Death on High (The Lakeland Murders) (30 page)

‘So you maintain that you being on Fairfield that day was co-incidence?’

‘It was.’

‘That you didn’t play any part in the death of Tony Harrison?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘And you didn’t witness what happened? You didn’t see what happened to Tony?’

‘That’s correct.’

‘You also told us that you were ahead of Tony and Vicky during the early part of the walk, and they passed you while you were eating. Is that correct?’

Lillian hesitated, but only for a moment. ‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘You don’t want to reconsider that answer?’

‘No.’

‘That’s a pity. Because we believe that you followed them up the hill.’

‘Why would I do that?’

‘Because you had agreed with Tony that he was to tell his wife that he was leaving her for you, and he was to do it during that walk. He’d probably been saying that he would do it for days, weeks maybe, so that Sunday was his last chance. And you wanted to be absolutely sure that he’d follow through, as he’d promised. Perhaps you’d said you’d tell people at the church, Vicky perhaps, if he didn’t do it that day. Is that how it was?’

‘He was going to leave Vicky. I think he told her that day, and either she pushed him over or he fell as they were arguing.’

‘Did you hear them argue?’

‘I could hear their voices as I was walking, and I made towards them, but I couldn’t hear exactly what either one of them said.’

‘Did you see Vicky push him over?’

‘No, I heard him shout out, and then it was quiet. I ran as fast as I could, but when I saw Vicky she was there on her own.’

‘That’s not what Vicky says happened.’

‘I’m not surprised.’

‘Why’s that Lillian? Because it isn’t what happened at all, is that it?’

‘No, it’s because Vicky doesn’t want to admit that Tony was leaving her for me, she can’t bear that. It’s why she said all that to you. It’s all lies.’

‘And that’s why she pushed him over, because Tony was leaving her for you?’

‘I didn’t say that. I don’t know what happened. I told you, I didn’t see. They were arguing, but he might have just fallen.’

Hall changed tack.

‘So you think that Vicky loved her husband, and didn’t want to lose him?’

‘I don’t know if she loved him, but she certainly didn’t want me to have him I promise you that.’

‘Really? He told you that, did he?’

‘Not in so many words, but you’re right, he did delay telling her. He’d been saying he’d do it for weeks. So I think he was scared of her.’

‘Oh I doubt that Lillian, I doubt that very much. It’s much more likely that he delayed because he had no intention of leaving Vicky at all.’

‘That’s a lie. He was going to leave her.’

‘Does a woman who intimidates and dominates her husband make calls to a domestic violence helpline?’

For the first time Hall sensed that he’d hit a nerve.

‘That’s not true. She must have been paranoid or something. He said she was menopausal.’

‘It’s true all right, she did. Quite close to the time of his death in fact.’

Lillian Hill sat and thought about what Hall had said. He didn’t rush her for a reply.

‘So she did push him then, she must have done. I thought so, but I wasn’t sure until now. Are you charging her?’

Hall let the question pass. ‘Let’s go back to what happened after Tony Harrison fell. Were you the first person to reach Lillian?’

‘Yes, I was. I started calling for Tony too, and I was trying to look over the edge, but I couldn’t see anything. A minute or so later another group arrived. They came running up and they tried to look for him too. From then on I stayed with Vicky.’

‘Even though you thought that she might have killed her husband, your lover?’

‘I didn’t know that for certain. And anyway, we’d both lost him.’

‘So why didn’t you come forward to us with your suspicions?’

‘Partly because I didn’t see anything, and partly because I was ashamed. I was committing adultery Inspector, and I wasn’t proud of myself. I’m still not. If I hadn’t behaved the way I did then perhaps Tony would still be here now.’

‘Be sure your sin will find you out?’

‘Amen to that. And it has, hasn’t it?’

‘What did Vicky say to you, when you were with her after the fall?’

‘After the fall? She just kept asking about Tony. It was all very confusing. I was in shock too, but I couldn’t tell her why.’

‘Did anything in Vicky’s behaviour lead you to wonder if his fall had really been an accident?’

‘Inspector, you’re asking my client to speculate, and to what possible end?’

Lillian Hill didn’t give Hall time to reply.

‘No, I didn’t reach any conclusions. Not even when she went off in the ambulance with him. As I said, she was in shock, and I was too.’

‘And have you had any contact with Vicky since?’

‘No. I almost didn’t go the funeral, but I thought it might be noticed. So I did go to that, but otherwise no, we haven’t spoken. What could I have said, anyway?’

‘You could have said you were sorry.’

‘But I’m not sorry Inspector’ she said firmly. ‘Tony deserved better than Vicky, and I deserved my chance at happiness too.’

When he got back to his office Hall sat and looked at his notepad. He was just starting to write a list of questions to ask himself when Jane knocked at the door, and came in. He would have preferred it if she hadn’t.

‘Am I interrupting?’

‘No Jane, you fire away.’ Hall expected that she’d come to talk through Lillian’s statement, and he was nowhere near ready to do that yet. But he was wrong.

‘I didn’t want to tell you earlier, but I got the email from personnel last night. I’m to be out of here at the end of the shift tonight, and report to HQ next Tuesday for re-assignment.’

Jane looked close to tears. He wanted to get up, but he didn’t.

‘Thanks for telling me. Are we having a do tonight? I haven’t even had a chance to get a card and a gift sorted.’

‘Don’t worry about that Andy, I don’t want any fuss.’

‘I understand. But let’s do something together OK? I mean all of us. We’re all going to miss you, Jane.’

She stood there for a few seconds, nodded, then turned and left. Hall watched her go, looked down at his list and couldn’t think of a single question to add. He started to get up, and then sat down again.

Hall sat there sightless for ten minutes, his pen next to the pad, and then Robinson phoned. He wanted an immediate de-brief, as if he didn’t already know exactly what had happened in both interviews. As Hall walked out of his office he noticed how quiet it was in the open office, and he saw the cardboard box sitting in the middle of Jane’s desk. He really thought that he could punch Robinson’s lights out.

‘So you’re no further forward’ said Robinson, when Hall had summarised the content of the two statements.

‘I wouldn’t say that sir.’ Nothing in Hall’s tone betrayed his anger. Robinson wasn’t even trying to do the same, but then he was the Superintendent.

‘I would Inspector. Before all of this nonsense started there were three possible outcomes. Either the victim fell accidentally, or he was pushed by one or other of the two women. Correct?’

‘Essentially, yes.’

‘Absolutely yes. And where are we, after all this expense and effort? In exactly the same position, that’s where. You’re no further forward in eliminating any of those possibilities. In fact, I don’t think that it’s going to be possible to bring any charges at all, do you Inspector?’

‘No sir, probably not. We will re-interview the walkers who reached Vicky a minute or so after Lillian says that she arrived on the scene, but I’m not expecting anything conclusive. I very much doubt that they’ll have anything to add. It’s just possible that we could bring charges against Vicky for attempting to pervert the course of justice, but I can’t see where that gets us.’

‘No, nor do I’ said Robinson quickly. It was obvious that he wanted the case closed down with the least possible fuss. Hall looked across the desk at him. He was about to make Robinson’s day.

‘And we can’t touch Lillian at all. The account she offered was just about the best she could possibly have come up with, in terms of avoiding charges for herself without directly implicating Vicky. As a way of minimising any public fall-out it was little short of a masterstroke sir. Lillian must have been very well advised.’

Robinson didn’t take the bait, as Hall knew he wouldn’t. But he wanted the Super to know that he knew. Hall was certain that Robinson had briefed Lillian Hill.

‘Of course there is the possibility that Lillian is telling the truth, isn’t there Inspector?’

‘Absolutely, there is. But I think we all have to acknowledge that it’s just as likely that Vicky is telling the truth as Lillian is, and that one of them broke the sixth Commandment. That may be uncomfortable, but there it is.’

‘It isn’t uncomfortable at all Inspector, because it isn’t the case. Now, I wanted to check that everything is ready for tonight’s operation. I understand that Ian Mann has confirmed that they’re on?’

‘Yes sir, we’re ready. Essentially it’s the same set-up as last time, expect Ray will be placing the tracking device on the lorry, and I’m placing two cars at Ian Mann’s place in Carlisle. I’m going to be in the ticket hut on site with Ray, just in case. As soon as Ian gets back from the job we’ll uplift him and get him out of there.’

‘Why the rush? I thought you were confident that Mann’s cover was still solid.’

‘Spedding went round in person this morning, and told Ian that they’d been digging around in Kendal, and no-one remembered a Gary Benson.’

‘What did he do?’

‘Came up with a story to cover a change of name. Spedding seems to have swallowed it.’

‘Seems to?’

‘Ian seemed confident, but you know what he’s like.’

‘I don’t, that’s your job.’

‘Ian is a brave man sir, in a way that I for one will never really understand. I honestly believe he’d get into that car tonight, even if he was pretty sure that they were on to him.’

‘What do you think then? Can we take that risk?’

‘From what he said I think they believed him. His story made sense, and earlier I asked Jane to put a couple of pictures of him as a kid, which Ian sent down, up on a couple of local history message boards, using his other name. One’s called Fellside’s children.’

‘And what was this name he gave?’

‘Pratt, Sir’ said Hall, with a straight face.

Robinson didn’t smile either. ‘And this is DC Francis’ last shift, is it Inspector?’

‘It is. Would you like me to send round the collection envelope for her leaving gift later?’

When Hall walked back into the office he looked over at Jane’s desk. It was bare, and the chair was pushed in under her desk. He half expected to find a note on his desk, but there wasn’t one. He sat down, feeling the dryness in his mouth. He knew that feeling too well, but he knew how to suppress it too. He opened his email folder and re-read every exchange concerning the undercover operation that night. He owed it to Ian Mann to give it his absolutely undivided attention, and for the next two hours he did just that. He didn’t get up until he was sure that he’d missed absolutely nothing.

Good Friday, 29th March

It was almost one AM before the knock at the door finally came. Ian Mann had felt tense long before midnight, and he was really on edge by the time the knock finally came.

‘Car trouble’ said Spedding over his shoulder as they pulled away.

Mann nodded and tried to relax. If anything the atmosphere in the car felt calmer than it had before, just a group of workmates heading off together for a night-shift.

When they reached the Abbey it was cold, starry and still. The moon was up and bright as a torch. As they got out of the car Mann could hear the sounds of the countryside at night, which he hadn’t noticed before. The lorry looked like it was a different one once again, smaller than before, but all their gear was waiting on the flat-bed as usual. Mann and Spedding were on the roof faster than before, and this time they had the makeshift hoist constructed and working in ten minutes flat. Spedding grinned at Mann when they were finished.

‘Practice makes perfect.’

Mann tried not to think about Ray Dixon, or about the officers sitting in cars out on the roads, and after twenty minutes he was completely immersed in the task. Spedding was working faster than the last time, and Mann was struggling to keep up. It looked as if they’d be clear in only an hour or two at this rate. Mann hoped that Dixon would get his tracker on the lorry quickly, and he reckoned he would. In his position he’d have taken the first opportunity he saw, just to get it done.