part0031

T he police didn’t come back the next day, but they did phone Dad to say that they would be visiting us on Wednesday. Dad went into super protective mode and insisted on driving me to college and picking me up afterwards. He’s insistent that until Adam is found he doesn’t want to take any chances and he doesn’t want me going anywhere on my own.

I’ve told him that he’s being ridiculous but he won’t listen. I think Adam needs help and what he’s done is wrong, obviously, but I’m sure he wouldn’t hurt me or anyone else. I think he’s mentally ill. Dad says it’s better to be safe than sorry and because he’s had enough to worry about, I’ve given in and gone along with it. It makes a change from waiting for the bus, I suppose.

Dad picks me up and we’ve just got home and taken our coats off when the doorbell rings and through the opaque window I can see the outlines of DI Peters and WPC Roper. I open the door and as they come in, I’m pretty sure that every curtain in the street is twitching at the sight of a police car parked outside our house, again.

We all troop into the lounge and sit down and Dad and I look at DI Peters expectantly. They must have made some progress otherwise they wouldn’t be here. WPC Roper hands DI Peters a cardboard file and he opens it, studies the contents for a few minutes and then takes out several sheets of paper.

‘We obtained a search warrant and a thorough search of Adam Borden’s house was conducted yesterday and certain items were found and removed as evidence.’

‘What did they find?’ Dad’s voice is hoarse.

I want to know. I don’t want to know.

DI Peters looks down at the sheet of paper in his hand. ‘A woman’s scarf,’ he reads, ‘A large quantity of photographs and two items of women’s jewellery.’

‘Where did you find all this? Was it hidden?’ I suddenly need to know. I searched that house and found nothing.

‘The scarf was hanging on a peg in the hallway and the other items were found in the loft. The loft walls had been used as a sort of makeshift gallery and the photographs were pasted onto the plasterboard cladding. No attempt had been made to hide the photographs or the jewellery.’

Dad and I look at each other in shock.

‘The photographs,’ DI Peters continues, ‘Were mostly of the late Mrs Sparkes and one other as yet, unidentified woman although there were several of you, Josie. The photographs all appeared to have been taken using a mobile phone and without the subject’s knowledge, probably when there were going about their normal, daily business.’

I feel sick. I steel a look at Dad and he looks ashen. We knew he was the stalker, but photographs?

DI Peter’s hands over two plastic evidence bags, ‘Do you recognise either of these items?’

Dad takes the bags and we stare at them much longer than necessary. There’s a silver coloured charm type bracelet and a small oval locket with a broken chain. Neither of them is Mum’s. Where did Adam get them from? Who did he get them from?

‘No.’ Dad says with relief, handing the bags back. ‘I don’t recognise them.’

‘Josie?’ asked DI Peters.

‘No. I don’t recognise them either. They’re not mine or Mum’s.’

‘Thank you,’ DI Peters tucks them back inside the cardboard folder. ‘We’ve put out an alert to ascertain the whereabouts of Adam Borden and this has been extended to other forces throughout the country. He doesn’t have his passport with him so we’re confident that we’ll have him in custody before very long.’

‘I hope so,’ says Dad. ‘Because you haven’t caught him yet, have you? Even if you do, he’ll probably get off with a slap on the wrist and a fine,’ Dad says gloomily.

DI Peters clears his throat.

‘I’m afraid that’s not all that we’ve discovered about Adam Borden.’

Dad and I look at DI Peters in alarm.

‘What? What have you discovered?’

‘In view of recent developments, we decided to review the CCTV footage taken at the tube station on the day of your wife’s death.’

An unfathomable look passes between DI Peters and WPC Roper and I suddenly don’t want to hear what he has to say; what I know he’s going to say. I want to clap my hands over my ears and pretend none of this is happening.

‘Amongst the people on the platform – and there were a great many people waiting that day, we’ve clearly identified that Adam Borden was present at the time of your wife’s death. Now, please don’t jump to conclusions because this doesn’t mean that he was involved in your wife’s death. We have to investigate all avenues and we wouldn’t be doing our jobs properly if we didn’t consider the fact that Adam Borden was there.’

‘He could have pushed her,’ Dad’s in shock and his voice comes out in a whisper. ‘Why else would he be there?’

‘Please, Mr Sparkes, don’t jump to conclusions. He was stalking your wife but we’ve no reason to suspect that he’s violent. He followed her and watched her and it may well be that’s all he was doing but we need to investigate further to be sure.’