Shame the Devil, page 15
Chapter Thirty-Three
The Laughing Parrot restaurant was located on Westow Hill, the main road that ran between Crystal Palace and Gipsy Hill. The area was officially known as West Norwood, though it was pretty much just a continuation of Crystal Palace. Molly remembered the area from when an old school friend had moved there almost twenty years ago. It had been a different place then: rougher with a slightly tawdry feel to it. The only thing that stood out for her was how much cheaper house prices were in that part of London compared to where she was living at the time. Poor transport links were the main reason, combined with the fact the area had an overlooked feel, as though it wasn’t really part of London at all.
But, like so much of the capital, the area had been transformed in recent years. As prices in the more fashionable parts had risen, professionals looked further afield for affordable places to live. Gipsy Hill, with its amazing view of London, had developed a charm all of its own.
The outside of the restaurant was painted green and had brightly coloured menus in the window. It looked, at first glance, like it belonged in some piazza in southern Europe.
When Molly pushed the door open, she was greeted by a tall, willowy woman wearing a white cotton dress.
‘Can I help you?’ She smiled at Molly, assuming she was an early customer.
‘I’m looking for Penny Garnett,’ Molly said, showing her ID.
The woman looked at the card and then peered at her. ‘I’m Penny Garnett,’ she said. ‘Can I ask what this is about?’
‘Perhaps if you took a seat,’ Molly said, indicating a table. The interior was painted in a slightly lighter shade of green that the exterior. Wood panelling ran along one wall, with abstract art work on the others. At the far end was a wooden counter and above it a ceramic cage with a stuffed parrot in it. Molly couldn’t tell if the parrot was actually laughing.
It was still early so the restaurant wasn’t busy: just a couple sitting in the window enjoying a pot of tea and some homemade carrot cake; a man sat near the counter, tapping away on his laptop, a large glass tumbler of coffee cooling by his elbow. Another hour and they’d be gearing up for lunchtime.
‘Can I first confirm that you’re the same Penny Garnett that previously worked as a teacher at Thomas Blake Primary School in Chiswick?’
She looked slightly taken aback, as though Molly had just pricked an open wound. ‘Yes. I did… I left just over a year ago. I…’ She rubbed a hand over her face. ‘Look, can I ask what this is about?’
Molly was about to tell her when another woman appeared from what looked like the kitchen area. She was slightly shorter than Penny, and wore a chef’s apron.
‘This is my partner, Freya,’ said Penny.
Molly introduced herself. ‘If you’re not too busy, maybe I could speak to you both together. This does concern both of you.’
Once the women were seated, Molly told them what they knew so far. ‘I understand that the local CID will have spoken to you,’ she said. ‘They’ll have advised you on the situation.’
‘Yes,’ Penny said. ‘Two police officers came round earlier. They mentioned issuing something called an Osman Notice.’
‘Yes. It probably sounds more alarming than it is,’ Molly added. ‘We have a legal obligation to make you aware that your lives may potentially be in danger, and advise you to take suitable precautions. And I have to stress that at this stage we don’t know for certain that our killer is going after everyone involved in Noah Daniel’s death, but we’re working on that assumption. In which case, we have a duty to warn you.’
The women looked at each other. ‘I must admit,’ Penny said, ‘when I heard what happened to Kieran and Susan. I did wonder. I didn’t make the connection at first. I’d forgotten all about Kieran – he was only at the school for a short time – and Susan had changed her name. And, to be honest, I was trying not to think about it too much. I hoped it had to be a coincidence.’
‘I still can’t get my head round this,’ Freya said after a moment. ‘Pen had nothing to do with what happened that day. She was just one of the teachers who happened to be there. Nobody can think she’s in any way responsible.’
‘Like I said, we don’t know for certain that is the case,’ Molly said. ‘But obviously I have to make you aware of the situation and advise you to take precautions. The CID officers will have informed you that we can offer you police protection if you feel you need it.’
‘This is insane.’ Freya looked at her partner for feedback, but Penny Garnett just shook her head.
‘I can’t honestly say I’m surprised, Freya. OK, I know I wasn’t to blame for what happened, at least not directly.’ She looked from one woman to the other. ‘We were all responsible, but only one person ended up taking the actual blame.’ She looked at Molly ‘Laura Grieve, one of the TAs. She took what happened badly and was persuaded to resign. Looking back, it really wasn’t fair, but we just all sort of went along with it because, well I suppose it let the rest of us off the hook.’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘I don’t mean legally, but morally. At the end of the day, Laura was no more to blame then the rest of us.’
‘So, she was asked to leave? Who by?’
Penny shrugged. ‘Euan Livingstone I imagine. He was the head at the time. A nice man but slightly out of his depth. Mind you, it could have been Rachel. She was pushing hard to take over Euan’s job at the time. It’s the kind of thing she’d do, get someone to take responsibility, just in case there was any comeback on the school.’
‘Rachel Atherton?’ Molly asked, although she already knew the answer. ‘Yes, I’ve met her. I got the impression she wasn’t someone to be messed with.’
Penny laughed. ‘That’s certainly one way of putting it.’ She rubbed a hand though her mane of hair. ‘The whole thing was unfair. Laura genuinely thought she might be charged with manslaughter. You see, Noah was in her care. I mean we were all responsible for the welfare of the children that day, but the TAs all had specific groups of children they looked after. Noah was part of Laura’s group.’
‘But there was no real possibility that Laura Grieve would have been charged with manslaughter,’ Molly said. ‘The inquiry made it clear that it was an accident. There was no liability attributed to any one individual.’ She’d read the inquiry report. It named the staff members on duty that day, but it had been very clear that no one staff member was found to be responsible. ‘Why would she have thought otherwise?’
‘The inquiry took around eight months to reach its conclusions,’ Penny said. ‘Laura had left by then. No one was in a position to second guess the inquiry’s conclusions at that point.’ She pursed her lips and shook her head. ‘I don’t know why Laura thought what she did. Like I say, she blamed herself. Maybe part of that self-blame involved a need to face some kind of legal redress.’
‘So she lost her job? Forced to resign? It seems a bit harsh.’
‘To be honest with you, DS Fisher, I think it was only the job that was keeping her sane at the time. I did hear a rumour that she had some kind of breakdown after she left.’
Molly wasn’t surprised to hear it. The guilt that went with the responsibility combined with having so much time on her hands to think about what had happened would inevitably have done untold damage to her already fragile mental health. She knew it was imperative that they spoke to her soon.
‘If she’d just waited for the outcome of the inquiry,’ Penny said. ‘Noah’s parents weren’t happy about the outcome, and I can’t really say I blame them, but it meant the school’s reputation survived intact. It was a difficult time for everyone though. Especially those of us who were there when Noah was killed.’
‘What did you mean about the job being the only thing that was keeping her sane?’
‘Laura had been having personal problems at the time after her marriage had ended. She was drinking. There were days she’d turn up with a hangover and could barely function. We all used to cover for her; make sure Euan and especially Rachel didn’t find out how bad things were. If anyone is to blame here then it’s me. Looking back, I should have told them Laura wasn’t coping. But she promised me she was sorting herself out and turning her life around. She swore blind she was off the booze and seeking therapy.’
‘What are you saying here, Penny? Laura Grieve wasn’t in a fit state to be looking after children?’
Penny Garnett looked uncomfortable. ‘She’d lied to me. It turned out she wasn’t off the booze at all. The day of the school trip, she turned up for work with the most appalling hangover. I should have insisted she went home; said she was ill. I mean she was ill. But it would have meant we wouldn’t have had enough staff to cover the outing. We were already down a couple of TAs; a combination of staff shortages and the Year Twos being on some dull trip Rachel had organised to the National History Museum. Anyway, whatever the case, Laura went on that school trip when she should never have been near the park or supervising children that day. I did think the fresh air might help sharpen her up a bit, but she was in such a state.’
Molly was struggling to take it all in. ‘So, you’re saying Laura Grieve was distracted because she had a hangover? That’s why Noah Daniel died?’ If that was the case, Molly thought, then Laura Grieve was responsible.
‘If I’d just told the truth in the first place,’ Penny said. She was fighting back tears; dabbing at her eyes with her knuckles.
‘None of that changes the fact this isn’t your fault.’ Freya reached out and placed a hand on her partner’s arm.
‘I stood back and let Laura take the blame for this,’ Penny said. She looked at Molly. ‘You think Noah’s parents are behind this? Maybe if I had a word with them…?’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Molly said. ‘There’s nothing to suggest that they are responsible. If anything, this has brought everything back for them.’
‘So we just sit around waiting for some murderer to come after us?’ Freya asked.
‘No. We’ll arrange for you to have a police officer with you at all times. We can provide you with an alarm linked directly to your nearest police station. Keep an eye out for anyone strange or suspicious.’
‘We run a restaurant,’ Freya said, ‘we have strangers in here all the time.’
‘If you’re worried, you really should think seriously about closing the restaurant,’ Molly said. ‘Just until we catch the person responsible.’
‘Yes. The local CID officer who spoke to us earlier today advised us to close for a while. But he didn’t stipulate how long we should close for. This is our livelihood. If we close this place then we can’t pay our mortgage.’
Molly was picking up on the aggressive tone from Freya. She understood where it was coming from, but it wasn’t helpful. ‘I appreciate this is difficult. I accept this is not a situation either of you wishes to be in. However, it’s happened. We need to do what we can to keep you both safe.’
Penny sighed. ‘Don’t take it out on her, Freya. I already feel guilty about what happened. Not just that a child was killed on my watch, but at how we treated Laura. She was no more to blame than any of us.’
‘Are you saying that justifies someone wanting to kill you? It was an accident, for Christ’s sake!’
Penny turned to Molly. ‘We would appreciate any support the police can give us. We’d rather not close the restaurant if we don’t have to. But if it comes to it and you really think my life is in danger then we’ll consider it. We’ve already made arrangements to stay with some friends for a while. But we’d like to keep the restaurant open if we can.’ She offered a smile. ‘I appreciate everything the police are doing for us.’ She looked over at her partner. ‘We both do.’
Freya looked like she was about to say something, then just smiled at Molly too.
‘Just let us know what you need us to do,’ Penny said. ‘If it turns out it’s easier for us to shut the restaurant, then we’ll definitely consider it.’
‘Thanks,’ Molly said. She accepted that they wanted to carry on as normal. It was also possible, as with many people who felt their lives were in danger, that there was something unreal about the situation, as though the threat only really existed in the minds of the police. Molly wished that were the case. ‘I’ll give you my card,’ she said. ‘Call me anytime you need to.’
As she left the restaurant, she had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her. She looked behind her but there was no one there. Jumping at shadows now, she thought. But it was an eerie feeling, a prickling on the back of her neck. If someone was planning to kill Penny Garnett, then there was a strong chance they weren’t going to let Molly get between them and their ambition.
She stopped and turned round. If someone was watching her then the best thing she could do would be to confront them head on. But there were just people walking up and down the pavement, going about their everyday business, and taking no notice of her. There was nothing to worry about except her own paranoia.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Denning wasn’t sure what he was doing there. It was a pub by the river in Wapping that he’d been to before with Sarah on leisurely Sunday afternoons, sometimes for lunch, sometimes just for a drink and the chance to unwind while looking out onto the river. The Pear and Partridge had character, atmosphere and real ale. Despite its quirkiness, it was slightly off the tourist track so it wasn’t busy in summer.
This evening was the first time he’d been here in several months. There was a very good reason why he hadn’t been here and she was striding towards his table.
‘Hello, Matt.’
He hadn’t seen Anna Klein since the last time he’d been here back in June. He offered a weak smile, which he knew didn’t reach the rest of his face. DS Anna Klein, to give her full name and rank, had previously been a member of the CID in Islington. Until it had been discovered that she had been involved with a criminal. A fact she had deliberately kept from her employers. On one level, he felt sorry for her but, on another, he wished she would just go away.
She scraped the chair opposite towards her and sat down.
‘How have you been?’ she asked.
He was determined to keep the conversation light; two old friends catching up over a drink after work. Except they’d never really be what could be described as friends exactly.
‘Good, Anna. You?’
‘How do you think?’
If he’d been surprised to get her call the other day, he’d made sure his voice said otherwise. His first thought had been to fob her off, telling her he was in the middle of a major murder investigation. He knew she wouldn’t buy it. It was easier just to agree to meet, listen to what she had to say, make his excuses and wish her a nice life. However, he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that straightforward. Nothing with Anna ever was.
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to meet me,’ she said. She picked up a menu and began perusing it. She was wearing in her trademark raincoat, except rather than the smart business suit he was used to seeing her in when she was working, she was dressed in jeans and a casual top.
A waiter hovered by their table. Denning ordered a steak and green salad; after spending some time perusing the menu, Anna ordered linguini and a glass of white wine.
‘There’s still no word on when my hearing will be,’ she said as soon as the waiter was out of earshot. ‘I’m still suspended.’
‘On full pay, Anna. Some people would say you’re not doing too badly.’
She shot him a withering look. ‘That’s not really the point, is it?’ She tried for a smile, an attempt to soften the rougher edges of what had become their relationship. ‘I’ve explained the situation to them and argued my case, but they won’t take me off suspension. It’s ridiculous: the Met is seriously short-staffed and they won’t let me work.’
‘Those are the rules, Anna. Look, you’ll be given an opportunity to argue your case. Your Federation rep must have prepared well. That, taken alongside your years of good service, are bound to count for something.’
‘But there are no guarantees, Matt. I could be chucked out the Met for something silly that happened before I even became a police officer. It’s so unfair.’
‘And you’ll have the opportunity to argue your case.’
‘You’ve been there. You know how these things work. They twist things.’
Denning had been subject to an IOPC investigation earlier in the year when a suspect he’d been pursuing had been killed. The investigation had cleared him of any blame, but the circumstances had been very different. He still had to live with the guilt though; knowing someone had died as a result of his actions. ‘It was a formality in my case, Anna. My actions weren’t intentional. And I certainly never lied to my superiors about it.’
‘I didn’t lie. I just didn’t mention something I didn’t think was relevant.’
‘Then tell them that. Be honest. Tell them you made a mistake. I’m sure there are plenty of colleagues who would speak up for you.’
She looked awkward for a moment. ‘That’s why I’m here. It would help if you gave me a reference. You’re a DI; that would hold some sway.’
‘Me? What about your own DI at Islington? Or your DCI?’
‘I don’t want to ask them. They’ve already said they don’t want to get involved. It’s difficult… besides, it would be better coming from you as you work in a different department. It would look good.’
‘I don’t know… I mean, it’s not as if we worked together much. I mostly know you socially. That’s probably not going to have much influence.’
‘You owe me.’
He tried to hide his surprise. ‘How do you work that out?’
‘You were the one who told me to work with Molly Fisher. If you hadn’t put me and her together in the first place, she wouldn’t have gone running to Professional Standards with her stories. All because she didn’t like me.’
‘It wasn’t quite like that though, was it?’ He’d asked Molly and Anna to work together on a murder investigation a few months back. Anna Klein had been familiar with the background to the case, which had concerned the murder of a teenage girl who had become involved in a gang, and he’d naively assumed Molly and Anna would have worked well together, having much in common. It had turned out, however, that their working relationship was anything but harmonious. Denning sensed Molly now regretted the decision to report Klein and had never intended to get another officer into serious trouble. It was too late now though: once it became official, an IOPC investigation took on a momentum of its own. When the wheels started to turn, nothing was going to stop them.
