Susan Harrison wasn’t the murderer. Gardner’s intuition couldn’t scream it any louder. However, Gardner was no mug. She ensured that an officer was stationed outside Susan’s room before departing the hospital.
On her way to see Cherish to collect this mysterious item, she contacted Riddick.
After she’d explained what she’d learned, Riddick said, ‘It seems everyone is a sucker for this sensitive side of Bradley.’
‘It seems so. Cherish, Paula and now Susan, really saw the positives in him. It seems we have enough to challenge the negativity over him in our incident room.’
Riddick grunted. ‘He was part of what happened to Kelsey! Everyone feels sorry for him because the guilt was tearing him up. Good, I say. The guilt should have been tearing him up!’
Gardner sighed. The fact that Riddick’s life had been turned upside down by the Winters case had him blinkered. Bradley had been a child when he upset Kelsey. Children make a lot of mistakes – it was part of growing up and learning. However, she knew Riddick wouldn’t want to hear that right now.
‘So, how long was this relationship going on between them?’ Riddick asked.
‘I suspect since he was sixteen, but don’t think she’ll admit to it.’
‘The sighting of them in Leeds was real then?’
‘Probably. But whatever she does or doesn’t admit to, we have her bang to rights on the fact she had sex with him during Bradley’s final hour. But did she kill him? I don’t think so. Not only does she not fit the size profile, but she had strong feelings for him. She said they’d planned another meet for the weekend. She was going to tell her husband she was at the movies with her friend, Marcie Bright. Marcie is obviously happy to cover for her, God knows why. Bring it up at the briefing. Assign someone to speak to this Marcie in the morning.’
‘The briefing is starting in a moment, boss, I’d best go.’
‘Okay. I’m following up on something, and I’ll try and get there for the end.’
‘See you then, boss.’
As she drove into Hay-A-Park estate again, she couldn’t help but feel she’d spent most of the investigation at Mandy Spencer’s house. Was this indicative of Neil’s guilt, and if so, would it not prove embarrassing that it was taking so many visits to pin him down?
She parked up in a spot that was starting to feel like her own and approached the front door.
Cherish opened it before she’d had chance to knock. The young woman looked pale and worn out. This wasn’t down to pregnancy. Gardner recognised the expression and facial language. It was fear.
Cherish thrust a plastic bag into Gardner’s hands.
‘Sorry, what’s—’
‘Just take it. Please.’
‘I will, but Cherish—’
Neil stepped into the doorway behind Cherish. ‘You must be having a laugh… Hang on, what’s that?’ He pointed over Cherish’s shoulder at the plastic bag in Gardner’s hands.
‘If it’s relevant to you, Mr Taylor, I’ll be sure to let you know.’
‘A maternity dress? How would that be relevant to me, exactly?’ He creased his brow. ‘In fact, how is it relevant to you?’
Cherish regarded her with wide eyes. Her pale face was now glowing red.
Gardner had no idea what was in the bag, and she had no idea why Neil was talking about maternity dresses, but she did know this – Cherish had put herself in harm’s way by doing this, and lying was the least she could do.
‘I don’t know anything about maternity dresses,’ Gardner said. ‘However, these are some of the clothes Bradley left in Cherish’s possession. I requested them for forensic analysis.’
‘So, you lied to me?’ Neil said, putting his hand on Cherish’s shoulder.
Cherish flinched. ‘Yes… I didn’t want you to get annoyed. I told them I had some of his clothing earlier, and I would dig them out.’
Neil narrowed his eyes and regarded Gardner. ‘Why would I have been annoyed?’ He pulled his hand away from Cherish.
Gardner smiled. ‘Well, if that’s everything, Cherish, thank you for these.’
Neil stepped alongside Cherish. ‘Hang on. Why would you need to do some forensic analysis of some old clothes anyhow?’
Gardner took a step back on the chance that Neil might just suddenly spring forward to retrieve the mysterious evidence. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Taylor, I can’t divulge all the details of—’
‘Bradley was my son.’
‘I understand that and, you can rest assured, we are doing everything we can, while being as prudent as we can. The press can be ravenous at such times. We prefer to keep the more sensitive details on a need-to-know basis.’ Gardner nodded at Cherish, hoping she’d done enough to protect her, smiled at Neil, turned and walked away. Her hand trembled. What was in this bag? Was the whole case about to be blown wide open?
* * *
Gardner drove around the corner before opening the plastic bag. The smell of rotting vegetables made her retch.
She stared at the cream jumper inside. What?
If this was evidence of a crime, she didn’t wish to contaminate it any further, so she didn’t reach in. Instead, she switched on the car light and held the bag directly under it.
And then her heart leapt when she saw the bloodstains. Neil’s… this has to be Neil’s jumper.
Her phoned beeped. It was a message from Cherish.
He threw it in the bin. I think he hurt someone.
Gardner thought of the two-inch letter E carved into the small of Bradley’s back. Had the blood transferred to Neil’s clothing as he worked the knife?
Knowing the briefing would be in full flow, she contacted Marsh directly. Gardner explained what Cherish had just given her.
‘There’s a good shout here for fast-tracking the DNA testing, despite the fact that it will take a wrecking ball to my budget. However, it won’t be tonight, Emma. No chance. It’s past six. Only clowns like us work this late. But I’ll be all over it, first thing. Rest assured. Please drop it in.’
After the phone call ended, Gardner drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Neil? Motive?
Well, he didn’t like his son that much, that was clear to see, but kill him? Why? Why?
She racked her brains.
Neil had said that Bradley had been asking for handouts. Had his kid gathered dirt on him? Had he developed the balls to blackmail him? And rather than pay for Bradley’s silence, Neil had opted to shut him down completely.
It seemed reasonable, and it was the best she had, except when you considered the carving. What the hell did the letter E have to do with the price of tea in China?
She looked back at the entrance to Hay-A-Park. Maybe she should just march in there now and put Neil to the sword. But, if he had done it, would he really cough under her pressure? The man was a hardened criminal. She wouldn’t be able to arrest him until she matched that blood to Bradley, and she’d be giving him the heads up that they suspected him.
Then what? Cherish in danger? A lovely way to reward her for the biggest development in the investigation yet.
No. Tomorrow morning. It would wait.
Knowing she’d miss the briefing, she opted to simply drive the evidence in, and update Riddick on it.
Then, despite promising her sore head all day that she wouldn’t, she’d pick up a bottle of wine from the Co-op.