The ringing of the office phone went unanswered for four and a half rings before Culverhouse picked up the receiver.
‘What?’ he barked.
‘It's Jackie on the front desk, Inspector. Uniform have just picked up someone who you've got a request out for. A Shane Howard. He's been taken in for shoplifting and we were about to let him go until we saw the note on the system. He’s in a holding cell waiting for you.’
‘Right. I'll be straight down.’
Culverhouse couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face as he palmed open both of the double-doors to the custody suite and left them akimbo, as if to welcome an old friend.
‘Ah! Shane Howard, we meet again!’
‘Fuck off, Culverhouse.’
‘Now now, Mr Howard. We're in my building now so we'll play by my rules. My friend here says you've been a bit of a naughty boy, so we're going to have to take you down to one of the interview rooms and find out what you know about a few other things we've got bugging us.’
‘I ain't tellin' you nuffin’.’
‘And if you'd bothered to turn up to school today, you'd know that you've just agreed to tell me everything.’ Culverhouse kept talking over the top of Shane Howard's noisy protestations. ‘Jackie, can you call DS Knight down here for me, please? I think she'd like to have a word with Mr Howard as well.’
The atmosphere was a mix of nervousness and excitement as a still-smiling Culverhouse sat opposite a defiant Shane Howard, both of whom were waiting for the appearance of DS Wendy Knight. Culverhouse had deliberately picked the one interview suite which had not yet had a camera installed in it. It was mainly used for speaking to people not under caution, but he wasn’t one to worry about formalities right now.
Moments later, she entered the room and sat down, not making eye contact with Shane Howard or DCI Culverhouse. Yet again, she had refused to take any more time off work than was necessary, and was back at her desk less than twenty-four hours after being taken to hospital.
‘This interview begins at 11.26. Present are Mr Shane Howard; myself, DCI Jack Culverhouse; and DS Wendy Knight. Mr Howard has declined to have a solicitor present. Now, Mr Howard. You told us the other day that you knew Danielle Levy.’
Silence.
‘You told us that you admitted having sexual intercourse with her and that you weren't surprised or shocked to find out that she had died.’
Silence.
‘Do you have anything to say, Howard?’
Silence.
‘Right. Well I don't see any point in carrying on this interview if you're not going to tell us anything. We'll put you in one of our honeymoon suites until we've decided what to do with you. Interview terminated at 11.27. Thank you, DS Knight. You may return to your duties. I’ll see you back upstairs.’ Jack Culverhouse spoke calmly and with a slightly over-egged air of propriety.
As the door clicked shut behind Wendy, Culverhouse rose to his feet and lifted Shane Howard off his chair by the collar of his polo shirt and pinned him against the wall, his snarling face reddening and projecting spittle at Shane Howard as he blustered just centimetres away from his face.
‘Right, you snivelling little shit. You're going to talk, and you're going to fucking talk good. Your actions the other day not only injured one of my best police officers, but killed an unborn baby. By rights, and in any other civilised country, I'd be shovelling six feet of pig shit on top of your rotting corpse. Unfortunately for me, the only corpses I have are those of a seventeen-year-old girl, a family man and an unborn baby. Now, you are going to tell me every little fucking thing you know about Danielle Levy.’
‘I … I already told you everythin' I know!’
‘Bullshit,’ Culverhouse grumbled calmly, before delivering a blow to Shane Howard's stomach. Instinctively, his body began to curl before Culverhouse once again pinned him back against the wall.
‘Let's try again. Tell me everything about Danielle Levy.’
Culverhouse had the grace to allow Shane Howard a few moments to regain his breath.
‘All right. All right. Like I told you, I just shagged her a few times. It were nothing special, like. Just the usual, you know.’
‘So who killed her?’
‘How the fuck should I know?’
Culverhouse's face grew redder, his teeth beginning to bare.
‘All right! I swear, I don't know! She weren't the kind of girl to have enemies, so I really don't know. I mean, there was girls at school what didn't like her as much as others, but nothing special, y'know? No-one who'd want to kill her, like.’
‘Does the name Gary McCann mean anything to you?’
‘McCann? Yeah, course it does. Why?’
‘Tell me what you know about McCann.’
‘Not much.’
Another blow to the stomach.
‘Jesus fucking Christ! I told you, I don't fucking know him! Everyone knows who he is and that, but I don't know him personal, like. He's got a place on Meadow Hill Lane. Runs a few businesses. Nasty piece of work, apparently.’
‘Did he know Danielle Levy?’
‘I dunno, I doubt it. She might have worked in one of his pubs or something. I swear, I really didn't know her all that well.’
Culverhouse let go of Shane Howard and walked back towards the door.
‘You're not the only one. The more I find out about Danielle Levy, the less I know.’