Dark Secrets: A Cavendish & Walker Novel - Book 11

by Sally Rigby

  I pick up the remote and turn the television over. I can’t bear to look at their faces. There’s no point because they’re never going to be connected with me now. I have to get on with my life and pretend like they’d never existed. Like I never existed for them.

  I’ve got plans for my future. Plans that I’d put on hold. But now there’s no stopping me. I can live a normal life like everyone else. It’s not like I’m going to do it again.

  I’m not some mad, deranged serial killer.

  Have I already said that? Well, it’s true, and I don’t want anyone to think otherwise.

  This was something very specific to the situation.

  So why does my mind keep wandering back to whether what I’d done was the right thing? It wasn’t a rash decision; it took planning. Very careful planning. And I did try to get to know them, but it was rejected, other than superficially.

  I’m not to blame. I don’t regret it. And that’s final.

  I glug back the remainder of my beer and go into the kitchen and grab another bottle. I can’t get drunk, though. I need to have my wits about me tomorrow at work in case I let something slip.

  Actually, I’d better have something to eat to soak up the booze. Then I’ll go out for a walk to take my mind off everything. I’ve got to stop dwelling on what happened in the past and concentrate on the future. Because I’ve got one, unlike the Barkers. But they didn’t deserve one, and I do.

  Chapter 29

  ‘Guv, Natalie McKay has arrived, and she’s been put in interview room six,’ Meena called out, as they’d walked into the main incident room from Whitney’s office.

  George had stopped there when she’d first arrived, and they’d been discussing the case, in particular the staging of the meal and the deep betrayal it symbolised. Whitney had seemed a little distracted, but George hadn’t liked to enquire what was amiss as they needed to concentrate, and it would have taken them off task. If her friend continued in this way, she’d ask her at a more opportune moment.

  ‘Thanks, Meena. We’ll go down straight away. George, you might as well come with me and observe close up, which might be helpful when assessing her for little microexpressions. McKay has already met you, so it shouldn’t put her on her guard.’

  When they entered the interview room, Natalie McKay was sitting ramrod straight, with tight lines around her eyes and her lips pressed together in a firm line.

  ‘Why have I been brought here?’ she demanded before they’d even sat down.

  A very interesting change in demeanour from the previous day. She was most definitely wary and could be hiding something.

  ‘We have further questions for you,’ Whitney said.

  ‘Why couldn’t you have called, or come around like you did yesterday? My grandparents were extremely worried when a police officer turned up at the door and demanded that I went with them.’

  ‘We needed to make this a more formal interview, which is why you were brought here.’ Whitney pressed the recording equipment. ‘Interview on Friday, June 11. Those present DCI Walker, Dr Cavendish, and please state your full name for the recording.’

  ‘Natalie Josephine McKay,’ the woman replied in an icy tone, her eyes focused on Whitney.

  ‘Further to our informal discussion yesterday, I’d like to confirm that you were in a relationship with David Barker until just before his death, and that you believed he was going to leave his wife and move in with you because your relationship was becoming serious?’

  ‘Yes. He wanted me to find a flat and he was going to help me with the rent so I could move into somewhere comfortable. He didn’t want anything basic because that wasn’t what he was used to. It was so we could spend more time together, and not use hotels all the time.’

  ‘You had a disagreement shortly before he died, and he ended it.’

  ‘Yes. That’s what I’ve already told you.’

  ‘Can you explain why we found some threatening texts from you on David’s phone?’

  Colour drained from her face. ‘It wasn’t like that.’

  ‘Perhaps you can tell us what it was like.’ Whitney leant forward slightly.

  The woman tensed and sucked in a breath. ‘I wasn’t totally honest about why we ended things. It happened after I thought I was pregnant. I was so excited and thought David would be, too. But he told me I had to get rid of it because the time wasn’t right. I refused. No way would I do that. I asked why we couldn’t have the baby and he move in with me like we’d planned.’ She paused, a pained expression on her face. ‘He said no and refused to discuss it further.’

  ‘You must have been upset.’

  ‘I was. I sort of understood because it wasn’t like we’d planned it. It turned out to be a false alarm so it didn’t matter in the end.’

  ‘Did you see him after that?’

  ‘Once I’d told him there wasn’t a baby we’d see each other occasionally, but it was different. After a while, he said I was becoming too clingy, and he had enough on his plate without me adding to it. He said we should cool it for a while. I knew that meant for good.’

  ‘So, you decided to threaten him?’

  ‘It wasn’t like that. I was upset and angry. I loved him.’

  ‘But because he didn’t reciprocate you decided to kill him?’

  ‘No. That’s crazy.’

  There was a knock on the door, and Brian stuck his head in. ‘Can I have a word, guv?’

  ‘Interview suspended.’ Whitney and George left the room. ‘What is it?’

  ‘I thought you’d want to know that Natalie McKay’s alibi doesn’t hold up. Her car was seen in Lenchester on Saturday night.’

  ‘How close to Beech Avenue was she?’

  ‘Well, obviously we can’t tell because the cameras don’t go that far, but she was certainly in the vicinity and could easily have driven there.’

  ‘Good work. Trace what time she returned to Birmingham.’

  ‘Frank’s looking at the CCTV footage right now. I’ll see how he’s getting on.’ Brian turned and headed back down the corridor.

  ‘Interview resumed,’ Whitney said, once they’d returned. ‘We understand that you weren’t home on Saturday night. Your car was seen in Lenchester. You lied to us.’

  Natalie ran a shaky hand through her hair. ‘Am I being arrested? Do I need a solicitor?’

  ‘That’s entirely up to you. If you think you do, you’re welcome to have one. We can arrange for one of the duty solicitors unless you have your own. It may take a while.’

  ‘I didn’t kill them. I wasn’t anywhere near their house. You have to believe me.’

  George couldn’t detect any outward signs that the woman was lying, but she’d remain vigilant. Some people were able to cover up their lies, especially if they were aware of what would give them away. Although it was hard to maintain, and that’s where George would catch them out.

  ‘In that case, what were you doing in Lenchester on Saturday night?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘David had asked to meet so we could sort things out. He couldn’t get to Birmingham, so I agreed to drive to Lenchester. He was going to make an excuse to go out for an hour.’

  ‘Where and when was this meeting to take place?’

  ‘We arranged to meet at the Tavern pub at nine-thirty.’

  George hadn’t heard of the pub.

  ‘That’s a bit of a dive. Why there?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘To make sure he didn’t bump into anyone he knew. He didn’t have the time to drive somewhere further away.’

  ‘We know he couldn’t have turned up, so what did you do then?’

  ‘I waited until ten, then left and went home.’

  ‘Did you text him to find out where he was?’

  ‘I was going to, and then decided to forget it and not waste my time on him.’

  ‘That was a sudden change of heart,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I realised while sitting in the pub, which didn’t feel particularly safe, that if he could put me in thi
s situation without caring what happened to me, then he wasn’t worth it. I want to be with someone who treats me better than that.’

  ‘What time did you arrive home?’

  ‘Eleven.’

  ‘How do we know this is the truth? When we spoke to you yesterday, you informed us that you had an alibi and that your grandparents would verify it. Which they did. You’ve put them in a position where they could be charged with obstructing the course of justice.’

  Natalie’s hand shot to her mouth. ‘I didn’t mean to do that. They weren’t lying. They believed that I was there. They’d no idea I’d gone out. They go to bed at eight-thirty, and both have hearing aids, so they wouldn’t have heard a thing.

  ‘Why so early?’

  ‘My granddad used to sell fruit and veg on the markets. He went to bed early his whole life because of having to get up at four in the morning. He still carried on after retiring and my nanna did the same so they would always be together. You’re not going to charge them, are you?’

  ‘We’ll be considering it and will make a decision later. Is there anyone at the pub who can vouch for you being there?’

  ‘I ordered a glass of wine, so maybe the woman who served me, or others who were sitting on bar stools at the bar.’

  ‘We will investigate. In the meantime, you can wait here.’

  ‘Am I being arrested?’

  ‘No, but if you try to leave you will be.’

  They left the room and headed back to the office.

  ‘Thoughts?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘There wasn’t anything in her body language that alerted me to her lying. Although the fact she’d kept all of this from us in her previous interview could be viewed as suspicious.’

  ‘Could she have been involved with someone else in the murders? We know of two disgruntled women, there could be more. What if they all got together and committed the murders? I’ve mentioned this before, and still believe it’s possible.’

  ‘And kill the entire family? That’s something different altogether. I’m not convinced. Plus, we know that the killer made Keira tie up her brothers and parents. If there was more than one killer, it wouldn’t have been necessary.’

  ‘Good point. We’ll drive to the pub to check her alibi. It won’t take long. I’ll pop back into the incident room first, to see where they are on checking the CCTV footage, and to let them know where we’re going.’

  Chapter 30

  The moment Whitney and George entered the incident room, Ellie came rushing over.

  ‘Guv, I’ve found something. I’m not sure if it’s going to be relevant, but you need to know about it.’

  ‘Okay. Let’s share it with everyone. Eyes on me,’ she called out. ‘Ellie has something for us.’

  They all looked up and focused on Ellie, whose cheeks were pink.

  ‘I’ve been looking deeper into Gillian Barker’s background. Her maiden name was Findlay and I discovered that she was raped as a teenager. The man responsible was never caught. This resulted in a pregnancy, and the baby boy was given up for adoption.’

  Whitney looked over at George. Was this connected to the murders?

  ‘How old was Gillian when this happened?’

  ‘Fifteen.’

  ‘Brian, do you know where Penny Burn, Gillian’s sister, is staying? She might know more about it.’

  ‘The Midland Hotel.’

  ‘I know it. We’ll go on the way to checking Natalie McKay’s alibi. Call and let her know we’ll be there in ten minutes.’

  ‘Yes, guv.’

  ‘Ellie, who adopted the child?’

  ‘A Mr and Mrs Roberts took him when he was only a few weeks old. They live in Bedford, which is where Gillian came from before the family moved to Poole, shortly after the baby was born.’

  ‘To make a new start, I suspect,’ Whitney said. ‘I’m assuming you know the child’s name?’

  ‘He’s called Mark, and he’s their only child.’

  ‘What do you think, George?’

  ‘It’s certainly worth investigating.’

  ‘Agreed. We’ll visit them after we’ve checked Natalie McKay’s alibi. What else do we know about this couple and their son, Ellie?’

  ‘John Roberts is sixty-six, and a retired accountant. Iris Roberts is sixty-seven, and a retired florist. I have very little on Mark, other than the school he went to, and then onto Nottingham Trent University. I’ll keep digging.’

  ‘Thanks. Natalie McKay’s in an interview room downstairs and will stay there while we check her alibi. She now admits to being in a local pub waiting for David, who didn’t turn up. Frank, did you discover the time she headed back to Birmingham?’

  ‘Yes, guv. She was on her way back there after ten.’

  ‘Which confirms what she told us. Do we have a photo of her?’

  ‘There’s one on the company website. I’ll download and forward it to you, guv,’ Ellie said.

  ‘Great. Okay, we’ll see you later.’

  While George was driving to the hotel, Whitney stared out of the window.

  ‘Is everything all right?’ George asked, causing her to start, as she’d been miles away, her mind full of competing thoughts. Not all of them to do with the case.

  She turned to face her. ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘The team might not have noticed, but I’ve witnessed you being restless and distracted today.’

  Whitney sighed. Sharing it with George would help. She hadn’t wanted to burden her before, as there was so much else she had to deal with, what with her dad and the move.

  ‘You’re right, there is something on my mind, and I’ve been finding it hard to set it aside. You know I can’t compartmentalise like you can.’

  ‘That’s because you don’t try hard enough. It’s not easy, but—’

  ‘I thought you wanted to know what’s wrong? I don’t need a lesson in how …’ She paused. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on one. I went to see Mum last night and took Tiffany, Rob, and the baby. She wasn’t having a good day and it really upset Rob. We went outside to talk about it and out of the blue he mentioned that he’d kept a secret from all of us for a long time. I tried to get him to tell me, but he wouldn’t. He was too scared, because it could lead to the family being harmed. I think it was related to the time he was attacked. In fact, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘Have you discussed the incident with him in the past?’

  ‘Not really. I was only fourteen when it happened. From my recollection, he couldn’t remember a thing. The doctors diagnosed him as having irreparable brain damage and he turned into a totally different person. He went from being a lively, outgoing, fun-loving teen to being quiet and unresponsive, although he did improve a lot over time, thanks to my mum and dad spending so much time with him. Thinking back on it, he was one of those guys who could’ve ended up getting himself in trouble, especially if he was hanging around with the wrong crowd. We’ve no idea whether the attack was targeted or random.’

  ‘Did you know the people he was friends with?’

  ‘No. I was too young, and it was long ago. Mum might have done, but I doubt she’ll be able to tell me anything now.’

  ‘People with dementia often remember facts from the past. That aside, Rob must have been asked about the attack, at the time.’

  ‘I imagine he was, by the police, or my mum and dad, or the doctors. I don’t really know. All I do remember is that the police hardly pursued it and it made me angry. Looking back on it now, with my knowledge of how the force works, it could have been because they had nothing concrete to pursue. It’s not like there was much CCTV footage, or the ability to track mobile phones back then. And they might have had other cases to be working on and their resources stretched. I’m not excusing them because I’m sure more could’ve been done if they had the right mindset, but I accept that it probably wasn’t as clear-cut as I believed at the time. If I hadn’t interpreted the police’s behaviour like that, I might not have ended up in the force. So, I should
be grateful. If you know what I mean.’

  ‘Out of adversity often comes a benefit.’

  ‘I’m wondering whether the case should be reopened.’

  ‘Would you be allowed to do that?’

  ‘I’m in charge of the department so, in theory, yes. Except the super would need to know, and if she then mentioned it to Dickhead, he’d no doubt say no it would be a waste of resources because there isn’t any new evidence. Even if it was allowed, he’d say I was too invested and give the case to someone else, like Masters, and I couldn’t stand for that to happen.’

  ‘I can see their point about someone else taking the case,’ George said.

  ‘I know. Anyway, I can’t think about it now. It’s not going to go away, so let’s get this case solved, and I’ll think about it then. The hotel is the next road on the right.’

  George parked outside the Midland Hotel and they went through the revolving doors to the reception.

  ‘Good morning,’ the receptionist said.

  Whitney held out her ID. ‘We’re here to see Penny Burn. What’s her room number?’

  ‘Mrs Burn is waiting for you over there.’ The receptionist pointed to the other side of the lobby where a woman was sitting on her own in an easy chair, flicking through a magazine.

  ‘Penny Burn?’ Whitney asked when they’d reached her.

  The woman looked up at them. ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’m DCI Walker and this Dr Cavendish. We’d like to ask a few questions about Gillian.’

  ‘Yes, okay. Please sit down.’ She placed her magazine on the table in front of her and gestured to the two chairs opposite her.

  ‘We’re very sorry for your loss, it must be a very difficult time for you,’ Whitney said.

  ‘It still hasn’t sunk in. Even when I saw the bodies it …’ her voice broke.

  ‘Can I get you something? A glass of water or a cup of tea?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘I’m fine. Thank you. What would you like to know?’

  ‘I understand Gillian was older than you. What was the age difference?’

  ‘Nine years.’