‘Now then, Samuel Donaldson and Malcolm Kenny. Donaldson I don’t know, but Kenny’s a regular little villain. Petty stuff: drugs, burglary, an assault and battery – young girl, dropped the charges.’
‘Obviously a favourite pastime of his,’ Mac muttered. ‘You see the bruises on Edwards’s face?’
‘Mmmm.’ Jackson frowned. ‘We’ll see if we can get her to press charges, eh? I don’t want him getting off. The arrogant little bastard winds me up.’
‘He needs slapping down!’ Mac said. ‘I’d love to wipe that smug look off his face!’
Jackson nodded. ‘Anyway, that leaves Jake Costello and Simeon Marchant. Marchant’s been released already. He’s totally clean. No weapon, wasn’t at the murder scene, isn’t wanted. Claims to know nothing about the disturbance tonight and, to be honest, we can’t prove otherwise. Says he was visiting Marie Sinclair when the others kicked off, and she’s confirmed, so that’s the end of that. We’ll wait and see what his mates are saying, but I doubt it’ll make any difference.’
‘What about Grant’s allegation that Marchant had a sexual relationship with his daughter?’ Mac asked. ‘Sex with a minor. We can have him for that!’
‘She’s denying it,’ Jackson said. ‘Can’t try him on suspicion, can we? But don’t worry, I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.’
Putting the paper down on the desk, he pulled his drawer open. ‘Well, I think we’ve got enough for the time being. How about a celebratory drink?’ Pulling a bottle of Scotch from the drawer, he sent Eddie Walker to the canteen for some plastic cups.
‘What about Jake Costello?’ Paul asked while they were waiting for the cups. ‘Has he been released?’
‘Not yet,’ Jackson said. ‘I’m just having something checked out.’ He tapped the side of his nose. ‘You’ll just have to wait and see.’
Eddie came back with the cups and handed them to Jackson. He told him, ‘The Super wants you to go down to the interview room, sir. Suzanne Edwards volunteered to give a statement, and he thinks you might be interested to have a listen. Apparently she’s – and I quote – “singing like a lark”!’
Jackson poured the drinks and took a tiny swig from his own before jumping to his feet. ‘I don’t want to miss this! Stay and finish your drinks, gents,’ he said to Paul and Eddie. ‘Mac, you coming?’
Paul and Eddie waited until the senior officers had left the office, before jubilantly yelling: ‘YES!’ Clashing their cups together, they toasted their successful night.
30
Clutching her bail note tightly in her hand, Suzie ran from the station as fast as her legs would carry her. She was so relieved to be released – relieved it was nearly all over.
She felt sick with guilt about grassing Mal up, but the old policeman had frightened her. Sixteen years he’d said she’d get if she covered up for them. Sixteen! She couldn’t do that – she’d die! Anyway, he’d been right when he said it was too late to play the loyalty game. Mal was doomed no matter how hard she tried to help him. She realized that now. He was his own worst enemy, and lying for him now wouldn’t help him – or her.
Jackson watched from the doorway as she ran hell for leather down the road. He felt truly case-hardened for frightening a statement out of the poor kid. And that’s what she was, after all – a kid. Just seventeen years old – and look at the losers she’d got herself tangled up with. He shook his head sadly. Men like Malcolm Kenny really got his goat.
When she’d run out of sight around the bend, he went back inside and slapped a very tired Mac on the back. ‘What a night, Mac! What a bloody night!’
‘What a result!’ Mac yawned, grinning happily.
Suzie had told them everything they needed to know about Sunday night, putting Mal Kenny and Lee Naylor firmly in the frame. She’d explained all about being sent back for the mask, and then again to see if Lee was all right, and Jackson had no reason to believe she was lying. She’d been scared shitless. Her statement, along with Ivy Lilley’s, and the blood sample – as long as it was a match, and he had no doubt that it would be – would go a long, long way towards securing a sound conviction.
It was highly unlikely Suzie would be prosecuted, as he’d eventually explained to her – much to her relief. Because of her co-operation, she would probably walk away from the whole experience unscathed – if a lot more careful about the type of man she got herself involved with!
Strangely enough, she’d flatly denied being with Simeon Marchant against her will. He obviously had quite a way with women, Jackson supposed, which was presumably why they all felt driven to defend him.
She was also adamant that Gerald Grant and Samuel Donaldson had played almost no part in the robbery – and none whatsoever in the shooting. Jackson hadn’t been able to relieve her fears for them, but had told her he thought it unlikely that they would receive long sentences for such minor roles. His instincts told him they were pretty clean and basically decent blokes, and he didn’t think a jury would view them in quite the same light as Naylor and Kenny. Grant and Donaldson might get lucky – this time.
It was going on for six when Suzie stopped at a phone box and called Wendy. By then, she was practically hysterical with guilt and regret, but Wendy was very calm. She said she would sort out a good solicitor for Sam and Ged at nine – but refused to even consider helping Mal and Lee. They would have to take whatever the courts allotted them. She then told Suzie to go home and collect her things and jump in a taxi. She could stay with Wendy for as long as she wanted. And she wasn’t to worry, because she’d done exactly the right thing in telling everything she knew. It was time to start living her own life now.
Putting the phone down, Wendy looked down at Melissa and smiled.
‘Where were we?’ she cooed softly. ‘Oh, that’s right. Mummy was telling you how precious you are, wasn’t she, sweetheart? How very, very much she loves you. And how very sorry she is for being so horrible to you. But Mummy’s going to make it up to you. And she’s going to make sure Daddy comes home safe and sound. Oh yes, she is . . .’
Melissa snuffled contentedly, reaching tiny fingers to her mother’s lips as she spoke.
When Suzie reached the flat, she was disgusted to find Elaine fast asleep in her bed. She debated whether to wake her and kick her skanky backside out there and then, but decided to wait until she’d gathered together what she’d come for.
Making her way silently around the flat, she rooted out not only Mal’s share of the money, but Lee’s too. Stashing it safely in the bottom of her overnight case, she added the few things she wanted to take, then zipped it up.
Taking a last look around, she spotted Elaine’s bags sitting by the door. Out of interest, she tipped them up onto the floor. Amongst Elaine’s junk, out fell Suzie’s favourite lipstick, a necklace Mal had bought her when they first got together, a small photo of Mal she’d thought she’d mislaid – and a carefully stashed wad of Lee’s money. Ripping the photo to shreds, she left it there with Elaine’s junk. The rest of the stuff she put into her own bag.
Walking into the bedroom with Mal’s bag of coke in her hand, she poured it into Elaine’s sleep-gaping mouth. Elaine woke immediately, choking and spluttering as she tried to spit the powder out.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ she screeched, seeing Suzie standing over her with a livid expression on her face. ‘You could have fuckin’ killed me, you stupid bitch!’
Suzie shrugged. ‘Thought if you liked it so much, you might as well finish it,’ she said. ‘And it’s the last thing you’re getting out of me! Now get your fucking filthy arse out of my bed and piss off out of my flat before I rip your fucking face off!’
Elaine hesitated for just a second, then jumped up and dodged past Suzie and out of the door. She knew better than to argue with a psychopath. And judging by the look on Suzie’s face, that’s what she had to be. It took less than a minute to stuff her things back into her bags and leave.
She just hoped that Tommy would take her back w
ithout the money.
31
Going back to the office later that morning, Jackson and Mac found the last piece of the puzzle waiting for them on the desk.
The dossier of unsolved rapes with the same MO, reported over the last two years.
Jackson sat down quickly and threw the thick folder open. The photofit pictures made up from the victims’ descriptions were all there at the top.
‘I knew it!’ he said, slamming the photofits down on his desk and spreading them out. ‘Look at that, Mac!’
Mac came round and studied the pictures. ‘Bloody hell!’ He hissed out a breath between his teeth. ‘Another result!’
‘Better than that,’ Jackson said, grinning. ‘Read the descriptions. What’s the most obvious thing?’
‘Weird green eyes,’ Mac read aloud. He looked up and smiled. ‘That’s our boy! Never seen such strange eyes. And look at the rest. Exceptionally good-looking, neat dreadlocks, light-skinned, freckles on the nose . . . It’s him, all right!’
‘We’ve finally got the fucker!’ Jackson winked, beaming broadly. ‘Want to come and give him the good news?’
‘Wouldn’t miss it!’ Mac said. ‘Boy, that was a good night! I reckon we might well be in line for a nice bit of promotion – well, you, anyway!’
‘Fingers crossed!’ Jackson said. ‘But I’d take demotion if it meant getting this one banged up. Let’s hope the evil little shit’s prepared to take what he’s been giving, eh? Life is a long, long time to play prison wife!’
Mac shuddered exaggeratedly. ‘Ooh, it doesn’t bear thinking about, Ted! Come on. Let’s go and wake him up!’
‘Why not?’ said Jackson, heading for the door. ‘He might as well get used to the early-morning rude awakenings! Like I always say,’ he grinned, opening the door and stepping out. ‘What goes around . . .’
‘Comes around!’ Mac finished, closing the door behind them.
The Front Page 33
