The Cedar Face: DI Jewell book 3 (DI Elizabeth Jewell) (28 page)

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

While they were on the road, she made a few
decisions. The more time she and Patterson spent away, shoring
up the Morven case, the less time she had to
deal with the Harper case. She was expecting her team
to find the breakthrough. Yes, they'd started out fine
but without regular briefings and tangible leads to follow up
they'd lose the impetus and stagnate.

She compiled a
list of immediate things to do in her head. For
starters, Eldridge and Gardiner could re-interview the other art
teachers while they paid Beresford a visit. Elizabeth had only
met him briefly and regretted not talking to him sooner.
As she climbed the stairs, she heard a massive argument
going on in the incident room. Patterson was coming up
behind her.

'Quietly,' she said, pointing.

Eldridge was shouting, 'You
fucking bastard,' to someone, at which point Elizabeth flung open
the door and saw Darren Johnson taking a swing at
him with a golf club. Katie Gardiner was trying to
move Eldridge out of the firing line while a young
DC called Lawrence Richmond held a metal chair over another
junior detective's head. A group of uniforms had gathered
around and were encouraging the violence. Katie Gardiner turned her
head and spotted them.

Elizabeth yelled as loud as she
could. 'I thought this only happened in schools when the
teacher disappeared out of the room. Why the hell are
you all behaving like juveniles?'

Johnson swung the golf club
again narrowly missing Patterson. 'We're pig sick of him.'
He pointed at Eldridge.

Patterson grabbed Johnson's arm and
tightened his grip until the club crashed to the ground. '
Try that again Johnson and you're out of here,
for good.'

'Shut up, all of you,' Elizabeth shouted, and
paced up and down trying to resist the urge to
scream. If she lost control now, they'd see it
as a weakness. She'd witnessed plenty of fights over
the years, nearly always due to long hours and a
buildup of stress. How to deal with it effectively was
her immediate problem.

Patterson's analogy of the ship without
a captain was true. Some people were born leaders, she
wasn't. The secret was finding the balance between the
likes of Yeats, who was power hungry and someone like
herself who at times lacked confidence. After her promotion to
Detective Inspector, she hadn't considered whether she was suitable
for the job. Her euphoria at passing the exams had
clouded any misgivings about her capabilities. Looking back, without Daly'
s help and patience, she might not have merited her
rank. At times, she knew she'd made hasty judgments
and when she'd broken the rules, it was from
stupidity and lack of experience. Yet Daly had tolerated her
naivety, had seen her potential and said as much. Whether
she liked this present situation was irrelevant, she was stuck
with it.

She was aware they were all staring at
her. How long had she been pacing up and down,
seconds, minutes? She heard quiet laughter and stopped.

'What's
so damned funny?' she asked.

'You're turning into Daly,'
Patterson said. 'He always paced to stop himself blowing a
fuse.'

Eldridge had to go one better. 'You'll be
wiping your face with a tea towel next.'

She stared
at them, trying hard not to smile. 'That's the
best compliment I've had in years. As Patterson has
just mentioned DCS Daly, I'm prepared to give you
an update, on one condition. You start pulling together and
stop this nonsense.'

A murmur of agreement went around the
room.

'Okay, back to Daly. I realise there's been
much speculation and confusion about his absence. That I'm
pleased to say, is over.'

All eyes focused on her.
She'd never had such a captive audience. 'Back in
early February, he wasn't feeling well. I actually noticed
he wasn't himself, but didn't dare mention it.
His doctor sent him for tests and initially the prognosis
was poor. I've promised not to divulge his illness
for various reasons. However, I'm pleased to say he'
s on the mend and will make a full recovery.'

'
Any idea when he's coming back?' Eldridge asked.

'I
don't think we should build our hopes up yet.
Remember Daly's been going to retire for over a
year and he may feel it would be better for
his health if he does. In any case DCI Yeats
is theoretically still in charge, and until we know his
plans, it's all up in the air.'

'About DCI
Yeats,' Katie Gardiner said. 'I don't know whether I'
ve told you about my uncle. He retired from Thames
Valley Police and now works for a big security firm.
He was telling my mum about his latest job at
one of the national papers. He's heard there's
a big story ready to break about the old Royal
Ulster Constabulary. Maybe that's why he had to go
back to Belfast.'

Elizabeth kept her expression neutral. Any sign that Gardiner's story had affected her would give the game away. 'It's possible Katie, but we need to concentrate on our main objectives. I'm now solely responsible for the Harper investigation and tying up the Wilson one. As of yesterday, the CPS has decided to raise the stakes. They're asking us to put forward more evidence before they make a final decision.'

'Surely the evidence is watertight?' Johnson said.

Elizabeth accepted that some of the younger members of CID were still a bit naive. She couldn't criticise them because she'd been no different. The legal complexities were overwhelming at times, even to her.

'As it stands at the moment we have circumstantial evidence against Morven, but not enough to back up the assertion of guilt. What we lack is direct evidence. As you know, going to court with just circumstantial evidence doesn't guarantee a guilty verdict. We have no reliable witness to Morven acting suspiciously. All we have are his fingerprints on carving the tool, which as it belonged to him is no surprise. Everyone who attended his lecture saw him handle it. If he left it in the hall before going to lunch, anyone could have taken it. Morven admitted physically bumping into Wilson so that proximity could account for fibre exchange.'

Elizabeth pointed to the white boards. 'See these. It's
a joke, wiping them clean before logging any information onto
the computer. Actually it's worse than a joke. It'
s a dereliction of duty. I won't ask which
fool is doing this, because you're all staying here
until...,' she banged on the board, 'is covered with everything
you've collected either physically, mentally, or you found scrunched
up in the waste bins. We could have lost a
significant piece of the puzzle because you're too bone
idle to collate reports. So get on with it now
and I'll let you know when you can go
home. Patterson, you come with me.'

They trooped back to
Daly's old office. Elizabeth sank into the leather chair
and stretched out her arms and legs and weariness crept
over her.

'Bit of a close shave there,' Patterson commented.

'
It's not their fault, it's the circumstances.'

'I
wonder how Walsh and Adams got on with Morven. I
thought one of them might have rung to let us
know what happens next.'

'They don't believe he did
it,' Elizabeth said.

Patterson seemed surprised. 'How can you possibly
say that? If they do it means they know something
we don't, and that's unlikely.'

'Not if Morven'
s confided in Lane to the point where she's
certain of his innocence. Do you know something Tony? I'
ve had a lingering thought that he's playing games
with us.'

'Why would he do that?'

'Think about it.
In his situation he's got nothing to lose. He
is either exonerated or he goes to trial. If he'
s found guilty, he'll appeal. Meanwhile he'll only
serve the first couple of years here in the UK
and then the Canadians will want him back for the
remainder of his sentence. The he'll appeal again. All
the time he's in jail he'll remain a
high profile figure and people will campaign to have him
released.'

'I'm sorry Liz but that's not a
reason to mess us about.'

'I know. But there's
another reason, and that's the one I've got
to figure out.'

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

May 30th 8am.

Even
after the previous evenings truce, tempers had flared the minute
everyone assembled in the briefing room.

Last night she'd
spent two hours bringing together all the salient facts. Satisfied
she hadn't overlooked anything she opened a bottle of
Merlot. After two large glasses, she'd phoned Calbrain. 'You
wanted to pass on information. I've been busy, hence
the delay in getting back to you.'

'It could well
be out of date by now,' he replied, sounding uncharacteristically
bad tempered.

'Whatever, I don't want to see a
newspaper report saying I've dismissed an important clue.'

'That
wouldn't help your reputation,' he said with a hint
of sarcasm.

'Calbrain, just give me the story. I haven'
t got all night.'

'It's about Giles Beresford. Head
teacher at Grasmere. '

'What about him?'

'How well do you
know Will Crosbie?' Calbrain asked.

'I try to steer clear
of him. He's a persistent little creep. How come
you know him?'

'In case you'd forgotten I still
investigate insurance fraud. I've seen him in court a
few times.'

'According to him, Beresford's been seen with
other women. You would think the man would have more
sense than conduct his affairs in public places. Mrs Beresford
won't withstand the scandal if this gets out.'

'Good
God everyone's at it, Wilson drinking with Jade Harper,
and now Beresford.'

'That's not all. Will Crosbie told
me he heard a rumour that Wilson was blackmailing Beresford,
threatening to tell his wife about his extra marital activities.
Beresford's got a lot to lose if she divorces
him.'

'Of course he has, but if this is true,
how did Crosbie find out Wilson was into blackmail? Did
he give you a name?'

'He's admitted badgering some
of the teachers and other staff. He also confessed to
paying for information, but he refused to name his source.'

'
I bet he did, that's because he's making
this shit up to get attention. If this is all
you've got Calbrain, I'm sorry but I'm
not convinced.'

'Hear me out for a minute. Let's
say it's true and Wilson was up to no
good. Beresford waits for the right moment to try and
deal with Wilson's threats. Call it coincidence, but it
happens to be the day Morven turns up, which is
good, as there's plenty of distractions. He tries to
reason with Wilson, but things get out of hand.'

Elizabeth
thought for a moment. Jessica had established that the only
fingerprints found on the murder weapon were Morven's and
Wilson's. The only reason Wilson left his was because
he'd tried pulling the tool from his chest. When
Morven had showed the pupils the carving tool he'd
told them not to touch it, and before going to
lunch, he must have left it unattended in the lecture
hall. Anyone could have taken it, including Beresford, except he
insisted he was elsewhere.

'Crosbie should have come to me
with this, not you.'

'He wants a major scoop to
practice his bargaining skills. There's only one reason he
didn't, he knew damn well I'd pass it
on to you. Now he'll think you owe him,'
Calbrain said.

'You'd better tell him he's mistaken,
playing head games with me won't wash. Is he
hoping to publish the Beresford scandal?'

'No chance, no one
will, not even the nationals. No, what Crosbie's after
is the Jade Harper story,' Calbrain said.

'I can see
why the press will be gagged. She's not just
any government minister is she? Aren't Jane Beresford's
family a powerful lot?'

'They are, the super injunctions will
be flying about.'

While they were on the topic of
journalism, Elizabeth decided to broach Katie Gardiner's revelation. 'One
of my officers tells me there's a big story
brewing about the demise of the RUC. Do you know
anything about it?'

'Now why would you be interested in
that?' Calbrain asked.

'Don't you think as a police
officer it's my duty to be? That particular force
has undergone a lot of changes over the last couple
of decades. We're learning all the time how to
clean up our act. I suppose it will be another
police corruption exposé.'

'You're probably right. I haven't
heard anything through the usual channels, but if I do
I'll let you know.'

Elizabeth suddenly felt tired and
didn't want to prolong the conversation. 'I'm off
to bed now but thanks for keeping the Beresford thing
under wraps.'

'I won't ever harm your investigations Elizabeth.
I owe you that much. Can I buy you a
drink sometime?' Calbrain asked.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. 'I'
m seeing someone at the moment but it's nice
of you to offer.'

She heard Calbrain's low whistle. '
I thought you'd had enough of relationships.'

'I changed
my mind,' she said, ended the call and went upstairs
to be

* * *

The vague hangover had sharpened her wits. It
was seven fifty-five am and the turnout was encouraging.

Elizabeth took up her position next to the recently updated
whiteboard. 'Okay. I want someone in the CCTV suite going
over the footage again. The other night I walked through
Cresswell woods around nine thirty just as it was getting
dark. If you've ever been there, you'll know
how creepy it is. From Grasmere's playing fields, it
takes twenty minutes to get to the main road. A
woman was just going in with her dog as I
came out so I stopped her and asked if a
lot of dog walkers use the woods. According to her,
they do, and the fields further up Hart Lane. But
she did tell me something interesting. Since the nights have
warmed up, groups of teenagers have started to congregate there.
Several walkers had witnessed them acting out some fantasy role-
playing game and drinking. One Saturday night she had a
friend staying and they took the dog out much later.
Normally she wouldn't contemplate going in the woods after
ten pm, but as her friend was with her, she
felt safe. They came across, what she termed as an
orgy, and someone was videoing the proceedings. I asked her
if she'd reported this to the police, to which
she answered no.'

'Anyone know about this?' Patterson asked.

Katie
Gardiner replied. 'I've heard rumours but unless things get
out of hand or someone complains, uniforms won't act.'

'
Okay, here's my theory. A hundred yards further along
from the entrance to the woods, there's a parking
area where dog walkers can park their vehicles. It's
very secluded. Harper's killer could have parked there, which
means we were wrong to focus on CCTV for Grasmere
Road. I believe Jade Harper was forced into a car,
driven to this secluded lay by. Her killer then walked
her through the woods to Grasmere's playing fields. The
question is, did this person intend to kill Harper, or
just frighten her? The area where she was found bore
some similarities to the Wilson crime scene. A scuffle took
place and there were drag marks indicating the body was
moved closer to the hedge.'

Elizabeth waited for a response.

'
Sounds good,' Eldridge said.

'Anyone else?' she asked.

'We need
to identify the vehicle used in the abduction,' Eldridge said.

'
Obviously,' Elizabeth's sarcastic tone received subdued laughter.

'If there
are these similarities,' Katie Gardiner said, 'What happens if Morven'
s alibi checks out?'

'What I'm saying is, the
same person killed both Wilson and Harper. What I'm
not saying yet, is who? I'm still waiting for
confirmation from the CCTV footage; it seems to be taking
ages.'

Patterson stood up. 'If Morven's alibi stands up
then we have a murderer on the loose.'

'Who might
already have his sights on another victim,' Eldridge added.

Heavy
sighs echoed around the room and Elizabeth reached for a
folder. 'Try not to despair, Dr Oakley's come up
with another potential piece of evidence. Amongst the crime scene
debris she discovered a miniscule paint chip. Because it wasn'
t gooey or flaky like the other samples, she questioned
where it had come from. The analysis showed it was
from a vehicle. We don't normally pick up bits
of car paint on our shoes or clothes unless we'
re driving a rust bucket or work in a garage.
This chip originated from a Peugeot 208 with white pearlescent
paint.' She passed around photocopies from a Peugeot brochure. Gardiner,
I want you to get onto the DVLA and request
the vehicle registration documents for all of the Grasmere staff.
You all know how accurate this technology is. What we
need is someone with a connection to Grasmere to own
one.'

Eldridge didn't sound convinced. 'That's a big
wish. Shouldn't we have a wider focus?'

Thank you
again Eldridge for your amazing perception, but we have to
start somewhere.'

Elizabeth continued. 'Gibbs and Turner, you'll be
responsible for contacting these people. Find out exactly where they
were during the time lines for Wilson and Harper's
murders. Staying with Harper, we still don't know who
was the last person to see her alive. Eldridge and
Gardiner, uniforms have finally caught up with Duncan Mortimer and
his mate. Keep them here until Patterson and I get
back. Now to Wilson's mask. I'd like a
volunteer to log any thefts of First Nation artifacts anywhere
in the UK. Use the police database first, and then
use your imagination. Hang on I nearly forgot something. We
need any CCTV coverage of the northern end of Cresswell
Street.'

Elizabeth went on to tell them the information she'
d received concerning Beresford although she didn't mention the
source. 'Please be aware these are unsubstantiated allegations and do
not repeat them. Patterson and I are off now to
pay Giles Beresford a visit to find out if they'
re true.'

Elizabeth went off to the ladies to freshen
up. She was about to meet up with Patterson when
her mobile rang. She ignored it until Patterson pulled out
of the car park. Then she checked the number.

It
was Teresa Lane's mobile. Elizabeth wondered what she wanted,
but didn't have the time or the inclination to
return the call. Speaking to Giles Beresford was far more
important.