"As you wish, sir."
***
I hadn't expected to, but I eventually fell asleep sitting up.
Waking with a start, I checked my phone at just after 6am and discovered Gavin, to my horror, was still at the motel.
The plan hadn't worked after all.
My mind raced. I couldn't understand why. Heaps of witnesses saw which direction I'd headed and more than likely, a trail of car parts led all the way to the motel.
The twins' mum knew where he'd been. Not to mention, the state of the car itself.
I turned on the TV hoping for some news. But, as had been happening more and more of late, the noise that accompanied the program almost deafened me. I had no choice but to switch it off.
I needed a coffee, yet couldn't force myself up from the seated position I'd been in all night.
The garden gate clanged, followed by a hammering on the front door.
Dazed, I dragged myself to my feet and into the hall, trying to make out the shapes through the frosted glass panels.
Opening the door, I froze. The front garden and the street were filled with police officers. I figured they must have worked the truth out after all and had come to arrest me.
Keep calm—you know nothing!
I sighed with relief, Mum had returned. I didn't think I could face this alone.
"Mrs May?" a lady police officer said, her auburn hair pulled severely into a bun.
I nodded, unable to speak.
"My name is PC Morehouse. I have a warrant to search these premises." She held up a sheet of paper that I had no intention of reading.
Stunned, I took a step backwards and opened the door wide. A steady stream of people entered, some in uniform some not.
PC Morehouse put her hand on my arm and led me through to the lounge.
"Please take a seat, Mrs May. We will get this over with as soon as possible."
"Wha …" I shook my head. "I don't understand."
"Please take a seat," she repeated.
I staggered backwards, my hands feeling for the edge of the sofa and sat down with a bump.
Two officers were going through everything in the lounge, flicking through every book, magazine and drawer. One of them even inspected the tissue box.
"Please," I said. "Please, tell me why?"
"Your husband has been arrested, in connection with a serious crime."
"That's impossible. Are you sure? Gavin—Gavin May?"
"I'm afraid so, Mrs May."
Keep it up, Melissa. You're very convincing.
"What's he done?" I asked as she took a seat opposite me. She had, no doubt, been assigned to stay with me and keep me out of the way.
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say. Somebody will inform you soon enough, I'm sure," she said in a soothing tone.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"At the station, being questioned." She offered me a weak smile. "Can I get you a hot drink or anything, Mrs May?"
I nodded. "Yes please. And I'll need to use the bathroom if that's all right."
"Certainly, give me one second." She left the room and when she returned, beckoned for me to follow her.
The bathroom was tidy, yet I could tell things had been moved. I straightened the pewter rose ornament on the windowsill a fraction to the left and shook my head. What they would be looking for underneath or inside that, I had no idea.
I felt a pang of intense anger at the intrusion. If this had come out of the blue, I would be hopping mad by now. However, I didn't have the energy nor the inclination to make a fuss, I just wanted all this over and done with.
As I came out of the bathroom, I bumped into a man carrying our computer hard-drive. He ducked past me and out the front door. Several bags filled with Gavin's clothing and shoes were piled in the hall.
"Where are they taking my computer?" I asked PC Morehouse.
"It will be examined and should be back to you in no time."
Once they left, I felt exhausted—mentally and physically.
Moments later, another knock sounded at the door. I groaned. I couldn't cope with any more right now.
My good friends and neighbours, Ken and Liz, stood on the doorstep.
Liz had always been bad with her nerves, but today she was shaking and wringing her hands as though on the verge of a panic attack. Her breath escaped in short gasps.
"Mel, what the heck is going on? Are you all right?" Ken grasped my hands.
I nodded and led them into the lounge.
"I don't know what's going on," I said, glancing at them both as I sat back down. "They said Gavin's been arrested for a serious crime."
Liz gasped.
"No! It must be some kind of mistake. Gavin's not a criminal," Ken said. "They took the computer, something's happened at work. Financial institutes are always under scrutiny. I bet you'll find this has nothing to do with him, Mel."
I nodded, liking this explanation and intending to use it myself. "Yeah, you're probably right."
They stayed long enough to make me another coffee and sandwich, which I couldn't eat. My stomach was queasy.
The police had done a thorough job. Nothing had been tipped up, but I could tell it wasn't right. Once alone again I busied myself, tidying up.
The GPS app still showed Gavin's phone at the motel.
I found today's paper on the kitchen worktop and quickly scanned it. Apart from a small article about a hit and run, no other details had been given.
I had no choice but to wait it out.
Chapter 20
The phone rang and I almost shot through the ceiling. I'd zoned out, for how long was anybody's guess.
"Hello," I said, my voice sounded croaky and I cleared my throat. “Hello,” I said again.
"Is this Mrs Gavin May?" A well-spoken man asked.
"Yes."
"I'm calling from Mirage Motel in Pinevale."
My ears pricked up.
"Yes."
"Mrs May, this is a delicate matter, but are you are aware your husband was arrested last night."
"Yes, I am," I said, confused why the motel would be contacting me.
"The thing is, your husband's belongings are still in the unit. We’re fully booked at the moment and need to have permission to go in and pack them up. We will be able to store them for a short while if need be."
"What did the police say?" I asked.
"To contact you."
"Well, in that case, I'll come to collect them now."
"That's fine, there's no hurry so long as our cleaner can go into the unit to clean it. Would we be able to pack everything into his case? There isn't a lot."
"Yes, of course," I said, remembering I wasn't supposed to know where he was. "What’s your address?"
After a quick wash and change of clothes, I left for London, worried somebody might recognise me or my car.
Mum had been quiet since last night, making a brief appearance when the police arrived this morning and nothing since. I could have done with her reassurance now.
The journey didn't seem to take as long for some reason. Gavin must have had a right old laugh at my expense all those years, staying away when he could easily have driven the ninety minutes home. Why had I never questioned it?
Arriving at the motel, I parked down the road a little way, not wanting to risk anyone recognising the car.
In the deserted reception, I rang the bell.
My stomach ached, as though I had half a dozen ping-pong balls belting around inside it.
A few moments later a red-faced man arrived, muttering to himself. He rolled his eyes when he noticed me.
"We have no vacancies, madam, I'm afraid. We're fully booked."
I recognised his voice from the phone call.
"I'm Melissa May. You called me earlier about my husband's belongings."
He gasped and touched his parted lips with his fingertips, suddenly interested as he looked me up and down.
"Ah, yes, Mrs May. We packed your husband’s things. There wa
sn't much except for a few items of clothing and a briefcase. Our cleaner found his mobile phone tangled in the bed sheets, but the police may want that. They asked earlier if I'd found his phone."
"I'll take it. I'm going to the station right now."
He hesitated. “Well, if you're sure."
He went back through the door behind him and returned with Gavin's overnight bag and briefcase, placing them both on the counter. Then he took Gavin's phone out of his trouser pocket.
"Thank you," I said, throwing the phone into the bag.
"It was such a shock last night," he continued, eyebrows raised, clearly fishing for a scoop.
I nodded, not giving him anything. "Right."
"I'm sure your husband didn't deserve the way they treated him, like he was a common criminal. I told the officer that came to take his car away this morning that he'd always been a great guest. Been coming here for years, he has."
I smiled and nodded again. "Oh well, thanks for this." I held the bag and briefcase up as I backed out.
Unable to contain myself, I all but ran back to my car as fast as I could without drawing attention to myself. What a result. To be handed Gavin's phone was more than I could have dreamt of. Now I could wipe the GPS off both phones in case the police wanted to inspect it.
I headed for the motorway, making an effort to keep to the speed limit. The last thing I wanted was to be stopped by the police. I'd had my fill of police for one day.
At the same layby I'd launched Gavin's key last night, I rummaged around in his bag for the phone.
At first, in my haste, I couldn't work out how to delete the app. It turned out to be as simple as holding my finger down on the icon until it wobbled and then pressing the x.
Gone.
Then I deleted the app off my phone and sighed.
Guilty thoughts about Gavin kept niggling at me. I tried to ignore them, but they were getting stronger and stronger.
I'd made a mistake.
Poor Gavin would be locked up for a long, long time because of me. I would be without my husband for the first time in thirty years. My daughters were going to have to face the awful truth about their beloved father. I'd wanted to protect them from the real truth but now we had the added scandal of murder.
The solution had seemed clear last night. Now, I wasn't so sure.
I'd have to build up the courage to call the station as soon as I got home. If this were happening for real, I would have phoned the police by now, desperate to know what my husband had been up to and why my house had been searched.
Nobody had the faintest idea I'd been involved. But I was terrified they'd be able to tell everything from my voice, that they'd ignore all the evidence pointing to Gavin and instead accuse me of being the killer.
***
They had Gavin May bang to rights.
He denied everything, of course, but gave no explanation.
His car was locked with no sign of forced entry, and the keys had still been in his possession. He admitted being the last person to see Carl Pilkington and Joe Bates before they were killed. He also had the murder weapon in his car. He admitted owning the cap described by witnesses, but denied any knowledge of how it got in his car.
It was cut and dried in every sense of the word, yet something didn't feel right to Adam.
Frances said he'd lost his marbles and he understood why, but his intuition had never failed him. Any time he'd ignored his inner voice in the past he always regretted it.
However, he had no choice but to charge Gavin May with three counts of murder. May would be held in custody until a court appearance on Monday morning.
The press was having a field day. Gavin had been granted name suppression until Monday, but it wouldn't take long before everyone knew his identity.
Once charged, May tried to contact his wife, but couldn't get an answer at their home number. He left a message that tore at Adam's emotions. This guy, although troubled and confused in his private life, loved his family, of that Adam was certain. He seemed more concerned about what the scandal would do to his wife and daughters than what he faced himself.
Back at the office, Adam checked his messages. Melissa May had left three messages for him. He finalised a few things before calling her back
"Mrs May?”
“Speaking.”
“DI Stanley here, I got your messages."
"Detective, thank God. I demand you tell me what's happening with my husband. It's been a whole day and I expected him home by now. But instead he left a message telling me he's being held until Monday. What could be so bad you need to keep him locked up?"
Adam waited for her tirade to stop.
"Your husband has been charged with murder, Mrs May."
"Murder! Are you having a laugh?"
"He will be remanded in custody over the weekend, he's due in court on Monday," he said.
"You’ve made a terrible mistake. Who's he supposed to have murdered?" Her voice had gone up a few octaves.
"I really shouldn't say anymore."
"Can I see him?"
"I'm afraid not. At least not before Monday. I suggest you contact his solicitor; he'll be able to fill you in.
***
I couldn't stop playing Gavin's answerphone message over and over.
"Mel, it's me. Don't worry, I'm fine and just need you and the girls to know how much I love you. Whatever they told you, it's not true—not a word. Stay strong and calm, baby. I'll speak to you on Monday."
Listening to the devastation in his voice, I felt as though every breath was being squeezed out of me, and my heart broke.
I had called the station when I got home, hoping to be able to talk to him, but they forwarded my calls to the detective in charge who returned my call a while later without giving much away.
I wasn't sure whether or not I would be allowed in court on Monday, or whether I wanted to go. However, wild horses wouldn't keep Gavin's innocent wife away, so I didn't have much choice. Plus, I did want to see him. He sounded broken on the message and I needed to check he was okay.
I regretted my actions now. My mother had instigated everything, and without her I could see things much clearer. I should have given Gavin a chance to stop. Maybe if I’d threatened to tell somebody what he was doing, he might have stopped. But instead, I chose to be a cold-blooded killer, and now Gavin would pay the price.
I had very little guilt, or any feelings either way, for the dead men. The fact that their wives and children were saved from contracting a deadly disease made me certain what I'd done to them was justified.
However, an immense sadness gripped me when I thought about the devastation I'd caused to my own family.
Sitting at the kitchen table with my thoughts, a strange tinkling sound came from my handbag.
Gavin's phone lit up, making a different sound to his usual ring or text tone.
My stomach fluttered. I unlocked the phone and a tiny black message in the middle of the screen said: New Message. Nothing more. I wasn't used to the phone and didn’t know what to do. I tapped my finger on the message and it seemed to have the desired effect. Another screen opened and asked for a username and password.
I had no idea what Gavin's username would be.
I tried—Gavin—and the standard pin number he used for most things, but the phone beeped at me and said incorrect username. I hoped that meant the pin was correct.
I tried another.
GavinMay
Incorrect username.
gavinmay
Incorrect username.
Melissa
Incorrect username.
MelissaMay
You have exceeded your login attempts. Try again after 60 minutes.
That stopped me. I would have been there all night if not. I had no clue what Gavin might use as a username—he'd never been a very imaginative man so his name or mine were the obvious choices.
I opened another couple of apps, but nothing told me very much of anything. Just a
s I was about to give up I found a Facebook account which I didn't know he had. His username—May Pole.
Intrigued by the message, and desperate to find what it was, I still had another forty-five minutes to wait before I could try the username again.
I contemplated ringing the girls to inform them of everything. It would be terrible for them to find out on the news. However, I couldn't face it right now.
I poured myself a large brandy and sipped at it, enjoying the fiery effect as it hit my stomach. The results were almost instantaneous, maybe because I hadn't eaten a proper meal in days. A heavy weakness spread through my limbs.
I jumped as Gavin's phone played the strange jingle once more, another message. Now I knew why he always had his phone on silent when he came home. I never understood it before.
I had no way of knowing if a second message had come through or if it was just a reminder for the first.
I felt I would go demented if I had to sit there waiting for the clock to tick around to the hour mark. So I topped my glass up and made myself a plate of crackers and cheese, surprised how hungry I was all of a sudden.
Food devoured, and armed with Dutch courage, I dialled Yvonne's number. I didn't know if she'd be home at seven o'clock on a Friday night, but I tried anyway.
Keith answered.
"Hi Keith, it's Mel."
"And how is my favourite mother-in-law?" He'd said the same thing to me for the past four years and we always had a bit of banter. But not tonight.
"Not the best, love. I need to speak to Vonny, is she there?"
"I'll get her for you." The smile had gone from his voice.
Yvonne sounded concerned when she answered the phone.
"What's wrong, Mum?"
I sighed. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Mum?"
I had to be very careful what I told her as I had only been told a tiny bit of it myself.
"Your dad's been arrested."
"Why? What for?"
"I don't know much myself. He stayed away last night and they arrested him in his motel room. Loads of police came here today to search the house. They had a warrant."
A sharp intake of breath was the only sound I heard.
Psychological Thriller Series: Adam Stanley Boxed Set: Behind Shadows, Positively Murder and Mind Bender Page 33
