The Silent Children

by Carol Wyer

  ‘When the others arrive, we’ll start by interviewing Liam Carrington.’ She opened a drawer, pulled out a silver foil pack and popped a couple of headache pills.

  Mitz studied her actions then asked, ‘You want me to take over?’

  ‘No ta. I’ll be fine.’ She brushed off his concerned look and refocused on the notes in front of her. Now, to add to her workload, she had a missing suspect. Where would Roger Jenkinson have gone? Or had he been murdered? This all seemed too much to deal with. Was Flint deliberately letting her handle this in the hope she’d break? Were he and Shearer discussing how far they could leave her floundering before they waded in? She squared her shoulders. That was never going to happen.

  ‘Put out a call on Roger Jenkinson, Mitz. I want him apprehended as soon as possible. Check all the farms and homes in the area. His car’s still outside his property. He can’t have gone too far if he left on foot, not unless he had help from somebody.’

  * * *

  Tory Goode, the witness who claimed she’d seen a jogger near Tessa’s house on the morning she’d been killed, was sitting behind the one-way mirror looking into the interview room.

  ‘I didn’t know this sort of thing actually happened,’ she whispered. She’d calmed down a little, worn out by waiting around, but was still enthusiastic about helping to identify the woman she’d spotted in Barton-under-Needwood.

  ‘The women can’t see you but you can see them. If you spot the woman you saw on the sixteenth of February at 6 a.m. let me know. Are you clear about that?’ Robyn asked.

  ‘Yes. I’m clear.’

  Anna gave the woman a smile.

  Robyn gave the instruction and David opened the door and five women entered the room and moved to their positions, where they waited, facing the glass. Tory took her time in studying each woman.

  ‘Miss Goode, do you recognise any of the women on the other side of the glass?’ asked Robyn.

  Tory chewed her lip and craned her neck forward. ‘I don’t know. I can’t be sure.’

  Robyn waited, hoping for a more positive identification, but Tory sat back and shook her head.

  After Tory left, Robyn entered the interview room and was soon joined by Naomi Povey. She walked to the chair, pulled it out from under the table and sat down, all the while scowling.

  ‘I’m going to have you for harassment,’ Naomi spat. ‘I’m not happy at having to take part in an identity parade.’

  ‘Thank you for your assistance. I won’t keep you, Miss Povey,’ said Robyn. ‘It’s only a couple of questions.’

  ‘I’m not sure I feel like answering any more of your questions. I’ve got better things to do with my time.’

  ‘I’m afraid it’s necessary for our enquiries. When was the last time you saw Roger Jenkinson?’

  Naomi flushed. ‘A few days ago.’

  ‘We’re concerned about him. He’s disappeared. I wondered if he’d contacted you.’

  ‘I can’t help you with that. I haven’t seen him since last Tuesday.’

  Robyn gave a knowing smile. ‘Miss Hall, have you any idea where Mr Jenkinson might be at this moment?’

  Naomi scowled. ‘No. I’m not his minder. He doesn’t have to tell me where he is or what he’s doing and check in every hour.’

  ‘I wonder how much he actually tells you. I suspect he’s kept quite a few things from you.’

  ‘Crap. He tells me everything. We’re a team – a solid team.’

  ‘I was led to believe he wanted to end your relationship.’

  ‘You’re wrong.’

  ‘Did he ever suggest you and he split up?’

  Naomi let out a soft snort. ‘We had our ups and downs. He might have said something in the heat of the moment but he’d never have left me for her.’

  ‘But he wanted to, didn’t he?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. He stopped seeing that tart after I phoned her. It was over. Got it? Over.’

  ‘I’m afraid that wasn’t the case. Mr Jenkinson continued to see Tessa even after you tried to break their relationship up.’

  Naomi’s head shook from side to side. ‘No. No. That’s not possible. I’d have known if he was still seeing her.’

  Robyn persisted. Naomi was definitely beginning to crack. ‘Again. I’m sorry to contradict you, but we lifted his fingerprints from Tessa’s house, and off a Valentine’s card he sent her.’ She watched Naomi’s reaction very carefully. The woman was in denial, her eyes blinking repeatedly.

  ‘No. This isn’t true. He can’t have. He was with me on Valentine’s Day. We spent it together. He loved me. Only me.’

  ‘Mr Jenkinson kept a few secrets from you, Naomi. Or maybe he only thought he’d kept them from you. Did you find out he was still seeing Tessa, and murder her?’

  Naomi spluttered, ‘No. I didn’t. Check with my work colleagues. They’ll tell you I was at work that day. I went nowhere near her house.’

  Robyn waited for Naomi to digest what she’d been told before she dropped the next bombshell. She was banking on Juliet’s information that Roger was keeping Naomi in the dark about the lottery.

  ‘Did he tell you about their lottery win, or did he keep that a secret from you too?’

  Naomi’s mouth flapped open. ‘What lottery win?’

  ‘He didn’t tell you he and the others had won over six million pounds in December?’

  There was silence followed by a chuckle and then further chuckling. ‘Go on. You’re winding me up.’

  ‘Mr Jenkinson and his fellow teammates won a jackpot amount of money on the lottery, and that is why I’m concerned for his well-being. He could be in danger.’

  The woman bristled suddenly. ‘You needn’t worry about Roger. He can handle himself. I don’t know where he might be, so if that’s everything, I’m leaving. If you drag me in one more time without good reason, I’ll report you for harassment.’

  With that, she slammed her chair back with force and marched out of the interview room. Robyn looked across at the glass and spoke to Anna, still watching and listening behind it.

  ‘Get someone to follow her, will you? I have a feeling she knows exactly where Roger is. I want an officer watching her movements. I’m going to interview Liam Carrington.’

  As Robyn exited the interview room, she glanced along the corridor towards the double doors that led into the station foyer. Through the glass she spotted two figures – Liam and Ella. He had one hand on the back of her lustrous hair, holding her head into his chest and shoulders. Robyn observed the couple standing in silence, arms wrapped around each other as if welded together. An officer approached and spoke to them. Liam withdrew. Ella reached for his hands and they stood again for a moment like two children about to play, no word passing their lips. It was obvious now looking at them. They looked so similar: their foreheads, noses, even their mannerisms. It was clear they were related. Robyn turned away. It was time to get to the bottom of the mystery.

  Fifty-Eight

  THEN

  * * *

  He can’t believe it. The man standing beside the bar is none other than Mr Hawkins, the prison officer who’d helped him survive jail. He’s much older, obviously – grey-haired and a bit fatter than he was back then – but he’s still got the same cocky air of authority.

  The young man’s been in the pub all evening. He had to get away from the house. A final demand for the electricity plopped through the letter box this morning and he doesn’t know how he’s going to make ends meet again this month. He’s maxed out on his credit card and his damn car needs two new front tyres. They’re down to the tread and he’s sure to get prosecuted if the cops stop him and check.

  He simply doesn’t earn enough. The trivia machine is his last-ditch attempt to win some money. He’s made the half-pint of beer stretch out for an hour so he can play. The questions are easy: What city is the capital of the country Turkey? He presses answer B, Ankara, and the machine lights up and plays a triumphant tune to indicate he’s won
ten pounds.

  Hawkins potters over to him and hands him a pint. ‘Here. You deserve it.’

  Buoyed by his success, he smiles and takes the drink from him.

  ‘I remember you, lad. Been a while, but I never forget a face. I always said you were bright. I’ve been watching you. You’re good at this. Fancy another go – you and me against the machine?’

  Hawkins is suitably impressed. He buys him more drinks and together they beat the machine twice more, pocketing twenty pounds each. He’s cheerful now. He’ll have sufficient money to put towards the electricity demand – might keep the bastards off his back a little longer. Luck has been on his side today, and all the while, Hawkins has been buying him drinks and slapping him on the back, telling him what a great player he is. He’s not brought up the past at all. He’s okay, is Hawkins.

  He’s about to leave the pub and go back to his cold house when Hawkins beams at him and says, ‘Listen. You’re a top quizzer. Your talent’s wasted. I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be part of a proper team and win some serious money?’

  He’s never been part of anything. It seems too good to be true. He’s not sure, though. He’s not too comfortable with people. Hawkins must have read his mind because he says, ‘We won’t bite. We’re a lot like you, really.’

  Like him? Lonely, insecure? Hawkins nods again, his smile never leaving his face.

  ‘Come on,’ he says. ‘What have you got to lose? Come and meet them and see what you think. You’ll really enjoy it. And you must stop calling me Mr Hawkins. I’m not a screw any more. Call me Anthony.’

  He feels the crisp notes rustling in his pocket. It would be nice to have some more disposable income. He looks into Hawkins’ cheerful face. It’d be good to make some new friends too.

  ‘Go on. When do you want me to meet them?’

  Fifty-Nine

  DAY TEN – THURSDAY, 23 FEBRUARY, AFTERNOON

  * * *

  Liam Carrington, slumped in a chair, didn’t acknowledge Robyn’s entrance.

  ‘Mr Carrington,’ she said.

  He ignored her.

  ‘We can make this a lot easier if you’d just cooperate with us. I’m going to ask a series of questions and you’re not obliged to answer them, but it would assist our enquiries if you did. Do you understand?’

  Carrington finally looked up.

  ‘On the morning of February the fourteenth you were at home with your daughter, Astra. Is that correct?’ She waited for a response, and when she got none, she spoke more loudly. ‘Is that correct?’

  His answer was little more than a mumble. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘And you did not at any time that morning speak to or see Henry Gregson?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Did he visit your house?’

  ‘No.’

  Robyn sat back. ‘I think he might have done. I think he called to visit you soon after Ella left.’

  Carrington twitched momentarily. It was all Robyn needed. She homed in on it.

  ‘I think he wanted to discuss something with you. Did he, Mr Carrington?’

  He looked down at his hands. Robyn wasn’t going to let him off the hook now she had him.

  ‘Henry Gregson was spotted, you see? We have a witness who saw him. Now, you can tell me the truth or I can find it out anyway. It’ll be better for you in the long run if you tell me what you know. After all, you have your daughter Astra to consider in all of this.’

  His Adam’s apple rose and fell but he remained silent.

  ‘Okay, let’s try this scenario. Henry came to visit you and you argued about something. He left, and you became even madder about what had happened. You asked Ella to come home to look after Astra, then you arranged to meet Henry on Cannock Chase, where you murdered him in cold blood. Is that what happened?’

  He shook his head. ‘No,’ he said, quietly.

  ‘I can very easily obtain a warrant to search your house. We’ll search your phones and computers and we’ll get to the bottom of this, so it would be a lot easier if you just come clean now.’ She waited for a response, and when none was forthcoming, she continued.

  ‘Did you ask Ella to cover for you? Say you were there when you weren’t?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But she would if you asked her, wouldn’t she? She’d look after you and make sure you had an alibi. After all, blood is thicker than water.’

  He hissed quietly through his teeth and then stopped and resumed his sullen expression. ‘Okay, I asked her to stretch the truth. I knew you’d suspect me if my alibi wasn’t tight enough, but I honestly didn’t kill Henry. I loved that man. I really did. I’m not the easiest person to get along with and I don’t find it easy to make friends. Henry was solid. He was my friend.’ His eyes filled and he bent forwards, head in his hands.

  Robyn was rattled for a moment. The man was genuinely upset. The silvery tears trickled down his face. He wiped them with his sleeve, and she allowed him a few seconds to collect himself before speaking again. She wasn’t going to be swayed by this emotional outburst. ‘Ella’s your sister, isn’t she? I wonder if anyone knew that. Maybe Henry discovered your secret.’

  He shook his head slowly from side to side, sniffing back tears.

  ‘Did he, Mr Carrington? Did Henry find out Ella was your sister and threaten to tell everyone?’

  ‘You’re so wrong,’ he said, quietly, before drawing himself back upright in his seat.

  Robyn puffed out her cheeks. ‘Well, then maybe you could explain what mysterious secret Henry was keeping. We believe he was texting his killer and threatening to expose them just before he was shot. Whoever committed this crime had a secret so big it was worth killing for.’

  He crossed his arms, fidgeted and stared at his feet.

  ‘Did you agree to steal a winning lottery ticket from two MiniMarkt customers?’

  Liam remained silent.

  ‘Juliet Fallows told us about the ticket. It’s pointless to remain silent. Did Henry find out about the theft and threaten to shop you all?’

  Again, she was met with silence.

  ‘Did you go to Cannock Chase on February the fourteenth, Mr Carrington?’

  ‘No. I didn’t. I was in Yoxall all day.’

  ‘I think, at this point, I should ask you again if you would like a lawyer to be present. I understand you refused one earlier. Would you like a lawyer, Mr Carrington?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Let it be noted for the tape that we’re pausing this interview until Mr Carrington has spoken to a legal representative.’

  She rose without further comment. Liam Carrington remained in his seat, head hung to his chest.

  As soon as the door was shut, she spoke to Mitz.

  ‘What do you reckon?’

  They walked back to the office.

  ‘He’s guilty of theft and deception, but I can’t be sure he’s guilty of murdering Henry Gregson.’

  Her lips pulled into a grimace. ‘I got that same feeling. I wish I had something concrete on him. I hope we can get more out of Ella Fox. I’m flying by the seat of my pants here. If one of them doesn’t crack soon and confess, I’ll be stuffed. There’s insufficient evidence at the moment to convict him of murder.’

  Ella was brought into the room next.

  ‘I’m saying nothing without a solicitor so don’t bother asking me anything,’ she said, looking Robyn directly in the eye.

  ‘We only want to ask you a few questions, Ella,’ Robyn said.

  She was met with stony silence.

  ‘We understand Henry visited Liam the day he died, while you were out.’

  Ella fixed her eyes on a spot above Robyn’s head.

  ‘We also believe Liam wasn’t at home when you returned at two and that you lied for him.’

  There was no flicker of acknowledgement.

  ‘It would be quite understandable for a sister to protect her brother.’

  Ella’s face gave nothing away. She wasn’t going to speak. Robyn tri
ed more questions but was met with the same response. She ended the interview and had Ella taken away until her solicitor arrived. She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily.

  David tapped on the door and entered. ‘The receptionist at the Tamworth clinic claimed Juliet went into work first thing but left mid-morning because she didn’t feel well. She isn’t answering her mobile. I sent a unit round to her house.’

  Robyn put her hands on her hips. ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. So we’ve lost Roger Jenkinson and now Juliet. What the hell is going on?’

  ‘They could be in on this together,’ said David with a helpless shrug.

  ‘Or both dead. Either way, I’ve made a complete bollocks of this case. Liam Carrington and Ella Fox are being completely uncooperative at the moment too. Can this get any worse?’ Robyn resisted the urge to scream in frustration. She’d been in difficult situations before. She had to be logical, that’s what Davies would have told her. She attempted to calm her heart rate with some deep breaths.

  ‘Right, here’s what we’ll do. First, get a search warrant for Liam and Ella’s house. Next, track down Roger and Juliet. If Juliet’s involved in any of the murders, it means her claim that they stole the lottery ticket is a lie too. We’ll stick to the facts we have and see if we can make anything stick. Right. Let’s get going. Time isn’t on our side.’

  Sixty

  THEN

  * * *

  He loves quiz night. It’s the one night he feels he’s a winner. His sister still isn’t sold on him being part of the team and doesn’t trust Hawkins one bit even though she’s never met him before or spoken to him until now. She doesn’t like him because Hawkins was one of the prison officers who used to keep him locked up behind bars.