He was quiet for a few seconds, then, he answered, ‘I told you I panicked. The broken glass, the blood and we’d argued that night beforehand. I knew it would look suspicious.’
‘Okay, just putting that to one side, tell me what your actions were after you found Carrie had gone?’
‘Well, like I say, at first I just thought she’d gone off in a huff and I tried ringing her but she didn’t answer, so I rang James to see if she’d gone there but he told me they’d not seen her. Then, because of the blood I rang the hospital just in case she’d had an accident. You can check.’
‘Why didn’t you ring the police?’
‘I don’t know. I just didn’t.’
‘I asked you earlier if you were concerned about Carrie and you said you weren’t. Now you’re telling me you rang the hospital.’
‘That’s different. I wasn’t concerned that anything had happened to her, as in missing, or dead, or anything like that what you’re suggesting, but I thought she might have cut herself with the broken glass.’
‘Do you think she’s dead Mathew?’
For a moment Mathew stared across the table, then, he took a sharp intake of breath and said, ‘You obviously think she is. And you obviously think I did it, otherwise you wouldn’t have arrested me.’
‘You know we found her burned out mini don’t you?’
‘Yes in the woods not far from here. I saw it on the news.’
‘And we also found items belonging to Carrie nearby.’
‘Have you found her then?’
‘Do you think we might do?’
‘You’re trying to put words in my mouth.’ He slammed his hands onto the table. ‘Look I haven’t done anything to Carrie.’
‘We found some drag marks leading away from the car and it looks as though someone has started digging a grave. Now would you think that whoever did that would be covered in dirt?’ As he finished speaking Jack thought he caught something in Mathew’s eyes but he blinked it quickly away.
Mathew was silent for a few seconds before replying, ‘Maybe.’ Gulping, he added, ‘I don’t know.’
‘Well I would have thought so. Conditions in that wood are not good. I was down there this morning and I got caked in mud.’
Mathew shrugged and gave Jack a ‘what’s that to do with me’ look.
‘What I’m getting at Mathew is that this morning we got a warrant and carried out a search of your home and found a pair of walking shoes in a cupboard in your kitchen and they’re covered in dried mud. And while you were in conference with your solicitor I got a phone call informing me that they’ve found a spade in the boot of your car with dried mud on it. Do you think when we do tests on those that the mud on those boots and the spade will match that in the woods near where we found Carrie’s burned out car and the shallow grave?’
Mathew’s jaw dropped. ‘This is a fucking stitch-up. Someone’s trying to frame me.’
‘And at the bottom of your garden we found the remains of a fire, where clothing has been found burned. Forensics are checking to see if there are any labels to identify the clothing. But, do you know what Mathew, I think we’ll find that it's your clothing. Am I right?’
Mathew jerked upright, shooting a quick glance at his solicitor, ‘Someone’s trying to frame me. I haven’t done anything.’ Returning his gaze to Jack he added, ‘Look, I found my clothes muddy like that the morning I woke up and Carrie had gone. I don’t know how they got like that. I must have fallen down or something. I’ve told you I was well and truly pissed that night.’
‘Why did you burn them? Why not just wash them?’
‘I don’t know.’ He paused a moment and then said, ‘Again, I just panicked.’
‘The other simple explanation is that you tried to destroy the evidence. I think your clothes got like that after you drove Carrie’s car to the woods that night, because you’d killed her at home, and you started to dig a grave for her, but then something or someone disturbed you.’
‘I never went to the woods.’
‘You just said you don’t remember what you did. You were drunk.’
‘I’d have remembered that.’
‘Is she in the woods Mathew? Have you buried Carrie in the woods?’
‘Read my lips. I – never – went – to – the- woods. Why don’t you believe me?’
‘Well let’s look at things from my perspective. You were the last person to see Carrie. You argued that night. We’ve found evidence of broken glass and blood in your kitchen, which you’ve tried to clean up – with bleach. We’ve found her car dumped in the woods less than a mile from your home, items that belonged to Carrie and a grave that’s been dug nearby. And, at your home we’ve found muddy boots, and a spade in the boot of your car with mud on it and you’ve admitted burning your clothes because they were covered in mud. Isn’t that a big enough picture for you? The vast majority of people are killed by someone they know.’
He pushed himself back, ‘I’m saying nothing else. If you think I killed Carrie, then you go ahead and prove it.’
32
Jack was alone in the office, seated at his desk with his head resting in his hands, re-playing the events of that day in his thoughts. Everyone else had gone home, or to the pub, following the break-up of evening briefing half an hour ago. He had lied when he told those who were off to the pub that he had some paperwork to tidy up and then he would join them. The truth was he wasn’t in the mood. He was drained. The case had taken more out of him than he had thought and made him realise that he’d done far too much too quickly after his six-month layoff. Also, and he was reluctant to admit it, he knew that his age was a big factor on his weariness. Time was when he’d leave briefing, trot off to the pub with his colleagues, down four or five pints, go home and have supper and be up before 7a.m. the next morning, fired up for another 14-hour day.
You’re getting old Jack Buchan. Too old for this game. Maybe it’s time to retire.
He shifted his gaze from the neat pile of interview notes in front of him to the incident board at the front of the office. He looked at the head and shoulders photograph of Mathew Tobias Alexander. He and Fabi had reached an impasse with him. Mathew no longer wanted to answer their questions and they had lodged him back in a cell. They only had another sixteen hours to break him or come up with the damning evidence to charge him otherwise he was out on bail.
At that evening’s briefing, DI Harrison told them that a good proportion of the woods had been searched but they still hadn’t found any further sign of Carrie. They had found and dug up a couple of graves but these had only held dog carcasses; more than likely someone’s pet. Another task force unit was joining the team tomorrow to double their search capacity. At Mathew’s house they had found no other sign of blood and his car had been put onto a low-loader and taken away for forensic examination. House-to-house enquiries with the occupants of the few cottages on the route from his home to Boskenna had not turned up anything and there were no roadside cameras in the location to log Mathew’s movement in his or Carrie’s car. Regarding his involvement in the suicide of his former girlfriend, Angel May, two officers were still ploughing through the weighty inquest file, trying to determine if there were any fresh lines of enquiry. So far they had drawn a blank. He and Fabi were still tasked with interviewing him about that but at the moment that was more of a fishing exercise without a new element of approach. Jack brought back his attention to his neat paperwork and let off a long sigh. It looked like they were going to have no option but to release him.
Unless...
He suddenly remembered his and Fabi’s conversation with Pippa from the gallery. Of course, Mathew had drugged her and raped her, hadn’t he? And although she had told them all she wanted to do was put it behind her he was sure that with Fabi’s help they could persuade her to make a statement against him. Especially if she learned that he could be getting away with murder. He was certain that would prick her conscience. At least it would give them a holding char
ge while they carried out all their enquiries.
I’ll air that at tomorrow morning’s briefing.
With renewed vigour he pushed himself up, picked up his papers, tapped the edges straight and placed them in his top tray. He was about to lift his coat from the back of his chair when his desk phone rang. He looked at the clock on the wall. 8.50p.m. He wondered if it was one of the team ringing him up to see how long he would be before he joined them. For a moment he was going to ignore it; he couldn’t face them tonight. And then he thought about the call Emma Kirby had made several nights ago and in that instant he made the decision to snatch it up.
‘DC Buchan, Penzance CID.’
There was no response. He strained his ears and picked up the sound of soft breathing on the other end. After a good few seconds he said, ‘DC Jack Buchan, if you have a problem I can help. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Carrie Jefferies, I can take it down. You don’t have to leave your name if you don’t want to.’
There was a couple more seconds of silence and then a slight voice said, ‘I’m sorry to disturb you. I don’t know if I’m speaking out of turn and I don’t want to get anyone into trouble.’
It was female. Jack tried to visualise the caller. He thought she sounded to be in her late twenties, early thirties. The accent, although local, had an edge of refinement. He replied, ‘Anything you tell me will be in complete confidence, I promise.’
There was a moment’s pause again and then the woman said, ‘I’ve been told you’ve arrested Mathew Alexander over his girlfriend going missing?’
Jack’s ears pricked up. He responded, ‘We have a man in custody regarding the disappearance of Carrie Jefferies, yes. Do you have some information about that?’
At first she stuttered over her words, but then she blurted out, ‘Not about that I haven’t, but I have about what he did to Tammy Callaghan. Has she told you about the time he tried to rape her?’
33
Jack finally gave up trying to get to sleep shortly after 5a.m., got up, dressed in a pair of jeans and sweatshirt and, donning his fleece and waterproof, took Mollie out for a brisk early morning walk. He strolled for over an hour across fields watching her disappearing in and out of hedgerows as she searched for game while he pondered on the message delivered by the previous evening’s mysterious caller; the investigation was certainly throwing up some interesting elements.
Back home he fed and watered Mollie, made himself a hot drink and some toast, and then showered and changed into his work clothes. Checking his watch as he locked his front door he noted that dawn was still a good half hour away as he set off for the station.
Not surprisingly he was first in the office, and with nothing to do but wait, he made another drink of tea and strolled back and forth around the office, his gaze constantly going to the incident board.
At 7.30a.m. Fabi entered the room and Jack made a bee-line for her.
Looking at his watch as if she was late he said excitedly, ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’
Dumping her bag on the desk she replied, ‘Why what’s up?’
‘I got a phone call last night while you were all out at the pub.’ He told her about the information the female caller had given him.’
Fabi threw him an astonished look, ‘Wow.’
‘Exactly.’
‘What are you wanting to do?’
‘I’m just waiting for the DI to come in, then I’m going to tell him. And then you and I are going to pay her a visit. James is likely to be there so we need to get him out of the house. I’d rather speak with her alone if we can.’
***
Jack rapped loudly on the front door of the old fisherman’s cottage at Penberth and in less than half a minute Tammy Callaghan was at the door. He watched her face as she offered up a surprised expression.
‘Oh, I thought you’d arranged to meet James at the station to check through his statement. He set off five minutes ago.’
‘Yes I know we watched him leave.’
Tammy’s face morphed into a look of puzzlement. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I arranged it so it would be like this. It’s you we want to talk to.’
Her eyebrows pinched together. ‘Me?’
‘It’s about your attack Mrs Callaghan,’ said Fabi.
She said the words ‘My attack.’ but there was no element of question behind them and Jack immediately knew that last night’s phone call had not been mischievous.
‘Can we come in?’ Jack deliberately placed his foot on the threshold knowing that her reaction would be to take a step back. It worked, leaving him a gap to take another step forward and in two steps he was inside her home. Fabi followed, closing the door quietly behind them.
The front door gave them immediate access to a small low-ceiling lounge, the feature of which was an open stone fireplace with a log-burner. From a long mullion window strong sunshine filled the room, its rays highlighting thousands of dust motes floating gently around. The only furnishings were a two-seater sofa, an armchair, a bookcase, crammed with books and flat screen TV. Anything else would have made the room look crowded. It reminded Jack of his own lounge.
Tammy turned her back to them and, calling back over her shoulder, said, ‘We can talk through here,’ and walked out of the lounge to the back of the house.
They stepped through a small kitchen-diner, which was fitted with a mishmash of furnishings and units that was in the shabby chic style – more DIY than bespoke – and into a south-facing conservatory, kitted out with rattan chairs covered with tartan throws and cushions.
With extended arm Tammy offered them a seat. As she sat down in a chair she said, ‘How did you find out about the attack? Has Mathew confessed?’
Jack responded, ‘I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say how we came by the information Tammy, you have to understand that. Safe to say we obviously know about it and we’d like your take on what happened.’
‘Will James get to know?’
‘You haven’t told him?’ said Fabi. She had taken out her notebook and pen from her bag and was fanning through the pages to find a blank one.
‘I didn’t know how to. He’s friends with Mathew. After that last time I thought that’d be an end to it so decided not to tell him.’
Jack leaned forward, clasping his hands and resting his lower arms along his thighs. ‘Look Tammy, Mathew is in a heap of trouble. It’s going to come out sooner rather than later, we found blood at his home, which we think is Carrie’s and you’ll have seen on the news that we’ve found her car burned out in the woods at Boskenna.’
She put a hand to mouth, ‘Oh God. Have you found Carrie? Is she dead?’
‘We’re searching the woods as we speak. I think it will only be a matter of time before we found her body.’
‘I knew Mathew had got a nasty streak in him but I never thought he’d do this.’
‘He attacked you Tammy. That show’s how nasty he can be.’
She nodded.
‘It would help if you told us about it.’
Tammy brushed her hands down the front of her jeans, then glimpsed at them. ‘God I’m shaking.’
Fabi said, ‘I know this must be awful for you Tammy, but if I tell you that you’re not the first person he’s attacked like this, maybe you’ll realise why we’re talking to you this morning. Mathew is a nasty piece of work and the sooner he’s behind bars the better.’
Following a short pause, during which she alternated her gaze between Fabi and Jack, she replied, ‘He didn’t actually…’ she took a deep breath ‘… you know, rape me. I managed to stop him.’ She paused again. ‘I threatened to stab him with one of my kitchen knives. Will I get into trouble?’
Fabi gave her a sympathetic smile, ‘You were protecting yourself Tammy. No you won’t get into trouble. Do you feel able to tell us what Mathew did to you?’
‘To be honest it all started innocently. I’ve tried reflecting on it and wondered if I’m somehow to blame
for what he did.’
‘You are not in any way responsible for what Mathew did. You mustn’t think that at all. Mathew did what he did because he wanted to. End of.’ There was a raised inflection in Fabi’s voice.
‘I know deep down I didn’t do anything wrong, but I shouldn’t have let it go on like I did before I did something about it. I know I should have told James. I should have reported him to you.’
‘You handled it how you thought best at the time.’ Fabi held Tammy’s gaze. ‘Would you like to go through it? Tell us how it started and what he did.’
She let out a deep breath and put a hand to her chest, ‘It started with just a bit of fun about six months ago. They came round for a few drinks, him and Carrie, and half way through the evening Mathew followed me into the kitchen when I went to get some more wine. We just got chatting and had a bit of a laugh and Mathew helped me open the wine. I couldn’t get the cork out. He sort of held my wrist and helped me. I didn’t think anything of it until the next time they came round when we invited them for a meal. He started getting a bit close then, brushing past me and because I’d not had as much to drink I noticed it. As the night wore on he got a bit closer, and then as they left he gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek, which I felt uncomfortable about. The third time he started flirting with me. He followed me into the kitchen again when I went for the wine and told me that I’d got a great figure and that he’d love to paint me. I told him straight that if anyone was going to paint me it would be James. He just laughed and played it down by saying it was a joke.’ She swung her gaze back and forth between the two detectives. ‘But it wasn’t. I knew he was being serious. And then after that, that’s when he attacked me.’
‘When was this?’ asked Fabi.
She stared over Fabi’s head, through the conservatory windows and for a few seconds held it there. Then, pulling back her eyes answered, ‘Three months ago now. He turned up just before lunchtime when James had gone off to take his work to the gallery. He said that he and Carrie had just had a row and he’d come away for some breathing space. I made him a coffee, and he told me that they weren’t getting on and that he felt she was using him for his money. I just listened. When he’d drunk his coffee, he thanked me for listening, and said what good friends we’d been to him, and that he didn’t know where he’d be without us, and as he was putting his mug in the sink he just grabbed hold of me, and pulled me to him and kissed me on the lips. It was such a shock. I pushed him away and told him that he should go and I made an excuse that James would be home soon. Mathew just laughed and said he knew James would be gone for most of the day and he just grabbed me again. Around the waist, really tight, and said he knew that I wanted him and he grabbed hold of my backside and started kissing my neck. That’s when I grabbed the knife off the side.’
Chasing Ghosts: A Detective Jack Buchan Novel Page 12
