Deadly Encounter

by M A Comley

  “I wouldn’t get in the way of him feeding his face if I were you.” She laughed and walked away.

  “You thinking someone overstepped the mark with their banter?” Jack asked, finishing off the notes he was making.

  “Don’t you? What’s that old saying? Many a true word spoken in jest. I’m all for having a laugh and a joke, but I know from my own experience that saying something jovial can disguise what a person is thinking or what their true meaning is.”

  “Yeah, I guess. I suppose it’s a form of mental abuse, messing with someone’s head.”

  Sally smiled. “You’ve hit the nail on the head, partner. That’s exactly what it is. But in some cases, people’s interpretations can be totally different. I’d feel desperately uncomfortable working in these surroundings, but then, that might just be because of what I’ve experienced.”

  “Meaning you’re ultrasensitive nowadays?”

  “Exactly. Anyway, I think we should add Meryl’s husband to our list.”

  “Want me to have a word with him?”

  Sally looked over at the man who was staring back at her. “I think Meryl’s already done that, by the look of things.”

  Alec Clegg picked up his tray and headed in their direction, veering off at the last minute. Sally left her seat and approached his table. She extended her hand. “Alec Clegg? I’m DI Sally Parker. We’d like a chat with you after you’ve eaten, if it’s convenient?”

  “So I hear. I ain’t done nothing wrong.”

  “I’m not saying you have. It’s just an informal chat. Want me to contact your supervisor?”

  His gaze drifted over to the queue that had grown substantially in the last few seconds. “No need. Phil is over there. I’ll have a word with him. He usually joins me anyway. I’ll get back to you when I’ve polished this lot off,” he said, gesturing to the plate in front of him piled high with an English breakfast.

  “Wonderful. We’ll see you in a moment then.” Sally returned to her seat, where she observed the interactions between the men and women in the queue. To her, it did appear to be just friendly banter, but she couldn’t help wondering how far that banter went after hours. How many of these people were having affairs or dealing with unwanted advances?

  She hoped the quandary wouldn’t cloud her judgement when it came to questioning the men on the list. Sally considered handing the reins over to Jack for the next few hours, but he’d always left the interviews up to her, and she couldn’t see him appreciating the sudden change. She swallowed her bout of anxiety and waited for Alec Clegg’s manager to join him. She smiled when the man she presumed was Phil glanced in her direction after speaking to Clegg. He nodded and bared his teeth in a taut smile.

  After ten minutes of waiting while the two men finished eating, Jack nudged Sally’s elbow and nodded in the men’s direction. She looked up to see Phil coming towards them.

  He stood alongside her. “Hi, the boss rang me. Told me that you want to speak to some of my team, and now Alec says you want to have a quick chat with him, too.”

  “That’s right. We’ll be as quick as we can. We’re aware of the tight schedule you’re under at the moment.”

  The man grunted. “That’s an understatement. We could do without this shit. I’ll give you ten minutes maximum with each of the men on your list and five minutes with Alec. Got that?”

  Sally could sense Jack bristle beside her and bashed him with her knee under the table. “That’s very kind of you. Would you like to take a seat and get your interview out of the way now?”

  He shrugged. “Makes no odds to me. I can’t tell you anything.” He slumped into the chair opposite them and crossed his arms across his slim torso.

  Sally kept a smile on her face, hoping to break down the barrier that had suddenly formed between them for some unknown reason. The supervisor appeared to be in his early forties, and he had a toned physique that most men half his age would have been happy to possess. “It was good of you to turn up at Anne’s funeral yesterday. I did see you there, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to pay my respects. We all wanted to go, but only a few of us were allowed to attend because of this huge order we have to get out.”

  “I see, hence you only willing to give us a limited time to speak to these men.”

  “That’s right. If the order is late, our bonuses go out the window. I’ve yet to miss out on a bonus and have no intention of this being the first time, either.”

  “We’ll do our best not to disrupt your team much. I promise. What can you tell me about Anne Gillan? What type of person was she?”

  He sighed a little. “She was a lovely person, never said a bad word about anyone. Everyone here loved her. We were all devastated when we heard she was missing, even organised our own mini search party.”

  “You did? I wasn’t aware of that.”

  “You lot weren’t interested back then. I tried to organise something with the copper in charge of the case, but he was having none of it. Told me to keep out of his way and to stop interfering in police business.”

  “That’s awful and should never have happened. I’m sorry for the way the SIO spoke to you. That was uncalled for if all you were trying to do was help.”

  “Yeah, to say I was miffed would be an understatement. If that copper had allowed us to work alongside him, I reckon we would have found Anne at the time. Instead, she turns up sodding fifteen years later. That was bloody ludicrous. Why would any copper turn down the offer of help like that? Would you?”

  “I have to say no, but things were different back then,” Sally replied, trying to make excuses for Falkirk’s cock-up.

  “Yeah, right. I believe you, Inspector.”

  “Did Anne ever confide in you, Phil?”

  His brow wrinkled. “Confide? About what?”

  “Anything? Was anyone showing her attention that made her feel uncomfortable perhaps?”

  His gaze dropped to the table, and he fidgeted in his chair. Jack’s knee bashed hers, and she nudged him back, letting him know that she had noticed.

  Finally, Phil replied, “Sorry, I was trying to think back; a little difficult when we’re talking fifteen years ago. I don’t remember anyone… oh, wait a sec. Steve Endecott. He used to be infatuated with Anne.”

  Craig mentioned the same name! “He did? Did you mention this to the investigating officer at the time?” Sally tried to recall what the original file had said about Endecott.

  “Yeah, I mentioned it. The idiot—sorry, the inspector just brushed it off. Said he had an inkling who was at fault and was happy to proceed down that route.”

  Sally’s eyes widened. “He actually said that?”

  Phil raised his hands. “Hey, don’t quote me. It’s been a long time, and I can’t tell you word for word if that was correct, but it was something along those lines.”

  “Does Steve Endecott still work here today?”

  “Yep, half the time, he’s in a world of his own.” Phil surveyed the queue of men lining up for their breakfast and pointed to a smaller man at the end of the line. “That’s him there, the short one. I seem to remember that Craig had to warn him off once. I believe he kept badgering her at home.” He placed a finger on his temple and twisted it. “He’s not all there.”

  “Meaning what exactly?”

  “He’s simple. Keeps himself to himself most of the time.”

  “Mentally incapacitated? Does he work here under a special scheme?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. You’d need to have a word with the boss about that.”

  “We’ll ask Mr. Hammond what the situation is after we’ve had a word with him. Can you think of anyone else?”

  “Let me think. At the time, I mentioned Colin Slater’s name to the—what did you call it? SOI?”

  “SIO. Senior Investigating Officer. Mr. Slater’s down on our list to see also. May I ask what your problem with him was?”

  “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a problem. The SIO at the time wanted me
to tell him who I thought was friendly with Anne. I suggested Colin because the two were always caught having secretive chats. He’ll be able to fill you in more about that.”

  “Thanks, we’ll be sure to ask him. Anyone else? Did the SIO question all the staff here? There must be hundreds.”

  “Three hundred and fifty, to be precise. Back then, I suppose it was around the two-hundred mark. No, the SIO was only interested in talking to people who knew Anne well.”

  “The four names on the list?”

  “Yep, that sums it up. Then he only spoke to them for five minutes, one after the other. At the end, he said he’d concluded his case and the right person would be charged later on that day and thanked me for my help. That night it was breaking news on TV that the police had charged the husband for her murder. The next day, everyone was in total shock at the news. How could your lot charge Craig with murder when her body hadn’t even been found? Can you do that?”

  “Sometimes, if the evidence leads us to suggest that a person is capable of doing such a thing.”

  He shook his head. “And you think he did it or not? Not, I guess. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be investigating the case again, right?”

  “At this moment in time, I’m inclined to think that Craig is innocent. We won’t be able to right that wrong unless we find the person who was responsible for Anne’s murder. The thing is, we won’t be able to do that alone. I know what an inconvenience it is having us here, but it’s the only way we’ll find the person, by going over the case from scratch.”

  “I appreciate that. I’ll make sure the guys give you all the information you need. If Craig isn’t the one who killed Anne, that means there has been a killer walking the streets for the past fifteen years. That doesn’t sit well with me, and I’m sure it won’t with my work colleagues either.”

  “That’s good to know. Okay, I think we’re done here. Would you mind if we had a word with Alec now?”

  Phil looked over at Alec and grinned. “Yeah, I think he’s finally finished stuffing his face.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  After Phil left the table, Sally focussed on Steve Endecott, who had departed the queue and was sitting all alone at a table in the opposite corner. His gaze met hers once before he dipped his head and began to eat a bowl of cereal. “He does seem an odd one. I’m going to enjoy questioning him. Maybe we should ask Hammond if he’s got any medical problems first?”

  “I’ll go back and see him if you like, while you question Clegg.”

  “Makes sense to me.” She flashed her partner a smile. “The queue might have died down by then. You could grab us a couple of coffees when you get back.”

  “I knew that was coming,” he mumbled and rose to his feet.

  Seconds later, Alec Clegg sat down opposite her. “You still want a word with me even though your sidekick has run out on you?”

  “Of course. He’s nipped to the little boys’ room.” Sally pulled Jack’s notebook in front of her and picked up the pen. “There’s no need to look so nervous, Alec. We’re just conducting a few enquiries and would be grateful if you would cast your mind back to when Anne Gillan was alive. Did you have much to do with her?”

  His face visibly softened. “She was a lovely lass. Best friends with my wife, so yes, I had a lot to do with her. Saddest day for both of us when your lot turned up and announced she was missing. Devastated, Meryl and I was when we heard the news last week. How could anyone tie her up and throw her in the river like that? Her poor kids.”

  “Did you have much to do with Craig Gillan?”

  “Not really. We used to go out on a few work outings a year back in those days. Chatted with him a few times at them but never really socialised with the couple after work. They always gave me the impression they liked each other’s company. I think Anne dragged him along on the outings just to appease the management. They expected the staff to go out of their way and show up if the management could be bothered laying on these events. You know what it’s like. If you say no, then they’ll start asking the question if you really want to work for the firm or not. Daft really, but they can be antsy about things like that.”

  “Work politics at play then.” Sally smiled, glad she’d never been forced into attending any of the police functions over the years, especially when she was married to her ex. Her colleagues would probably have seen right through Darryl the instant they laid eyes on him, where she had been blinkered about his true character, blinded by love.

  “Yeah, best to stay on their good side if you want to keep hold of your job. Mind you, Phil and me go back a long way. He’d always back me up if any likely crap came my way.”

  “Was Phil close to Anne, too?”

  His gaze met hers, and he nodded. “We were all really close back then, at work anyway. When we went on the work’s outings, Phil’s missus was a surly cow, though.” He looked over his shoulder, making sure Phil wasn’t within earshot before he continued, “His wife was always accusing him of dipping his wick, if you get my drift.”

  Sally raised an eyebrow. “He liked the ladies then?”

  “Ladies, teenagers, anything in a skirt back then. Seems to have grown out of it now, though.”

  “And his wife was aware of his affairs?”

  “Now I never said he had affairs. I just said he considered himself a bit of a ladies’ man. Catrina always put her three kids first. In the end, she told him to mend his ways or she’d kick him out and refuse him access to the kids. So he did.”

  “And when did his wife tell him this?”

  His lips twisted as he thought. “I don’t know, maybe fourteen or fifteen years ago.”

  “Hmm… around the time Anne went missing then?”

  “Maybe. I think a lot of people took stock of their lives back then. I guess Catrina’s threat forced Phil to tidy up his act. He loves his kids. The thought of never seeing them again made him keep it in his pants.”

  “I thought you said he didn’t have affairs?”

  “He told me he didn’t, but like Meryl told me at the time, ‘there’s no smoke without fire’.”

  “Meryl’s right—there rarely is. Can you remember how Phil reacted to the news that Anne was missing?”

  “Like all of us. We were all dumbfounded. Tried to form a search party immediately, but that tosser—sorry for swearing—that idiot of an inspector running the case refused our help, said we’d get in the bloody way. Have you ever heard such crap? I wish we’d gone against his wishes now, but you just didn’t do that sort of thing back then. Most people were scared of the rozzers. It’s all different nowadays. Have you heard the lip some of these bloody yobs give your lot today? Disgusting. There’s no respect for authority now with the youngsters.”

  “I truly can’t say I’ve noticed that, Alec.”

  “Maybe you don’t get out on the streets much.”

  Sally chuckled. “I do my fair share. I’m not one of those inspectors who enjoy being tied to their desk all day long.”

  “Hence you coming out to question us here.”

  “Exactly. Going back to the time Anne was pronounced missing, can you think of any of your workmates who took the news worse than others?”

  He drummed his fingers on the table as he mulled over the question. Sally looked over at the queue and noticed that Jack had joined the end of it. She was relieved, as her mouth was on the verge of drying up.

  “Well,” he leaned in close and whispered. “There were Steve Endecott and Colin Slater.”

  “And they’re the only two?” Sally thought it was strange that both Alec and Phil had named the same two men. “Is Colin working today?”

  “Yes, I believe so. I seem to remember Anne and him being very, very close at one time.”

  “Are you suggesting they were having an affair?”

  He bounced back in his chair and laughed. “Good God, no. But I always saw them having secretive conversations in between shifts.”

  “Do you know if they met up after work?” />
  “I wouldn’t have a clue about that. You’ll have to ask him that one.”

  “What else can you tell me about Colin? Or Steve?” Sally asked as Jack sat down beside her and handed her a mug of coffee. “Thanks, I need this.”

  Alec fell quiet for a moment or two. “I can’t really answer that. I suppose I don’t tend to mingle with those two much.”

  “Is there a reason why?”

  “I have my own group of friends. Is there a law that has to say I have to speak to everyone I work with?” He smiled; his words weren’t laced with sarcasm in the slightest.

  “I guess not. We’ll have a chat with them both, see what we can glean from that. If you can’t think of anything else we should know, then you’re free to go back to work.”

  “Thanks. I have another five minutes before I’m due back. Might as well grab another cuppa before I go. I hope you find what you’re looking for and that Anne gets the justice she truly deserves. Do you think her husband is likely to get off?”

  “That’s hard to say at present. Depends how the rest of the questions pan out. Thank you very much for your time. I really appreciate you giving up part of your break to speak with me.”

  “I’d do anything for Anne, whether she’s still with us or not. Such a sweet lady. We all miss her deeply.”

  “Let’s hope we can uncover what really happened to her soon. One last thing before you go. Can you tell me how I get hold of this Colin Slater?”

  “He should be in with the next shift. Steve’s over there if you need him. Always been a bit of a loner, that one.” He thumbed over to the left, in Steve’s direction.

  “Thanks, if you see Colin, would you mind telling him we need a quiet word?”

  “Of course.” He stood and rushed over to the queue, calling out, “Another coffee for me, Meryl, when you’ve got a tick. I need to neck it quickly. Talking to the fuzz took longer than expected.”

  Jack chuckled. “I ain’t been called the fuzz for a long time. How did it go with him?”

  “He seems genuine enough. He did, however, divulge that Phil Stephens had a penchant for the ladies, which declined rapidly after Anne went missing.”