by Carol Wyer
‘I’m going to allow you to go home,’ she said.
Mark’s shoulders slumped with relief.
‘However, if we don’t find evidence of you only being in the park briefly as you’ve claimed, and if we’re forced to bring you back in for whatever reason, I shan’t be so lenient next time.’
She called Murray into the corridor. ‘Have somebody in the tech lab go through the CCTV camera footage outside the park and see if what Mark says bears up, and then go home. I have to admit I can’t think of any motive or reason as to why he’d kill Audrey or Ava.’
‘Me neither but I think these cases are related to the birthday party back in 2015.’
‘I do too. It seems too much of a coincidence that Ava’s body was discovered on Tuesday, and then her friend Audrey was killed the following day.’
‘Audrey was the only person who knew Ava had left for the toilet that day but said nothing about it until after the visit to the petting zoo. Do you think somebody might be angry about that?’
‘You mean they might blame Audrey for not speaking up?’
Murray nodded.
‘Maybe so. It’s worth considering. Of course, that would lead us to consider Ava’s parents. They’d be the most likely suspects. We’ll think it over again tomorrow. You best get off. It’s knocking on and I need everyone back at the station and feeling alert, first thing in the morning.’
‘Best go get some sleep then. I’ll arrange for the tech boys to check the CCTV footage before I scoot off. See you tomorrow.’
It was coming up to nine. She ought to call it a day. The office was empty apart from Ian. ‘You still here?’
‘Been talking to Justine Woodman. She’s coming in. Should be here any minute.’
‘I’m waiting for CCTV footage to confirm Mark entered and left the park on Wednesday before I talk to him again. Want to interview Justine with me?’
‘Sure.’ Ian gave her a smile.
Justine Woodman was slight, slender and nervous. She stared at them with huge eyes and clutched her handbag on her knee all the time she spoke to them.
‘Mark seemed really nice to start with but after a few dates, I started to think he was too weird for me. He was into sex games and experimental stuff that I wasn’t up for. I tried to let him down gently but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I decided the best way was to cut him out of our lives. I was a bit scared of him. He could be really domineering in the bedroom and I was frightened he could be like that all the time. I had my daughter to think of too.’
‘You complained about him harassing you?’
‘He’d text me and text me and text me – one text after another – all night. I’d turn my phone off and when I turned it on again there’d be hundreds of text messages from him asking me why I wasn’t replying. He’d do the same with emails. I had to block his name from my list. Then, when I didn’t reply, he came to my flat and would wait outside for us to come home and keep asking me why I was freezing him out. That was when I got really scared. He wouldn’t leave us alone. I was frightened he’d start hounding my daughter too. I told the police then.’
‘I understand he followed you into Queen’s Park yesterday afternoon.’
Her mouth dropped open, lips forming a perfect ‘O’. ‘Did he? I didn’t see him.’
‘Who were you with?’
‘Just a guy from work – Fraser Lyons. He’s just a good friend. He invited me to go with him to pick up his son from the playground. The lad was skateboarding there with a friend. We went to Nando’s afterwards.’
‘Your daughter Boo wasn’t with you?’
‘She was with her dad. He has her midweek and every other weekend.’
‘Did you happen to spot a girl on a pink bike when you were in the park?’
Justine’s eyebrows knitted together. ‘No. There weren’t any girls about. In fact, there was only Toby, Fraser’s son, and his friend near the playground. Are you asking about the little girl who got killed? I heard about it this morning. Fraser and I discussed it earlier, but neither of us saw anything. Fraser even asked his son if he’d seen anything when he was skateboarding, but he hadn’t seen her, nor had his friend.’
‘What time did you leave the park?’
‘We were only there long enough to collect Toby and then leave. In total, we’d have only been ten minutes or so.’
‘Did you leave by the same entrance?’
‘We did.’
Natalie put her hands flat on the table. ‘Thank you for your time. We appreciate you coming in at this late hour.’
‘He wasn’t following me, was he?’
‘Mark? No. He spotted you going into the park and was going to catch you up, then he remembered what would happen to him if he got too close to you. I don’t think you need to be concerned about him. He is more worried about that restraining order than trying to approach you.’
Justine nibbled her bottom lip and clung onto her bag even more tightly. ‘I thought this sort of thing might happen. Uptown is too small a place and it’s difficult to hide away from somebody like Mark. I’m moving away in a week and I’ve changed my phone number and email address. I’ve got a transfer to a branch in Stoke-on-Trent. Mark will be less likely to bump into me if I leave Uptown.’
‘It’ll certainly help ease your mind,’ Natalie replied and earned a small smile.
With Justine now gone, it was time to leave. She’d asked Ian to look out for Justine and her friend on CCTV when he was searching for Mark. He stood obediently, like an enthusiastic sheepdog, eyes lifted for more commands.
‘Good work on getting Justine in at this late hour. It’s good to have somebody who’s so thorough on the team. Now, go home.’
The house was silent when Natalie got in. No sound of the television or any music. She headed upstairs. Leigh, in pyjamas and headphones, was watching YouTube videos on her iPad. She removed the headset when she saw her mum. ‘Hey. You missed pizza.’
‘What did you choose?’
‘Margherita. Dad and Josh had pepperoni.’ She pulled a face.
‘You leave me any?’
‘Dad said you’d get something at work. He’s at the pub.’
‘He rang me. So, what have I missed apart from pizza?’
‘Nothing. Oh, I’ve been invited to a party next weekend. Kelly’s fourteenth. It’s a sleepover. Dad said to check with you.’
‘Kelly’s parents going to be there?’
Leigh’s mouth dragged downwards. ‘Mu-um,’ she said, dragging it into two syllables.
‘Okay, but only if her parents are there.’
‘Her mum’s going to be in.’
‘You know I’ll check, don’t you?’
‘I hate having a cop for a mother.’
‘You don’t mean that,’ said Natalie, grinning at the exaggerated look on her daughter’s face. ‘I’m going to say hello to Josh. If you want to watch some television for half an hour with me downstairs…’
‘It’s a school night. I usually have to be in bed by nine.’
‘It’s a one-off offer.’
Leigh grinned. ‘Okay.’
Natalie tapped on Josh’s door. There was no answer so she didn’t go in. Fifteen-year-old boys might not appreciate a late-evening visit from their mothers. Her children were rapidly turning into adults and soon she wouldn’t be able to guide or protect them any longer. The thought depressed her. She hoped she’d equipped them enough for their future. That’s all a parent could do.
Downstairs, she dropped onto the settee and tuned into a sitcom. Tiredness flooded her limbs, making them heavy, but she fought it. Leigh curled up on the chair next to her and for a while Natalie was lost in thought as she studied her daughter’s profile. A surge of love washed over her, so powerful it almost winded her. The maternal instinct. If anyone harmed either of her children, what lengths would she go to for revenge? Would she want to kill those responsible or hurt somebody she blamed? Could Beatrice Sawyer or her husband be capable of such an ac
t? Leigh laughed out loud and the thought evaporated. For now, she wasn’t a cop. For the moment, she was a mother.
Nineteen
THURSDAY, 27 APRIL – AFTERNOON
RAINEY KILBURN
Rainey Kilburn tucks her hair behind her ear and hoists her school bag onto her shoulder, mindful of the fragile contents inside. The day ended with art – her favourite subject – and she’d put the finishing touches to the clay cat she’d been making for the last few lessons. She’s pleased with the result and can’t wait to show it to her mother.
The art lesson cheered her up immensely. Up until then, she’d been feeling down. Ever since the news about Audrey Briggs, there’d been a sad feeling in the air and some of the girls had spent all day crying. Rainey was really sorry about Audrey but she’d never been especially close to her. She was best friends with Harriet Downing and two other girls, and had been for the last two years. Audrey was okay to talk to and quite nice, but Rainey didn’t know her well enough to feel she had the right to weep so openly.
Harriet, however, had been truly upset. She and Paige Hamilton had cried so much they’d been sent home, which was a nuisance because Rainey’s mum had issued her with strict instructions she wasn’t to walk home alone. She was to stick with Harriet, who only lived a street away, or wait for Tyler, her older brother, and come home with him.
Rainey’s mother had given a long speech about not talking to strangers and the dangers of being alone. She’d reminded her about Ava Sawyer, who’d gone off at Harriet’s party, never to be seen again. Rainey had nodded and promised not to walk home alone even though she didn’t want to accompany her brother. He and his friends were annoying and dragged out the walk for as long as possible. She hated bringing up the rear while they messed about.
She searches the sea of bodies surging from the main building but there’s no sign of Tyler, who usually towers over everyone. She spots his friends Mason and Abe racing after another couple of boys she doesn’t recognise. Tyler isn’t with them. He’s probably in trouble again. He’s often kept behind after school for playing up. She loves her brother but he can be a total idiot at times. She waits in case he emerges, watching as the teenagers spread in all directions and jump into cars or buses, or wander away. Within a few minutes there’s only a trickle of pupils hanging about the gates and still no sign of her brother. Most likely he is in detention. Mum will be furious. It’ll be the third time this month.
She isn’t going to wait any longer. It isn’t far to her house and there’s a quicker route – a grass path – that runs past the school fields and allotments she can take. If she chooses that way, she’ll be unlikely to meet anyone.
Her thoughts turn to Ava. She can’t remember the events of Harriet’s party at Uptown Craft Centre, not clearly. Two years was forever. She can’t really even remember Ava, only that she would sometimes give you a funny look, like she was weighing you up. Truth be told, she was a bit put off by Ava. Harriet didn’t talk about her. No one talked about her. In fact, until her mother mentioned it, she hadn’t thought about the girl.
She passes the allotments, patches of earth divided up into sections. The year before, her brother and his friends stole vegetables, including a giant marrow, from a couple of the plots there. They drew faces on all the produce and then took photos of them with their phones. Mum saw the pictures and clipped Tyler around the ear for doing it, but he only laughed and said it was a bit of fun.
She hears someone calling her name and turns around in case it’s Tyler. She recognises the man waving at her. He’s one of her mum’s friends. She’s going to stop to say hello, then she remembers she made a promise not to talk to anyone, and instead of responding, she keeps walking. It isn’t far to Monks Walk and home.
She tugs the straps of the school bag more firmly to make sure it rests on her shoulders. She doesn’t want the pottery cat to break.
Monks Walk, once part of a Franciscan friary, is a pathway through a pleasant green space, restored by a group of volunteers to its former glory. One side of the path is flanked by a tall brick wall covered in Virginia creeper, and large flower beds full of eighteenth-century garden favourites such as hibiscus, honeysuckle, iris, lily, sage, lilacs and blue passion flowers. The other side of the path consists of a few widely spaced beech trees and grass. Although wooden benches had been dotted about for people to enjoy the solitude of the garden, it is rarely visited.
Rainey draws level with the sculpture positioned halfway down the path – open palms from which a bird flies. She loves the copper bird with its wings wide open, flying upwards, that today shines in the afternoon light. Her mind turns to the art lesson and the pottery they’d been making. She’d really enjoyed scraping away at the clay, transforming a shapeless piece into a recognisable animal. Maybe one day, she’ll be good enough to make fabulous sculptures like the one here. Her mind drifts into the realms of fantasy and she doesn’t hear the heavy breathing of somebody slowing behind her. Rainey’s thoughts are elsewhere until a sudden weight falls on her left shoulder, making her gasp and bringing her to a sudden halt.
‘Why did you run away?’
The man is behind her holding a plastic bag in one gloved hand. The other rests on her shoulder, his fingers squeezing her collarbone.
‘I didn’t. I’m not supposed to talk to anyone.’
‘But you know me. You can talk to me. It’s rude not to say something when somebody speaks to you.’ The man looks displeased.
She clamps her mouth shut and hopes he’ll leave her alone. His face suddenly changes and although he doesn’t remove his hand, he gives her a smile.
‘I’ve got something for you. A present,’ he says, holding the bag aloft.
‘Why?’
‘Because you’re a very pretty girl.’
Rainey doesn’t like the way he’s speaking. He’s being artificially jolly like the fake Santa Claus she visited at the shopping centre in December.
‘I don’t want it,’ she says, attempting to wriggle from his grip.
‘Now, now. Don’t be ungrateful. Why not see what it is first?’ He pushes the bag towards her. She takes it reluctantly, peers inside and spots what looks like a yellow dress. She doesn’t like yellow clothes. She doesn’t much like dresses, preferring trousers or jeans. She hands the bag back to him but he doesn’t accept it.
‘Don’t you like it?’
She shakes her head.
‘But it’s very pretty.’
‘I want to go now,’ she says, trying once more to get away. She shrugs her shoulders and shimmies to escape but his grip tightens. His eyes bore into hers.
‘It’s very pretty. Try it on.’
‘I don’t want it,’ she says again. She lets the bag drop to the floor.
He doesn’t bend to retrieve it. Instead he stares hard at her, and his other hand snaps around the back of her neck. He pulls her face closer to his and smiles a terrifying smile before speaking again.
‘And I said, try… it… on.’
Twenty
FRIDAY, 28 APRIL – MORNING
‘What time did you get in?’ asked Natalie, lightly.
‘Dunno. Twelve-ish,’ David muttered. ‘Why?’
She tried not to sigh. She wasn’t trying to start an argument; she only wanted some semblance of normality, an easy, relaxed conversation of the type they used to enjoy.
‘How’s Rich?’
‘Fine.’
She made another attempt. ‘I tried to wait up for you but couldn’t stay awake much past ten. Sorry.’
‘Not a biggie. I was too pissed anyway.’
‘You feeling okay now?’
He gave a half-hearted smile. ‘Rough as the proverbial badger’s arse.’ The ice had been broken.
‘Got some paracetamol if you’d like to take a couple of them.’
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll go for a run after I take the kids to school. By the way, Josh was awake when I came in. His door was slightly ajar and I think he was using his phone.
Probably talking to all his school chums on WhatsApp. That’s the sort of thing they all do nowadays, isn’t it? Beats me. I was going to tell him to go to sleep but didn’t want him to see me in a state.’
‘Leave it be for the moment. As long as he gets up in the morning and his grades don’t suffer, it can’t be doing too much harm.’
‘I’m not sure I like our children being online late at night.’
‘It’s the way of the modern world,’ she said, pecking his cheek. ‘We have to try and keep up with our own offspring. Catch you later. Hope your hangover improves.’
She pondered his words as she drove to work. It was difficult to know how much slack to cut the children. She was fully aware of online dangers and had spoken to both Leigh and Josh about them at length. She and David vetted all apps prior to download, and since all such purchases were made through her account, neither child could buy one without permission. She didn’t want to give them an online curfew or make them leave their devices downstairs overnight. However, if it came to it, then that’s what she’d do. Monitoring youngsters’ online activity was yet another responsibility parents had to bear and, after all the precautions taken, there was nothing to stop them looking at friends’ mobiles or laptops. Josh was sensible. If he was online, it was probably to talk to his friends, or maybe he had a girlfriend he hadn’t yet mentioned. She’d cut him some slack. No teenagers wanted their parents breathing down their neck all the time.
She was on the outskirts of Samford when her phone rang.
Superintendent Aileen Melody’s voice was grave. ‘Natalie, another girl from Uptown Primary School went missing yesterday afternoon. Name of Rainey Kilburn. I’ve just received word her body’s been located in Uptown at Monks Walk. Mike and his team have been dispatched.’
