The four of them sat in Anna’s office and Dewar replayed the whole recording then asked if the others had picked up on anything unusual in Donna’s tone of voice or answers to the operator. Anna blandly replied that Donna seemed to be in a state of emotional shock, having found Josh with a bullet through his head and lying in a pool of blood. Dewar said she would take them through the call again step by step, and explain her reasoning about its inconsistencies as she went. She played the opening where Donna was asked which emergency service she required and stated ‘the police’. The connection made, the sound of Donna’s pleading voice was heard: ‘It’s my husband Josh . . . he’s been shot . . . there’s a gun and blood everywhere . . . oh, God, please help him . . . I think he’s dead.’ Dewar paused the CD.
‘After asking for the police she said: “He’s been shot,” and “I think he’s dead.” She thought he was dead, ergo she must have considered he might still be alive, yet she never asked for an ambulance at any point!’
‘So that’s why you think she knew what to expect when she walked in the room?’ Langton asked, intrigued by what Dewar was saying.
‘Not just that, there’s quite a bit more actually. Let’s look at the voice inflection on the last bit of her phrase: “I think he’s dead.”’
‘Can you explain what you mean by voice inflection, please?’ Barolli asked.
‘Certainly. Put in simple terms it’s the alteration in pitch or tone of the voice which in turn can change the form and tense of the word or words,’ Dewar told them.
‘Which words are you talking about?’ Langton asked.
‘“He’s dead.” If I walked in and told you that your best friend had just been killed, how would you feel?’ Dewar asked, looking at Barolli.
‘Shocked,’ Barolli replied.
‘Exactly, the tone of voice in stating “He’s dead” should be one of surprise, but if you already knew that your friend was dead and someone asked you how he was, what would you say?’
‘He’s dead,’ Barolli uttered in a forlorn voice.
‘The inflection changes because it’s an occurrence that happened in the past and you already know it. The instantaneous surprise is absent.’
‘You could also express it in a happy way if you were glad someone was dead,’ Barolli pointed out, causing Langton to frown at him.
Dewar continued: ‘The inflection in Donna’s voice in “he’s dead” is wrong. It’s very subtle and unless you really focus you will miss it. “I think he’s dead” is said both at the outset and when the paramedic speaks with her.’ Dewar fast-forwarded the CD to where the paramedic’s voice could be heard along with Donna’s reply: ‘Can you tell me if he’s breathing?’ . . . ‘I think he’s dead, please hurry.’
She paused the CD once more.
‘Again the surprise is missing.’
Anna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her personal and professional experience had taught her that people in shock reacted and spoke in many different and strange ways. She was about to voice her objection when Dewar held up the crime scene photograph of Reynolds’ body and continued.
‘I believe that Donna knew that Josh was already dead and saying she “just got home and found him” is an attempt to distance herself from the crime. Her reactions, like the scene, were staged,’ Dewar said smugly.
Anna could contain herself no longer.
‘This is all a matter of opinion based on something you’ve read about. It wouldn’t even be allowed as evidence in our courts. We all react and say things in different ways when we are under emotional stress, which Donna Reynolds clearly was.’
‘My opinion is based on my research. It is objective and unbiased and strengthens my case that Josh Reynolds was actually murdered and Donna was involved.’
‘What about the fact Donna didn’t notice the wardrobe and safe door were open and also put the washing on before finding the body? That shows she was unaware he was dead,’ Anna argued.
‘Staged, to make it look as if she wasn’t expecting to discover the body.’
‘You twist everything to suit your flight-of-fancy theories and your methods are totally unethical,’ Anna said in a slightly raised voice.
‘This is my field of expertise, I know what I’m talking about and that’s why I’m a senior agent in the BSU,’ Dewar said, puffing out her chest.
‘You’ve never been to a real crime scene. You’re a desk jockey who only looks at pictures!’
‘I resent that remark, Travis.’
‘I think you mean resemble, not resent!’
‘What?’ Dewar said.
‘Donna had no motive to murder Josh. Your psychobabble is worthless crap!’
‘Half the value of the club, sale of their marital home, mad at him—’
Anna stood up and banged her hands on the desk. ‘She’s already rich so why would she want her husband dead?’
‘Who gives a fuck; the fact is she had him murdered and I know my gut instinct is right!’ Dewar said, and banged her own fist on the table.
Langton and Barolli looked at each other in astonishment as the heated exchange between Dewar and Travis grew in intensity. Eventually, Langton stood up and shouted at them. ‘Enough! Grow up and behave like the senior investigators you’re supposed to be.’
Dewar and Travis were instantly silent, as Langton continued.
‘God knows what that lot in the main office must think. They can’t have failed to hear you two bickering like spoilt schoolgirls.’
Both women apologized to Langton, but not to each other, and sat in stony silence, avoiding eye contact.
‘Be warned, I could pull you both off this investigation right now if I wanted to. But there are clear issues concerning the case that need to be investigated and further interviews that will have to be done.’
‘Shouldn’t we arrest Donna Reynolds?’ Dewar asked.
‘I am not taking sides here but my answer for now is NO, and that will remain the case until you have some hard factual evidence against her.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Dewar and Travis replied together.
‘You two have different skills and experience to bring to this inquiry so you need to sit down, sort out your differences and get on with the job. Do you understand me?’
‘Yes, sir,’ they both repeated.
‘Go home, calm down and take the weekend to reflect on what idiots you’ve been then start afresh Monday.’
‘We were going to update the team,’ Dewar said.
‘Travis, have you fully updated Barolli?’ Langton asked.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Good, he can bring us up to speed. Now, the pair of you clear off while Barolli and I have an adult conversation.’
Anna and Dewar picked up their belongings and headed off towards the station car park, feeling rather sorry for themselves. Although they were in the lift together, they didn’t speak. But after some moments of reflection, Anna came to the realization that their standoff was pointless and was the first to break the ice.
‘We really let ourselves down in there, Jessie.’
‘Yes, I know. The problem is we both think and see things differently and I’m all too often the Devil’s advocate.’
‘We’re not that different, Jessie.’ Anna sighed. ‘God knows how many times Langton’s called me headstrong.’
‘I get frustrated at times, especially back home,’ Dewar admitted. ‘The FBI is very male-dominated and I’m the only woman on my team. Many of the men still support the view of J. Edgar Hoover.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Women can’t handle the physical rigours of being a special agent and shouldn’t be in the FBI.’
‘The Met’s not much different on some squads. Equality is slowly improving things but working on “man-turf” is never easy.’
‘I know, but why should we have to work so much harder to prove ourselves and succeed?’
‘So one day we can rule the world of policing,’ Anna said with a wry smile.
‘I’ll drink to that,’ Dewar said.
‘Good idea – fancy something to eat as well? We don’t have to discuss the case but I’d like to know more about the FBI course.’
‘Only if you let me pay.’ Dewar smiled, and so did Anna.
‘Fine by me. You doing anything over the weekend?’
‘I’m going up to Norfolk to visit an old college friend who married a Fakenham farmer.’
Anna broke into a laugh. It was contagious, and as Dewar giggled, they left the lift together.
Chapter Thirteen
Anna woke on Monday morning looking forward to going into work. She had spent a pleasant weekend visiting her gym twice, shopping for clothes, sportswear and trainers for her FBI course and generally lazing about watching DVDs she had rented. Unusually for her, she had not even looked at or thought about anything to do with the Josh Reynolds case. Her Friday-evening dinner with Jessie Dewar had been very pleasant. Anna had suggested a Venetian-style bàcaro restaurant off Regent Street where they had enjoyed sharing tapas-sized portions of cuttlefish in squid ink, spinach and egg pizzette and meatballs. They had also shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio and a tiramisu dessert that was to die for. As she got dressed for work, Anna smiled, recalling that whilst they were eating their food, Jessie had asked why she had chosen that venue for dinner. Anna had pointed to a blue plaque on the wall, commemorating the fact that the premises were once the home of the famous Venetian painter Canaletto.
‘Having heard you tell Gloria Lynne how much you loved art, I thought you’d feel right at home here,’ Anna had said, causing them both to laugh loudly and Jessie to ask, ‘Is that what you Brits mean by “taking the piss”?’
Anna had been keen to know more about the forthcoming course, and Jessie immediately stressed that the name of the game was to make friends and contacts. Everyone would be referred to by their first names, rank was immaterial and all participants would be treated as equals. The course classes were made up of about two hundred US law-enforcement officers and fifty from foreign police organizations. The physical fitness programme on the course was very intense and reflected J. Edgar Hoover’s belief that physical fitness could be the difference between success and failure, even life and death.
‘Best I remember my running shoes,’ Anna remarked.
Jessie laughed. ‘I’d take two pairs as they wear out quickly, especially on the Yellow Brick Road.
‘What’s the Yellow Brick Road?’
‘I can’t tell you as it would spoil the surprise,’ Jessie said, with a wag of her finger.
The best thing about the dinner was that during the whole evening was they hardly discussed the investigation.
As Anna drove to work, she reflected that by the end of the evening she had got to know Jessie a lot better and respect her more. Not once had she boasted about herself; on the contrary, she had admitted that she was ‘occasionally’ wrong, overzealous and in her own words ‘a pain in the ass’. She had been polite, funny and enjoyable company and her knowledge of serial killers and their psychological behaviour was both fascinating and informative. Anna wondered if Jessie’s argumentative, bull-in-a-china-shop manner was some sort of front to prove that she could stand up to anyone, particularly men. Anna recalled her saying in jest that she never mixed work with sex, but lived in hope of finding Mr Right. It struck Anna that Jessie, like her, might be very much alone outside her professional world. She didn’t know if Jessie had family, friends or work colleagues that she was close to or confided in. After Ken’s death, Anna had discovered what it was like to be lonely, trapped in a world where you felt empty inside, where nobody listened to you or showed you compassion. Anna was also very aware that you didn’t have to lose a loved one to feel like that and hoped, having seen the other side of Jessie Dewar, that loneliness was not something she suffered from.
The first thing Anna did on arrival at the station was to go straight to Barolli’s office and apologize to him for her and Jessie’s behaviour.
‘Did you take her for a lobotomy on Friday?’ Barolli asked.
‘What’s happened now?’
‘Nothing – Dewar’s full of the joys of spring, singing your praises and being pleasant to everyone.’
‘Well that’s good news.’
‘But will it last?’ Barolli raised his eyebrows.
‘I hope so, especially as you will be working closely with her in a few days’ time.’
‘Paul Simms is in your office with Dewar. He brought over a load of paperwork and stuff to do with the Reynolds case.’
‘Oh, shit!’ Anna exclaimed and raced off, regretting she had not said anything to Jessie at dinner about meeting Paul for breakfast. She feared another argument as she entered her office and saw the two of them talking.
‘I’m really sorry, Jessie. I was going to tell you at dinner but I didn’t want to spoil the evening,’ Anna said.
‘Tell me what?’
Anna looked at Paul Simms, whose alarmed expression told her that she was about to drop them both right in it.
‘I, um, well . . .’ Anna was racking her brains to come out with something plausible to cover the delicate situation.
‘Do you know what Anna wants to tell me, Paul?’ Dewar asked inquisitively. Paul shrugged his shoulders.
‘Please don’t tell me you two have already met in secret and discussed the case?’ Dewar asked in mock surprise.
‘You knew?’ Anna asked, somewhat taken aback. Paul’s head fell forward and he half raised his hands in the air in surrender.
‘Your micro-expressions and inflections gave you away when I asked you if you’d spoken with him. Same when I asked you about Pete Jenkins.’
‘You knew I’d spoken with him as well?’
‘Not for certain but I do now.’ Dewar grinned.
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘I understand in both instances why you didn’t tell me. I was quick to blame DI Simms for all the errors in the initial investigation and had we met before today I’d probably have given him a mouthful.’
‘And Pete?’ Anna enquired.
‘I wasn’t certain, so it wasn’t worth arguing about.’
‘I’m sorry, Jessie. I promise from now on you’ll be in the loop on everything.’
‘Slate’s clean as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been going over DI Simms’ investigation and he was clearly badly advised by Freeman and Harrow.’
Anna told Jessie and Simms about her meeting with Pete Jenkins when they had discussed the scene and items that were submitted to him for forensic examination. She said that Pete was still working on the blood-distribution analysis from the photographs and would take his time, but sadly any opinion he might have would not be definitive, as he was never asked by Freeman to attend the scene.
Paul Simms was shocked that Freeman had failed to pass on any of Pete Jenkins’ comments to him and had been so dismissive when Pete offered to attend the scene, and he grew more and more subdued as Anna spoke. Dewar told him about their meeting with Dr Harrow and his recent four-month suspension.
‘Neither Freeman or Harrow ever said anything to me about the scene being anything other than a suicide. I can’t believe I was taken in like that.’
‘You weren’t, Paul, you relied on their experience, and they let you down,’ Dewar said reassuringly. ‘Together, they formed a conclusion of suicide at the scene. They should have taken a step back, challenged their thoughts and considered competing theories.’
‘Freeman was lazy and failed to carry out a proper scene examination and Harrow was gung ho,’ Anna added.
‘Yes, but ultimately, I’m responsible for not treating Reynolds’ death as suspicious,’ Paul said.
‘I can’t say you shouldn’t have done more at the time, but we all make mistakes and in turn learn from them,’ Anna remarked.
Paul was close to tears. ‘I’ll be disciplined and demoted, won’t I?’
‘We don’t know what the outcome of our reinve
stigation will be, but whatever happens, Agent Dewar and I are on your side. Aren’t we?’
‘It goes without saying,’ Dewar replied firmly.
Paul looked so dejected that Anna felt it was not the time to begin examining the documents he’d brought over, and so told him that she and Jessie would look through everything and get back to him if they needed to. Paul thanked them for being so understanding and hurriedly left, clearly embarrassed and hurt.
‘Thanks for going easy on Paul Simms,’ Anna said.
‘He’s a nice guy. Will he have to face discipline proceedings?’
‘I hope not, but the final decision may well be out of my hands.’
Anna and Jessie were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Joan, come to tell them that Langton wanted everyone gathered in the main office for a half eleven meeting as he was on his way with the detective superintendent who would be taking over the Reynolds case. Anna looked at her watch and saw that they had just over an hour to get things prepared. She asked Joan if Langton had said who it was; typically, he hadn’t.
Anna suggested to Jessie that it would be a good idea if they had a look through the documents that Paul Simms had brought over in case there was anything that needed urgent attention or would be useful to bring up at the meeting.
They sat by the coffee table in their office and opened the box.
‘What first?’ Dewar asked.
‘Forensics and post-mortem exhibits would be a good place to start,’ Anna replied as she took out the exhibits list from the box, which was written and signed by Freeman. Jessie had her notebook and pen to hand.
‘Items from deceased: bloodstained white shirt, black trousers, socks, leather shoes and underwear, Rolex watch and one St Christopher pendant – nothing exciting there then,’ Anna remarked.
‘No wallet?’
‘Yeah, from his right pocket – it contained credit cards, Oyster travel card, cash and some receipts. In the left trouser pocket were three keys on a fob and some loose change.’
Wrongful Death Page 14
