‘Lucy Naylor’s been missing for 19 days and we’ve still no idea where she is or who’s taken her.’
After her coffee with Verity, Ed had pondered how to move the case forward. Having decided to keep her suspicion of Desk Sergeant Barry Williams to herself, she was determined to eliminate suspects and identify Lucy’s abductor as quickly as possible. Pushing all thoughts of Barry from her mind, Ed swivelled her chair to face the team who had gathered at their desks in the CID Room.
‘We’ve five suspects Lucy would have known from school, all men who could also have abducted Teresa and Kimberley. But they’re possible, not probable, suspects. We needed a breakthrough and now, thanks to Mike locating a retired DI in Herne Bay, we have the glimmer of a lead. Mike?’
‘A local estate agent, Nigel Drakes-Moulton, has been involved with two of our suspects, the teachers Anders and Carlton. All three were, possibly still are, in an art group known as TOBs, The Old Boys. They used schoolgirls as models.’
Ed cut in before anyone could comment. ‘We’re adding Drakes-Moulton to our list of suspects.’
At the mention of Drakes-Moulton, Ed noticed Nat exchange a sideways look with Jenny – small world in a small town.
Ever since Percy Lynn had mentioned Nigel’s name, she’d known it would come to this. Some of Nigel’s activities were unsavoury but Ed didn’t think the man she knew would be involved in abduction. There might be a darker side to his personality of which she was unaware but, no matter, her personal view was unimportant as far as the investigation was concerned. As much as she wished it wasn’t the case, Nigel was a legitimate suspect and procedure demanded he be formally investigated. She’d need to tread carefully. Only too aware that the revelation of her relationship with Nigel could end her career, Ed wanted to keep any collective consideration of their new suspect to a justifiable minimum. She’d need to keep tight control of team discussions.
Ed had been silent for little more than a few seconds but it was long enough for Jenny to jump in.
‘So now we have six suspects. Anders, Carlton and Drakes-Moulton stand out because of their interest in schoolgirls. You’ve allocated responsibility for the other five. Who’ll cover Drakes-Moulton?’
‘You can leave Drakes-Moulton to me.’
Ed watched Jenny fix her eyes on the notebook in front of her and was sure she was studiously avoiding catching Nat’s eye. How much, if anything, did they know? Were they talking behind her back? What was the Station gossip? Have you heard the one about the DS who wanted to make DI but made a local estate agent instead?
Ed maintained a neutral expression, but cringed internally. It was bad enough her private life was overlapping with work but if it emerged she was having an affair with Nigel she’d be off the case and her career might never recover. She should have been more circumspect. A new man in a new town before she properly got her bearings – why was she always so fucking impetuous?
Ed reasserted her authority, moving the discussion away from Nigel.
‘Elimination or incrimination: I want to move fast on our suspects. With TOBs, we have sufficient reason to confiscate personal computers from Anders and Carlton. Let’s get round to their houses now.’
‘Their houses?’ queried Mike. ‘Surely they’ll be at school?’
‘Exactly, Mike. When you and I questioned them the other day we got no more than we already knew. This afternoon we’ll speak to their wives. You and I will take the Anderses, Jenny and Nat the Carltons. And, Jenny, remember, Mrs Carlton’s a recluse. You may have to insist on entry to the house.’
‘What about Mrs Anders?’ asked Mike.
‘No problem, she runs an au pair agency from home.’ Ed got to her feet. ‘Let’s go, meet back here as soon as we’re done.’
When Ed and Mike arrived just after three-fifteen, Mrs Anders opened the door.
‘DI Ogborne and DS Potts, we’re investigating the recent abduction. May we come in?’
‘What on earth for?’ Maxine Anders was a short, slim, small-boned woman who looked very young for her age. Ed could well imagine Maxine looking the part in one of her schoolgirl outfits, but despite her stature she stood resolutely in the doorway, blocking entry.
‘We’re eliminating people from our inquiries. It would be easier if we could discuss this inside.’
After peering more closely at the photographs on their Warrant Cards, Mrs Anders reluctantly opened the door. ‘Go to the left, we can talk in there.’
Once inside she pointed to a large sofa but chose a dining chair herself. Ed led the questioning while Mike made notes.
‘I assume you’re aware of the Lucy Naylor abduction. She’s a student at your husband’s school. We have evidence that she was known to her aggressor so, among others, we’re trying to eliminate school staff from our inquiries.’
‘Surely you should be speaking to Stephan, my husband, about this?’
‘We’ve already spoken to him, Mrs Anders. I’m surprised he hasn’t mentioned it to you. However we need to build a full picture before we can eliminate somebody.’
‘In that case, how can I help? I want Stephan eliminated as soon as possible. It shouldn’t be difficult.’
‘First, can you vouch that your husband was at home on Friday, 15 June, the night Lucy was abducted?’
‘That’s nearly three weeks ago.’
‘Perhaps you have a diary?’
Maxine left the room and returned thumbing a mobile phone. ‘I was out with the girls that evening but I remember Stephan had come home from the school with a terrible migraine. He gets them occasionally. I left him sitting in a darkened room nursing his head.’
‘What time did you leave for your night out, and when did you get back?’
‘The girls always meet at six-thirty, so I must have left about six. I got back well after twelve – probably half past, maybe quarter to one.’
‘So your husband could have gone out any time between six-thirty and midnight?’
‘Theoretically, I suppose, but this is ridiculous, Stephan was ill and he certainly doesn’t go around abducting young women.’
‘We’d like to believe you, Mrs Anders. One last thing, we need to remove for inspection any computers that you have in the house.’
‘This is preposterous!’
‘An understandable reaction, Mrs Anders, but with so much potentially relevant information stored on computers these days it’s standard procedure in situations such as this. If you are unwilling, my colleague will remain here while I get a warrant.’
‘So I have no option?’ Looking stony-faced, Maxine indicated the table behind her. ‘We’ve two, this laptop and a desktop in the back room.’
Ed and Mike were back at their desks when Jenny and Nat came in with coffees from the machine. They looked excited.
‘How did it go with Penny Carlton?’ asked Ed.
‘She held a fan against the damaged side of her face all the time we were there. Life can be rotten. I felt so sorry for her.’ Jenny paused; the excitement had left her face. Nat took over the report.
‘She can’t vouch for Alex, her husband. He’s out most nights running and she’s in bed before he gets back. No laptops, we’ve got a desktop – it’s with forensics.’ His eyes glinting, Nat seemed poised to continue, but instead he caught Jenny’s eye and nodded.
‘The computer was upstairs in what his wife called Alex’s studio. There were a lot of canvases against one wall. While Nat was disconnecting the computer, I took a look at the paintings. They were all nude women. The bodies were different but they all had the same face.’
Nat couldn’t hold back. ‘Every face was his wife’s face before her accident.’
‘I found photographs of a younger Mrs Carlton pinned to his easel,’ said Jenny. ‘At first I thought how sad it must be for him and how terrible for her, but then I realized it was weird, even scary. What sort of man could do this to his wife? What sort of man could repeatedly demonstrate his obsession with the woman she was before her beauty was taken from her by a terrible road accident?’
‘We should focus on the bodies,’ said Nat, clearly more concerned with pushing on than with psychology. ‘They were all different young women and all naked.’
‘It’s a strong link with TOBs but I don’t think this strengthens his position as a suspect,’ said Mike.
‘I’m not so sure,’ said Ed, ‘it could be read differently. Since her accident, the Carltons don’t sleep together. Assume Alex desperately wants children to the point of losing all sense of reason. He abducts the girls to create his own children.’
‘Speculation,’ Mike grunted.
Jenny was more supportive. ‘The timing works. Her accident was 2000 and Teresa was abducted in 2002.’
‘Whatever, he remains a suspect,’ said Ed.
‘That goes for Stephan Anders too.’ said Mike. ‘His wife can’t vouch for his whereabouts at 10 p.m. on Friday, 15 June, when Lucy was taken. Their computers are with forensics.’
‘Right, both remain in the frame.’ Despite her discomfort at keeping Barry Williams’s potential involvement to herself, Ed concluded, ‘We still have six suspects, Anders, Carlton, Drakes-Moulton, Grieves, Leaman and Podzansky.’
Later that evening, Ed arrived at the home of Alex and Penny Carlton. The art master opened the door and Ed showed her Warrant Card.
‘I’m sorry to bother you at this time but—’
‘Yes, yes, Officer, I remember you,’ said Carlton, waving away her identification. ‘I told you everything when you interviewed me at the school and then your underlings came behind my back, questioned my wife and confiscated our computer. What more can you possibly want?’
‘You know we are trying to eliminate people from our inquiries concerning the abduction of Lucy Naylor.’
‘Of course I know.’ Carlton remained standing in the doorway. ‘How many more times must I say I was on a long training run the evening Lucy was taken? I run alone and my wife was asleep when I returned.’
‘Do you keep a log, Mr Carlton? Routes, times, distances?’
The art teacher looked affronted. ‘Running is a serious matter, Officer. I keep meticulous details of all my runs, training and competitive.’
‘Perhaps you could spare a moment to show me your records for 15 June?’