by Carla Kovach
‘Did you stay at home?’
‘Of course she stayed at home. We were in all night on Saturday.’ Mrs Blakely couldn’t help but chip in. She elongated the words all night with a smile.
‘Yes, like Mum said. We had a pizza at teatime, watched a film on Netflix and went to bed.’
‘What time did you go to bed?’
Caro shrugged. ‘I can’t remember. Probably about eleven, then I watched TV in my room.’
‘Did you receive any phone calls or messages from anyone at the party that night?’
‘No. We do message each other a lot but I thought they were probably having too much fun. I didn’t expect any of them to message me.’
‘Is there anything else you can tell me that might help?’
Caro pulled her hands from under her thighs and placed them in her lap. ‘At the last party, someone was hanging around watching us. I told the others and I think Oscar went to check but he said that there was no one there. I couldn’t focus, but I did see the outline of a man. There was only a bit of moonlight, which barely helped. It was quick and before I knew it, he ran away.’
‘You’re doing really well, Caro.’
Mrs Blakely scrunched her brow and bit her bottom lip. ‘It really could have been my daughter who was murdered, couldn’t it? Whoever did this deserves to die after what they put Leah through. I don’t know what I’d have done if you were—’
‘I’m okay, Mum. Nothing happened to me and the boys said there was no one there when they checked and he didn’t come back.’
‘Where were you when this happened?’
‘Just a short walk away from the camp. I went to have a wee in the bushes.’
‘So, let me get this straight. A man was watching you whilst you were urinating in the bushes?’ Gina said.
Caro nodded. ‘Yes. Then he ran off.’
‘Are you sure there is nothing you can tell me about this person?’
‘No, it was too dark. As I said all I got was an outline. I knew it wasn’t the boys we were camping with. He was stockier.’
‘Is there anything else you can add? Did you hear anything?’
‘No, nothing. It all happened in a few seconds. I almost doubted myself it was that quick.’
‘What you’ve told us has really helped. In the meantime, if there’s anything else you remember, please call me.’ Gina passed a card to Mrs Blakely.
Caro went to speak but then stopped.
‘Is there something else?’
‘Erm, no.’
Gina detected a slight air of worry in the teen’s demeanour. Her fingernail went back into her mouth as she glanced at her mum for reassurance.
‘Right, we best go. I have to go pick her brother up from my neighbour before she has to go to work. I can’t believe what happened, I’m absolutely stunned. If someone hurt my daughter, I’d kill them. I hope you find them and quick.’ Mrs Blakely shook her head and stood, lifted her sticky top from her chest and waited by the open door. Caro left first. That was all Gina was getting from them today.
As she stood alone, the fan wafted some air at Gina’s face. Lara’s words as she left made her shiver but she understood the primal instinct that was protecting your child. She shivered at the thought of a grown man watching that poor young girl with her underwear down. Had their voyeur heard the party in full swing again and come back to spy on them all again, waiting for his opportunity to strike. Seeing Leah leave the pack, looking drunk and vulnerable, had he then seized his opportunity to kill her?
Jacob came back for his notes after seeing the pair back to reception. ‘That girl is worried sick about something. She wanted to talk but her mother virtually pushed her out the door.’
‘I know, I could tell, but I suppose being spied on by some weirdo a couple of weeks before your friend was killed could do that to a person. I know what you mean, though. There’s more to it. Again, she stuck rigidly to the story of a few drinks, dancing, then into their tents for sleep. Everyone telling the same story should ring true so why does it feel so fake?’
Jacob exhaled and grabbed his paperwork. ‘That’s what we need to find out.’
Gina heard heavy feet clopping down the corridor and O’Connor reached them with a frown. ‘Tallis has just called; the Waterside Café owner. He wanted to share something with us but it wasn’t what we hoped for. Also, Hackett’s results have just come in. I’ll bring everyone up to speed now in the incident room.’
Gina hurried out, following Jacob and O’Connor. Was this news the breakthrough in the case that they needed?
Twenty-Two
Gina sat at the head of the table and Jacob and O’Connor sat either side. Wyre hurried in with an apple in her mouth. Teeth clenching it as she gripped a pile of files.
‘What have we got?’ Gina sat rigid, waiting for O’Connor to fill them in.
‘I’m going to get the biggie out of the way first. Bernard called and said that the semen sample we found on Leah does not match up to Hackett’s. The used condom was his but we have no evidence that he had sex with Leah. He had sex, but with someone else.’
Gina slumped back. ‘I still want to know why he had Leah’s socks in his cab but that’s a blow. I really thought we had him.’
‘And me.’ Wyre crunched on her apple.
Jacob opened a can of cola and took a sip before it fizzed over.
‘It weakens our case, but the fact that he didn’t have sex with her doesn’t mean he didn’t kill her. There was no sign of force so we can’t pre-empt that she was sexually assaulted or raped. She may have been drugged then raped. There are still too many ifs.’ Gina allowed her thoughts to settle. ‘What did Tallis have to say?’
O’Connor took a tissue from the box and patted his bald head while Jacob reached over and turned the fan on. ‘He said he was sorry to have wasted our time in not telling the full truth when asked but he didn’t want to get into trouble. Tallis claims to know of a sex worker called Betsy who he calls for the truckers if they request her services. He claims that he does this for no financial gain and that Betsy is a friend.’
‘So, it’s looking like Hackett asked Tallis to call him a sex worker and they had sex and deposited the condom under his cab when they’d finished.’
O’Connor nodded.
‘We need to check out this sex worker called Betsy, to at least get a statement. It’s possible that she saw or heard something that might help the case.’
‘Tallis gave me her number,’ O’Connor replied.
‘I wonder if she was the person Tallis was on the phone to when we saw him at the Waterside Café, talking away and looking a bit shifty. He was obviously tipping her off as to what had happened.’
‘Stands a chance, guv.’ Jacob nodded.
‘And I thought we were onto something. We may be able to have him charged with procuring a sex worker. It’s probably best to look at what we have and call the CPS.’ She paused. ‘I still want to know why Hackett had Leah’s socks. There’s no reason he should have them and I’m still classing his possession of them as suspicious. Wyre?’
‘Yes, guv.’
‘Can you get Hackett into interview room one for another interview? I need to speak to him before we have to let him go. I’m aware that his time in custody is almost up and I doubt we’d have grounds for an extension.’
‘I’ll get him now.’ Wyre threw her apple core into the bin and left the room.
‘Dammit! No forensics, possibly an alibi. Having Leah’s socks will not be strong enough to make a case unless I can get something out of him in interview. Where next?’ She glanced at a blue tit sitting on the window ledge. ‘The residents of Oak Tree Walk. Lay focus on the locals, go through the door-to-door statements and get me more information on our voyeur. What was his name again?’
O’Connor glanced at his notebook. ‘Frank Meegan.’
‘Maybe he went beyond voyeurism this time. Maybe looking and recording wasn’t enough and he’s escalating. Both Naomi and Car
o claim to have seen someone watching them in the woods.’ Gina’s mind whirled with possibility. He was definitely a strong suspect and she was going to personally pay him a visit.
‘Oh, guv?’
‘What?’
‘The other teen, Anthony Truss, is due in soon. He’s the other one who couldn’t make the Saturday night party. He was in Devon apparently with his parents. His grandmother’s funeral was Friday and the family spent the weekend with the grandfather so that rules him out.’
‘Great. While Jacob and I interview Hackett again, could you take Anthony? See what you can get out of him about the others in the group. And, I know I’m rushing you, but please get the system updated quickly so that we’re all working off the same sheet. Also, can you and Wyre arrange to speak to Betsy while Jacob and I head to Meegan’s house? As long as we all keep updating in real time, we can all access up-to-date information. I’ll do the same. Are we sorted with a plan for the rest of the afternoon? Let’s do this.’
Twenty-Three
Rodney Hackett leaned back, the chair creaking with his weight. He clapped his hands and pointed at Jacob. ‘I told you I didn’t do it!’ His finger moved to Gina next. ‘You lot just wanted to fit me up with a murder.’
Jacob placed his pen on the table.
Gina took a deep breath. She glanced into his open mouth. He had a full set of crooked and chipped teeth, including the one on the top right, third from the incisor. She could rule him out as the person who bit Leah.
It wasn’t going to be easy to get any more information out of Hackett but there was one loose end that needed tackling. He had been in possession of Leah’s socks and he still possibly had opportunity. Until they had spoken to Betsy, they didn’t have his timeline fixed for that evening. ‘Mr Hackett, we were following leads and evidence of which there is still something you need to explain.’
‘Do I need my solicitor?’
Gina shrugged. ‘That’s your choice and he has been called. From what I’ve heard, he’s on his way so if you do want your solicitor, we can hold this interview and wait but if you’re innocent, as you claim, I’m sure that you just want this to get cleared up so that you can call up your employer and be on your way.’
‘What do you need from me?’ She could tell he’d had enough. The standard issue track bottoms he was wearing had ridden down a little and the T-shirt was two sizes too large.
‘We found a pair of socks in your cab. They look like women’s yellow socks with watermelon slices printed on them. Where did you get them from?’
‘The prostitute left them behind. They were hers.’
‘Are you sure that when we speak to her, she will back up your story?’
He shrugged and let his arms drop by his sides as he sighed.
‘On Saturday, the victim, Leah Fenmore was wearing a pair of watermelon print socks. When we found her body, she wasn’t wearing them anymore. They weren’t found amongst her possessions or at their camp or in the vicinity, which means their absence is unaccounted for. It’s a bit of a coincidence that a pair matching that exact description turn up in your cab.’
His brow furrowed. ‘This is stupid.’
Gina shrugged and stared right at him. ‘You need to explain yourself. The truth, please?’
Hackett stood and walked over to the far wall, where he stared at it for a few seconds before sitting back down. ‘I don’t know why I kept them.’
‘Go on. How did they come to be in your possession?’
‘When the girl, Leah, was walking across the car park to go back to her friends, she stopped to ask me the time and we got talking. She seemed like she’d already had a couple of drinks, you know; she spoke loud and laughed a lot about nothing. She saw me opening a beer and asked for some so I gave her a swig. It was then I noticed she was limping slightly. She sat on the grass in front of my cab and removed her pumps and socks before rubbing her feet. Betsy was coming soon so really, I was hoping that the girl was going to hurry up and go. I had bigger plans of my own that evening.’ He paused.
‘Then what happened?’
‘I saw Betsy’s car pull in. She went in the café to talk to Johnny Tallis for a few minutes. I met up with her when I stopped at the Waterside last time. She’s really nice, just a young mother trying to make ends meet.’
Gina imagined the poor woman having to sleep with men like Hackett to feed her children and it made her cringe inside.
‘Leah was just gibbering away about her stupid party and friends, saying nothing in particular. She was just an annoying kid to me. I was losing patience so I offered her a four-pack to scrat. She seemed thrilled at taking my lager. She put her shoes on, weirdly kissed me on the cheek as she said thank you. Then, she kept going on about how bad she’d felt as she hadn’t contributed to their booze pile and now she had something to offer. After that, she headed back towards her camp looking happier than ever with all her sweets, crisps and lager. That was the last I saw of her. As Betsy walked towards my cab, I grabbed the socks and hid them amongst my things. After she left, I went to bed. It was then I pulled them out and threw them down by my feet. I didn’t think any more about the socks after that.’
‘You could have saved us all a lot of time and hassle if you’d told the truth in the first place.’
He shrugged. ‘I didn’t want to get Betsy into any trouble but it seems I need her now. Only she can help me out here. I was with her for ages.’
‘What time did she arrive?’
‘I think it was about ten. Johnny was just cleaning up for the night, I could see him through the large window. She stayed for hours and left at about two in the morning.’
‘She stayed that long?’
He puffed out a breath. ‘It’s not just about sex. It’s lonely; life on the road. We listened to some music and talked. She talked about her kids, I talked about mine, even though they’re grown up. I actually really like her and I didn’t want her to go but she has another job. She cleans in the mornings and she needed to get home to catch some zees before work. She gave me her number and we planned to meet up again for a date; a proper date, I mean. Betsy isn’t really a regular prostitute, she’s just desperate. Her benefit top-ups don’t even cover the basics.’
Gina knew for now that this line of questioning was over. As soon as they’d managed to speak to Betsy, he’d be free to go as long as his story stacked up.
‘Can I go back to the cell for now? And, I’m hungry. I could also murder a cuppa.’
Jacob nodded. ‘Interview terminated at fifteen forty-five.’
As Jacob led Hackett out, Briggs hurried down the corridor and came into the tiny room. ‘O’Connor asked me to pass an urgent message on as he and Wyre are now interviewing Anthony Truss. He managed to contact a woman called Betsy. She is coming in to make a formal statement but she’s adamant she was with Hackett until gone two on Sunday morning.’
‘Thanks, sir.’ Disappointed wasn’t the word. Gina watched as Jacob left through the door with Hackett. ‘Any more messages since we last spoke?’ She swallowed.
He shook his head and she checked her phone.
‘Why is this happening now? I don’t know how much more I can take.’ Gina popped her phone back into her pocket.
‘Gina, look at me.’ She glanced up. ‘We have to carry on as normal. We can’t fall apart.’
That was easier said than done. She nodded and hurried after Jacob. They had to carry on. What else could they do?
It was time to let Hackett go. For now, she had to concentrate on the next solid lead, which was Frank Meegan.
Twenty-Four
‘I can’t believe you went to a party. One with booze and boys and staying out all night, in a tent! Do you know how dangerous all that was?’ Lara Blakely placed her handbag on the worktop and pushed the back door open, allowing a flow of fresh air to enter. ‘You could have been raped… or killed, like Leah was. I am so upset that you went behind my back like that.’ Lara stared at her daughter and stroked her ha
ir. ‘Has anyone hurt you? Is there something you want to tell me because I’ll help you in any way I can. If anyone has hurt you…’ Lara shook her head.
Caro caught her little brother sticking his tongue out behind their mother’s back. ‘Get lost, Jake.’
Lara turned and sighed. ‘Jake, get to your room and have a long hard think about what your sister’s going through right now.’
‘But I didn’t do anything.’ The boy huffed and folded his arms.
‘Room now, Jakey.’
‘Don’t want to.’
Jake grinned, knowing he was pushing their mother too far. She grabbed his hand and led him to the bottom of the stairs before giving him a slight nudge forward. ‘Get up those stairs now until I tell you to come back down. Your sister doesn’t need your teasing right now.’
‘But, Mum—’
‘Don’t but me. One more word and you won’t be going to play football tomorrow.’
Caro felt the jitters building up as Jake stomped up the stairs then slammed his bedroom door.
‘Right, talk to me. Go.’ A beam of sunshine caught her mother’s coppery locks, making her hair look almost orange at the ends.
‘What?’ Caro shrugged, getting defensive. She didn’t want to talk to her mother about it. ‘It was just a stupid party, that’s all.’
‘Do I look like I was born yesterday? If I could tell there was more to the story then I’m sure those detectives could. They’re not idiots. What’s going on?’ Lara tilted her head.
Caro shrugged. To satisfy her mother she’d have to say something. She could tell her mother about the weed but that was all. ‘Okay, there were drugs. I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble and I didn’t take any.’
‘What drugs?’
‘Weed.’
‘Weed?’
‘Yes. One roll-up that was passed around. I swear I didn’t smoke it and I hated being there which is why I didn’t want to go ever again. I just wanted to come home.’ She felt tears welling up in her eyes.