The Shape of Truth: A completely gripping crime suspense, page 8
‘It’s not quite as simple as that, Mr Appleton.’ Wide-eyed, Sam stared at the man as she explained. ‘We have a duty to investigate such a serious allegation but if you’re prepared to answer our questions truthfully, we will perhaps get through things a little quicker.’
‘I hope you’re not insinuating I would lie about such a matter? I don’t have to lie. I didn’t do anything!’ Appleton’s face grew darker as he scowled at the women sitting opposite him.
Jenson put a hand on his client’s arm. Appleton drew in a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. ‘You said this was a historic incident? Will you tell me about this so-called “allegation” so I can get out of here and back to work? I’m a very busy man.’
Samantha nodded briefly and referred to her notes. ‘The alleged incident occurred in 1982, to a young woman named Caroline Greenwood.’
The MP scowled, with a moment’s hesitation before his reply, a pause which didn’t go unnoticed by the detectives. ‘Never heard of the woman.’ His tone was clipped and dismissive, but Sam could tell the name registered no matter what he said. She looked down at the papers spread on the desk, turning the top sheet over, pretending to read details from the file and allowing a few moments of silence – enough time for the MP to feel uncomfortable and hopefully give something away.
‘Mrs Greenwood claims that on the evening of 1st May 1982, you followed her home from a dance at the Majestic dance hall in New Middridge, where you forcibly entered her home and raped her.’
Arthur Jenson interrupted. ‘This is a grave allegation, DS Freeman, and from over thirty years ago. Why has this woman only come forward now?’
‘Her reasons are irrelevant, Mr Jenson. If a crime was committed she has a right to report it and seek justice no matter how much time has elapsed and, as I’m sure you’re aware, crimes of a sexual nature have a severe psychological effect on the victim. It’s not unusual for reporting of such crimes to be made long after the incident occurred.’ Sam turned back to his client whose face was a dark red and asked, ‘Mr Appleton, how do you respond to this allegation?’
The MP was clearly struggling to control his temper. His chin jutted out. ‘I told you. I’ve never heard of this Caroline Greenwood – and I certainly didn’t rape her!’
‘Could you take a look at this photograph, please?’ Sam pushed the photo across the table. The young Caroline looked happy and carefree, a state that was soon to change. Appleton gave the image only the briefest of glances.
‘Is this her?’
Samantha nodded. ‘Yes, this is Mrs Greenwood at around the time of the alleged incident. Do you recognise her?’
‘No, I’ve never heard the name before and I don’t recognise this woman.’ Appleton raised his face and focused on a spot above Sam’s head, refusing to meet her eyes. She smiled slowly; he might just as well have admitted it as far as Sam was concerned. His attitude only served to convince her of his guilt.
‘And May 1st, 1982, Mr Appleton. Can you remember what you were doing then?’
‘That’s an absurd question, Detective Sergeant, and you know it. How can anyone be expected to remember so far back?’
‘Perhaps you can remember if you were living in New Middridge then, sir?’ Jenny chipped in.
‘Yes, I was but I certainly didn’t frequent this dance hall you mentioned. I was studying at the time and life was rather busy.’
‘But you were a young man in 1982, what, in your early twenties? Surely you socialised with friends and the dance hall was one of the few places to meet in those days.’
‘No, DS Freeman, I cannot remember ever visiting this venue and I don’t recognise that woman.’ Appleton gave a tight, forced smile. ‘If we’ve cleared this up maybe I can leave now?’
‘You’re free to leave at any time, Mr Appleton, and I’m sure I don’t need to ask you not to try to contact Mrs Greenwood about this matter?’ The MP flashed her a dark look as she continued, ‘We appreciate you coming in to answer these questions. Thank you for your time, sir.’
Appleton and his lawyer stood to leave.
Sam continued. ‘Could I ask one more favour, Mr Appleton? Would you be prepared to give us a DNA sample, voluntarily, of course?’ Sam smiled sweetly at his shocked expression as Mr Jenson jumped in before his client had time to reply.
‘If this alleged incident happened thirty years ago as you say, why the need for DNA samples now?’
‘Purely for elimination purposes.’ She looked expectantly from one man to the other as Arthur Jenson whispered in his client’s ear. Appleton replied with a shake of his head.
Jenson spoke again. ‘No, Detective Freeman, my client will not be giving a DNA sample. He has no knowledge of this woman and what she claims happened to her and does not wish to be further inconvenienced.’ With this last remark the men turned and left the room.
Sam turned to face Jenny as they both relaxed.
‘There’s not much to go on, is there.’ Jenny sounded dejected.
‘On the contrary, he’s just given us more ammunition with his emphatic denials. His denial of knowing Caroline or having been to the dance hall can be noted in the policy file and it’s on tape. Make sure you count the exact number of times he said it – and his refusal to give a voluntary DNA sample notches up the reasons for arrest. An innocent man would have no problem providing a sample. We have to ask what our Mr Appleton is afraid of.’
Samantha was committed to fighting for Caroline Greenwood and bringing this arrogant man to justice, applying all her tenacity and training to ensure that Mark Appleton would pay for what he’d done.
Two hours later, Jenny Newcombe passed the policy file to Samantha. ‘Here you are, all transcribed and in order. I’ve added Ellen Harding’s statement, Appleton’s interview and Caroline’s allegation.’ The young DC looked pleased with herself and was clearly enjoying working on this case.
‘Thanks, Jenny. I’ll take it to the DCI and double-check but I’m pretty certain we have enough now.’
‘I think Appleton saw it as an affront to have two women interviewing him, not a higher-ranked male officer. He probably thinks his status demands better.’
‘I’m sure you’re right. Now, let’s see what DCI Kent has to say.’
Gordon Kent skimmed the policy file, removed his glasses and looked at Sam, his expression inscrutable. Sam let go of the breath she’d been holding, hoping for the DCI’s go-ahead.
‘I’m sorry, Samantha, but there’s nothing substantial here and certainly not enough to make an arrest. It’s all statements and allegations, no actual proof.’ Kent rubbed his eyes with the forefinger and thumb of his right hand, then pushed his chair away from the desk.
‘But, sir, the proof is the daughter – all we need is Appleton’s DNA for comparison with hers. The case will be a slam dunk then.’ It wasn’t what Sam expected, the DCI was clearly hesitant to allow her to arrest Appleton and her frustration was rising.
Kent sighed. ‘I wouldn’t be too sure; what if this young woman’s DNA doesn’t match? The mother could have had any number of sexual partners at the time and not know for sure herself.’
‘Mrs Greenwood was happily married, and her husband was away at sea fighting in the Falklands conflict. Appleton raped her, sir, and the DNA will prove Anna is his daughter. Why would she make such a claim if it weren’t true? She’s an intelligent woman and would be aware that a negative DNA match would prove her to be a liar.’
‘Perhaps she invented the story of rape to cover up the fact that she’d been with another man and was pregnant? There are too many pitfalls here, Samantha, and if the DNA does match, our MP could always claim the sex was consensual. It would be virtually impossible to prove otherwise after so many years.’
‘He’s emphatically denied even knowing Caroline Greenwood several times and he claims never to have visited the Majestic dance hall, but we have a witness who can place him there on that very night. It’ll look suspicious if he changes his story when he knows he’s been caught by the DNA match. Then there’s his refusal to give a voluntary sample. Surely that suggests he has something to hide.’ Sam’s eyes were wide and anxious. She’d not seriously considered that the DCI would refuse her request to arrest Appleton.
‘I can see where you’re coming from yet I’m still not sure there’s enough here to meet the necessity test. Leave it with me, Samantha, and I’ll speak to someone at the CPS, get their take on it.’ Kent closed the file and moved it to one side of his desk.
‘If it were Joe Public instead of Mark Appleton, I’d be able to arrest him.’ Sam spoke sharply from disappointment and immediately realised it sounded disrespectful.
Gordon Kent raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re probably right, but this is Mark Appleton we’re dealing with and he’s a well-respected MP. Sadly, we do need to tread cautiously in this case. I’m not saying he’ll get away with it or that you’re not to keep investigating – I’d just like to get the CPS’s take on the case before we arrest him.’
‘Yes, sir, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…’
‘I know and I’ll get back to you as soon as I get an opinion from the CPS.’
DS Freeman left the room dejected; this wasn’t what she’d expected or hoped and now she would have to disappoint her DC, Caroline, and Anna Greenwood.
‘That’s so bloody unfair!’ Jenny Newcombe did all but stamp her foot. ‘Can’t we get his DNA surreptitiously? Once we have the evidence he’ll have to admit to rape?’
‘You know we can’t use evidence obtained illegally. Sadly for the moment we’ve given it our best shot – and DCI Kent hasn’t instructed us to close the case – I think he’d be happy for us to keep digging.’
‘But there’s nothing else to dig into. Caroline’s told us everything and there’s only Ellen Harding to support her claim. Haven’t we reached the end of the road?’
‘Not entirely. I’ll have to speak to Caroline to let her know the DCI’s decision. It’ll be disappointing but maybe she’s thought of something else we can use or even something she’s so far not revealed.’ Sam was reluctant to concede. The word defeat wasn’t in her vocabulary.
‘Let’s hope so although she’s such an open and honest person I think if there was anything else, she’d have told us by now. Damn, I need a coffee, want one?’
Sam nodded and picked up the phone to ring Caroline Greenwood with the bad news.
15
CAROLINE
It’s six weeks since Ronald’s funeral – six weeks of living on a knife-edge – with only myself to blame. In trying to do the right thing I’ve become embroiled in something I never wanted to happen. Rape is not something the victim can ever forget, and my way of dealing with it has always been to push it to the back of my mind, avoidance perhaps, even cowardly, yet better than allowing it to define who I am and to shape the rest of my life.
I’m not entirely sure what I hoped to achieve by telling Anna about her true parentage –greater respect and understanding of Ronald perhaps, or maybe part of the reason for my disclosure was because I’ve occasionally wondered if my daughter had a right to know the truth. But for her to learn the awful circumstances of her origins hasn’t been easy for either of us. However, words can never be unspoken once they are said and regrets are pointless. In hindsight maybe I didn’t think it through sufficiently or fully consider the implications. I certainly didn’t anticipate Anna’s desire to press charges against Mark Appleton – that one threw me.
Reporting the incident to the police has proved an embarrassing and painful experience. Yet I was raped – it’s a fact I cannot undo and an experience which haunts my every waking moment. Perhaps I, as well as my daughter, will gain closure from finally having reported the crime. How it will pan out is as yet a mystery. Can I cope with the stress of a court case? I simply don’t know all the answers but if this is what Anna needs to come to terms with the reality of her origins, then I will move heaven and earth to see this through to the end.
The only positive thing is that Anna appears to have met a young man of whom she’s particularly fond. I’ve yet to meet Joel but I already like him as he seems to have added an element of happiness to her days and present troubles. The downside for me is that the chance of Anna moving back home is considerably decreased. Naturally she’ll want her own space, something I should have expected; what thirty-two-year-old woman wants to live with her mother anyway?
While mulling over these thoughts, the phone rang and my heart missed a beat when I saw DS Freeman’s number on the screen.
‘Caroline? It’s Samantha Freeman here. How are you?’
‘Oh, hello. I’m okay, thank you. Have you some news?’ I both longed for and dreaded news – my emotions constantly dipping, fearing what might happen next. Sam’s brief pause hinted that the news she was about to impart was not good. I held my breath and listened to the detective draw in a breath of her own.
‘We’ve managed to interview Mark Appleton regarding your allegation, and predictably, he denies the incident and insists he doesn’t know you.’
It was no more than I’d expected. Mark wasn’t going to hold his hands up and admit his crime simply because the police challenged him. The man has far too much to lose. But the tone of Samantha Freeman’s voice was more concerning. Gone was the enthusiasm and eagerness for justice. Had she decided to call it a day?
‘No surprise there then,’ I replied. ‘Mark was hardly likely to own up to what he did.’ An audible sigh came from the other end of the phone. ‘So what happens next?’ I asked.
‘I’ve had a word with the DCI and I’m afraid it doesn’t look good. He’s unsure we have enough on Appleton to proceed with an arrest and without any solid evidence it’s unlikely the CPS can build a case.’
‘But what about my statement – and there’s Ellen – didn’t she confirm it?’ I felt quite nauseous, fearing we’d gone through all this for nothing.
‘Yes, we’ve spoken to Mrs Harding and she concurs with everything you told us. Caroline, I believe you – this has nothing to do with us thinking it didn’t happen – sadly a historic case works in Appleton’s favour. The CPS would look for DNA evidence and solid proof from other sources than yourself and Mrs Harding. I’m sorry but unless something else turns up we appear to have reached a stalemate situation.’
‘But Anna’s DNA will prove he’s her father, isn’t that concrete enough?’ I knew though that it wasn’t so simple. Perhaps this was the end of the road as far as getting justice was concerned and I was already thinking ahead about how I would break the news to Anna.
‘We did ask Mr Appleton for a DNA sample but he refused and we can’t force him to comply unless he’s arrested. I’m sorry, Caroline, it’s a bit of a vicious circle. Can you think of anything else which might help us out here – another person you told about the incident perhaps?’
‘No, there was only Ellen and Ronald. So, is there nothing you can do? Will the case just be closed now?’
‘No, I’m not closing it. I’ll keep digging in the hope of something else turning up. I’m sorry, I know how disappointing this must be for you and Anna, but if you think of anything else please ring me.’ Samantha’s disappointment seemed genuine and I had a mental picture of her face and the frustration she must feel.
‘Can I ask – if this had been anyone other than Mark Appleton, would you have arrested him?’ Perhaps it was unfair of me to put her in this position, yet I was almost sure I knew the answer and that DS Freeman would be honest with me. She hesitated for a moment before answering.
‘Yes, I’m afraid his position does make a difference. I probably would have arrested him without seeking approval from my DCI if he hadn’t been an MP. It’s wrong and beyond annoying, yet a fact. Politics shouldn’t have any place in the justice system, although sadly it does and everyone covers their backs these days. Mr Appleton can make trouble for many people, therefore, we work as if treading on eggshells. It’s wrong and I don’t like it any more than you do, which is why I’m not closing the case. I’ll keep on with the investigation and if anything turns up, I’ll let you know, and I hope you’ll do the same. You’ve been courageous in coming forward and I’m devastated not to have better news for you.’
Samantha rang off and I was left deflated. A feeling of being alone and discouraged wrapped itself around me like a blanket, and tears stung the backs of my eyes. I mentally pulled myself together and refused to give way to such negativity. It would allow Mark another victory over me. From the outset I knew that choosing to press charges against a rapist was a monumental decision and might come to nothing. At least I’ve been spared the ordeal of going to court and perhaps being humiliated by Appleton and a team of clever barristers.
My concern now is for Anna. I’ll get over this, I’ve lived with it for more than thirty years and have my own coping strategies, albeit not always successful ones but Anna has been pinning all her hopes on making Mark accountable. How will my daughter take the news that we’ve failed at the first hurdle?
16
ANNA
Life has altered beyond recognition over the last few weeks, with Ronald’s death the catalyst for this change, albeit indirectly. Having thought my destiny to be mapped out and that I was in control of my neat-as-a-pin, ordered little world, it’s been turned completely on its head and I’m uncertain how I feel about anything.
Joel occupies much of my thinking, and yes, even though I was the one who was never going to become romantically involved with a man, it’s happened and thrown my tidy little package of reasoning into turmoil. This is, however, one aspect of change for which I have no regrets.
