Despite having driven separately, the two of them sat together in Gardner’s car to consider the revelations.
Riddick remained pale. He stared out of the window, clearly waiting for Gardner to spark the conversation.
She offered him a peppermint tic tac. He shook his head. ‘Don’t do peppermint.’ He reached into his pocket and produced half a packet of extra-strong mints.
‘Did you know Bradley was one of the bullies, Riddick?’ Gardner asked.
He sighed. ‘No. Thinking about it now though, I do remember the best friend Dan Lotus posting something on Facebook. But there were a lot of nasty comments online. I didn’t trawl through them all, personally. I was pulled from the case very early on, remember?’
‘It’s probably just a coincidence, Paul, but we’re going to have to revisit the Winters case. But you know that already, don’t you?’
Riddick continued to stare out of the passenger window. ‘It’s a problem, boss.’
‘Yes,’ Gardner said. ‘But I think we can keep you separate from this angle until we rule it out.’
She glanced at him to gauge his response. She knew it would be best to just contact Marsh and have him pulled, at least temporarily. That would be the safer option. However, she couldn’t help but follow her gut instinct. Riddick was a major asset on this case. He knew and understood the people involved. Without him, she may just put the investigation at a disadvantage. She wouldn’t exactly be lost at sea, but she would be weaker for his absence.
Riddick turned and met her eyes. ‘Maybe it’s just best if—’
‘Do you want off the case?’
‘No, of course not. But don’t put your head on the block for me.’
‘I’m not putting my head on the block for anyone. I will put the Winters angle out to someone else in the team. Meanwhile, you and I can follow up on this Mrs Harrison.’
‘Susan Harrison.’
‘Susan Harrison. Please tell me that you don’t have any history there too, do you?’
‘Apart from going to that school, no. I don’t know her personally.’
‘What do you know about her?’
‘She’s a maths teacher. Late twenties, possibly early thirties. Married with children. She always seems to be involved in community events. Her name pops up a lot at organised events, such as the FEVA arts festival every August.’
‘Well, if Cherish is telling the truth, that woman’s life is about to come crashing down.’
Riddick nodded. ‘Deservedly so.’
‘Listen, I’m going to check in with the chief now and organise someone to speak to Kelsey Winters’ parents. Give me fifteen minutes, and we’ll head to the school together to speak to Susan.’
Riddick nodded again. ‘We’ve also got another problem.’
‘Go on.’
‘Have you forgotten Neil Taylor’s false alibi? He was out, God-knows-where, the night his son was killed.’
‘Oh, I haven’t forgotten, Paul. I was going to brief the chief constable on that too and arrange for someone else to come and take him to the station for a detailed statement. It’s time we got this eel on record.’
‘Let me have another quick word with him, first,’ Riddick said, eying up Mandy’s house.
‘Is that a good idea, Paul? You look like you took quite a shock in there. Let’s just wait for his detailed statement—’
‘Boss,’ Riddick said, looking back at Gardner. ‘I know this prick. I know what makes him tick. Let me have a quick run at him. I promise there’ll be no fireworks.’
He had a point. If she was going to retain Riddick’s services due to his knowledge of the locals, she might as well let him use that knowledge to their advantage.
‘Okay. No longer than twenty minutes unless you unearth a gold nugget. And if you do, you open that door and wave me straight in.’
Riddick crossed his heart.
‘And no scrapping,’ Gardner said. ‘This isn’t a schoolyard.’
‘You have me pegged all wrong, boss,’ Riddick said, exiting the car.
‘No,’ Gardner said. ‘I think I have you pegged all right. Which is why I want you to stay on the case.’ She smiled.
Riddick looked in, returned her smile and closed the door.
* * *
Gardner checked in with a few team members for an update, and then contacted Chief Constable Marsh to brief her on the events of the day so far.
‘I appreciate the update, Emma, but it is still rather early, so I’m guessing there is something else on your mind.’
‘Yes, ma’am. A couple of things.’
‘I’m intrigued. Where would you like to start?’
‘Paul’s background, ma’am.’
‘What about it?’
‘Surely it would have been prudent to provide me with details before I began working with him.’
Marsh laughed. ‘Prudent? We’d only just met, Emma, and we’d a murder case. I wanted you focused, and not full of doubt over your deputy SIO. This sudden link to the Kelsey Winters case is completely out of the blue, and hopefully nothing more than a nasty little coincidence.’
‘But how about what happened to him personally, ma’am?’
There was a stony silence.
‘The poor man… how could anyone—’
‘Precisely,’ Marsh said. ‘Do you think I wanted you drowning Paul in sympathy the first time you met over Bradley’s body.’
An exaggeration, Gardner thought, but, yes, I cannot deny it would have been on my mind. ‘Obviously, I’d have been discreet.’
‘I don’t doubt it. You come highly recommended after all. However, how’d you feel when you found out?’
‘Bad. Awful, in fact.’
‘I assume you told him you knew?’
‘Yes.’ And I struggled to keep the tears out of my eyes.
‘Uncomfortable?’
‘Yes.’ But I haven’t let that get in the way of my job. She thought about the decision she’d made to keep him on the case following Cherish’s revelation around the Winters case. At least, I don’t think I have…
‘Look, I wasn’t trying to play games, Emma. I just wanted you both focused when you met the first time at the crime scene. As you’ve probably noticed, Paul isn’t the easiest with people at the best of times; I didn’t want to muddy the situation. I knew you’d find out on your own and process it in your own way. I trusted you to handle it professionally. Which I believe you have.’
‘Maybe it would have been best for you to assign me a different deputy SIO, at least until, you know, I’d got to know him—’
‘What are your impressions of Riddick so far?’
‘Abrasive. Somewhat aggressive. Astute… extremely observant.’
‘He’s the best I’ve ever worked with, Emma. And, if not for his history, he’d be already standing where you’re standing.’
Gardner thought about the other officers in her briefing. Some of them looked capable, but none of them had presented themselves with the same fire as Riddick had done so far. The man was clearly carrying demons around with him. Sacksful of them to be honest. But still… there was a sense that nothing would stop him until he had the truth. And with a brutal murder on their hands, this was a very welcome characteristic.
‘Would you like a different deputy, Emma? Is that why you’re phoning?’
‘No, of course not, ma’am. He’s clearly driven, and it would be counterproductive to take him off now, but I just worry.’
‘Leave the worrying to me. I’ll carry the can if anything goes wrong.’
Really? Easy for you to say that now… Wouldn’t be the first time a superior had delivered a false promise.
‘He may seem broken, Emma – and to a certain extent, he is – but you’ll never find a better person to rely on.’
‘Okay, ma’am,’ – mind not at ease – ‘but speaking of relying on. I don’t know my team very well at the moment, and I need to put someone on the Winters angle while I head to the school. It’ll be very sensitive. Do you have any suggestions?’
‘DS Ray Barnett.’
‘Yes, he seems capable, but I have him all over the Waterside angle, and I don’t want to disrupt him.’
‘Someone else can handle that for a couple of hours. Use Ray. He’s one of your best. He may look like he’s been sculpted from rock, but he’s the most sensitive officer you’ll ever meet. He’ll handle the Winters angle with decorum.’
‘Okay… there’s one more thing—’
‘The Viaduct Killer by any chance?’
‘Yes. How did you know I was going to flag that up?’
‘Well, if you didn’t quiz me over the leak, I’d wonder where you’d been for the last twenty-four hours.’
‘Fair enough, ma’am. What can you tell me about DS Phil Rice?’
Marsh snorted. ‘That he’s an irritant, but it wasn’t him.’
‘Are you sure—’
‘Positive. He’s belligerent, stubborn, and as you probably discovered, oppositional. But it’s all front. He’s a good officer, and he wants to get the job done. He’ll keep you on your toes, but he’s not our leak.’
‘Okay… do we have any idea who is talking to this awful journalist, Marianne Perse?’
‘I have a few suspicions, and I’m following up on it myself, but I want you to focus on what you’re doing, Gardner. Joe Bridge is doing a great job at keeping them at bay, but the hounds want a press conference with us. We’ll hold them off today and see where we’re up to tomorrow. Hopefully, by then, we’ll have sealed the leak, and you’ll have more tangible information to give them.’
‘I hope so, ma’am.’
‘I have every faith in you and your team.’
I wish I shared your faith. ‘Thank you, ma’am.’
Gardner hung up and reached for her tic tacs again, disappointed to find the box empty.
She sighed, annoyed with herself for the under confidence.
She wondered what DCI Michael Yorke would say to her right now. Something along the lines of, ‘A new town, a new team, and a partner with a closet bursting with skeletons – you’d be abnormal if you were chock full of confidence.’
Yes, Mike. You’re right.
She contacted DS Ray Barnett to ask him to visit the parents of Kelsey Winters.