Dark Spaces (18 page)

Gem’s about to separate them out and borrow a hairdryer from one of the girls, when there’s another crash and more shouting.

She sticks her head around the kitchen door. A few of the girls do the same from their bedrooms. Amber ain’t wearing a top and she covers each boob with a hand. Everyone’s looking down the corridor towards Misty’s room.

Gem steps out of the kitchen and is almost knocked off her feet by Feyza flying past towards the commotion. Before she gets to Misty’s door, it bursts open, hitting the wall behind. The punter backs out into the corridor, trousers round his ankles, bare bollocks swinging round like ping-pong balls in a pink sock.

Misty follows him, but she’s limping badly ’cos she’s taken off one of her shoes and is trying to hit the punter with it. He dodges the heel, which is a good thing. It’s proper spiky and could do him some damage if Misty connects.

‘Fucking bastard,’ Misty is screaming at him. ‘Fucking filthy bastard.’

Feyza manoeuvres herself between the punter and Misty, grabbing the shoe for good measure.

‘What the hell goes on?’ she shouts.

‘She’s mental, that one.’ The man pulls up his pants. ‘Off her rocker.’

‘Mental?’ Spit flies out of Misty’s mouth. ‘Mental am I?’ She tries to reach round Feyza with her nails. ‘I’ll fucking show you how mental I am.’

Feyza gives Misty an almighty shove that sends her toppling backwards into her room. Then she gives the punter a more gentle push towards the kitchen.

‘Put gentleman into free room, Gem,’ she shouts. ‘Get him drink and whatever else he needs.’

Feyza disappears into Misty’s room and slams the door shut behind her. The man rushes away, tucking his shirt in and Gem leads him into one of the unused room.

‘She shouldn’t be working here,’ he says. ‘She needs locking up.’

Gem don’t point out that she ain’t in charge. Instead, she points to the bed she made earlier and pours some water from the bottle she leaves in each girl’s room. It ain’t new. She just fills the old ones up from the tap, but no one seems to care.

He takes the glass and sinks onto the bed.

‘I’ve told you lot before about what sort of girls you can keep here,’ he says. ‘You don’t get any bother as long as it’s a quiet house. Do you understand?’

Gem don’t understand, but she nods all the same. She glances at the door and wonders how long Feyza is going to be.

‘So what’s your name then?’ he asks.

‘Gem,’ she says.

‘And how old are you, Gem?’

‘Sixteen,’ she answers, quick as a flash.

He looks her up and down and laughs. She checks her jeans and trainers, wondering what’s funny. They’re old, but they ain’t that bad. And anyway, once she’s paid off the Slaughter brothers and bought a few things for Tyler, she’s going to get a new pair from the market.

At last Feyza comes in.

‘Bill, I so sorry about that. I don’t know what comes over her,’ she says. ‘Misty one of our best girls.’

He sips the water and looks over the rim. ‘Like I was just saying to this young lady here, you can’t have nutters like that working here.’

‘Come on, Bill.’ Feyza gives a big fake smile. ‘You know what working girls are like.’

‘The mad, the bad and the fucking dangerous,’ he says.

‘Exactly.’

He drains his glass and hands it to Gem. ‘Too much of the last one is bad news.’ He nods at Gem. ‘Even this one gets it.’

Feyza narrows her eyes. ‘Put on kettle, Gem. Me and Bill talk business now.’

Gem doesn’t need to be asked twice.

Lilly smiled at Chloe. There were a few stray crumbs on the girl’s chin and Lilly fought the urge to brush them off.

‘I’ve spoken to forensics,’ she said.

‘Who’s that?’ Chloe asked.

‘People at the laboratory,’ said Lilly. ‘The place where they test all the evidence.’

‘Like what?’

‘The knife, for one thing.’

‘It wasn’t mine,’ said Chloe. ‘I didn’t touch it.’

‘They also look at dead bodies,’ Lilly said. ‘To see if they can find any answers that can help tell the police what they might have died of.’ She paused to let what she was saying sink in. ‘They also check what other injuries the person might have suffered, besides what killed them.’

‘How?’

‘What?’

‘How do they check what other injuries the dead person has?’ Chloe asked.

Lilly gulped. Incisions were made. Instruments inserted. Bodies butterflied like shoulders of lamb. It wasn’t an image she wanted to conjure up for her client.

‘I’m really not sure,’ she said.

‘Oh.’ Chloe sounded disappointed.

‘Anyway.’ Lilly kept her tone bright. ‘I spoke to them about Lydia and asked if she had been sexually assaulted.’

‘I told you she had.’

‘I know, but we need someone independent to back up what you’ve said.’

‘Because I’m mad?’ Chloe asked. ‘No one will believe what I say because I’m mad?’

‘This has nothing to do with your illness,’ said Lilly. ‘In serious cases like this, everyone needs to back up what they say. It’s called corroboration.’

‘Corroboration.’ Chloe repeated the word as if it were in a foreign language. ‘Corroboration.’

‘Yup. Think of it this way, if two people say the same thing, it’s a lot more likely to be true.’

‘And did the people at the laboratory back me up?’ Chloe asked.

Lilly pressed her lips together for a second. ‘To an extent, yes. They confirmed that Lydia had definitely been having sex shortly before she was killed.’

‘I told you.’

‘They also confirmed that it could have been done against her will, especially if she had been drugged. Unfortunately, they didn’t find any drugs in her system, but that’s not too surprising. Some clear very quickly,’ Lilly told her. ‘What I’m hoping is that the police will at least accept that they need to look into the possibility of someone else being involved and release you in the meantime.’

Fear swept across Chloe’s face. ‘I’m not going back to the Grove.’

‘I’ll talk to Harry about what’s best,’ said Lilly.

‘Where is he?’

‘On the phone. He’s taking what you’ve said very seriously and is looking into it right now.’

‘Where will he send me?’

Lilly had no idea, but she couldn’t let Chloe become distressed about that now. It was the last thing they all needed.

‘I’m sure that’s something else he’s looking into right now.’

She was almost relieved when Jack poked his head around the door. ‘Can I have a word, Lilly?’

Back in the custody area, they took up a seat on an empty bench, ignoring the flashing light behind the sergeant, alerting him to the fact that one of his prisoners was calling for attention. There was meant to be an alarm bell too, but the majority of sergeants disconnected them so they could at least hear themselves think. It was not unknown for junkies doing their rattle to press their call buttons all night.

‘You’ve spoken to Phil?’ Lilly asked.

‘Indeed I have,’ Jack replied.

‘And he’s told you that Chloe’s story is not unreasonable?’

‘He confirmed it’s one possibility.’

Lilly sat on her hands so as not to punch the air. ‘You’ll release her on bail then?’

‘No.’

The feeling of elation drained away. ‘No?’

‘Your client’s made a huge allegation,’ he said. ‘I think it’s only right that I ask her about it formally under caution. If this thing were to get to court we wouldn’t want some smart-arsed lawyer saying I hadn’t given her the chance to tell her side of the tale now, would we?’

Harry’s eyes blazed as Lilly informed him of Jack’s decision. ‘It’s outrageous,’ he said. ‘The man’s a complete arse.’

Lilly hid a smile. ‘To be fair, he probably should put the charge to Chloe, given she’s raised a fairly spectacular defence.’

‘But you know as well as I do that she can’t stand up to an interrogation,’ he said. ‘She might say anything.’

‘Agreed,’ said Lilly. ‘Which is why I’ll tell her to answer “no comment” to every question.’

Harry shook his head. ‘But won’t that look odd? Wouldn’t an innocent person want to set the record straight?’

‘That’s where you and I come in,’ said Lilly.

Harry looked puzzled.

‘We prepare brief statements and read them out at the top of the interview,’ she said. ‘You’ll say how unhappy you are that she’s being interviewed and I’ll explain that she’s not guilty, but I’ve advised her not to engage with the process.’

‘And that will work?’ Harry asked. ‘Jack will accept it?’

Lilly laughed. ‘Not lying down, no, but what’s he going to do? Beat her until she squeals?’

‘I get the feeling you’ve done this before,’ Harry said with a smile.

‘Maybe once or twice.’

They took up their places in an interview suite: Jack on one side of a table, Chloe on the other, flanked by Lilly and Harry. Frankly, it was a tight squeeze and Lilly tried not to jab her elbow into her client’s doughy arm as she made notes of the date, time and those present.

The interview would be recorded by video, but Lilly liked to note what happened as it occurred. Old habits die hard.

‘I’m sure your solicitor has explained that I’m taping this interview, Chloe?’ Jack asked.

‘No comment,’ Chloe answered slowly and deliberately.

Jack laughed. ‘We haven’t started yet, Chloe. I just wanted to check you knew I was filming. Okay?’

Chloe’s reply was mechanical. ‘No comment.’

‘Okaaaay,’ said Jack. ‘I think I can see where this is going.’

‘No comment.’

‘It wasn’t a question, Chloe.’ He looked at Lilly. ‘Can I assume you’ve advised your client that I’m taping this?’

‘You can,’ Lilly answered.

‘Then we’ll get started.’ Jack reached up and turned on the camera. ‘My name is DCI Jack McNally and I’m here today to question Chloe Church in the presence of her solicitor.’ He nodded at Lilly. ‘For the benefit of the record, could you state your name?’

‘I’m Lilly Valentine,’ she said with a courteous smile.

‘And, because Chloe is a minor, she is also accompanied by an appropriate adult,’ said Jack and gestured to Harry.

‘My name is Harry Piper.’ Harry’s voice was smooth. ‘And I really must say at this juncture that I very much object to this interview.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Jack, who did not sound in the least apologetic.

‘Chloe, as you very well know, is extremely vulnerable.’ Harry checked his notes. ‘Her mental health is in such a fragile state I fear this interrogation could be very damaging. You have a duty of care towards her that you are breaching by insisting on this.’ He waved a disgusted hand at the camera. ‘Frankly, I’m shocked.’

Jack nodded his head. ‘Thank you for your comments, Mr Piper.’

‘Doctor,’ said Harry. ‘Doctor Piper.’

‘Apologies, Doctor Piper.’ Jack placed a loaded emphasis on the word ‘doctor’. ‘I’ve listened to your comments but feel I still have to proceed. Fortunately, from what I’ve seen today, Chloe is perfectly calm and lucid and she doesn’t appear to be under the undue influence of any drugs, so I’ve decided it’s safe to carry out this interview.’

‘Based on what qualifications?’ Harry demanded.

‘Based on over twenty years in the police service and having carried out thousands of interviews.’

Harry rapped his finger against his notes. ‘This is a travesty.’

‘I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’ve run this past the custody sergeant and the FME.’

‘FME?’

‘Forensic medical examiner,’ said Jack. ‘Doctors who work for the police and check on our prisoners.’

‘I see.’

‘And he agrees with the custody sergeant that given the serious nature of the offence, Chloe should be given the opportunity to tell her side of the story.’

Neatly done, thought Lilly. Make it look like you’re doing the suspect a favour.

Jack cleared his throat. ‘Chloe, you do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’ He paused and watched Chloe. ‘Do you understand what I’m saying, Chloe?’

Chloe opened her mouth, but Lilly jumped in.

‘Before you begin, Officer McNally, I’d just like to get a few things clear for the tape. First, I have advised my client not to answer any of your questions. I’ve done this because I share Doctor Piper’s concerns. He’s eminent in his field and what’s more he is Chloe’s personal physician.’ She smiled into the camera. ‘I don’t think any of us are in a position to overrule him. Secondly, I must say I’m disappointed that you have decided to centre your investigation around my client. Any evidence pointing to her involvement is purely circumstantial, and there are other more likely suspects that you seem determined to ignore.’