‘Why do we always have to do these ridiculous introductions?’ Raven interrupted. ‘I think we all know each other. Before we start, I want it to be known that if this turns into a witch hunt, I’ll be leaving. I’m not being put through that whole mess again.’
Maggie could feel his eyes bearing down on her.
‘Mr Raven. I can assure you that we are only here to gain whatever information you have or can share with us.’
Raven coughed and cleared his throat. The sound grated on Maggie’s ears.
‘If at any time you feel uncomfortable or you want to stop, you just have to say the word. OK?’
Raven nodded.
‘Right, I believe it was agreed that we could record this conversation?’ Mr Quinton acknowledged Maggie with a curt nod, and Nathan turned on the recording device and went through the formalities.
Maggie opened her notebook and took out a pen. ‘I wonder if you could share with me a bit about your background, more specifically, the time spent with your grandmother. I’ve had access to the old social care records, but I would prefer to hear it from you.’
‘Well that is curious, DC Jamieson – why would you need to know that? Surely, I am not a suspect? I mean, how could I be?’ He tugged at his standard issue prison track suit and smirked.
Maggie hoped her answer would throw him off-guard. ‘Actually, it’s because I would like to get to know you more. It may actually help your appeal – how you cooperated with us, were open and helped us develop a profile to show why you couldn’t be the killer.’ She ignored the glare from Nathan and waited for Raven’s response.
Raven slid her a guarded look. ‘How lovely. We’ll do it your way for now. They are happy memories for me and I often think back to my time with my grandmother – God rest her soul. She took me in when no one else wanted me. Can you imagine not being loved by your parents? Beaten, yelled at, made to sleep in a pissed-soaked bed? I don’t think you can, not with your upbringing. My grandmother was firm but fair. I had rules to follow, but a lot of time to myself. I didn’t have many friends, you see. I remember she bought me a puppy once. Someone else to love you, she said. The most fragile little thing he was, so helpless. I named him Dog and spent all my time with him on the Chase. He didn’t last long.’
‘What do you mean he didn’t last long?’ Maggie swallowed.
‘He just … disappeared. My grandmother wasn’t happy. Said I should have looked after him better.’ Raven shrugged. ‘But I did my best.’ He stretched his arms and slouched in the chair.
‘What can you tell us about Adrian Harrison? How did you meet him and how long did you know him?’
‘I used to live with him. We shared a flat for about four years before my time in custody. I met Adrian through one of our associates.’ He smiled. ‘Well I guess it’s no secret, both Adrian and I used drugs and occasionally sold them.’
‘Did you always live at that flat?’
‘I sometimes spent time at my grandmother’s, when things got too much. But she got fed up of me always being off my head and told me not to visit her anymore unless I was clean. I’ve never lived anywhere else with Adrian. Just the address you have. He spent time with quite a few women. I mean, he was a bit of a mouse, but when he had gear, they flocked to him like flies on shit. He liked the attention, even if they were only using him.’
Maggie raised a brow. ‘Do you know the names of these women or where we can find them?’
‘Hmmm.’ A smirk formed on his face ‘Well, you know Lorraine and where you can find her. Then there is Yvonne, Sasha, Zoe and a few blokes. Adrian wasn’t fussy who he hung about with. Why do you want to know so much about Adrian?’
DS Wright interjected. ‘We’re trying to form a bigger picture here. It may be that you have some information locked away, and we’re hoping that talking about that time period may jar your memory.’
‘I’m not sure there is anything more I can tell you …’ He titled his head for a moment and stared at Maggie. ‘Though … no, that’s probably just a waste of time.’
‘What? Anything could be helpful at this stage, Mr Raven.’ Maggie cringed. She couldn’t stand being so polite to this man.
‘There was this guy, a real nasty piece of work. His name was … hmm.’ He tapped his finger to his lip. ‘Jake or it might have been Jack; I can’t recall. He was quite stocky, always wore a baseball cap, liked to dress in black. Don’t they all?’ He laughed at his own joke. ‘This guy knew about this disused train-cargo carriage that was dumped in the middle of a field, a great rusted piece of metal full of rats and broken nails. We’d all go there and get messed up. Pissed, off our heads, whatever suited. Hundreds of people out there in the night with nothing to worry about. He lived in the same block of flats as Adrian and me. Like most of the crack heads to be fair. Not sure if the police ever spoke to him.’
Maggie swallowed and took a sip of water. ‘Is there anything else you can tell us that will help us identify this man? Where in the building did he live?’
Maggie watched as Raven looked up to the ceiling, a smug little smile at the corner of his lips. The seconds passed and Maggie had to bite her lip to keep quiet.
‘It’s hard to remember anything from that time, like I said. But he may have been one or two floors down from us. I’m afraid that is all I can tell you.’
‘OK, that’s helpful. Can we just go back to Adrian for a moment? Did you ever witness any odd behaviour from Adrian in the time you lived together?’
‘Depends on what you mean by odd. I’ve seen his face blur and change into a mask, his feet melt into the floor. We took so many drugs, you see, I was never sure whether it was real.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Well. Like the time we killed a pig. You know, when there was all that blood in our flat?’
‘Yes, can you tell me a bit more about that?’ Maggie tried to sound casual. Was he trying to lead the police on a wild goose chase?
‘Actually, I’m sick of repeating that. It brings back bad memories.’ Raven fidgeted in his seat, but it looked rehearsed to Maggie.
Maggie made note in her book to return to the subject. ‘When was the last time you had any contact with Adrian or anyone from that time period?’
She watched as he scratched his head, straightened his hair. The seconds ticked by and she clenched her fists beneath the table.
‘Well I’d heard that Adrian had followed some lass to Manchester or something. I don’t really get any visitors, but you hear things in prison. He hasn’t been in touch and I personally want nothing more to do with him.’
Maggie nodded. ‘To your knowledge, does he have any connection to Manchester?’
‘I don’t know. I assume so, or maybe his female companion does. They probably had a massive drug debt and ran. Wouldn’t surprise me.’
‘Why wouldn’t it surprise you? If Harrison was dealing, where was that money going?’
‘Do I look like his fucking bookkeeper? How would I know – it was just a guess. You wanted an answer, I gave you one.’
Maggie paused. Raven was enjoying this. ‘Can we just go back to the pig incident for a moment?’ she asked, keeping her voice calm. ‘I’m slightly confused. All along, you’ve said that you killed a pig and threw the blood around your flat. Today you mention Adrian. Which is it, Mr Raven?’
Raven’s face went red and he tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. Nobody moved for a long moment. Raven’s hands clenched. He coughed. ‘I’m sorry, I think I misspoke earlier. I’ve been suffering from a nasty illness recently, you see, and I haven’t been myself. These prisons are full of sickness. In fact,’ he took a sip of water, ‘I’m not feeling very well at all. I’d like to go back to the prison and lie down now.’ He pushed his chair away from the table and stood.
‘Well that’s convenient …’ Maggie mumbled.
‘Excuse me? Are you calling me a liar?’ He leaned in closer and just for a moment Maggie saw a flash of genuine emotion cross his fa
ce for the first time during the interview. Anger.
‘Not at all. I hope you feel better soon.’ Maggie smirked as she watched him leave the room with his solicitor. The prison guard escorted them both out of the station.
‘Are you trying to piss him off, Maggie? We need to keep him onside at the moment, you know that.’
‘Yes, I do know that – I think we have him right where we want him …’
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
‘That doesn’t mean a thing.’ DI Rutherford paced back and forth by her desk at the station after listening to Maggie’s update. ‘He could easily argue he was getting confused, that he was ill or whatever he said to you. Finding inconsistencies is what we want, but pissing him off to the point that he shuts down, possibly closing all doors to solving these murders? Why do you continue to go against everything I say?’ DI Rutherford raised her voice.
‘But, ma’am. I’m just trying to show that something doesn’t add up.’
‘Tread carefully. What about this other man he mentioned? Do we have anything on him?’ DI Rutherford rubbed her eyes.
‘With just a first name, and he wasn’t even sure of that – nothing yet but …’
‘It’s late. You may as well call it a night; your shift is nearly over and there is nothing more for us to do today. You can pick this up in the morning.’ Rutherford’s lips pinched together.
‘But—’
‘Go, Maggie. I don’t want to hear any more from you today.’
Maggie stomped out of DI Rutherford’s office ignoring Nathan as he called to her. He’ll probably side with her anyway, now that he is a DS. She picked up her coat and bag and headed home. They’ll see.
An hour later and she felt calmer as she walked through her front door. She walked into her living room and slumped into the sofa.
The pressure of the case was beginning to take its toll on Maggie, and she tried hard to hide it from her colleagues. She had lost weight, had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was dry and brittle. She was run ragged on very little sleep, spending any spare moment trying to put the pieces together before they failed to save another victim.
Andy came in, stopped when he saw her. ‘Are you okay? You’ve been so quiet lately; I was beginning to wonder if you moved out.’ He frowned with concern and took a seat opposite her.
‘Sorry, I’ve been a rubbish sister. This is what I’m like when I’m on a case.’
‘You need to spend some time doing other things that don’t include poring over notes and being glued to your laptop. When was the last time you went out and socialized? And before you start saying you go to the pub now and again, don’t forget, I know that’s with your police mates.’
Maggie laughed. ‘You’re right. I just don’t seem to have the time. We need to solve these cases.’
‘Well, taking a few hours off duty when you’re actually off duty isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference. So, get upstairs, get yourself ready and be back down here in an hour.’
‘Is that an order?’
‘You bet your arse it is. And I won’t take no for an answer.’
Maggie dragged herself off the couch. She needed a break to clear her thoughts for a few hours. Heading upstairs, Maggie remembered the new top she still hadn’t had an opportunity to wear. She wasn’t much for flashy things, but when she saw the sheer black top with cut-off sleeves and glittery collar, she had to have it. She had the perfect pair of jeans and casual but classy low-heeled boots. Just getting ready to go out already had a positive effect on her mood.
An hour later, all glammed up, she came downstairs just in time to hear the taxi beep outside. Andy was already waiting in the hallway.
‘What if I had taken longer than an hour?’ She laughed at how presumptuous her brother had been.
‘I know what you’re like for one, and if you were any later, I’d make you pay the extra taxi fare.’ He laughed and she playfully hit his arm.
Grabbing her red leather jacket and handbag, she was ready for the evening and even beginning to feel a bit excited. When they were finally settled in the taxi, Andy gave the driver the instruction to drop them off at an address in Birmingham.
‘Birmingham? This is going to cost a fortune. Why don’t we just go somewhere local? It’s a school night after all.’
‘Look, we never spend any real time together and you deserve a proper night out. No offence, but the nightlight in Staffordshire can be dire at times.’
‘It’s not that bad. So where exactly are we going?’
‘You’ll see.’
When they arrived in Birmingham, Andy paid the taxi and helped Maggie out of the car. ‘Right, follow me.’
It had been awhile since Maggie had been in the city and even longer since she had gone out socializing. Andy came to a standstill in front of a brightly lit building and smiled. ‘OK, here we are.’
Maggie stopped dead in her tracks. ‘What are we doing here?’
‘I told you. You deserve a night out, have some fun, be yourself.’
‘But this is a—’ Maggie looked up at the sign above the door: The Rainbow Room.
‘A bar, Maggie. A bar that plays music. That’s all. No labels, right?’ Andy winked.
It was at times like this that Maggie really loved her brother. She looped her arm in his and they walked into the bar ready to forget the case, the pressure and just escape for a few hours. And if she met someone, even better.
CHAPTER FORTY
‘Okay, people. Updates please.’ DI Rutherford scowled around the room at the vacant faces. ‘Bethany?’
‘Well guv, I looked back over the available CCTV from the original offences when the women went missing, focusing on the last sightings. Lorraine Rugman was seen just outside the McDonald’s in the town centre. Witnesses inside McDonald’s said she had come in, had a coffee and talked to a man. All they could tell us was that he was quite bulky.’
Rutherford noticed Maggie was quiet, taking in the conversation between Bethany and herself.
‘How do they remember her with a man?’ The DI scratched her head.
‘According to the notes, one of the staff was picking up rubbish, accidently brushed him with her arm, and heard him say fuck off. Lorraine looked embarrassed and mouthed sorry. Apparently, it stuck in her head as most people don’t apologize.’ Bethany stopped turning the pages in her notebook.
‘Have we located the man?’ Rutherford waited for a response.
‘The man was found and spoken to at the time. There were some notes that suggested he may be a person of interest, but when Bill Raven was arrested, it seemed that no one pursued it.’
‘So, tell me we have arranged to speak with him.’ Rutherford tapped her foot.
‘Already done, ma’am. I’m afraid it’s a dead end though. He admitted he used to contact Lorraine for sex. He didn’t know the other missing women, and I believed him. He works as a lorry driver and his alibis check out for the dates in question.’
Maggie looked crestfallen. Abigail paced up and down at the front of the room. ‘Excellent work, Bethany. Anything else?’
Bethany continued. ‘There were no further sightings of Lorraine after this. She made a call from her mobile to a number which looks to be a burner phone and that was it.’
‘What about the other missing women?’
‘We’re going through those details and should have something together by the end of the day. We’re basing things at the moment on the names that Raven gave in his original interview: Yvonne Greene and Zoe Bridle.’
Maggie was fidgeting even more than usual. ‘Do you have something to offer, Maggie?’ Rutherford said.
‘It’s just so bloody frustrating.’ She stomped her foot. ‘It can’t be a coincidence that the missing women are linked to Raven. What does the killer have to gain by this? Are they trying to mock the police or is this all just part of Raven’s plans?’
‘Let’s look past the Raven connection for the time being. We have other persons of in
terest to follow up on. Soon Bethany will hopefully have some answers in relation to that man, Jack or Jake mentioned by Raven. Let’s just refer to him as the J-man until we have a name. I know she’s due to speak to Raven’s previous landlord and also checking out that Steven fellow from the Blackwood Estate.’ Rutherford raised her eyebrow and hoped that Maggie got the message.
There was a mumbling noise coming from the corner of the room which Abigail couldn’t hear clearly. ‘Do you have something else you want to share with the team, Maggie?’
‘Nothing ma’am.’ She sat back like a petulant child.
‘Shall we have a word after this briefing?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Maggie blushed.
‘We’re waiting for forensics to come back with the confirmed ID from the latest victim. It may narrow things down significantly if we can get a connection to any of the missing women. Continue Bethany.’
‘We’re speaking with the missing women’s families again to see if perhaps they can remember anything else of significance. Lorraine’s sister is back from her holiday, and ready to speak with us. We do know that Lorraine was a class A drug user. I suspect that the other missing women are probably known to Probation or the drug and alcohol services.’ Bethany closed her notebook.
‘Has anyone contacted Probation yet?’
Nathan spoke from the back of the room. ‘Yes, ma’am. Maggie and I are going to meet with Sarah Hardy after this and then we’re going to speak with Lorraine’s family.’
‘Excellent. Anyone else have anything to add?’ The room was silent. ‘OK, you all know what you need to do, so get to it. And Maggie, can we have that word?’
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
‘Have a seat, Maggie.’ DI Rutherford was starting to feel like a broken record. ‘I don’t want to have to keep saying this to you, but you’re on shaky ground here and if you continue to publicly pursue this line of enquiry, you’ll leave me no choice but to remove you from the investigation.’
‘I’m just saying what everyone is thinking.’ Maggie pinched the bridge of her nose.
The Other Killer Page 11
