I crouched between bin bags, examining a dark blue scarf patterned with grey birds. It was wrapped around something.
‘Take a picture before you touch it,’ Juliet advised from outside the industrial bin.
I snapped photos from all angles. ‘Happy?’
‘Ridiculously so.’ Juliet’s mouth twitched. We’d had a short yet intense argument on the way here over who should retrieve whatever Dunlow had thrown away. The spare pair of trainers in the boot of my car swung it in Juliet’s favour. ‘The birds are swallows, by the way.’
‘Fascinating.’
It didn’t take long to unravel the scarf. It had been torn in half, the soft fabric interrupted by a ragged tear.
‘Leather gloves.’ I looked up at Juliet, her head visible over the lip of the bin. ‘Do you think this scarf belonged to Melanie? Were these the gloves Dunlow was wearing when he killed her?’
Juliet passed me two evidence bags. ‘We can’t jump to conclusions. Dunlow was seen throwing these away, he wasn’t seen shooting anyone.’
I placed the scarf and gloves into the bags while vibrating with restless energy. ‘I’m not jumping to conclusions. Why would Dunlow get rid of these if they weren’t incriminating?’
I passed her the evidence bags and vaulted out of the bin, then I pulled off my sullied gloves and slotted them into another bag. Juliet followed at a more leisurely pace while I jogged over to my car. She labelled the evidence bags, laying them flat on the roof of the car, while I changed into a clean pair of boots.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked.
‘That this could be what we need.’ I slammed the boot shut on my trainers and the new evidence. ‘Dunlow threw away a scarf that most likely belonged to Melanie. That has to mean something.’
Juliet drummed her fingers on the roof of the car. ‘You think he could be the killer?’
‘I don’t know.’ I sniffed my jumper, checking I didn’t smell of bin. ‘He’s been a suspect all along, but there’s never been a good reason to shine a spotlight on him. Now he’s made a big mistake, and there has to be something in him going apeshit at Leo for having a girl over. Maybe he never went back to the house. Maybe he walked straight out and killed Melanie.’
More than any of the other theories we’d entertained, this felt right. We didn’t have all the puzzle pieces yet, but a picture was forming. The rich estate owner, fiercely protective of his sons, wouldn’t let anything damage their futures. What lengths would Dunlow go to, to protect his family from something he perceived as a threat?
Juliet wasn’t moving. I wanted to race into Dunlow’s office and throw a pair of cuffs on him, but I stayed put and clenched my fists.
‘What are you thinking?’ I asked.
‘What does Dunlow care about the most? Family.’ Juliet answered her own question. ‘His son is arrested and suddenly he appears with new evidence. He disposes of it in a place he would be seen, when he had a whole forest where he could have gotten rid of it. Karl told us that if someone wanted to lose something in those trees, it would be all too easy.’
‘You think Dunlow is incriminating himself to save Leo?’ I asked. ‘Does he care about his sons that much?’
Juliet shrugged but started walking towards the front of the building. ‘You think it’s a coincidence he dumped this when his receptionist was out here?’
‘You said she didn’t think he knew she was watching.’
Juliet sneered. ‘Someone as controlling as Dunlow, you think he doesn’t know how his staff spend their breaks? Look at how small this space is. How could he not have seen her?’
The car park wasn’t huge, but that didn’t mean this was as curated as Juliet claimed. ‘He could have gotten scared. Maybe he was so wrapped up in getting rid of it, he didn’t think.’
Juliet shook her head. ‘Dunlow may be many things, but thoughtless isn’t one of them.’
She stopped outside Dunlow Consultants. The windows were polished to a high shine. Inside, flourishing plants broke up the waiting area. A receptionist sat behind a silver desk, her head lowered.
‘This is potentially an exciting new lead,’ Juliet said, one hand on the door. ‘But we need to be careful. There are a lot of variables here and if Dunlow is the killer, he’s not going to be easily pinned down.’
‘I’ll be careful,’ I assured her. I might be convinced Dunlow had made his first mistake, but I wasn’t going to arrest him immediately. No matter how good that would feel.
Juliet pushed open the door and walked over to the desk.
‘Hello. I’m Detective Inspector Juliet Stern and this is Detective Sergeant Gabe Martin.’ There was no one else in the room, but she carried out the charade that we’d had no prior contact with Laura. ‘We need to ask Timothy Dunlow a few questions. Can we go through?’
Laura bent over her computer, her straight black hair half-obscuring her ruddy cheeks. She picked up a phone and pressed the red button at the top.
‘Mr Dunlow, two detectives are here for—’ She placed the phone on its holder. ‘He’ll be right down. Please take a seat.’
Juliet and I stepped away from the reception desk but didn’t sit on one of the grey sofas. I didn’t think Juliet was as keyed up as me, but neither of us would feel comfortable sitting still.
Dunlow strode out from a corridor behind the reception desk, a blue square peeking from the pocket of his tailored jacket. He completely disregarded Laura, glaring instead at Juliet and me.
‘Are you releasing my son?’
‘We have a few questions for you, Mr Dunlow,’ I said. The door opened behind us and a man in jeans that probably cost more than my entire outfit walked over to the reception desk. ‘Maybe it would be better if we stepped into your office.’
Dunlow led us along a short corridor and up a flight of stairs. His office looked out over the street, the view segmented by wooden blinds. Dunlow settled behind his wide desk. The spacious room had minimal furnishings, but they all screamed expense. Dunlow had never set foot in an Argos or IKEA, couldn’t sympathise with the tricky decision between a comfier sofa but no dining table or the cheaper sofa and a separate space to eat meals. I’d gotten used to eating in front of the TV.
Juliet and I sat in chairs opposite his desk, the rigid backs designed to provide the utmost support.
‘Is Leo being released?’ Dunlow repeated, his habitual frown in place.
‘That isn’t what we’re here about.’ I moved on before he could ask again. Dunlow wasn’t accustomed to being denied answers. I hoped he thought the same of us. ‘This afternoon you were seen throwing something into one of the industrial bins at the back of this office. We searched them and found a pair of leather gloves wrapped in a scarf.’
Dunlow’s face was blank. No flicker of guilt. Nothing.
‘Did you attempt to dispose of evidence, Timothy?’ Juliet asked.
He threaded his fingers together. ‘I don’t think I have to answer that question.’
‘If you refuse to answer our questions, we will have to arrest you,’ I said, keeping my voice even.
Dunlow tipped his head slightly, the lazy look in his eyes whispering he was untouchable. ‘On what grounds?’
‘For failing to give evidence in a criminal investigation,’ Juliet jumped in. ‘You told us you didn’t know about Melanie Pirt and that you didn’t go outside the night she was murdered.’
‘We’re wondering what else you might have lied about,’ I said. ‘If you fail to cooperate, we’ll have to take you into the station.’
‘But not for murder, no?’ Dunlow didn’t take his eyes off of me, calculation in his gaze. I didn’t know what he was gambling on.
I looked at Juliet. Her frown mirrored his.
‘What are you saying?’ she asked. ‘Do you want us to arrest you for murder?’
A smirk ghosted over Dunlow’s lips, there and gone in heartbeat. ‘Not at all. There’s not nearly enough evidence for that, is there? And I imagine you’ve not got enough to hold my son for much longer. Especially with this new development.’
The nervous energy that had been coursing through me ever since Juliet got the call from Laura flipped my stomach. I might be wrong, Dunlow might just be a smug bastard who was trying to distract us and clear his son’s name, but I believed he’d killed Melanie Pirt. He thought himself above the law, thought he could taunt us and not get caught.
I stood up. ‘Timothy Dunlow, you are under arrest for the murder of Melanie Pirt. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’
Juliet rose and pulled a pair of cuffs from her pocket. ‘Will these be necessary?’
For the first time, Dunlow looked ruffled. ‘Christ, no.’
As he stood and rounded the desk, Juliet shot me a look. Her eyebrows sat high on her forehead. I didn’t know if she was noting Dunlow’s discomfort at being cuffed over being accused of murder, or silently passing judgement on what I’d done. Clearly, she’d thought arresting him was a possibility, otherwise she wouldn’t have brought her cuffs. She would probably have waited for DNA results from the gloves and scarf before she made a move. But I didn’t need the results. Dunlow was guilty of something, and I suspected it was everything.
Juliet led the way down the stairs and through the reception. As I walked through the front door, I heard a soft word.
‘Hey?’ Laura peered from behind the front desk, her chin length black hair framing her round face.
I held the door open. ‘We’re taking Mr Dunlow in for questioning.’ I didn’t have time to deal with curious co-workers. ‘I’ll be off.’
‘He’s been arrested?’ Laura blinked striking blue eyes.
‘I’m afraid so.’ I dispelled thoughts about the softness of her skin. ‘Unless you have anything to tell me, then I need to get going.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t know anything about any of this.’
‘Bye then.’
I’d have to question Ollie about finding other people attractive. Surely it was fine so long as I didn’t act on it. He probably didn’t expect basic relationship etiquette to be one of the bridges we’d cross together.
Juliet and Dunlow were waiting in the car. I stole glances at him in my rear-view mirror as I reversed out of the space. His expression remained the same. He believed he was untouchable.
Something hardened within me. We were going to get justice for Melanie. That was always something I wanted, but it was especially true in this twisted case. So many suspects, so many lies, and it all led to this. I was right about Dunlow, I could feel it.
But I couldn’t ignore the twisting in my stomach, borne of Juliet’s words before we’d stepped into the office building. Despite the arrest and accusations, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Dunlow had gotten exactly what he wanted.