The Cedar Face: DI Jewell book 3 (DI Elizabeth Jewell) (22 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Tuesday May 28th 6.30 am

Anita was up and dressed
when Elizabeth came downstairs. She hadn't intended to sleep
at all but the thought of a prowler outside had
disturbed her. Anita seemed subdued while she prepared breakfast. 'You'
re quiet this morning,' she said.

'I slept badly,' Anita
said as she took a carton of orange juice from
the fridge.

'I'm sorry about last night. You didn'
t need the extra hassle from me.'

Anita stopped stirring
the eggs and looked up. 'I heard the news on
the radio. What a terrible tragedy. Is the Canadian a
suspect?'

'Patterson just sent me a text. He's requested
extra time but his lawyer's objecting. Morven and McAllister
insist they were elsewhere so we'll have to wait
until their alibis are checked out.'

'If it does then
he couldn't killed the girl?'

Elizabeth helped herself to
the scrambled eggs. 'I honestly don't know. My brain
doesn't want to function this morning. This whole business
is weird.'

'Eat up, it will help the hangover.'

Elizabeth
needed Anita to explain last night's panic. 'You made
light of last night, but you were definitely scared. What
happened?'

Anita stared at her. 'I sensed Patterson needed to
speak to you urgently. I was proved right. No other
reason.'

'Dean noticed. Talk to him if you don't
believe me?'

'Wait until you're my age and try
sprinting. I'm not fit anymore, as you well know.'

Elizabeth nodded feeling guilty, but not convinced. Something about Anita'
s demeanour suggested she had been frightened but was never
going to admit it. Had someone jumped out at her?
Dean had made a point of the low crime statistics
in the village but teenagers especially could wreak havoc after
a few drinks. They didn't care how their behaviour
affected older people. Anita wasn't blasé and years of
training don't vanish overnight. She decided not to broach
the subject again. 'You should have stayed in bed.'

'I
thought I'd drive you to work then go shopping
in town. I could do with some fresh air.'

'You
don't have to. Once I've had a shower
and a couple of headache pills I'll be fine.'

Anita opened a cupboard and took out a small bottle. '
I'll feel happier if I do. You'll still
be over the limit. Here, these are strong, so break
one in half.'

Twenty minutes later Elizabeth gazed out of
the window as Anita drove through the country lanes then
onto the motorway. The local radio station played quietly until
the news started. Anita turned up the volume in time
to hear the breaking story.

The newsreader's voice was
typically sombre. 'Late last night a young woman, believed to
be a pupil from Grasmere Academy, was found dead in
the school grounds. Police aren't releasing any more details
for now.'

Anita turned the radio off. 'Why didn't
you wake me up and tell me why Patterson rang?'

'
There was no point and Patterson said he could handle
it.'

Anita turned off the motorway. 'This is dreadful for
all the parents. I hope they close down the school,
at least for a few days until everyone gets over
the shock.'

'I can't see that happening. The kids
have GCSE exams coming up. What worries me is alarmist
headlines. You know what the media's like. They'll
have Cheltenham in the midst of a serial killer crisis.'

'
I still can't believe Morven got bail,' Anita said.

'
Come on Anita. He's never going to admit to
Wilson's murder.'

Anita pulled up outside Park Road and
switched off the engine. 'I wish I could help you.'

'
Morven's hard to read, but I guess it's
the cultural thing. That and the fact he's supposed
to be clairvoyant. This is why I need Daly, he'
d be my voice of reason. I'm not as
logical or plodding. You know me well Anita; I go
by my instincts too much.'

'There's nothing wrong with
that as long as it's backed up by sensible
procedure.'

'Right now I'm neither sensible nor logical. Why
don't you come in? Yeats isn't aaround, he'
s gone to Belfast.'

Anita turned to face Elizabeth a
strange look on her face. 'When is he due back?'

'
Not sure. I wouldn't give a toss if he
stayed there. Why the sudden interest in him?'

'No reason
apart from it's good to see you take charge.'

'
Promise you'll keep me updated on Daly's progress,'
Elizabeth pleaded.

'I will if you promise to keep this
to yourself. Don't even tell Patterson. I'll know
if you do.'

Elizabeth kissed Anita on the cheek and
got out of the car. The time was coming up
to seven forty and she hoped Patterson had everyone's
day mapped out. Her headache had eased and she checked
her bag for the two extra painkillers. It was going
to be another endless day and she'd probably need
them.

The incident room was in chaos. Patterson seemed to
be fending off questions from everyone, added to that Morven
and McAllister were still downstairs with their lawyers. Elizabeth dreaded
facing them. With no other senior CID officer on the
premises, they'd have her guts. They'd also lay
the blame of any disorganisation at her feet.

Patterson looked
exhausted. 'No sleep?' Elizabeth asked him.

'I could do with
a couple of hours, but I think I'm too
wired.'

'Go home. Could you get me a coffee before
you disappear?'

Patterson was half-dead and she was asking
him to wait on her. Elizabeth felt ashamed. ‘No hurry,'
she added.

Patterson looked disgruntled and she didn't blame
him, but she had a valid reason for not going
to the machine. She didn't want to bump into
Morven's lawyers. By now, any complaints they had dreamt
up would be lengthy and serious.

As soon as she
walked into the noisy briefing room Katie Gardiner approached her. '
We have a problem that needs sorting,' she said. 'The
floral tributes are piling up outside the school and it'
s causing an obstruction. We need to find another area
where people can leave stuff. Do you want me to
deal with it?'

'Get a couple of uniforms to help.
What about the media? Is there a big turn out?'

'
I've heard they're circling. Crosbie's in his
element rubbing shoulders with the elite. Are you okay, you
look really pale?'

'It's self-inflicted. I always manage
to pick the wrong time to go drinking. I shouldn'
t have given in so easily when Tony said he
could manage, I agreed.'

Katie interrupted. 'He's been under
your wing for a long time. He needed a chance
to prove himself.'

Elizabeth knew she was right. If he
was serious about his career he needed a lot more
experience. The sound of too many high pitched conversations wasn'
t going to help her head.

Someone had left an
old walking stick propped up in a corner, probably nicked
from the lost property cupboard in reception. She whacked it
three times on the nearest desk and shouted. 'Everybody shut
up and listen.'

Chairs scraped across the floor and then
silence.

'Darren, find Eldridge for me and don't take
all day. Right you lot, I need to know who'
s been assigned to what.'

Five minutes later Elizabeth had
a clearer picture. She had to admit that Patterson had
done a good job. Apart from two new recruits, the
rest of them knew exactly what they were doing. She
made a few adjustments and dismissed everyone. No sooner had
the room emptied, when Eldridge walked in.

'You wanted to
see me?'

'Where've you been?'

'To see Dr Oakley,
remember. She's starting the girl's post mortem at
ten.'

'Did she give you any reports?'

'She's going
to email them. Okay if I have a break?'

'Did
anyone catch up with Mortimer and Bellamy?'

'In the Alcaisdesa
club,' he said and smirked.

'It's taken long enough.'

'
That was supposed to be Patterson's responsibility. I don'
t ever hear him getting a bollicking.'

Elizabeth had an
overwhelming urge to slap Eldridge. His behaviour often veered from
rude petulance to accommodating obedience. This morning he'd added
resentment to the list.

'You don't look particularly tired.
I bet while Patterson was busy holding everything together you
managed a crafty power nap. Think yourself lucky I'm
not asking you to work another nightshift.'

'What's this
about an all nighter?' Patterson asked as he rushed through
the door.

'I thought you'd gone home.' Elizabeth said
and patted him on the arm. 'I forgot to say
a big thank you. You did a great job.'

Patterson
glanced at Eldridge. 'I overheard what he said about me
shirking. So I've decided to go with him.'

Eldridge
seemed reluctant to move his feet. 'What about the post
mortem?'

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Eldridge. 'None of us
have the time. You're keeping me waiting and I'
m keeping Morven's lawyers waiting. Before you go I
want you to do something.'

Her bag was under the
desk. She knelt down, retrieved her phone and scrolled through
the numbers. 'While Patterson's driving I want you to
ring this number. It's Yeats's old station in
Belfast.'

He picked up a pen and scribbled the number
on the back of his hand. 'What do I have
to say?'

'Ask to speak to Yeats personally and find
out when he's due back. If he's not
there keep trying until you get hold of him or
somebody who knows what's going on.'

After they left
Elizabeth logged on to her email. Jessica's report was
long and technical. She skimmed through it and couldn't
quite digest its implications. What she did glean was the
small paint sample was significant. Jessica had suggested she ring
her later on and she'd explain in more detail.
Suddenly Elizabeth felt overwhelmed. Dean had left her a text
message asking to see her tomorrow night. Calbrain had also
sent one reminding her about the information he wanted to
pass on. She already had a busy schedule trying to
make up for lost time. On top of that she
had Jade Harper's boyfriend Duncan Mortimer and his mate
Bellamy to look forward to. But right now, Morven and
his legal team took precedence over everything else.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Teresa Lane stood up when Elizabeth entered the interview
room. An older man struggled to his feet and Lane
introduced him as her assistant, Toby Markham. She was surprised;
usually paralegals were younger. Elizabeth turned her attention to Jacob
Morven and his friend Professor McAllister. She noted their weary
resignation and underlying hostility.

'I'm sorry to have kept
you waiting.'

No one spoke. She felt uncomfortable although being
on her own had advantages. She opened the file and
reread Patterson's initial report. She glossed over his observations
about the vehicle's overheated engine. Her knowledge of car
engines was limited, but she assumed there was any number
of reasons why they retained heat. Call it intuition or
what, without his attention to detail, Morven wouldn't have
confessed to visiting a brothel.’

Morven's hire car was
still being searched for traces of a body. The crime
scene coordinator had requested a specialist dog, trained to detect
cadaver smell. The animal had an impressive reputation, so if
Morven had transported a deceased Jade Harper, they would soon
know.

Elizabeth looked up. 'I'm almost finished,' she told
them.

The motive with the most credibility had to be
if Jade had witnessed Morven killing Wilson. Another possibility occurred
to her. What if Morven had taken the girl's
attentions seriously and persuaded her back to his hotel? Then
events had spiralled out of control. It wouldn't be
the first time an adult man had attempted to seduce
a teenage girl and ended up facing a rape charge.
If she had any criticisms of Patterson, he should have
mounted a bigger search for Duncan Mortimer and run both
his and Morven's interviews simultaneously.

She checked the time
and spoke to Lane. 'Let's start.'

'You do realise
we've been here long enough,' Teresa Lane accused.

Elizabeth
couldn't feel sorry for any of them. Lawyers were
notoriously impatient on police premises. She often wondered why, considering
how much they charged their clients. It was their job
to represent their interests, not worry about how long it
took.

'Elizabeth held up the report and spoke directly to
Lane. 'This is a transcript of Sergeant Patterson's earlier
interview with your clients.

McAllister looked pale and sounded as
if he was hyperventilating. 'I'm not one of her
clients.'

'I apologise for presuming. However, Professor McAllister I'd
strongly advise you to consider legal representation.'

McAllister leaned across
the table, his body language threatening. People addicted to power
often believed they were above the law. The Professor was
a typical example, an authoritative figure that enjoyed his social
standing in Canada. A man, who with the snap of
his fingers could summon the best help should he need
it.

'Why, when I'm not a suspect?' he argued. ‘
We could have flatly refused to come here.'

Teresa Lane
intervened. 'I believe DI Jewell means you could face an
accessory charge if you had prior knowledge of a crime
already committed or, that one was going to be. However
if you had no knowledge and can prove it you'
re in the clear.'

Morven turned to McAllister, his expression
sombre. 'I begged you not to get involved John. DI
Jewell's right, you should return home. There's nothing
more you can do to help me.'

Toby Markham spoke
for the first time. 'Professor McAllister forgot to give your
sergeant the till receipt from the supermarket.'

Elizabeth felt a
wave of tiredness wash over her. Had Patterson forgotten to
ask for the obvious? She dreaded tackling him about such
a clear mistake. She activated the tape recorder. 'I'd
like you to verify everything you told Sergeant Patterson, including
the fact you omitted to hand over crucial evidence.

Morven
ran through the story again. Elizabeth then asked to see
the bankcard used to pay the bill.

'I paid cash,'
Morven admitted.

Elizabeth knew the receipt was useless unless the
itemised bill corresponded with the contents of Morven's cupboards
or fridge. 'Did you buy many items?'

'No more than
a dozen.'

'I'd like to have the receipt right
now,' Elizabeth stated.

McAllister surprised her by handing over the
crumpled pieces of paper. She noted the logo. They'd
shopped at a Morrison's store on the outskirts of
Oxford.

'We also stopped at the garage,' he said, before
visiting the brothel.

Elizabeth picked up her reading glasses. The
time printed at the bottom of the garage receipt corresponded
with their story.

Elizabeth studied Morven properly. There was no
doubt the man had presence and anyone susceptible might be
drawn in by his charisma. Was that what happened to
Wilson and Jade Harper? She still wasn't sure. Morven
didn't have the kind of looks she was attracted
to, but then neither had Dean Westlake.

Now was the
time to find out how good a liar he was. '
On the day you visited the Grasmere Academy we have
several people who stated Jade Harper made a pass at
you, and you responded favourably.'

Morven lay back in the
chair. 'From what I heard about the girl she was
very flirtatious with all men, young or old. I don'
t harbour any desire to have sex with young girls
Inspector.'

McAllister stood up and paced up and down. He
touched Teresa Lane on the shoulder 'I need to go
home and rest,' he pleaded. Then he turned to Elizabeth. '
I don't suppose the Inspector will want to keep
us much longer. As soon as I'm out of
here, I intend to contact my embassy and speak to
the ambassador, who happens to be a close friend. I'
ll have Ms Lane draw up a list of complaints
against Gloucestershire Police and send it to him.'

Elizabeth heard
the threat and initially didn't worry. Embassies weren't
supposed to interfere in investigations, although she could think of
exceptions to the rule. There was one particular unsolved case
where the high level of diplomatic involvement was difficult to
understand.

She nodded at Lane. 'Same rules apply. I want
the forensics unit back at the Bibury house. Once I
see confirmation from video coverage from the Morrisons store we
can assume your clients are telling the truth.'

'Which poses
a problem for you,' Lane said.

'I find that comment
insulting. I will find Keith Wilson and Jade Harper's
killer.' Elizabeth knew exactly what Lane was implying. That if
Morven didn't kill the girl, it was unlikely he'
d killed Wilson but she wasn't going to admit
it in front of them. Best to let them think
Morven was still the prime suspect.

Teresa Lane ushered everyone
out of the interview room and Elizabeth rested her head
on the wall. She knew the stress was getting to
her. She closed her eyes, a few minutes rest, she
promised herself, then a strong coffee.

Calbrain suddenly jumped into
her thoughts. He hadn't made another appearance at Park
Road, probably because he wanted to avoid seeing her.

'Blast,'
she muttered to herself. The information he was keen to
pass on, the offer she'd rejected. 'Why did I
do that?' she asked the empty room. Whatever her feelings
were for the man, if he had relevant information she
should have listened.

Elizabeth got up and wearily made her
way along the corridor. Park Road had quietened down. In
reception, she leaned her elbows on the counter and watched
as Tom dealt with a customer. He turned his head
and smiled. Elizabeth liked the desk sergeant. For a cop,
he was reassuring, kind and considerate. He winked and she
wondered what he was finding so funny. She looked out
of the window. Tom was distracted by Patterson's vehicle
pulling up outside the main entrance. Eldridge got out of
the passenger seat and opened the rear doors for two
young men, Mortimer and his friend Bellamy. Tom watched. 'Double
trouble ahead.'

Elizabeth nodded. 'I feel like I'm trapped
in a spider's web.'

'A terrible business that young
girl, I was hoping my grandchildren might go to Grasmere.
I'm not keen now, after what's happened.'

'They'
re just babies Tom. By the time your oldest is
ready to start, no one will remember. And even if
they do, they won't want to talk about it.'

Tom sighed. 'Yeah, schools and colleges will eventually end up
like fortresses.'

She watched Patterson make for the side door. '
I better go Tom. Don't start worrying about your
grandchildren yet. You never know, we could get lucky and
this world might change for the better.'

Traces of Teresa
Lane's perfume lingered in the interview room. Elizabeth had
opened the door expecting to see Patterson. Instead, it was
empty apart from a solitary piece of paper on the
table. She picked it up and tried to decipher the
illegible handwriting. She assumed Toby Markham had left it behind.
She folded it carefully and put it into her pocket.
She waited outside for a moment wondering where they'd
gone. Then it occurred to her, he'd want Mortimer
and his mate in the smallest interview room, less comfortable
and more intimidating. she made her way there and as
soon as she opened the door, she smelled alcohol. What
a contrast, she thought. In one room Elizabeth Arden's
Red Door, and Jamaican style Red Stripe lager in another.
Eldridge was clutching an empty can and had a bruise
beneath his left eye.

Elizabeth sat down and spoke directly
to Mortimer and Bellamy. 'You're both about to be
questioned under caution,' she announced.

'For assaulting a police officer,'
Patterson added, unable to hide a faint smile.

Mortimer groaned
then smirked. 'You can't get away with that. I
asked him to move and he tried head butting me.'

Eldridge leaned over the table. 'And you're a lying
bastard.'

Bellamy added his testimony. He's telling the truth. '
You,' he pointed to Patterson, 'had your back to us.'

Elizabeth shouted. 'Shut up whining both of you or you'
ll end up in a cell.'

She glanced at Eldridge.
When he felt like it he'd work well to
impress everyone, then, quickly ruin his reputation by some gaffe
or other. A short stint back in uniform might put
an end to his idiocy. Maybe she could arrange for
him to work nights over a weekend scraping drunks off
the pavement. He'd soon learn real hardship.

She turned
her attention back to Mortimer. Considering his girlfriend had died
violently he showed no emotion in his face. He ran
his hand through his hair trying to disguise the shaking.
Bellamy had begun to fidget too. Elizabeth guessed they were
scared of what their parents would say.

'Go and put
some antiseptic on that eye,' she told Eldridge.

'Can I
get a cup of tea? I need a sugar hit,'
he asked.

'If you must,' she answered.

Eldridge couldn't
even close the door quietly. The noise made Bellamy shudder
and he started whining. 'I want to go home. I
haven't done anything.'