Spanish Inquisition (2 page)

‘Anything yet from the MO?' he asked sharply.

Babs shook her head.

‘Has Phil offered any defence?'

‘No. When Jeff and I woke him and told him he was under arrest on suspicion, he looked gobsmacked. Hasn't said a word apart from asking for you to be contacted.'

Tom nodded. ‘Have you taken a DNA swab?'

‘No, sir. As SIB will be taking over as of now we've left that to you. We have the clothes he was wearing.' She indicated a bag in the corner of the small outer office. ‘His underwear hasn't been washed, and he had apparently returned to his room still in his stage costume. The victim was also wearing hers when she was attacked. And a vast amount of theatrical make-up.'

Tom gave a heavy sigh. ‘And she's definite about her attacker's identity?'

‘Named him several times.' Babs wagged her head in a faintly resigned gesture. ‘Why would she dob Phil in if he didn't do it?'

‘Can you rustle up some tea and bring it to the interview room?' asked Tom, declining to answer that. Until he had heard Piercey's version of what had happened he was not prepared to form any conclusions.

Even so, when Tom walked in to the cell-like room containing just a bare table and four chairs he came close to doing just that. The man he knew as supremely assured and well able to handle anything had very obviously been knocked for six. In a dark green track suit, brown hair mussed from sleep, the Cornish sergeant was hunched over the table with his head in his hands. When he glanced up the light brown eyes so often alive with fervour were blank with shock. Experience told Tom this was surely an innocent man.

‘Why's she doing this to me?' Piercey asked huskily. ‘Why?'

‘Because you attacked her?' suggested Tom.

‘You'll find no evidence of that.' Piercey shook his head. ‘She's lying. Why would a woman protect a man who had beaten her up?'

Tom sat facing him across the table. ‘You've been in this game long enough to know people do inexplicable things.'

‘Was she raped?'

‘Captain Goodey's examining her now. Babs Turvey says the girl showed signs of severe physical assault, but we won't have the full picture until we receive the Doc's assessment.'

Babs entered with two mugs of tea and left without a word. Then Tom told Piercey to remove the top of his track suit and place his hands flat on the table. If the man resented this order he showed no sign of it. The shadow of shock still dulled his expression as he pulled off the green garment and slapped his palms down on the metal table top. There was no sign of scratching or bruising on Piercey's body and knuckles to suggest resistance to an attack by him. There would have to be a full medical examination, but Tom was pleased by this lack of evidence, and proceeded.

‘OK, tell me what happened between you and Maria Norton.'

‘
Nothing
happened.'

‘Why didn't you change out of costume before you went to your quarters? Surely it's usual practice to leave all theatrical gear on the premises.'

‘I'd have taken it there in the morning.
This
morning.'

‘That didn't answer my question.'

‘I left in a hurry.'

‘Why?'

‘Bill Jensen was waiting to lock up.'

‘So most people had already departed?'

‘Most, yes.'

‘Not Maria Norton?'

‘No.'

‘So you were there alone with her?'

‘Not really.'

‘Yes or no,' snapped Tom.

‘We were the only ones backstage. Bill Jensen was out front with . . .' He frowned trying to remember. ‘I think two of the chorus girls were chatting with some of the lads, making plans for Sunday.
Today
,' he added heavily.

‘Names?'

‘Christ, I don't know, I only heard their voices.'

‘Go on.'

It took a moment or two for Piercey to work up to confessing something so personal. ‘I've never experienced with another woman what I felt for her. She laughed it off; said she'd heard all about my reputation. Nothing I said made her take me seriously. She'd lead me on, then do the same with Frank Mellor, Andy Sloman or Evan Davies. Right in front of me.'

Knowing Piercey was revealing with every word that he had a strong motive for taking revenge for the humiliations, Tom nevertheless continued with his probing. ‘She flirted with a number of men in the cast?'

‘I thought it was her way of coping with all the guys who tried it on with her.'

‘One of whom was you. Go on!'

The other man took a long breath and exhaled slowly. ‘I had to convince her that I meant what I said.'

‘How convince her?'

The stricken sergeant's expression said it all.

‘You kissed and fondled her? Took advantage of your isolation backstage to get what she'd promised then snatched away?'

‘It wasn't like that. Everyone had been hugging and congratulating her throughout the evening. I just wanted to do the same; show her how terrific she had been in the show.'

Tom slapped his palm on the table in anger. ‘Balls! After saying how you felt about her, d'you take me for an idiot? You saw your chance and went in strong to show you're not a man to be messed with. You were determined to have what she'd dangled in front of you then withdrawn, humiliating you in front of other guys who wanted a bit of nookie, too.'

‘No!'

‘Yes! No jury would believe that a man whose passion has been publicly ridiculed by a woman, then embraced her merely to congratulate her on her singing and acting. Pull yourself together, man!' Leaving a moment or two to let that sink in, Tom turned the screw further. ‘You lost control and embarked on the really rough stuff. How drunk were you?'

Piercey began to fight back as the truth of his situation started to register. ‘Not enough to do what she accused me of in an outraged yell designed to be heard by those out front.'

‘You're saying she put on an act for the benefit of anyone still in the theatre; that you weren't trying to have it off with her in her dressing room?'

‘Christ, what d'you take me for?' demanded Piercey angrily.

‘It's a case of her word against yours,' Tom continued, determined to get at the truth. ‘So what happened next?'

Visibly roused, Piercey said, ‘She ran out to join the others, making out she needed their protection. A couple of guys looked set to have a go at me, so I left through the stage door and returned to my room. I'd had enough of her play acting.'

‘Did anyone see you arrive at the Mess? I heard the CCTV is on the blink again.'

‘Not unless they were watching from their window. I didn't meet anyone on the way in. I took a shower and sat on my bed with a six-pack. Four cans were empty when Babs and Jeff shook me awake, so if you breathalyse me now my registered alcohol intake will be much higher than when I left the theatre.'

‘They'll have sealed your room so the cans will be there, but no way can you prove when you emptied them.'

Tom had known and worked with this man for three years and, apart from their personality clash, he believed Piercey to be genuinely stunned by this charge made against him. It was going to be a hell of a case to handle. Tom had himself seen Piercey almost slavering over Maria Norton at the party, and he had little doubt that the interlude backstage had been far more impassioned than a congratulatory hug. Even so, he well believed Norton's theatrical act which had made other men aggressive in her defence would cause any infatuated male to try to escape further humiliation by slinking away to lick his wounds. Unfortunately, it could also be seen as a last straw situation by jurors, who might well then believe Piercey had lain in wait to take his revenge on her.

During violent assaults the perpetrator left samples of DNA on the victim from hair, skin, clothing, spittle and other sources. If Piercey was innocent the absence of his DNA on Maria Norton would be enough to prove it, Unfortunately, that passionate embrace backstage negated that line of defence. Yes, it was a hell of a case, and Keith Pinkney was certain to descend on 26 Section and take over.

‘Why's she doing this to me?'

The sudden repetition brought Tom from his thoughts, and he answered sharply, ‘Because you made her hate you enough. It's known as sexual harassment.'

Piercey's eyes narrowed as he asked harshly, ‘And what's what I've done to make
you
hate me known as? I've always thought you were a shrewd and unbiased investigator, but you've got me marked guilty as charged. Do you see this as the way to get rid of me at last?'

Tom bit back a lashing reply; gave himself time to smother his anger. ‘I'll forget you said that and concentrate on being a shrewd and unbiased investigator. Babs will supply you with pen and paper to write your account of your movements after you heard the two men vow to see to you on Maria's behalf and you slipped out through the stage door, until you returned to your room. After a medical examination and taking of DNA samples from you, you can then bed down in one of the cells in our headquarters until I've managed to interview Corporal Norton and heard the MO's report on her injuries.' He got to his feet. ‘The cell door will not be locked. You will simply be helping me with my inquiry.'

After installing Piercey at Headquarters, with a blanket and a pillow, Tom read through the written statement feeling certain the accused sergeant had been economical with the truth concerning that backstage encounter. He would question Piercey again once he had heard from Maria Norton just how aggressive she claimed her frustrated admirer had been.

Crossing to the Medical Centre, Tom entered the dimly lit building and went to Clare Goodey's consulting room hoping she would by now have a full report of the victim's injuries. Two and a half hours had passed since Babs Turvey had brought her there by ambulance.

Dressed in grey trousers and a matching roll neck jumper, the blonde doctor was compiling her notes, head bent to the task. Tom gave a quiet greeting from the doorway, and she glanced up with a nod.

‘I guessed you'd be along soon. The attacker was one of yours, I gather.'

‘So she claims.'

Clare gazed at him shrewdly. ‘Innocent until . . .?' She indicated the chair before her desk. ‘Take a seat and I'll give you the results of my examination.'

‘Can I speak to her?' he asked as he sat.

‘Not until late morning. She's still in shock and under sedation.' Easing back her chair she thrust a hand through her hair as she flexed her shoulders. ‘Her clothes are bagged and tagged ready for forensic examination. She was wearing what looked rather like some kind of stage costume.'

‘For the past week she's been singing the title role in
Carmen
. Did you not know?'

She gave a faint smile. ‘Not my scene. Opera does little for me. Performed by amateurs even less.'

‘She was good, very convincing as a provocative factory girl and, from what I saw at the after-performance party, she wasn't too eager to relinquish the act when the curtain came down.'

‘Well, whoever attacked her wasn't acting, Tom. The bruising on her body is the result of a ferocious assault with a bunched fist as well as the back of an open hand. The size and spacing of the bruises indicate a male fist, and the marks around her throat are definitely the result of being seized by a large powerful hand.'

Tom frowned. ‘He tried to strangle her?'

‘He would surely have succeeded if that had been his aim. I'd say he first grabbed her by the neck and shook her, then began beating her up because she didn't give him the right answers.' She shrugged. ‘It's just a guess; you're the expert at getting to the truth.'

By now Tom was more than ever sure Piercey was not responsible. However impassioned he might have been, no way would he have seized the woman by the throat or punched her.

‘Has she explained how she came by the bruises?'

‘She clammed up; refused to say anything either to me or to Corporal Wills of the Rape Squad.' Seeing his reaction, she said, ‘I called them in. It's usual in cases of extreme violence against a female, you know that.'

‘Was she raped?'

‘There's no evidence of it. However, she
is
in the early stages of pregnancy.' Clare pursed her lips and gave him a significant look. ‘Maybe she broke the news to him. You know how it goes. He's appalled, says it must be aborted. She's defiant, says she wants his baby. He loses it and hits out.'

Getting to his feet, Tom said with a satisfied smile, ‘Yes, I know how it goes, and that has to let Piercey off the hook. I know the man. If he was going to be a father he'd be trumpeting the fact all round the base.'

Maria Norton looked a sorry sight lying against piled pillows in the small room used for patients requiring isolation from others who might be in the six-bed ward in the base Medical Centre. The beating seemed also to have subdued her spirit quite drastically, although Tom realized that away from the flamboyance of the stage role this present lacklustre attitude might be her normal mien. He had never encountered this Signals NCO professionally.

After identifying himself, Tom assured her her attacker would be charged and punished just as soon as she outlined to him exactly what had happened outside the Recreation Centre in the early hours of that morning. When she listlessly rolled her head in a negative, he asked if she was indicating that she had no memory of the assault.

Gazing at the blue and white bedcover, she mumbled, ‘D'you think I'd forget something like that?'

‘So why the shake of the head?

‘I just want to be left alone. Captain Goodey said I need to rest quietly for a few days.'

‘Which is what you're doing, Corporal,' he responded briskly. ‘I can sit here all day until you feel able to answer my questions, but the sooner I have the truth about who did this to you, and why, the sooner he'll face what he deserves.'