Ning stood up. “The bones have been examined by the pathologist and are definitely human. Seventy per cent of them have been exhumed and that process should be completed by tomorrow lunchtime. I’m pushing for an autopsy tomorrow afternoon. I’ve told the pathologist that it may be related to a possible multiple homicide and that we need results as soon as possible. The photograph up on the board here is Mrs Cooper, the previous owner of the house who allegedly moved to Scotland ten years ago. This is an old driving-licence photo of her. We’ve checked in Scotland and can find no trace of Mrs Cooper using her name or using her social security number.”
Simon nodded. “Keep pushing for the autopsy to be done asap. I’ll clear it with the Superintendent. Phone me the moment you have anything.” Turning once again to the wider room, he said, “Obviously, because the divorce papers weren’t signed we can’t bring Thomas Banks in on suspicion of fraud yet. The more information I have the better so push, people, push! OK, everyone, pursue the lines you’ve been assigned and we’ll meet again at midday. Hopefully the body will have been found by then. We really need it.”
Everyone started to get up, some to go back to work and others to head home.
Isobel and Patricia waited with Malcolm. After most people had filtered out Simon came over to them.
“How soon can you bring Thomas Banks in for questioning?” Isobel asked.
Simon’s brow furrowed. “It’s tricky. Things would be so much easier if we had the body.”
Isobel swallowed.
“Don’t worry – we’ll still get him – it’s just going to be more difficult.” Tomorrow will tell a lot. Hopefully the Thames will be kind to us and reveal her secrets.”
Isobel nodded. Then, knowing that she had made a promise, she broached another subject. “Simon, the real Thomas Banks was knocked down by a drunk driver. His father is still really upset. I know you don’t think there is anything there to pursue but could you please let me talk to the investigating officer? Just so I can tell Mr Banks we have had another look at things, to put his mind at rest? I know you’re really busy but . . .”
Isobel knew she was pushing it and that Simon had a lot on his plate, but she was hoping that all she had uncovered already would count for something.
Simon pursed his lips then called out to one of the women officers still in the room. “Stella, find out who investigated this fatal road accident – Isobel will give you the details and then get them on the line for me.”
“Thank you, Simon,” Isobel said.
She gave the details to Stella and, with the help of the computer, the young officer soon had the name and phone number of the investigating officer. Simon arranged a meeting for Isobel with him at ten o’clock the next morning. There was little more to say and they all bid each other a weary goodnight. Isobel suspected that Simon would be working very late at the station.
Afraid that someone might overhear them, Isobel and Patricia waited until they got home to discuss the meeting.
“What do you think?” Patricia said.
Isobel was sitting on the couch. She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands. “I’m mad that I couldn’t stop that body being thrown in the river. I should have done something.”
“Jesus, Isobel, we think this man is a multiple murderer! So what could you have done?”
Isobel looked up at her. Patricia sat down beside her.
Isobel bit her lip. “OK, I couldn’t have stopped him at that point – but the very fact that the body was moved, and potentially lost, is because of all the interfering that I have been doing in the case. Simon was right. He knows how to catch people. Maybe because of what I’ve done Thomas will get off.”
Patricia opened her mouth to speak, then chewed her lip. She took a deep breath. “Isobel, please stop this. Listen to me. No one would have known anything about Thomas Banks and what had happened to Anne if you hadn’t figured it out. He would have been home free. You have to keep perspective here. It would have been impossible to find the truth if you hadn’t talked to everyone as you did. We wouldn’t even have realised he was moving the body if you hadn’t met Grace and she trusted you.” Patricia frowned. “I don’t know how he figured out we were on to him, and maybe we never will, but at least we’re on to him now. At least there’s a chance we’ll get him and I’m sure that, even if we don’t, Simon is going to keep his eye on him. He’s never again going to be able to do things like this. But in my heart I know we are going to get him. Don’t give up. We’ve come so far against all the odds.”
Isobel gave her a hug. “Thank you. I needed that pep talk.” She smiled through some tears. “I guess we let the police do their job and just hope that they find the remains in the river.”
“Exactly. Now what are you going to do tomorrow?”
Isobel took a deep breath. “Well, there is the investigating officer in the Thomas Banks hit-and-run at ten o’clock.” She looked at Patricia with raised eyebrows.
“I must just give Peter a ring and fill him in. Maybe things will be very quiet at the office and I might take an annual leave day and maybe …”
Isobel grinned. “Fine by me if you want to come detecting.”
She took the opportunity to ring Dave.
“Well – all over. Are you flying home tomorrow?”
Isobel grimaced at the relief and cheerfulness in his voice. “All over bar the shouting but I’m going to stay another day or two.”
“What?”
“You know, to celebrate, go for a meal, relax with my new friends here.”
“Oh well, that sounds good. Thank God you’re finished chasing after murderers.”
Isobel cringed. If he only knew about today.
“Let me know when you’re coming home. I want to hear all about it.”
“Yeah. Talk soon.”
Patricia grinned as she came back. “I’m good to go for tomorrow. Peter knows I really want to see this through.”
Isobel had thought that tiredness and a measure of relief would have ensured a peaceful sleep that night but it was not to be. In her dreams she was standing by some water. As she looked in she could see a woman under the water reaching up towards the surface to her and she could hear a haunting voice saying ‘Help me, help me!’. Isobel ran up and down the bank but there was nothing she could use to help – no person, no flotation ring, no branch. She took off her shoes and socks and tried to get into the water but she couldn’t get in. She tried again and again, getting more and more upset, but ended up on the bank unable to reach the woman. And all the time the voice called ‘Help me, help me!’.
Chapter 37
Thursday 31st May
Next morning, Isobel and Patricia made their way to meet the primary police officer in the hit-and-run case at his station. They gave their names to the duty sergeant who escorted them to an interview room. Within a few minutes they were joined by a man. He was six foot tall with dark curly hair touched with silver at the temples. His eyes were blue. He seemed confident and self-assured and got down to business immediately.
“My name is Adam Bryce.”
Isobel and Patricia introduced themselves.
“Simon has been on to me this morning already giving me a more detailed insight into what you have uncovered and where the investigation is now. He tells me that you, Isobel, are consulting on the investigation, and that you, Patricia, are part of Anne Banks’ legal team.”
Isobel and Patricia turned to each other and smiled at their new, elevated status.
Adam went on, “It seems some new information has come to light, namely that Matt Cooper, Thomas Banks’ friend, started using his name shortly after his death.”
Patricia answered, “Yes.”
Isobel added, “We’re unsure if he impersonated Thomas and took the job that had been meant for Thomas or if he merely changed his name and got a new job with the same firm that Thomas was moving to. We haven’t contacted that firm regarding who they employed or thought they employed.”
> Adam smiled. “No, but I did.”
“Well, you’re not hanging about! And?”
“And, I spoke to one of the people in Human Resources. Thomas Banks had an interview two weeks before his death and accepted the job when it was offered to him the next day. In actual fact, when Thomas did start with them his performance was, according to the firm, a bit of a disappointment. In their initial evaluations they broached this and he cited stress from some personal grief. Obviously, the firm was supportive and he still works for them but he never lived up to their initial expectations and what his previous work experience suggested. A competent but not inspiring worker is how they summed him up.”
“So Matt took the job in Thomas’s place,” Isobel interpreted.
Adam nodded. “Yes.”
Isobel frowned. “How did they not realise that it was a different guy?”
“Well, they obviously didn’t. Maybe because it’s a big company, maybe they had lots of interviews, maybe the people who were doing the interviews weren’t so involved in the day-to-day contact with employees. And ten years ago this sort of thing was easier to do than it is now. Who knows?”
“And the hit-and-run?” Patricia asked.
“Also interesting. The accident took place near Thomas Banks’ father’s house, outside one of the popular local pubs.”
Isobel shook her head. “We know nothing about the hit-and-run except the outcome. It was the man’s father who told us about what happened. We were hardly going to press him for details.”
“No, of course not. Let me explain then. I’ve been looking over the file this morning. Thomas was in the family local having a few drinks. He had three or four but was by no means very drunk. He left just before last orders to go home to his dad’s house which is not far away. He was in great form that evening according to the landlord’s statement back then. Shortly after he left a man ran in and said that someone had been knocked down. They rang an ambulance and some people ran out. They tried to resuscitate him, as did the ambulance crew when they arrived, but he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. The car involved was a black sedan which was found burned out the next morning. It belonged to a Jennifer Green who was a secretary and lived in Holborn. She reported it stolen that evening. A woman who lived near the pub witnessed the accident. Her statement is here. She said the car was driving very fast and seemed to head straight for Thomas. After the accident the driver stopped and got out and walked back to Thomas. He knelt down beside him for a few seconds then got up, went back to the car, and fled the scene. However, the driver couldn’t be identified from the footage. We checked out the owner, but she had left her car at home and gone out for the evening – witnesses confirm that. We assumed that it was a joyrider or drunk driver.”
Isobel asked, “Are joyriders not usually very young?””
Adam regarded her. “Yes, more frequently they are but not always. The driver had jeans and a jacket and a baseball cap on. It was hard to say what age he was. We couldn’t identify him and we had no other leads. How do you think Thomas’s death relates to Simon’s case?”
Isobel said, “It may not. In fact, Simon thinks we’re wasting our time but we’re interested in seeing if Matt Cooper could have done this.”
“Based on what evidence?” he said coolly.
“Based on the fact that he assumed Thomas’s identity and profited by his death,” Isobel responded sharply. “And that he may have got away with a lot of things that no one knew about.”
“Well, Simon told me that he is very dubious about what you are suggesting.”
Isobel bit her lip. “Yes, he did say that a car would be an unlikely murder weapon because it is only at high speed that death would be inevitable.”
“And he felt that Matt wouldn’t have committed murder so close to where they lived,” said Adam. “But it could have been at high speed.” He frowned. “That pub is on a straight bit of road. To get a car to sixty miles an hour takes six to ten seconds.” He tapped his finger on his lip. “Having a straight bit of road where you can see someone walking is a help.”
“Are you saying it’s possible?”
“That street has been used by joy riders because it is long and straight and only has local traffic which is light – that’s why we jumped to the conclusion that it was a joyrider. But if you have an alternative theory, I think it’s worth looking at.” He held up his hands. “It might be pie in the sky but I think it’s worth a look.”
Patricia said, “And we promised Thomas Banks Senior that we would try and look at things again, just to put his mind at ease. We know that you’re busy but it would be great to review everything.”
“Quite the tag team you got here, very persuasive.”
Isobel bit her lip and Patricia shifted in her chair but they stayed silent.
Adam looked from one to the other. “Look, Simon has told me how you may have uncovered a number of different bodies so I would like to see if there’s any chance of some new insights here. Matt Cooper didn’t even feature in our investigation because he wasn’t there that night – now maybe that’s a significant fact and bears some scrutiny. What do you want to do?”
Isobel said, “I want to talk to the eyewitness and also to the woman who owned the car. Do you still have the footage from the pub camera?”
“Of course. Thomas died, so this is vehicular manslaughter – so, yes, we kept all of the evidence.”
Isobel shuddered. “We’ll probably want to look at that but let’s talk to the witness first.”
Patricia nodded her agreement.
Adam said, “I’ll get one of the constables to copy the footage for you,” and he left the room.
Isobel looked at Patricia. “What do you think?”
“Matt Cooper could have deliberately run Thomas down. Adam seems to be implying that it’s at least possible.”
They lapsed into silence.
Adam returned with a USB stick. “Here’s the footage of the hit-and-run. The witness is called Mrs O’Dwyer. She lives a couple of streets away. We can walk.”
“We have to be back to Scotland Yard for twelve o’clock for the update on the investigation,” said Isobel.
They set out, walking briskly, and turned onto a long, straight street.
Patricia stopped. “Speed bumps.”
Isobel stopped too. “Oh.”
“They were put in a year after Thomas was killed,” Adam said. “The community put together a petition about the danger to residents from drivers speeding along this road and eventually they persuaded the council to do something. I’m sure Thomas’s death contributed to that.”
Isobel swallowed a lump in her throat.
Mrs Dwyer, despite her advanced years, proved to be a sprightly lady with a twinkle in her eye. She recognised Adam immediately.
“I remember you. You came to see me after Thomas got knocked down and killed – so sad. It broke his mother’s heart, killed her really, and his poor father has never got over it.” She shook her head.
“We’re just reviewing the case and I wondered if we could talk to you about it again,” Adam said.
“Of course, of course, anything that I can do to help. It would give his father some peace if they got the person who did it. It would be some measure of justice at least.”
They followed Mrs O’Dwyer into her front room. She offered them tea and Isobel went along to help her.
Whilst in the kitchen they chatted about Ireland and different types of tea and, by the time they returned with the refreshments, Mrs O’Dwyer was very relaxed and in a talkative mood.
Adam, perhaps sensing the informal rapport that Isobel had established, said nothing. After everyone chatted while having a cup of tea and a biscuit, Isobel stood up and went to the window of the sitting room. She looked out, contemplating the view of the street.
She turned from the window. “Is this where you were standing when you saw the accident?”
Mrs O’Dwyer got up and joined Isobel at
the window. “Yes, yes, right here. I don’t sleep very well and sometimes I get up and just watch people as they leave the pub in the evenings. To be honest, you would sometimes be amazed at who goes home with whom.”
Isobel couldn’t suppress a smile. Mrs O’Dwyer obviously loved to know all about what was going on.
“It’s better than a soap opera.” Her face became more serious as she continued. “Thomas was alone that night, walking on the footpath and not staggering. Suddenly I heard this spinning of tyres and then I saw a black car speeding towards him. It didn’t waver, it just headed straight for him, mounted the kerb, hit him and knocked Thomas onto the road. The car drove on a bit and stopped a bit further up there.” She pointed. “Thomas was lying on the road. The man got out, walked back and knelt down beside him to see how badly he was hurt. and then left when he saw how bad the accident was . . . but sometimes I think that man didn’t stagger out of the car – he didn’t look shocked and panicked. He seemed steady. It was almost like he stopped to check that he’d really killed him and then walked calmly back to his car and drove off. There was a deliberateness about him that actually gives me nightmares.” She shivered.
Isobel asked softly, “Did you mention this to the police at the time?”
Mrs O’Dwyer looked uncomfortable. “Not really. I did say he seemed very steady and all.”
Adam said, “What can you tell us about the driver?”
Mrs O’Dwyer shrugged. “I told you at the time. He was wearing jeans and a loose jacket and a kind of baseball cap. I didn’t see his face. I can’t really be sure of what age he was. He seemed tall and slim as far as I could judge.”
There seemed little more to say so they thanked her and left.
At the door she gave Adam a beaming smile. “Come back and see me again and don’t leave it so long next time.”
They were all smiling as they went down her path.
Adam led the way down the road and stood where Mrs O’Dwyer had been indicating. Isobel and Patricia followed him. They looked along the road in both directions. It was certainly a long straight street.
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