Liar Liar: Another gripping serial killer thriller from the bestselling author (DC Charlotte Stafford Series)

by Sarah Flint

  She beckoned the team onwards and they climbed the four flights of stairs, stopping to catch their breath at the top briefly before treading silently along the landing. The padlock was still in place, hanging open on its catch, signifying the presence of people within. At least on this occasion it looked as if they might be lucky. This time there would be no softly-softly approach, it would be Dennis Walters on the back foot.

  ‘Go, go, go,’ the word was given and within seconds the door lay in a heap of splintered wood and their subjects were in sight. Dennis Walters sprang forward in surprise from his armchair, his hands shooting towards his groin, before being forcibly placed in handcuffs. He continued to struggle, kicking out at anyone close enough, until he was lifted up and dumped unceremoniously on the dirty carpet, his mouth against the filth.

  Lisa Forrester was spread out lazily along the sofa, her skinny legs propped up over the armrest, her pupils dilated in the half-light. She made no attempt to move, smiling languidly in obvious amusement as Walters struggled and spat, before she too was placed in handcuffs.

  On a coffee table in front of Walters lay the remnants of his evening’s labours. A cutting block with a dusting of white powder, scales, cling film and razor blades, along with a pile of empty snap-bags and the remains of some herbal cannabis plants. It was clear he liked to offer his customers a choice.

  Charlie and Hunter stepped forward when the situation was calm and Charlie put a copy of the warrant down.

  ‘Nice to see you again, Lisa,’ she said, before turning towards Walters. ‘Dennis, I have a warrant to search you and your flat for drugs, under s23 Misuse of Drugs Act.’ She nodded towards the coffee table. ‘I see you and Lisa know exactly what I’m talking about.’

  Dennis Walters strained towards her. ‘Well, if it’s not the same two arrogant pigs as before. I remember the last time you visited me. In fact I remember everything about you. I had a feeling I would be seeing the pair of you again after I fucked you off, squealing with fright. You lot can never leave me alone, can you?’

  ‘Actually, it looks like we need to keep an even closer eye on you.’ Charlie ignored the jibe.

  ‘You silly bitch. You might think you can pin me down, but you can’t.’ Walters laughed, his mouth contorted in a sneer, before turning towards Hunter and starting to grunt and squeal.

  Hunter took a step towards Walters and bent down, staring straight into his face. ‘You might think you’re a big man, in front of your new woman, but you’re not.’ He stood back up, still looking straight into his face as Walters continued to grunt like a pig.

  ‘Dennis, leave it,’ Lisa Forrester piped up. ‘It ain’t worth it.’

  Walters turned towards her angrily but stopped the noise abruptly before facing his guards. ‘All right, all right, but look at them, your Samson was right doing the things what he did. All cops are filthy pigs. They all deserve what he was handing out.’

  Hunter bent towards him again. ‘And you’re just a piece-of-shit drug dealer, who likes to take his orders from a woman. Now shut up, Dennis, like Lisa here has told you.’ Hunter straightened, before turning towards Paul, Nick and two other officers holding Walters. ‘Get him up and take him into the bathroom. Strip-search him… and make sure you do it thoroughly.’

  With that, Dennis Walters was lifted to his feet and frogmarched from the room.

  Lisa’s eyes followed him out as he left before turning towards Charlie. ‘Stupid bastard, ’e’ll never learn to keep his mouth shut. None of ’em do.’ She slumped back against the sofa.

  ‘You need to be searched too.’ Charlie took hold of her arm and helped her to stand, before walking her through to the bedroom with Naz.

  ‘Well you won’t find nuffin’ on me. I smoked it all earlier.’ She laughed. ‘By the way, you didn’t look surprised to see me here.’

  ‘I saw you and him together the other morning. And when we last spoke you said you were looking for somewhere to stay. It didn’t take too much to put two and two together. Were you with him last night, Lisa?’

  ‘I was for a bit, but then I weren’t. He ’ad something ’e needed to do.’

  ‘Do you know what?’

  ‘Nah, I wouldn’t ask, an’ ’e didn’t say. ’E was out most of the night. Never heard ’im come in at all. Probably out there doin’ what he was gonna be doin’ tonight.’

  ‘And what’s that?’

  ‘Nuffin’. I mean I ain’t saying nuffin’ more.’

  ‘Could he have been doing what Samson did?’

  ‘What d’ya mean?’

  ‘There was another police officer killed last night.’

  ‘I know. I saw it flash up on the news on my phone,’ Lisa Forrester sat up straight and blinked hard. ‘I told Dennis when he woke up; ’e’s been in bed most of the day. ’E just laughed and made a comment about someone obviously carrying on the good work. Shit! ’E couldn’t ’ave done it.’ She paused. ‘Could he?’

  Charlie shook her head. ‘That’s what we need to find out.’

  There was nothing of note on Lisa, as she’d forecast; though, as they searched her, Charlie couldn’t help noticing the needle tracks running up her arms and groin, and the scars all over her body, the result of years of drug abuse and physical assaults at the hands of Samson Powell. She’d transferred her affections from one violent man to another, her vulnerability forcing her life choices.

  ‘Lisa, if we could help you get detox again, would you let me know if you hear anything about who’s doing these killings? You’ve lost your partner and now, four families have lost their loved ones. We really need to stop it happening and I think there might be more than one person involved.’

  ‘You mean Samson might not ’ave bin doing what ’e did on ’is own? Even though you said all the evidence was that ’e had.’

  ‘All the physical evidence does show him as the perpetrator, but we need to find out whether there was anyone else working with him, giving him specific information or co-ordinating things.’

  Lisa paused before putting her T-shirt back on, rubbing her hand across a large bruise on her shoulder blade. ‘I know what it’s like ’aving someone telling you what to do all the time.’ She smiled wistfully and they moved back into the front room which had now been searched.

  Hunter was waiting, looking out from the dirty windows of the flat towards the city of London. He turned around and faced them as they returned.

  ‘Paul says they’ve found a load of gear down Dennis’s pants,’ he explained. ‘What a surprise, eh? Eleven wraps of crack cocaine and ten snap-bags of skunk cannabis. He’s been arrested and will be leaving shortly.’

  ‘Lisa had nothing on her, guv. She’s agreed to keep her ears open for anything that might help us with our enquiries.’

  ‘In that case, I think we’ll put the last remnants of drugs on the coffee table down to Dennis too. It is his flat, after all, and you haven’t been here for long, have you Lisa?’ His speech was interrupted by several loud shouts from the direction of the bathroom.

  Dennis Walters was bundled out, still struggling and swearing loudly, his clothing in disarray and his arms held behind his back. Paul was grinning broadly, while Nick walked a few paces behind, his cheeks flushed red, letting the uniformed officers do all the restraining.

  ‘Mr Walters, it seems we have at least pinned you down for something; possession of drugs with intent to supply.’ Hunter turned towards him. ‘I shall look forward to hearing what you have to say later, at the station.’

  ‘You bastards. It’s for my personal fucking use, as well you know it. You’ll never prove supply.’ His mouth curled up in a sneer. ‘Everyone knows you have to bulk-buy if you’re a user and check what you’re given to make sure you’re not ripped off. That’s all I’m fucking doing.’

  ‘Yes, well, you can tell the court why you choose to secrete your precious drugs down your pants, rather than smoking it, or hiding it safely here.’ He turned towards Lisa. ‘Miss Forrester will be staying here. She�
�ll look after your place while you’re with us. I’m sure she’ll do whatever’s needed.’

  Charlie smiled. It was the best arrangement Lisa could have hoped for; a roof over her head, with no fear of violence. A few hours or days to relax without fear.

  Dennis Walters swivelled round towards Lisa, spitting saliva as he spoke. ‘Lisa, in that case I need you to contact Shirley Sangster. Tell her that DI Geoffrey Hunter and DC Charlotte Stafford have arrested me.’ He pronounced each name carefully. ‘Tell her it’s an emergency and they’ve been harassing me and have used excessive force. She’ll know what to do.’

  Chapter 32

  On a whim, Charlie drove Paul through the Angell Town Estate where Shirley Sangster lived, navigating the narrow streets, between rows of identically proportioned houses and larger blocks.

  The search of Walters’ flat had just been concluded and nothing of note found relating to the murders. Like Powell’s residence, the flat appeared to be clean. They had only the stash of drugs to keep Walters in custody, but hopefully that would be enough to get him locked up out of the way, at least for a while. Hunter had been called back to speak to the DCI, taking Nick with him.

  ‘So… what happened in there with Nick?’ Charlie couldn’t wait to ask.

  Paul laughed. ‘Walters took an instant dislike to him. Kept calling him a pretty boy and asking if he was my boyfriend, that sort of thing. It doesn’t bother me. I’m used to it, but Nick didn’t know what to say, especially when they found the drugs strapped to his bollocks and Walters grabbed Nick’s hand and asked if he wanted to have a feel. He turned beetroot red and just shrunk into the corner.’

  Charlie shook her head. ‘I don’t think he’s cut out for this job.’

  ‘And I’m damn sure that Hunter thinks the same,’ Paul agreed. ‘It’s just a matter of time before he loses his last life. If he hasn’t already, judging by Hunter’s face when he found out what had happened. I’ll miss his cute little arse, though, if he goes.’

  ‘So will Naz. She thinks he’s hot.’

  ‘And you will. Don’t pretend you don’t like him. I’ve seen you peeking.’

  She wound the window down, wondering if Paul was right. ‘Well let’s just wait and see,’ she said as they passed a basketball court, watching as a team of lads jumped and twisted, their shouts gaining the attention of a group of women stood chatting on the corner. The sound of their gossip brought her thoughts back into sharp focus.

  ‘Paul, you heard what Walters said. Do you think Shirley Sangster could be our missing link?’

  ‘I think, if there is a missing link, she would fit the bill perfectly, but you need to go careful, Charlie. I did some digging when you first mentioned her name and Sangster does hold an awful lot of clout. One wrong word and that could be the end of your career as you know it.’

  Charlie grimaced. ‘I’m well aware of that, but she is ideally placed and would naturally have followers who she could influence.’

  ‘Like Samson Powell and Dennis Walters.’ Paul wound his own window down. ‘What’s been worrying me since Powell’s suicide, and I heard your ideas, was why were Brian Ashton and Philippa McGovern killed in the way they were. If Sangster was organising the deaths and the methods to be used, why choose those? It’s fair enough to select the method she did for Leonard Cookson, she knows that case personally… but Walters had a grudge against Brian Ashton for harassment and unlawful arrest, not theft. And he hated Philippa McGovern because he thought she’d deliberately targeted him for domestic violence issues… not laziness and incompetence. Surely Sangster would have chosen methods to fit Walters’ gripes, not the official complaints.’

  ‘You’re right, Paul. And Jason Lloyd’s murder is the same. Sangster might have heard talk on the streets from the one burglary victim who lived nearby, but how would she have known about the other sexual harassment complaints against him or the details of which websites and apps were used by the other victims?’

  ‘By having access to our official complaints system?’

  ‘But each complaint is being investigated by a different DPS officer, I checked.’ She swallowed hard as the final piece to her jigsaw appeared to fall into place. ‘But if Shirley Sangster is involved… Shit, Paul.’

  Paul stayed silent.

  ‘DS Hayley Boyle. She’s in regular contact with Sangster because she’s still dealing with Shirley’s complaint against Leonard Cookson for framing her son. It would also explain why both Powell’s and Walters’ flats were pretty much devoid of anything to link them with the crimes. Boyle could advise them on being forensically aware. Thinking about it, she did seem nervous when I first asked her about Sangster… as if she was hiding something.’

  ‘And she’s been in the DPS for years.’ Paul shrugged his shoulders. ‘None of us want corrupt coppers in our ranks. We know that more than most… but a fair few of the complaints are made to muddy the waters at court, or are mischief-making or just plain malicious.’

  Charlie swung the car out of the estate and pressed down on the accelerator, her pulse racing. They needed to get back to the office quickly. Her mind flew to the smartly suited DPS officer intent on asking both her and Hunter about the details of their previous case. ‘Who in their right minds would want to spend their career dealing with complaints against their own hard-working colleagues?’

  ‘Someone who is very driven to get any officer she considers to be a bad apple off the streets.’

  A chill ran up Charlie’s spine as Paul spoke. ‘Or crush them completely.’

  *

  Hunter was still holed up in DCI O’Connor’s office when Charlie and Paul returned, desperate to share their suspicions. The others had booked off-duty, Nick having disappeared immediately on his return, all thoughts of waiting for Charlie to join him for a drink being firmly put on hold.

  After knocking smartly on his door, impatience got the better of her and Charlie opened it to see both men staring frostily at one another.

  ‘What do you want?’ Declan O’Connor was clearly in no mood for pleasantries.

  ‘Boss, we need to speak to you both urgently… about the latest murder.’ She turned towards Hunter. ‘You know you thought it could be the work of a copycat killer, who has somehow got hold of the information about Jason Lloyd’s complaint, well, Paul and I think we might know how.’

  ‘You’d better come in then,’ the DCI said, his expression one of interest.

  ‘And you’d better have evidence,’ Hunter said at the same time, his expression one of weary annoyance.

  *

  It took almost half an hour for Charlie to fully explain the whole basis for her theories, during which time Declan O’Connor went from mild interest to deep concentration. Charlie explained everything, from the information that Saffron Bolt had given about Samson Powell’s willingness to do everything she’d asked of him, to her discussions with Anna Christophe about the personality traits of a psychopath and their worry that other replacements had been lined up in the event of Powell’s culpability being established. The fact that the latest murder could well have proved them right was not lost on the DCI and his frown deepened as Charlie listed the associations between Powell, Lisa Forrester, Dennis Walters and Shirley Sangster. At the mention of Sangster’s name, he let out an audible groan.

  ‘Please say she’s not involved. That woman is the bane of my life. She must come to the police station ranting and raving at least two or three times every week, and she’s usually surrounded by half a dozen of her cronies.’

  Charlie rubbed at a patch of dirt on her sleeve. ‘Worse than that, boss. We think it might be her who selects which officers she wants to kill from listening to those same cronies, but then chooses her methods from finding out about any official outstanding complaints. There are not many active coppers, in contentious departments like Trident, the CSU or team that don’t have at least one outstanding complaint these days.’

  ‘Am I understanding you correctly? Are you saying there is someo
ne passing her this information?’ DCI O’Connor stood up and paced around the desk.

  ‘That’s exactly what we’re suggesting, sir. It’s only a suspicion, but the information must be getting leaked from somewhere. The methods used are absolutely specific to the complaints, especially the latest. Research might have provided a few answers, but there’s no way anyone could accurately find out every detail, even down to which dating websites Jason Lloyd was using, without some inside information.’

  ‘And now you’re going to tell me who?’ He stopped pacing and stared directly at Charlie, who coloured immediately.

  ‘Well… again it’s only a suspicion at present but,’ she looked at Paul for reassurance and he nodded in return. ‘We were thinking, maybe DS Hayley Boyle. She is in regular contact with Shirley Sangster and there was something odd in her manner when I asked her about the woman the other day after my interview.’

  The DCI looked pointedly at Hunter, before sitting down abruptly, chewing on his bottom lip. ‘Shit.’ Charlie watched as the DCI’s frown deepened, before he continued. ‘Do you remember the day you got the DNA result on Samson Powell? You two were supposed to be meeting Hayley for interviews that afternoon, weren’t you?’

  ‘And you said the only way you would let us off them was to bring you the name, address and inside leg measurement of your suspect.’ Hunter nodded.

  ‘Yes, that’s right. Well, when you did, I phoned Hayley straight away to tell her you had to conduct an urgent arrest enquiry and to cancel her.’ The DCI shook his head in obvious disgust. ‘And she would have known which case you were on. Bloody hell! I thought you just had bad luck on the day, but if you’re right in what you suspect, she could have phoned that information on to Sangster… and that’s why Powell wasn’t in.’