Shattered Bones, page 21
‘Maybe we’ll eventually get some answers at last,’ said Maya. ‘Have we any other updates?’
‘Yes. Councillor Hanford is also a person of interest. He’s going to be brought in and interviewed under caution today too. New evidence has arisen that suggests he may have been one of the last people to see Trevor Dawlish before he went missing.’
‘Where?’
‘At Trevor’s place of work. There is CCTV footage which shows Dawlish and Hanford taking a walk together away from the town hall on the afternoon of Trevor’s wedding anniversary.’
‘I knew he was a slippery fucker,’ said Maya. ‘So did Malone. He seems to think there may have been something going on with him and Trevor’s wife, which would have given him a motive to kill Trevor. I always thought strangulation was strange. It’s usually a crime of passion, isn’t it – which would kind of make sense if Hanford and Trevor were love rivals. Wait, does that mean that Jason Laing is in the clear. He’s still missing, isn’t he?’
‘Yes,’ said Kym. ‘Laing has been circulated as a priority wanted person across neighbouring forces, not just ours.’
‘He can’t stay missing for ever. His luck is bound to run out at some point.’
‘Could Hanford have pushed Rose?’ Chris mused.
‘Who knows. Possibly. If he was capable of killing Trevor, it’s not unfeasible to want the elderly mother-in-law out of the way too. It’d leave the way clear for him to get with Bernadette,’ Maya said.
‘But if it was Hanford, how does Laurel fit in?’
Maya shrugged. ‘I’m sure we’ll know more after her interview. It’s starting to sound to me that she has nothing to do with the old lady’s death after all. I’ve said it before, from what we know she seems to have genuinely cared for Rose and it would take an incredibly callous person to push an old lady down the stairs, knowing they’d then have to step over her dead body on their way back out of the house.’
Chris rubbed a hand over his stubble. ‘I agree with you. But if Laurel is completely innocent, why did she try to kill herself?’
‘That,’ said Maya, ‘is a very good question.’
60
When Laurel woke up in hospital, she wished she were dead. The pain was too much to bear. The doctor had explained how lucky she was, and that if DS Alex Adebayo hadn’t administered CPR when he had, she would be dead by now. She wasn’t feeling lucky – far from it. The pain across her ribs where he had conducted chest compressions was unbearable and she was covered in bruises. Her wrists had been bandaged, the cuts felt like they were on fire and her throat felt raw and dry where she’d been intubated.
But the physical complaints were nothing compared to the emotional heartache. As the nurses had brought her round, she had questioned why there was a uniformed police officer stationed outside her room. When they explained that she was going to be arrested on suspicion of murder, she thought immediately of Rose.
However, on hearing about Trevor, she felt her entire world fall apart. She had no details about how he had died and was stunned as to why she was considered a suspect. The nurses explained that once the doctor considered her fit enough, she would be formally arrested and taken to Beech Field police station to be interviewed.
That had been several days ago, and now Laurel was ready to leave one institution for another. She had the humiliation of being escorted through the hospital by two uniformed police officers. One of them held her elbow to guide her down the corridors as her wrists were too heavily bandaged for handcuffs. She had been transported like an animal to the police station in the caged area of a police van that smelt strongly of urine. Sean and Adebayo met her in custody. She acknowledged Sean with a nod as he introduced her to Adebayo.
‘I believe I have you to thank for saving my life,’ said Laurel.
Adebayo shrugged modestly. ‘All part of the job. It’s what we do.’
‘I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I really wish you had just left me to die,’ she replied sullenly.
Sean had been shocked by the sight of her. She was a shell of the bombastic woman he had dealt with previously. Her face, devoid of make-up, made her look younger and more vulnerable. She was dressed in black jogging bottoms and a shapeless black velour hoodie which drained what little colour she had left in her face. Her short hair was lank and greasy, and the ostentatious crucifix was noticeable by its absence. It had been removed by hospital staff and now remained in prisoner’s property. Sean flinched at the sight of her bandaged wrists as he quickly dismissed the fleeting image of her lying half-dead and heavily bloodstained on her bathroom floor.
Once the custody sergeant explained her rights, Laurel was taken through to the interview room along with her solicitor, Colin Purcell. She had already had a pre-interview consultation with Purcell, during which time he had recommended that she make no comment.
Laurel, desperate to know the truth about what happened to Trevor, dismissed his advice with a wave of her hand. ‘I just want to get on with it,’ she had told him. ‘I need to know what happened to Trevor. I had nothing to do with his death, so I have nothing to hide.’
She didn’t mention Rose. She’d keep her cards as close to her chest as she could on that one, until any concrete evidence was put towards her.
Adebayo took charge of the interview as he asked her once again about the last time she had seen Trevor. She replied verbatim with the same facts she had shared with Sean after seeing Trevor leaving the Dawlishes’ house.
Adebayo nodded his way through Laurel’s account whilst Sean took notes.
‘I really don’t know what else to tell you. Perhaps if you’d have turned out when I rang you, you would have been able to find him,’ Laurel said accusingly to Sean. He was amused to see a spark of ire, reminding him that the seemingly vulnerable woman sat before them was not to be underestimated.
‘You see, here’s the thing,’ said Adebayo. ‘Nobody else saw Trevor that day. Well, Rose states she did but as she is no longer with us, we can’t confirm that. Additionally, she was a poor witness anyway because of her failing memory.’ Adebayo paused as he looked at Laurel carefully before delivering his next words. ‘We now know that on the day you rang us claiming that Trevor had returned home, he was already dead by then.’
Her eyes widened with shock as she gasped. Her hand instinctively reached for the crucifix that wasn’t there. ‘No. He couldn’t have been. I saw him.’
Sean produced the image of Trevor and passed it across the desk towards Laurel. ‘For the benefit of the tape I’m showing Ms Miller Exhibit KB3. It depicts the image of a male produced by facial reconstruction experts, following the recovery of the decomposed remains of an unknown male recovered from the canal late October. Fingerprints and DNA have since confirmed that same male is actually Trevor Dawlish.’
Laurel’s eyes began to brim with tears as Sean carried on regardless. ‘So, Ms Miller, it is not possible that Trevor returned home on the day you claimed to have seen him. Unless it was a ghostly apparition. I need you to start telling us the truth.’
‘I am telling you the truth. It was Trevor. I’m sure of it. I’m not lying, and I can assure you I am of sound mind.’
Sean raised an eyebrow as he imperceptibly glanced at Laurel’s bandaged wrists. She saw his questioning glance and gave him a scathing look as she put her hands under the table out of sight.
‘You said the man from the canal, Trevor, had been strangled. Is that right?’
‘I’m afraid so.’
Laurel slumped forward, keening as she clutched her stomach. ‘Who would do that? Who would kill him? He was such a lovely man. He wouldn’t harm a fly.’ Her eyes suddenly flashed with anger. ‘All that bullshit Bernadette came out with, that he assaulted her when he came home is a lie. Trevor would never hurt anyone.’
‘We know,’ said Adebayo calmly. ‘Bernadette has admitted to us that she lied about Trevor coming home that day.’
Laurel let out a cruel laugh. ‘She’s got something to do with all this then. She must have. Why else would she make up such a vicious lie?’
‘She was frustrated with what she considered a lack of police action in finding her husband. She decided that if she claimed he’d assaulted her, we’d want to arrest him and would therefore find him quicker.’
‘Stupid woman. But then you know that, don’t you?’ she asked Sean as she sat back. ‘You’ve met her enough times to know the lights are on, but nobody is home. Until the day I die I will never fathom what Trevor saw in her.’
‘You hate Bernadette, don’t you, Ms Miller?’
Purcell interjected. ‘You don’t have to answer that.’
Laurel shrugged.
‘We know about the voicemail you left her on the night you tried to kill yourself. We’ve both heard it,’ said Sean. ‘It came as quite a surprise to our team as in a previous interview with my colleagues, you claimed that your feelings towards Trevor were purely platonic.’
Laurel shrugged again, this time though her eyes brimmed with tears that she blinked back. Despite her efforts to present an unperturbed façade, her lower lip was beginning to tremble.
Adebayo leant towards Laurel and smiled sympathetically. ‘Did you have feelings for Trevor?’ he asked softly. The compassion in his voice caused her to break as she nodded through her tears. Her shoulders shaking with grief as she muttered something inaudible.
‘Sorry, Laurel, can you repeat that please?’
She looked up at Adebayo, face streaked with tears. ‘I loved him,’ she stated simply. She turned to Sean. ‘I lied to your colleagues, about all of it. Happy now? I lied and this is the truth. I was in love with Trevor and yes, when he and Bernadette first started dating, I did cause damage to her car and anything else I could do to make her life a misery. We came to an understanding when he proposed to her. She said she’d convince him to move away if I didn’t stop bullying her.’
Laurel let out a hollow laugh. ‘It was the first time the stupid bitch ever showed any sign of having a backbone. God, she’s pathetic with her simpering face and dull clothes. She always looks so bloody nervous and simpering, like a strong breeze would blow her over. And talk about dull, Christ, you’d have a more stimulating conversation with a house brick.’
‘Where were you on the last day Trevor was seen alive?’ Adebayo asked.
‘Away. I always go away on 5 October. The last thing I need is to have to sit and watch them celebrate their bloody wedding anniversary. It was the same on the day of the wedding. I was invited, of course. I made excuses about work to avoid it; it was a mid-week wedding, so the excuse was plausible. There’s no way I could have stomached watching Trevor marry that woman. It was bad enough being forced by Rose to sit through the wedding album.’
She burst into fresh, noisy tears, sobbing uncontrollably whilst the three men shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Purcell cleared his throat. ‘May I remind you gentlemen that my client has only just come out of hospital. I’m concerned that this level of distress may be detrimental to her health.’
‘What happened to Trevor was significantly more detrimental to his health,’ stated Sean unwaveringly.
Laurel sniffed and placed her hand on Purcell’s arm. ‘Thank you for your concern, I’m fine to continue. I’m more invested than anyone else here in finding out what happened to Trevor.’
‘You said you were away,’ Adebayo said tentatively. ‘Where did you go?’
‘There’s a lovely hotel and spa in Liverpool I like. I can provide you with the address, booking reference, credit card statements. Whatever you need. I booked several treatments and meals while I was there, so there’ll be plenty of witnesses. I returned home the following day, Wednesday, late afternoon.’
‘When did you find out Trevor had gone missing?’
‘The moment I pulled up outside my house. I hadn’t even taken my seat belt off and Bernadette appeared, bawling her eyes out. Stupid woman hadn’t even phoned the police. She only rang you because I told her to.’
‘Can you recall the last time you spoke to Trevor?’
‘Yes, the day before their wedding anniversary. He called after work and put my bins out for me. He was so good like that.’ She choked back a sob. ‘He stayed for a cup of tea and a chat.’
‘How did he seem?’
‘Absolutely fine. Same as always.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘When you asked Bernadette how he appeared prior to going missing, she hinted he’d not been himself. That’s all a lie too, there was nothing wrong with him, nothing bothering him, he was the same as always.’
‘With respect, would his wife not know more about her husband’s state of mind than you?’
Laurel shook her head adamantly. ‘I know Trevor. I would have known if something was bothering him. He would have told me.’
‘Did he talk to you about the pregnancy?’
‘What bloody pregnancy?’
‘Bernadette is pregnant. She said it came as quite a shock to Trevor and was initially the reason why she thought he may have gone missing. To clear his head while he came to terms with the idea.’
Laurel was open-mouthed with shock. ‘I had no clue. Neither of them told me.’
‘Apparently it was the reason Bernadette stayed with her sister the night she asked you to look in on Rose. She wasn’t feeling well, she was suffering with morning sickness and a migraine.’
‘Neither of them talked about having a family. Rose once told me that the death of his little brother had had a huge effect on Trevor. So much so, apparently, he once commented that he would be terrified of having children of his own in case something happened to them. I just assumed from that conversation, that it was never in the pipeline for them. I can’t believe Trevor never told me.’
‘Perhaps you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did?’ said Sean.
Laurel glared at him with sheer contempt. ‘There would have been a reason that Trevor didn’t tell me something as huge as that. It was probably down to her. I bet she swore him to secrecy. She’s just the type to be superstitious about announcing a pregnancy too soon. I’ve seen her saluting magpies in the garden to ward off bad luck for Christ’s sake. She’s unhinged.’ Laurel made a swirling motion with her forefinger at the side of her head.
‘Moving on,’ said Adebayo skilfully, ‘we also need to revisit the events leading up to Rose’s death.’
Sean craned forward. ‘Is there anything you’d like to admit to now? Have you lied about that too?’
Laurel turned to Purcell. ‘I’d like a consultation with you in private, please.’
Sean and Adebayo exchanged a look as they paused the interview.
61
The Naylor brothers were parked in Anthony’s car on the road opposite Maya’s apartment block. Anthony shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘I’m not sure about us being here. You’re breaching the rules of your probation being anywhere near her home.’
‘I know. Obviously, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I know I’ve got too much to lose. I’m just curious. I wanted to see where she’s living. It looks like she’s done well for herself looking at that place.’
‘It wasn’t enough that you got to see her the other day?’
‘No. You don’t understand. There’s so much about her I don’t know. I want to see where she lives, see the streets she walks along, where her local shop is. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to experiencing her life. This curiosity, it’s so strong, like a craving. You’re not a parent – you don’t understand.’
They sat in silence for a little longer, Anthony deciding it was best just to leave Marcus with his thoughts. Just when he was starting to feel uncomfortable from sitting so long Marcus spoke.
‘I’m never going to get the chance to speak to her again, am I?’
Anthony let out a snort. ‘Not likely.’
‘It’s a shame really. There’s so much I’d like to say. To both of them.’
‘Too much to lose, remember. Don’t risk what we’ve got.’
‘I won’t. Come on, let’s go home.’ Marcus twisted in his seat so he could take one last look at Maya’s building before it disappeared from view.
* * *
Maya and Chris were in the car park checking the vans. While it was just the two of them away from Tara’s endless gossiping, Maya was telling Chris about the damage to her grandad’s flowers.
‘It’s disturbing, but I’m inclined to agree with Dominique. It might be kids. It’s natural for you to assume it’s Naylor, but why would he? It’s risky for him while he’s under probation and then there’s the letter he wrote.’
‘Which I still think is bullshit,’ Maya said as she kicked at the floor. ‘I honestly think he wrote that to give us a false sense of security. I know Mama thinks I sound like a conspiracist and I’m catastrophising, but I don’t believe for one minute that he’s changed. It’s all a bloody lie, some sort of twisted trick.’
Chris said nothing, he just smiled at Maya reassuringly. ‘What do you think?’
‘I don’t know him or what’s gone on over the years, but I can see what a huge impact it’s had on you emotionally. And it’s understandable, after all he has threatened you in the past.’
‘But?’
Chris reached out and squeezed her arm. ‘People do change. He’s just got out of prison after a very long time. He’d be mad to risk doing anything to get him sent down again. Would scaring you really be worth it? I wouldn’t take the risk if I were him.’
‘But you’re not him, he’s a fucking psycho.’
‘Look, the main thing is, he’s stayed away so far. And the flower thing, well, you said yourself, at least it’s made Dominique be more wary about her security. So that’s a good thing at least, just in case he does show up, which to be honest, love, I honestly don’t think he will. Maybe you should think about going to see Jayne again? Counselling may help.’
