‘I don’t really know what I can tell you that I haven’t already told the police,’ Miss Matthews said, leading them into her beloved conservatory and indicating that they take a seat on the double rattan sofa. Her dog, Sammy, had been running rings around himself in the garden outside prior to their arrival but stopped when he saw two strangers with his owner and started to run back towards the conservatory, barking frantically. He stopped just in front of the door and stopped barking when he saw that she was not in any sort of danger.
‘Lovely dog,’ Rawlins said. ‘He seems very loyal.’
‘Oh he is,’ Miss Matthews confirmed. ‘In fact, it was Sammy who alerted me to what happened to the poor girl next door in the first place.’
‘Yes, we read your statement,’ Fielding told her, ‘but you yourself didn’t hear anything at all that day?’
‘No, I didn’t, I’m sorry to say. I did think that she had just slipped and fallen at first, but she was very cold by the time I got there. I used to be a nurse, and I could tell that she had been dead for quite some time. Somebody must have put her out there. Though, Sammy wouldn’t have barked as much as he did if he hadn’t heard somebody – you saw him when he saw you two come in here.’
‘And what about these two men – have you seen either of them before? Maybe coming to see Miss Porter or perhaps in or around the village?’ Fielding showed her the two photographs of Carruthers and John Doe.
Miss Matthews studied them intently, but finally said that she hadn’t seen them or anyone who looked like them. ‘Caroline didn’t have many visitors, come to think of it. She seemed to go out to see friends rather than have them come around to hers. Nice girl, it was such a shame. I can’t think why anyone would want to harm her.’
‘One final question, if you don’t mind?’ Fielding said, drawing the meeting to a close. ‘Can you tell me what your neighbour did for a living?’
‘Yes, of course. She worked for an insurance company in the middle of Sunderland city centre. Must have been there for quite a while as it’s the only job I’ve known her to have had since she’s been here.’
‘So there’s no link to education that you know of?’ Fielding felt that she was clutching at straws, but thought that she’d better ask the lady while she was there.
‘Oh, now, funny you should say that, detective.’
Fielding’s interest sparked and she cast a glance in Rawlins’s direction, to which Rawlins raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh,’ Fielding replied, ‘why is that?’
Miss Matthews continued, ‘She was a school governor.’
‘But I thought that she wasn’t married?’ Rawlins asked, assuming like most that, in order to achieve that elevated position in education, it was necessary to have a child in the school you were a governor of.
‘No, she wasn’t,’ Miss Matthews confirmed, ‘but she was one of the governors in the school in West Boldon where her cousin’s son is a pupil.’
Almost afraid to ask, Fielding continued to probe, ‘And what is her cousin’s name, Miss Matthews?’
‘Why it’s Peter, Peter Grayson.’
‘Is that the Peter Grayson whose wife was murdered in Boldon Business Park at around the same time?’ Rawlins asked her.
‘Why… yes it is, come to think of it.’ Then an expression of realisation crossed Miss Matthews’ face. ‘Oh my goodness, you don’t think the two deaths were related… do you? That’s terrible. I didn’t make the connection at the time, but… oh my goodness…’
Fielding really didn’t want to reveal too much at all to her but felt obliged to say something, especially as she had now just given the woman quite a shock, it seemed. ‘We don’t quite know at the moment, but it may be a possibility.’
As both Fielding and Rawlins left Miss Matthews in perhaps a worse state than when they first saw her, they then felt obliged to follow up one final thing, bearing in mind the latest revelation on the case. Fielding retrieved John Scott’s business card from her warrant card holder and dialled his number. His answer, although not the one she really wanted to hear, was perhaps now not unexpected.
‘Yes, she was,’ was his simple reply to the question of whether or not Jennifer Grayson was a school governor.
Fielding dialled another number, this time to Joe Burton to tell him the latest news.
18
‘I want each and every one of you to go home after this,’ Detective Chief Inspector Ambleton said to everyone in the room, ‘and not come back in until Monday morning.’
‘I don’t think that’s possible…’ Burton began but was stopped in his tracks by the DCI.
‘When I say everyone should go home, I mean everyone… and that includes yourself, detective inspector.’
Burton felt like a child being chastised in front of his teacher. His team had prepared a big presentation for her, had gathered together all the facts they had on the case, which had now grown to a massive five murders if he took the ones in the north east into account. They had hoped that by coming together for this meeting, they might just end up with something productive. He couldn’t see the point in arguing with her, so just said to everyone, ‘Okay, let’s get this up and running. And don’t forget, if you have any ideas or suggestions, or see something that nobody has thought of before, just speak up and let us hear it. We need to get on top of this today.’
DCI Ambleton had known Joe Burton for a long time, and knew exactly what he was capable of. If he wasn’t such a good detective, then he would have already passed the authority on to Fielding and taken a day’s leave, but she knew that he wasn’t that sort of person. He was like a hungry dog with a bone. Once he got his teeth into something, he would never let go of it until he was through. She also knew that he needed a break just as much as his team did, and although she wasn’t showing it herself, she was as much perplexed by this case as he was. He most definitely needed a day off to gather all his wits together, as she could see that he was flagging with this more and more as each day passed, and there was nothing more ineffective than a burnt-out detective.
‘Right.’ Burton had them all sitting around the table in one of the conference rooms. He missed Fielding, but had Phillipa Preston stand in for her on this occasion. Although Ambleton had instructed the entire team to go home that evening and not return until Monday, he’d doubtless be in touch with Fielding either later that night when she got home or the next day to bring her up to speed. ‘Let’s see what we have so far,’ he continued and walked across to the projector screen on the wall across from where they were all sitting, and he nodded towards Preston to start up the presentation on her computer.
The first image appeared on the screen. From left to right: a photograph of Nathaniel Jackson, dressed in his ‘clown’ outfit, as Fielding had put it; to its right, Jacob Stephenson sitting in his picnic chair outside his shed at the allotment, head right back and his mouth crammed full of sweets; and finally the body of Dorothy Johnson with the photograph only showing the prone body from the back of the neck down – fortunately the head, or lack of it, had been excluded from the shot, which was a blessing for all concerned. Underneath each of the photographs was the matching playing card, each still in its poly bag, which had been found at the scene of each crime.
Everyone stared at the images again. They had looked at them so many times over the past few days, but Burton was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the DCI might pick up on something which they had missed.
Directing his attention to Ambleton, Burton began to go through the case piece by piece. ‘We have three people killed in very different ways, but with three definite links – all three were in education prior to their retirement, all three were apparently subdued prior to their death as a syringe mark was found at the base of the neck, and a playing card was left at the scene of each crime. Mr Jackson’s strange apparel was not his clothing, nor was it the clothing of any of the residents in the care home. Therefore it was brought in and put on him for a specific reason by the person who killed him. That reas
on was unclear, but it definitely appeared to mean something to the killer. Secondly, Mr Jacob Stephenson, who was found suffocated by sweets being stuffed into his mouth. The coroner has confirmed that the sweets are all the same shape, oblong with ridges and rounded edges, but it’s unclear what the actual sweet is or what it represents.’
‘It looks like a little bug, or something,’ Wayman spoke up. ‘Which could be appropriate as he was in an allotment.’
‘That’s a good point,’ Burton said, ‘but what would the reason be for that? What is the murderer trying to say to us?’ he asked the room as a whole, rather than directing the question back at Wayman. ‘And thirdly,’ he continued, getting back to his summary, ‘Miss Dorothy Johnson, who had her head completely flattened by some sort of heavy wooden object.’
‘It’s turning into a game of Cluedo,’ Francis declared, and if the whole situation wasn’t so serious, it would have come across as a very amusing observation.
‘And then we have two more murders up in the north east where Fielding is with Claire Rawlins today.’ He nodded to Preston and another slide in the presentation appeared on the screen. ‘On the right we have Jennifer Grayson, formerly Sanderson, and on the left Caroline Porter. These photos were taken a few years back and, strangely enough, Fielding used to go to school with them, as did Rawlins.’
Another nod from Burton and shots of their crime scenes popped up. ‘As you can see, Grayson was beheaded and Porter was drowned.’ The two photographs showed a very gruesome scene of Jennifer Grayson’s decapitated body lying in a pool of blood with her head a short distance away, and one of Caroline Porter, head-deep in one of her water-filled plant pots. ‘Again, a syringe mark was found at the base of the neck in the case of Caroline Porter, nothing for Jennifer Grayson, who we are assuming was beheaded from behind so there wasn’t a need to sedate her. As with the other murders, a playing card was left at the scene of each crime. Plus, I’ve just had a call from Fielding up north telling me that both the victims up there were school governors, which seem to link both these murders to ours, even though they happened about two months ago and within a few days of one another.’
Another nod and two more images appeared.
‘On the left, Alex Carruthers, great-nephew of Nathaniel Jackson, and on the right the unknown man, still not identified, who seemingly entered the care home under the guise of Carruthers to visit Jackson. At the present time,’ Burton looked towards his DCI, ‘Alex Carruthers is the only suspect that we have. At first we believed that he was his only relative, seeing as it was his name on the next of kin form at the home, and thought that he may have murdered his great-uncle for an inheritance.’ A quick nod to Preston. ‘But following Simon Banks’s hospitalisation by a balaclava-wearing assailant at the scene of a break-in in Altrincham, it was discovered that the break-in took place at Nathaniel Jackson’s old home, which is currently empty and up for sale. I investigated with DC Summers, and a window pane was broken in the back door, which must have been the point of entry, and a photograph was taken from a frame.
‘The estate agent is currently trying to locate Jackson’s other relatives and will be getting back to me as soon as they are found.’ He paused for them to take it all in. ‘We also have our profiler’s take on this. Louise, would you care to come up to the front.’ He indicated for her to come and take his place as he moved to an empty seat further back.
‘Thank you, Detective Inspector Burton.’ Louise Simmons stood before the screen but, not requiring the use of it, opened a folder she was holding instead. ‘We appear to have two main links here, and they are education and the playing cards. These two things mean a lot to the killer and are very important to him – or them.’
Simmons looked around the room and continued, ‘I say “them”, as we really have two suspects here – Alex Carruthers and our John Doe, and if Carruthers is our main suspect, then he couldn’t have committed the crimes in Manchester if he was up in the north east and vice versa. So if Carruthers is indeed behind all of these, then he must have had an accomplice to commit the crimes for him. This seems to be confirmed by the break-in in Altrincham where a photograph was taken from its frame. This says to me that the accomplice is on the photograph that was taken, and wishes to keep his identity a secret. Another fact about the cards revealed that they could symbolise education and the irresponsibility of youth – so if we take that as the basis for the crimes, then something happened to the killer when he was young, something to do with his education.’
‘This seems to make perfect sense,’ DCI Ambleton spoke up after hearing Burton and Simmons speak and taking this new information into account.
‘There is one further factor in this, though,’ Simmons revealed.
‘And that is?’ Ambleton asked of her.
‘Now that we have all the information on the cases up in the north east, then Sally Fielding herself appears to be a link in all this.’
The room went silent.
Simmons continued, looking around her, ‘Perhaps a case she has worked on over the years, something to do with her friends, even. I believe that, unbeknown to either us or her at this moment, she plays a part in this somewhere.’
It was then that Francis spoke up with a new take on this. ‘You don’t think that she’s in any danger, do you?’
The DCI rolled this around in her head and spoke after giving it due consideration. ‘We’ll have to get someone to go through all her cases while she’s been with us…’
‘That will take forever, ma’am,’ Burton intervened, but Ambleton had already considered that option.
‘I know that you’re not going to like this, Joe, but I’m going to get another team in to help us do the research on this one. Fielding has been with us how long now, almost ten years, and we just haven’t got the manpower to go through every last little bit of it, so first thing Monday morning, I’ll be enlisting more administrative help for this. And in answer to your question, DC Francis,’ she added, turning to the young officer who had raised a very valid issue, ‘I believe that to be a pertinent point, so I think it may be wise that we be extra vigilant and have Fielding’s back on this one.’
19
‘I really don’t think that’s necessary,’ said Fielding when Burton told her.
Fielding wasn’t ready for that when Burton rang her, but in some way after hearing of the connection between her two former school friends, she could understand how the profiler had arrived at that conclusion. Still, she didn’t think it was necessary for anyone to stand guard over her, not that it had been suggested as yet, or for them to ‘have her back’.
‘What time are you getting home?’ Burton had asked her, and when she told him that they were coming back earlier than expected and that she would be back at her apartment no later than seven, he’d asked her if she wanted to come over to his place and talk it over. With the promise of a takeaway, Fielding couldn’t refuse the offer – even though they were supposed to be having time away from the investigation.
‘But on one provision,’ Fielding stipulated.
‘What’s that?’ asked Burton.
‘Just tone down the AC/DC volume, I don’t want to be deafened like last time!’
He laughed. ‘It’s a deal. But you’ll be pleased to know that I now wear headphones when I’m in the house!’
‘Your neighbours threatening to complain to the police?’ Fielding joked.
‘Nearly, but not quite.’
Burton had to confess that a night off was exactly what the doctor had ordered, time to regroup and gather his wits about him and face the problem anew on Monday morning. He knew that there was a great deal to do, and although not happy at first about another team encroaching on his patch, the extra pairs of hands and eyes checking out Fielding’s old cases would actually be a godsend.
Carruthers’s questioning had reached a stalemate. He insisted that he knew nothing about any of the deaths. Burton believed that he somehow did, and was trying to push him so that he
might slip up. By this time, Carruthers had had more than enough of ‘this nonsense’ as he’d adamantly put it. His solicitor had borne down on them and they’d had to reluctantly let him go. But in Burton’s mind, he was far from out of the woods.
Following the meeting with Ambleton, he had gone down to see Carruthers, who had been his usual annoying self; and when shown the picture Burton had taken of his great-uncle’s house and the row of photographs, Carruthers said that he couldn’t remember what or who had been in the frame as he hadn’t been in the house for a number of years. And Burton had to admit to himself that his response had seemed genuine enough. Carruthers had also confirmed who Nathaniel Jackson’s other relatives were. The absence of a telephone call from the estate agent seemed to indicate that she hadn’t been able to locate them.
Alex Carruthers’s aunt and uncle, Jackson’s son and daughter-in-law, lived in Brighton. Carruthers’s own parents had retired to Spain some years back. Carruthers had not chosen to make the move with them because of the career he had formed for himself in this country. He was doing well here and didn’t want to up sticks and try again in a foreign country. He also told Burton that he couldn’t think of anyone who would want to murder his relative; he certainly had no reason to, or so he said, indicating that Jackson’s son was the sole inheritor of his estate. That was something that Burton would have to check out for himself.
Murderland Page 12
