Girls Of The Dark (9 page)

Chapter 21

‘S
he wasn’t behaving quite right. She was a bit shaky and disorientated, you know?’ Andy handed James Irving a coffee from the machine.

              ‘Well it’s no bloody surprise is it?’ James was taking deep breaths to calm himself down. ‘Was this a random attack do you think? Could it be related to a case you’re handling?’

              Andy shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. Alice and I are putting the heat on a suspect. We’re looking for an unidentified male who may have killed more than once, but the boss isn’t really involved in the investigation.’ The DC took a sip of his drink. ‘What was she doing at the university library in the first place?’

              James’ expression was grave. ‘Dani is looking into an old murder case. Forty years old to be exact. The man convicted of the abduction and murder of four women in the 1970s has recently been released. My father was the one who defended him in court. Dani is interested in it on my account.’

              ‘Could this attack have something to do with that old case, then? Maybe someone followed the boss to the library and got wind of what she was up to.’

              James stared down at the cup in his hand, as if the contents were poison. ‘
Jesus
,’ he sighed. ‘I bloody well hope not.’

*

‘Are you
sure
you’re alright?’

              ‘You’ve asked me that question a dozen times.’ Dani managed a smile.

              ‘That’s because I don’t really believe your answers.’ James snuggled up next to her on the sofa. ‘Did the doc say you could return to work straight away?’

              ‘He thought I was in mild shock, but physically I’m fine. I wasn’t without oxygen for more than a minute or so, although it felt like longer.’

              James’ body stiffened. ‘What the hell was the man doing? Was he trying to kill you?’

              Dani slipped her arms around him. ‘I actually don’t think so. I believe it was a warning. If he wanted to kill me he would have knocked me out on the basin before drowning me. As it was, I remained conscious throughout. He wanted to send me a message.’

              ‘Which was?’

              ‘I suspect he was interrupted before he could deliver it. I’m pretty sure the gist was that I should stop digging into things.’

              ‘The Suter case, you mean?’

              Dani nodded, taking a sip of wine.

              ‘But
why
? Do you think it was Calvin Suter himself?’ James shifted round to look at her.

              Dani shrugged. ‘It could have been.’

              ‘The
bastard
.’ James sat forward, resting his head in his hands. ‘The man’s a cold-blooded killer. He should never have been let out. Can’t we contact his parole board and tell them about this?’

              Dani laid her hand on his back. ‘We’ve got absolutely no proof it was him. Let’s wait for the CCTV footage to come in. We might get something more conclusive then.’

              James turned round, scooping her up into his arms. ‘Promise me that you won’t get any more involved in this? Don’t do any more investigating. I know you’re trying to help my family, but I’d hate you to get hurt again.’

              Dani buried her face into his shoulder. ‘I know you would. I’ll take a step back. I promise.’

Chapter 22

A
bunch of flowers stood on Dani’s desk. It was a jolly spray of pink roses and cream chrysanthemums. She thought the choice was rather girly. Not something she’d really expect from anyone who knew her well. Anticipating the card to be from James, Dani smiled to herself as she opened it.

              The smile faded. They were from the DCS. He was offering her the best of luck in the interview for superintendent the following week. Dani sat in her chair, now eyeing the flowers suspiciously, viewing them suddenly as an awkward encumbrance, something else to clutter up her already cramped workspace.

              Andy knocked on the door, entering before being invited to. He dipped his head towards the bouquet. ‘Very nice, Ma’am.’

              ‘They’re from Dour Douglas.’

              Calder narrowed his eyes. ‘Tacky as hell.’

              Dani laughed. ‘Yeah, I thought so too. What’s the latest?’

              Andy pulled up a chair. ‘We’ve taken a look at the CCTV footage from the library building and had a word with the manager of campus security. The images were really hard to make out, but we’ve printed them off. The techies are going to brush them up at the lab.’ He frowned.

              ‘What is it?’

              ‘The guy was wrapped up in a padded jacket. The cap obscured his face in all the shots. The thing is, he matches the description of a man who’s been attacking female students on campus.’

              ‘Why don’t we already know about this?’

              ‘The security manager says it’s only happened a handful of times in the last few years. In each case, the girl involved didn’t want to call in the police.’

              ‘Were the attacks sexual in nature?’

              ‘The security guy thinks so. The students were fairly drunk when they were set upon by this man. In a couple of instances, the girls were headed back to their rooms after a night out in one of the student bars. They kinda felt it was their own fault for being inebriated and leaving themselves vulnerable. I expect that’s why they didn’t want the police involved.’

              ‘If they’d come to us immediately we could have explained that an assault is
never
the victim’s fault.’ Dani ran a hand through her hair. ‘We need to get these girls to make formal statements. Can you find me the College Principal’s number? I’ll have to give him a call.’

              ‘Your case doesn’t quite fit the pattern. But the man
was
hiding out in the ladies toilets. Maybe after he’d incapacitated you, he was planning to drag you into one of the booths…’

              Dani directed a steely look at him. ‘In broad daylight? In the middle of a library - with dozens of people milling about?’

              ‘The statements described him as 5’10 to 5’11 inches in height, Caucasian, with a bulky build. This matches the CCTV footage of your attacker perfectly.’

              ‘I don’t care, Andy. The attack on me was
not
sexual.’

              Calder placed his hands in the air. ‘Okay. I’m going to take your word for it, of course. But maybe you should just have a couple more days off. The whole incident was a shock. The doctor said so himself.’

              Dani looked down at the papers on her desk. ‘I’m fine. Now, can you check in with Phil? Because he really wants you to wind up this garage arson business. Make it a top priority would you?’

              Andy stood up. ‘Yeah, sure. I’ll get straight back on it.’

              ‘Good. Please close the door on your way out. I don’t want to be disturbed for a while.’

              ‘Whatever you say, Ma’am.’

*

Andy strolled around the empty lot. The damaged cars had been towed away, leaving a large expanse of concrete, scorched black in several places where the fire had raged. He held the arson report in his hands, deliberately standing on the spot where the blaze had started.

              A man in a shabby suit exited the nearby pre-fab and walked towards him. ‘Any news yet on the bastard who did it?’

              Calder shook his head. ‘We’ve got no prints on the wreckage and an incendiary device made from supermarket fireworks. You’re sure there’s nobody who’s got a grudge against you or the business? It could be a customer, maybe. Someone who felt you’d sold them a turkey?’

              The man narrowed his eyes belligerently, before deciding it wasn’t worth taking offence. ‘I’ll ask Val in the office again. She often fields those kinds of calls for me. We offer to fix stuff for free within the first two months of a purchase. There isn’t much bad feeling amongst our clients. This is a reputable operation, Detective.’

              ‘Where do you get your vehicles from – have you got any associates who may have made enemies?’ Andy felt as if he was clutching at straws.

              ‘I’ll give you a list of our suppliers. We’ve recently branched out into handling a limited selection of classic cars. Over the past ten years, I’d noticed a growing interest amongst our older businessmen clients. I thought it might be an area we could specialise in.’

              Calder was interested. ‘Okay, that’s new. Were any of these vintage cars damaged in the fire?’

              ‘We had a couple out here on the forecourt, the rest are in a barn on the field out the back. Those cars are fine.’ He laughed bitterly. ‘That’s the only stock I’ve got left now. Looks like my future might be at the auctions.’

              ‘Give me that list and I can check out your newest suppliers. If you remember anything else that might be important, just give me a call.’ Andy handed the man his card.

              ‘Sure, I’ll have a word with Val and get back to you.’ He slipped the card into his jacket pocket. His expression was devoid of all enthusiasm.             

Chapter 23

T
he plane had touched down at just after 9am. It was a short taxi ride from the airport to the centre of Belfast.

              After a stroll through the botanical gardens, Dani led James into a café near the university to grab some early lunch. They took a table by the window.

              ‘What are you planning to do whilst I’m gone?’ Dani picked up her cup and slowly sipped the milky cappuccino.

              James had a map laid out on the table before him. ‘I thought I’d take one of the taxi tours around Shankill Road and the Falls. It seems to be what the tourists do.’

              ‘Aye, it’s fascinating. If you find a decent looking restaurant on your travels, book us a table for tonight would you?’

              ‘Sure. I’ll check into the hotel too.’ James downed his espresso, turning his attention to the sandwich the waiter had just delivered. ‘We
will
get a chance to relax – after you’ve done what you need to?’

              ‘Of course. The DCS gave me a couple of days off to recuperate. He was amazingly sympathetic actually. It almost made me think he wasn’t planning to undermine my team whilst I’m away.’

              ‘You were assaulted, Dani. The guy’s only human.’ James wiped his hands on a napkin. ‘When were you last here?’

              She furrowed her brow. ‘It must have been a decade ago now. Dad and I were in Belfast for a family wedding. I’ve not seen Marsha and Tim in years. I don’t expect I’ll see them on this trip, either.’

              James leant forward, taking her hand. ‘We could, you know. There’s no reason why you have to keep this appointment. You promised to take a step back.’

              ‘I need to. Somebody out there doesn’t want me rooting around in past history. I’m going to find out why not.’

*

The taxi took Dani out to Jordanstown, to the east of the city. The address she’d given the driver was down a leafy, pleasant street near to a large park. She got out and closed the door, having told the cabbie to return for her in an hour.

              The house was semi-detached and modestly sized. Dani approached the front door and pressed on the bell. A broad man in his sixties opened up. He invited her in with a barely softened Glaswegian accent.

              ‘Mr Callan, I’m very grateful that you agreed to meet with me today.’

              Dani followed him into a wide sitting room which looked out onto a garden bordered by a line of tall trees. She imagined this was the boundary of Loughshore Park.

              ‘Sit yourself down, Detective. I’ll fetch us a coffee.’

              Dani sat obediently on the sofa, taking in the bank of photos on the fireplace. She could make out children at various stages of their lifecycles; at graduations, weddings and christenings. Right now the house felt deadly quiet. There was clearly no one at home but them.

              Ed Callan returned with both hands full.

              ‘Thank you,’ Dani said.

              He handed her a mug and took the armchair. ‘So, you want to know about Sarah.’

              ‘Yes please. I realise it was a long time ago. Anything you can recall about her disappearance would be useful.’

              Ed’s eyes flicked unconsciously towards the photographs. ‘My wife doesn’t know very much about what happened with Sarah. Our children know nothing at all.’

              Dani put up her hand. ‘There’s no reason for this conversation to be official. I’ve been reviewing the case histories of young women who went missing in the Kilmarnock area during the 1970s. Sarah Martin’s case was an obvious place to start.’

              Ed nodded. ‘I was away on the boat the night it happened.’

              ‘When had you last seen your girlfriend?’ Dani pulled out her notebook.

              ‘It was the morning of the day she disappeared. I had to leave very early to get to the port, but we had breakfast together. Sarah got the bus to Kilmarnock and then the train into Glasgow Central. Her office was in Charing Cross. We spoke briefly before I left. About the weather, as it happens.’

              Dani raised her eyebrows, amazed the man could recall this detail.

              Ed smiled. ‘The conditions were a preoccupation for the boat crew. It was late April, but the Irish Sea could still be very rough. The forecast was for high winds along the west coast, coming down through the Clyde. I was wondering if there might be delays. That’s what Sarah and I discussed.’

              ‘And this was a common occurrence, for you to be away overnight with your job?’

              He knitted his brow. ‘Yes. The police inspector back then made a lot of that. He was convinced Sarah was meeting another man in the pub that night. The truth was that we were both young, had busy jobs and lots of friends. The fact that I worked on the boats was never a big issue between us.’

              ‘When did you discover that Sarah was missing?’

              ‘I called her office from the port in Belfast. There had been some delays and the voyage was choppy, but we got there eventually. I always let Sarah know that I’d arrived safely.’ Ed cleared his throat, swiping at his eyes with a beefy hand. ‘Sorry. I never expected to get emotional talking about this. It’s been
thirty seven
years
for heaven’s sake.’

              ‘It’s fine. Take your time.’

              ‘We only spoke for a few minutes. She said she was going to have an early night. That much I do remember. I said I’d see her the following day, and that I loved her.’ Ed’s voiced cracked. A large tear escaped onto his cheek.

              Dani felt her stomach tighten. She hated having to dredge up these terrible memories for people, especially if it turned out to be for nothing. The DCI sat back and finished her coffee, allowing the man seated before her to compose himself once more. ‘But she
did
go out that evening. Was it usual for Sarah to do that, on the nights you were away?’

              ‘I didn’t think so, but then I’ve realised since the whole awful business that you never really know another person, not completely. I trusted her and she trusted me. That in itself should have alerted me to something back then, but it didn’t.’

              ‘How do you mean?’ Dani looked puzzled.

              Ed glanced around him. ‘Well, you must have wondered how I ended up here in Belfast?’ He sighed heavily.  ‘I met Bridget Reilly in early ’78. She was the sister of one of the guys who crewed on the boat with me. We had dinner at his family’s house a few times when we had a stop-over. By the time Sarah disappeared, I was staying at Bridget’s place whenever I was in Northern Ireland.’

              Dani put down her pen and glanced up. ‘Did the investigating team in Kilmarnock know this?’

              Ed shook his head. ‘They were satisfied that I was in another country when Sarah was taken. I didn’t want to upset her family by telling them everything.’

              ‘It would have made you a suspect and given credence to the theory that your girlfriend was seeing someone else. The SIO would have widened his search, come out to Belfast to check your alibi more closely, to see if you couldn’t have taken an earlier boat back to Scotland.’ Dani eyed him carefully.

              ‘You could still ask those questions now. Bridget saw me off on the boat that morning - the 24
th
April 1978. I got into shore exactly when I told the police.’

              ‘Did you go straight to the flat in Fenwick?’

              ‘Yes. The place looked eerily like I’d left it twenty four hours earlier. I rang Sarah’s office and they told me she’d not come in. I called her parents and some of her girlfriends. It didn’t take me long to inform the police. It was totally out of character.’

              ‘Might Sarah have found out about your relationship with Bridget? It may have encouraged her to leave you that day, with another man perhaps?’

              Ed ran a hand through his thick, grey hair. ‘Aye, I certainly considered it, but not for very long. Sarah’s not been in touch with her sister or her parents whilst they were still alive. Whatever
I’d
done, she’d not have cut herself off from them. The family were always close.’

              Dani leant forward. ‘Why were you carrying on this secret life here? Why hadn’t you just told Sarah that you’d met someone else?’

              Ed rubbed hard at his face, as if trying to remove a stain. ‘Because I loved her. Between you, me and these four walls, I don’t know if I’d have married Bridget if Sarah hadn’t disappeared that night. I was undecided back then. With Sarah gone, the relationship with Bridget strengthened and grew. I needed her to help me through it. I was a bloody mess for months. We married in 1980. The kids came along soon after. I’ve got grandchildren now. But don’t imagine I don’t see Sarah’s face in my head every single day, because I do. She was so pretty, a bit like a young Liz Taylor, I always thought.’ Tears were coursing down the man’s face. ‘I wasn’t there to protect Sarah, like she deserved. I hope you find out what happened to her, Detective. Please don’t give up looking like the last lot did. The answer must surely be out there somewhere.’

              Dani gripped his hand tightly. ‘I’ll do the very best I can, sir. I promise.’