by Carol Wyer
Natalie bit back an acerbic retort. The general public often had warped ideas of what went on in interview rooms. She probably expected Murray to launch at her son with a truncheon and beat a confession out of him while Ian held him pinned to the floor. She’d had enough histrionics from the woman. She spoke to Murray. ‘Would you please take Mrs Henderson to the interview room next door and arrange a cup of tea for her?’
‘I’m not leaving my boy with you.’
‘He has a lawyer present. We’re recording the interview. Nothing untoward is going to happen. Please try to calm down. He’s not been charged with anything. We’re asking him to help us with our enquiries.’ Her words seemed to find their mark and the woman finally stopped carrying on.
The lawyer spoke quietly to Tucker, advising him to answer the questions.
‘Wait outside, Ma. It’s best if you go.’ Tucker cocked his head briefly to drive home his request.
She stood up reluctantly and shuffled to the door. ‘I think I should be here.’
‘Ma! Just leave it, will you?’
Once she’d departed, Ian started the recorder, introduced everyone present in the room for the second time, and Natalie tried once more to coerce Tucker into giving her the information she desperately needed. She laid it on the line once more about how he would be charged if he didn’t cooperate.
‘Tucker, do you know Gavin and Kirk Lang?’
‘Maybe.’ His anxiety once more manifested itself in his actions and he raised a hand automatically to his collarbone – an indicator he was nervous.
‘They were fostered into the same family as your father.’
He remained silent.
‘You do know why you’re here, don’t you?’
‘Not really.’
‘We’re investigating the suspicious deaths of your friend, Habib Malik, Roxy Curtis and her mother, Cathy. Habib was your best and closest friend. You and he were seen with Roxy on several occasions. Roxy’s body was found inside Gavin and Kirk’s house, and Habib was discovered in the field opposite it. I suggest you make life easier for yourself and answer my questions.’
His lawyer spoke to him again and eventually he tilted his face to the ceiling and said, ‘Yes, I know them. They were my dad’s foster brothers.’
‘Have you known them long?’
‘Since Da passed away. They came to his funeral and chatted about them all growing up together. I didn’t see them again until they moved up to Staffordshire.’
‘Did you start seeing them regularly once they’d moved to Armston-on-Trent?’
‘No. Only once soon after they first arrived. Not since then. We’re not like them.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘They’re flashy, showy, rich go-getters from London. We’re ordinary and pretty poor by comparison, and we live in Clearview. They were Da’s mates, not ours.’
‘When was the last time you saw them?’
‘Two years ago, maybe. I can’t remember exactly.’
‘Where did you see them?’
‘At their house. They invited me around to watch their swanky television. I guess they felt sorry for the poor kid who’d lost his father. They didn’t ask me back.’
‘Why not?’
His face screwed up contemptuously. ‘They thought they’d done their duty. And I spilt a drink on their posh settee.’
‘You’re talking about their house in Linnet Lane?’
‘Yeah.’
‘They didn’t stay in contact with you or your mother even though they live in Armston?’
‘No. I think they felt they owed it to Da to try and be nice to us to start with, but then they gave up once they saw where we lived and what we are really like.’
‘Why would they do that – try and be nice?’
‘Da stuck up for them a few times when they were all kids. He used to be handy with his fists. I think he helped them out when they got into bother.’
‘Bit like you and Habib? You looked after him too when he got into trouble.’
‘Yeah.’ He began to gently rub along his collarbone and Natalie knew she was getting somewhere with the boy. Although there was now an opportunity to get him to open up about Habib, her primary concern was the Langs. They’d maintained their friendship of sorts with Tucker’s father, had been to his funeral and had possibly tried to befriend Tucker.
‘Would I be right in saying you’ve never been back to their house since that day?’
He slid his fingers along his clavicle towards his shoulder and back in a slow rhythm, giving himself a gentle massage as he did so. She’d seen him perform a similar action before when she’d interviewed him. It was yet another nervous tell.
‘I’ve not been back.’ There it was again, a more anxious kneading this time, the sign he was feeling uncomfortable.
‘Did Roxy know Gavin and Kirk?’
‘I dunno if she did or didn’t. She never told me. I didn’t have much to do with her.’
‘Apart from recently when you were kissing her in the park?’
Another quick rub. He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and it was time to dig deeper.
‘Can you explain why you and Habib were buying Xanax online?’
‘Who told you that?’
‘We have Habib’s mobile. There are text messages from you in which you tell him how much and when to buy the drug, and instructions of where to meet him to collect the money to put in his current account.’
‘What messages? That’s bullshit. I never sent any messages.’
‘It’s a common misconception that people think if they delete messages or use applications to hold private conversations, we won’t be able to find them, but our technical team can. Nothing online ever disappears, Tucker. For the benefit of the recorder, PC Jarvis is showing Tucker transcripts of text messages between him and Habib Malik.’
Tucker pushed the sheets of paper away. ‘Fuck, man! This is out of order. Ma was right. You are trying to make out I did something when I didn’t.’ He glared at the lawyer. ‘Make them stop. Tell them to let me go.’
‘I’m afraid he can’t do that. You need to answer the questions. This is evidence you purchased these drugs, and traces of this same drug, Xanax, was found in Roxy’s blood. Unless you want to find yourself charged with manslaughter, Tucker, you really should tell us what you know.’
‘Can they do that?’
His lawyer spoke to him in a hushed tone. Tucker squirmed on his seat and shook his head then scrubbed at his neck again.
‘Tell me why you were buying Xanax, Tucker.’
Tiny bubbles of sweat began to form on his upper lip. He let out a hefty sigh. ‘Way back when we were at school, we got in with some really badass blokes who paid us to sell some gear for them at school. It was only harmless – a few pills, some coke. Anyway, it must have been bad cos one of the lads, Baz Hill, had a major reaction to some E we sold him. He began thrashing about soon after he took it and spewing and, well, he ended up in hospital. Baz was Charlie Curtis’s best friend, and when he heard who’d sold him the E, he and his brother came after us. They started to beat the crap out of both of us but I got away. They really laid into Habib. I got him away from them, and we didn’t sell any more after that, but the Curtis boys made sure we knew they were watching us.
‘Habib was paranoid after that. I mean really fucking scared that they’d go for him again and this time kill him. His mum had just got sick with cancer and that made him worse. He became depressed and got dead panicky about all sorts of things. His dad didn’t know anything about it all but I did, and I had mates who took Xanax to help them chill out. I told Habib about the drug and he bought some and it helped him cope with all the shit that was going on in his life.’
This wasn’t the explanation she wanted but he seemed relieved to get things off his chest so she didn’t interrupt. At last she had some truth. This was the same story Charlie and Seth had told Lucy and Murray.
‘It was my idea to ma
ke some money. Neither of us have jobs and it’s fucking hard having no dosh. Habib wasn’t keen after what happened last time, but I convinced him we’d only sell a few Xanax pills. It was coming up exam time and there were loads of kids shitting themselves about them, so I asked about and told them we could get our hands on legitimate pills to help them through – make them calm and breeze the exams.
‘I charged them £1 per pill or £2.50 for a 3.5 milligram bar and took the money upfront. When we collected enough cash, we’d put it into Habib’s bank account and he’d buy the Xanax in bulk and get it for a cheaper price. We made a bit of extra money for ourselves that way. We didn’t do any harm.’
‘What about Roxy? Did you sell her any Xanax?’
‘Fuck no. We didn’t sell her it.’
‘So how come she had it in her system? You have to come clean about this. You’re looking at manslaughter.’
‘I didn’t sell her any! She didn’t even know about us selling it. We only sold to the same crowd. We were really careful who bought it and how much they bought. The last thing we wanted was another kid, like Baz, almost dying, and I’d be mental to sell anything to one of the Curtis family. They’d definitely kill me if they found out.’
‘It sounds very suspicious and slightly too convenient. You admit that you and Habib sold Xanax to schoolchildren and yet you don’t know where Roxy obtained her pills.’
‘It’s the truth.’
‘It might be but it doesn’t help you much. I need facts.’
‘Like what? I didn’t give her the fucking pills. She had them with her…’ He stopped, realised he’d revealed something important and waited for Natalie to pounce. She did.
‘We know you weren’t at the amusement arcade. You lied about that, Tucker. Were you with Roxy the night she died?’
His answer was a drawn out, ‘Yes.’
At last, she was getting somewhere. ‘Tell me what happened on Saturday night.’
It was a full minute before he answered her. He laboured over his explanation. ‘Habib and I met up with Roxy and Ellie. They’d been chasing after us for ages. It was obvious they wanted to go further.’
‘Have sex with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘I arranged for us to meet up, have a few drinks and then… you know.’ He looked at the lawyer. ‘I didn’t kill anyone.’
‘Go on,’ said the lawyer. ‘Tell them what you know.’
‘I’ve got a key to Gavin and Kirk’s house – it’s a copy and they don’t know I have it. When I visited them that time I told you about, they had to go out to get some food. I snooped around the place while they were out. Man, it was huge. They had everything: sound systems, televisions in every room, even in the fucking bathrooms. They had one of those spa baths with water jets and gold taps and walk-in wardrobes! Jeez! Anyway, I came across some house keys in a sort of jar thing with a lid so I took them, and the following day, I had copies made. I let myself back into the house and replaced the original keys where I found them.’
‘What about the house alarm?’
He snorted. ‘Kirk punched out the code that time they took me home with them. I was stood right behind him and saw it – 950316. I remembered it. The stupid fuckers never even changed it!
‘I didn’t do any harm. They had everything imaginable! Every fucking thing. My dad had nothing, just rented a crappy flat in Clearview, and they were his foster brothers, so I figured it was okay for me to go around to their house when they were out and watch their telly and pretend the place was mine.’ His cheeks inflated as he released another sigh.
‘I told Roxy and the others about the house and they wanted to see for themselves. Roxy said she’d like to do it there. She was mad keen to see inside so I agreed. Roxy knew a couple of the nightclub lap dancers so she made sure Gavin and Kirk were at Extravaganza and that we’d have the place to ourselves for a few hours. We took booze with us and set up in the entertainment room. Roxy was pissed off because she couldn’t smoke – Gavin and Kirk would’ve known somebody had been in if they smelt stale smoke, so she pulled out a bag of yellow pills and suggested we try them instead. I knew they were Xanax. She’d got them from some dealer outside the nightclub, the same fucking nightclub Gavin and Kirk own. Anyway, we took them and got high and had sex on the settees: Habib and Ellie, me and Roxy. We finished the alcohol and Roxy dozed off. Ellie had to go home, so Habib went with her. I tried to wake up Roxy but she told me to fuck off, she’d leave when she was ready to go, and went straight back to sleep, so I left her.’ He suddenly dropped his head into his hands.
‘Fuck! I was wasted. I was so wasted I left her asleep on the settee. I didn’t think anything bad would happen. I really thought she’d wake up and leave.’
‘That was the last time you saw Roxy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you any idea what time that was?’
‘No. I was high as a kite – I could barely find my own way out of the place. I remember straightening the cushions and taking the empty bottle with me. I saw Ellie and Habib up the road. They were standing there, talking or arguing, I don’t know. I was going to catch them up but I didn’t want Ellie giving me a hard time about leaving Roxy behind, so I headed in the opposite direction to a different bus stop to them, and caught a night bus home.’
‘You were sober enough to remember to tidy up but not to help Roxy out of the house that you’d broken into?’
‘I didn’t break in!’
‘Technically, you did. It was unlawful entry. You also had sex with a minor, a girl under the influence of alcohol and drugs.’
‘But I didn’t give her the drugs. She brought them with her.’
‘You’ve committed serious offences, Tucker. Your lawyer will be allowed some time to talk to you and your mother in private, and then we shall be back to charge you officially.’
Tucker put his hands on his head. ‘But I didn’t kill her!’
‘I’m going to leave you for the time being. When we return, we’re going to continue our interview and we’re going to also talk about Habib. You might want to tell your lawyer everything you know before that happens. Interview suspended at 11.50 a.m.’
Thirty-One
Wednesday, 4 July – Afternoon
Ellie Cornwall had broken down and begged Lucy not to involve her mother. Even though she had to have an adult present, she didn’t want it to be her mother. Lucy had been obliged to inform Jojo that her daughter had voluntarily come to HQ and was assisting them with enquiries, and that an appropriate adult would be with her during her interview.
Lucy ended the phone call with the assurance that Jojo could wait for her daughter at the station, and then headed to the interview room to join Murray and Ellie. Ellie was hunched in her chair next to a social worker who’d been brought in to be an appropriate adult. She looked up when Lucy came in. ‘I spoke to your mum. She’s on her way here but she’ll wait in reception for you.’
‘She angry?’
‘I’d say more concerned about you than angry,’ Lucy replied. ‘We’d like to record the interview so we have all the correct facts. Would you be okay with that?’
‘Yes.’
Murray pressed a button and the machine emitted a beep.
‘That’s the recorder starting. We have to say who we are so anyone listening knows who’s in the room and who’s speaking. ‘DS Carmichael,’ she said. ‘DS Anderson,’ said Murray. ‘Clara Jakes, social worker.’ The diminutive woman gave an encouraging nod at Ellie, who said her name aloud.
‘Thank you, Ellie, for coming in. I’m going to start by reminding you of our conversation in the park. You told me in the park that you were frightened. Is that right?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Why are you frightened?’
‘I’m scared of being killed.’
‘Is there a good reason that you might be killed?’
‘Yes.’ The girl’s lips began to tremble.
‘It’s okay, Ellie. You’re
safe. You’re here with us. We can help you. Tell us why you’re afraid.’
‘My mum doesn’t need to find out, does she?’
‘That depends on what you tell us.’
‘You won’t tell her everything, will you?’
‘Ellie, we need your help. Your best friend, her mother and a boy you both knew are all dead. If you saw something that can help us find whoever is responsible, then please help us.’
Ellie’s eyelids fluttered. ‘I’m not sure.’
Lucy jumped in before the girl could change her mind. ‘What would Roxy tell you to do?’ It was cruel but the right call to have made.
‘To tell you.’
Lucy said nothing more but waited for the girl to begin, and once she did, the words tumbled quickly.
‘We were all in the house in Linnet Lane on Saturday – me, Habib, Roxy and Tucker. Roxy really wanted to sleep with Tucker. She’d been crazy about him for ages and she finally got off with him in the park a couple of weeks ago. She fixed up for us to double-date with him and Habib because she knew I fancied him. Tucker had a key to the house…
Roxy’s waiting for them by the house. She’s really excited to see the three of them arrive. ‘I thought you lot were going to wimp it,’ she says with a cheeky grin.
Tucker puts his arm around her and kisses her on the lips, squeezing her bum as he does so. He pulls away with, ‘As if. Been looking forward to it. You checked it’s clear? You speak to them friends of yours?’
‘Crystal and Sandra? Yeah, they’ve gone to the nightclub to work. Gavin and Kirk are there tonight. It’s a busy night so they won’t be back any time soon. I spun them a really sad story.’ She pulls a dramatic face and begins to blink back tears. In a halting voice, she shows them how she convinced Crystal to let her stay the night. ‘Please help me! My mum has thrown me out and I have nowhere to go. I’m so frightened!’
Tucker laughs quietly. ‘Bloody hell! You’re a good actress.’
‘Well, had a lot of practice, haven’t I? Convinced my mum I was at Ellie’s so we got all night to mess about, after Ellie goes home to her mummy.’ She laughs.
