21
Sarah had worked until two the previous night preparing for the interview. She and Elaine had arrested Walker early doors at his new hostel, picking up his solicitor, Holt, on the way in to speed things up and taking them straight to Ellersby nick. Walker’s face was swollen and bruised, the full palette of blues, purples, greens and yellows. He made no mention of it as he smoked in silence in the yard, Holt standing next to him to prevent any allegations of interference. Holt smoked too, with more energy than the activity really seemed to require.
Sarah tapped out a quick courtesy text to Mrs Edwards.
Won’t be able to take Daisy for at least two days. Thanks for your help, Mrs E!
She patted her cigarette box. ‘Fancy another?’
Walker shook his head. ‘No, let’s get on with it.’
They were none of them strangers to interview rooms. They found their places around the table quickly and Elaine completed the formalities.
Sarah opened her file. ‘OK, Andrew. As Elaine explained when she arrested you, we are in possession of new information. I’m going to go through that with you. You can break for consultation afterwards if you need to.’
Andrew nodded.
Sarah put on her reading glasses. ‘I’ve got a transcript of our first interview here.’ She traced the highlighted words with her pen. ‘Here it is. I asked you if you’d ever met Tania and you said, “Never.” I asked if you’d spoken to her and you said, “No.”’ She removed her glasses. ‘It’s pretty categorical: you didn’t know Tania. Do you agree?’
Holt intervened. He had a Mancunian accent and rapid delivery. ‘Andrew, as discussed, I’m advising you to make no comment to the officer’s questions until she has fully disclosed their new information and we’ve had an opportunity to further consult.’
Sarah nodded. ‘OK.’ She looked back at Andrew. ‘We are re-interviewing you today because we have evidence that contradicts your account of never having met Tania. If you were in any way mistaken about that in your first interview, you can correct it now.’
Holt intervened again. ‘For goodness’ sake, Detective Inspector . . .’
‘I’m only asking questions, Mr Holt. You can advise but it’s up to Andrew to answer as he sees fit.’
She nodded to Elaine, who took a photo of Tania out of her file and pushed it across the table to Walker.
Sarah said, ‘Just in case you’re not sure who Tania Mills is, I’m showing you a photograph of her at the time of her disappearance. That’s exhibit DJF/4. Looking at that image, do you wish to correct your earlier evidence that you never met Tania?’
Walker looked between her and Elaine. ‘No comment.’
‘A man called Robert McCarthy was arrested as a suspect in the initial stages of the investigation. He was subsequently eliminated from the investigation. Robert had a photograph of himself with Tania. When I asked him who had taken it, he said that Tania had taken the photograph herself, using a timer. Not in itself a big deal, you might say, but what was unusual was that the photograph was a Polaroid. Polaroids with timers were relatively rare. Elaine here met with Tania’s mother and she confirmed that Tania to her knowledge only had one camera, a Pentax K1000 that used conventional 35mm film. The only other camera the family owned was a Kodak Instamatic. When we searched your flat, however, we found this.’
Sarah reached into the bag she had on the floor by her side and produced a sealed evidence bag. Inside was a big, clunky camera; grey plastic, shaped like a UFO and with the word ‘Spectra’ on the front. She placed it on the desk.
‘Exhibit SBB/23 sealed in C3427680. It’s a Spectra SE camera and it’s relatively rare: a Polaroid camera designed for use by professionals. Unusually for a Polaroid camera it has a self-timer. The other thing that makes it distinctive is the size of the film, which is a specialist product: Polaroid 1200 film. The photograph Robert McCarthy has is printed on this film. Is this your camera?’
Holt raised his hand slightly. ‘I’d just like to read something out to be entered on the record.’
Sarah nodded. ‘OK.’
Holt read from his hastily scribbled notes. ‘As Detective Inspector Collins has not so far fully explained to us the nature of the new evidence she wishes to put to Mr Walker, I am advising him to reply no comment to all her questions.’
Sarah made a note in her day book and then put her pen back on the table.
‘Andrew, the choice whether or not to answer my questions remains with you. We seized this camera from your flat and I’m simply asking whether it’s yours. It’s a yes or a no.’
‘No comment.’
Sarah said, ‘Tania’s mother told me last night that her daughter had attended photography evening classes at the Ellersby College of Further Education. Did you ever go there?’
‘No comment.’
‘You worked there, didn’t you? As a technician?’
‘No comment.’
‘OK. Back to the camera. It’s been swabbed for DNA and fingerprints. Any chance that Tania ever touched this camera?’
Again Walker looked at Holt, who shook his head.
Walker’s voice was barely audible. ‘No comment.’
Holt said, ‘Is this some sort of roulette game? Do you actually have anything?’
‘Indeed we do, yes. A swab of the feeding mechanism of the camera has produced a DNA hit for Tania. It’s a low copy sample – not great – but there’s also a partial fingerprint match.’
Holt said, ‘Everything you have is circumstantial. Plus there may well be contamination issues . . .’
Sarah interrupted. ‘I think I’d better stop you.’ She turned to Walker. ‘There are a couple of suggestions from your lawyer there, but the questions remain simple. Did you know Tania? Is this your camera? Might Tania have touched it?’
He shook his head. ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’
‘We’ve got a place where you and Tania could have met: Ellersby College. You had the right, unusual, camera. It’s got a partial DNA hit and a fingerprint. Not much by itself, but taken together these things are compelling. You knew Tania didn’t you.’
‘No comment.’
‘We’ve got a witness says you confessed to killing Tania.’
Walker pushed his chair backwards. ‘I want to stop the interview.’
Holt pushed his chair back too. ‘Stop the tapes then. Now.’
Elaine had persuaded one of the detention officers to lend her his swipe card. She and Sarah made their way to the canteen upstairs. Sarah grabbed them both coffee. Elaine pulled two chairs right up against one of the glass walls. She produced some cupcakes from her bag and offered them to Sarah.
‘Don’t even try to say you don’t want one.’
‘I wouldn’t dare.’
She dunked it in her coffee.
Elaine said, ‘So, did the boss say you couldn’t have Lee for this interview? That he was needed for the search for Skye?’
Sarah wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. ‘It was never an issue.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I didn’t want Lee. I wanted you.’
Elaine giggled. ‘Why’s that then?’
‘It’s not because I fancy you, if that’s what you’re laughing at.’
Elaine laughed. ‘That’s me told!’
Sarah laughed too. Then she thought she would try and tell Elaine why she had wanted her along. She would hide it as a joke but she wanted Elaine to know that she thought well of her.
‘Lee’s got no bloody idea what he really thinks,’ she said. ‘He cares too much for other people’s opinion. He’s always second-guessing what a good cop would say and that makes him stupid. You, on the other hand, don’t appear to give a shit and I kind of like that.’
It was an hour before they reconvened in the interview room.
As soon as the tapes had been started and the caution given, Sarah said, ‘Andrew, you’re in the habit of lying to protect yourself.’
‘No.’
‘That wasn’t a question actually. It was a statement.’
‘Well, I don’t. I don’t lie to protect myself.’
Holt spoke up. ‘Andrew, I remind you of my earlier advice.’
‘You say you don’t lie and you say you don’t hurt people. Let’s just test that. Last night I looked at the victim’s statement from your last conviction. She gives a very different account to yours.’ Sarah slipped her glasses on. ‘Yes, here we are. I’ll only read the relevant bits. “He came up behind me and said, ‘Shut up or I’ll punch you in the face.’ He pulled me along the path towards the gate in the railings. I was pleading with him, saying, ‘Please, please, please let me go,’ but it was like I didn’t exist . . .” She ran her finger along the text, skipping a bit. “He pulled me behind a fallen tree and forced me to lie down. When I tried to get up, he pushed me in the chest and slapped me across the face.”’
Sarah looked at Andrew. ‘None of this was in your account to me. You just wanted to touch her, you said. Nothing about telling her to shut up or you would punch her in the face. Nothing about slapping her.’
He shrugged.
‘You say you’re a reformed character who tells the truth, but from the evidence of your interview alone it’s clear that’s not true.’
‘I am reformed.’
The solicitor said, ‘Andrew—’
Walker said, ‘I’ll make my own mind up.’
Sarah turned to Elaine. ‘Would you mind?’
Elaine opened the laptop that was sitting on the desk. There was a shuffling of chairs as they arranged their seats so they could all see. Sarah said, ‘OK, Andrew. The statement of your victim was videoed. We’re going to play some of it to you now.’
Holt said, ‘I can’t see what this has to do with the current matter. This will all be inadmissible.’
Sarah’s tone was neutral. ‘Maybe. We’ll let the courts decide if they want to exclude it or not. For now, I’ll continue, as I am entitled to do.’
The frame was frozen on a small teenage girl sitting in an armchair. She wore jeans and a hoody with the hood pulled up. In the right-hand corner of the frame was a female adult in a blue trouser suit who could only be seen in profile.
Sarah said, ‘The victim found it hard to make the statement. She asked if she could wear the hoody with the hood up.’
Andrew nodded. ‘OK. Uh huh.’
‘The other female—’
‘Yes, I know, she’s the police officer.’
‘OK, Elaine, when you’re ready.’
The girl was speaking, but she was so quiet that to begin with she was inaudible. Elaine increased the volume.
‘He told me to lie back and pull my skirt up. If I didn’t do what he told me, he would punch me in the face. I told him my name and that I have a baby brother and two cats and that my mum was probably missing me. He told me to shut up.’
The young detective at the right of the frame leaned forward very slightly. ‘What words did he use?’
The girl cleared her throat. ‘He said, “Shut the fuck up.”’
‘OK. Go on.’
‘He started to unbutton his trousers. He was sort of squatting over me and he made a grunting noise. He had my legs pinned beneath his knees and his left hand on my right shoulder. He said, “Say you like it.” I couldn’t help myself. I sort of squealed. He punched me in the face. He said it again and again, “Say you like it. Say you like it.” He had started to masturbate . . .’
The girl stopped speaking.
The detective said quietly, ‘I know this is difficult.’
After a long silence the girl began to speak again.
‘I said, “If I do what you want, will you let me go?” But he slapped me across the face. My nose was bleeding “Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. Say you like it.”’
Sarah glanced across at Walker. He was frowning, completely absorbed in the recording.
The girl had pressed her hands hard against her face, covering her eyes. Then she wrapped her arms around herself. She was completely curled into herself, covered by her hoody. Only her voice escaped, very quiet.
‘I was frightened he would punch me again. But he hadn’t said he was going to let me go if I did what he asked and it was like something else took over inside me. I was so disgusted by him. I hated him. I couldn’t say I liked it and then just be killed by him. He put his hand on my throat and started to tighten it. I could hear him saying, “Say you like it.” I couldn’t breathe. Then, thank God, there was a dog there.’ She laughed in astonishment and shook her head. Sarah glimpsed the girl’s little snub nose briefly. ‘A beautiful black Labrador and it was barking. He was getting to his feet, pulling up his trousers, running off. It was the best moment of my life, ever, and later, when the police came and the helicopter was overhead, I hoped they would kill him.’
Sarah reached out and touched Elaine on the arm. Elaine paused the tape.
Sometimes it was hard to keep up with her own thoughts. Sarah struggled to identify the exact question she needed to ask. After a pause she said, ‘You said – in the earlier interview, that is – you said that it’s not part of your fantasy to hurt someone.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Maybe that’s true. You don’t want to hurt people, but you do want very much to really do the thing that you fantasize about—’
He interrupted, putting his hands on the desk and leaning forward. ‘Yes, right now, for example, I’m finding it hard to concentrate because I just want you to stop talking and talking and talking and open your legs and show me your pants.’
Elaine started forward.
Holt said, ‘I think we need to break again.’
Sarah said, ‘I see no reason to stop.’ She turned back to Walker. ‘I wondered when you might get to that. Why do you think you’ve said that now?’
For the first time in the interview he sounded angry. ‘I don’t know. It just came to me: you, with your legs open and your pants, a piece of fabric stretched over your hairy cunt. What sort of pants are you wearing?’
Holt said, ‘Mr Walker is clearly upset. I’m warning you, any comments by my client could be excluded by a court.’
Sarah looked at the solicitor. ‘I don’t think so. Mr Walker’s behaviour in this interview is relevant. The man we see now contradicts entirely the gentle, reformed character he feigned in the first interview.’ She turned back to Walker. ‘So, you’ve hit on a radical way to change the subject.’
He shook his head. ‘No.’
‘You’re not the honest, non-violent person you made out in the first interview. You are not someone who only wants to look.’
‘I am!’
‘Hang on, I’ll be precise. This looking thing, it’s not just a – what did you call it – it’s not just a fantasy. You desperately want to do it for real. And you are prepared to use violence when you think you can. You did that when you kidnapped your victim in the park. You threatened her. You punched her, you slapped her. You strangled her.’
‘Just that once.’
‘There are two kinds of sexual murderers. There are the people who murder because that’s what they like – to hurt, to kill. You’re the other kind: you’re not interested in hurting people, but if it’s necessary to get what you want or avoid being identified, then you’ll do it.’
‘No.’
‘You’re a dangerous man. You are a liar. You are manipulative. You are violent.’ She paused, looked him hard in the face. ‘You killed Tania. You met her and she trusted you. You did what you wanted to do and then you killed her.’
Andrew glanced between Sarah and his solicitor. Then he said, ‘I didn’t kill Tania.’
‘You didn’t want to, but you had to. It was the only way to get away with what you’d done.’
‘No.’
‘And you’ve been pretty successful. We’ve never found her. Where is she, Andrew?’