Cherish sat on her bed, her legs crossed. She was propped against her headboard, stroking her rounded stomach as she regarded the two invaders in her bedroom.
Riddick leaned against a chest of drawers beneath a poster of Billie Eilish, creased in the middle from having been plucked from a magazine. Gardner sat on the edge of the bed, sideways on with the broken young lady.
Cherish dabbed at her eyes with a tissue in her hand. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Every time I think it isn’t possible to cry any more, I start to cry again.’
Gardner smiled. ‘Being pregnant is an emotional time. I remember it well.’
‘It’s nothing to do with that… Actually, it’s everything to do with that! My baby’s father is dead!’
Gardner exchanged a glance with Riddick. Hardly a revelation, but at least it was finally out in the open. Now, to feign surprise. ‘Oh, Cherish… I’m so sorry for your loss.’
Cherish stared at the closed bedroom door and her expression darkened.
‘Don’t worry about Neil,’ Riddick said. ‘He won’t be disturbing us.’
‘Oh,’ she said.
‘And helping us with our inquiries is the best thing you can do,’ Gardner said. ‘So, could you tell me about your relationship with Bradley?’
‘We’d split up,’ Cherish said. ‘I don’t think we were ever going to get back together. I should be able to deal with this better.’
‘He’s the father of your child, Cherish,’ Gardner said. ‘Don’t underestimate the feelings you had for him.’
‘Neil will be choking on his coffee now that I’m talking to you,’ Cherish said.
‘We kind of got that impression,’ Riddick said. ‘Why do you think that is?’
Cherish shrugged. ‘Because he never cared about Bradley, and he treats my mother like shit. Two things he’d like to keep quiet.’
‘What do you know about Neil?’ Riddick asked. ‘About what he does?’
‘It’s not breaking cars,’ Cherish said and snorted. ‘You know what he does. Everybody knows what he does. That’s why he doesn’t want me talking to you, and why he doesn’t want you in his house.’
‘So, it’s his house now?’ Riddick asked.
‘Might as well be,’ Cherish said. ‘Me mam would never throw him out. But I’ve had enough of him. He hits her, you know?’
Gardner heard the chest of drawers rattle as Riddick stood up straight. ‘Have you seen it happen?’
‘No. He’s careful,’ Cherish replied. ‘Does it when I’m not there. She’ll never hang him out though. He’s well and truly in her head. If I didn’t have this to worry about’ – she rubbed her stomach – ‘I’d be out of here by now.’
‘When did you and Bradley first meet?’ Gardner asked.
‘I met Bradley before Mam met Neil. That monster was still locked up at that point. Bradley used to knock about by the community centre. I sometimes headed up there with the girls. One thing led to another. He was sweet.’
‘Sweet?’ Riddick said.
Gardner glared at him. She hoped her eyes delivered the message: hold that tone. Don’t even think about it.
‘Yeah,’ Cherish said. ‘Out of all of his friends, he was the nicest. Used to say some right kind things to me. He was quite shy actually.’ She sighed. ‘It was my fault his dad and my mam hooked up. I used to stay over at Bradley’s house. Honey didn’t mind so much. She was quite sweet too. Some nights, after he was released, Neil was around there, downstairs with Honey. I don’t know why, I thought they’d split. I noticed they didn’t argue, but they didn’t get on well either. Kind of a cold thing, if you know what I mean. One night, my mam phoned me up pissed and acting all crazy. She has these moments. She just loses it completely, and she threatens to do all sorts of crazy shit to herself. She says it’s depression and she takes pills that the doctor gives her. Don’t seem to do nowt though. So, Neil drives me home one night from Bradley’s, and then chats Mam up on the doorstep. Can you believe it? Mam comes out of this depression for a few months, and before I know it, the prick’s living here, and acting like my bloody dad!’
Poor girl, Gardner thought. This wasn’t a unique tale, and she’d heard it many times before, but it never got any easier to stomach. If anything, it became harder each time as the evidence that the world remained broken for so many young people grew.
‘Where’s your real father, Cherish?’ Gardner asked.
‘Don’t know. Never met him. Can’t be as bad as this prick though… so, there you have it. Another reason I stick around in this hell hole. It’s all my fault he’s here, and I can’t leave my mam. What if he really hurts her?’
‘You shouldn’t blame yourself, Cherish,’ Gardner said. ‘She’s a grown woman. She’s responsible for her own decisions.’
Cherish shrugged. ‘I guess.’ She looked at Gardner. ‘Do you know who killed Bradley?’
‘Not yet, no,’ Gardner said.
‘I hope you find him.’
‘We will,’ Riddick said.
Gardner looked up at Riddick. Was that real confidence she detected in his voice? She wished she felt the same.
‘I want to help,’ Cherish said.
‘You are doing,’ Gardner said. ‘Do you have any idea who could have done something like this to Bradley?’
Cherish thought and then shook her head. ‘No. Like I said, Bradley was kind. Yeah, he acted all cocky sometimes, but it was all show. He was sensitive. Proper sensitive. Maybe someone from a rival gang outside the area. There was fighting, sometimes. Never heard of anyone dying though.’
Gardner made a note. She already had several officers investigating these gangs from other local areas.
‘Did you know of any of these boys from rival gangs?’
‘Not really. Me and the girls only ever hung with the local lads.’
‘How about Neil?’ Riddick asked.
Again, Cherish thought about it. ‘I just can’t see it. He didn’t give a shit about him, but they never really argued. Every now and again, they chatted about Leeds United, but it was brief… No, I can’t see it.’
‘The night that Bradley died, where were you Cherish?’
‘Here. In bed. I get knackered. Usually asleep by half ten.’
‘Neil claims he was here all night with your mother, and your mother backed him up.’
‘That’s crap,’ Cherish said. ‘He’s out nearly every night. And he was definitely out that night because Mam brought me a cup of tea before bed. She’d been watching Bridgerton alone.’
‘What time was that?’ Riddick asked.
‘About half ten,’ Cherish replied.
Again, Gardner and Riddick exchanged a glance.
‘Do you think he could have come home between ten thirty and midnight?’
Cherish thought. ‘He didn’t. I remember now. I heard Mam crying late, so I went in to see her. She was having one of her moments.’
‘What time was that?’
‘It was definitely after midnight.’
So, Neil Taylor’s alibi was bullshit, and he was now fully in the frame for his kid’s murder.
‘But still, he wouldn’t. A father wouldn’t do that to a son. Would he?’ Cherish said.
Well, it’s happened before, Gardner thought. ‘It’s rare. Tell me more about Bradley. I’ll be honest, Cherish. The persona he presented to the world was full of aggression, and he had a record of poor behaviour. But you say he was different. Tell me how.’
‘He was emotional, you know. Nothing like his friends. At least when he was alone with me he was nothing like that.’ She sighed and looked down at her bump.
‘Emotional how?’ Gardner asked.
‘He used to cry a lot.’
Really? That doesn’t fit with the persona he was trying to portray. ‘I see. About?’
‘Mainly Kelsey Winters.’
Gardner felt as if she’d been winded. She took a deep inhalation through her nose and glanced up at her deputy.
Riddick looked as if he’d been winded too. No longer standing rigid, he eased himself back onto the chest of drawers, and was hunched over, clutching his knees, and staring down. He looked as if he was about to throw up.
‘Sorry,’ Cherish said, ‘have I said something—’
‘What the hell does Kelsey Winters have to do with this?’ Riddick snapped.
‘DI Riddick, enough!’ Gardner said, glaring back at him.
He’d lifted his head, and his eyes were wide.
He caught Gardner’s look, and managed to rein it in. The expression of fury seemed to settle. He lowered his head again.
Gardner moved quick. She turned back to Cherish, who also looked surprised. ‘Sorry for DI Riddick’s response. The Kelsey Winters case was a sensitive one for the police. Can you tell me Bradley’s involvement with her please?’
‘He blamed himself for her suicide.’
‘Why?’
‘They were in the same year at school. He told me he said some unkind things to her.’
This wasn’t good, Riddick was unhinged at the best of times. She noticed her hand was trembling slightly, so she pressed her pencil hard into her pad as she wrote, to try and control it. ‘Specifically?’
‘He never said.’
‘Kelsey was subjected to a lot of bullying,’ Riddick said. Fortunately, he sounded calmer now. ‘Throughout most of her final year – Year 11.’
‘About what?’ Cherish asked.
‘The usual. A shy, sensitive girl, high achieving, attracting the attention of angry individuals wanting an easy target,’ Riddick said.
‘But Bradley wasn’t like that…’ Cherish said. ‘And he regretted whatever he said.’
Riddick shrugged. ‘He still did it though.’
Gardner glared at him again. She was about to ask if it was better that he waited outside, but, after potentially reading her intention, he raised a hand to signal he was okay.
‘A couple of his friends were far worse,’ Cherish said. ‘Dan, in particular.’
‘Dan Lotus?’ Gardner asked.
Cherish nodded. ‘He was like their leader. They always did what Dan told them to do. After Kelsey had died, Bradley tried approaching her mum and dad to apologise, but they wouldn’t talk to him. None of the others, including Dan, ever bothered trying to do that.’
Gardner made notes. This would need looking into. Her heart sank. More pain and anguish for the broken Winters family. And Riddick too, of course. She glanced up at her deputy SIO, who appeared lost to his own thoughts. With these cases potentially linked, would he be even more of a liability?
‘I know you don’t believe me,’ Cherish said, crying again, ‘but he was a good person.’
Gardner looked at Riddick, ready to move if necessary. Fortunately, he remained quiet.
‘Again, I’m sorry for your loss,’ Gardner said, turning her attention back to Cherish. ‘May I ask why you and Bradley split up?’
She touched her bump. ‘After this, he just grew more and more distant. We split up, but we were still close friends. He told me everything… but then… then… he started shagging Mrs Harrison.’
‘Mrs Harrison?’ Gardner asked, not really liking the sound of this at all.
‘You know, Mrs Harrison?’ Cherish said. Her voice was full of surprise.
‘I’m not from around here, Cherish—’
‘A maths teacher at the local secondary,’ Riddick said.
‘A maths teacher?’ Gardner echoed, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. ‘Are you sure, Cherish?’
‘Positive. He admitted it to me. Swore me to secrecy. Like I said, we were best friends. I was still hoping he’d come back to me. I knew it would never last with a teacher, so I just listened, and promised…’ Her eyes filled with tears again. ‘I guess it doesn’t matter any more, does it?’
Oh it matters very much!
Gardner looked up at Riddick. ‘She still working there?’
Riddick nodded.
Gardner looked back at Cherish. ‘How did this happen? Did he tell you?’
‘Not all the details… no. She used to teach him maths in Year 11. Then, when he failed, he came back to retake in Year 12, and again in Year 13. He just told me that he was in love with her, and she felt the same. Again, I was just waiting for it to fall to pieces, so he would come back to me.’
‘When did the affair actually start?’ Gardner asked.
‘Only six months ago. So, he was old enough, I guess. It’s not against the law, is it?’
‘She had a duty of care to Bradley,’ Gardner said, feeling the investigation becoming messier with every revelation. Did they have a case of professional misconduct here? Had the schoolteacher’s fear of exposure led her to murder?
Cherish welled up again. ‘No, please, I don’t want to be the one to get her into trouble.’
‘Again, if this turns out to be the case, you’re in no way responsible!’ Gardner said. ‘And, ultimately, we can’t find out what happened to Bradley without all the details. So, what you are doing is right and proper. Did you ever approach Mrs Harrison?’
‘No.’
‘Do you think she knew that he’d told you?’
‘No. He’d promised not to tell anyone. He was in love with her. But I still believed he loved me too, which is why he confided in me.’
Gardner looked at Riddick, who was pale, and appeared as if he needed some fresh air. She decided to move the interview to its conclusion.
Following several more questions, Gardner reached over and patted Cherish on the knee. She handed her a card with her phone number on it. ‘Phone me day or night.’
‘I think I’ve told you everything I know,’ Cherish said.
‘Not just about Bradley,’ Gardner said. ‘Day or night phone me if you want to talk or need anything at all.’
Cherish wiped her tears away and smiled. ‘Thanks. You’re nice.’
Gardner stood. ‘There’re a lot of nice people in the world, Cherish. It’s just sometimes, when things aren’t going great, it can seem like the opposite. You’re not alone, Cherish.’ She looked at Riddick. ‘And what’s more, none of us have to be alone.’