Taunting the Dead (33 page)

‘I know what you’re thinking.’ Cathryn picked up a cup. ‘Why am I having an affair?’

‘I was thinking far from that,’ Allie replied. ‘I’m here to check out the facts. I’m interested in the night of Friday November thirtieth in particular. Could you tell me where you were and who you were with, please?’

‘I was at Carlito’s Way, an Italian restaurant, with Terry, Terry’s business partner and his wife and another couple.’

‘What time were you there?’

‘I arrived at ten past seven. I went straight from work – I run my own accountancy firm in the city centre. I met Terry there.’

‘Had you met any of the other guests before then?’

Cathryn nodded. ‘Yes, I know the Roberts’s – Charles and Veronica – very well. We dine with them often when Terry stays over. The other man was a business associate, Richard Powers, with his wife, Jean. I was tagging along, really.’ She lowered her eyes. ‘Terry never likes to dine alone.’

‘Did you notice anything different about that night?’

‘No.’

‘Did Mr Ryder go missing for any length of time?’

‘No.’

‘Did he send –’

‘He hardly had time to drive back to Stoke and commit murder, if that’s what you’re suggesting,’ Cathryn interrupted sharply.

‘I’m not implying anything, Ms Mountford,’ Allie spoke back. ‘Was he talking to anyone on his phone?’

‘He’s a businessman. He would talk to people on his phone, surely. I take calls when I’m not in my office.’

Allie changed tack, aware of the hostile yet polite front of the woman. ‘Was he missing from the table for a long time?’

‘No.’

‘Did he seem agitated in any way?’

‘No!’

Cathryn said that too fast for Allie’s liking. She tried to dig deeper.

‘Do you know if he spoke to Mrs Ryder on the phone while you were there?’

‘I can’t say I remember. I can’t say I’d want to know, really.’

‘So as far as you were aware, Mr Ryder wasn’t acting any differently to how he normally acts, wasn’t away from the table for any period of time or –’

‘He did spend time outside while he tried to contact his wife on the phone.’

‘What time was this?’

‘About half seven, quarter to eight. Then again about ten.’

Allie nodded. That tallied with what Terry had told her.

‘Do you know if he spoke to her then?’ she asked next.

‘That’s another no, I’m afraid.’

Allie feared she was getting nowhere fast. ‘What time did you leave the restaurant?’

‘I’d say around ten thirty.’

She sat forward.
Exactly enough time to drive back to Stoke
. She tried something else. ‘And he dropped you off at home before he left to go back to his hotel?’ By her side, Allie saw Sam look up from her notes.

‘Left?’ Cathryn frowned too. ‘He didn’t leave, Sergeant, as he will have told you, no doubt. He stayed here overnight. He left around eight fifteen on Saturday morning. Shortly after, I headed out to do some shopping.’

Allie studied Cathryn for a moment, hoping to see some sort of giveaway that she was lying, or indeed covering up for Terry. If he treated Cathryn with the same respect that he gave Carole Morrison, she might say anything to cover up for him.

Allie knew she was done for now. She and Sam stood up.

‘Thanks, Ms Mountford.’ Allie gave her a contact card. ‘I think we have all we need for now. I’ll have to check a few details to verify your statement. If there’s anything amiss, I’ll be in touch. Or you can call me if you remember anything else.’

‘What did you make of that conversation?’ Allie asked Sam as soon as they were out of hearing range.

‘I’m not sure.’ Sam replied. ‘It seemed a bit polished for me.’

Allie nodded, glad that Sam had picked up on that too. Still, this time she was going to examine every possibility. They walked back to the car.

‘Do you think she could be telling the truth and that Carole Morrison is lying?’ Sam continued.

‘It is possible.’ They crossed over the road. ‘But then again, maybe Terry Ryder has been telling the truth all along about Carole Morrison. Maybe they’d had an argument at The Gables and Carole ran at Terry and injured herself. I mean, if she was scorned, she’d hardly go running home to spill her guts to Shaun. “Sorry love, I tripped at my lover’s house and fell. Oh, didn’t I mention that I was screwing someone else?’’’

Sam smirked as they fell in step beside each other. ‘I’m not sure I believe any of them,’ she said. ‘They could both be covering for him. No wonder you fell under his spell. He certainly has some kind of magnetic pull. I’m sorry for what I said earlier.’

‘It’s okay,’ said Allie, although it wasn’t really.

‘No, it isn’t.’ Sam turned towards her slightly. ‘I of all people should trust you. I’ve worked for you long enough to know when you’re using your better judgement and you’re a fantastic mentor. I should have realised you were stringing him along.’

Allie looked ahead, hoping that Sam couldn’t read her mind. Right now she was thinking quite the opposite. She was wondering if she
could
trust herself. They got to the car and set off for Stoke.

‘Something doesn’t ring true,’ Sam said as she gazed out of the window at the shadows of the late winter afternoon.

Allie nodded her reply. If Cathryn Mountford was telling the truth, then Terry would be in the clear. It would also throw doubt on Carole Morrison’s statement. Both women appeared to be in love with Terry, so which of them was lying for him?

‘I think we need to clarify a few things with Carole Morrison,’ Allie said, after some more thought. ‘I said I’d head over there today.’

When they arrived at The Orange Grove, Shaun showed them upstairs to the living room. Carole was lying on the settee wrapped in a duvet. The swelling to her face was more prominent today, angry bruising that looked painful to the touch. Her nose had scabbed over slightly where it had split.

Allie told her as much as she needed to about their meeting with Cathryn Mountford.

‘That’s not true!’ said Carole. ‘He rang me and I met him at the end of Brooke Lane. We drove down out of the way and we… we had sex. Then I left and went back to the pub. I couldn’t find Steph so I called a taxi and came home.’ She looked up at both of them with pleading eyes. ‘You have to believe me. Terry Ryder was not in Derby at the time Steph was murdered. He was here, in Stoke.’

‘If what you’re saying is true, that puts him right at the place where the murder happened, and at exactly the same time,’ said Allie.

‘It’s true!’

‘Well then, you must agree that it puts you right at the place where the murder happened also – and at exactly the same time.’

Carole paused for a moment. ‘I didn’t have anything to do with it!’

‘But I have a witness that puts Terry Ryder in Derby at the time you say he was with you. If that’s the case, then you could have had time to commit the murder, go back in to look for Mrs Ryder so that people saw you afterwards, and then get a taxi home to make it look more authentic.’

‘No.’

‘Did you have sex with Mr Ryder and then see Mrs Ryder in the car park as she came to find you?’

‘No!’

‘Did she see you getting out of Mr Ryder’s car? Was there some sort of altercation on the car park and you hit her and left her for dead?’

‘No.’ Carole began to cry. ‘How could you say that? Steph was my friend.’

‘Friends don’t screw their best friends’ husbands, Mrs Morrison.’

‘I – I know but I – I loved him.’

‘Right, you loved him.’

‘Just because I want to be with him doesn’t mean I would KILL her!’

‘So you stand by your previous statement that you were with Mr Ryder at midnight on Friday November thirtieth?’

‘Yes.’ Carole nodded through her tears.

‘And you’ll stand up in court and say that, will you?’

‘Yes!’ Carole pointed to her face. ‘Look what he did to me!’

‘Sarge,’ Sam tried to intervene.

Allie held up a hand to quieten her. ‘You told me that you couldn’t see your attacker. Then you changed your statement to say that it was Mr Ryder. How do I know you’re not going to change your mind again?’

‘Because I’m telling you the truth!’ Carole looked for some sort of sign that they believed her. ‘The bastard that did this to me was Terry Ryder!’

‘Terry Ryder?’

All three women turned to see Shaun standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on his face.

‘Terry Ryder did that to you? I thought you said you didn’t see your attacker,’ he spoke to Carole. ‘What’s going on?’

As soon as the police left, Shaun charged up the stairs and back into the living room. Carole sat with tears pouring down her face.

‘It was Terry Ryder that hit you?’ Shaun looked stunned. ‘But why?’

Carole caught his eye for a moment. ‘I’m sorry. We… we were…’ was all she managed to say before bowing her head.

But in that split second, Shaun filled in the gap.

‘You and Terry?’ ‘You – AND TERRY?’

‘I’m sorry!’

Shaun took two steps away and then turned back. ‘Did you chase him after Steph died or were you already fucking him?’

‘No – we –’

Shaun didn’t wait for her to find the words. He raced over and pulled her up to her feet. ‘If you weren’t in such a state, I would give you a good slapping. How long has this been going on? Tell me!’ he demanded.

‘Not long, I –’

‘HOW LONG?’

‘A few weeks!’ Carole blurted out as the anger in his voice invaded the room.

Shaun dropped her arms as if they were too hot to handle.

‘But it’s over now,’ she added.

‘Because he hit you?’ Shaun snorted. ‘Oh, that’s okay, then. The fact that he beat you half to death and the fact that his wife was murdered doesn’t come into things?’

Carole said nothing. Despite her initial thoughts around telling the truth, she deserved what she got.

‘I don’t believe this,’ Shaun said quietly. Tears glistened in his eyes as he looked at Carole. Then he frowned. ‘Why did he hit you?’

‘Because I was with him when Steph was killed.’ Not wanting to keep anything from him now, she explained what had happened.

‘You’re covering up for him!’

‘No! Why won’t anyone believe me?’

‘So what happened? Did Steph interrupt you while you were screwing? Did she see you and did she have a go?’ Shaun’s face drained of any colour. He pointed at her. ‘Ohmigod. Did you kill her?’

‘No, I didn’t! Surely you know me better than to think I’m capable of that?’

‘I didn’t think you were capable of fucking someone else,’ he said with so much venom in his voice that Carole flinched.

‘I didn’t do it.’ She reached towards him. ‘You have to believe me. I didn’t kill Steph.’

Shaun pushed her away and walked towards the door. ‘This is all too convenient. One of you must know something.’

‘Where are you going?’ she shouted after him.

‘To see Ryder.’

‘You can’t!’ Carole ran to him, grabbing hold of his arm. ‘Please! I don’t want you to go.’

Shaun pushed her away. ‘You should have thought about that before you… before you… How could you?’

Carole looked up to see the pain she had caused. He was right. How could she have done this to him?

‘It’s over,’ was all she could think to say.

‘And that’s supposed to make me feel better? Punching his lights out will do that instead.’ Shaun left the room.

Carole followed him onto the landing. ‘Please don’t go,’ she sobbed. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to make it up to you.’

‘Do you really think I’d want anything to do with you now?’ He glared at her. ‘You disgust me.’

Carole threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head in his chest but he pushed her away again.

‘If you go after Terry, I’ll tell the police everything. I know something is going on with the Kennedys.’

They stood facing each other like two animals ready to pounce. All that could be heard was Shaun’s shallow breathing as he fought with his emotions and Carole’s sobs as she let hers go.

‘I know something dodgy is going on,’ Carole said through her tears. ‘When Phil came to see you before Steph died, I told you that he wouldn’t just wipe out your debt. Then his lowlife of a son came round threatening you.’

‘He didn’t threaten me.’ Shaun tried to deny it.

‘I heard him. And maybe I can’t figure out what’s going on, but I bet the police will.’

Shaun pointed his finger into her face. ‘You think by setting me up you can get yourself off the hook, is that it?’

‘No, but you know something, don’t you?’

‘NO!’

‘So why all the secrecy? WHAT DID YOU DO?’

Shaun pushed her to the floor and ran down the stairs.

‘Shaun!’

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

At The Gables, Shaun screeched his car to a halt by the side of Terry’s Range Rover. He ran to the front door and banged on it. ‘Ryder! I want a word with you.’

When Terry opened the front door, Shaun landed a punch on his chin.

‘You bastard!’ he shouted.

Terry stepped back from the force of the hit. Hand to his mouth, he wiggled his jaw about. ‘What the fuck was that for?’

‘Funny you should mention the word
fuck
. I can’t believe you of all people would screw my wife.’

‘What?’ Terry looked agog. ‘I’ve never screwed Carole!’

‘LIAR!’

‘I haven’t!’

Shaun eyed Terry suspiciously. He certainly looked shocked by his accusations. If he was telling the truth, then Carole could be putting Terry at the scene of the crime to cover up for something she had done. He shook his head. He didn’t know whom to believe.

Terry placed a hand on Shaun’s shoulder. Shaun shrugged it off.

‘Come through to the kitchen and we’ll sort this mess out,’ he said. ‘I need to know what’s going on.’

‘I don’t know what to say,’ Terry said when they’d sat down and Shaun had explained everything. ‘I’ve never slept with Carole and I’ve certainly never laid a finger on her. I mean, surely you know I’d never cross that line?’

‘But if you weren’t there,’ Shaun paused for a moment, ‘then Carole was the last one to see Steph alive and I – oh, fuck. I don’t know what to think.’