Dead Guilty

by Michelle Davies

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘There is a reason Annika is single. She likes to play the field, always has done.’

  ‘You mean she’s had lots of boyfriends? Were you ever one of them?’

  He shook his head. ‘No, I was never her type. In my teens I had a crush on her, I thought she was a stunning older woman, but –’ he swirled his index finger at his temple – ‘she can be crazy. She threw a brick through one guy’s window once when he traded her in for a younger model. Ask Johnnie if you don’t believe me.’

  Maggie was surprised. ‘Johnnie Hickman-Ferguson dated Annika?’

  ‘Many years ago. He was barely out of his teens. She likes her lovers to be young and fit,’ Ruiz smiled.

  ‘So you know Johnnie too?’

  ‘Again, kind of. He spent every summer in Saros with his family, as did I with mine. I’m sorry, officer, I must excuse myself now. I have to get ready for work.’

  Maggie wasn’t finished though.

  ‘When did you get back from London?’

  ‘Last night.’

  ‘I thought you were staying until tomorrow?’

  ‘I changed my mind.’

  ‘Another young woman has gone missing. You must’ve heard.’

  A flash of anger crossed Ruiz’s face, rendering his handsome features ugly, but then he caught himself.

  ‘I did hear the unfortunate news. If it’s really necessary, I can provide details of my flights,’ he said, forcing a smile.

  ‘If we need to we’ll be in touch,’ she said. ‘Do you have any other trips planned?’

  The smile was genuine now. ‘I’m afraid not. Back to work for me.’

  He said goodbye, then walked away. He was a short distance off when she watched him toss some rubbish to the floor from his pocket. Litter bug, she thought.

  Feeling marginally better after some fresh air, Maggie was about to head back inside the restaurant when an ashen-faced Philip Pope appeared at her side, as if from nowhere, and grabbed her by the arm.

  ‘I need your help,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t know who else to turn to.’

  69

  Philip trusted the police more than any other authority in the land. It was only natural, given his wife’s stellar career as a serving officer. So he had no doubt that turning to Maggie for help now was the correct course of action. No other option made as much sense: Maggie was more empathetic than Walker in her approach and she would understand why it was imperative that he cleared up the misunderstanding about Johnnie being in the photograph before Clive took it to the local police. This was his godson and he needed to protect him.

  Maggie would also, he’d decided on his way to find her, understand why he’d chosen not to tell Patricia about the picture. He wanted to be able to sort it out himself, like any husband would, before involving her.

  Unfortunately, Maggie was not complying with the version of events he’d mapped out in his mind, which involved her rushing off with him to prove Johnnie’s innocence.

  ‘You need to tell me what’s going on. I can’t just leave without letting DCI Walker know,’ she protested as Philip tried to steer her away from the restaurant.

  ‘I have something important to talk to you about, but I can’t do it here,’ he said, his voice still lowered to a fierce whisper. ‘It’s about Johnnie.’

  Her manner changed abruptly then, her expression shuttering at the mention of his godson’s name. With a firm nod, she followed him across the road and back onto the seafront where Philip quickened his pace. The sooner they sorted this out, the better.

  ‘What’s the rush?’ Maggie asked, walking fast to keep up.

  ‘We need to find him before it’s too late.’

  ‘Meaning?’

  Philip didn’t answer and kept walking, but Maggie ground to a halt.

  ‘Mr Pope, I won’t come with you unless you tell me what you mean,’ she called after him.

  Exasperated, Philip stopped and waited for her to catch up.

  ‘What is going on with Johnnie?’ she asked.

  ‘Someone took a photograph of him near to where the Reynolds girl’s sarong was found and now Clive Reynolds has put two and two together and has come up with six. He’s saying it looks like Johnnie is involved and I know he isn’t and we should talk to him, you and me, to prove that he isn’t before the photograph causes terrible trouble for him.’

  ‘Whoa, slow down! I’m sorry, you said that so fast I didn’t get any of it. Start at the beginning . . .’

  Philip heard voices and saw a large group approaching them: a young couple, two children in buggies, three older children trailing behind carrying an assortment of beach equipment, and a couple of elderly people, presumably grandparents, bringing up the rear. Philip gestured at Maggie to sit down on the sea wall, out of their way.

  ‘Right, tell me again about this photograph,’ she prompted him.

  In a low voice, Philip recounted Clive’s evening in the hotel bar with Stephen and Paula from Scotland and the discovery of the photograph that showed Johnnie with the hire car moments after loading it with a heavy suitcase. By the time he’d finished, Maggie looked shell-shocked.

  ‘Stephen believes he saw Johnnie near the gate that leads to the back of the disused cafe?’

  ‘That’s what Clive said he said. But it’s a mistake, it has to be.’

  Maggie gazed past his shoulder out to sea, her brow furrowing as she became lost in thought. Philip felt a stab of relief: she was obviously trying to make sense of it all so she could help him clear up the misunderstanding. After a few moments she returned her focus to him.

  ‘Did Johnnie hire a car when he arrived on Majorca last week?’

  ‘I don’t think he can even drive.’

  ‘But you don’t know for sure.’

  ‘Well, no,’ Philip blustered, ‘but he’d have said if he had hired one.’

  ‘Did you know Johnnie’s been making enquiries about buying a villa in the hills?’

  Philip was baffled. ‘Whatever for?’

  ‘That’s something he will need to explain.’

  ‘Wait, are you suggesting you should question him about this? But that’s preposterous, Maggie. He hasn’t done anything wrong.’

  To his horror, she got to her feet.

  ‘I need to bring this to the attention of DCI Walker and Inspector Jasso.’

  Philip was close to tears.

  ‘I came to you for help, not to get my godson into trouble.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, but I have to tell them.’

  ‘Patricia will be furious with me,’ he whimpered.

  ‘I think your wife will understand more than anyone. She knows we can’t ignore a suspect, even if it’s someone she cares about.’

  70

  Philip did not wait for Patricia to shut the apartment door behind him before spilling the entire story about Johnnie and the photograph and how Maggie at that very moment was probably telling Walker and Jasso that their godson was involved in the disappearance of Jade Reynolds.

  Then he stood back and braced for his wife’s reaction, his expectation being that she would be either furious or disgusted that he’d made matters worse. What he hadn’t anticipated was the calmness that seemed to wash over her as she let his confession sink in. She walked into the kitchen, him trailing behind, and flicked the kettle on.

  ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ she asked.

  He was confused by her response, and frightened.

  ‘I know I’ve made matters worse by going to Maggie instead of coming straight to you,’ he said as he hovered in the doorway.

  ‘You did the right thing,’ she said matter-of-factly, as though they were discussing a matter as innocuous as the weather forecast and not something that could see their best friend’s son jailed for a long time. ‘The police needed to know.’

  ‘Aren’t you concerned what will happen to him? Kidnapping, or worse – he’ll go to prison.’

  She plopped two teabags into mugs an
d fetched the milk from the fridge.

  ‘Patricia?’

  She fixed her lovely eyes on him.

  ‘Johnnie has done nothing wrong and the police will see that.’

  Her calmness was unsettling.

  ‘These are the same police who have made mistake after mistake in their search to find Katy’s killer. How can you trust them to do the right thing now?’

  ‘Because, despite what impression I might otherwise give, I trust DCI Walker and Maggie to thoroughly investigate this supposed sighting of our godson and find him innocent. To say Johnnie is involved is to imply he also killed Katy and that’s nonsense. We all know how much he adored her.’

  Her assertion instantly made Philip feel better. Patricia was right – Johnnie had no motive for abducting Jade and certainly no motive for murdering and butchering their daughter. As he watched his wife busy herself making the tea, he realized there was a reason he should always let Patricia take control – it was because she was so much better at it.

  They were about to take their tea out onto the balcony when there was a knock at the door. To his surprise it was Johnnie and he was clutching the gold hoop earrings and chewing-gum wrappers that had been in the ice box on his boat.

  ‘Is Patricia here?’

  ‘Um, yes, she’s in the next room. Is everything all right?’

  Johnnie shook his head. His skin was wan and he was trembling.

  ‘I need her help.’

  ‘What is it?’ asked Patricia, who had come to the door too.

  Johnnie held out the hoops and wrappers.

  ‘I think someone’s trying to frame me.’

  71

  Maggie didn’t go straight to Walker to tell him about the photograph of Johnnie. She should’ve done, but she wanted to be sure herself. So, after texting the DCI to say she wasn’t feeling well and was nipping to a chemist to get something to settle her stomach, she headed for the hotel where Clive, Mandy and Mason were staying.

  Clive wasn’t surprised to see her at the door.

  ‘You’ve come for the picture, haven’t you?’

  She nodded and he gestured to her to come inside their suite.

  ‘I didn’t give a copy to Philip because I didn’t trust him with it,’ he said over his shoulder as he crossed the room, where Maggie could see a mobile plugged into a charger. ‘He would have shown his godson and he’d have come up with some cock-and-bull story about why he was there. That’s what I would’ve done if I was him,’ he added grimly. ‘Here you go.’

  Maggie peered closely at the image on the screen. The man did look like Johnnie, but the image wasn’t clear enough to say for sure, his face obscured by the baseball cap. When she tried to zoom in, the image became pixelated because of the distance it had been taken at.

  ‘It’s him, isn’t it?’

  ‘We need to get this enhanced properly before we can say for sure,’ she said, grateful she could stall for time. Clive nodded approvingly. ‘Can you forward me a copy to my phone so I can send it back to our tech team in London?’

  Clive duly did as she asked.

  ‘You’ll let us know how you get on, won’t you?’ he wanted to know.

  ‘Of course. It may take a day or so for us to get the image enhanced.’

  Mandy was most upset by this.

  ‘Jade might not have a day to wait,’ she responded shrilly. ‘Why can’t you just arrest him?’

  ‘It’ll be up to the Spanish police to do that, but they’re going to want solid proof first or he could walk free on a technicality. So we need to do this properly. But we can watch him closely in the meantime – see where he goes and who he’s with. If he is holding Jade somewhere, he might lead us to her.’

  Outside the hotel, Maggie called Walker and told him about the picture. She didn’t say she had just come from speaking to Clive and Mandy – the boss thought she was at the chemist, after all – but instead explained Clive had forwarded on the picture and she was now sending it to him.

  ‘I’ll ask for it to be pushed up the queue to be processed,’ he said. ‘Shah’s on the phone now to the cops in Ibiza – they’ve got an update for us.’

  ‘There’s something else. Julien Ruiz was at the restaurant a minute ago and he said Annika and Johnnie had a fling at some point, so there’s history there.’

  ‘You need to talk to Annika and ask her if Johnnie is me@threedates.com. I’ll text you the address of where she is.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Inspector Jasso will meet you there.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘He’s happy for you to interview her still, but he wants to sit in.’

  Maggie wasn’t thrilled at the prospect but knew she couldn’t exactly refuse.

  ‘Fine, I’ll see him shortly.’

  ‘Oh, and Maggie?’

  ‘Yes, boss?’

  ‘Try not to drink so much next time.’

  72

  The apartment block Annika’s friend lived in was almost as luxurious as Orquídea, but fell short because it overlooked the main road that cut through the back of Saros and not ornamental ponds and swimming pools. A steady flow of traffic rumbled beneath the balcony where Maggie, Jasso and Annika now sat nursing cups of mint tea. Annika’s friend had retreated inside so they could talk in private.

  ‘This is the first time in ten years that I haven’t opened up the restaurant,’ said Annika. Her eyes were puffy and rimmed red and her hair scraped back into an unflattering bun that made her look older than she was. ‘The last time was after Katy Pope was found. The restaurant stayed shut out of respect.’

  Maggie cut to the chase. ‘Who’s behind @threedates.com?’

  ‘I’ve never heard of that name until now.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  Annika said nothing and averted her gaze. Jasso raised an eyebrow at Maggie. She’d met him outside the building and they’d agreed that they wouldn’t ask her about Johnnie straight away, in case Annika clammed up. If there was history between them, there might be loyalty too, however misguided. So the plan was for Maggie to build up to it.

  ‘Can you think why someone might target you in this way?’ she asked. ‘The message he or she left said it was all your fault – any idea what they’re referring to?’

  Annika remained silent and stayed that way as the minutes ticked past, and all the while Maggie grew more frustrated.

  Jasso finally spoke. ‘Ms Lindstrøm, if you do not cooperate I can have you arrested for obstructing my investigation.’ Annika reacted with alarm, clamping her hand to her chest. ‘But I don’t want to do that,’ he continued. ‘So please, answer DC Neville’s questions.’

  ‘I will, I’m sorry. This is very hard for me,’ she said.

  ‘I want to rewind a bit first, if that’s okay, sir,’ said Maggie. Jasso nodded. ‘I’ve been thinking about that incident you reported in 2009, Annika. Do you ever regret withdrawing your allegation?’

  The restaurateur frowned, clearly wondering where Maggie was going with this.

  ‘No. Never.’

  ‘Not even after Katy’s body was found? It must’ve crossed your mind that the same person could’ve been responsible. I’m not sure I could’ve lived with the “what if”.’

  There was a subtle shift in Annika’s body language. She was wary now, on her guard.

  ‘Only two things would’ve made me withdraw my statement in the light of another woman’s murder,’ Maggie went on. ‘That either I knew the person and didn’t want to get them in trouble because I thought they were innocent, or they’d threatened me to make me withdraw it.’

  ‘You’re forgetting there is a third reason,’ said Annika abruptly. ‘Mistaking the man’s intentions in the first place, which is what happened.’

  ‘I’m not sure how you can mistake a man trying to force you into his car.’

  ‘It – it wasn’t like that. He came on too strong, I backed away. I realized in hindsight he wasn’t going to hurt me, so I went back to the police and set them straight.’

 
; Maggie’s mind came to rest on the memory of George the previous evening. Was the way he’d cajoled her into leaving the airport and going to the bar with him his way of coming on strong? The nausea she’d experienced earlier threatened a comeback and she had to force herself to refocus on Jasso, who was staring at her as though something was amiss.

  ‘You only retracted your story after Katy’s body was found, didn’t you? It was a bit late for Declan Morris. Your description made him a suspect.’

  ‘I don’t understand why you’re bringing this up now,’ said Annika. ‘What does this have to do with my restaurant being looted?’

  ‘I think it has everything to do with it. Declan Morris was sent an email from someone claiming to be Katy’s killer about a week ago saying they were coming back to Saros this week. Another woman, who we believe was the killer’s first intended victim but who fortunately managed to escape, also received an email. Do you know what address they were sent from?’

  The way Annika’s face fell told them that she did, but Maggie said it out loud anyway.

  ‘Me@threedates.com. So I’m going to ask you again, do you know who is behind it? Because that’s almost certainly our killer and now he’s coming after you.’

  Annika began to weep.

  ‘I never meant for any of this to happen.’

  Maggie cast a wary look at Jasso, who looked equally uneasy.

  ‘Meant what to happen?’ he asked.

  Annika faltered.

  ‘It is my fault – I unleashed the monster.’

  73

  Patricia broke the stunned silence that followed Johnnie’s outburst.

  ‘I’ll make another cup.’

  Minutes later the three of them took seats in the lounge area.

  ‘I think the police are coming for me, so we haven’t got much time,’ Johnnie said. ‘But I need to tell you this myself, so you hear my truth and not someone else’s version of it.’ He dragged in a deep, heavy breath then exhaled loudly. ‘I wasn’t in Ibiza when Katy was taken and murdered. I was here, in Saros.’

  Patricia shared a bewildered look with her husband.