Girls Of The Dark (7 page)

Chapter 15

W
hen Dani was led inside Rhodri Morgan’s west-end flat, she was surprised to see he already had company. A smartly-dressed Afro-Caribbean man was seated at the table in the living room. His hair was cropped short and ash grey in colour. The DCI’s initial impression of the gentleman was that he possessed an air of dignity and self-composure.

              ‘Calvin, this is DCI Dani Bevan. She’s a friend of mine and an excellent detective.’

              Calvin Suter rose from his seat. They shook hands warmly. ‘I’m very honoured to meet you Detective Chief Inspector.’

              ‘Call me Dani, please.’

              ‘Shall I make more coffee?’ Rhodri enquired.

              ‘Don’t go to any trouble on my account. I’m sorry to intrude. I didn’t realise that you would have a guest.’

              ‘Oh, we’ve finished our session,’ Rhodri explained. ‘But I hope that Calvin will stay for a drink?’

              ‘Yes, I’d like that.’

              ‘Then so would I.’ Dani sat at the opposite side of the table and wriggled out of her jacket.

              Rhodri scooped it up and disappeared out into the corridor.

              ‘You must already know who I am.’ Calvin made the statement matter-of-factly.

              Dani nodded. ‘I read your interview in the Sunday papers.’

              ‘Yes. I gave that interview several months ago. I had no idea the paper would go to press so soon after my release.’

              ‘It maximises the publicity. They know what they’re doing.’

              ‘That’s certainly true. I still have cuttings of the tabloid front pages devoted to me around the time of my arrest. Some contain barely disguised racism.’

              ‘Is there a reason why you’ve kept them?’ Dani eyed him carefully.

              ‘The skewed representation of me in the press was one of the arguments used by my lawyers during the appeals – both of them.’

              Rhodri re-entered with a tray of drinks.

              Calvin reached for a mug. ‘But they are also evidence for my new book.’

              ‘Oh yes,’ Rhodri said. ‘I didn’t know you were working on another publication?’

              The man broke into a wide smile. ‘It’s my life story. I’ve been working on it for the last forty years.’

              Dani sighed inwardly. James wouldn’t be happy about this news. ‘How far through the process are you?’ She tried her best to sound cheerful.

              ‘Very close to the end, Detective Chief Inspector. I need to be careful to keep within the bounds of my probation criteria. But the rules with respect to creative endeavours are broader than you might think.’

              ‘How far are you going to go into the circumstances of the murders?’ Dani sipped from her cup.

              ‘Will this book be a kind of confession, you mean?’ Suter’s face became inscrutable. ‘Absolutely not. I barely recognise the young man who was accused of those crimes. He may as well be another person. I will be examining his role in the events as what you might call; an
interested observer
.’ 

              Dani glanced at Rhodri, whose expression was grim.

              ‘Ah, I see you don’t think this is such a good idea, Professor Morgan.’

              ‘It’s none of my business Calvin. But if you want my opinion I don’t. You need to move on from your ordeal, start afresh. If you release a book about your life it will unleash a flurry of publicity. The families of the victims will suffer greatly. In many circles, you will be considered unfeeling and mercenary.’

              Suter’s posture stiffened. ‘So I should just scuttle off into obscurity, be grateful that the British justice system finally decided to release me after
forty
years of imprisonment?’

              ‘You’re angry, which is perfectly natural. But the only person this emotion can hurt is you.’

              ‘I thought our session was over, Professor?’ Calvin managed to crack another grin. ‘You are a wonderful psychologist Rhodri, and understand the many methods us weak men have for self-punishment. Perhaps that is exactly what my book is about. But it will still be written. I owe it to that young, ignorant, ill-educated boy who drove taxis for a living all those decades ago. His story should be told and that of all the self-serving careerists who conspired to take his future away.’

              ‘There were people who tried to help you, surely?’ Dani leant forward. ‘Two separate appeals were launched and every effort made to overturn your conviction in those instances. The police don’t deliberately set out to frame innocent men.’

              Calvin drained his mug and stood up. ‘I’ll leave you two in peace. Thanks for the drink, Rhodri.’

              ‘No problem, Calvin. I’ll see you to the door.’

              The man turned back to address Dani. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you,
detective
. I hope my comments didn’t offend you. We come from entirely different worlds, you and I. If it wasn’t for the education I received in prison, I would never have come into contact with someone like you socially. But now I have been given that education
and
the notoriety of my conviction. Don’t you see that I have a duty to use it?’

              Dani nodded solemnly. ‘Actually, I do.’

*

Morgan returned a few minutes later. ‘What did you think of him?’

              ‘He’s articulate, polite and persuasive. I liked him. Unfortunately, he has the power to make life very difficult for James’s family. The worse thing is, I can really see his point of view.’

              ‘I thought you would comment on the way he has totally disengaged himself from the young man he used to be.’

              ‘That makes sense to me if he’s guilty. Calvin can claim it was a different person who killed those girls back then – not the man he is now.’

              Rhodri nodded. ‘Or, it is simply as he says; that the education he received in prison changed him on a fundamental level.’

              Dani sighed. ‘If being a police officer has taught me anything, it’s that people don’t change, not really. They can wear better clothes, talk differently and completely jettison their previous lives. Deep down they’re still the same. It just takes an unsettling event to strip it all back. Then we see the essence of that person revealed. The Calvin Suter who was convicted of killing those girls back in 1975 still exists. He lives and breathes within the man who left this flat a few moments ago.’

Chapter 16

A
ndy was about to leave the building for the evening when he received a call from reception.

              ‘I’ve got a lady on the line for you, DC Calder. She said you handed her a card a few days ago - when you were knocking on doors along Maryhill Road?’

              ‘Put her straight through, please.’

              A distant voice crackled onto the line. ‘Detective Calder? It’s Mrs Livingstone, from number nine?’

              ‘Aye, I remember. How can I help?’ Calder’s heart began beating a little faster.

              ‘I don’t want to waste your time. I expect you know more about it all than I do. It’s just that you were talking about Kath a lot when we spoke the other day. It seemed like a huge coincidence. Well, an awful one, of course.’

              ‘What did? I’m sorry, Mrs Livingstone, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

              ‘Kath Nevin. She was knocked down yesterday afternoon near the bus stop on Western Avenue. Kath told me herself that her car was going in for a service. But it was the day she picked up her wee grandson from school. She’d have trekked through deserts to do that. So Kath was taking the no. 7. It’s a busy road and a car hit her straight on as she crossed. The poor woman passed away from her injuries last night.’

              Calder was silent.

              ‘Oh, I hope I’ve not broken a rule by ringing a detective about a traffic accident.’

              ‘No, Mrs Livingstone. Thank you for calling. I didn’t know about this. If you hadn’t taken the time to pick up the phone, I might never have done.’

*

‘You didn’t think to treat the death as suspicious?’ Andy’s tone was dripping with sarcasm, his face crimson with barely controlled fury. ‘Kathleen Nevin was the Kerrs’ next-door-neighbour, the last person to see the pair alive
and
the one who observed a suspicious man leaving their property on the night they both died.’

              ‘We were only told that little nugget of information yesterday,
DC
Calder,’ the sergeant at Maryhill put in.

              Alice decided to intervene. ‘You shouldn’t have needed it to make a connection, Tom. Has a
post mortem
been carried out on Kath’s body?’

              The man shook his head in frustration. ‘Her next of kin don’t want one. The old lady was knocked down. What the hell is carving her up going to reveal to us?’

              ‘Please tell me you’ve at least recorded witness statements from the scene?’ Andy looked on the verge of taking a swing at the DS.

              ‘Aye, the PCs who attended the 999 callout spoke to the folk in the queue at the bus stop. The car was speeding, they said. One old fella claimed it was a woman at the wheel, although he wasn’t certain. She failed to stop then ran a red light further along the street.’

              ‘We might have the car on camera at the junction.’ Alice whipped out her phone. ‘Did anyone get the make and colour – a registration number?’

              DS Werner shook his head, snatching a glance at Calder, clearly worried he might be about to receive a thump. ‘The witnesses didn’t give the PCs much to go on.’

              ‘Did they take names and addresses – so that one of your team could follow up with a more formal interview later?’ Calder threw up his hands. ‘Actually Tom, forget I asked. I’ve got a feeling I know what your answer will be.’

              ‘Just send everything you’ve got over to Pitt Street straight away, would you?’ Alice put this request in a more amenable tone than her colleague.

              ‘Does DCS Douglas know about this?’ Tom Werner shot back, ‘because he was very keen to have this case handled over here in Anniesland.’

              The mention of the DCS’s name made Andy’s vision go blurry with rage. He took a step closer to the detective. ‘Douglas doesn’t know yet, but if you’ve got any plans to tell him then I’d think again, pal. You know I’m the guy who was kidnapped by those psycho killers a few months back?’

              Werner nodded, beads of sweat having broken out on his upper lip.

              ‘Well, it’s left me with some residual anger management issues. Understand?’

              Alice took hold of Calder’s sleeve, dragging him towards the exit doors. ‘I think he’s got the message Andy,’ she muttered darkly.

Chapter 17

D
espite having seen her mug-shot, Lisa Abbot wasn’t quite as Dani had expected.

              The woman was diminutive in stature, her hair a mousy brown, falling straight to her narrow shoulders. Abbot’s skin was pale and pasty. Dani wondered if this were because of her illness.

              Abbot stood back from the door to allow the female officers to enter. The DCI had decided it wasn’t wise to allow Andy to perform the interview. They were on thin ice as it was, cutting in on Maryhill’s jurisdiction.

              ‘Thanks for agreeing to speak with us, Miss Abbot,’ DS Mann said kindly. ‘We don’t wish to keep you long.’

              Dani let her eyes skirt over the small but modern flat. It was nicely decorated. A newly fitted kitchen was visible through a set of folding doors leading off the living room.

              ‘The flat is only half mine,’ Lisa explained, obviously noticing Dani’s interest. ‘That aunt of Ray’s has got her lawyers onto me. She wants me to sell up and give her half the cash. She’s the one who benefits from the will, you see. But I’ll need a decent place to live in while I’m having my treatment. I hope to fly out to America in a couple of weeks.’

              ‘And how is that trip being funded?’ Dani asked as gently as possible.

              Lisa narrowed her eyes. ‘My friends have clubbed together. They’ve been very sympathetic, what with my diagnosis coming alongside the death of Ray.’ She pulled out a dirty tissue and dabbed at non-existent tears. ‘Why are you talking to me again? Do I need the duty lawyer, like last time?’

              ‘That really shouldn’t be necessary,’ Alice soothed. ‘It’s just that some new evidence has emerged.’ The DS slipped an E-fit photograph out of her bag, having received the go-ahead from Maryhill to have one generated from Kath Nevin’s description. ‘We now have a witness who saw this man leaving the Kerrs’ property on the evening they both died. Do you recognise him?’

              Lisa peered closely. ‘No. It could be anyone. Nobody killed Ray and Janet – they topped themselves. Why are the police still bothered about it?’

              Dani had to take a deep breath before she spoke. ‘Because it isn’t always necessary to place your hands around someone’s throat or plunge a knife into their chest to kill a person. It can simply take the right sort of lies and manipulation to leave a vulnerable individual feeling as if they have no option but to end their own life.’

              Lisa sat up stiffly. ‘I think I do need that solicitor. I’m not well, Detective Inspector. The stuff you’re saying is upsetting me.’

              Alice put up her hand. ‘Okay, we’ll leave you in peace.’ The pair stood. ‘Just one more thing, Lisa. Did you know that the neighbour who saw this man leaving the Kerrs’ house on the night of their deaths is now dead too? She was struck down in a hit-and-run a few days ago. Not far from this flat.’

              The woman coughed weakly. ‘That’s terrible news. They say that bad things come in threes. Let’s hope that’s the end of it, eh?’

              Dani said nothing, curling her top lip in disgust. Then she glanced over Lisa’s shoulder at the bank of photos on the windowsill. Most of them were of the woman alone, posing sexily for the camera, in times when she was healthier and more attractive. But in one shot, its frame tucked behind the others, a man was standing beside Lisa, an arm placed firmly around her waist. It was hard to make out his features, as the picture was predominantly in shadow. The DCI was pretty damned certain it wasn’t Raymond Kerr
or
Nick McKenna.

*

Dani had given Alice instructions to dig deeper into Lisa Abbot’s past. The photograph she saw briefly in the flat appeared to have been taken some time ago. Lisa’s hair was longer and bleached golden by the sun. The tan sported by Abbot and her companion was deep and dark - the type that could never have been obtained in even the best of Scottish summers. If the man posing with Abbot in the shot was the same person seen leaving the Kerrs’ house, she may have known him for many years.

              The lights were off in the DCI’s office, but as she approached, Dani could make out a figure seated at her desk. She swung open the door and allowed it to bang against the partition.

              ‘Can I help you, sir?’

              ‘Come in and take a seat, Danielle.’

              Dani resisted the urge to close the door, leaving it wide open to the serious crime floor.

              DCS Douglas leant forward ominously. ‘I’ve been looking for you all morning. I took the liberty of having a seat in here, just in case I missed you.’

              ‘I’ve been interviewing a witness.’ Dani decided to elaborate only if pressed. Her eyes scanned the desk in front of her. She was wondering if anything incriminating had been left out in full view.

              Douglas followed her gaze. When their eyes met, Dani could have sworn the man gave a half smile. ‘I wanted to intercept you before you left the building in order to deliver the good news. The panel were very impressed by your interview. The DCC has put your name on a short-list of three candidates. The e-mail should be in your inbox now.’ The man stood up and swept around the desk. He put out his hand, which Dani took reluctantly. ‘Well done. It seems as if we are one step closer to that promotion.’

              ‘Thank you, sir.’

              He withdrew his hand and paused for a moment in the open doorway. ‘I’m extremely confident that you will become the first female superintendent at Pitt Street. The final interviews are in two weeks. We just need to make sure that everything runs smoothly until then.’ His expression hardened. ‘It would be a tragedy if anything was to rock the boat in the meantime and such a wonderful opportunity was cruelly taken away from you.’ With that, he was gone.