant for the search on Williams’ place. He’s going to try and make the case that I was involved when I issued the warrant. If he succeeds with that, then anything we found out there would be inadmissible. I think our best bet is to charg
e him with the abduction, then get him before the court and make sure he is remanded. That way we’ll have a lot more time to get our ducks in a row and bring further charges as appropriate,” Hays said.
“Do you think he did it?” Fahy asked.
“Well, there’s a pretty strong motive there if what Amy said is true. Opportunity too, and maybe even the means. That reminds me, has anyone told the headmaster about Williams yet?” Hays said.
“No, I don’t think so,” Lyons said, looking around to see if the others could confirm.
“OK. Sally, can you chase up John and Sinéad. Eamon, I’d like you to go back in for round two with Williams in half an hour or so. See if you can shake anything more out of him. Then, if there’s nothing new, just charge him with the abduction. Maureen, you and I are going back to school!”
* * *
“Hi John,” Sally Fahy said, “how’s it going?”
“Slowly, Sarge. I’m making headway, but it’s slow work. I have Emma’s side of things pretty well broken down now, but Williams’ PC is much harder. I’m sure there’s plenty of traffic between them in there, I just need a few more hours to prove it,” O’Connor said.
“OK. Well if you get anything, let us know at once. We can’t hold him much longer and he’s got Ernest Joyce acting for him.”
“Right, I’ll let you know if I get anything.”
Next, Fahy rang through to Sinéad Loughran.
“Hi Sinéad, it’s Sally. The boss wants to know if you’ve got any evidence that could tie Williams to Emma Fortune?”
“We’re not sure yet, Sally. We recovered some hair from the bed out on the boat that isn’t Amy’s. I’m having it checked at the moment against Emma’s. The first examination will be just under a microscope. But to get anything that would stand up in court, we’ll need a DNA match. That will take a few days. That’s about it, I’m afraid,” Loughran said.
“Did you get anywhere with the fuel pipe and the wine making kit?” Fahy said.
“I haven’t got round to that stuff yet. But I’ll get to it this afternoon and let you know if I find anything. Now I must get on.”
“Yes, sorry, of course. Talk later, bye.”
* * *
Hays and Lyons found the headmaster in his study at the school. The place had a more deserted feel to it now, as many of the staff had left for their holidays, but Donal O’Connell appeared to be well occupied with paperwork of various kinds.
“May we come in, Mr O’Connell,” Lyons said, knocking on the headmaster’s door.
Hays introduced himself and Lyons to the man, presenting his business card and shaking hands.
“My, my, a Superintendent, no less. This must be important,” O’Connell said. “Come in, sit down. Sorry I can’t offer you a cup tea or coffee – catering’s finished for the summer I’m afraid. Now how can I help you?”
Hays explained that they had Mr Derek Williams in custody, and that he was going to be charged with the abduction of one of the school’s pupils, explaining that Williams had essentially kidnapped young Amy Cunningham.
“Oh, but that’s terrible. Are you certain that he is involved?”
“Yes, we are, Mr O’Connell, and I’m sorry to say there may be further charges to follow,” Lyons said.
“Really. What sort of charges?”
“We’re not in a position to say at the moment, but it’s quite serious.”
“Heavens, I had no idea that anything like this was going on. Are there any other pupils involved?”
“Perhaps. As I say, we’re not in a position to reveal any more information at this time,” Lyons said.
“Gracious, I suppose I should contact Mr and Mrs Cunningham, although what on earth I’m going to say to them, I don’t know. Is Amy all right?”
“She’s a bit shook up, but she wasn’t harmed, if that’s what you mean,” Hays said.
“Well, yes, that’s something I suppose,” O’Connell said.
“Mr O’Connell, I’m sorry to have to ask you this, but were there any signs at all that Mr Williams might be getting, shall we say, over familiar with any of the girls?”
“No, not that I am aware of, in any case. You have to understand that as headmaster, I’m not always privy to all the gossip in the staffroom. The other staff tend to keep their distance somewhat,” O’Connell said, but he was avoiding eye contact as he said it, so Lyons pressed on.
“Did Mr Williams ever take any of the pupils on school outings – you know like sporting fixtures and the like?” she said.
“Yes, well, from time to time, he did. He is very supportive of the girls’ hockey team. He spends a lot of his free time coaching them and arranging games. To be honest, we’d be lost without him.”
“And can you remember if Mr Williams ever went with the team to Derry?” Lyons said.
“I don’t recall specifically, but I imagine he would have done. That’s an annual event we have with a Protestant school there – a sort of ‘hands across the border’ sort of thing. Unfortunately, they usually beat us,” the headmaster said, smiling.
“I wonder if you could check that for us please, Mr O’Connell, it’s quite important.”
O’Connell was looking more uneasy as the conversation went on, but he turned around to face the row of old green filing cabinets behind him, and opened a drawer low down in the third one from the left. He withdrew a well-worn folder and brought it to the desk.
Hays and Lyons remained silent as O’Connell thumbed through the many sheets of paper in the file, till at last he pulled out two yellow printed pages, and placed them on top of the rest.
“Yes, here we are. Mr Williams’ expense claims for the hockey team’s trip to Derry. It seems he conducted the outing for the past two years.”
“And may we have a list of the pupils that went on those journeys please, Mr O’Connell?” Lyons asked.
The man went back into the file and rummaged some more, before retrieving a few dog-eared sheets of white paper. Lyons could read the words upside-down in large letters at the top of the uppermost sheet, ‘Girls’ Under 18 Hockey Team – Eglington School, Derry’, with several names listed beneath, and details of the timings for the departure and return journey. The pages had pin holes in each corner, presumably where they had been displayed on some notice board or other around the school.
“I can give you a copy of these, if that would help. Is there anyone in particular you are interested in?”
Lyons looked at Hays who gave a tiny nod.
“Yes, there is, sir. Can you tell me if Emma Fortune was on those teams?” Lyons said.
O’Connell scanned both pages again.
“Yes, she was on the team on both occasions. Here, look,” he said, turning the paper around and pointing with his pen to the name.
“May I ask what the significance of your enquiry is?” O’Connell said.
Hays thought for a moment, and then decided that as they had Amy Cunningham’s statement now, he could give the headmaster a clue as to the direction their enquiries were going.
“There has been a suggestion that there may have been some impropriety involving Mr Williams and Emma Fortune during one or perhaps both of those excursions, Mr O’Connell,” Hays said.
O’Connell sighed, looking down at his desk. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
“Look, I’m afraid I haven’t been totally honest with you. There was an incident that might support what you are suggesting. I was called to the classroom of our Mrs Wallace – she’s the senior English teacher – during winter term last year. Someone had put some graffiti on her blackboard during the break. It had Derek and Emma chalked up in big letters with a heart in between their names, and unfortunately a rather crude drawing of some male private parts beneath. Mrs Wallace was very upset,” O’Connell said, shuddering slightly at the recollection.
“I see. And what action did the school take?” Lyons asked.
“We asked Mr Williams about it, but of course he denied everyt
hing, so we put it down to schoolgirl high jinks and left it at that. There were rumblings in the staffroom for a while afterwards, but it eventually died down.”
The headmaster rubbed his face with both hands, and sat back in his chair.
“I suppose I’d better get the school’s solicitor on stand-by,” O’Connell said in an exasperated fashion. Clearly, he wasn’t used to having to deal with such matters.
Chapter Twenty-six
Back at the station, Flynn had had another go at Williams, but made no further progress. Ernest Joyce, the solicitor, was emboldened following the departure of Superintendent Hays, and insisted that his client be either charged or released. Flynn obliged by charging Williams with abduction, and as luck would have it managed to get the man before Judge Meehan just as he was finishing up for the day.
In the courtroom, before Judge Meehan, Joyce made a big fuss about his client’s innocence, the fact that he was a school teacher, and hence an upstanding member of the community and, of course, had a blemish-free record to date. Flynn responded with an account of the abduction of Amy Cunningham, and the judge was persuaded that there was enough to bring charges against the man, but Flynn could see that the judge was uncomfortable. At the end of the hearing, Joyce broached the subject of bail.
Flynn applied for a remand on the basis that he believed Williams to be a flight risk, but Meehan would have none of it. He rattled on about a man of good character being innocent until proven guilty, and that depriving a man of his liberty was a serious matter. He did however impose conditions on the accused, telling him that he must surrender his passport, report to the Gardaí twice weekly, and under no circumstances was he to make any contact by any means with any of the witnesses in the case – specifically, Amy Cunningham. The judge made it quite clear that in the event of any breach of these conditions, he would be re-arrested and held on remand until his trial.
Williams was sullen in the court room, but brightened up quickly on hearing that he was to be released, and thanked Joyce profusely on the steps of the court before disappearing into the city.
* * *
The Galway Homicides Box Set 2 Page 42