The Innocent and the Dead

by Robert McNeill

  Knox rose. ‘Okay, thank you both.’ He turned to Connelly and added, ‘There are some forensic checks underway on Ms McCormack’s effects. There’s a possibility we may have to talk further. You’ll be here over the weekend?’

  Connelly glanced at his watch. ‘I always go to the cash and carry at Slateford on Saturday afternoons,’ he said. ‘I’ll be there between three and four.’

  Knox said, ‘But you’re not leaving Edinburgh?’

  ‘No,’ Connelly said.

  * * *

  ‘What do you think, boss?’ Fulton said when they were heading back into town. ‘Connelly isn’t playing with a straight bat?’

  Knox shook his head. ‘No, he isn’t. As you said, it isn’t likely Patti would have gone through six years of her life without requiring medical attention.’ He paused and added, ‘I think he’s tampered with her file.’

  ‘And Mrs Ledbetter?’

  Knox said, ‘She seemed ill at ease when I asked her about Patti’s injuries. I’ve a feeling she knows more than she’s saying.’

  ‘And Connelly mentioned Adrian Black again,’ Fulton said. ‘It’s as if he’s trying to shift the blame.’

  Knox nodded. ‘That wasn’t lost on me, either,’ he said. ‘Trouble is, there’s nothing yet to link Connelly with Patti’s murder.’

  ‘Yet,’ Fulton said. ‘But you think he’s behind the abuse?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  Knox’s phone rang at that moment and he glanced at the screen and switched to hands-free.

  ‘Ed?’ he said.

  Murray’s voice came through the speakers. ‘Jack,’ he said. ‘Last night my assistant received an evidence bag with an item found by a uniformed PC in Figgate Park. He sent it to forensics in Dundee and forgot to mention it.’

  ‘What was found?’ Knox said.

  ‘A pair of woollen gloves. Dumped in one of the park’s bins.’

  ‘Aye?’

  ‘Turns out there are traces of DNA on the gloves, inside and out. They’re currently undergoing a more in-depth analysis, but the first thing they discovered inside the gloves was Acrylonitrile Butadiene Copolymer.’

  ‘Acry-what?’ Knox said.

  ‘NBR, main component of nitrile plastic gloves. Must’ve been worn underneath the woollen ones.’

  ‘Underneath?’

  ‘Yes,’ Murray said. ‘I can only suppose it was to avoid leaving DNA.’

  ‘But you said DNA was found inside the gloves?’

  ‘Yes, that and NBR, and I’m guessing the DNA belongs to the original wearer. However, more recent DNA was found on the outside of one of the gloves. I’ll have the results later today.’ A short pause, then, ‘But there’s something else.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘A name tag, sewn into one of the gloves, written with a felt-tip pen. My assistant took a picture with his mobile before sending the gloves. It reads: “Adrian Miller”.’

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‘Interview with Mr Adrian Black,’ Knox said for the recording machine. ‘The time is 2.35pm, Saturday 19 May, 2018. Those present are Detective Inspector Knox, Detective Sergeant Fulton, Mr Black’s legal representative Mr Nelson Ames, and Mr Black’s parents, Dr Julian Black and Mrs Anthea Black.’

  Knox and Fulton were in interview room 9 at Gayfield Square Police Station where they faced Adrian Black and the Blacks’ lawyer.

  Julian Black and his wife sat behind their adopted son. Both looked concerned.

  ‘As I explained, Adrian,’ Knox said, ‘we’ve asked you to come to the station today to answer a few questions in light of new evidence in the Patti McCormack murder case. I should emphasise, you are not a suspect, and make it clear that your cooperation will very likely eliminate you from our investigation. You understand?’

  Adrian nodded, his face betraying anxiety.

  Knox said, ‘For the tape, Adrian, please.’

  ‘Yes,’ Adrian replied.

  Knox took an 8x10 inch photograph from a foolscap folder and slid it across the desk. ‘A pair of woollen gloves was found dumped in a bin at Figgate Park,’ Knox said. ‘One has your birthname written in marker pen on the inside. Could you confirm the glove is yours?’

  Adrian picked up the photograph and studied it for a few moments, then said, ‘Yes, it’s one of my gloves.’

  ‘When did you last see them?’ Knox said.

  Adrian gave Knox a hesitant look. ‘At least six years ago,’ he said. ‘When I was at the Allanbreck Home.’

  Knox and Fulton exchanged glances. Knox said, ‘You didn’t take them with you when you left?’

  ‘No,’ Adrian replied.

  ‘May I see the photo, please?’ Dr Black said.

  ‘Of course,’ Knox said, then passed the picture over.

  Dr Black examined the photograph for several seconds, then handed it to his wife. ‘Adrian hasn’t possessed a pair of gloves like this since he’s been with us, has he, dear?’

  Anthea Black took the print, glanced at it for a moment or two, then said, ‘Certainly not.’

  Knox nodded. ‘Adrian,’ he said, ‘when I spoke to you yesterday you appeared upset. Patti’s death would have been a surprise, and that’s understandable. But I also had the impression you were unhappy at Allanbreck. Is that the case?’

  Adrian flushed. ‘What’s that got to do with the gloves?’ he said.

  ‘Nothing,’ Knox said. ‘When I said Mr Connelly had accused you of having an argument with Patti and threatening to kill her, you said he was lying. You left the room and didn’t elaborate. Would you do so now? How do you feel about Connelly?’

  Adrian looked to his adoptive parents, holding Anthea Black’s eyes for a long moment.

  ‘Go on, Adrian,’ she said. ‘Tell him, darling, please.’

  Adrian turned back and held Knox’s gaze. ‘What Connelly told you I said to Patti,’ he said, ‘those were the exact words he said to her himself.’

  ‘You overheard Connelly say that to her?’ Knox said.

  Adrian nodded. ‘Yes.’

  ‘When was this?’

  ‘Just before I left,’ Adrian said. ‘In June 2012. I went into the garden one afternoon and heard him threaten her. She told me later that he’ – Adrian hesitated, glancing at Mrs Black – ‘that he had raped her in one of the upstairs rooms.’

  ‘Did she mention this to anyone else?’ Knox said.

  Adrian shook his head. ‘No, she was afraid to.’

  ‘Did Connelly threaten you?’ Knox asked.

  ‘Not then,’ Adrian said. ‘He didn’t have to. I was afraid of him, too. He beat me often.’

  Adrian’s shoulders started shaking, then he began to cry. ‘What I’m most ashamed of is that I said nothing,’ he said. ‘Patti and I were supposed to be friends.’

  Mrs Black rose from her chair and went to her son. ‘It’s okay, darling,’ she said. ‘You’ve nothing to be ashamed about.’

  Adrian said, ‘I came to stay with you shortly afterwards. I could’ve said something then.’

  Dr Black stood and placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. ‘It’s okay, son,’ he said. ‘There’s only one person to blame here, and that isn’t you.’

  Knox rose and said, ‘All right, Adrian. You and your parents can go home now.’ Then to Mr and Mrs Black, ‘I’m grateful for your cooperation.’

  * * *

  After the Blacks had gone, Knox assembled his team in the Major Incident Inquiry room. A PNC check found that Connelly had been a resident of Narborough in Leicestershire in his twenties, soon after DNA was first used to convict a killer. A man called Colin Pitchfork had persuaded a friend to stand in for his test. The friend later admitted this to investigators, and Pitchfork’s subsequent DNA test proved positive.

  ‘Connelly’s on file, boss,’ Hathaway said after checking the database. ‘No convictions, but he was one of the men swabbed in the Narborough murders back in ’87. He was twenty-four at the time.’

  Knox nodded. ‘That could prove helpful. I’ll get onto Dund
ee and ask them to compare his 1987 sample with that on the glove.’

  He glanced at his watch then and added, ‘It’s almost three. Connelly said he’d be at a cash and carry at Slateford between three and four. Mark, Yvonne, I’d like you to pop up to Allanbreck and interview Margaret Ledbetter.

  ‘As I mentioned, Bill and I have spoken to her, but I got the impression she was holding back. Connelly was with her at the time and I think that’s why. Pressure her a little and I think she’ll talk. Let her know Connelly’s suspected of murder, tell her that if she doesn’t cooperate, she’ll be perverting the course of justice.’

  Knox looked at the phone. ‘I expect DI Murray will ring us soon. If I’m right and the DNA is Connelly’s, we’ll make an immediate arrest and bring him in.’

  * * *

  ‘Knox said nitrile gloves were worn underneath Adrian Black’s woollen ones,’ Hathaway said. He and Mason were driving through Fairmilehead and approaching the Allanbreck Home.

  ‘Yes,’ Mason said. ‘After Connelly murdered Patti he tossed the gloves in a bin for us to find.’

  ‘Adrian had left them at Allanbreck?’ Hathaway said.

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Mason said. ‘Complete with his DNA and name tag.’

  ‘Connelly’s probably guilty of sexual abuse, but why kill her?’

  ‘Knox found a bankbook in Patti’s handbag,’ Mason said. ‘She’d made at least seven deposits over a period of three and a half months. All for the same amount, £250. Yet she was unemployed.’

  ‘I see,’ Hathaway said. ‘She was blackmailing him?’

  ‘Looks that way,’ Mason said.

  Hathaway nodded, then made a right turn into the driveway of the Allanbreck Home and drove to the entrance, where he parked the car.

  The detectives exited and went to the door, then Hathaway pressed the bell.

  Moments later Mrs Ledbetter answered. She gave them a baffled look and said, ‘Yes?’

  Hathaway showed her his warrant card. ‘DC Hathaway and DC Mason,’ he said. ‘You’re Mrs Ledbetter?’

  ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘I’m afraid Mr Connelly isn’t here at the moment. He’s at the cash and carry.’

  Mason said, ‘It’s you we’ve come to see, Mrs Ledbetter.’

  Ledbetter appeared nonplussed. ‘Really?’ she said. ‘Why would you want to speak to me?’

  ‘May we come in and discuss it with you?’ Mason said.

  Ledbetter opened the door and waved them inside. ‘I suppose so,’ she said, pointing to a room beneath the stairs. ‘Come through to the kitchen.’

  A short while later they were seated at a table in the centre of a long narrow kitchen. An assortment of pots and pans hung from shelves above a line of cabinets on either side of the room. An Aga cooker and a large porcelain sink occupied the space next to the window.

  ‘I can’t imagine why you’d want to speak to me,’ Ledbetter repeated. ‘I told the detectives who were here earlier all they wanted to know.’

  Hathaway said, ‘We’d like to go over what was said in regard to Patti McCormack, just in case something was missed.’

  ‘Concerning the beatings?’

  ‘Yes,’ Mason said. ‘Specifically concerning the beatings. Patti suffered these in 2010 or 2011.’ Mason paused and added. ‘You were here then?’

  ‘Yes.’ Ledbetter said. ‘I’ve been here since 1994.’

  ‘Mrs Ledbetter,’ Mason said. ‘I hope you won’t be offended by the question, but does Mr Connelly intimidate you?’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Ledbetter said.

  Hathaway said, ‘I think my colleague is asking if Mr Connelly has even threatened you in any way, Mrs Ledbetter.’

  Ledbetter frowned. ‘Threatened?’ she said.

  Mason nodded. ‘I’m not sure if you’re aware, Mrs Ledbetter, but an assault of this nature on a child is a very serious charge. More, there’s also a strong possibility of sexual assault.’

  Ledbetter looked aghast. ‘Sexual assault?’

  ‘Yes,’ Mason said. ‘We’ve also reason to believe Mr Connelly is implicated in Pattie McCormack’s murder.’

  Ledbetter said, ‘You really believe Mr Connelly may have killed Patti?’

  ‘It’s a possibility we can’t rule out,’ Mason said.

  ‘Which is why we want you to think again about the beatings Patti suffered,’ Hathaway said. ‘Inspector Knox told us you are a state-registered nurse, that you treated children’s injuries?’

  Ledbetter nodded but remained silent.

  ‘An examination of Ms McCormack’s buttocks found a number of scars which date to 2010 or 2011, Mrs Ledbetter,’ Mason said. ‘Won’t you please help us?’

  ‘2011,’ Ledbetter spoke so softly Mason and Hathaway had barely heard her say it.

  ‘Sorry?’ Mason said.

  ‘It happened in 2011,’ Ledbetter said.

  ‘You treated her?’ Mason said.

  Ledbetter nodded. ‘One weekend,’ she said. ‘I think it was a Sunday morning. At breakfast. Patti refused to eat kippers – she told me later it was a dish she detested. Connelly became angry, said she was being awkward, that the other girls had eaten theirs. He took her to his office. I found out afterward he had used a long, thin cane to inflict the injuries.

  ‘When he brought her to me her underwear was stained with blood. I used WoundSeal powder to stop the bleeding, then bandaged her. He told me he’d only intended a verbal reprimand, but she began mouthing obscenities and spat at him. He said he had no option but to administer a more severe chastisement.’

  ‘Did what he’d done shock you?’ Mason said.

  Ledbetter nodded. ‘It did,’ she said, ‘but to my shame I let it go. I persuaded myself because of its excessive nature, the punishment might prove a one-off.’

  ‘But it wasn’t?’ Hathaway said.

  ‘No, I’m sorry to say it happened again, on two occasions. I realised the second time it was wrong, but I’d remained silent the first time and thought if I spoke out I’d be sacked, so I said nothing.’

  ‘Did you know Connelly raped Patti in 2012?’ Mason said.

  Ledbetter shook her head. ‘No, ma’am I didn’t,’ she said. ‘As God’s my witness.’ She took a hankie from her pinny pocket and dabbed her eyes. ‘I’m almost seventy now and will be retiring soon. The Holy Mother knows I’ve much to atone for. I’m truly sorry I kept quiet.’

  Mason nodded. ‘Mrs Ledbetter,’ she said, ‘it would be very helpful to us if you would make an official statement about this – will you do that?’

  Ledbetter nodded. ‘Of course, I will. Yes.’

  Hathaway said, ‘The other children in your care – has Connelly mistreated them in any way?’

  Ledbetter shook her head. ‘No, there are only six young children staying here now, and they’re in the junior wing, which is looked after by two female assistants. The last of the older children left this year.

  ‘I don’t know why,’ Ledbetter continued, ‘but I think Connelly took a dislike to a few of the older children at the time.’ She shook her head again. ‘But I can only say, if he’s murdered Patti, may the Almighty forgive him.’

  * * *

  ‘Mrs Ledbetter’s agreed to give us a full statement, boss,’ Hathaway said when Knox took his call.

  ‘She’s admitted to treating Patti’s injuries on three occasions you say?’ Knox asked.

  ‘Yes, she’s given us a full confession and has said she’ll attest to Connelly’s guilt.’

  ‘Good work,’ Knox said. ‘Where are you and Yvonne now?’

  ‘Comiston Road.’

  ‘Slateford isn’t far from there, is it?’

  ‘No, boss,’ Hathaway said. ‘We can cut through at Morningside Station.’

  ‘Just the job, Mark,’ Knox said. ‘Head for Mellor’s cash and carry in Slateford Road, it’s at the Ardmillan Terrace end. You know what Connelly looks like?’

  ‘We saw his Narborough photos. Bill told us he hadn’t changed that much. A bit stockier, more
ruddy-faced.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Knox said. ‘Okay, both of you wait in the car park. I’m expecting a call from DI Murray any minute. I’ll get back to you.’

  ‘Righto, boss,’ Hathaway said.

  Knox ended the call and turned to Fulton. ‘Ledbetter did treat Patti,’ he said.

  ‘I heard,’ Fulton said. ‘She’s giving us a statement?’

  Knox said, ‘Uh-huh. All we need now is a positive on the DNA.’

  As Fulton nodded acknowledgement, Knox’s phone rang. Knox answered and gave Fulton a thumbs-up. ‘It’s Murray,’ he said, then to the phone: ‘Ed?’

  ‘Good news, Jack,’ Murray said. ‘A trace sample of DNA found on the knuckle of one of the gloves is recent and matches the specimen taken from Connelly at Narborough. DNA inside both gloves isn’t so recent, so I guess it’s Adrian Black’s.’

  ‘Thanks, Ed, that’s just what I hoped for.’

  * * *

  After he spoke to Murray, Knox phoned Mason and Hathaway and told them to proceed with the arrest. Connelly was brought to the station, charged, then his lawyer was contacted and an interview set up. Again, this was held in room 9.

  ‘Before I ask you to speak, Mr Connelly,’ Knox said, ‘I’d like to tell you the reasons for your being charged and ask you a few questions. Is that understood?’

  Connelly studied Knox for a long moment, then said, ‘Yes.’

  ‘Two of my officers visited the Allanbreck Home this afternoon and interviewed Mrs Margaret Ledbetter. She’s confirmed she attended Patti on three occasions in 2011 and treated her for injuries to her buttocks. But before I ask about that, I should also like to tell you we’ve a sample of DNA taken from a glove found in Figgate Park, which yielded a match to your DNA.’

  ‘My DNA?’ Connelly said.

  Knox nodded. ‘Yes, you may recall you were asked in 1987 to give a specimen at the time of the Colin Pitchfork case. You were resident in Narborough then.’

  Connelly paled visibly.

  ‘You remember that?’ Knox asked.

  Connelly frowned. ‘Yes, I do,’ he replied, and lapsed into silence.

  Knox and Fulton held his gaze, then Connelly blurted out, ‘I must’ve handed the gloves to Black at Allanbreck.’

  Knox and Fulton exchanged glances, then Knox said, ‘I didn’t mention who the gloves belonged to.’