Hannah Winters took the news regarding her husband well. ‘Did he suffer?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Will I need to identify him?’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ Riddick said. He’d seen the state of Tom. It wasn’t something Hannah needed to be subjected to. Dental records would suffice.
‘He had his faults,’ she said, staring into the distance with tears in her eyes, ‘but, he was a good father. A very good father. He adored Kelsey. Absolutely adored her. And he couldn’t find any peace after.’
Riddick allowed her some time to reflect. Eventually, she asked, ‘Have you found peace, DI Riddick?’
‘Paul, please,’ he said, fighting back tears again. ‘And no… no peace, yet.’
‘You will,’ Hannah said. ‘You must. One day, you’ll realise that finding peace is the best way to honour those you’ve lost. Without it, you can never enjoy your memories of them. So, you need peace in order to truly find them again.’
Riddick looked down at the table. Hannah sounded as if she was reciting from a self-help book, but he did see the truth in what she was saying. He nodded to show he was listening, and then went to change the subject. ‘We need to eliminate you from our enquiries, Hannah. Purely a formality. I need to make a note of all your actions and whereabouts for the last couple of days.’
‘Of course,’ Hannah said, smiling. ‘Anything you want. I’ve nothing to hide.’
Riddick made notes as Hannah gave him the details. ‘Would you consent to DNA and fingerprints?’
‘Of course.’
‘Thanks,’ Riddick said. ‘I’ll have that arranged. Do you know of anyone who disliked Tom, anyone that could cause him harm?’
‘No. Not really,’ Hannah said. ‘He was genuinely a likeable man. Even after we grew apart, we still had a good relationship. In fact, it was better. We never really argued any more.’
‘Were you aware that he hadn’t returned to his job?’
Hannah shook her head. ‘If I’d have known, I’d have said when DS Barnett was here.’
‘Is there anything you can think of? You must think it strange how the two victims, Bradley and Dan, were Kelsey’s bullies.’ He stopped short of telling her about the letters engraved on their backs.
‘Or a painful coincidence? Those boys were forever up to no good – this could have happened for many reasons.’
‘You told DS Barnett that Bradley came to apologise to you?’
‘Yes. He was a sensitive soul. A lot of pain. I forgave him, like I forgave you. There’s a lot to be said for forgiveness. It gives you the peace I spoke of earlier.’
Riddick nodded. ‘Did you ever meet Richard Hill?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ Hannah said. ‘Kelsey liked to have her secrets. Richard was one of them. He broke it off with her because he claimed to be gay, and then joined in the online bullying. Who knows? One day, he may decide to apologise too.’
‘Sorry, Hannah, how did you know about Richard if Kelsey kept it secret?’
‘Ah.’ Hannah looked away. ‘Rumbled! I read it in her diary. You know, for months after I read it, I felt guilty. Dreadfully guilty. As if she was going to walk back through the door. Obviously I realise now how irrational that was. DI are you okay?’
No, he wasn’t.
Riddick was on his feet now, pacing. It was either that or scream at the top of his lungs. ‘A diary? She kept a diary!’
‘Yes.’
‘Why didn’t we know about this before? Surely, it was relevant?’
‘It was only months after the investigation that we discovered it. Hidden behind her wardrobe. After everything that happened, we didn’t have the appetite to drag everything up again.’
Everything that happened…
Oh God, was all this going to turn out to be his fault… again?
If there was something in that diary that could have prevented these murders, would he be able to live with that? Riddick gulped. ‘Where is it?’
‘Upstairs.’
‘Please can I take a look?’
Hannah looked uncertain. She stared over at the fireplace where there was a picture of Kelsey. She mustn’t have been more than eleven or twelve. She looked smart in her school uniform, and her smile glowed.
‘Please, Hannah,’ Riddick said. ‘We’re convinced that these murders are connected somehow.’
Hannah nodded as if she’d heard her daughter speak; Riddick didn’t find this possibility too unrealistic considering his own experiences.
‘If it helps bring an end to whatever is happening in Knaresborough, then Kelsey and I would be more than happy.’