The Dead Husband, page 7
The team were still concentrating on Callum Cooper’s murder when she arrived but as no one was excitedly waiting to see her, Sam correctly assumed there was nothing new to report. Calling them together she told them the outcome of her morning’s activities.
‘Poor kid! He might have been a pain but no one would wish this on him.’ Paul shook his head.
‘And just before Christmas – it’s always worse for the family – Christmas will never be the same again,’ Layla added.
‘Yes, well if you two can go and visit Tyler Green to get a statement, Jen and I will interview Tim Dennison again more formally. It’ll give you a break from the Cooper case and we’ll get back to it with fresh eyes tomorrow.’
SEVENTEEN
WEDNESDAY 14TH DECEMBER
‘It would be good to have Callum Cooper’s murder wrapped up for Christmas.’ Jenny Newcombe winced at her inadvertent pun.
‘Don’t think it’s going to happen unless something gives – this is one of the most frustrating cases yet. We’ll have to widen the net to find so much as a motive, never mind the killer. So far it appears that everyone liked the man and Paul hasn’t ferreted out anything unusual in his finances or online activities.’
‘What about Cooper’s elderly mother? She can hardly be a suspect but perhaps we could interview her, see if she can throw up anything from his past which may be relevant.’
‘Yeah, why not, we’ll have to dig deeper on this one. Ask Layla to go, she’s good at getting people to open up and might succeed, and then make your daily visit to Amy Cooper. Is she any more forthcoming?’
‘Not really. I don’t think my presence is appreciated. She makes it clear I’m not welcome for more than a brief visit but I understand, and her sister’s around most of the time. When I’m there they say very little. I don’t think they distrust me, it’s just a surreal situation, they don’t know what’s expected of them so clam up and drink too much coffee. Layla…’ Jenny moved off to Layla Gupta’s desk and Samantha sighed, exasperated at the continued lack of progress.
‘Boss?’ Paul approached her desk. ‘I’ve been digging into Cooper’s friend, George King, and he has a history with us. It’s way back, 2010, but he was charged and convicted of affray. As a first offence he got off with a fine and community service, so not entirely an upstanding citizen and perhaps even violent.’
‘Good work, Paul, can you and Layla pay him another visit at Blacketts and go over his story again? Maybe a shove or two to stir him up – oh and ask a bit more about the argument with Cooper and see if you can confirm it with his colleagues.’
Paul waited for his DI to leave before going over to Layla’s desk. ‘Fancy a trip out? We could grab a coffee to go?’
‘Thought I was going to visit Cooper’s mother?’ Layla rubbed her hands together, still cold from her journey to work.
Paul risked giving her a quick hug. ‘You can do that later. We have a suspect to visit which takes priority.’
In the car, Paul filled Layla in on the details. ‘George King is a mate of Cooper’s and he’s on our system. A charge of affray in 2010, of which he was convicted, fined and given community service. Apparently, he also had a bit of a bust-up with Cooper not too long ago which the boss wants us to confirm, and discover what it was all about.’
The factory floor was cold and noisy. Both detectives were glad to be invited into Mr Formby’s office where they asked to speak again to George King.
‘He’s not in today, rang in sick I’m afraid and I don’t know when he’ll be back.’
Paul Roper raised his eyebrows. ‘Did he say what was wrong? Nothing too serious I hope.’
‘I didn’t take the call and my secretary didn’t think to ask.’
‘Thank you, Mr Formby. We’ll visit him at home and hope he’s up to seeing us.’ Paul and Layla stood to leave.
‘George isn’t in any trouble, is he?’
‘Nothing to worry about, just routine questions but please don’t ring him to let him know we’re on our way.’ The pair left and hurried back to the car. Layla turned the heating up high. ‘It’ll be all around the factory that George King is a suspect in Cooper’s murder – I’d say in under the hour.’ She smiled at the thought and they set off to visit the man at home.
George looked somewhat rough when he answered the door and was rather surprised to see the detectives. He invited them in and they sat in his tiny lounge on a threadbare sofa – the room appeared to be stuck in the 1980s.
‘Just confirming the details you gave the DI when she spoke to you, Mr King. We won’t keep you long and I’m sorry to intrude when you’re under the weather.’ Paul offered his best smile to get the man onside.
‘I haven’t thought of anything else since then, have you not caught the blighter?’
‘Enquiries are still ongoing. Can you tell me the last time you saw Callum?’
‘It would be the Tuesday when he left work. The sixth, wasn’t it?’
‘And how did he appear, anything unusual, out of character?’
‘He shouted goodbye, seemed keen to get off home but the weather was bloody awful, we all wanted to get away.’
‘And when did you have the falling out you told the DI about?’
‘Aye, I wondered when you’d get around to that. I told your boss it was a misunderstanding and was soon sorted. Ask Ed if you don’t believe me – he caused it by forgetting to pass my money on to Callum.’
‘What’s Ed’s surname?’ Layla was taking notes.
‘Smith, Edward Smith, he works on the shop floor with me and Cal, or rather he did work with Cal…’
‘Did the argument turn aggressive, Mr King? You do have a history of violence.’
‘Damn it, I wondered when you’d throw that one back in my face. It was years ago, a drunken brawl for which I paid my dues! Look, I really don’t feel up to answering any more questions. I understand you’re looking for suspects but I didn’t do it, why the hell would I? If you’re after a motive, isn’t it usually money? Perhaps you should talk to his wife – she’ll be worth a pretty penny now he’s dead, what with the insurance and everything.’
‘What insurance, Mr King?’
‘Work’s money. Part of the package for those who started with Blacketts years ago is a life insurance policy. They don’t offer it now of course, things are much tighter, but they have to honour our contracts and there are about half a dozen of us who still have the insurance package, Callum was one of them.’
‘Do you know how much the policy is worth?’ Layla had stopped writing and stared at George King.
‘Yes, a nice fat one hundred grand! Now that would be motive enough for anyone. My old lady often says it would be worth the risk of doing me in.’
Paul and Layla thanked George King and hurried back to the car. ‘Wow!’ Layla sank into the car seat and closed the door quickly. ‘Now there’s a nice motive for murder.’
‘Absolutely. Ring Blacketts will you and ask to speak to Edward Smith. If he can back King up about the argument, I think we can cross him off our list of suspects – and move Amy Cooper to the top.’ Paul’s voice was laced with excitement as he switched on the engine and steered towards New Middridge police station.
EIGHTEEN
WEDNESDAY 14TH DECEMBER
DC Paul Roper almost ran into Samantha’s office, face beaming and clearly bursting with news – good news she hoped.
‘I don’t think George King had anything to do with Cooper’s death but he did suggest a motive. Apparently Amy Cooper is due a payout from Blacketts of £100,000, a cracking motive, eh, boss? An insurance policy was part of her husband’s contract; if he dies while still employed there, she gets the money!’
Samantha could have kissed her DC but refrained from doing so, although her smile matched his. ‘Did you check the altercation between King and Cooper?’ She wasn’t one for chicken counting.
‘Yes, boss. It proved to be nothing but a misunderstanding over a syndicate payment, we spoke to another employee at Blacketts and he confirmed it.’
‘Right. Get the team together and we’ll decide where to go from here.’
DI Freeman stood in front of the whiteboard as her team squeezed into the small office. She rubbed George King’s name from the top, rewrote it at the bottom, then moved Amy Cooper into poll position. ‘DC Roper, would you like to tell us about your discovery?’ Listening to him describing the interview with George King, Sam thought he looked so young and enthusiastic and was maybe bigging up his role a little. Layla looked puzzled at one or two things he said and flipped her notebook from page to page. She wouldn’t say anything to embarrass him, Layla was in love with her colleague – and as Sam was pleased with the outcome she didn’t interrupt or ask for clarification.
After ten minutes, which could have been five, Paul sat down and Sam asked for any questions or comments.
‘Have we enough to interview Amy Cooper under caution?’ Tom Wilson asked.
‘Probably, but there’s certainly enough for a search warrant for the Coopers’ home. If we can get the CSI team in today to search for any blood, then we may find our locus. Amy’s not going anywhere and I’ll be interested to see her reaction to the search. Okay, folks – Layla, can you arrange the CSI, Paul the warrant? Even if it takes until tonight I want to get it done today – this feels like our first breakthrough and hell do we need one!’
The team dispersed to move the investigation on, more upbeat than they’d been in days but it took four frustrating hours to get everything in place. Sam was just delighted they would get the job done that day and she and Jenny set off with the warrant to Amy Cooper’s house.
Cypress Close was quiet. Curtains were closed against the cold dark evening and flickering lights cast shadows from television sets. For a moment, Sam wished she was at home with Ravi, curled up on the sofa with one of his delicious meals on her knee. Yet the excitement was building inside her – adrenaline giving her energy a much-needed boost – if they could find traces of blood they would have their crime scene and the case would be on its way to being cut and dried.
The CSI team were a few minutes behind the detectives but Sam didn’t want to wait, she’d go in with the warrant and prepare Amy for what was to come.
Amy blinked rapidly when she opened the door, peering into the damp gloomy evening as if she couldn’t see the women on her doorstep. Sam thought maybe she’d been asleep but she stood back to allow the detectives inside and closed the door quickly to keep out the cold.
‘Amy, we have a warrant to search your home.’ Jenny passed her the document. ‘A CSI team will be here shortly and we’d appreciate it if you could remain in the lounge while they complete their task.’
Amy made no move to read the warrant. ‘Do I need a solicitor or someone?’
‘Yes, that’s your right and we’ll be happy to wait if you wish to call one.’ Sam spoke quietly and smiled – innocent until proven guilty, she thought. Amy appeared to think better about a solicitor and asked if she could call Beth instead.
‘Certainly. It’s a good idea to have someone here with you.’
Amy made the call at the same time the CSI team arrived. Once suited and booted they started in the kitchen. Amy went into the lounge with Jenny and Sam.
‘What are they going to do? You’ve already searched Cal’s things.’ Amy spoke softly, groggily. Sam wondered if she was taking medication and was unsure of the wisdom in telling Amy they suspected her home could be the crime scene.
‘This is a more detailed search. They’re looking for things which might not be seen with the naked eye.’
‘You mean blood? Tell me the truth, please.’
‘Yes. I’m sorry, Amy, but if you had nothing to do with Callum’s death then there’s nothing to worry about.’
‘They won’t find anything.’
‘Good, let’s hope they don’t.’
Beth came thundering through the door and went straight to her sister. ‘Are you okay, Amy?’
‘Yes, I just needed some company.’
‘Is this really necessary?’ A red-faced Beth swivelled to face Sam who found it hard to tell if the woman was angry or nervous.
‘I’m afraid so. Your sister tells me we’ll find nothing incriminating and if that’s the case we’ll leave you in peace. We have to do this, it’s all part of the elimination process.’
Beth sat beside her sister, arms folded, face grim.
It’s going to be a long evening, Sam thought.
NINETEEN
THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
The search of Amy Cooper’s house lasted almost three hours and revealed no traces of blood or a possible murder weapon. Beth almost crowed at them with a lengthy tirade about wasting police time and harassing the innocent when they should be out looking for Callum’s killer, and Sam and Jenny left for home feeling weary and frustrated.
Arriving home that evening, Sam was beyond hungry. Ravi made hot chocolate and they nibbled on shortbread before going to bed. With a brain refusing to shut down, Sam wondered where to go next. Eventually, Ravi pulled her to him and ensured she was tired enough to sleep.
At 7am Samantha was woken by her telephone ringing and the pathologist’s name lit up her screen.
‘Hi, Rick, you’re an early bird. I hope you’ve caught a nice juicy worm to cheer me up.’ Sam heard a muffled chuckle as he answered:
‘I’m not sure, but I have something which will certainly surprise you. Come over to the morgue, I want to see your face when you hear this.’
‘On my way.’ Samantha’s curiosity was aroused, she dressed hurriedly and then rang Jenny, asking her to meet her at the morgue.
‘I feel used!’ Ravi complained as she grabbed a slice of toast and headed for the door. Samantha winked at him and left.
Jenny was waiting outside for her, and Sam shuddered as they entered the morgue. There was little time for speculation between the detectives and they’d come up with no reason why Rick should wish to see them so early, but they were about to find out.
The pathologist was waiting for them with an enigmatic expression which puzzled Samantha even more. Callum Cooper’s body lay in the middle of the room, Rick stood beside it holding a clipboard. His grin was mischievous as he hesitated, increasing Sam’s impatience. ‘Well, what is it?’
‘Cooper’s medical records arrived from his GP this morning.’ He paused and looked at the two detectives.
‘And…’ Sam asked.
‘It appears his doctor wasn’t treating him for any of the conditions he suffered from. There’s no regular prescription for the medication I’d expect to be present in the body, so I chased up the toxicology report.’ Rick paused for effect, his eyes darting from Sam to Jen. ‘As I anticipated, theophylline was in evidence – a bronchodilator to ease breathing, and bisoprolol – a beta blocker for hardening of the arteries. Yet Cooper’s medical records show neither had been prescribed.’ Another well-timed pause allowed Sam and Jenny to process the information.
‘Perhaps he changed his GP lately?’ Samantha offered.
Rick smiled. ‘My initial thought too, but the records are otherwise up to date – he received his Covid vaccinations from this surgery. But there is something else.’
‘Come on, Rick, less of the am-drams, just spit it out!’
‘The medical records show Callum Cooper to be five foot ten inches tall. Our cadaver here is five foot six, seven at a stretch.’
‘So, what are you saying?’ Jenny too appeared impatient. Rick smiled again. ‘That this man is most certainly not Callum Cooper.’
Samantha had reached the same conclusion moments before Rick verbalised it, but it seemed too incredible to be true. ‘Are you absolutely sure? We had a positive ID from his wife and even I thought it was the same man from the picture she gave us, despite the swelling and facial injuries.’
‘I’m certain. Either Mrs Cooper was confused with the stress and grief of the occasion and only thought this was her husband, or she’s lying to you. Fortunately, it’s your job to decide which, not mine.’ With a flourish, Rick covered the now unidentified body with the sheet, folded his arms and tilted his head to one side.
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Sam chided.
‘Only a little.’
Jenny sighed. ‘So, we’re back to square one – we again have an unidentified murder victim and no leads. We’d better go and inform Amy Cooper.’
‘Yes, and I’m curious to know what she’ll say. Thanks, Rick. As this man’s been dead over a week now and we’ve no idea who he is, it looks like it could be down to dental records. Can I leave it with you?’
‘Send me a list of possibles and I’ll do my best – have a good day, detectives!’
TWENTY
THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ Paul Roper slapped his hand on the desk. Samantha glared at him, her face answering his question. Layla’s mouth dropped open as they all tried to process this new information. ‘So I can cancel my visit to Cooper’s mother?’
Sam nodded. ‘Rick’s convinced it’s not Callum Cooper, so it appears we’re back where we started – who is our murder victim? Jenny will fill you in on the details and you can get back to playing on HOLMES – change all the details already logged and start again. Sorry, Paul!’
DC Kim Thatcher listened to the conversation and watched Samantha with sympathy as she left the room to update the DCI about their latest setback. Sam’s usual light steps were decidedly slower and heavier than usual.
Like Paul, a self-confessed computer geek, Kim was in awe of the HOLMES system and had been fascinated to learn about it at Hendon. It was a true invention of necessity and she marvelled at how it came about in 1985 due to mistakes made in the case of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. It was incredible to think how everything had been recorded manually then, and records of interviews with over 250,000 people were handwritten on index cards. Kim remembered sniggering when learning how the volume of paperwork resulted in the floor of the incident room at Millgarth Nick in Leeds needing reinforcement due to the weight. But she was horrified to learn that Sutcliffe was interviewed nine times before finally being arrested. Thousands of man-hours were spent gathering evidence, but indications of Sutcliffe’s guilt were still missed.
