Jayne was full of nervous energy when she arrived in Langton, ready to meet Dan at court after her long drive. Rodney had told her the story and, if it was true, it was going to raise all kinds of hell. But it excited her, and for the first time since she’d come back to Highford she knew she wasn’t going back to Manchester. She missed this. The drama, the tension.
She checked her watch. Nearly four o’clock. She’d missed most of the day, but that didn’t matter. She had to let Dan know all she knew. She hadn’t been involved in as many cases as Dan, but she knew the tingle of important news.
She bounded up the court steps and through security, before heading to the courtroom. She tried to open the door as quietly as she could, so that no one was disturbed in there.
Those in the public gallery were focused on the proceedings. Barbara was further along, her hands clasped together, the tension showing in the whiteness of her fingers.
Jayne stayed away from her and sat in the seat closest to the exit.
There was a witness giving evidence, a police officer describing how they got a call from someone who bought stolen debit cards, who’d panicked when he saw a news report about the murder. The cards were still at his house, blood on the edges, and he identified Nick Connor as the person selling them.
It was Dan that caught her attention though. He seemed different, not his usual self.
Watching Dan in a courtroom was all about energy and tension, almost as if his whole body was about to spring into life. This was different. He was slumped, sitting back, his leg crossed.
She could change that.
The prosecutor finished his examination and the judge asked Dan if he had any questions. Dan stood and said, ‘None,’ faking confidence, before taking his seat. The judge glanced towards the clock and announced that it would be a good time to break for the day.
As everyone rose, once the jury had filed out, Jayne moved towards the well of the court.
The court assistant raised her hand, about to object as Jayne moved through the small wooden gate that allowed her access to the lawyers’ benches, but Dan turned and saw her.
‘You look like you’ve got something to tell me,’ he said, as he gathered his papers.
‘We can’t talk here. Get your stuff.’ She pointed to his face. ‘And your make-up is holding up well.’
‘I’m wondering how you get through the day with this stuff on.’ He followed her out of the courtroom, pausing only to put his gown and collar into his bag.
Once outside, Dan put his bag on a nearby bench, the bustle of the city centre close by, and asked, ‘What is it?’
‘It’s not just about Rodney and Leoni. It’s Porter. He’s known all along.’
‘About what?’
‘About Leoni being the real killer.’
Dan’s eyes widened. ‘How?’
‘He ensured it stayed quiet. I got it all from Rodney, and he’ll come forward now. Can you believe it? Rodney Walker is prepared to tell the whole story, and it’s a hell of a story. I couldn’t believe it when it all came spewing out. But it’s conditional. He’ll do it, but only if Porter will do the same. He said he’s not taking the flak alone for letting Leoni stay free.’
‘But what’s his story?’
‘The solicitor, Ken Goodman, told Porter. Rodney had a meltdown a couple of months after his trial, couldn’t stand the thought of a life inside for something he hadn’t done, so he blurted out the real story to Ken, who told Porter, saw it as a way of mounting an appeal, but Porter wouldn’t do anything. Said it was his case and he had the killer.’
‘That doesn’t surprise me. The police aren’t going to help a convicted murderer just because he’s come up with a new story. Particularly one that blames his young daughter.’
‘But what about Chris Overfield, the second victim’s brother? He was convinced it wasn’t Rodney, but Porter talked him out of getting involved; Porter reassured him that they had the right person, but Chris had never been convinced. Damn it, Dan, Porter knew and did nothing, which makes him partly to blame for all that followed.’
‘Are you saying Porter’s a suspect? That he might have killed Mark Roberts just because a defence lawyer once told him his client was innocent? I say that to the police all the time, but it doesn’t mean I believe it.’
‘Who’s got most to lose though? We thought Leoni, but is she really going to be locked up on the say-so of her father, who has stayed quiet for more than twenty years? But Porter? He’s all about his reputation, the small-town cop known by everyone. Could he stand the truth coming out? The cop who let a killer stay free and who killed again?’
Dan sat down and put his head back.
Jayne sat next to him. ‘Am I making it hard for you?’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because I’m more into this case than you. You had it all sorted out before Barbara came here, but now? Your office has gone. We’ve both taken a kicking. You had a case that was prepared and now it’s all gone in a different direction, and I’m still trying to take it that way, but I can see how it’s killing you.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I was watching you in court. You’re not the same. More muted.’
Dan sat forward and stared at his feet for a few seconds. ‘I can’t pretend things are normal.’ He gripped her hand. ‘But you make it easier, because I like having you around.’
‘Aren’t we more than that now, me just being around?’
‘We are, but this case is dragging us both down.’
‘But you’ve got to think of Nick. He needs you to do your job. And me mine.’
‘We need to get Porter to speak.’
Jayne smiled. ‘I’ve already done it. I called him and told him Rodney was going to give evidence and tell the whole story, and he should get himself to Highford, because he’s in the witness box after Rodney, whether he liked it or not.’
Dan laughed, despite himself. ‘Oh, you fight dirty. What did he say?’
‘Nothing. He hung up. But I can bet he’ll have an uncomfortable evening. Let him stew, and then we’ll have him.’
‘And if he doesn’t?’
‘I don’t know, because Rodney won’t talk without Porter; but if it’s all we have, we’ll keep pushing, because it’s the only way we’ll find out the whole truth.’