by Lee Weeks
Carter opened the file on the desk and looked at Ellerman’s photos. He was posing by yachts, his company logo and emblem emblazoned all over his T-shirt: blue sky and a golden mermaid figure in the middle. Miranda was written in the circle around the mermaid. Carter stood and took his coat from the hanger behind the door.
‘Has Ellerman tried to get in touch with Olivia?’
‘Yes,’ answered Hector.
‘Smug git,’ Carter said as he turned to leave.
Carter drove down to the Whittington and parked in one of the spaces allotted to the mortuary.
‘You okay? How did it go?’ he asked Willis as she joined him, carrying her coat. Carter thought she looked slightly different. She’d worn a colourful blouse to see her mother. It looked too big for her. He wondered if she’d borrowed it from Tina. Still the same black work trousers though; but she had made an effort – she couldn’t help herself. She nodded.
‘Fine. But have you seen Dr Harding’s car?’ Carter shook his head. ‘I just parked up next to it. You want to see it – it’s a mess.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ said Carter as he examined the damage. ‘The driver’s window is smashed.’ He walked around the car. ‘Also looks like there were several attempts at smashing the passenger window too. The tear in the roof alone will cost a fortune. She must have seriously pissed someone off. This is going to cost five hundred quid to put right.’
He rang the bell and spoke into the intercom:
‘It’s Detective Inspector Carter and DC Willis. Is Dr Harding free? We need a word.’
They found Harding in her office. Mark was sitting at the other desk. He got up to leave as they came in.
Harding indicated for Carter to pull up the chair Mark had just vacated. Willis perched on the side of Mark’s desk.
‘First things first – what happened to your car?’ asked Carter.
Harding looked a little ‘caught out’.
‘Just parked it in the wrong place, that’s all.’
‘What, and someone did that?’
‘Obviously.’
‘Did you report it?’
‘No. I didn’t see what happened.’
‘There could be CCTV in the area. Are you claiming on the insurance?’
‘No. It’s not as bad as it looks.’
‘Seriously? You want to get a crime number, that’s a few hundred quids’ worth of damage. Thank God you weren’t in it at the time – they were obviously trying to get in. Where did it happen?’
‘I don’t remember exactly. I was visiting a friend.’
‘Where?’
‘In the East End. Look, I don’t really want to discuss it, if you don’t mind. I can’t remember exactly where and when my car got damaged. It’s just one of those things.’
Carter looked at Willis and raised an eyebrow as Harding turned back to her desk and clicked on an image of Olivia Grantham’s post-mortem test results.
‘Drugs tests came back negative. She was clean and sober when she walked into that place. I presume that’s what you want to see me about?’
‘Yes, and I wanted to ask if the bite cast worked out.’
‘Seems so. They didn’t come back to me to say that they couldn’t make an impression. I’ll chase it.’ She looked up her notes. ‘And I’ll let you know when I do. Stomach contents show she hadn’t eaten in the last five hours.’
‘This wasn’t a dinner date then. This was definitely for the sex. Here’s a few more names we’ve lifted from Olivia’s contacts for you to have a look at. We start interviewing them tomorrow.’ He handed Harding the list of names. She looked them over. ‘Recognize any of them?’
‘No, sorry.’
‘Please keep this list and check if any of the phone numbers on it match contacts you have. Someone could be under a different name.’
‘Yes. Okay.’
‘When are you performing the post-mortem on the homeless woman, Lorraine Chance?’
‘As soon as I have a slot free. I’ll let you know what I find.’
Outside, Carter and Willis walked back across to Harding’s car to take another look.
‘Guv? I didn’t know we had a new case? Lorraine Chance?’
‘Known as Lolly. She was found in the lorry park at Shadwell. She works that area. She’s well known to the patrols. It looked to me as if she’d accidentally overdosed. Coroner’s ordered an enquiry into how she died.’
‘She’s the woman from the Faith and Light hostel?’
‘Yes. I presume so.’
He shone his torch on the damage. There were large deep punctures on the driver’s door.
‘She didn’t seem to think this was anything, did she? Why didn’t she want to do anything about it? This is serious damage to property.’
‘She seemed a little shaken up by it. Most of the damage is on the driver’s side.’
‘Unless she knows who did it and she doesn’t want to say. She didn’t make a comment when you said thank God she wasn’t in the car when it happened, did she?’ said Willis.
‘You think she was?’ Carter asked as he took photos of Harding’s car with his phone.
‘To me, it looks like someone’s tried to get at her through the window. She said she was visiting a friend; could be she doesn’t want their name mentioned?’
‘But, this is too bad to just ignore it. If this was my car, would you tell me to ignore it? No. Exactly!’ said Carter. Willis didn’t answer. Carter looked at her expression and shrugged. ‘You’re right – it’s none of my business, I suppose. Come on – I’ll buy you a drink at the tavern.’
They drove down Holloway Road and parked outside the Shamrock Pub.
Willis ordered a Coke. Carter had a bottle of lager. They sat in a booth. Cricket from the other side of the world was on a screen at the other end of the pub.
‘What do you think about Harding?’ Carter asked.
‘There’s an honesty in her admitting about the sex sites but I’m still surprised she does it. I never thought she had trouble with getting one-night stands.’
‘It’s a case of the more the better, I think. Plus, she obviously likes the anonymity of it all. And she could be useful to us. She could talk to some of the men from the Naughties site that we’re interested in; we’re not looking for anyone new to the site. If the killer was in touch with Olivia, it’s very likely he’s tried his luck with Harding at one time.’
‘I think it’s dangerous to use her in that way. Plus, it’d be embarrassing for her if it comes out. I don’t know how we can promise her anonymity.’
‘We can’t.’
‘But you did.’
‘And she knows I was lying. She just wanted me to say it; she didn’t expect me to mean it. In reality, she doesn’t give a toss.’
‘Maybe. It’s hard to know with her.’
‘If we find out anything through her then “confidential sources” will have to do.’
He paused, looking at Willis. He thought how tired she looked. She hadn’t been right since the case that ended just before Christmas. He made a mental note to go and see Tina in the canteen. She was Willis’s housemate and she might tell him if he was missing something. He was so busy worrying about his own father, who had throat cancer. The love he had for his dad was a million miles away from Willis’s feelings for her mother.
‘So how was Mommie Dearest?’ Carter took a drink, rubbed his hands together as the cold from the bottle hit them. He searched Willis’s face.
‘She hasn’t changed.’
‘What’s she after? She knows that trying to commit suicide means messing up any chance she might have of transferring to a jail.’
‘She’s bored and she wanted my attention.’
‘You think that’s it?’
‘Yes. She managed to find herself a man in the hospital, a male nurse, and I’m not convinced he’s the only one – they shouldn’t put men anywhere near her. She got tired of him so she self-harmed. My mother is a bright woman. She knew exactly where
to cut. If she wanted to hit an artery – she would have. But she didn’t. She just made a nasty mess of her arms. She wanted attention. She wanted me to rush to her bedside.’ Willis sighed. ‘She wants to have a say in my life.’
‘How can she hope to have that from where she is?’
Willis shook her head.
‘She says if I visit her she’ll tell me about my father.’ Willis looked up from her lap. ‘She has photos.’
‘Don’t you know anything about him?’
She shrugged. ‘I know he was from Jamaica . . . and I know he was much younger than her – a young athlete over in the UK for some sponsorship promotions. They met in a bar. He never knew about me. They lasted a few weeks and then he went home. She didn’t put him on the birth certificate and she never contacted him again.’
‘If she gives you a name then he should be easy to trace.’
‘I know – that’s what I was thinking.’
It was the most animated Carter had seen her for a while. There was an enthusiasm in her now, a spark of excitement. She saw Carter studying her.
‘I know it shouldn’t mean a lot to me, but it does. I would love to know him. He would be in his forties now.’
‘I understand – we’d all feel the same way. But you must be prepared for the fact that this could just be a lie.’
She nodded.
‘I know, but equally the lie could have been told at the very beginning. Maybe he always knew about me, always wondered. Maybe they had something more than a few weeks together. I want to see the photos.’
Carter nodded. He understood that the risk was worth taking for Willis. He also understood that her mother had played a clever hand.
Zoe Blackman called as they were coming out of the pub.
‘How’s it going?’ asked Carter as he took her call. ‘How’s Toffee?’
‘He looks worse to me but they say it’s natural for his face to swell up. I’ve left guard duty now but I’m going to call in for an update once a day.’
‘Make sure no one gets in there.’
‘Yes, sir. Someone is guarding him twenty-four hours a day. He’s safe.’
‘Has Smith been around? Are you getting anywhere with him?’
‘He has been in. He’s opening up a little but he cherry-picks the parts he tells you. He used to be in a mess and his parents bought him the hostel to run. Doesn’t make perfect sense to me. Can’t see how running the hostel is going to provide a good career move for an ex-junkie – I think it’s asking for trouble.’
‘I’ll get Pam to look into the family backgrouind. They must be über-wealthy if they are using the hostel as a tax write-off.’
‘I’m not sure you’d see the whole picture unless you’re inside that hostel. I’m trying to work my way in there somehow, or at least get my mum in there.’
‘If she succeeds – we need her to get on best terms with the volunteers and find out the relationship between Smith and Toffee.’
‘If she succeeds she’ll do what comes naturally and find out all that and more.
‘There was a young woman asking for Toffee. She called herself Martine, said she knew him from the Faith and Light hostel. I tried to talk to her but all she really wanted to do was see Toffee and she wasn’t allowed. She scarpered before I could grab her.’
‘We heard about a Martine when we went to the hostel – we need to find her – she’s one of Toffee’s protégés. She could be just scared without Toffee but instinct tells me she must have something to hide if she scarpered.’
Chapter 23
The next morning Zoe made sure she was called when Simon came into the hospital. She was there within twenty minutes. Simon looked up at her and smiled as she approached.
‘Fancy a home-made brownie?’
Simon stood and picked up his jacket. ‘Lead the way. You said the magic word: brownie.’
Zoe quickly tidied up the front seat of the Corsa and got rid of the crumbs on the seat.
‘Sorry, I never meant to let the kids eat in the car but there we go – rules, huh?’
‘I know – to be broken. Please don’t worry,’ Simon said as he got in and buckled up.
‘Okay. Hold tight . . . only kidding.’ She smiled across at him and thought how, out of the hospital environment, he looked so much more calm.
‘Your mum won’t mind us invading her like this?’
‘No, she needs something to do in the day when the kids are at school. I’m always telling her she should get a job or do some charity work or something.’
A ten-minute drive and they were outside Zoe’s house. Her mum walked past the window and saw her car pull up. She waved. Zoe could see her eyes go towards the passenger seat, checking Simon out.
At the front door she made the introductions: ‘Simon, this is my mum, Diane. Mum, I’ve been bragging about your brownies.’
‘They’d better be good then.’ Diane held the door open to let them in. ‘Come in and I’ll get some tea on. Tea or coffee, Simon?’
‘Has to be tea with brownies.’
‘Absolutely, I agree.’ Diane watched him walk past and then smiled at her daughter. Zoe gave her mum a look that said: ‘Don’t be silly – don’t even think it. I am not becoming a vicar’s wife.’
‘Please, Simon, have a seat.’ Diane put the kettle on as she watched Simon looking around the kitchen. ‘Do you mind sitting in here? It’s the warmest room.’
‘Of course not. Thanks so much for inviting me.’
‘You run the Faith and Light hostel, Zoe tells me.’
‘I do, yes. I don’t cook unless I have to but I’m a mean washer-upper.’
‘And you take the services at the multi-denominational church there?’
‘I do, sometimes. Do you go to the church near here?’
‘Yes. Or rather I did. I haven’t been for a few weeks.’
‘Months,’ corrected Zoe as she walked around the kitchen, folding her son’s clothes from the drying rail.
Diane looked embarrassed.
‘Zoe told me that your husband passed away. I’m sorry to hear that.’
‘Yes. Thank you.’ Diane poured the tea and took a plate of brownies across to the kitchen table. ‘Please help yourself, Simon.’
‘Will you join me?’
Diane went back across to the sink. ‘Yes. Of course.’ She glanced at Zoe.
‘Mum – I’m going to check on the kids’ rooms while I’m here. Josh is missing some of his sports kit.’
‘Okay, love. As long as Simon doesn’t mind you deserting him.’
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to chatting with you, Diane – can I call you Diane?’
‘Please do.’
Zoe took the piles of clothes and walked up the stairs with them.
‘Can I see a photo of your husband, Diane?’
‘Of course.’ She went into the front room and came back with a shot of them together.
‘This was before he got ill. On holiday in Palma. We used to go away often. Always tended to go back to the same places but you know what you’re getting then, don’t you?’
‘Absolutely.’ He held the photo in his hands. ‘You look a lovely couple. You obviously made one another very happy. That’s a precious thing in this world.’
‘Yes. It’s even more difficult then, isn’t it? To lose your soulmate?’
‘Not lost. Still with you in spirit.’
‘I feel he’s lost. I worry that I’ve been living a lie and that we will never be reunited in any form. I try not to think like that. I’ve tried very hard to keep believing but something’s missing in me now.’
‘Have you got new challenges in your life? We all need daily challenges.’
‘I think I have enough. I come here most days and help so that Zoe can pursue her career. I am always busy.’
‘Because if you felt you had any time, just whenever you could – we could always do with a hand in the hostel.’
‘I don’t know what use I�
��d be . . .’
‘You’re kidding! You’d be a godsend. You could teach the clients to cook basic food for themselves. You could listen to their troubles, sit and talk to them. It’s that I wish I had more time to do things . . . and you could make us brownies as good as these.’
‘Okay.’ She brightened up. ‘I will certainly think about it.’
‘And Diane – I understand how you must be angry. It never seems fair. I can promise you, you will find your faith again. Don’t punish yourself, don’t go to church if you don’t want to, but don’t block your faith out. It’s okay to question. We all have our faith tested now and again.’
Chapter 24
‘Mr Ellerman?’ Willis walked in first, followed by Carter. ‘I am Detective Constable Willis and this is Detective Inspector Carter.’
‘I’ve been sitting here for half an hour. I understood this was just an informal interview?’ He was irritated.
‘It is, Mr Ellerman,’ answered Willis. ‘We thought you’d want to keep this as discreet and private as possible. So, in here is the best place to take a statement from you. We won’t keep you longer than necessary.’
Ellerman shifted in his seat, impatient. Carter stayed quiet.
‘Okay, well let’s get on with it. What do you want to ask me? The officer who asked me to come in said it concerned Olivia Grantham.’
‘Yes – I’m sorry to inform you that Olivia Grantham was killed – we think she was murdered.’
‘No . . . how terrible . . . How did it happen?’
‘We don’t know why but she walked into a derelict building in Shadwell, where she was attacked. Where were you last Sunday evening?’
‘Sunday? I already told the officer on the phone; I was at home in Richmond. Poor Olivia.’ He rubbed his forehead with his fingertips.
‘Have you got someone who can verify your whereabouts?’
‘Yes. My wife; but I’d rather not involve her.’
‘Were you close to Olivia?’ asked Willis.
‘I wouldn’t say we were close.’
‘How long had you known her?’
‘We met a few months ago, I think it was. Maybe even as much as twelve months. We didn’t see one another often.’
