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Brelland railway station had served the village in Yorkshire well for near on one hundred years. It was on the Harrowfield and Brelland Junction Railway, and closed in 1976. Because of its locality the powers-that-be had not thought it important enough to have a stone build at the time, so it was built of timber. However, what was built at the same time, of Yorkshire stone, was The Station House.
The property details in front of Jen did this property no favours. Jen stood looking up at the magnificently unique building, dilapidated in principle, and instantly fell in love. Natalie, the estate agent, waited anxiously – The Station House had been on their books for as long as she had been at the estate agents.
Jen turned to face her and her smile was wide.
‘You look like the cat that got the cream.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘But, you haven’t seen inside yet,’ she said dangling a set of old keys that hung on a scorched paper fob in front of her. ‘Shall we?’ she said taking a step towards the door.
‘Do you mind if we take a look around the outside first?’ Jen said tentatively, reaching out. ‘Oh look, there’s still coal soot on these walls,’ she said excitedly. ‘And wow...’ Her fingers stroked the graffiti, some of which dated back to Victorian times.
The timber station building remained, as did a platform with a set of waiting rooms. In the gap where the train tracks used to be someone had made a bizarre attempt to install a swimming pool but this had never been completed and what remained was a nasty black puddle. Natalie hurried her inside.
On the sitting room floor of the stationmaster’s house marks of his hobnail boot remained, and there were grooves where he had pushed his chair around.
‘Its perfect...’ said Jen. ‘Just perfect.’
Natalie was hesitant. ‘You sure?’ she said screwing up her nose.
‘I’ve never felt so sure about anything more in my life.’
‘Let’s wait to see what your husband has to say about it, shall we?’
‘Oh, I know he’ll just love it too,’ said Jen.
***
Today the family of Patti Heinz would be scrutinised. It was a necessity to eliminate any involvement or knowledge of the murder before moving the enquiry forward and outside of the home.
The school, St Martin’s, would be another place that would be a hive of police activity, as well as enquiries at the gym Patti used and there would be an in-depth interview with her trainer.
‘Make sure you check to see if she had a locker at either of these locations, and if so search and seize any items therein,’ Dylan told officers going to the school, and the gym.
He also told Detective Sergeant Nev Duke to remind his team to seize any of Patti’s personal property that they may discover.
House to house was continuing around Burford Avenue.
‘I want to know who calls at Colonial House, and that includes the postman, the milkman, a regular marketing company... Ask around... Someone must know something. Has there been any cold calling lately, Jehovah’s Witnesses?... I’m stating the obvious, I know but I don’t want anyone to be overlooked if they’ve been to the house recently, for whatever reason.’
It was to be an industrious day on all fronts and Dylan first job was to prioritise exhibits that needed to go to go to Forensic. Emily stood beside him and touched her nose, a habit he was beginning to see happened when she was thinking. She sighed as she looked at the pile of seized objects. ‘How the hell do we start to prioritise from that lot?’
‘Best guess?’ said Dylan.
Emily laughed. ‘Really?’
‘We send the exhibits that will hopefully yield evidence.’
‘Why not send them all?’
‘Like most things it comes down to money. I have a budget and boy do I know about it if I overspend – which I usually do, but there you go. How do you put a cost on catching a murderer?’
Dylan pulled various exhibits bags out of the cupboard. ‘The swabs obviously need to be in this first batch. If they come back with a DNA profile that’s going to give the enquiry a massive boost in these early stages which will allow the team to quickly and positively eliminate any potential suspects.’
Emily looked overwhelmed. ‘It’s just... the amount of... I wonder if the partial bloodied footprint we found at the side of the body belongs to Elliot Black’s footwear?’ She pointed to a large brown paper exhibits bag with a see-through line down its centre to reveal its contents.
‘We’ll get the answers in due course to all the questions that will come into an investigation of this magnitude – but we have to wait for Forensic to do their bit. And in the meantime we pray.’
Dylan could almost see Emily’s brain ticking. ‘So, let me get this right. Exhibits are filtered before going to be examined. Prioritised by way of what you think might reveal best evidential results, and then drip-fed in a continuing stream to Forensic.’
Detective Sergeant Vicky Hardacre being Dylan’s deputy senior investigator on the enquiry, and Detective Ned Granger had been given the task to interview Elliot Black. This wasn’t a formal interview but it was decided that they would do it away from Sandra Heinz, at Harrowfield Police Station, which also allowed Jaene Booth quality time to talk to her alone.
‘This way Dylan says we’ll be assured of independent responses Ned,’ said Vicky as she stood with her hand on the handle outside the interview room door. ‘Assure him that he isn’t under arrest and the interview isn’t being recorded. He can leave any time he likes. Ready?’
Ned gave Vicky a nod of the head. ‘I’m not a complete numpty.’
‘That’s debatable,’ she said as she opened the door and walked in to see Elliot Black sat back in a chair opposite a uniform constable who had escorted him from the front desk. The tiredness showed on Elliot Black’s face and so absorbed in his own thoughts he appeared oblivious to the detective’s entrance until they spoke to the officer, who left and they sat down and spoke directly to him. Although his red, dark circled eyes were open he looked haunted.
‘We’d just like to clarify your account with regard to the finding of Patti’s body,’ said Ned.
The only movement he made was with his eyes, which wandered slowly from one detective’s face, to the other. ‘Not again...’ they said.
‘Its routine Mr Black. Witnesses have been known to remember something they didn’t mention when they are spoken to initially – hence us going over things with them again, and again...’ said Vicky.
His response was laboured. He sighed several times before answering their questions, as if he was building up energy to speak. ‘It’s being going around and around my mind all night,’ he stopped, and before he began again his eyes found the wall between the detectives and he focused on it, as if seeing the event played out before him. I cycled home. I put my bike at the back of the house, so I didn’t have to lock it up. I used the front door, headed straight up the steps, because I knew my mobile phone charger was on the bedside table, and when I got to the top of the steps, she was just... there!’ His eyes widened and he turned his head slightly, to look directly at Vicky. ‘I don’t know what I thought. She was so young, so beautiful.’ Tears spilled onto his cheeks, unchecked. ‘I felt dizzy, I felt sick... I was sick... I ran to the bedroom to the nearest phone, I had to pass her... The sight of the blood and her eyes, her eyes... that sight will stay with me all the days of my life.’
‘What happened then?’
‘I sat down on the bed. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I dialled 999. A man, he asked me all sorts of questions. I don’t even know what I said to him. I felt helpless, useless. There was absolutely nothing I could do for her.’
‘Is there anything else you remember?’ asked Vicky.
Mr Black shook his head very slowly.
‘Did you notice anyone else on your approach to the house?’
There was a spark. He tilted his head and moved to the edge of his seat. ‘Come to think of it, yes, yes I did. There were a couple of young lads, a few hundred yards from the house. They had green bags over their shoulders, and leaflets in their hands. They were larking around. One pushed the other onto the road.’
‘And did you have a leaflet through your letter box?’ asked Vicky.
Elliot looked puzzled. ‘No, no, I don’t think we had, had we? You probably know better than me – all our post was taken by your officers.’
The officers continued to get background information from Elliot Black and slowly and surely he appeared to relax in their company, and open up. However, he didn’t volunteer his previous involvement with the Police.
Vicky dropped it on his toes. ‘We have found on our records that some years ago you were cautioned for theft? Is that right?’
‘I wondered when you were going to come round to that.’ His lip turned up at one corner and he looked down at this hands that were clasped in front of him. ‘It was a just a prank.’
‘What did you steal?’
Elliot Black’s colour instantly returned to his face in all its glory. ‘Look, it was just a stupid... I got a caution.’ He appeared agitated but in a curious kind of half-pleasurable way.
The detectives paused.
‘Why are we talking about that? You should be out searching for Patti’s killer.’
‘We can assure you Elliot we are. But, we have to be thorough in our approach. I’m sure you understand that?’
Grudgingly it seemed he did, nodding his head in agreement.
‘What age would you be when the crime was committed, thirty-one?’
Again he nodded his head.
‘Tell us. What did you steal?’
‘You know what I stole. I stole knickers off washing lines.’ Elliot’s shoulder’s rose and fell. He lifted his hands towards the ceiling. ‘For Christ’s sake it was a bloody prank.’
‘Does Sandra know?’ said Ned.
He gave the detective a sideways glance. ‘Does Sandra know what?’
‘You have a police caution for stealing knickers?’
Elliot shook his bowed head, ‘No,’ he said in all but a whisper. ‘It was a prank.’
Vicky put her hand on top of the paperwork that sat upon the table in between them. ‘Okay, we’ve got the clothing and footwear you were wearing at the time you found Patti’s body but we also need a DNA sample from you, and your fingerprints for eliminations purposes.’
Elliot’s mobile phone vibrated in his shirt pocket. Swiftly, he retrieved it and read the type on the screen. ‘Sandra, I’m sorry,’ he said, looking up. ‘I have to go.’ He stood, whipped his coat from the back of his chair and headed for the door. Vicky followed him. ‘Reporters,’ he said, as he hurried to the main entrance, ‘they’ve found out where we’re staying and won’t leave.’
‘We’ll postpone until tomorrow,’ said Vicky. ‘You go.’
‘Tomorrow? I’m telling you it’s a waste of time. Yours and mine...’
‘Nevertheless we need a sample from you and we’ll get one, one way or another.’
Vicky opened the door and he was gone in an instant.
Vicky joined Ned and they sat back in their chairs looking at each other, in silence. Vicky’s bottom lip was out. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘I’m thinking would you expect your bloke to tell you if he had a caution for thieving knickers off washing lines?’
Vicky nodded. ‘Why not, if it was a prank, like he says?’
‘Yeah, I thought so.’
Vicky gathered the paperwork together, picked it up and cradled it in her arms. ‘Dig into the theft he got cautioned for will you?’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘In fact ring the station and speak to the bobbies; see what they say. He might have side stepped the DNA sample and fingerprint taking for a reason. In the meantime I’ll give Jaene a ring – she should be with Sandra.’
The house-to-house team were making good progress although the list was getting longer by the minute, for callbacks.
Dylan was looking forward to the debrief. There would be a vast amount of information to be shared, and it was his job to decide what needed following up as a priority – he needed to be alert.
He took a moment to text Jen. ‘Missing you – next briefing is at six. Don’t wait for me to eat. x’
Directly there was a response. ‘Have you a minute? I could do with a quick chat. I’m on the way back from the seeing the house... I love it! You need to see it asap. x’
‘Sorry, you know what it’s like when a job breaks – I’m meeting myself coming back. We’ll talk later. x’
The briefing room was packed, leaving quite a few people standing. The audience fell silent as Dylan and Vicky walked in, and took up their position at the front to face the crowd.
‘Initially we will be working twelve hour shifts,’ Dylan said. A rumble of approval travelled like a wave across the room. ‘If anyone has an appointment or pre-planned event they need to attend, I am not asking you to cancel it, but I am asking you to make your respective Sergeant aware.’
‘Who the hell is going to turn down overtime?’ whispered Vicky, out of the corner of her mouth, as the volume of the conversation in the room escalated and they sat on the chairs provided. ‘I’m planning on getting a new car out of this one.’
‘Ladies and gents please. We have a lot to get through. Please speak out if you have something to say, remember we work as a team, on my shout.’ Dylan opened the top button of his shirt and loosed his tie. ‘We’ll go clock wise around the room.’ Dylan pointed at Sergeant Duke. ‘So do you want to kick us off Nev? For everyone’s benefit DS Duke took a team to Patti’s school, St Martin’s today.’
Nev, always the gent was already standing. ‘To summarise boss, Patti appears to be well thought of by staff and pupils alike. There are no incidents to report and her tutor Mrs Jennifer Van-Cliffe highlighted those pupils that she spent time with. Her best friends are named as Debbie Francis and Gail Carpenter. We managed a brief word with them both in the presence of the head teacher and they will be subject of a home visit this evening so we can speak to them in the presence of their parents.’
‘Did either of them give you a reason to be concerned?’
‘Gail told us that Patti enjoyed teasing Elliot Black. She didn’t go into detail but that’s something we’ll pursue this evening.’
Dylan nodded.
‘We were also told that Patti was the Gym teacher’s pet. He’s named as a Gary Bale, 28 years old and who was not available for us to speak to today as he was away at a conference in London; early days as yet.’
‘Thanks. So, moving on.’
‘Sergeant Clegg sir, operational police support unit. We were tasked with the house-to-house and pleased to say we’ve had approximately sixty per cent success rate. My team is back tonight on the callbacks. Everyone on the Avenue appears to know Patti, or at the very least knows about her, mainly due to the media attention surrounding her gymnastics. Saying that, sadly we haven’t found anyone yet who saw her on the day she died. One of the things I was made aware of is that at the house opposite to Colonial House there is a telescope visible at the bedroom window. She may have had an admirer.’
‘That address is being visited this evening, I presume?’
‘It is sir, yes.’
Dylan made a note in his notebook. ‘Let me know what transpires.’
‘Did anyone happen to mention seeing a couple of individuals doing a leaflet drop?’ asked Vicky.
‘Yes, a couple, but no one remembers seeing them yesterday. We were however handed a window cleaning enterprise leaflet that had been posted into a neighbouring property previously. And I’ve fed that information into the system,’ said Simon.
‘Patti’s mum’s partner, Elliot Black, tells us he saw two lads doing a leaflet drop on his way home. We’ll check with Sandra and Elliot to find out if they have a window cleaner and likewise any other callers at the house will be traced and seen, as a priority.’
‘DC Wormald you were tracking down her Coach, any joy?’ asked Dylan.
‘On his way home from London today sir, apparently at the same conference as her gym teacher. His name is Malcolm Parkes, he’s thirty years of age and I’ve arranged for him to come in to see me tomorrow. I’m also going to the sports centre where she trains straight after this briefing.’
‘Our FLO as you are probably aware is Jaene Booth.’ Dylan nodded in the direction of Jaene who lifted her arm to identify her presence to him, and the others.
‘We are in possession of Patti’s mobile phone and her laptop. The information that these two devices hold, I am hoping, will give us more information about her contacts and lifestyle to open up new lines of enquiry,’ said Dylan.
‘DC Granger and myself have had an initial interview with Elliot Black, in which he was consistent with the first account he gave to us,’ said Vicky. ‘However, since yesterday it has come to our attention that he has a caution for the theft of knickers from washing lines, and he wasn’t forthcoming with this information in interview, until he was asked. When asked, he didn’t deny it. His wife is apparently, according to him unaware.’
The few people in the room that weren’t already hanging on Vicky’s every word before, were now.
‘In fact since interview we have learned that eight pairs of knickers, from three different washing lines were proved to be taken by Mr Black over a period of a week. This is his only previous conviction but there were three separate victims of crime. According to the local police there were also allegations of him being a peeping tom at one time, but we had no evidence to support the claims.’
‘Have we now got his DNA?’ asked DS Rajinder Uppal.
‘We have an appointment to take it tomorrow.’
Raj, the older and more experience detective sergeant frowned.
‘He got a telephone call from his wife, who was at home. Apparently, and Jaene will be able to confirm this to us, Sandra was asking for him to return. She was apparently upset.’
Jaene nodded.
‘So, he’s a knicker nicker,’ muttered DC Ned Granger, which triggered off a certain amount of tittering from those around him.
‘What do they have to say about Elliot Black at his place of work?’ said Dylan.
Raj raised her eyebrows. ‘The member of staff who was working with him at the time said he’d told her he was nipping home, but not what for. She tells us that she considered him to be a good boss. He’s firm but fair – although he has gained the nickname of Randy.’
DC Andy Wormald confirmed. ‘Flirts constantly with the female customers, especially young girls and apparently he’s forever making suggestive remarks to the staff. But, what they were quick to point out is that he was all talk.’
‘A bit like you Ned old boy,’ said Vicky, with an elbow in DC Granger’s side. ‘But, seriously,’ she said. ‘It’s another day gone... ’
