by Celina Grace
“Kiki’s asked to speak to you. I have to admit, I warned her that she didn’t have to – it could wait until she was feeling stronger, but she was insistent.” The doctor stepped back a little and indicated the open doorway. “So, if you want five minutes with her now…”
Trying not to appear too eager, Kate hurried forward. Olbeck went to follow her and the doctor held out a hand. “I’m sorry, officer, but I think one person is enough. Especially as – well—“ She broke off, looking a little embarrassed. “A female officer would be better. In the circumstances.”
Kate didn’t wait to catch Olbeck’s look of quickly suppressed outrage. She sympathised – Olbeck was about as likely to rape someone as she was – but this wasn’t the time to debate the issue. She closed the door to the room behind her and walked quietly over to the high bed.
Kiki was curled on her side, her dark hair mussed around her bruised face. She looked very young – too young to be a college student, not least a burlesque dancer. Kate smiled tentatively at her and sat down, not too near and not too far.
“How are you feeling, Kiki?”
Kiki closed her eyes momentarily. “Sore,” she said after a moment, in a whisper.
Kate made a sympathetic noise. “Do you want to tell me about what happened?”
Kiki blinked. She hadn’t yet moved from her foetal position. “I – I know who it was,” she said, with difficulty.
“You do?” Kate tried to unobtrusively reach for the notebook in her bag. “Don’t mind me, Kiki. Go on and tell me what you can. No rush.”
Tears trembled on the edges of Kiki’s eyelashes. “It was him, the guy who bought me champagne.” She blinked and the tears rolled down, making a tiny damp patch on the hospital sheet. “I never thought – I—“
She was becoming incoherent. Kate soothed her as best she could, trying not to push for more details.
After a moment, Kiki seemed to gain a little more control. She sat up a little, wincing as she pushed herself back against the high pillows. “I went outside for a ciggy. He – he appeared out of nowhere, he must have walked around from the front. I was – it sounds so stupid—“ She drew in a breath that was almost a sob.
“It’s okay,” said Kate, gently. “Take your time.”
Kiki rubbed her hand under her eyes. “I was even quite pleased to see him,” she said after a moment, hoarsely. “I was flattered. I remembered how nice he’d been when we’d drunk that champagne at the bar that time. And he – he asked if I had a spare cigarette and when I went to get one from the box he – he grabbed me—“
She started crying in earnest then, holding the sheet up to her eyes in lieu of tissues. Kate, spotting a box over on the bedside table, held out a handful to Kiki.
“Oh – thank you.” Kate watched as she mopped her face, sniffing.
“Can you give me his name, Kiki?” Kate asked, as casually as she could.
Kiki’s gaze fell to the soggy tissues in her shaking hands. “I’ve been thinking about that,” she said, her voice still ragged with tears. “I remembered.” She looked up and fixed Kate with swimming eyes. “His name is Joel, Joel Hunter, I think. I think that’s his surname. I can’t be sure though, it was so long ago that we talked.”
“’Joel Hunter’,” Kate repeated, scribbling busily. “Well, we can certainly look into that. Now—“
She was unable to say more as the doctor opened the door, popped her head into the room and gave her a sharp look. “That will have to be all for now, detective.”
Kate sighed. For a moment, she felt like arguing, but it was pointless. At least now they had a name to go on. She smiled at Kiki as kindly as she could. “Try and get some rest, Kiki. We’ll be in touch very soon, and you’re in good hands here. Is there anyone you’d like us to contact, to come and be with you?” Kiki shook her head, closing her eyes and lying back down on her side again. “Okay,” said Kate. “Take care now.”
When Kate got back out in the corridor, she found someone else waiting with Olbeck – a tall, slim young woman with a mass of chestnut curls, a silver stud in her nostril and wearing what looked like an original nineteen sixties leopard-print coat. Kate was about to ask her if she could help when Olbeck forestalled her.
“This is Laura Ellis, Kiki’s former partner,” he said. “She’s come to wait to see if Kiki needs her.”
“Oh I see.” Kate shook hands with Laura, who looked almost as upset as Kiki had done. “It’s good of you to come and support your friend, Miss Ellis.” She shot Olbeck a glance of warning before she said, “Unfortunately, given the seriousness of the incident, you may be waiting a long time. And—“ She hesitated, wondering whether this was going too far. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to see her without a police officer accompanying you.”
Laura’s eyes filled with tears. “I understand,” she said in a soft voice. She looked down, the curtains of curls framing each side of her pretty face. “I just wanted – I thought I could just be here if she needed me, just in case. I don’t mind waiting.”
“How did you know Kiki was here?”
There was no hesitation in Laura’s voice and no shade of guilt. “One of the girls from Decadence called me. I was so shocked… Of course, I had to come straight away.”
“Well, that’s fine.” Kate could see a uniformed officer – someone she vaguely recognised from Abbeyford Station – walking towards them down the corridor. He’d be able to take on guard duty and then she and Olbeck could get on with tracking down this Joel Hunter. The irony of his surname hadn’t occurred to Kate before, but now it did and she nearly shuddered.
“Well, we’ll be off now, Ms Ellis,” said Kate, shaking hands with Laura. Laura nodded silently.
“Goodbye,” Olbeck said, turning to go. He stopped as Laura said suddenly and fiercely, “It’s too cruel. Kiki’s never had any luck with men. Her useless father walked out on her when she was eight and now this happens…”
She trailed off, blinking. Kate and Olbeck, nonplussed for a moment, both murmured something sympathetic and then left.
They greeted the uniformed PC as they passed, informed him of what they knew, and left him and Laura Ellis in the corridor. Once they were out of earshot, Kate asked Olbeck if he thought she’d gone a little bit too far in restricting access to Kiki.
“No-o. Not exactly.” Olbeck hesitated. “I know that Laura Ellis was originally a suspect, when we were looking at a stalking case, but—“
“I know it’s ridiculously unlikely,” said Kate. “That the rape is incidental to the stalking. I mean, it’s not possible that Kiki’s actually got three separate stalkers, is it?”
“No,” said Olbeck, more firmly this time. “But until we know more, we proceed along the lines of caution. Come on, we need to find this Joel Hunter before he does any more damage.”
Chapter Nine
Joel Hunter lived in a prosperous looking house in an up-market suburb of Abbeyford. The houses here were large and well-kept, the driveways sporting a gleaming range of BMWs, Audis and the latest in large, family four wheel drives. As they drew into the curb, Kate spotted the black Toyota in the driveway that had been spotted on CCTV in the vicinity of Decadence. The times on the tape had tallied with the times given by Kiki Dee as to when she was attacked.
There were three of them making the arrest this time – Kate, Olbeck and Theo. Olbeck, as the senior officer, took the lead.
A man who Kate assumed was Joel Hunter answered the door. The first surprise, to Kate, was how good-looking he was. Given Kiki’s description of ‘just ordinary’, Kate had been expecting someone like Ian Neely: running to seed, pudgy-faced, dishwater-coloured hair. Joel Hunter was tall and broad-shouldered, with high cheekbones and – noticeable even in the dim light of a winter morning - very striking, dark brown eyes. He was dressed in a suit and had a briefcase in his hand.
“Yes?” asked Joel Hunter, looking puzzled at the three of them standing there in a grim-faced circle on his doorstep.
�
�Mr Joel Hunter?” asked Olbeck.
“Yes,” Joel Hunter said, beginning to frown.
Olbeck showed his card, quickly followed by Kate and Theo. Hunter’s gaze went from each of the cards to the officers’ faces with increasing alarm.
“Oh God, what’s happened?” Hunter asked. There was a call behind him, a woman’s voice, low-pitched and feminine.
“Who is it, Joel?”
Hunter didn’t answer her. Olbeck cleared his throat. “We’d like you to accompany us to Abbeyford Police Station, sir. We have some questions about a case of serious sexual assault that took place yesterday.”
Kate was closely watching Hunter’s face. When Olbeck mentioned the words ‘sexual assault’ she saw a look of shock flash across his features and narrowed her eyes.
“What?” said Hunter. He looked from one police officer to the other. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Olbeck didn’t dignify that with a response. “Will you accompany us, sir? Or will I have to arrest you?”
Hunter was blinking very rapidly. “What – my God – I—“
A woman appeared in the doorway behind him, a small, pretty-faced woman with her hair tied up in a loose knot. She had a young baby settled asleep against her shoulder.
“What’s happening?” she asked. Kate noticed the dark circles of exhaustion around her eyes.
Hunter had visibly paled. He turned to his wife with a dreadful attempt at a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing, Sarah, nothing serious. I just have to go and answer a few questions at the station, that’s all.” His voice wavered a little. “It’s – it’s just that traffic accident I witnessed last month, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.”
Kate and Theo exchanged a glance, but nobody contradicted him. Sarah, protesting a little, was ushered back inside the house and then Hunter was led to the car that awaited them in the street.
Joel Hunter was completely silent on the way back to the station. He only spoke once, when Olbeck asked him if there was anyone he wanted to contact to be his legal representative.
“Of course I don’t have a bloody criminal defence lawyer,” Hunter snapped. “I’ve never been arrested before in my life. That’s why – oh, there must have been some kind of mistake. This is – it’s all wrong.”
Nobody said anything. Kate, glancing at him in the rear-view mirror, where he sat next to Theo, was struck by the note of panic in his voice. Was that guilt? Or was it the natural reaction of someone accused of a crime they hadn’t committed? She remembered the CCTV footage of Hunter’s car, there in the street by the Decadence club, the way it had driven off soon after the time of the attack on Kiki Dee. Hunter himself had been seen getting into the car, rather quickly. He’d been there. That was undisputable. Kate thought of all the swabs and samples, taken from Kiki Dee’s body, even now being tested for DNA…
Once Joel Hunter had been cheek-swabbed and fingerprinted and photographed, they sat him down in an interview room with John Harbrook, one of the duty solicitors, and quickly reconvened outside.
“I’ll take the lead on this,” said Olbeck. “Kate, do you want to sit in or would you rather start chasing up some of the details, checking records, stuff like that?”
“I’ll sit in to start with,” said Kate. Theo looked a little disgruntled that he hadn’t been asked, but he was too much of a professional to start bitching about it. They parted; Olbeck and Kate to begin the interview, Theo making for the stairs back to the office to start gathering what evidence he could to enable them to keep Joel Hunter in custody for longer than twenty four hours. After that, they would have to charge him or release him.
“Well, Mister Hunter,” Olbeck said, sitting back down opposite the man who sat hunched and anxious in his seat. “I suppose Mister Harbrook here has filled you in on a few details. You know we’re investigating the rape of a young student, a Miss Kiki Dee. Do you have anything to tell us about that?”
Joel Hunter shifted on his seat. “No, no I—“ he began, muttering and then at a swift glance from his solicitor. “I mean, no comment.”
Kate sighed inwardly. They were off to a flying start.
Olbeck persisted. “Do you know Miss Dee?”
“No comment.”
“Have you ever seen her before?”
“No comment.”
“Could you confirm whether you’ve ever had any contact with her at all?”
“No comment.”
Kate sat back a little, listening to Olbeck trying to probe for details, for guilt, for anything. Nothing was forthcoming. How stupid of her to think that they might have actually got a confession out of the man. He’d looked so shaky and panicky when they’d picked him up that Kate had actually wondered whether he might break down in a fit of remorse. How much easier that would have been rather than having to sit here listening to the same two words over and over again…
She regarded his handsome face closely. Why had Kiki Dee called him ordinary looking? But then, Kiki was gay, wasn’t she? So perhaps she hadn’t been attracted to him at all. Or had she? She’d sat with him a long time at Decadence, more than a few hours at the bar, drinking champagne. Would she have done that for anyone? Perhaps she would have done; perhaps she was a kind, polite type of girl who wouldn’t have wanted to upset anyone. If so, that made what had happened to her even more terrible. Kate set her jaw. Suddenly, she knew she didn’t want to be here, listening to this arrogant man repeating ‘no comment’ at every question from Olbeck. She wasn’t adding anything to the interview. She tapped her foot against Olbeck’s under the table and, when he looked over, jerked her head mutely towards the door.
He suspended the interview and went with her out into the corridor.
“Listen,” said Kate. “I’d do more good helping Theo track down his records, looking at his past history, stuff like that. If you’re okay with me leaving you to get on with it?”
“Absolutely.” Olbeck dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “I don’t think I’ll be hearing anything too earthshattering, anyway.”
Kate gave him a grin as she turned away. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Chapter Ten
The first thing Kate did when she got back to her desk was check that the DNA swab from Joel Hunter’s cheek had been biked over to the labs for their fast-track, twenty-four-hour turnaround. It had. Kate ticked off that item on her ‘to do’ list with satisfaction. If Joel Hunter’s DNA matched the samples taken from Kiki Dee then they were a giant leap ahead. It might not be enough to charge him, but it would be a good step forward.
What else? Kate tapped the pencil against her jaw for a moment as she contemplated the long list of things to do. Previous records – although perhaps Theo had already done that? She looked over at his desk, realising he was out of the office. Oh well, she’d do it herself – it wouldn’t take long.
An hour later, she sat back in her chair, blowing her cheeks out with frustration. Joel Hunter was clean – impeccably so. The only thing she’d managed to find was a speeding fine from three years ago, and that was only a matter of points given. She’d have to wait for the lab report before they could check the DNA database, but hopefully that would be coming back soon. Was there anything else? She looked at her list of scribbled notes. Eye witnesses, CCTV footage, Kiki’s own statement… Kate wondered whether Olbeck had got any further with Hunter yet. She doubted it.
She telephoned the hospital for a progress report on Kiki Dee and was reassured to hear that she was doing well and would be discharged that afternoon, apparently back to the care of her mother. Kate made a mental note that she would have to get Kiki’s mother’s address from someone. She thought of something and rang down to IT to talk to Sam.
“Still working on it, sorry, Kate,” he said apologetically. “You know what it’s like at the moment, we’re snowed under and understaffed.”
“You can’t give me anything at all? Come on, Sam, throw me a bone here.”
She heard the grin in his voice. �
�Well, we have established that Ian Neely definitely sent that message to Caroline Spendler on the 4Adults site.”
Kate snorted. “I know that. What about the message to Kiki Dee?”
“Um, no, he didn’t. Not unless he’s got a secret computer we haven’t found yet.”
Given than Ian Neely’s house had already been searched, Kate didn’t think that was likely. “So do you know who did send it?”
Sam’s voice became apologetic again. “Still working—“
“—On it. Right, I got it. Bye.” Kate banged the phone down vindictively.
She looked at the clock. It was coming up to five o’clock. If she left for home now, she might miss the DNA report coming back in. But then Merlin was probably waiting for his food at home… Making up her mind, she grabbed her coat and handbag and called over to Rav who was pounding away at his keyboard. “Just heading home for half an hour to feed the cat. I’ll be back soon.”
Rav waved a distracted hand in answer, and Kate headed for the door.
When she got home, she felt the usual pull of her cosy little house begin to ensnare her. She thought of the office, the glaring strip lights and the pile of reports awaiting her attention, the frustration of not being able to elicit the confession they needed, and then looked at her comfortable sofa, with the soft furry throw that lay over one end. The fire that lay waiting to be lit in the grate. She could pour herself a glass of wine, stretch out her toes to the dancing flames and relax. Call Tin for a chat – oh no, wait, he’d still be in the middle of his working day. Damn the time difference. Kate thought then of Kiki Dee, curled like a child in her hospital bed, lost and alone and hurt, and sighed. She stroked Merlin goodbye, picked up her coat and bag again and left, locking the front door securely behind her.
When she got back to the office, she felt better. She’d stopped off for a box of doughnuts from the bakery just down the road from the station, which immediately made her the most popular person in the office – for five minutes, at least.
