Death Track

by Sally Rigby

  ‘You don’t sound too excited by this, guv,’ Frank said.

  ‘One step at a time. We need to test his DNA to put him at the scene.’

  ‘Who’s going to interview him?’ George asked.

  ‘Terry and I will interview, and you can watch from outside.’

  The phone on the desk rang, and Whitney picked it up.

  ‘Walker.’ She paused for a moment. ‘We’ll be there shortly.’ She ended the call. ‘The duty solicitor’s here. Let’s go.’

  They went down to the interview room, and George positioned herself next door, so she could see what was happening. Norman Thackeray was seated, his head lowered, and hands clasped together in his lap. The duty solicitor was sitting next to him, leafing through a file.

  Whitney and Terry entered the room, and she turned on the recording equipment.

  ‘June twenty-second. DCI Whitney Walker. In the room is …’ She nodded at Terry.

  ‘DI Terry Gardner.’

  ‘And—please state your names,’ she said to Thackeray and the solicitor.

  ‘Norman Thackeray,’ the prisoner said.

  ‘Roger Ashton, acting for the accused.’

  ‘Mr Thackeray, you are still under caution and anything you say may be used in evidence. Do you understand?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Please answer for the tape.’

  ‘Yes, I understand,’ he said.

  ‘When we interviewed you at your house, you admitted to carrying out murders on the ninth, thirteenth, and seventeenth of June.’

  The solicitor leaned in and spoke quietly to him.

  ‘Yes, I said that,’ Thackeray said.

  ‘And you’re still pleading guilty to these offences?’

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘He’s lying,’ George said to Whitney in her earpiece. ‘Keep going with the questioning, and we’ll find out what’s behind it. I suggest you ask him to give a detailed account of the actual murders.’

  Whitney gave an almost imperceptible nod.

  ‘I’d like to start with the murder of Hugo Holmes-Reed. I want you to tell me exactly what happened and how you carried out the murder.’

  Thackeray shifted awkwardly in his seat. ‘Why do you want to know everything? All you need to know is I did it.’

  ‘Where did you board the train on which you committed the murder?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘I don’t remember.’

  ‘And how did you get to the station?’

  ‘Which station?’

  ‘Where you boarded. How did you get there?’

  ‘I caught the train from Birmingham.’

  ‘You caught a train from Birmingham to …?’

  ‘The station.’

  ‘Mr Thackeray, do you realise you’re facing a life sentence for these murders?’ Whitney asked, frustration showing in her voice.

  ‘Yes. My memory’s a little hazy.’

  ‘Ask him about the knife and how he carried out the murder,’ George suggested. ‘So far he’s given us nothing he couldn’t have ascertained from the media.’

  ‘Mr Thackeray, what weapon did you use in the murders?’

  ‘A knife.’

  ‘What sort of knife?’

  ‘A hunting knife.’

  ‘Please describe it to me.’

  ‘It’s a fixed blade knife with a green handle.’

  ‘How long is the blade?’

  ‘About five inches.’

  ‘Do you know a lot about knives?’

  ‘Yes. I learned from my father, who used to take me hunting.’

  ‘His version of the weapon certainly fits with Claire’s account,’ George said. ‘So, maybe he does know something.’

  ‘Returning to the murders, can you explain in more detail exactly how you carried them out?’

  ‘I went on the train, found someone who was on their own, and stabbed them with a knife.’

  ‘He’d know all this from reports of the other murders,’ George said. ‘But he hasn’t mentioned the chloroform or described how the victims were all stabbed between their ribs.’

  ‘Show me exactly how you stabbed the person,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I fail to see why we need this line of questioning,’ the solicitor said. ‘My client has admitted to the offences; we don’t need to go into any detail at this stage. Mr Thackeray, I advise you to say nothing further. Save it for when we’re in court for your sentencing hearing.’

  George observed how Whitney’s body had tensed.

  ‘Mr Thackeray,’ Terry said. ‘Do you admit to all of the murders over the last two years?’

  Whitney looked in Terry’s direction. He clearly didn’t know about Whitney’s no-asking-questions rule. George smiled to herself.

  ‘Yes, I am,’ Thackeray replied.

  ‘Why did you commit these murders?’ Terry said.

  ‘To get back at Transwide for making me redundant.’

  ‘Don’t you think murdering innocent people was taking it a bit far?’ Whitney asked.

  Thackeray shrugged. ‘Maybe. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. You’ve arrested me, so do what you have to do.’

  ‘We have the murderer’s DNA on file. A sample was taken from you when you arrived, and we’ll have the results soon. Is this going to make any difference to your plea?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘No. Why should it? I’ve told you I did it, so stop pestering me.’

  ‘Mr Thackeray, I know you’ve admitted to the crimes, but I’m not convinced of your guilt.’

  He scowled in Whitney’s direction, his eyes flashing. ‘I’ve told you, I’m guilty, so what more do you want? I can’t give you a minute to minute replay of what happened, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do it. Speak to my doctor. I suffer from memory problems. There are lots of things I can’t remember.’

  ‘He could be right. There are a number of psychological disorders that may be affecting him,’ George said.

  ‘Well, assuming you’re right, and you did commit all these murders you can’t remember—’

  ‘I didn’t say I couldn’t remember any of it. It’s just the details I forget,’ Thackeray interrupted.

  ‘It’s very convenient,’ Whitney snapped.

  ‘DCI Walker, all you’re doing is going around in circles. I suggest we terminate the interview,’ the solicitor said.

  ‘We’ll finish when I’m ready. Even though you don’t remember all the details, I’m assuming you can tell me where you keep the murder weapon.’

  ‘It’s hidden.’

  ‘Hidden where? And don’t tell me you don’t remember, because this is getting tedious,’ Whitney said.

  ‘In a brown plastic hollowed-out flowerpot placed along the wall of the house, in my garden.’

  ‘That’s very detailed,’ George said. ‘I’m inclined to believe him. So, either he’s telling the truth about his memory, or he’s covering for someone and he knows about the weapon.’

  ‘Do you live alone?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘No wife or children?’

  ‘My wife’s dead, and I don’t see my son.’

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘I’ve no idea. We haven’t spoken in a long time. That’s all I’m saying.’ He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

  ‘I don’t think you’ll get any more from him,’ George said.

  ‘Interview suspended.’ Whitney ended the recording. ‘We’re going to your house to retrieve the weapon. You’ll be escorted back to your cell.’

  She picked up the file she had on the table and left the room, with Terry following.

  ‘Well, that was bizarre,’ Whitney said as she entered the room where George was.

  ‘He’s covering for someone,’ Terry said.

  ‘Agreed,’ George said.

  ‘We’ll go with forensics to his house. But first I need to go back to the incident room,’ Whitney said.

  When they got back, Whitney and George made a beeline for Ellie.

 
; ‘What can you tell me about our suspect?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘His wife committed suicide two and a half years ago. He has a son, Ben, but I don’t have an address for him. I’m still searching.’

  ‘The wife committing suicide could have been a catalyst for the start of the murders. We need to know more,’ George said.

  ‘I’ll see about accessing her medical records,’ Ellie said.

  ‘What we really need is the DNA sample to come back. Then we’ll know for certain whether he’s our perp,’ Whitney said.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Saturday, 22 June

  Whitney returned to Thackeray’s house in Birmingham with George. The suspect had given permission for her to take his key, and they were able to access the property without having to break any windows or doors.

  ‘First, we’ll go to the garden and look for the knife,’ she said.

  They went through the kitchen and unlocked the door which took them straight into the back. It was small and unkempt, with weeds growing through the flower beds. The thick grass hadn’t been cut in a long time.

  ‘What a mess,’ George said.

  ‘I bet your fingers are itching to get stuck into it,’ Whitney said, laughing.

  ‘They are. It might be tiny, but so much could be done with it,’ George said as they both got to work.

  Flowerpots were lined up all along the back of the house, and they systematically looked at each of them.

  ‘Nothing here,’ George said after picking up the last one.

  ‘Why was he so specific? It was the only thing that sounded genuine,’ Whitney said.

  ‘Perhaps the knife was here, and he thought finding it would confirm his guilt.’

  ‘Which means someone must have moved it. Someone he’s protecting.’

  ‘It could be his son. He was adamant he wasn’t in contact with him. If anything, he was too insistent,’ George said.

  ‘He wanted to put us off pursuing that angle, which makes sense if he’s covering for someone he loves,’ Whitney said.

  They returned inside and looked around the house. Once upstairs, they went into the first bedroom, which was bare, apart from a bed, a dressing table, and a wardrobe, which Whitney opened.

  ‘Judging by the clothes, I’d say this is Thackeray’s bedroom.’

  She headed to the dressing table, on which was standing a photo of Thackeray when he was younger. To one side of him was a woman and on the other a small boy. He had his arms around them both. They were all smiling. There was another photograph of him that looked more recent, in which he was standing next to a man in an army uniform. ‘Look at this photo. It must be his son.’

  George walked over. ‘Definitely. They look alike, although the son is taller, and it fits with our theory that the murderer possibly had a military background.’

  ‘We need to get in touch with Ellie to find out.’

  She pulled out her phone and called. ‘I want you to look into Thackeray’s son, Ben. He’s either currently in the army or was in the past. We need to know where he is so we can bring him in for questioning.’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  After ending the call, they went into the other bedroom. Again, not much in it, but when Whitney opened the wardrobe, she found some men’s clothes which clearly belonged to someone taller than Thackeray.

  ‘If Ben’s keeping clothes here, then his dad might know more than he’s letting on, regarding his son’s whereabouts. I think we should get back to the station and re-interview Thackeray,’ Whitney said.

  ‘Good idea. We also need to keep focused on the fourth murder. With Ben at large, we have to assume it’s going ahead.’

  ‘Maybe we can persuade Thackeray to give him up.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s likely. I suspect the whole series of murders is to do with the wife’s suicide. Hopefully, we can access her medical notes. If not, Thackeray might tell us exactly what happened.’

  They were back at the office within the hour, as the traffic wasn’t so heavy, and Whitney went straight to the incident room.

  ‘Attention everyone. It’s pointing to our murderer being Thackeray’s son, Ben. We need to find out everything we can about him. I’m going to interview Thackeray again and push him harder. It’s likely the suicide of the son’s mother was what set this whole thing off. Ben Thackeray is still at large, so we have to prepare for the fourth murder. We need to plan what we’re going to do and how we’re going to apprehend him. Ellie, were you able to access the mother’s medical records?’

  ‘Yes, guv. She’d been suffering from depression for a long time and had been on medication for it on and off over the years. The depression got worse in 2014, after the redundancies, and she gradually went downhill. She was hospitalised for a short time at the end of 2016 and when she came out, she took her own life. She slit her wrists while in the bath. Her son found her and called the ambulance, but it was too late. By the time they reached the hospital, she was dead.’

  ‘That explains a lot. George and I are going to speak to Thackeray.’

  ‘Do we have to get the solicitor back?’ George asked as they made their way downstairs.

  ‘I’ll ask Thackeray if he’ll agree to being interviewed alone. If he says no, we’ll have to wait, but it’s not ideal.’

  They went to see the sergeant responsible for the custody suite.

  ‘Hi, Ted. I’d like to speak to Norman Thackeray. Can you find out whether he’s prepared to speak to us without his solicitor?’

  ‘Leave it with me. I won’t be long.’

  The officer left the desk and walked down the corridor to the cells. He went into the third, and after only a few seconds, came out with Thackeray in handcuffs. He escorted him to one of the interview rooms, and George and Whitney followed.

  Whitney prepared the recording equipment. ‘Thank you for agreeing to speak to us again,’ she said to Thackeray.

  ‘I haven’t got anything to tell you, but it beats sitting in the cell getting bored,’ he replied.

  ‘We want to talk to you about your son, Ben.’

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘When was the last time you saw him?’

  ‘I don’t remember.’ He avoided looking at either of them.

  ‘Does he keep in touch regularly?’ Whitney continued.

  ‘Sometimes he does. Sometimes he doesn’t.’

  ‘Is he still in the army?’

  ‘He came out several years ago.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Ask him. I can’t tell you.’

  ‘I’d like to ask you about your wife. She took her life two and a half years ago.’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘I know this is difficult, but was her spiralling depression linked to you being made redundant?’

  ‘What do you think? I had a steady job, with a regular income and a comfortable life. We weren’t rich, but we got by. Then I had no job, no prospects of getting one, and everything went downhill.’

  Whitney exchanged a glance with George. This was the most the man had confided since they’d brought him in for questioning. The wound was still raw, and she understood why Transwide was being targeted. What she didn’t know yet was the part he played in the murders. Was it him and his son? Just his son? Or just him? The latter being the most unlikely. The fact the murderer had such in-depth knowledge about trains led her to believe collusion was involved.

  ‘Do you ever speak to your son about trains?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Do you talk about the different types of trains, train timetables, older trains without CCTV?’

  ‘Maybe. Why?’

  ‘The murders were possible because the murderer had in-depth knowledge of the railway system.’

  ‘Which I have. And I’ve admitted committing them, so that shouldn’t be a surprise.’

  ‘What I’m suggesting is it wasn’t you who committed the murders. It was your son, based on information provided by you.’ />
  ‘Don’t be so bloody stupid. My son has nothing to do with it. I did the murders on my own. You’re right. I have a thorough knowledge of the systems, and that’s why I could do them. I wanted to get back at Transwide. Leave my son alone.’

  ‘It doesn’t work like that. We will carry on our investigation and look for your son so we can interview him. Are you sure you don’t want to tell us where he is? It would be in his best interest to come forward. You say that he’s innocent, in which case he won’t mind talking to us.’

  ‘I have no idea where he is. And I don’t want to talk to you any more without my solicitor.’

  ‘That’s your prerogative,’ Whitney said as she turned off the recording equipment and left the room with George.

  ‘Well?’ she asked.

  ‘He was lying. I’ve been observing his eye movements during the questioning to give me a baseline. His deception was typical in that he looked up and to the right when you asked questions requiring him to use his imagination to come up with a story to deflect your interest in his son.’

  ‘As we can’t do anything until we find the son, and we haven’t yet had the DNA results, we have to make sure we have officers on all trains that could potentially be targeted. At least knowing who we’re looking for makes it easier for us to apprehend him.’

  ‘Exactly.’ George’s phone rang. ‘It’s my mother. What does she want? She doesn’t normally phone. I’d better get this. Hello, Mother.’ She paused. ‘Yes, that’s right.’ She made eye contact with Whitney and shook her head. ‘I’m not prepared to discuss it now.’ She paused again. ‘Yes, I am with the police at the moment.’ She gave an exasperated sigh. ‘You can tell Father he has nothing to worry about. I’ll speak to you soon.’

  ‘What was that all about?’ Whitney asked once George had finished the call.

  ‘I mentioned to my brother I was bringing Ross to the wedding, and it’s already got back to my parents.’

  ‘And what did your mum say?’

  ‘They want to know all about him. Where he’s from, and who his parents are. My brother has already told them he’s a sculptor, and they don’t think he’ll be a suitable escort as he might not know how to behave.’

  ‘Your mother said all that in such a short conversation?’