Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(81)

‘You’re the one with knowledge in this field,’ Carter said. ‘You tell me. If we have her arrested and she cracks on us and ends up sectioned, that tiny window of finding Samuel alive disappears for ever, agreed?’

‘Yes.’

Carter sighed. ‘Bring her back up to the farm and leave her here with them and we’ll see what breaks in the morning.’

Willis went back to Lauren and dismissed the officer who was there looking after her. They said little as both were exhausted. Lauren cooked them some pasta. Then Willis switched on the television as Lauren opened a bottle of wine and they sat together in the snug room at the end of the hall.

Lauren flicked through the channels as Willis went over the day in her head, trying to capture every detail and record it in her notebook in case it was lost for ever. She needed to write up her report before she went to sleep.

Carter looked at his phone – it was a message from Sandford, the Crime Scene Manager from MIT 17. He was still packing up. He would grab a few hours’ sleep and be down by ten the next morning. He had the address and he would meet Carter at the farm. Carter signed off and stepped outside the hotel bar. In the hotel stairwell he rang Cabrina.

‘Sorry it’s late, babe.’ He looked at his watch; it was ten past ten.

She sighed in her sleepy state and he could hear the rustle of bed clothes as she sat up.

‘You exhausted, honey?’

‘Absolutely,’ replied Cabrina. ‘Sorry, I’ve been hard at it with the flat and Archie. He misses you, even though you’re hardly ever here.’ She sighed as she smiled, he could hear it.

‘I’ll leave you to get some rest,’ Carter said, as he looked back into the bar and saw Raymonds ordering a drink.

‘Okay, honey, speak tomorrow. Love you.’ Cabrina signed off.

Carter took a few seconds to reflect and decided it was no longer the time or place to have a drink with Raymonds. Things had gone too far now in the investigation. He called Willis. She was in her room.

‘Is Lauren all right?’

‘I think so. She’s watching television,’ replied Willis.

‘I’m calling a meeting tomorrow morning at eight. Pascoe told me that the old police station is ready for us to use now, so I’ll see you there. Have you rung Robbo this evening?’

‘Not yet. I’m just about to start writing up my report from today. I’ll ring Jeanie now and tell her how things stand with Kensa.’

‘Where is Kensa this evening?’ asked Carter.

‘She’s staying at the farm with Mawgan. She seems to think a lot of Cam Simmons. She even talks about them getting married.’

‘I wonder if he agrees.’

‘Did you want me to come over, guv? Are there things you need us to go through together?’

‘Why, what’s on your mind?’

‘I don’t know, but it feels a bit “us and them” with the local police. What are they going to feel like when we tell them we’re investigating Raymonds, one of the all-time heroes round here?’

‘We’ll keep that to ourselves until we’re ready to spring it,’ Carter said.

‘Okay, I’ll ring Jeanie and update her.’ Willis hung up.

Carter phoned Robbo. Robbo was on his own in the office. Hector was out of the room looking through CCTV footage of around Greenwich. Pam had gone home for the night, and Robbo had brewed himself a new pot of strong coffee.

‘Carter, how is it going down there? Sandford is setting off in a few hours.’

‘Yeah, I spoke to him. It will be good to have him here. I want to keep the focus on Samuel.’

‘Is it getting too much for you to manage?’ Robbo asked.

‘No, we can do it,’ Carter said. ‘I’m leaving the murder of Stokes to the local police. I’m just pulling rank when it comes to prioritizing resources. Samuel still has it and I want nothing to get in the way.’

‘Do you know how Stokes was killed?’

‘Oh yes,’ Carter replied. ‘He was hit with a spade till his skull was smashed then he was impaled on a spike which pierced his liver. The postmortem is due in two days, but we found the murder weapon beside him. They are waiting for Sandford to take a look at the body when he gets down here, then I’ve told them they can go ahead and do the autopsy.’

‘We have increased the number of people looking at video footage of Greenwich and of the services,’ Robbo let him know.

‘I was thinking, it would be worth sending an officer over with photos of all the Cornish folk who were in London that day and showing them around Greenwich. The lad who works on the front desk in the Cutty Sark museum had a keen ear for an accent.’

‘I’ll organize that for the morning,’ replied Robbo. ‘I’m about to call one of the escorts who used to visit Jeremy Forbes-Wright, if you’d like to listen in?’

‘Go ahead. I need you to ask whether she met any of the locals. What has Bowie found out about Jeremy – anything?’

‘He’s being hampered with red tape, but we’re making some progress. The phone records have helped. We have full access to his bank statements now.’

‘Any hint of paying blackmail?’

‘None. But he was on the brink of bankruptcy. That might have led him to slit his wrists. Once people started to find out he had defaulted on credit cards and loan repayments, he would have had no chance of making people vote for him. You can get away with having a love child, but not a bad debt. Okay it’s time – I’ll call.’