CUT DEAD: A DI Charlotte Savage Novel. Mark Sennen

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СКАЧАТЬ with an alibi for the day Sue Kendle went missing. We tried to disprove it but couldn’t make headway.’

      ‘What about the third? Heidi Luckmann?’

      ‘No specific alibi for that day, but by then Wilson’s theory had gained credence. Glastone’s solicitor was canny and somehow the Chief Constable got to hear about the pressure I was applying. Since Glastone was a programmer and hadn’t been near a paintbrush since primary school, the Chief told me to steer clear.’ Walsh nodded towards the far end of the pit. ‘Glastone liked women. You know, really liked them. The type of guy who won’t take “no” for an answer. He’ll have found himself a new squeeze and if he’s knocking bells out of her then maybe she’d be keen to spill a few beans. Of course just because he likes to get a bit heavy-handed doesn’t make him a killer, but nevertheless it might be worth a word for this latest one.’

      Walsh began to tell her some more about Glastone, how he’d been clocked more than once picking up toms in cities across the UK. His car registration had been recorded kerb-crawling in Bristol and Nottingham and he’d received a caution for an incident involving an escort in a travel tavern in Birmingham.

      ‘This goes back, mind, but I doubt he’ll have found God in the intervening years.’

      ‘What about his alibi for the Kendle murder?’

      ‘Brick wall that, Charlotte. Unless he had an accomplice.’

      ‘Two of them?’

      ‘Many hands.’ Walsh turned away from the tent. ‘Could explain how he was able to kidnap them so easily.’

      ‘Did you think this before, back when you were SIO?’

      ‘Toyed with the idea.’ Walsh nodded down towards the railway line. ‘But the bridge has got me thinking. It’s a long way across and this hole is bloody deep. Having somebody to help makes a lot of sense.’

      ‘Shit,’ Savage said. ‘If this is a double act Hardin won’t want that to get out. We’ll have a full-scale panic on our hands.’

      ‘If the media reaction last time around is anything to go by, full-scale panic won’t be the half of it.’ Walsh began to walk away from the tent and up towards the farm. He stopped half a dozen stepping plates later and turned back to Savage with a smile on his face. ‘As I said, Phil Glastone probably hasn’t found God, but if you think praying might be a good idea then it’s not too late for you.’

      When Riley arrived at the crime suite on Tuesday morning he found Davies beaming from ear to ear.

      ‘Big fan of the Chief Constable, Darius,’ the DI shouted across the room. ‘We’re both off Maynard’s bloody bird-watching excursion, thank fuck. Missing screws are apparently more important than a couple of litres of illicit diesel.’

      When Riley came over Davies explained Hardin had no option but to pull them from Operation Cowbell. Simon Fox had requested a couple of experienced officers be permanently assigned to the Corran misper investigation as a personal favour to the Governor at HMP Dartmoor, and every other available detective seemed to be dealing with the Candle Cake Killer.

      Davies took Riley’s elbow and steered him to the corner of the room where the DI had set up a mini incident room. A small whiteboard rested against the wall. On it an aerial photograph showed Princetown and HMP Dartmoor, the buildings within the circular walls of the prison looking like spokes on a bicycle wheel. There was also a mugshot of Devlyn Corran in uniform and an array of Post-its, Davies’ handwriting scrawling across them. The DI had obviously been hard at work.

      ‘So,’ Davies said. ‘Fill me in. What did you discover yesterday?’

      Riley recounted the facts as he saw them. He explained about the search team, told Davies about the prison governor’s comments regarding Full Sutton and Channings Wood and outlined Layton’s theories concerning the bike.

      ‘He’s dead though, isn’t he?’ Davies said, jabbing a finger up at the snap of Corran. ‘This sort of thing is hard to fake so I don’t think Corran’s taken a dive. Stands to reason we’re looking for a body.’

      Riley nodded but didn’t say anything. Davies would be desperate to make the Corran case turn into something juicy, something which would keep him from having to go back to Operation Cowbell for a good while. A misper inquiry might run for a couple of days, but if leads weren’t forthcoming then the pair of them would be back in the soggy ditch with Maynard. Murder, on the other hand, was an entirely different ball game.

      ‘So do you reckon it’s down to some nonce then?’ Davies said. ‘Corran pissed somebody off or maybe found out something and they or associates of said pervert top him.’

      ‘Difficult to say, boss. Needn’t be a sex offender at Channings Wood or Full Sutton. Could be a prisoner at HMP Dartmoor.’

      ‘Nah. Petty thieves, minor fraudsters, a few in for a bit of aggro. They’re hardly going to get angry enough to risk a life stretch because Corran spat in their food tray.’

      ‘I don’t know where you get your ideas of prison from, sir. These days Shawshank it isn’t. You know what they call the place dealing with sex offenders over at Channings Wood?’ Davies shook his head. ‘The Vulnerable Prisoners Unit.’

      ‘Vulnerable? Bollocks. They’d be bloody vulnerable if I ever got to work there I can tell you.’

      ‘What I’m saying, sir, is I think it’s highly unlikely Corran was bashing someone around at any of the prisons he worked at.’

      Riley sighed inwardly. Davies’ ideas about policing and criminal justice came from either underworld Plymouth or from whichever bedside trash he was reading at the time. To be fair to the DI, underworld Plymouth would have surprised a lot of people, but it didn’t translate to much else. Certainly not to the red diesel inquiry. Maynard had found the whole thing amusing. Every time Davies started on another story Maynard would mumble, ‘Quiet out here, isn’t it,’ and then point to some countryside feature which neither Riley nor Davies were the least bit interested in. The man drove Davies crazy.

      ‘Well,’ Davies said. ‘If prison is a dead end, then what else?’

      ‘Anything from a simple hit and run to gambling debts, marital problems, an affair, a family feud even. I’ve actioned getting hold of Corran’s financial information.’

      ‘Gambling debts, I could go with that one. Corran runs up a big debt, keeps on borrowing, gets to the point where he can’t or won’t pay and then—’

      ‘I don’t know, sir. How does knocking off Corran get them their money back? Better to threaten his wife and kid.’

      ‘And if that doesn’t work they have to whack him, right? Leave a message.’

      ‘But what’s the message? A few bits of broken bike lamp?’

      ‘Corran will turn up and mark my words, he won’t be looking pretty when he does.’

      ‘Right.’ Riley glanced down at the spread of printouts on the desk, grabbed a couple so as to look willing and then turned to leave. ‘Going to read through these and then do some research on Corran’s missus. The locals were in contact with her on Sunday and Monday, but I need to speak to her myself so when I’m done I’ll be off to Dousland for an СКАЧАТЬ