Deadly Game

by D. S. Butler

  Curtis’ face paled, and he nodded and swallowed hard.

  “It all started at school. My English teacher was away, and Mr Addlestone was acting as a substitute. Anyway, the class ended, and he went outside for some reason, I think to talk to another teacher, but he left his computer on his desk at the front of the classroom.

  “Everyone else had gone out, and I just thought it would be funny to get onto his computer. I was planning to post something stupid on Facebook. Just a prank, you know, something funny.

  “But I found the photographs he had of Kirsty. Then he came back into the classroom, and when he saw me at his laptop, he got really angry. He pushed me up against the wall and threatened me.

  “He told me if I reported him, he would make me and my family suffer.”

  Tyler regarded the boy steadily, watching for any signs that could indicate he was lying.

  Curtis’ eyes were red when he looked back up at Tyler. “I knew I should’ve said something at the time, but I was scared of him. It wasn’t until Kirsty told me he’d been behaving really badly towards her that I knew I had to do something.”

  “Did you tell a teacher or a counsellor?” Tyler asked.

  Curtis shook his head.

  “What about your parents?”

  Curtis scoffed. “They’d be the last people I would tell. They’re far too busy to listen to my problems.”

  “So, what did you do?”

  Curtis took a deep breath and then said, “I confronted him again. I did it in the corridor where there were people around so he couldn’t hurt me. I told him if he didn’t leave Kirsty alone, I was going to go to the police.”

  “And what happened then?”

  “He said they would never believe me and they would think I was making everything up. He told me if I went to the police, I’d regret it.”

  Curtis looked miserable as he shook his head. “That’s why I thought he had taken Ruby. I thought it was a warning and she’d be back as soon as he realised I wouldn’t talk to the police.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything about this before?”

  “Because I was scared. You don’t understand what he can be like. He comes across as a quiet, nerdy type of man, but he can be really violent.”

  “And how did the photographs end up on your computer, Curtis?”

  Curtis shook his head and held his hands up. “I don’t know. I opened an email today, and it was full of pictures of Kirsty. I was looking at them, trying to decide what to do, when you walked in.

  Tyler took two steps forward and turned the computer screen on again. The images of Kirsty getting undressed were plastered all over the screen.

  “Okay, Curtis. I am going to take this computer back to the station, and you need to talk to your parents.”

  * * *

  Janice George was holding her head in her hands when the doorbell rang. She got to her feet slowly. It wouldn’t be good news, she was certain of that much.

  Toby looked up. “Do you want me to get it, love?”

  Janice shook her head. “It’s fine.”

  She walked past Glenn Calvert, who was carrying a tray with yet more tea. Janice felt like he was trying to drown her with the bloody stuff.

  When Janice opened the door, she looked down into the face of a young boy, who she guessed to be about ten years old. His hair was light brown and too long, in desperate need of a haircut, and his face was covered with freckles.

  He held out a cardboard box. “Parcel for you,” he said.

  Janice didn’t even want to touch it. She stared at it and shouted for her husband.

  The smile left the boy’s face, and he took a step back.

  “Who are you?” Janice demanded. “And who gave you that parcel?”

  Toby reached the front door, closely followed by Glenn Calvert.

  Glenn tried to calm the boy down as he looked like he might do a runner at any moment. “It’s all right, son,” Glenn said. “Just tell us who gave you the parcel.”

  The boy shrugged. “I don’t know. A man. He gave me a fiver and asked me to bring the box to this flat.”

  “What did this man look like?” Glenn asked. He reached for his kitbag that he’d kept in the hallway and pulled out a pair of gloves. If this parcel had anything to do with the case, he didn’t want it contaminated with any more fingerprints than was necessary.

  But before Glenn was able to do anything with the parcel, Janice ripped it out of the boy’s hands and peeled back the cardboard lid.

  A second later, her scream reverberated around the flat.

  Chapter 51

  Things were escalating fast.

  Mackinnon had taken a phone call from Tyler to tell him that Lila’s bloodstained shirt had been delivered to the Georges’ flat.

  Things were happening that didn’t make any sense.

  They still hadn’t received a ransom request.

  Everything circled back to this stupid game, and now, as if her parents weren’t terrified enough, they’d received bloodstained clothing.

  Mackinnon was supposed to be meeting Tyler at Drake House, but as he approached, he noticed the same woman he’d seen earlier was talking to Claire Watson outside the building again.

  This time, instead of approaching them quickly and scaring them both off, he took the time to observe them unseen.

  Claire looked harassed. She kept waving the other woman off as though she were trying to get rid of her, but the older woman seemed stubborn. There was definitely some heated words exchanged, but Mackinnon was too far away to hear what they were saying.

  He knew the plainclothes detective was sitting in the sandwich shop two doors over, but he would have an even worse view than Mackinnon.

  When Claire Watson whirled around and stormed off, going back inside Drake House, Mackinnon decided not to follow her. He was interested in the other woman, who was now heading directly up the street towards him.

  He guessed she was at least twenty years older than Claire Watson. She wasn’t wearing any make-up but had gold hoops in her ears. Her hair was brown, streaked with grey, and frizzy at the ends with her half-grown out perm.

  She was wearing the same pair of bright white trainers, which didn’t really go with her black trousers. As she walked past, Mackinnon fell into step behind her.

  He wanted answers.

  He followed her for two streets before she stopped to look in the window of a homeware shop.

  Just before Mackinnon opened his mouth to speak, she looked at his reflection in the mirror and grinned. “Either it’s my lucky day, darling, or you are a copper.”

  She turned around and looked up at Mackinnon.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  She winked at him. “Do you want my number, too?” she teased.

  “I would like some information. What is your relationship to Claire Watson?”

  “Well, you can’t ask ladies personal questions like that without offering them a drink first.”

  Mackinnon frowned, but she grinned up at him unperturbed.

  “My name is Melinda Wainwright. Buy me a drink, and I’ll spare you five minutes.” She nodded at the coffee shop two doors along. “I’ll have a full fat frappuccino, thanks.”

  Mackinnon played along. He bought the drinks, a frappuccino for Melinda Wainwright and a black americano for himself, and carried them over to the table where she was waiting.

  “Here’s your drink, where’s my information?”

  “That’s the problem with young men these days, no patience.” She closed her eyes as she took a long sip of her frappuccino. “Delicious. Now, what do you want to know?”

  “How do you know Claire Watson?”

  “She adopted my grandson.”

  Mackinnon raised an eyebrow. “Claire didn’t seem too happy to see you.”

  “Of course, she didn’t. She is trying to keep me a secret. She doesn’t like me turning up at her posh pad, especially when she’s got the police crawling all over the place
.”

  “You know about Ruby’s disappearance?”

  The smile left Melinda’s face and she nodded. “Yes, it’s a horrible business.”

  “You don’t know anything about it?”

  Melinda shook her head. “Only what Curtis has told me.”

  Mackinnon sat back in his seat and studied Melinda. This was unexpected.

  According to the Watsons, neither of their adopted children had anything to do with their blood relatives.

  “Do you speak to Curtis much?”

  The woman smirked. “How do I know you won’t go running back and telling tales to Claire?”

  “Claire doesn’t like you seeing Curtis then?”

  “No, she doesn’t like it one bit. But she can lump it. He’s my grandson.”

  “So, what were you talking to Claire about today?”

  “I was asking her where my money was. She is late with my payment.”

  “Why is she paying you?”

  A small smile played over Melinda’s lips. “Why not? She has the pleasure of my grandson, so why shouldn’t she pay for that by making my old age a little more comfortable. After all, she can afford it.”

  Mackinnon frowned. Something about this just didn’t add up. If the adoption was all above board, then why was Claire paying Curtis’ grandmother? Was she holding something over the family?

  Mackinnon leaned forward. “What have you got on her?”

  Her eyes widened in faux innocence, and she said, “Whatever do you mean, officer?”

  Mackinnon shook his head. “Ruby Watson is missing. She hasn’t been seen since yesterday morning. I don’t have time for games.”

  Melinda huffed out a breath. “Fine. She is paying me to stay away from Curtis.”

  “But you just told me you heard about Ruby’s disappearance from Curtis.”

  Melinda shrugged. “So?”

  “So, you’re obviously not really staying away from him.”

  Melinda leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table, and she looked directly at Mackinnon.

  “Look, Mrs High and Mighty at Drake House doesn’t want her son sullied by having a connection with his grandmother. She thinks Curtis is too sensitive to be exposed to the likes of me, but what she doesn’t know is that it was Curtis who searched me out in the first place. He was the one who told me to get in touch with his mother and ask for the money.”

  Mackinnon took a moment to process that before he asked, “Are you telling me that it was Curtis’ idea to blackmail his own mother?”

  Melinda smiled proudly. “Yeah, he’s a clever little bugger, isn’t he?”

  Clever wasn’t the word Mackinnon would use.

  He thought devious was more apt.

  Chapter 52

  DI Tyler stood in the viewing room watching DC Collins and DC Webb interview Terrence Addlestone again. He was hoping to get more out of this round of questioning.

  DC Collins was an experienced officer, well-trained in specialised interview techniques. DC Webb, on the other hand, was still learning, but his presence in the interview room had been a calculated choice on Tyler’s part.

  Whereas Collins would ask his questions in a calculated and calm fashion, his expression neutral, DC Webb had not yet learned to control his facial expressions during an interview. When Addlestone spoke, it was clear from DC Webb’s face that he didn’t believe his version of events. Tyler thought this would add pressure and lead Addlestone into defending himself, which was where Tyler hoped he would make a mistake and let loose some vital detail that would allow them to charge him.

  They were getting very close to the point where they would either have to charge Addlestone or release him. He’d only asked for the duty solicitor so far, even though Tyler was sure he could afford a better lawyer with his private teacher’s salary. Perhaps Addlestone wasn’t taking this seriously.

  His behaviour could be interpreted in one of two ways. Either he was innocent and was sure that the police would realise that in time, or he was experienced in getting off of this kind of charge.

  It would have helped their case if they’d discovered more from Addlestone’s computer, but as yet, the only incriminating evidence had been photographs of Kirsty Jones getting undressed.

  She wasn’t under age now, though, and there was no reason to suspect she had been underage when the photographs were taken. What really creeped Tyler out about the photographs was the fact that the girl was getting undressed and appeared to be completely oblivious to the camera. Even looking at the photographs made him feel like a peeping Tom.

  In the first round of interviews, Addlestone had been relaxed, too relaxed as far as Tyler was concerned, but now the cracks had started to show. Addlestone had been confronted with what Curtis had told them.

  From where he stood in the viewing room, Tyler saw a light sheen of sweat break out over Addlestone’s forehead.

  DC Collins shuffled the stack of papers in front of him and sighed, leaning back in his seat and regarding Addlestone steadily. “Well, Terrence, somebody is lying to us. Curtis told us he found the photographs on your computer. Why would he lie about that?”

  Terrence Addlestone shook his head, exasperated. Collins had been asking him the same question, although worded in slightly different ways, for the past ten minutes.

  “Because he put them there. He set me up.”

  Collins shook his head. “But why would he want to do that?”

  Addlestone raised his fist to rub his eyes, and the duty solicitor shot him a concerned glance. “I don’t know.”

  “So, the story he told us about you coming back into the classroom and finding him at your computer never happened?”

  Addlestone shook his head furiously. “No, it’s complete fiction.”

  “If what you are telling us is true, how did he get the photographs onto your computer?”

  “I…” Addlestone stared down at the table. “I don’t know. All I know is that I found them there and tried to delete them, but I kept finding more photographs in different folders.” He shook his head. “I panicked. I recognised Kirsty, and I knew what trouble I could get in for having photographs like that on my laptop. I could lose my job, and the effect on my career would be horrendous. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m a victim!”

  Collins nodded and then said mildly, “I think Kirsty Jones is the victim here.”

  Addlestone swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Yes, of course. It must be horrendous for her, too.”

  “We’ve spoken to your previous employers, and they told us about the incident five years ago with a girl called –”

  Addlestone gave an exaggerated groan and curled his lip in disgust. “The girl was a liar. I was completely exonerated. This is a witch-hunt.” He glared at the duty solicitor, who so far hadn’t said very much at all. “Aren’t you going to do anything? They’re trying to set me up.”

  The bald-headed duty solicitor, sitting beside Addlestone, finally spoke up. “I think we should just stick to the case in hand and not rely on hearsay.”

  The truth was, the incident Collins had been referring to had been largely discredited. The young girl in question had accused a large number of men of inappropriate conduct, and she was currently undergoing mental health treatment.

  They certainly wouldn’t be bringing this up in court, but in an interview like this, everything was fair game, in Tyler’s opinion. They needed to pile on the pressure until Addlestone cracked and spilled his dirty secrets.

  DC Collins gave a slight nod of the head to DC Webb.

  During the interview planning stage, they had assigned a couple of questions to DC Webb. This formed part of his training, but interview techniques weren’t black and white. A detective needed to play up to his or her personality strengths, and Tyler knew that better than anyone.

  DC Collins was calm and cool. DC Webb was the opposite and was the perfect tool for provoking a reaction.

  “Are you really trying to tell us
that a sixteen-year-old boy has set you up for some unknown reason?” DC Webb asked, scepticism hung heavily on his words.

  Addlestone nodded morosely.

  “For the benefit of the tape, Mr Terrence Addlestone is nodding,” DC Webb said.

  He leaned forward so his face was closer to Addlestone’s. It was the perfect challenging behaviour. Predictable, Tyler thought, but effective.

  “Or are you just trying to palm off your guilt onto a defenceless, young boy.”

  Addlestone gave a scoffing sound and looked up, glaringly at DC Webb. “He’s hardly an innocent child. He’s been—”

  Collins nodded, encouragingly. “Carry on. What’s he been doing?”

  But Addlestone bit his tongue and shook his head. Tyler could only guess at what he’d been about to say.

  “Then there is the matter of the physical evidence,” DC Webb said. “A girl’s netball skirt was found in your dustbin. It is being analysed now but I reckon we will find out it belonged to Kirsty Jones. What do you think?”

  “I have no idea. I’ve never seen that skirt before.”

  DC Webb smiled as he shook his head, folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Really? I find that very hard to believe. One of our officers saw you put a plastic bag containing the skirt into your dustbin. You carried it out of your house, and yet you expect us to believe you have never seen it before?”

  Addlestone’s eyes flitted rapidly between Collins and Webb and then he turned to look at the duty solicitor.

  “You don’t have to answer this, Terrence,” the solicitor advised.

  Terrence Addlestone groaned. “All right. I have seen it before. It was in my flat, but honestly, I don’t know how it got there. Someone must’ve put it there.”

  He was really sweating now. The blue shirt he wore was changing colour, darkening as it soaked up the sweat around his armpits.

  DC Webb grinned. “Let me guess, Curtis Watson put it there to set you up?”

  Addlestone nodded half-heartedly. Only time would tell if the man was telling the truth. But in Tyler’s opinion, if he was spinning a story, he was a very good actor.