It was close to six o’clock when the lists finally came through from Martin at Islington Council’s Children and Young People Directorate. Phil printed them out and DI Friar and Lulu hurried over to the printer. DI Friar pulled out the first pages, listing the boys who had been at the home when it closed. ‘Yes, here they are,’ said DI Friar. ‘Butler and Wallace. But I don’t see Parker.’
‘He was Lawson back then,’ said Lulu. ‘He was adopted after he left the home.’
DI Friar nodded. ‘I see him. Edward Charles Lawson.’
The printer ejected another sheet and Lulu took it. It was a list of employees at the Horizon home. Ian Pettigrew’s name was at the top. Chief executive. She scanned the rest of the names and her eyes widened. ‘Nick Hurst was employed as a manager at the home. And so was William Eccles.’ She continued to scan the list. ‘And John Dunne was a handyman there.’ She looked at DI Friar. ‘That’s it. That’s the connection we could never find,’ she said. ‘The Three Piggies lived at the home, the four London victims worked there.’
‘Something terrible must have happened to those three boys,’ said DI Friar.
Lulu nodded. ‘Four boys committed suicide. That’s why the home was shut.’
‘So some sort of abuse? And they set out to get revenge? Were Sergeant Sawyer and Fraser Robinson on staff?’
‘No.’
‘And they weren’t at the home, either. But they were killed in the same way; there has to be a connection.’
DC Townsend came over, and it was clear from the smile on his face that he had good news. ‘We’ve had a break,’ he said excitedly. ‘We think we’ve found Wallace.’
‘What? Where?’ asked Lulu.
‘He was parked in a motorhome last night, in Clifton Country Park, about eight miles to the west of us. It’s a nature reserve close to the River Irwell. You’re not supposed to park there overnight so a patrol car moved him on, but not before checking his details. Tax and insurance were okay and the driving licence was in the name of Gordon Wallace. When the officers got back to their station they realized that we were looking for Wallace. They went back and he’d already moved on, but we got lucky with ANPR and we know where he is now. Parked in a Tesco car park.’
‘That’s great police work,’ said Lulu.
‘Well done, Pete,’ said DI Friar. ‘Right, let’s go out and talk to Mr Wallace.’ She looked at Lulu. ‘You and DI Jackson have interviewed him before – you should come with us.’
‘I’d love to,’ said Lulu. She looked at Phil. ‘Phil?’
‘Hell, yeah,’ he said.
Lulu scooped Conrad up from under her chair and set him on her shoulders. Phil stood up and grabbed his jacket. ‘Let’s go,’ he said.
DC Townsend was waiting for them by the lifts and they rode down together.
‘The motorhome is parked in the Tesco Superstore car park in Valley Park Road,’ he said. ‘That’s Prestwich. We have it under observation as we speak. There is at least one person inside.’
‘What sort of motorhome is it?’ asked Lulu.
DC Townsend took out his notebook. ‘It’s a Chausson, apparently,’ he said. ‘About twenty feet long and based on a Ford Transit van. Sleeps four. Six years old. Wallace has been the registered owner for the past four months.’
‘Just before the first killing here?’ said Lulu.
‘He bought it from a guy in north London,’ said DC Townsend. ‘Paid in cash.’
They walked out of the building and climbed into DC Townsend’s Toyota Corolla. Conrad sat on Lulu’s lap as they drove out of the car park and headed west. They were outside the Tesco Superstore car park in just under twenty minutes. DC Townsend pulled up behind a blue Ford Focus. ‘That’s our guys,’ he said.
They all got out and DI Friar went over to the Focus. Two men wearing leather jackets and jeans climbed out and she had a brief conversation with them. Lulu and Phil waited with DC Townsend. Eventually DI Friar came back. She pointed at a white motorhome streaked with rust parked at the far side of the car park. ‘That’s it,’ she said. ‘A man came out and went into the superstore about an hour ago and came back with a full carrier bag. From the description, it sounds like Wallace.’
Lulu looked over at the vehicle. There were empty parking spaces around it, as if shoppers were reluctant to get too close to it. ‘Anybody else inside?’ she asked.
‘They only saw Wallace,’ said DI Friar. ‘I’m happy just to knock on the door. There’s no history of him using a weapon, is there?’
‘No, none,’ said Phil.
‘Obviously this is your investigation, but do we have enough to confront him?’ asked Lulu. ‘Isn’t everything we have circumstantial?’
‘The worry is that he just drives off and we lose him,’ said DI Friar. ‘He could be anywhere tomorrow. You can live off the grid for weeks in one of those motorhomes. Plus, we do have some damning ANPR data that shows the vehicle in the vicinity of Heaton Park golf course when Sergeant Sawyer’s body was dumped, and the vehicle was recorded in the area of Stretford Meadows several hours before Fraser Robinson’s body was discovered. I’m hoping that means there’s DNA or fingerprint evidence inside the motorhome. It’d be difficult to get it spotlessly clean, but we’ll know better once we’ve had a look inside.’
‘And we’re starting to see a possible motive now that we know about the boys’ home connection,’ said Phil. ‘I think we’re ready.’
‘I’m worried that he’ll go the “no comment” route again,’ said Lulu. She smiled brightly. ‘But yes, let’s see what Mr Wallace has to say for himself.’
DI Friar started walking towards the motorhome. Lulu fell into step beside her and DC Townsend and Phil followed.
There didn’t seem to be anyone in the cab and there were curtains drawn across the two small windows in the side of the vehicle. As they got closer, Lulu saw that the wheels and wheel arches were splattered with dried mud.
DI Friar banged on the door and Wallace opened it almost immediately. He glared at DI Friar, then peered at the warrant card she was holding out. ‘I’m allowed to park here,’ he said.
‘It’s not about where you are parked, Mr Wallace.’
‘Well, what is it about, then?’ he snarled. For the first time, he looked at Lulu, then spotted Conrad on her shoulders. ‘There’s a cat sitting on you,’ he said.
‘That’s right,’ said Lulu. ‘His name’s Conrad.’
He squinted at her, then jabbed a finger at her face. ‘I know you,’ he said.
‘Well, I would hope that you would, considering all the time we spent together.’
‘You’re with the Met.’
‘I’m retired, actually.’
Wallace looked at Phil and jabbed his finger at him. ‘And you’re that sergeant. I remember you.’
‘Inspector now, and please stop jabbing your finger at my face,’ said Phil.
‘You can all piss off, I’ve got nothing to say to any of you.’
‘We’d just like a chat about where you’ve been for the past few days,’ said DI Friar.
‘No comment,’ said Wallace.
‘What about Mr Parker?’ said Lulu. ‘Edward Parker?’
Wallace frowned. ‘Eddie? What about him?’
‘Is he staying with you?’
‘No. Why would he be staying with me?’
‘Would you mind if we had a look around, just to see if Mr Parker is inside?’ asked DI Friar.
‘I’ve just told you, he’s not here.’
Conrad jumped down from Lulu’s shoulders, landed on the ground and then immediately sprang towards the door of the motorhome. ‘Hey!’ shouted Wallace. He tried to slam the door shut but Conrad was too quick, dashing between Wallace’s legs and into the motorhome. Wallace began to curse, then he turned and followed Conrad inside. ‘I’ll kill you!’ he yelled.
‘Don’t you dare hurt him!’ shouted Lulu.
DI Friar pushed the door open and hurried inside. Lulu followed her.
Wallace had grabbed a broom and he was using it to stab at Conrad, who was hiding under a table with bench seats either side. A metal ladder led up to a bed over the cab and there was a small kitchen at the rear.
‘Get out of there, you bastard cat!’ shouted Wallace.
‘Leave him alone!’ yelled Lulu.
Wallace turned around and gripped the broom handle with both hands.
‘Put it down, Mr Wallace,’ said DI Friar calmly.
‘Get out of my home!’ Wallace shouted. ‘You’ve no right to be here!’
‘Just put the broom down.’
Wallace raised the handle and gritted his teeth, but before he could lash out, DI Friar stepped forward and kneed him in the groin. His breath exploded from his lungs and, as he bent forward, DI Friar took the broom from him. ‘Thank you so much.’
Phil had appeared at the door and DI Friar pushed the still-spluttering Wallace towards him. ‘I think Mr Wallace could do with some fresh air.’
Wallace tried to protest but Phil bundled him outside.
Lulu knelt down and reached out for Conrad. ‘Was that nasty man trying to hurt you?’
Conrad meowed and backed away.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Lulu, then gasped as she saw the coil of rope under the seat. ‘Oh, my goodness. What a clever cat you are.’
‘What’s happening?’ asked DI Friar.
‘I rather think that Conrad might have found some actual evidence,’ said Lulu. ‘Doesn’t that look exactly like the rope that you found on your victims?’
DI Friar bent down and looked at the rope. ‘It does indeed,’ she said. ‘I’ll get a SOCO crew here right away.’
Lulu smiled. ‘I don’t think that “no comment” is going to help him this time.’ She reached out her arms and picked up Conrad. ‘You are one very clever cat,’ she said. He meowed as she clasped him to her chest and kissed the top of his head. ‘I am so proud of you.’