Haunting Shadows, page 23
“It is.” I looked at Malcolm. “I’m sorry, Mr. McCoy.”
I stood up and gestured for the PCs to take him away. As they grabbed him, Malcolm started to sob again. “B-but what aboot Grace? Ye have tae make sure she is alright!”
“Yer obsession with her got ye into this mess, kid,” Young said grumpily. “And ye amn’t helping yersel look innocent by continuously going on aboot her!”
“But I love her!” Malcolm exclaimed. He turned to me as the PCs tried to drag him out of the room. “I’m begging ye, DCI Glover! Find the real stalker and keep Grace safe!”
Young and I stood in the interrogation room, silent until his loud pleas could no longer be heard.
Young crossed his arms as he looked at me. “I cannae believe ye were trying tae suggest he was innocent!”
“For a guilty man, he certainly wasn’t dropping his innocent act,” I said calmly. “Even when he knew he would be looking at a long stint in prison, he still focused more on Grace’s safety than his own.”
“Aye, because he’s a nutter!” Young exclaimed. “Ye are a good detective, mate, but ye are tae much of a bleeding heart at times.”
I sighed. “Maybe you’re right... but he just seemed so convincing.”
“The best criminals always are, mate.” Young slapped my shoulder. “Come on, let’s go tell the others this is over.”
We went to our department and within seconds, the others were jumping on Young and celebrating another victory. I, however, kept a bit of a distance.
As happy as I was for the others, I just didn’t have it in me to cheer when I still wasn’t certain this felt right.
Paterson looked at me shrewdly. “What is it?”
“James here isnae convinced we’ve got the right guy,” Young said mockingly.
Boyd scoffed. “He’s joking, right?”
I sighed. “The evidence all points to him, there’s no denying that... and yet—”
“He’s a good liar who still winnae admit his guilt,” Young interrupted softly. “I ken ye dinnae ever want tae arrest an innocent man, mate, but we have looked into everything we possibly can tae prove his guilt.”
“I guess you’re right,” I muttered.
The others went back to celebrating, but Paterson kept watching me thoughtfully as I stepped toward my desk. Eventually, she pulled away from the others and approached me.
“What is it that makes ye think he could be innocent?” she asked. “Ye were one of the first people tae think he was guilty... it’s just like ye tae change yer mind the moment everyone else agrees with ye.”
I gave her a wry smile. “He wouldn’t stop going on about Grace. He kept saying it wasn’t him and that she wasn’t safe. Why would he keep doing that unless he truly was scared someone out there was targeting her?”
“He was likely just trying tae get into yer head, James,” Paterson answered gently.
“It’s possible...” I mumbled.
Paterson smirked. “But ye dinnae think so?”
I chuckled dryly. “I don’t know. All I know is something feels off.”
Paterson stroked my arm. “I ken it isnae nice that this case was a waste of our time, but let’s get our reports done so we can put this behind us and focus on Arnold, aye?”
“Sounds good.”
She removed her hand and stepped toward her desk. I watched as everyone went to their own desks, keen to get their reports started so we could put this behind us. I went to the kettle, made everyone a drink, then sat at my desk and started my report. As I worked, I typed more slowly than usual. My heart wasn’t in it, which made getting the reports finalised an even more taxing job than usual.
Come on, Glover! I chided. Just because this case hasn’t ended how you wanted doesn’t mean you can delay the inevitable.
And the inevitable was Malcolm looking at a long time in prison.
My report was mostly finished, but as I reached the end of it I hesitated.
Something about it all just didn’t feel right, and I knew I couldn’t finish and submit my report until I’d felt like I’d truly done everything to prove Malcolm’s innocence.
I glanced at his bank statement again, and as I looked at the transactions, I was quickly hit with an idea. I glanced at my watch and saw it was now late afternoon. I had to be quick if I was going to do what I needed to do.
I stood up from my desk and looked at the others. “I’m just nipping out.”
Everyone muttered, their eyes still fixed on their screens, but I caught Paterson’s eye and saw she was looking at me curiously.
I nodded at her, then quickly left. I walked speedily to my car, my decision firmly made. We had done almost everything we could to prove Malcolm’s guilt, but there was still one last thing we could do...
We could go to the shops where he obtained those items and get confirmation that it was definitely him who made those purchases.
A large part of me knew it was a waste of time, knew all signs pointed to Malcolm, but when I tried to finish my report… I couldn’t stop picturing his desperate face and the way he pleaded with me. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t do everything possible to prove either his guilt or innocence.
I drove to Inverness, swearing to myself as the rain delayed my journey. I had to move quickly to get around all of the shops before they closed. I went to the florist first and groaned when I saw that they’d closed early today due to technical difficulties. After that, I went to Boots, but I was left disappointed when they said they couldn’t confirm or deny if Malcolm had been there as they dealt with numerous customers on a regular basis. I asked for access to their CCTV, but the woman blushed and sheepishly admitted it hadn’t been working for months now. I scolded the woman, telling her to get that sorted immediately, then rushed back to my car so I could make it to Highland Mobile.
Luckily, I made it with minutes to spare, and although the lone worker in there gave me a grumpy look and said he was closing, he quickly behaved once I pulled out my badge.
“Sorry, officer! Saturdays are always manic days, so I didnae want tae deal with a last-minute customer,” the man said guiltily.
“Detective, not officer.” I smiled politely. “No need to apologise. I just have a few questions I need to ask, then you’ll be free to leave.”
The man nodded. “Aye, of course. Sorry, Detective. Please come in.”
I thanked him as he shut the door behind me, locking it as he did so. I watched him locking up with a curious expression, and he gave me a sheepish grin.
“As I said, it’s been manic today and I dinnae want tae risk any customers trying tae get in while I’m talking tae ye.”
“Understood,” I responded. “I’ll try not to keep you long.”
The man stepped behind his till point. “What can I dae fur ye, Detective?”
“Do you have CCTV here?” I inquired.
The man’s cheeks flushed. “Erm... nae, we dinnae. I’m in the process of sorting it though, I promise!”
I sighed. “A case I’m working on involves a young man who’s been arrested for stalking. He claims he’s innocent, but the phone that was used to harass his victim was likely purchased in this store. If I show you a photo, do you think you’d be able to confirm if he was here or not?”
I felt relieved when the man nodded. “Aye, it’s very likely. This is ma shop, and I work here alone, so if yer suspect was in here… I’ll remember him.”
I thanked him as I grabbed my phone. I went on Malcolm’s Facebook page, clicked on his profile photo, and zoomed in so the shop owner could clearly see Malcolm’s face. “This lad was potentially in here a couple of days ago buying a Nokia phone.” I placed his bank statement on the till point. “You can see the exact date and time this would have taken place.”
The man looked at the photo for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. “Nae, sorry. I cannae say I recognise the guy.”
I didn’t know if I should feel hopeful or disappointed.
“It is possible someone else could have used his bank card. If you don’t recognise him, maybe you can remember who else was in around that time?”
The man continued to stare at the photo, but he pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I’m good with faces, but it’s hard tae say who else was here around that time.” He looked up at me apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
I smiled, hoping my disappointment didn’t show. “It’s fine. Thank you for your time, anyway.”
I started to pull my phone away, clicking on the screen so it was no longer zoomed in. As I pulled it toward me, I flinched when the shop owner suddenly grabbed my wrist, his eyes widening as he stared at my phone.
“What is it?” I asked keenly. “Do you now recognise him?”
The man shook his head. “Nae, it isnae him I recognise.”
The man pointed to the photo, and as I followed his finger, I gasped.
37
It was Grace.
“Are you certain you recognise this woman?”
The man instantly nodded. “Aye, a thousand percent. I’ve always been good with faces, but I niver forget a pretty face like that.”
I took my phone back, my eyes boring into the shop owner’s own. “Tell me everything.”
The man rubbed his thick stubble. “There isnae much tae tell, really. I remember the lass came in on her own, told me she just needed a cheap phone tae get her by as hers was broken, so I suggested the Nokia. She thanked me, paid fur it, then left.”
“And would this have happened around the date and time on this bank statement?” I pressed.
“Aye, it was definitely on Thursday.”
“Thank you for your time, that’s all I need.”
The man looked surprised, but he let me out of the shop. As I walked speedily toward my car, my mind was filled with a million questions. Why had Grace bought the phone with Malcolm’s debit card? Had she somehow faked the stalker herself and was happy to let Malcolm take the fall?
Alarm bells were suddenly ringing in my head, and I knew I had to stop the team before they submitted their reports. I pulled out my phone and quickly called Young, and was grateful when he instantly answered.
“Have you submitted your reports yet?” I asked hastily.
“Nae, I’m just finishing it off, but I’ll be ready—”
“What about the others?” I interrupted.
“Hold on, I’ll ask.”
“Put me on speaker.”
I heard Young put me on speaker as he spoke to the others. I sighed with relief when they all told me they hadn’t submitted their reports yet.
“What’s this all aboot, James?” Paterson asked.
“I just went to the phone shop that Malcolm had apparently purchased that Nokia from, only the shop owner confirmed Malcolm was never there,” I replied.
“What, ye saw this on camera?” Paterson queried.
“No, the shop owner has a good memory and knows for a fact Malcolm wasn’t there.”
Young sighed. “That’s hardly damning proof, James.”
“No? But what about the fact he pointed to a photo of Grace and said he is a thousand percent certain that she was the one to buy the phone?”
There was a tense silence for half a second.
“Something tells me that Grace knows a lot more about all of this than she’s let us believe,” I explained coldly.
“Ye think she is behind all of this, dinnae ye?” Paterson asked in shock.
“I do, but now we need to prove it,” I responded. “We need to work and gather any evidence against her, but I think it’s going to be a challenge.”
She’s been one step ahead of us this entire time, so she’s no fool, I thought unhappily.
“Boyd is looking through her own bank statements now,” Young answered hastily. “I’m happy tae look into her, but I just cannae see why she wid dae this? Why wid she make it look like she’s being stalked?”
“Aye, and why has she worked so hard tae make Malcolm look guilty?” Paterson mused. “We ken she spells words perfectly, so if she is behind this she’s really gone all out tae point the blame at Malcolm.”
I was silent for a moment as I pondered that myself. If Grace was the one who’d orchestrated this entire thing, why had she done it? I knew she wasn’t happy with Malcolm, but was she that unhappy with him?
“I’m going to go and see Grace now,” I said.
“Ye need tae tread carefully there, mate,” Young responded. “We have the word of one man that she was in the shop, but we all ken that is nothing. The last thing we want tae dae is risk spooking her or letting her ken we are onto her before we get proof.”
“Were ye able tae get CCTV from the shop?” Gamble asked hopefully.
I sighed. “No, they don’t have any.”
Young swore.
“I can go speak tae the tech team, sir?” Gamble suggested. “We can try tae find cameras close tae the shop?”
“Excellent suggestion, Gamble!” I praised. “Get on that right away.”
“What are ye going tae say tae Grace?” Young asked.
“And dae ye want one of us tae meet ye there?” Paterson added.
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I should go alone,” I replied. “If more than one of us go, it might put her on edge. I think I’ll just go there and act as though I’m updating her on the case... hopefully now that we know she’s a potential suspect and not a victim, I can gauge her a bit differently.”
The team wished me luck, and then I hung up the phone. As I drove, my mind was filled with thoughts, each more suspicious than the last. I didn’t know if seeing Brodie outside of the bistro inspired her to continue her charade to get attention, if it was to remove Malcolm from her life, or if seeing Brodie was a mere coincidence and she’d been planning this for a while.
Whatever the reason, there was clearly something wrong with the girl. I knew I had to find evidence to prove her guilt before she did anything else potentially dangerous.
I made it to her house, approached her front door, and knocked on it loudly.
“Coming!” Grace’s voice said chirpily. She then opened the door, and her smile dropped when she saw me. “Detective Glover, this is a surprise!”
I subtly looked her up and down, surprised to see she was dressed in an attractive, figure-hugging black dress. Her face was covered in makeup, and there were some heels near the door. It appeared she was getting ready to go out.
“Am I interrupting?” I asked calmly.
Grace smiled. “I’m meeting up with some of ma girlfriend tae celebrate, but please come in! I’ll always have time fur the man who helped keep me safe.”
Oh, she’s good, I thought impassively. Very good.
“Thank you,” I said gently as I stepped inside.
With my back turned to her I glanced around the hallway, looking for any signs of anything out of place. Unfortunately, the place looked spotless. Before I had the chance to look elsewhere, Grace closed the door behind us and moved in front of me.
“What brings ye here, Detective?” she asked sweetly.
“I wanted to give you an update,” I answered.
“Let’s go take a seat,” she said warmly.
I followed her into the living room, then sat down on her sofa. Grace sat down next to me, and I couldn’t help but notice that she was sitting much closer to me than she ever had before. Her knees were pointed toward me, and the close proximity made me instantly uncomfortable.
“Has Malcolm been arrested, DCI Glover?” she asked.
I shook my head, keeping my eyes glued to hers as I did so. I noticed a flicker of surprise mirrored in her eyes, but that was it.
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, Mr. McCoy is refusing to confess,” I answered. “It’s hard to arrest him when he is claiming he is innocent.”
Grace looked at me thoughtfully. She furrowed her brows and sighed. “I’d like tae say I’m surprised, but I’m not... Malcolm has always been stubborn. He refused tae admit our relationship was over, so I cannae imagine he will admit tae what he’s done either.”
“We hope if we keep piling the pressure on him that he’ll confess, but only time will tell,” I answered.
Grace laughed coldly. “I ken Malcolm... he will niver confess tae this. Niver.”
Because he is innocent and you know it.
“Why do you say that?”
Grace smiled weakly. “I ken him well after being with him fur so long.” She frowned, her eyes watering. “At least… I thought I kent him.”
“So you’re still surprised he was behind all of this?” I asked.
Grace hesitated thoughtfully. “Aye, I am. I kent he was keen tae continue the relationship… and I saw him panicking anytime I suggested it was over... but I niver expected him tae go this far in order tae keep us together.”
As I watched her, I couldn’t deny that a large part of me was impressed. The woman was a master actor who knew when to display emotion, and the exact level of it, too. Everything about her seemed so genuine... so real, it was hard to believe she was lying through her teeth.
“I’m sorry again for your... ordeal, Grace,” I said gently, putting subtle emphasis on the word ordeal. “But at least now that the police have left and Malcolm is locked away you’ll be able to have a good night with your friends.”
She smiled. “Thank ye, Detective” She put her hand on my knee, and I fought back the urge to recoil. “Fur everything.”
I nodded politely as I stood up. I said goodbye to her, then made my way to my car, feeling annoyed that talking to her had gotten me nowhere. As I got into my car, I tried not to be angry at myself for never once suspecting Grace, and for the fact I’d let her manipulation affect my judgement.
From the start I’d believed Malcolm was guilty, and it was all because Grace had done everything within her power to make him look guilty. She was clever, there was no denying that, so I knew I had to be even cleverer if there was any chance of me getting her for this.
I went to turn on my ignition, but stopped, my eyes flicking toward Grace’s house. Slowly, I drove past Grace’s house... but I had no intention of leaving. Grace was up to something, and I knew I couldn’t leave until I figured out exactly what that was.
