DI Sally Parker Thrillers Box Set, page 33
part #1 of DI Sally Parker Series
Colin Whiting was standing in his drive, watering a hanging basket, when Sally and Joanna walked up the path. “Hello, Colin.”
“Inspector? What brings you out here?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“Is your wife inside?”
“She is. Why?”
“Tell her you won’t be long. I’d like you to come to the station for more questioning.”
He placed the watering can on the ground beside him, and through gritted teeth, he said, “What? I’ve told you everything I know. Why are you harassing me?”
Sally laughed. “It’s hardly police harassment when I’m asking you politely to accompany me to the station, Mr. Whiting. I’ll even let you have a solicitor this time. How’s that?”
“Are you saying that I need one? Why?”
“Let’s discuss that back at the station, shall we?”
“But I’m due at work in a few hours.”
“I’d suggest you ring your firm and ask them to get someone to cover your shift. I can’t express enough how important it is that I question you further today. Now, we’re wasting time. Do you have a number for a solicitor, or do you wish me to appoint the duty one when we get to the station?”
“I have one. Let me get my coat and explain to Leona what’s going on.”
“You have five minutes, Mr. Whiting.”
Sally and Joanna kicked stones off the path while they waited for Colin to reappear. Leona peered out the living room window and glared at Sally when she waved at the woman. “Oops, someone’s not pleased to see me.”
“Right. I’m ready.” Colin pulled on his black waterproof jacket and pressed the key fob to open his car. “I can take my own car, yes?”
“Of course. You can drop the attitude during the drive to the station, too, Mr. Whiting—unless you have something to hide, that is.”
“If I have an attitude, Inspector, it’s because you’ve turned up at my home unannounced and unexpected, when all I’ve done is abide by your wishes and been honest with you.”
“Good. Then you have nothing to worry about. Honesty is always the best policy in these circumstances. Don’t you agree, Constable?”
“Wholeheartedly, Inspector, especially if someone can prove their innocence.”
Colin opened his car door and scowled at them. “I have proved my innocence. Look where it’s got me. My solicitor will wipe the floor with you; I can guarantee that.”
“Follow me, if you will, Mr. Whiting. I’d hate for you to get pulled over for speeding on the way.”
He huffed and jumped into his car.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sally watched Colin Whiting’s fury escalate as he waited in the reception area of the station for his solicitor to arrive.
A dishevelled man in his early forties entered the room and shook Whiting’s hand.
“I’m DI Parker, if you’d like to come with me.”
“Mr. Scottman. Sorry for the delay, Inspector.”
Sally accepted his apology then led the way up the grey corridor.
Joanna and a uniformed officer were already present in the room. Sally started the tape and introduced everyone.
“Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop by for questioning today, Mr. Whiting. I really appreciate your cooperation in this matter.”
“According to my client, Inspector, you have already questioned him in connection to his sister-in-law’s untimely death. May I ask why you’ve dragged him in here a second time in as many days?”
“We don’t make a habit of it, I assure you, Mr. Scottman. Our time is valuable, especially at the beginning of an important case such as this. However, it would be foolish of me to ignore a significant piece of evidence that has come our way since our last meeting.”
“Which is?” both men asked in unison.
“That the deceased was pregnant when she died.”
Colin’s features darkened, and he reclined in his chair and folded his arms. “So… oh, I get it! This is why you wanted a DNA sample from me.”
“Actually, it wasn’t. That was to eliminate you from the crime scene. However, I did ask the pathologist to run the test, all the same, and bingo bongo, what did he come up with?”
“Are you saying the child was mine?”
Sally suppressed the urge to applaud him. “You don’t seem that surprised, Mr. Whiting. Why is that?”
“Then your radar is way off, Inspector. This piece of news couldn’t have come as more of a shock to me.”
Sally thought back to the conversation she’d had with him at his house, in front of his wife. She clicked her fingers. “That’s right. Your wife told us that you’re in the process of going through fertility tests.”
“I wasn’t referring to my personal life.”
“This whole situation is about your personal life, Mr. Whiting. Have you fathered any children before?”
“No. What has that got to do with anything?”
“Just asking the question. How do you think your wife is going to react when she hears the news?”
He huffed out a breath and tightened his arms in front of him. “No doubt she’ll be over the moon! How the fuck do you think she’s going to react?” He sneered, revealing a side of him that Sally hadn’t witnessed before.
Scottman glanced at his client and shook his head.
“What?” Colin snapped at his brief. “Have you never heard a client utter the word fuck before?”
Scottman kept his head down and stared at his notebook.
“Well, at least it’s answered one question for you during the fertility process.”
“Nice, Inspector, very sensitive,” Colin bit back.
“It wasn’t meant as a derogatory slight on your wife. I was merely stating a fact that you could possibly pass the information on to the fertility clinic,” Sally pointed out with the tightest of smiles.
“Duly noted. So does this put me at the very top of your list of suspects?”
“I’m afraid it does. It also gives us a prime motive, too—as I’m sure Mr. Scottman will attest to.”
“Well?” Colin asked his brief.
“It certainly highlights a motive; the Inspector is right there. However, I doubt very much the fact that you fathered a child with the deceased could be regarded as a prime motive.”
Sally looked at Scottman as if he were a crazed lunatic. “Seriously? You really believe that?”
“I do, and I would do my utmost to challenge that fact if this ever goes to court, Inspector.”
“Okay, then I guess you and I obviously view the damning evidence differently.”
Scottman looked up from his notebook and nodded, ending the conversation.
“So, in view of the damning evidence against you, Mr. Whiting, are you willing to tell me what kind of relationship you had with your sister-in-law, Gemma Whiting? Bearing in mind that I’m also aware of some kind of argument you had with the deceased at a family barbecue in August of this year.” Sally couldn’t help feeling smug when Scottman sharply turned to face his client.
Colin waved away the solicitor’s concerns. “It was nothing.”
Sally frowned. “What? The relationship?”
“The argument.”
“Why don’t you disclose what it was about and let me be the judge of that. Did this occur before or after your affair ended with the deceased?”
“After, and it wasn’t really an affair, Inspector. Sorry to throw water on your enthusiasm.”
“Then what would you call it?”
Colin shrugged and stared at Sally as he struggled to supply a suitable answer.
Sally suddenly remembered that he’d had a sexual assault charge against him. “Or perhaps it was something more sinister altogether?”
He narrowed his eyes, and his jaw moved as if he were grinding his teeth. “Meaning?”
“Maybe you did have an affair, in your mind. Perhaps you forced Gemma to have sex with you.”
His eyes widened, and colour rose in his cheeks. “What? Are you crazy? She was my sister-in-law, damn you!”
“Funny how you’re only just recognising that fact now, Mr. Whiting. If you did have an affair with Gemma, why wouldn’t the fact that she was your relative through marriage have prevented that from going ahead in the first place? It’s a little late playing the family-member card now, don’t you think?”
“No. I had consensual sex with Gemma. I’m telling you the truth, I swear.”
“Again, I only have your word on that. I also can’t discount your previous conviction for sexual assault, so you’ll have to forgive me there. So, how are we going to get out of this stalemate, Mr. Whiting?”
“How the fuck should I know? All I can tell you is that whatever warped suggestions you’re trying to make about my relationship with Gemma, you’re way off the mark. I’d also like to say, on the record, that I think the more you’re looking in my direction, the less likely you are to track down the real killer.”
“In your opinion.”
“Yes, in my opinion. This is utter bullshit, and you’re just grasping at straws. So what, if Gemma was expecting my baby? So effing what?”
“And do you think both your wife and your brother will be saying that once they learn the truth?”
He inhaled heavily. His glare intensified, and he tightened his arms once more.
Get out of that one, matey!
Still, he remained silent.
“What, not even a ‘no comment’?”
His gaze continued to bore into hers.
“Not even that, eh? Okay, then I think I need to start searching through Gemma’s personal effects, such as her e-mails and if she kept a diary she wrote in every day. That kind of evidence would be hard to dispute, yes?”
“You need to do what you have to do, Inspector. I’ll say this for the final time: I had nothing to do with Gemma’s death, and forgive me if I’m wrong, but I believe you are barking up the wrong tree. You have no evidence placing me at the murder scene. How’s that for an accurate summary of your case against me?”
Sally smiled. “You’re smart, Mr. Whiting. But I have to tell you that even smart suspects slip up eventually. I’d like to put this on record that when that day arrives, I’ll take extreme pleasure in slapping the cuffs on you.”
If she thought her comment would trip him up and force him to reconsider, she was very much mistaken. The glare he’d fixed on her was replaced by a smug smile and a wink.
Realising the suspect had the better of her, Sally drew the interview to a halt and asked Joanna to see Colin and his solicitor out of the station while she returned to the incident room, where she kicked out at the nearest chair, sending it crashing into the wall.
“We have to find it… the one clue that will nail that bastard.”
“I take it the questioning didn’t go well, boss?” Jordan asked warily.
“No, it didn’t. There must be something we’re missing here. I’ve just threatened Colin Whiting that I’m going to search Gemma’s personal effects in the hope he might show some apprehension at the prospect—he didn’t.”
“Maybe he was bluffing,” Jordan suggested as Joanna walked into the room.
“What’s your opinion of him, Joanna? Do you think he’s telling the truth?”
“You’d have more experience about that than me, boss. To me, he seemed innocent, but what do I know?” Joanna shrugged.
“Mind if I interrupt, boss?” Stuart asked.
“Go on.”
Stuart looked down at his notes. “While you were interviewing Colin Whiting, a Miss Nadine Thornley called to speak to you.”
“The name sounds familiar. What about?”
“It should. She’s one of Gemma’s friends who went out with her that night. We haven’t got around to speaking to her yet because she’s been working away. She’s some kind of sales rep. I’ve got her address if you want to drop by.”
“I take it she knows something that she thinks we should be aware of.”
“Could be. She sounded a bit upset on the phone. Otherwise, I would have suggested she comes to the station to see you.”
“Sounds intriguing. Come on, Joanna. Let’s go for a ride, see what Miss Thornley has to say.”
Sally rang the bell to the new block of swish apartments.
The door was opened almost immediately by a pretty brunette wearing a concerned smile. “Are you the police?”
“We are. I’m DI Sally Parker, and my partner is DC Joanna Tryst. I believe you have some information you’d like to share about Gemma Whiting, Miss Thornley?”
“It’s Nadine.” She opened the door to let them in. “We’ll go in the lounge.”
Once they were all seated on the two cream leather sofas, Sally asked, “First of all, I’d like to express my condolences. Did your friends inform you of Gemma’s death?”
“Yes, Audrey left me a message on my answerphone. I lost my mobile a week ago and haven’t had the chance to replace it yet. I was devastated when I heard what had happened. Gemma was such a lovely person. Have you arrested anyone yet?”
“No, we’re still going through a list of suspects. Sorry to be so blunt. My colleague said that you might have some valuable information for us.”
“I’ve hardly slept last night since hearing the news. Audrey said what kind of questions the police had asked her, and I’ve been mulling things over during the night.”
“Okay, take your time,” Sally said once she saw the tears welling up in Nadine’s eyes.
“Melinda was one of Gemma’s closest friends. Unfortunately, she died a few months back through cancer.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. Tragic news.”
“It was, to all of us, especially Gemma. After the funeral, I noticed a change in Gemma. Of course we were all really upset by our friend’s death, but it appeared to hit Gemma strangely for some reason.”
“Can you enlighten us as to how, Nadine?”
“Yes, she was hit as hard as all of us, but she recovered swiftly. She seemed much chirpier in herself after a few days’ grief, and I just couldn’t figure out why, so I came right out and asked her.”
“And what was her response?”
“She told me that it was as if a beacon of hope had gone off in her head the minute Melinda had passed. She assured me that she was distraught by Mel’s death, but it had given her the strength to alter her own way of thinking.”
“Strange. Thinking about what?”
“She meant her marriage. I know she and Mark haven’t really been getting along properly as man and wife—if you know what I mean?—for a few months now.”
“I see. Did Gemma have any love interests outside of the marriage?”
Nadine gasped and covered her chest with her splayed-out hand. “No. She wasn’t the type to have an affair.”
Sally glanced sideways at Joanna, hoping that her partner wouldn’t display any reaction to the news. She didn’t. “All right. Did she confide in you in which way this sudden strength would reveal itself?”
“She did. She told me that she had been applying for jobs out of the area.”
“So, you’re telling me that she had every intention of leaving her husband?”
“Yes, it was just a matter of time. She needed to find a way of securing her future first, before she said farewell to her past.”
“Do you know if she was successful in her search to find a job?”
“I got the impression she had been, but when the realisation struck, she stopped talking about it. Maybe she thought I’d let it slip to Mark. I wouldn’t have, but who’s to say how people react when they’re on the verge of turning not only their own lives upside down, but also that of those around them. She was very protective of Samantha, wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible to avoid upsetting her daughter too much.”
“That’s fair enough. Can I ask if you know what went wrong in the marriage?”
“Are you asking if Mark was ever violent towards Gemma?”
“I suppose that’s exactly what I meant. Was he?”
Nadine rubbed the side of her face as she thought. “Gemma didn’t mention anything to me. When I asked why she wasn’t willing to stick with her marriage and give it another go, she seemed quite evasive.”
“In what way?” Sally asked.
“I can’t tell you. She never confided in me that much, and I didn’t like to push her.”
“Interesting. Do you happen to know where Gemma was searching for jobs? Was it her intention to leave the area?”
“Yes. The London area, I believe.”
“That’s quite a trek. Is there anything else she mentioned in passing that you can recall?”
Nadine chewed her lip then shook her head. “No, not that I can think of.”
“One last question before we go. Did Mark’s brother, Colin, ever crop up in conversation?”
Nadine contemplated the question a few seconds then shook her head. “Again, I don’t recall her mentioning him, except in passing.”
“In passing?”
“You know, when he showed up at a family gathering with his wife, that sort of thing.”
“I see. Well, you’ve been really helpful. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. I hope you catch the person who did this. I always thought this was a safe area to live in, Inspector. Times really are changing, aren’t they?”
By this time, the three women had reached the front door of the small flat. “They are, unfortunately. Put it this way: our jobs are definitely getting harder to conduct.”
“Good luck.”
The door closed quietly behind Sally and Joanna.
“I think we need to drop by and see Mark, don’t you?” Sally said.
“I think so. It’s all rather intriguing, isn’t it?”
“You’re not wrong there, Joanna.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Sally parked outside the Whiting family home, the last thing she expected to see was Colin’s car parked in the drive. As Sally left her vehicle, she was alarmed to hear raised voices coming from inside the house, as well as the distinctive sound of a woman and child screaming.
