by Nathan Sayer
Had Gulliver killed her not knowing he was being watched by Anderson before running away, leaving Anderson to hide the body? Maybe it was more simplistic than that and Anderson was just lying about the time Gulliver had got home. There were too many grey areas and not enough clear cut facts. Reed needed the DNA from the earring found at the murder site.
Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine the chain of events that happened that night. Gulliver had given Carmella a lift home from the club, that was a fact backed up with CCTV footage. Despite Gulliver's lie, they knew he turned right off the A11 at the Elveden crossroads onto the A1075, where he was caught by a speed camera before passing Thetford Common on the Bury Road.
They could have stopped at the Common before having an argument, or his advances were rejected and he got angry, picking up a stone and hitting her on the head with it. Trying to predict what someone would do after they had just killed someone was way beyond Reed's imagination. What they did know was that the killer had tried to muddy the waters a little by moving the body. If it was Gulliver, and Anderson was telling the truth, he would have had to have been quick. Maybe after lashing out he checked her pulse and panicked before trying to hide her body. Then there was the bleach; whoever killed Carmella had had the presence of mind to try and cover any DNA evidence by saturating her body with bleach. It was a cold and calculating act by a cold and calculating killer. Was the bleach the key to all of this? Was it a statement from the same person who had killed Tina Westwood?
Then there was the earrings, was that another statement? There had definitely been one missing from Tina and potentially two missing from Carmella. Were they little trophies taken by the killer?
Gulliver had links to both girls. It was undeniable that he knew Carmella and there was also the fact that he worked with Tina’s dad, Alan. It had been Reed’s intention to keep the two cases separate but maybe it was time to reveal their cards.
It was also a possibility that Anderson was a co-conspirator, with or without Gulliver's knowledge. Maybe Gulliver was telling the truth and he did drop Carmella off at the end of her road, allowing Anderson or someone else to pounce. Or he may have killed her and Anderson had tidied up for him so as not to lose his idol.
Driving at the speed restrictions in place, the journey from Carmella's body to Gulliver's flat would take twenty minutes assuming there were no hold ups from other traffic. Could Gulliver have made it in ten?
The scariest part was, if Anderson was telling the truth, it matched Gulliver's statement for the time he arrived home.
Had they concocted it together?
It was a very real possibility.
Tyler had agreed to meet Reed for lunch. He was waiting in his office for her to arrive and then they would head to The Stag pub just off the All in Attleborough. They would no doubt order their usual baguettes, bacon for Reed and tuna for Tyler. From there they would head over to the Chapman's house. Reed felt it was important for him to show his face and update them on the investigation where it was possible.
The Chapman’s knew Reed was in charge and would look to him personally to provide the answers regarding their daughter’s death. All their other hopes and dreams for Carmella had been cruelly snatched away; the only thing left for Carmella was her funeral and finding her killer. Eight days had passed since Carmella had been dumped in an overgrown urine-smelling pit. The least her parents deserved now was to know how and why it had happened and this was what kept Reed going.
During lunch with Tyler, Reed went through what had happened in the interview with Anderson. He couldn't remember if his food was nice or not, the taste got lost somewhere during the conversation, similar to when you're driving and the miles just disappear as you get lost in your thoughts. After eating, they traveled to the Chapman's house in silence. Both of them trying to make sense of their lunchtime conversations. Both of them failing.
Brenda Chapman opened the door and invited them in. She opened the patio doors and called her husband, Brian, in from the garden and waited for him to arrive before going to make some tea. He was wearing grey tracksuit trousers and a white t-shirt that were both covered in a thin layer of sawdust. He had facial hair which was, understandably, about four days old.
Whilst he waited for his wife to return, he recalled various stories of Carmella from when she was a baby through to just a week ago. It struck Reed that there would be no new memories to tell of. This seemed to dawn on Brian too as his laughter at a story he had just told merged seamlessly into crying.
Once they settled down with their drinks, Reed told them what he could without jeopardising the investigation. He felt a deep sense of guilt as the words came from his mouth, knowing he sounded too upbeat and felt he was giving the Chapmans false hope. He wasn't sure if it was for the Chapman's sake or his, trying to convince them all that they would catch the killer soon. Even if they did, Carmella would still be dead. Wanting to get out of the hole he was creating, he made a show of looking at his watch and making his excuses.
When they got outside, Tyler suggested that they see if the Westwoods were home. They needed to know if either Alan or Susan knew Lee Gulliver and, more importantly, if their daughter had.
They would have to be careful not to imply that Gulliver was too strong a suspect as Alan Westwood worked alongside him and might have to continue to do so.
Susan Westwood answered the door and welcomed them in like they were old friends. Despite them refusing, Susan went in the kitchen to put a pot of tea on in case they changed their minds. Reed stood from his chair and walked over to some photos that were on display on a mahogany unit.
There was one of Alan, Susan and Tina at the beach. Alan had his arm around his wife, and his daughter, who looked to be about six years old, was perched on his shoulders. Tina looked to be giggling uncontrollably; Susan was doing a cheeky pose in her swimsuit, while Alan looked like a different man from the one Reed had met. A happy man.
Susan came in holding a tray with all the ingredients for tea but only three cups.
“Is Alan not around?” Reed asked.
“No, he's gone to town. Then he's taking the dog to Thompson Water, he'll be gone for hours.”
Reed knew Thompson Water, he had spent a lot of time there when he was younger. He used to go night fishing there and it was a great place to gather your thoughts or lose them completely. A vast expanse of water was lined with reeds that housed a variety of wildlife. There was thick forest all around that had walkways snaking through it that could lead for miles without actually going anywhere.
“We can wait, if you want to call him?”
“No, that's fine. He doesn't have a phone anyway. Does he need to be here then?”
“It's not essential, we can talk to him another time. We were hoping to ask you both a couple of questions. Maybe you'll know the answers anyway.”
“You only missed him by a couple of minutes. He'll be a couple of hours like I said. Ever since Tina was killed, he just disappears into himself. And this latest murder has hit him really hard, bringing it all back.”
“You too, I would imagine?”
“Of course, yes.” Susan dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief as though to enforce the point, then carried on, “It opens up old wounds that you thought had healed. It's the worst thing that could happen to a parent, losing a child. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.”
Reed was surprised by how chatty Mrs. Westwood was but had to take full advantage. “Terrible.” He stated his understanding, “If you wouldn't mind, we'd like to ask a couple of questions? I don't want you to read too much into it, it's just some things that might fill in some blanks.”
“OK.” Susan said, brightening at the thought she could be of some help.
“Do you know somebody called Lee Gulliver?”
Susan took a few seconds to process the name before saying, “I do recognise it, but I can't remember why.”
“Did Tina mention it?”
“I don't know. I don't think so.�
� Susan's face had contorted a little from the torment of not knowing. A feeling she must have known all too well.
“Don't worry Mrs. Westwood, I can tell you, he works with your husband. Maybe Alan has mentioned him?”
“Yes, that's it.” Susan triumphed. “Alan attended a course with him. It was a two day course and finished on the same day as Carmella Chapman went missing. The Friday. It was a chemical mixing course for health and safety I think, something like that. What with Alan being in charge of the night shift, he has to stay up to date with these things. Lee Gulliver took the same course for the day shift.”
“Was this at the factory?” Reed asked.
“No. It was at Newmarket, some college there. Alan wasn't best pleased about going to college at his age.” Susan smiled.
“Did they go together?”
“They were on the same course but they went separately. Alan was booked into a hotel because he normally works nights and his boss didn't want him driving when he was tired. I think Lee Gulliver travelled back and forth each day.” Susan said cheerily before adding, “Which was probably a blessing for him.”
“Why's that?”
“Well, the hotel couldn't have been up too much. Alan stayed the first night, but he left early on the second.”
“Do you know what time he left?” Reed asked.
“I didn't ask, but I can tell you what time he got home. He scared the life out of me, I wasn't expecting him home you see. He scared me half to death when I heard the front door open. When I looked at the clock it was 1.18am.”
Reed managed to hide his shock a lot better than Tyler did. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes widen. Luckily, Susan had been looking at Reed whilst she had been talking. She was still looking at Reed now. Waiting for some sort of response.
“I think that's everything then.” Reed said with a lightness he wasn't feeling. He couldn't really tell her that due to the information she had just given, her husband had now become a potential witness in Carmella Chapman's murder. Or a potential suspect.
Chapter 18
Reed was shattered. Emotionally and physically. It was 6.45am and he had been awake for over an hour. He felt tired but couldn't get back to sleep. Too tired is what some people called it, although he had never really understood that theory. After no more than two minutes of being awake and flicking his body around trying to find a comfortable position, thoughts of work and Kate had come flooding into his mind. Haunting him.
The previous evening, after Reed had explained to DCI Whitehead about Alan Westwood's whereabouts and the timing of him getting home on the night of Carmella’s murder, they had all agreed to sleep on the information before deciding what to do. Easier said than done in Reed's case. A night shift had been drafted in to investigate Alan Westwood a little closer. They would go through Alan's life with a fine-toothe comb, with the main focus being the level of suspicion surrounding his own daughter's death.
Having spent the night alone, Kate choosing to stay at her sister's house again, Reed had decided to phone her late last night just to make sure she was OK. She was. His daughter Evie was too busy playing and having fun with her cousins to talk to her dad so she was obviously OK too. His ears had started burning shortly after he had hung up the phone so he guessed his many failings were being discussed and agreed with at great length.
It was an interesting glimpse at his new life. Kate was leaving him, he was sure of it, she hadn't said as much but he could feel it. She had suggested some time apart and he couldn't help but think it would probably be for the rest of their lives. Did he want her back anyway? She had been spending time with another man, talking about anything and everything as they had once done together, laughing at each other's jokes. Slowly but surely, she was starting a new relationship in preparation of leaving him. She had already made her choice.
He knew he probably wasn't around as often as some other husbands were but it wasn't as if Kate was a strict nine-to-five person either. She worked all hours at the stables, including weekends. He couldn't help but wonder what her fancy man did for a living and how it fitted in so well with her new life?
He hadn't exactly relaxed during the evening last night either. He had tried to watch the TV but every time he heard a car outside he wondered if it was Kate. She might have needed some more clothes or she might have felt the urge to see him and sort this mess out. He wondered how he should look if she did come in? Relaxed? Sad? Happy to see her? He didn't know. She hadn't come home anyway. Maybe that was the real reason he hadn't slept.
Reed settled down in his office chair and wondered why his bed hadn't felt this comfortable. Having asked Tyler if she would mind fetching the report on Alan Westwood, knowing she would jump at the chance and that it would have been read by the time she delivered it to him, he had the time to relax a little. When she arrived, she could tell him the interesting parts if there were any.
“Airtight alibi, sir.” Tyler announced as she came through the door. Luckily, he had swiveled his chair around so that the back had been facing the door, this gave him a few valuable seconds to wake up and put his 'alert' face on.
“What was it?” he mumbled.
“He was thirty minutes into his shift at work at the time of Tina's death. Fourteen people confirmed it.”
“Anything else in there?” Reed nodded in the direction of the folder in Tyler's hand.
“Nothing really. He showed hostility towards officers as the investigation ran its course. Understandable really.”
He agreed. The police never caught his daughter's killer and that was enough to piss anybody off. Tyler took a seat opposite him and he was glad that despite him being her superior, she was comfortable enough not to be asked to sit. Tyler was chewing her bottom lip as she always did when she was thinking; Reed was watching her do it as he always did.
The shrill of the office phone snapped them both back to reality. Snatching angrily at the receiver he barked, “Reed.”
“Charming as ever I see.” John Fleming said. He was one of the lab technicians from forensics.
“John, please tell me you've got something on the earring?”
“Straight to the point. Lovely to hear from you too old mate.”
Reed and Fleming had played on the same pool team many years ago, done pretty well too. There was still the odd trophy kicking about somewhere to prove it. They had spent a lot of time together socially when they had both been uniformed officers, but things had changed when Reed had got married, had a child and gained a couple of promotions. This was hard for Fleming to understand as he was 40 years old going on 20, single, and living the lifestyle to suit.
“Sorry John, how are things?” Reed conceded to small talk.
“If you really wanted to know, you would have asked without me having to prompt you. I'll forgive you. Yes we have a match on the earring.”
After a short silence Reed prompted, “Mind telling me who?”
“First off, I've got some news on that rock that was thrown through your window. We don't have a match exactly but the DNA profile shows it to be a relation to you. More than likely a child, so unless it's a love-child you haven't told me about, I'm guessing Evie threw it.” Fleming explained, revealing a compassionate tone to his voice that Reed didn't know existed.
A pang of shame and guilt hit him in the depth off his stomach. The shame was the fact that Evie would do such a thing and the guilt came from his part in her behaviour by being a rubbish father and failure of a husband. Evie had been staying at her Nan’s house on the night the window was smashed. Why was she out unsupervised and what sort of crowd was she mixing with that were willing to drive a 13 year old to smash a window at her own home? “OK. Thanks.” Reed said, desperate to change the subject he asked “What about the earring?”
“If you promise me a pint?” Fleming said, returning to type.
“I'll get you ten, just tell me.”
“Promise?”
“I fucking promise. Jesus!”
>
Fleming, to his credit, picked up on his mood and switched from friend to work colleague with practiced ease.
“The earring you found at Carmella Chapman's murder site wasn't Carmella's.” Reed felt all hope evaporate. “It was Tina Westwood's.”
“Holy shit!” Reed said. Tyler looked on expectantly.
“We also have a partial fingerprint.” Fleming continued, pausing for effect. Reed was speechless with anticipation. His heartbeat had quickened to that of a marathon runner's. It might be Alan's fingerprint and that would mean nothing. They had lived together as father and daughter.
“Who?” He finally managed. His mouth dry. He was hating every second of Fleming's game of suspense but couldn't muster the anger to tell him.
“David Jones.” He finally spat out.
Reed explained the DNA results first to Tyler, then to Whitehead, who was only too happy to share some of his wisdom about investigating the obvious suspects, but investigating the less obvious ones even harder. It was as though he knew how it was all going to pan out and he had been waiting for everybody else to catch on. After pointing out a few other things Reed could have approached differently, Whitehead let him get on with trying to catch Carmella's murderer.
Tyler phoned Butler's Garage to see if David Jones was at work. He was. She asked whoever answered the phone to promise they would keep the current conversation a secret. When she wasn't satisfied by the reply, she threatened that charges of wasting police time could be enforced. Happy with the response this time, she hung up.
Reed drove his car with Tyler as his passenger, his confidence in its performance was slowly returning since it had been repaired. He thought it was funny that David Jones had fixed the car that was now coming to arrest him. They were followed by a marked police car and a standby warning had been issued to other officers in the area just in case of any trouble.
