Snow Kills (40 page)

‘I think it would be easier all round if we get a production order for him to be in our cells for forty-eight hours, don’t you?’

‘I agree. Let me know the times and dates. Either myself or Lin will make one in.’

‘I owe you.’

‘I’ll remember that,’ she said. He could hear her smile in her voice.

‘Yes!’ Dylan shouted. Replacing the receiver he punched the air.

‘Yes!’ he heard Vicky shout from in the CID office.

Dylan got up and hurried to the door. ‘What’s happened?’

Vicky stood up and walked towards him her arm resting around Jackie May’s shoulders. ‘Our little treasure PC Jackie May has only got a statement off Mavis Beanland, who puts Barrowclough in the gritter the night of White Wednesday and shows him being introduced to Kayleigh and her car, inadvertently by Mavis while he was carrying her as a passenger to the station. She is Regan’s next door neighbour and has known him for years so she also give us the association we need from a third party with Regan and Barrowclough.’

‘You little beauty,’ he said. ‘And I’ve got some other news...’ The staff in the office looked on with expectation. ‘Regan has put himself and Barrowclough in the frame for a least two more murders of young women.’ Dylan patted Jackie May on the back. ‘Well done you.’

‘I only took the statement as directed sir. It could have been any one of us taking the action,’ she said shyly.

‘But you did it Jackie, you did it girl!’

‘With the confession from Regan to his solicitor and the statement from Mavis Beanland, we have them both.’

The fax machine jolted into action. Dylan took the papers as they came off. ‘Perfect and Best,’ he said as he scrutinised the content. ‘While Regan is admitting involvement with two other deaths he doesn’t go into any detail, it’s merely an outline,’ he said.

Vicky saw Jackie’s face cloud over. ‘Don’t worry kid, we’ll get that from interviews with him in the future, I’m certain.’

‘The skulls and human remains are a start. Andy, speak with the prison and get Regan produced to the police cells will you? Let them know he will be arrested for two more murders after the recent disclosure to his solicitor. Vicky, you and I have another interview to carry out.’

‘Ready and willing boss,’ she grinned.

Ten minutes later, the two were sitting in the interview room with Barrowclough and Mr Richmond. Dylan opened the interview and put questions to him about Kayleigh Harwood, but he was sticking to his previous stance of no comment.

Dylan closed the interview. ‘Norris Regan is talking to us quite openly, via his solicitor, about other incidents that he tells us you have been involved in over the years, so no doubt we will be speaking to you at a later date, Mr Barrowclough.’

A few minutes later Vicky read out the charge of murder to Barrowclough in the presence of his solicitor and when asked if he wished to reply he said, ‘No Comment,’ which was recorded on the charge sheet.

‘Well he’s consistent, if nothing else,’ said Vicky. ‘He’ll be at Court tomorrow,’ she said to Mr Richmond as she escorted him to the door.

Back in the office Ned sat slouched over his desk.

‘What’s with the long face? ‘Dylan asked.

‘Don’t shoot the messenger, boss. I’ve been speaking to the prison. Regan is at present in theatre at Harrowfield General, having been attacked by his cell mate.’

‘How bad is it?’

‘They say it’s pretty bad. His throat’s been slashed open, cutting through the artery. Once they have an update, they’ll let us know.’

‘He could have bloody waited until we’d interviewed him,’ said Vicky despondently.

‘Yeah, well we’ve got two charged with Kayleigh’s murder and now we need to update Kayleigh’s mum and boyfriend. Then I think we all deserve a drink, don’t you?’ Dylan sighed. ‘Anyone got anything else for me?’

‘The bicycle bell boss,’ said Andy. ‘It’s the right era but nothing to prove it was from Tina’s bike. Could have been, the expert tells us, but that’s about as close as we’re gonna get I’m afraid.’

‘Where’s John? I think we’ve had about as much luck as we can expect today don’t you,’ he smiled. ‘Let’s go get that drink.’

Dylan stood at the bar, wallet in hand. The team were grouped in a corner, taking over a number of tables. The banter was noisy and boisterous.

‘Everyone got a drink?’ he shouted. Those that heard him raised their glasses in the air.

‘Where’s John?’ Dylan said taking a seat next to Andy, whose mobile rang. He stood up and went outside to take the call. As he went out of one door, John walked in. Dylan got up to get him a drink.

‘The mystery of what happened to Tina Walker looks like getting solved after all these years,’ he said.

‘It does?’ said Dylan.

‘We’ve a positive ID by way of the teeth from one of the skulls,’ he said, smiling broadly.

‘Wooh! Can today get any better?’ Dylan said, raising his glass towards John’s, ‘Cheers mate.’

‘I can’t wait to tell Barry Sharpe and Norman Tempest.’

‘It’ll be good news for Norman. He’s just been told they’re retiring him out.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘No, an award one day for outstanding work and his ticket the next. There’s no justice in this job, is there?’

‘Well, you can be assured when my thirty years are up you won’t see me for bloody dust, John,’ he said pensively. ‘We’ve still a lot of work to do, but well done mate.’

Andy came back into the bar and walked towards the pair. ‘The prison,’ he said, his mobile phone still in his hand. ‘Regan’s out of theatre but he’s on a life support machine. The next twenty four hours will decide his fate. Apparently they lost him in theatre, but managed to revive him.’

 ‘As long as he stays alive long enough to confess, that’ll do for us, won’t it boss?’ Vicky said putting her arm around Andy and Ned’s shoulders. ‘I think that drink might have gone straight to my head.’

‘Make sure we have an officer with him at all times,’ said Dylan, shaking his head at Vicky.

‘Boss, we’ve found a necklace with a pair of scissors on it,’ said Jasmine.

‘Was it in that jar in his garage?’ Jasmine nodded.

‘Kayleigh’s,’ said Vicky.

‘And a gold bangle with the inscription Diffy inside.’

‘The traveller from over the border,’ said Dylan. ‘Defiance, her name was Diffy for short. I remember Barry Sharpe telling me she had gone missing around the time Tina Walker disappeared, but it was assumed she had moved on. I guess it’s too much for us to hope we’d get some low copy DNA?’

Jasmine hunched her shoulders.

‘Maybe we could get familial DNA...?’

‘We can try to find a family member. One good thing about the travelling fraternity in my experience is that they can get the word out far, wide and fast.’

A tame Robin came and hopped about their feet and under the seat, hoping for crumbs.

‘You can’t spend much time at Seaview Wildlife Park without being struck by their friendliness, can you?’ said Cyril. ‘Even the wild ones.’

Jen saw the bird had a black eye fixed on her.

Cyril went down on his haunches and whistled to the bird. Much to Maisy’s amusement, it came to him and took food from his hand. They strolled over the bridge. There was a freshness in the air.

Jen sat very still for a moment, gazing at her daughter from across the table in the cafe.

‘How do children manage to eat ice creams at this time of year,’ Cyril said with a shudder as he pulled his hankie out of his trouser pocket and wiped around his grand-daughter’s mouth. She protested.

Jen cupped her chin in the palm of her hand and turned to look at her daughter, then her eyes went back to the landscape as her mind whirled.

The journey home was a quiet one, with Maisy falling asleep before they had driven out of the car park, and carefully Jen extracted her from the car seat when they got home. Holding her daughter in her arms, she waited at the edge of the pavement until the traffic gave them an opportunity to cross to their front door. Shaun pulled up in front of them.

‘Dad. Will you take Maisy inside please? There’s something I have to do,’ Jen said, nodding towards Shaun’s car. She gently handed Maisy to Cyril, then kissed her daughter’s forehead and her dad’s cheek before slipping into the passenger seat of Shaun’s car. ‘Drive,’ she said.

‘Where to?’

‘Anywhere but here,’ she said, staring straight ahead.

 Shaun pulled into the car park at Culver Downs. ‘Do you remember, we were sat right here in my clapped out old banger the first time I ever told you that I loved you,’ he said as he turned off the ignition and swivelled in his seat to face Jen, an air of surety about him. ‘Here our love story began,’ he said contentedly, reaching out for the hand that lay in her lap. ‘I come here often and think of you.’

It was as if a hand had removed a piece of tissue paper from a picture. She looked at him. ‘And most apt,’ she said with a forced smile. ‘As this is where it has to end,’ she added, pulling her hand away.

‘But, I don’t understand?’ he said, his hand halfway to cupping her face.

‘Well, let me spell it out for you, shall I? Once and for all,’ she snapped, knocking his protesting hand away. ‘I don’t ever want to see you again as long as I live. Is that clear enough?’

‘But...? I’m glad I chinned him.’

‘You did what?’

‘Planted one right there....’ he said pointing under her chin. ’He was pissed off with you that night. What right has he?’

‘Look,’ she said shaking with anger. ‘I’m truly sorry if your life hasn’t worked out just as you’d planned, Shaun, but mine is complete. I’m not surprised Dylan was mad at me, I deserved it. I love Jack with all my heart and I know he loves me unconditionally – which is more than you ever did, if you’re honest. Right now, I can’t stand to be here. This isn’t my home any more. I can’t wait to get back to Harrowfield,’ she said.

Shaun’s face turned sour. ‘If I can’t have you then...’ He turned on the ignition and revved the engine.

Jen laughed in his face. ‘Then what Shaun? You don’t love me, you never did. We were young – and now you just like the thought of being young again. Maybe you like the idea that if you snap your fingers I’d come running, just like I used to. Might it also be because your marriage isn’t all you want it to be? There’s someone else for her?’

Shaun looked downcast. ‘No, we can’t have children.’

‘Her fault?’

‘No, ironically, it’s me.’

‘I’m sorry. What goes around comes around?’

‘But I thought, when I came to your door that night, you were...’

Jen smiled. ‘Tempted?’

‘No,’ she said shaking her head. ‘Surprised, shocked,’ she added, biting her bottom lip. ‘Flattered, maybe, but cheat on Dylan? Never in a million years. He’s a good man Shaun, worth a hundred of you.’

Jen got out of the car and walked away. The tyres on Shaun’s car crunched on the gravel as it sped off.

‘Dad,’ she said into her mobile phone. ‘Can you come pick me up please?’

Dylan took the call. ‘He’s dead, sir.’

‘Dead?’

‘Norris Regan died half an hour ago,’ said Vicky.

‘Damn, before we got his confession.’

‘What will we do now?’

‘Thank God his solicitor got it. Her notes won’t have as much detail as I’d have liked, but we’ll be able to use them. I’m sure they’ll be enough with everything else we’ve got.

‘Do you think the other convict killed him for his leg irons, boss?’ she smiled. ‘He did tell us they were like gold dust these days.’

‘Trust you...’ he said.

‘Well, it’ll save the taxpayer a lot of money, won’t it? Good riddance to bad rubbish is all I can say.’

Jackie May shouted to Dylan from the office. ‘Maggie Jones on the phone from Forensic, sir.’

Dylan put his phone down and headed for the CID office.

‘Maggie.’

‘Dylan, we’ve got some test results for you. You’ll be pleased to know they confirm your thoughts about Paul Barrowclough.’

‘Go on,’ he said, sitting down.

‘Firstly, the knickers found in the cab of his wagon have been identified as Kayleigh Harwood’s through DNA.’

‘Yes.’

‘And secondly, the semen samples from the recovered body’s anus were also his and the bite mark comparison has been confirmed by forensic odontology.’

 ‘Absolutely brilliant, thank you,’ he said before putting down the phone. ‘Well, Jackie,’ he said smugly. ‘We have evidence against Paul Barrowclough in abundance. In fact, I can’t remember a case where we’ve had so much corroboration.’

‘What will happen now?’ she said.

‘We’ll get him convicted and sentenced for Kayleigh’s murder while enquiries continue into the other remains found. It would be nice to get a conviction for the murder of Tina Walker and the Difiance girl too and maybe they’ll be more off that missing from home list. When all the relevant evidence is secured, it will be reviewed, involving the Crown Prosecution Service.’

‘And then?’

‘Then Barrowclough will be produced, arrested and interviewed and hopefully charged with at least two further murders. And now we have the pleasure of going to see Barry Sharpe, to tell him after all these years we have solved the murder of Tina Walker. Do you want to come along?’

‘Do I just, I’ll get my coat,’ she said, beaming from ear to ear.

‘And then lady, I suggest you get them forms filled in to apply for a CID course.’

‘Too right,’ said Vicky putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.

‘And you Vicky, the Sergeant’s boards lady!’

Vicky nodded.

Looking at the joy, happiness and excitement on Jackie’s face made him think of Jen. His heart felt heavy.

‘You okay sir?’ Vicky said as she looked at his tired, pinched, grey face. His phone bleeped.

‘I’m coming home,’
he read.
‘I know why you sent me away but you can’t make me stay away. I love you.’

‘I am now,’ he said, beaming from ear to ear as he sent a text back.
‘Can’t wait! I love you too! x’

The End