by Carol Wyer
‘What happened to your friend? What was her name? Did she not hang out with you at the Sky Bar?’
‘Claire. Claire Lewis. She lives locally. She’s a photographer. She was celebrating because she won a contract with a big magazine to do some wildlife shots in Scotland. She was so excited. She’s up there now. I got a text from her yesterday. Claire cried off almost as soon as we got into the hotel. She received a call from a neighbour to say her house alarm was going off and she needed to go home and sort it. She panicked in case an intruder had set it off. I volunteered to go with her but she refused to let me. Since I was at the hotel, I thought I might as well go to the bar and say hello to Christophe, so I stayed. I don’t think I managed to say hello to Christophe,’ she added. ‘Claire rang the next day to say it was a false alarm. She was well cheesed off. She’d fancied a proper night out with me. I didn’t tell her about Gavin.’
‘Stu told me he saw Lucas Matthews at the bar that night.’
Zoe cocked her head to one side, then a smile spread across her face. ‘That’s it. That’s where I spotted him. I thought his face was familiar. He was at the bar with a bottle of beer in his hand. I noticed him because he looked so serious and he was alone. No one stands alone at a bar for so long. They are usually waiting for somebody to join them but he didn’t look like he was. He was staring at us all, like he was the odd one out. Now I remember.’
‘Did he talk to you?’
‘No. I stayed with the guys. I wasn’t in a fit state to walk across a room alone and I was getting it on with Gavin.’
‘Did you see Lucas in any other part of the hotel? Maybe when you went to the toilet?’
‘No. I didn’t leave the bar until I went home with Gavin. They’ll all vouch for me.’
‘And you definitely didn’t accompany him downstairs or bump into him downstairs at the entrance?’
‘Absolutely not. I left the hotel with Gavin. He came back to my place. If you check with Gavin, he’ll confirm that, but please, don’t say anything in front of his wife. She’s a ballsy lawyer. She’ll take him for everything he’s got and prevent him seeing his kids ever again. He’s so worried she’ll find out. We really shouldn’t have shagged. We both regret it. Gavin asked Jackson and Stu to keep quiet about it too. He says he can trust them.’
‘Can you account for your movements the next day?’
‘Am I a suspect?’
‘No. Just ensuring I know where everyone was who saw Lucas Matthews that night.’
‘I was with Gavin until mid-morning the following day. I had a terrible hangover so I dropped by Keep Fit Gym to work it out of my system. It’s the best way for me to deal with that sort of thing. I trained for a couple of hours and then stood in for Stacey on the desk while she took Toni’s classes for her, so she could go and visit her gran who wasn’t well. I had hoped to meet Martin but he was off that day. After Stacey finished her shift at about six, we grabbed a bite to eat at Wetherspoons around the corner from the gym, and I went home after that and Skyped Adam. I was in work early the next morning, and stayed in London all week with Adam until last night when I came back here to get some fresh clothes and sort through my post. I thought it was best to stay away. I didn’t want to bump into Gavin or his wife. Farnborough can be a small place at times.’
‘I’m going to ask one last time, even though you’ve answered this question. Have you ever met Lucas Matthews before or seen him anywhere other than the Aviator hotel?’
‘Hand on heart; I have never heard of this man before you mentioned him. I have never spoken to him or met with him or anything with him. I have no idea who he is.’
‘What about Mary Matthews?’
‘No,’ replied Zoe with a frown. ‘Not heard of her either. Is she related?’
‘She’s his wife.’
‘Poor thing. I bet she’s worried senseless about him.’
‘Okay, thank you again, Zoe. I appreciate your help.’
‘Is that it?’
‘For the moment.’ A crackled announcement interrupted them.
‘That’s my train. Call me if you have any other questions.’
‘I shall.’
Robyn watched as Zoe dashed through the station entrance and over the bridge, arriving on the other side just as her train to London pulled in. She piled onto the train with the other commuters, her green hair standing out in the crowd of greys, browns and blondes who shuffled into the carriages. A whistle blew and the train pulled away again. Robyn closed her eyes. That nagging feeling was back again. It was the same feeling she had every time she looked at Zoe Cooper’s face. What was it? What was she missing?
She sat for a while in her car. She was so close to the solution she could almost touch it. She ran through what she had one more time: Lucas Matthews had been tracking Zoe Cooper but that night in the bar he did not approach her.
Her phone lit up. Detective Inspector Shearer was after her. He was terse.
‘Coroner’s report is through. I’ll send over a copy to your email but I thought you’d want to know that Lucas Matthews was attacked with a stun gun. The murderer not only used it to torture him in the genitals but also held it close to his heart and probably caused a heart attack. Details are in the report. The report also states that due to the maggot activity in his body he was likely to have been dead for five days prior to being discovered, which coincides with the last sighting of him at the Aviator hotel in Farnborough.’
‘Thanks. So our murderer stunned him then he had a heart attack?’
‘It appears that way. I hate to blow my own trumpet, being a modest sort of chap, but I was spot on with those red marks. They were burns from a stun gun.’
‘Okay, thanks, Tom. Appreciate you calling me direct.’
‘I figured you’d have PC Softy doing all the desk work so it was easier to tell you myself.’
‘I am too busy to think of a suitable retort to that comment. He’s a good officer, you know?’
‘Course he is. Needs to toughen up though. It’s a big bad world, DI Carter, as we both know. Any closer to your murderer?’
‘I’m so close I can almost tell you what deodorant they wear.’
Shearer chuckled. ‘Report is on its way. Catch you around, Robyn.’
She dialled Mitz to get an update and was pleased to hear him sounding enthusiastic.
‘Finally located your rabbit. It’s a Jellycat Really Big Bashful Bunny Soft Toy in cream. Can be purchased online or in large retail stores.’
‘On that subject, did you receive the Christina Forman photographs?’
‘I did and I examined the toy rabbit in the photograph but it’s nothing like the one at Blinkley. It is a much older toy. You can see where it has lost some of its fur. I can’t find a match for it so it must be a toy that is no longer sold.’
There was a voice in the background. Anna was talking.
‘I’ll put Anna on,’ said Mitz.
‘Hi, boss. The autopsy on Mary Matthews has been emailed across. She died of cyanide poisoning. I won’t read out the entire report but it states that the hypostasis was brick-red, due to excess oxyhaemoglobin and to the presence of cyanmethemoglobin.’
Robyn’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She knew cyanide interfered with the red cells’ abilities to extract oxygen, causing ‘internal asphyxia’. Mary Matthews had literally suffocated to death as she breathed in oxygen she couldn’t use.
‘That’s helpful,’ said Robyn. ‘So, we are now definitely looking for a killer who has murdered Lucas and Mary Matthews. You still not turned up any unusual vehicle activity at Mary’s house, Mitz?’
‘Nothing. The neighbours keep themselves to themselves and don’t seem to notice what goes on. And she had those gates that hid her property.’
‘That’s a nuisance. We could do with a break.’ Robyn gathered her thoughts before she spoke again. ‘I’m fairly convinced Paul Matthews’ and Geraldine Marsh’s deaths are related to this case, and I want to look into them again if pos
sible. I’m banging my head against a wall here for a suspect. I’ve interviewed Zoe Cooper and it’s highly unlikely she is involved in any of the murders. She not only denies being with Lucas the night he left the hotel – which was the last sighting of him and most likely the last night he was alive – but she has an airtight alibi for that night, no motive and an alibi for the rest of the week so that rules her out. Did you dig any dirt at all on her?’
‘Nothing that helps us. Zoe Charlotte Cooper, unmarried, aged twenty-five, lives in rented accommodation in Farnborough. Attended Farnborough Hill where she was a keen gymnast. Trained at college to become a fitness instructor. Has several fitness qualifications, no convictions and has glowing references from ex-employers. Her bank accounts are solvent and her credit rating’s good so no financial problems. Nothing else has been flagged up. I’ve got more information but none of it points to anything other than a hard-working individual who has not had so much as a parking ticket. Her parents are both alive and now live in Cardiff, and she has an older sister who has emigrated to Australia.’
‘She’s such an improbable suspect. And, I can’t fathom why Paul Matthews and Lucas wanted to find her?’
Mitz joined the conversation now on speakerphone.
‘Not sure how much this helps but I’ve had difficulty finding information on both Natasha Matthews and Abigail Thorne. I’m concentrating on Abigail Thorne at the moment. There is little on her before she came to Farnborough, no family members, no school records, nothing.’
Robyn sat up. ‘Go on. This sounds interesting.’
‘It’s a bit peculiar, that’s for sure. It’s like she didn’t exist as a child or young adult. I have passport details for an Abigail Susannah Bridges; born in Leeds, date of birth twenty-fifth November 1986. I have nothing else on her until May 2010 when she worked in hospitality at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. She then took up employment at the boutique in Farnborough, selling upmarket designer evening clothes and brideswear and stayed there until 2015 when she took maternity leave but did not return to work after the birth of Isobel Willow Thorne. She married Jackson Scott Thorne in May 2011. It was a small private affair in Farnborough. I couldn’t unearth much more information about it other than we already have. I think that’s about it for Abigail Thorne.’
‘Keep digging and chase up the tech boys. I want to know what else was on Paul Matthews’ laptop. I’m going back to his house now. I’m sure I missed something there. When you’ve done all that, meet me there.’
She ended the call. It was a blow that the rabbit at Christina’s death scene had not been the same as the one at Lucas’s. She might just be barking up the wrong tree with this line of thought. Robyn needed to solve this case. It was not beyond her skills. She had lost so much in the last year; she needed to prove to herself she hadn’t lost everything.
52
Then
The plan is going well. I’ve managed to cajole Zoe into joining me at Propaganda. It’s busy as usual when we arrive and I pretend to be mega-excited about a new contract I am supposed to have with a magazine. Zoe kisses me on both cheeks and squeals in delight. We dance about like excited schoolgirls and I say the treat is on me. I order her a huge espresso martini and slip some Rohypnol into it. I ordered the pills from an online site that didn’t even ask for a prescription for them. It’ll make her get drunk very quickly, and feel all warm and loving, which is pretty much what I need. Zoe is quite reckless when she’s drunk and I am banking on that fact tonight.
I’ve been tracking Jackson’s phone as well as Abigail’s. He’s as bad as her for leaving stuff lying about. If they had less money they might pay more attention to their belongings. When I was visiting them I spotted it on the dashboard in his flash car with the door unlocked. He really should be more security-conscious. If I’d wanted to, I could have hot-wired his car and driven off with it. Okay, that’s maybe a bit beyond my skills, but swiping his mobile and hiding around the corner of the house while I opened it up and installed the spyware was simple enough. I was a little concerned he would come out to his car but I had a story lined up if I had been spotted and I am pretty good at stealing things so I would have been able to slide it back into one of his pockets if I’d needed to. I returned the phone and left. Neither were any the wiser.
I bought the spyware online legally; so no worries there. Apparently wives who think their husbands are cheating on them often use this method. Thanks to my spyware I happen to know that Jackson is going to be at the Sky Bar in half an hour which gives me time to get Zoe ready for her performance. She’s going to be an important pawn in my private game of chess.
We’re about to enter the hotel when I pretend my neighbour is calling.
‘Oh no. I’ll be right there. No. Don’t call the police,’ I bleat. ‘Not after last time. They’ll think I’m a time waster.’
Zoe is anxious for me. I am almost tearful.
‘Oh, Zoe, my house alarm has gone off. I need to get back. The neighbours think they saw someone running away from the house. They want to call the police.’
‘Oh no, I’ll come with you,’ she slurs. ‘You can’t face burglars alone.’
‘They’ll be long gone. No. You stay here and celebrate without me. I’ll call you.’
She looks confused, as well she may, given the amount of alcohol and drugs in her system. ‘Christophe, Jackson and the others are here,’ I say to encourage her.
‘Are they?’ she replies cheerfully and giving me a peck on the cheek and a hug, she tells me to take care and totters off into the lobby. I wait only a moment and follow her up the stairs where voices indicate the Sky Bar is fairly full. I stand by the open door. I have my phone set to camera in preparation. I’m counting on her. She’s so easy to spot with her ridiculous green hair and my instincts are proved correct as she lurches towards the group of pilots, throwing her arms around them and kissing them all on the lips, much as I have seen her do before on the rare occasions she has been drunk. I aim my phone and take as many photographs as I can. One or two of them will be ideal.
Poor old scapegoat Zoe. I have used her identity often. I like aliases and Zoe makes an excellent one. I have two fake email accounts in her name and several other accounts, including one with Amazon. It makes sense to use them when I shop for certain items. I also have a box at the post office in her name where I take delivery of my parcels. I get so used to using her name that I sometimes use it by accident. A while ago I used it for a photograph competition. It was tricky as I won the competition but since they sent my prize – a top-of-the-range Nikon camera – to “Zoe’s” post-office address, I came out of it okay.
I’m about to leave when out of the corner of my eye I spot him – Lucas Matthews. My heart quickens. What’s brought him here to the Aviator hotel? Has he discovered where I live? I try to control my heartbeat, taking slow breaths as I often do when I’m stressed. I notice he is looking at Zoe, a puzzled expression on his face. Dad is chuckling. ‘Now here’s the opportunity you’ve been waiting for,’ he says.
He’s right. I’ve brought my bag of tricks in case I needed to disguise myself as Zoe, but they’ll be put to better use now. I study Lucas. He is watching Zoe who has just stumbled drunkenly into Gavin. Gavin holds her up, his face grinning at her in a friendly but lustful way. Zoe has that effect on men. They all want to look after her and care for her. She doesn’t need that though. She’s a modern-day woman. She enjoys her life exactly as it is. I suppose that’s what I like about her and even though I intend messing up her life, it is with a modicum of regret. However, needs must. Lucas can’t tear his eyes away from her. It seems he has worked out who has been blackmailing him and it won’t be long before he says something to Zoe. I need to act now before he spoils everything.
I sit on a chair, hiding behind a crowd of men in evening suits, though I can see Lucas glance in my direction occasionally. I have an idea. I need to be bold to carry it out. Dad whispers words of encouragement. I head towards where Lucas is
standing, lean over the bar to ask the barman for a gin and tonic and accidentally sweep his bottle of beer off the bar. Before he can react, I wave my hands in despair and apologise loudly in an accent that manages to sound authentically Eastern European, and then insist on buying him another.
‘Please. So sorry. I get you more beer,’ I say, swiping at the spillage with a large tissue. ‘Sorry, barman. I make big mess.’ Lucas loses interest in me, shrugs and accepts the offer, turning back to Zoe who is now hanging on to Gavin’s arm for dear life and leaning into his shoulder. It wouldn’t surprise me if the pair end up in bed together and I smile. I set up a hidden spy camera in Zoe’s bedroom two weeks ago. It records onto an SD card whenever it senses motion and has a capacity of up to 64 GB, giving weeks of recording time. Zoe has no idea of its true purpose. It’s very similar to the one in Abigail’s mansion. The cameras are quite popular for watching over vulnerable people such as the elderly or children and are sometimes known as nanny cams or granny cams. If I’m fortunate, it’ll record something X-rated that I can use to aid my plan.
The barman passes me another Peroni and with one swift movement no one sees I tip in some of the Rohypnol I used to spike Zoe’s drink. I offer apologies again and put the drink on the bar for Lucas to pick up and when I am sure he has drunk from the bottle, I steal away to the toilets where I change into my disguise.
My waiting pays off and Lucas leaves the bar. He has not challenged Zoe. No doubt the men surrounding her scared him off. His eyes are unfocused and he is wavering a little. I wait until he has navigated his way to the stairs then I appear beside him.
‘Mr Matthews,’ I say. ‘I believe you’ve been looking for me.’
‘Zoe Cooper?’ he asks, eyes blinking in surprise. One eye moves to stare at me.
‘That’s right, and we need to talk.’
