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Reggie Hartley had been released from hospital and was ensconced in the cells when Dylan arrived at the station later that morning.
Vicky had disclosed to his solicitor the necessary evidence in connection with the murder of Julie Dixon. In the first instance, in fairness to Hartley the detectives prepared to talk to him first about the most recent incident.
‘I have briefly spoken to my client,’ said the solicitor. ‘He would like me to make an official complaint about the dog handler.’
Vicky smiled sweetly. ‘He’s entitled.’
‘He won’t be dissuaded, mind you...’ his solicitor grimaced, ‘if you saw the bites... The dog has had his pound of flesh.’
‘Is he going to talk to us?’
‘I’ve told him he’s not obliged to answer any of your questions.’
Adrenaline-fuelled, Raj walked beside Vicky down the corridor to the interview room.
‘Keep an open mind, and don’t always accept the first thing that he tells you,’ said Vicky, as much to remind herself as her colleague. ‘This interview, it feels important, I feel nervous for some reason. The things he has done makes me really mad – I hope I can keep a lid on it.’
‘You can, and you will. There’s method in our madness. If we have to shake hands and thank him we will.’
Vicky lifted an eyebrow and gave her a sly smile. ‘I’d befriend the devil if he’d admitted to a murder he’d committed and I could get him locked up for life.’
‘Remember murder takes precedence, he’ll be interviewed about the drugs later. Stick with the plan. We’ve done our preparation. I’m ready for him not answering any of the questions we put to him, are you?’
Vicky nodded. ‘As if we haven’t enough pressure without Dylan watching us from the sanctuary of his office via the link to the interview room. The solicitor told me, he’d informed Hartley he’s not obliged to talk to us, but we know of old that if we ask all our questions we might get a reply to some, if not all.’
Raj winked at Vicky, ‘Exactly! I’ll do the caution shall I?’
‘Caution,’ Vicky tutted. ‘The most stupid thing about British law is the bloody caution.’ She put on her posh voice. ‘“You do not have to say anything...” Then we’re upset when they don’t – now, that’s madness!’
The interview commenced after the necessary formalities had been completed.
‘Have you ever been to the home address of Julie Dixon?’ said Raj.
‘No reply.’
‘If you have, now is the time to tell me.
Hartley sighed deeply. ‘No reply.’
‘Are you going to say, no reply, to everything we ask you, or are you no replying to that particular question?’
‘No reply.’
‘Did you have anything to do with the murder of Julie Dixon?’ asked Vicky.
‘No reply.’
‘Okay, so you have never been to the home address of Julie Dixon, and you had nothing to do with her murder. Is that right?’
‘No reply.’
Sat watching the unfolding of the interview from the confines of his office Dylan chanted under his breath. ‘Come on, come on, keep pushing him,’ he said gently as he bit his lip nervously.
As if hearing Dylan, Raj dropped the bombshell on his toes. ‘Then can you explain why your DNA is at the scene?’
There was a long pause in the interview room. A slight rap at the window made Dylan turn his head to see David and Rachael hovering at the door. He motioned them in.
‘Can we sit in boss?’ said David.
‘By all means,’ he said.
It was apparent to Dylan by watching Hartley’s body language that he didn’t like the fact they continued questioning him even though he had ‘no replied’. ‘How naive was he?’ he thought. It was very frustrating, being on the outside looking in, but it helped the SIO to pick up on things that the interviewers didn’t. He looked up at David and Rachael sitting opposite him, eyes on the screen.
Hartley lifted his head. ‘Look, I didn’t mean to hurt her. I lost my temper. One minute she was begging me to shag her, the next she told me she was going to drop me in it for that other girl, her that does gym stuff. I told Julie, the girl meant nothing to me, she was just a dick tease, but she wouldn’t believe me. They both come onto me and then they change their bloody minds. What do you women expect?’ His eyes were cold, his mouth ugly. He stared at Raj, unblinking.
Raj swallowed. ‘Can we go a little slower Reggie so we can understand. Is it all right to call you Reggie?’
‘Absolutely,’ he said.
‘Okay Reggie, do you want to tell us what happened from the beginning. Your sister Lucy has told us that you helped her out sometimes and took parcels round to Julie’s, is that right?’
Hartley scoffed. ‘Aye, well she thought I was helping her out but I was using her. Bloody thick she is. Why would I want to help her out if I wasn’t getting something out of it? The bonus was Julie had the hots for me – begging for it she was.’
‘And did Alan know about this?’
‘No, what a dick, he must have been blind. I even bit her on her tits and he didn’t even say owt.’
‘And did Julie seem upset when you bit her?’
Hartley shrugged his shoulders. ‘She likes it rough, it’s a game we play.’
‘Okay, so how did Julie get hurt?’ said Raj.
‘It were your lots fault actually. A note came through our Lucy’s door asking her to contact the police about a parcel delivery.’
Vicky turned to look at Raj.
‘What? What’ve I said?’ said Hartley with a mocking laugh.
Raj frowned. ‘Nothing, go on.’
‘I knew our Lucy would talk to Julie, so I went around to see her and ask her not to say anything about me doing the delivery that day – that’s when I saw that gymnast girl, brandishing her arse at me. She gave me the come on – I followed her home. She left the door unlocked for me to go in after her. She’d even got upstairs to get ready for me. Took her clothes off. She didn’t wear knickers.’
‘And then what happened?’
‘I was shagging her.’ Hartley’s smile grew on his ugly face. ‘How was I to know her bra was around her friggin’ neck. She should have taken it off like I asked.’
‘But you must have known...’
‘She was moaning – girls moan when they’re enjoying it, don’t you?’ He stopped for a moment, a twinkle in his eye. ‘I left her lying there... That’s the truth.’
‘I knew it were me that had done the delivery for her that day didn’t I? So I went round to her place and asked her not to say anything. I took a few drugs with me, to say thank you like. But she started acting really strange when I offered her them.’ His eyes grew wide. ‘Like really, really strange. She tried to run out on me. She fell instantly to the floor... there was blood all over. I had to move her. A cop car followed me from the end of her street. I panicked, changed direction over the moors and dumped her in Shroggs Grove, behind the bins, where she belonged. I dumped her car in Ogden Water. ‘Your lot started it with the letter, and then I had to drug her. Just bad luck they were both accidents. ’
‘You raped a young schoolgirl before you strangled her and you killed Julie by smashing her head in with a hammer,’ Vicky told him. ‘We can prove both were deliberate acts, not accidents. Forensic evidence tells us that.’
‘Yeah, well shit happens, and do you want to know something I fucking enjoyed it. The Boss is right. You women are tarts, you get everything you deserve,’ he shouted and spittle sprayed from his mouth causing Raj to lean back.
‘Boss,’ questioned Vicky.
‘Top man, Malcolm Reynolds. You’ll never catch him.’
The buzzer on the tape sounded, indicating the end of the interview.
Dylan turned the screen off and smiled across at David and Rachael. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘He’s a monster that needs to be behind bars,’ said Rachael with a look of distaste.
‘They’ll interview him again but my guess is he will “no reply” to everything we put to him after his solicitor has spoken to him.’
‘Samples need to be taken,’ said David, ‘I should get off.’ The couple stood. Rachael walked to wards the door.
‘Thanks sir,’ she said with a wave and she was gone.
‘And then he’ll go before the courts,’ said David.
‘He will indeed.’ Dylan raised his eyebrow at David. ‘Tell me,’ he said. ‘You two an item?’
David colour rose on his cheeks. ‘Not much gets past you does it sir?’
Dylan grinned.
‘You know, I have experienced some rather painful situations in my youth when people have reacted badly to my missing hand. I travelled, I bought nice cars, I love this job but I never thought I’d find anyone who’d love me. And then I met Rachael who was guarding the scene at Patti’s murder and, I cannot honestly say I’ve never been happier.’
‘Should I tell Jen to buy a hat?’
‘Who knows, sir, who knows...’
***
‘Neither investigation has been easy and now they are one,’ Dylan said at the debrief. ‘Nobody expects a murder down their street, and when it does happen, the shockwaves ripple far and wide across the community. Lives have been lost and others destroyed. I want to thank each and every one of you, for our excellent work that is worthy of recognition by the Courts. When a killer strikes, what most people don’t appreciate, or the perpetrator realise is that they have unleashed a relentless pursuit by dedicated officers that never ends until the offenders are caught. We will have a proper get together when Hartley is convicted, but anyone who wants a quick drink this evening, across the road, you’re welcome, my shout!’
Later that evening across the road in the pub Dylan stood quietly sipping his pint at the bar. His eyes lazily scanned the room. Success was in the air, and that wasn’t all as he noticed David and Rachael sat talking and laughing in the corner by the door.
‘Hartley was a monster that needs to be behind bars,’ Vicky said as she joined Dylan with Raj.
‘For once I have to agree with her analysis of the man, if you can call him that,’ added Raj.
Dylan picked up his mobile phone and typed a message to Jen. ‘It’s over. He’s charged Miss Jones,’ his name for her when they had first met at Harrowfield Police Station. ‘Just standing the team a drink and then I’ll be leaving one station for another. x’
‘Brilliant news! When you decide to retire, you’ll be busier than ever, there is so much here to be done,’ she replied.
Dylan smiled a contented smile, downed his pint and ordered another. The beer as addictive as his job, for now it was anyway.
