Single Handed (Gareth Dawson Series Book 3)

by Nathan Burrows

“I mean, seriously. Children?” Annette replied, ignoring the question because it was one she couldn’t answer. Of course she had thought about leaving him, but she never had, had she? “I work with children, Laura. Vulnerable children. And it turns out I was married to a paedophile.”

  The two women sat in silence for a moment. Annette was lost in her thoughts, and Laura looked as if she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Did you have any idea?” she asked, eventually.

  “None at all,” Annette replied. “I mean, you would think there would be some sort of sign, wouldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How do you hide something like that?” she asked, but Laura didn’t reply. “I need a drink, I don’t know about you.”

  “Let me go,” Laura said, getting to her feet. “I need a pee, anyway. I’d better not have too much more or I’ll be a right mess in the morning.” As she walked past, Laura put her hand on Annette’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. The simple gesture meant more to Annette than anything anyone had said to her since Philip had died. She felt a lump in her throat but she forced it down, angry that it had appeared in the first place. She wasn’t going to cry, not tonight.

  Laura returned a few moments later, having spent longer in the bathroom than Annette had expected. When she sat back down, a fresh bottle of wine in her hand, Annette could see that Laura’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were rimmed with red. Laura smiled at her as she opened the wine and poured them both a fresh glass.

  “What’ll we drink to?” Laura asked as she passed Annette her glass.

  “That one’s easy,” Annette replied, raising her glass in the air. “Fresh beginnings.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” They clinked their glasses off each other.

  “Someone knew, though,” Annette said a few minutes later.

  “Sorry?”

  “About Philip.”

  “About him beating you up, or…” Laura’s voice tailed away.

  “About the other thing. Someone knew.”

  “Oh my God. How do you know?”

  “Someone was blackmailing him. That’s what the police told me. They were asking me if I knew why he might be being blackmailed, but I didn’t say anything. It must be that.”

  “Do you think that’s got anything to do with the accident?”

  “I doubt it,” Annette replied with a sharp laugh. “Whoever was blackmailing him turned to me when they found out he was dead.”

  “You’ve got to tell the police, Annette,” Laura said, not sounding like someone who’d had so much wine.

  “That’s what Gareth said.”

  “Well, he’s right.”

  “They sent me some photographs a few days ago. Of him and a child. That’s how I found out in the first place.”

  “They sent you some photos?” Laura replied, her voice incredulous.

  “Yep,” Annette said. “I burned them in the garden. I’m surprised Gareth’s not told you.”

  “He’s not said a word. Shit, Annette, this is really serious.”

  “Gareth bloody well bugged my computer and saw an e-mail from the blackmailer. That’s against the law, isn’t it? Maybe I should tell the police about that?” Annette smiled as she said this and started giggling.

  “Annette, you need to take this seriously. You have to go to the police.”

  “No, I don’t,” she replied. “I’ve sorted it out myself. I don’t need him being a hero all the time.”

  “How do you mean, you’ve sorted it?”

  Annette looked at Laura, who was shaking her head from side to side as if she knew exactly what Annette was about to say.

  “I’ve paid him off. So, boom. No more blackmailer.”

  62

  Laura stared at Annette, open-mouthed.

  “You did what?” she said, barely able to believe what Annette had just said.

  “I paid him off.”

  “How much?”

  “I’d rather not say,” Annette replied, “but I’ll be eating beans on toast until I get paid.”

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Annette,” Laura said. “Why on earth did you do that?”

  “So he would leave me alone. I just want all of this to be over. I want to bury what’s left of my husband, I want the bloody life insurance money, and I want to be free.” By the time Annette had finished, she was almost shouting.

  “I think I’ll get us another bottle of wine.” Laura got to her feet to go into the kitchen, even though the bottle they were drinking was still half-full. She wanted some space to process what Annette had just told her.

  Laura walked into the kitchen, folded her arms, and stared out of the kitchen window into the blackness beyond. She could just see the silhouettes of Annette’s neighbours’ houses with a sullen orange glow in the sky behind them.

  It was understandable why Annette had chosen to pay the blackmailer. Although Laura had never been involved directly in a blackmail case, she had covered them in some detail when she was studying for the bar. One of the characteristics of blackmailers that she remembered well was that they rarely asked for one payment, but kept coming back for more if the victim paid up. Laura was desperate to call Gareth, get him to come round and try to talk to Annette. She almost certainly wouldn’t be able to get back the money she had already paid, but perhaps he could stop her paying any more. Laura sighed in frustration at Annette’s reluctance to involve the police.

  She turned to the fridge, knowing that she couldn’t call Gareth or even tell him what Annette had just told her. If she wanted Gareth to know, Annette would have to tell him herself. As she turned to walk back into the lounge, she caught a glimpse of movement in the darkness beyond the window.

  “Annette?” Laura called out. “What’s in your back garden?”

  “How d’you mean?” Annette replied from the lounge.

  “I thought I saw something moving.”

  “That’ll be next door’s bloody cats. They think my entire back garden is their personal litter tray.”

  Laura peered through the window but couldn’t see anything, so she shrugged her shoulders and walked back into the lounge.

  “Philip would have been out there with a bottle of washing up liquid filled with vinegar, but I just can’t be arsed,” Annette said with a sigh. “Look, Laura. I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

  “Don’t worry,” Laura replied, putting the bottle on the table. “I know why you did what you did, but I just don’t think it was the right thing to do.”

  “I just want it all to be over.”

  “I know, I know. Maybe now it will be?” Laura said, knowing that it almost certainly wouldn’t.

  “I want to get away for a while, as soon as the life insurance comes through,” Annette replied. “When I spoke to my boss, he said I could take some unpaid leave if I wanted to.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “Greece, maybe. See if I can’t trap some poor unsuspecting lad. Do you know what, I’ve not had a shag in so long I think I’m a virgin again.”

  Despite the situation, Laura smiled. After everything that she’d been through, Annette was still able to joke about it. That said a lot about her resilience, which was a lot stronger than Laura had thought. She was made of sterner stuff than she had given her credit for.

  They both jumped when the doorbell rang.

  “Bloody hell,” Annette said, looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s gone ten.”

  “Maybe it’s the pizza delivery man with your change?”

  “I wish.” Annette got to her feet. “He’s light on his feet if it is. I didn’t hear a thing.”

  Laura was standing behind Annette when she opened the door, just as she had been when the pizzas were delivered.

  “Mrs McGuire?” It was Kate. Malcolm was behind her in a mirror image of Annette and Laura’s position. “Can we pop in for a minute? It won’t take long.”

  Laura’s heart started thudding in her chest as Annette stepped back to let the
m in. Kate and Malcolm followed Annette into the lounge and Laura peered down the garden path. Between the slats in the front gate she could see the nose of a liveried police car.

  “Well, this is all very cosy,” Kate said, sneering as Laura walked into the lounge. “I do hope we’re not interrupting anything?”

  “Mrs McGuire,” Malcolm said, cutting off any reply that Laura might have had. “As my colleague DC Hunter said, hopefully this won’t take long.” He reached into his pocket and took out his notebook, flipping it open. “Could you tell us where you were on the twelfth of February this year?”

  Laura looked at the tableau in front of her. The police hadn’t gone through any pleasantries, no apology for the lateness of the hour, no small talk about whether they would like a cup of tea or not. They had just walked in, stood either side of Annette, and asked her a question. Laura looked at Kate, and an unwelcome memory flashed across the back of her mind. She pushed it away and watched Annette intently.

  “Sure, that’s easy. I was in Bali with Philip. We were on holiday.” Laura saw Kate’s hand encircle Annette’s wrist. “Hey,” Annette protested, “what are you doing?” Her words were followed by a metallic snap as Kate handcuffed Annette.

  “Annette McGuire,” Kate said, her voice almost robotic. “I’m arresting you on suspicion of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned,” Kate’s eyes flashed to Laura’s for a split second, “something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”

  “Let go of me!” Annette shrieked. There was a second metallic snap as the other handcuff was fastened.

  “Do you understand?”

  63

  “This interview is being recorded,” Malcolm said, leaning forward to make sure that the digital recorder on the table was working. He didn’t really need it as the interview room had several cameras and a high sensitivity microphone built into the ceiling, but old habits died hard. “I am Detective Superintendent Malcolm Griffiths, and I’m based at Wymondham Police Station which is with Norfolk Police. What’s your full name?”

  “Annette Emily McGuire,” Annette replied in a small voice. Malcolm could see she was terrified, so he relaxed his voice to try to put her at ease.

  “And it’s okay if I call you Annette?”

  “That’s my name, yes.”

  “Lovely, thank you. Also present is Detective Constable Kate Hunter, also from Wymondham Police Station, and Miss Laura Flynn of Dewar Solicitors, who is representing Mrs McGuire. Now, Annette, I just need to go over a few things.”

  Malcolm re-read the caution that Kate had delivered earlier that evening and then asked Annette if she understood. She nodded and when he pointed at the recorder, said that she did. Then he stated the date and time of the interview. It was just after ten in the morning, which according to the police doctor would be about the time Annette—and her solicitor—would be sober.

  “Now, just to reassure you, at the end these tapes will get sealed up. We’ll sign and seal them and they’ll get stored in a secure place at Wymondham Police Station.”

  “Okay,” Annette whispered.

  “Can I get you anything before we start?” Kate said from her position next to Malcolm in the small room. “A drink, maybe?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

  Malcolm nodded to Kate to let her know that she was in charge of the interview from then on. He sat back in his chair, looking at Laura. She looked tired, and he wondered how much sleep she’d had. Probably more than Annette, Malcolm thought.

  “So, Annette. Could you tell us where you were on the twelfth of February this year.”

  “Sure,” Annette replied before clearing her throat. “Sure, I was in Bali.”

  “Where in Bali?”

  “A place called the Four Seasons. It’s by Jimbaran Bay.”

  “And you were there with your husband, Philip McGuire?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you. Now, the twelfth was a Wednesday. Do you remember what you were doing on that day?”

  “Yes, I do,” Annette replied. She glanced at Laura, looking for reassurance that she could continue. When Laura nodded her head, she carried on. “Philip had gone diving for the day, so I stayed at the resort.” Kate didn’t say anything, but just looked at her with an encouraging expression. “I sat by the pool, read a book for a while. You know? I don’t get this. What is it that I’m supposed to have done?” Laura put a hand on her arm and whispered something in her ear. Probably shut up and just answer the questions, Malcolm thought. He made a mental note to try to find out if the resort had any CCTV cameras, but he doubted it.

  “Do you know where Philip went diving?” Kate asked, ignoring Annette’s question completely.

  “No. He’d got in touch with a local club over there and arranged something with them.”

  “So you can’t say for certain that he did actually go diving?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Did you speak to anyone that day? While you were sitting by the pool?”

  “The waiting staff, I guess.”

  “You would have spoken to the waiting staff…you guess?”

  “Yes. I would have spoken to the waiting staff.”

  “Did you speak to anyone else? Other tourists, maybe?”

  “I don’t know. Possibly.”

  “Possibly?”

  “DC Hunter,” Laura said firmly. “My client has confirmed her location and activity on the day in question. I’m not sure what else this line of questioning is hoping to achieve?”

  “What this line of questioning is hoping to achieve, Miss Flynn,” Kate replied with an icy stare at Laura, “is whether or not your client can prove what she was doing on that day.”

  “I spent the day sitting by the pool,” Annette said, almost shouting. “That’s what I was bloody doing.”

  “Annette, it’s okay,” Laura replied.

  “May I continue, Miss Flynn?” Kate asked, her stare still fixed on Laura. Malcolm watched, curious why the two women were butting up against each other. When Laura nodded, Kate continued.

  “What were you doing at about two o’clock in the afternoon?”

  “I was sitting by the pool,” Annette replied through gritted teeth.

  “Did you go into Denpasar?”

  “No.”

  “To give your husband a hand with something, perhaps?”

  Malcolm winced at the phrase. It wasn’t the best thing Kate could have chosen to say, but perhaps she’d done it on purpose to see if she could rile Annette.

  “No.” Annette crossed her arms over her chest, and Kate looked to Malcolm. He nodded his head.

  “For the benefit of the tape,” Kate said, “I am showing Mrs McGuire a still photograph from a video file that has come into the possession of the investigating team.” Kate slid a photograph onto the table, turning it round so that Annette could see it. “Could you describe what and who you see in the photograph, please?”

  Annette leaned forward to look at the photograph, and the colour drained from her face. Malcolm looked at Laura. He and Kate had decided not to share the photographs they’d had made up with her during the disclosure interview.

  “Do I have to?” Annette asked Laura in a whisper.

  “Not if you don’t want you,” Malcolm heard Laura whisper back. They sat in silence for a few seconds, Annette’s eyes fixed firmly on the photograph.

  “The photograph shows my husband with a child on his lap.”

  “Do you recognise the location?” Kate asked.

  “No.”

  Kate glanced at Malcolm again, and Laura frowned. He was going to have to speak to Kate about being able to make her own decisions, or at least looking as if she was. If this went to court, then he didn’t fancy her chances against Laura in the witness box.

  “For the benefit of the tape, I am now showing Mrs
McGuire a second photograph from the same video file. Again, could you describe what you can see?”

  When Annette saw the second photograph, she gasped audibly.

  “No, that’s not right!” she said, staring at it with wide eyes. “That’s not right. Laura? That’s not right at all!”

  Malcolm looked at the photograph as Kate described it. It was cropped to avoid showing any of the explicit details, but it was still possible to see what was going on. The photograph showed someone holding the child down on a bed. Restraining her.

  “Laura, what’s going on?” Annette asked, her voice trembling. Laura cupped her hand against Annette’s ear and whispered furiously.

  “Mrs McGuire,” Kate said, putting her finger on the photograph. On the face of the woman restraining the child. “Can you tell me why you’re holding this child down?”

  Malcolm stared at Annette McGuire, not enjoying the moment but appreciating when someone was backed into a corner that they couldn’t get out from. He knew exactly what she was about to say.

  “No comment.”

  64

  Gareth jumped to his feet when Laura walked into the Heartsease. She looked around and waved when she saw him, even though he was sitting in the same spot he always did.

  “Laura,” he said, crossing the bar in a couple of strides. “What’s going on?”

  “Gareth, let me at least sit down.” He looked at her and saw the concern in her eyes. Whatever she was about to tell him wasn’t going to be good news.

  “Sure, sorry. I got you a lime and soda.”

  “Perfect.”

  They crossed to the table in the corner where he had been sitting. Gareth fought the urge to ask her anything else until she had taken a sip from her drink.

  “She’s in trouble, Gareth,” Laura said as she put her glass down.

  “Obviously, or they wouldn’t have arrested her.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that.” She looked at him with a flash of anger, and he held his hands up with his palms facing her.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Gareth took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “I’m just worried, that’s all. She’s my little sister, and there’s nothing I can do to help her.”