‘Oh yes, there were drugs all right; speed! One of the buggers must have slipped it into her drink. So, what we need to do now is find some evidence that links Julie Quinley and Rita Steadman to the drugs. You and I both know that they killed Amanda Morris; we just need to prove it!’
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Wednesday 25th June 1986
Inside the Portland Bars Inspector Bowden made a beeline for the barman, and produced his identity card. He needn’t have bothered. The barman recognised him immediately. He had experienced his interview techniques in the past, and he guessed what the inspector’s visit was about.
‘I’ve already spoken to one of your officers and I’ve got nothing more to say!’ he announced as Inspector Bowden approached the bar, accompanied by Sergeant Drummond.
‘Well, let’s see if we can have another go at jogging your memory then?’ the inspector replied, while he gestured towards an empty table. The barman followed, not wishing to upset the inspector.
‘I believe that you saw Julie Quinley and Rita Steadman pouring vodka into Amanda Morris’s drink,’ prompted Inspector Bowden.
‘No, I didn’t say that,’ the barman interjected. ‘I saw two girls at the bar pouring a vodka into someone’s drink. I don’t know whose drink it was. I don’t even know if those are the girls you’re talking about, but your officer seemed to think they fitted the description.’
‘Can you be sure that it was vodka they were pouring into the drink?’
‘Yeah, sure.’
‘How can you be so sure? It could have been anything they were putting in!’ fumed Inspector Bowden.
‘No, it was definitely vodka; they bought it here at the bar.’
‘Right, fair enough. Can you be certain then that they didn’t put something in the glass as well as vodka?’
‘Not that I noticed. As soon as they put the vodka in they were off.’
‘And what were their reactions while they were pouring the vodka?’
‘They just seemed to be having a laugh. I guessed that they were playing a trick on someone ... oh I would have stopped them but the bar was very busy that night and I was serving my next customer.’
The barman was completely taken by surprise when Inspector Bowden made a quick grab at his lapels and hoisted him up from his seat. ‘You’d better not be keeping anything from me!’ he threatened. ‘If I find out that our suspects obtained their drugs from here then I’ll have your head on a plate!’
The barman winced. ‘You won’t find any drugs in here; you know that from the last time you raided us.’
The inspector released him and threw him back against the chair. ‘Come on!’ he shouted to Sergeant Drummond. ‘We’re wasting our time here.’
Chapter 12
Wednesday 25th June 1986
After interviewing witnesses at the Portland Bars Inspector Bowden and Sergeant Drummond headed for Les’s flat. The inspector’s approach was a little more sympathetic in this case as Les was the boyfriend of the deceased. Nevertheless, Inspector Bowden was still determined to extract as much information as he could.
‘You reported the death of your girlfriend, Amanda Morris,’ said Inspector Bowden, consulting his notebook. ‘I believe that she returned home in an extremely intoxicated state following a night out with some friends. Can you tell us about the night that Amanda died?’
‘Yes,’ said Les. ‘I woke up hearing a terrible commotion. Mandy was shouting and banging on the door. It wasn’t like her to carry on like that.’
His voice trailed away, and he paused, trying to regain his composure and clearing his throat before continuing. ‘I was angry with her for waking me up and I was worried about what the neighbours might think, so I shouted at her when I answered the door …’
Les’s voice broke again and between sobs he uttered, ‘I’m so sorry for shouting at her like that. How was I to know it was the last time I’d see her alive?’
‘It’s OK, take your time,’ said Inspector Bowden.
Eventually Les continued.
‘Mandy was in a terrible state, and there were two girls with her. I recognised one of them from the place where Mandy works ...well, worked, but the other one looked like a real scrubber. I blasted them off for getting her in such a state. Then I slammed the door on them. When they’d gone I had a few words with Mandy but she was too drunk to take any notice. So I helped her get ready for bed, and that was that.’
‘What about Amanda’s mention of drugs?’ asked Inspector Bowden.
Les stared blankly at him for a few moments before replying. ‘Oh that, yeah, she was rambling on about something her friends gave her. She said it gave her a real buzz. I didn’t know what she was going on about at the time. It’s only later that it clicked.’
‘Did it not occur to you that she might need medical attention?’ asked Sergeant Drummond while Inspector Bowden glared at her. Evidently, he didn’t want anything to detract from his line of questioning.
‘No not really, I just thought that she’d be all right after a good night’s sleep.’
Les’s sobbing conveniently returned. ‘I’m sorry,’ he wept. ‘Maybe I should have got help but I had no idea; I’ve never dealt with anything like this before.’
Inspector Bowden, regardless of Les’s emotional state, seized the chance to progress the interview further. ‘Did Amanda say what it was that they had given her?’
‘No, she was just rambling on about taking drugs. I didn’t know whether to believe her. She wasn’t making a lot of sense.’
‘Did she say what form the drugs had taken – powder, tablet, injection?’
‘No, sorry,’ muttered Les.
‘OK, thank you for sparing us some of your time,’ said Inspector Bowden and they then left Les’s flat.
As soon as they got outside Sergeant Drummond said, ‘They can’t have slipped it in her drink when the two of them went to get served if Amanda Morris took the drugs knowingly. Besides, it’s a bit risky doing it at the bar in full view of the staff, isn’t it?’
‘Well perhaps they got her drunk first then encouraged her to take drugs. The poor girl probably didn’t have a clue what she was doing! Either way, it still makes them guilty. They got her drunk, they supplied the drugs and they got her to take them when her judgement was impaired. I know their type; they think it’s fun to take advantage of a poor innocent girl.’
‘I see your point sir but shouldn’t we have searched Leslie Stevens’ flat again in case uniform missed something? He has got a record when all said and done, and he did seem a bit vague when you asked him about Amanda’s reference to drugs.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous! Why should we want a more thorough search of his flat when we already know who the culprits are? Just because he has a record for speeding offences and petty theft does not make him guilty of murder. I’m surprised at you sergeant! You could see the state he was in. The poor man’s devastated! You ask yourself how that compares to the state Julie Quinley was in when we took her to the station. More concerned with putting her make-up on from what you’ve told me.’
‘Well yes, I suppose you’re right there sir,’ the sergeant conceded.
‘There you go then,’ Inspector Bowden asserted. ‘Besides, there’s countless witnesses as to the drugged state Amanda Morris was in before she even set off for home.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘See sergeant, you’ve got a lot to learn yet. All the evidence is there. You’ve just got to be able to find it.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Sergeant Drummond replied again, and didn’t pursue the matter further.
They got inside the car. Sergeant Drummond took the driving seat and asked, ‘Where to now sir?’
‘Back to the suspects. We have to keep up the pressure! They might let something slip.’
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Wednesday 25th June 1986
As soon as the officers had left his flat Les slumped down on his sofa. The interview had got to him. His sense of impot
ence enraged him and he took a swipe at the empty cups on the coffee table. They flew across the room, landing in fragmented shards.
Mandy was gone and there wasn’t a fuckin’ thing he could do about it! Why? Why did shit always happen to him? All his life he’d had to settle for second best. Brought up in a stinking hovel with a useless drunken bitch of a mother, he’d got sick of seeing countless strangers come and go. The jovial ones, the cocky ones and the downright nasty ones! It was common knowledge in the street where he’d lived that his mother would go with anyone for a few drinks. By the time he reached his teens he understood the implication of having so many ‘uncles’ and as time passed by his resentment festered.
As he wallowed in pain and self-pity at losing his precious Mandy he recalled countless occasions when he’d borne the shame of living with such a mother. Like the time when he’d picked her up from the street. She was so drunk that she couldn’t stand straight. She’d fallen down in the pouring rain and when he managed to get her off the floor her clothes and hair were drenched, her face filthy. He’d had to accompany her home while she squealed with amusement like some demented caricature.
He’d left home at the earliest opportunity. From then onwards he made sure that he earned plenty by whatever means necessary, legal or otherwise. It didn’t matter to him as long as he could live a lifestyle that was far removed from his childhood. He wore stylish clothes, drove smart cars and kept a nice home. Occasionally he came across his mother in some pub or other, usually drunk and staggering, but he avoided her, refusing to acknowledge her existence.
And the girls loved his flash lifestyle, but most of them were slags just like her. They’d do anything for a meal and a few drinks. Then he met Mandy who was so different. She was everything his mother and all those tarts would never be. Mandy had class; she was the prize. And now she was gone and he couldn’t stand it! When his bitter thoughts threatened to overwhelm him he dashed from his flat, and made his way towards the city centre.
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Wednesday 25th June 1986
The arrival of the police at Julie’s house late on Wednesday evening turned an already trying week into a traumatic one. This time they interviewed her at home, advising her that they had received the preliminary results of the post mortem indicating that Amanda died of a drink and drugs overdose.
‘Tell me,’ Inspector Bowden asked Julie, ‘how long have you been taking speed?’
Julie stared at him, incredulous. ‘What are you talking about?’ she asked. ‘I’ve never taken speed in my life or any other kind of drug.’
‘How often do you visit the Portland Bars?’ Inspector Bowden persisted.
‘I don’t know. What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘Come now Miss Quinley, you must have some idea of how often you go there.’
‘I don’t know, most weekends I suppose. It all depends.’
‘Depends on what Miss Quinley; on whether you want to obtain drugs?’
‘No, not at all. We don’t go there for that. It’s just one of the pubs we go to. It all depends where everybody fancies going. Sometimes it might be there, sometimes it might be one of the other pubs.’
‘And how long have you been frequenting these pubs?’
‘A couple of years I suppose.’
‘Well then, Miss Quinley, I’m sure you’re aware of the problem in the past with a former member of staff at the Portland Bars who was a known drug dealer.’
Julie’s mouth fell open in shock. ‘I had no idea!’ she said.
‘Come off it! You’ve been going in there every week for a couple of years and you had no idea about the availability of drugs? Yet you were seen putting something into Amanda Morris’s drink. Do you expect me to believe that?’
The interview continued unabated and Julie responded to the questions with a flat denial, until her father burst into the room. ‘Look you lot!’ he shouted, ‘She’s told you she’s not given drugs to the girl and no amount of bullying is going to get her to change her mind. Now bugger off out of my home, and leave my daughter alone!’
The officers exchanged glances. Detective Inspector Bowden then stood up and calmly replied to Bill, ‘All right Mr Quinley, I think that we were just about through with our questioning for now anyway, but I can assure you of our return just as soon as we have gathered further evidence. Now goodbye and good day!’
Detective Sergeant Drummond took her cue and fell in line with Detective Inspector Bowden as he left the house.
Julie was flabbergasted by this reaction from her father and didn’t know whether to thank him for defending her. She was saved from having to make a decision however as her father exited the room just as quickly as he had entered it.
Julie took the opportunity to phone Rita. She wanted to forewarn her of the police detectives’ imminent appearance, but was surprised to find that Rita had already received a visit and she reacted to the encounter with her usual air of indifference. Julie tried to emulate Rita’s display of calm, but it belied the panic that she felt inside. ‘Yes, you’re right Rita. They can’t do anything to us without proof.’
‘That’s right Julie, so stop worrying and let’s try to carry on as normal. I think we should go out Friday night. After all, moping about isn’t going to bring Amanda back, is it?’
Although Julie was amazed to hear Rita talk like this, she allowed herself to be persuaded into going to the Flying Horse. It was the last place that she wanted to meet in view of the fiasco of the previous Sunday, but she reasoned that as her own strength of mind was very much in abeyance at the moment, she should let Rita lead her by the hand and do whatever she thought was right. She also felt that people had to be faced and now was as good a time as any.
‘By the way Rita,’ said Julie, ‘I’m supposed to be going out tomorrow night as well, but I don’t know if I’ll bother after the way I’ve been feeling.’
‘Who with?’
‘Well, you remember that dishy salesman I told you about called Mike Marston?’
‘Yes,’ Rita replied.
‘He’s asked me out at last. Bloody typical isn’t it; I’ve been wanting him to ask me out for weeks and then he goes and does it when I’m feeling like a bag of shit.’
‘What about Vinny?’
‘Oh, here we go. What about Vinny, Rita?’
‘I thought you were supposed to be seeing him.’
I am, but I’m only going on a date with this guy. There’s no harm in seeing Vinny in the meantime till I see how things work out.’
‘Oh, I get it, good old Vinny will always do as a back-up eh?’
‘It isn’t like that Rita. Me and Vinny aren’t serious. Besides, I’ve got loads of time for settling down. Who wants to be married at my age?’
‘Well try telling him that; you might find he has a different point of view. Anyway, it’s up to you. Maybe this bloke’s what you’ve been looking for, and if he isn’t, then at least you’ll have got it out of your system.’
Julie said goodbye to Rita, but continued to think about the predicament she was in. She didn’t really want to finish with Vinny. If he’d had a bit more get up and go he might have been the perfect man but he was just too complacent at times. She did think a lot of him though and, while on this train of thought, Julie came to the decision that she should ring him and try to sort out the mess that they had made of their previous telephone conversation.
She was relieved when Vinny accepted her apology in earnest, and even offered her an apology too. Julie arranged to see him on the Saturday night, delighted with his change of heart, and determined to continue her quest to carry on a normal life.
Chapter 13
Thursday 26th June 1986
Julie had been undecided about her date with Mike right up until the last minute. There were so many reasons that she thought she shouldn’t go.
Firstly, there was Vinny. She felt as though she was being disloyal to him but really there was no reason why she should. She
was a free agent with no ties. That was the way her relationship with Vinny had always been. They’d agreed as much from the outset. However, she couldn’t help feeling that Vinny’s views had changed since then and no matter how much she told herself that she was doing no wrong, she still felt guilty. She hadn’t promised Vinny any commitment, but she knew that if he ever found out that she had been on a date with someone-else, he would be hurt.
Secondly, she was bothered by Norma’s words of warning although these didn’t concern her as much as her feelings of guilt about Vinny. She knew about Mike’s reputation but it was something that she chose to ignore. Julie refused to spend her time worrying about what might happen. She recalled the old saying, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’, and decided that it was appropriate. If she didn’t go out with Mike then she might spend the rest of her life regretting it.
The third reason why Julie felt she shouldn’t go out was because of her present state of mind. She felt bad that she was going out so much and enjoying herself when Amanda had just died, but she convinced herself that Amanda wouldn’t want her to sit at home moping. Anyway, it would be a good way to take her mind off things and she couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Men like Mike were few and far between and now she finally had the prospect of going on a date with him. Just the thought of him sent a tingling sensation through her body.
In addition to all of these concerns, Julie was feeling nervous. Mike was in a separate league to the men she usually went out with. Most of her previous boyfriends had been a disappointment as they hadn’t had the vision to see beyond their own little worlds. But Mike was different. He was sophisticated, educated and had travelled. He was interesting, amusing and probably came from a different background to hers. His family might even be loaded for all she knew.
Julie finally decided that she would go on the date. To hell with her concerns! After all, wasn’t this the opportunity she had been waiting for?
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Thursday 26th June 1986
They met in a pub near work, one that they were both familiar with. Mike had offered to pick Julie up from her home but she had declined. She preferred not to let her parents know who she was going out with. Julie had had enough grief from Rita and Norma about seeing Mike and didn’t relish having to explain the position to her parents as well. She also preferred not to let Mike see the area where she lived just yet as she didn’t want to give him any cause to go off her before they had even got to know each other. For the same reason she had decided not to tell him about the events of the previous weekend. There was nothing more likely to send a man running than the thought that he might be dating a murderer, she thought.
Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1 Page 8
