Cold Justice (Willis/Carter #4)(90)
‘They don’t exist. It’s all been made up – it’s all lies.’
‘Oh really? How come I have their names then? How come one of them is your son? This is the beginning of the end of it all, Raymonds. There isn’t one sordid thing that’s happened in this village that you’re not at the heart of. Where were you when Martin Stokes was murdered earlier on today?’
‘I’ll be available with my lawyer any time you choose – I’m not going anywhere – I have nothing to hide. Come and find me when you’re ready, sonny.’
‘Be in the old police station ready to be interviewed at nine tomorrow morning.’
Raymonds drove off. Carter was shaking with anger.
‘We need to go up and make sure Lauren is okay, guv?’ Willis walked back towards the car. Carter didn’t speak as he got in, started it up and sent dust flying as he spun it around in the sand-covered car park. He took the steep hill up from the shops in first gear and kept the engine screaming. He hadn’t realized.
‘Bastard . . . sorry.’ He pushed the gear stick into second then third. ‘I won’t leave this village until we see that man destroyed.’
‘Raymonds must have had some noble intentions at one time, guv.’
‘Noble, my arse.’ He shook his head, took a deep breath. ‘Okay. I know one thing, Eb, cracks are beginning to appear beneath Raymonds’ feet. He’s losing control of his empire.’
Sandford phoned as they drove to Stokes’ farm. They parked up and saw him in the field where Stokes was killed. He waved and smiled when he saw Willis. He walked across to the gate, on a path of stepping pads.
Willis shook his hand over the top of the gate. It felt ages to her since she’d seen him, a different world. In reality it was just three weeks ago and in north London.
‘Leonards has just been,’ said Sandford. ‘He’s a nice bloke. We have come to a compromise. They’ve done what they can outside, for now. They’re prepared to wait twenty-four hours for me to finish my search and then they’ll move in.’
‘Generous.’
‘Yeah, not sure I would be that kind, if I was them, but I’ve told Leonard I’ll alert him of anything I find. They’re leaving the tents in place.’ Sandford turned and pointed towards the back of the field.
‘They’ve covered the area around the tractor, and where the fight took place, with a second tent so the horse has to stay unburied for now. It’s vital to preserve as much as we can from this bloody rain. One minute it’s bright sunshine, the next it’s two inches in an hour.’
‘How’s your search going?’ asked Willis.
‘No sign of anything that might indicate Samuel has been here. But I’ve sent samples back to see if we can find a match to anything on the suit or the mittens. We’ve cordoned off Martin Stokes’ bedroom from the rest of the house and searched everyone’s rooms and found nothing of interest. I’ve been going through Stokes’ paperwork. He wasn’t a computer man so he has a lot of ledgers here that are about the farm. He has all his stock accounted for. He has clear spread sheets to do with the sales in the farm shop but nothing to do with Kellis House.’
‘Why was he so adamant in his letters to Lauren and Toby that there were pre-existing arrangements that he wanted to honour if they weren’t written down?’
‘Someone had definitely been looking through his room before I got here. We’re in the process of taking DNA samples from everyone who’s been to the farm in the last week or so. We need to get one from Raymonds. I’m looking forward to getting a sample from him.’
‘Who have you seen here?’ asked Willis.
‘Mawgan mainly. I introduced myself when I turned round to see her in the field behind me. She seems to be the one doing all the work with the animals. She spends a good deal of her day in with the pigs or the cows. The farm covers a lot of acres. You see her going off on her tractor. She stares a lot, but then she’s got a lot on her mind. No time to grieve when you have a farm to run.’
‘What about Kensa? Either of the men who live in the cottage? Jago and Marky?’
‘No, not yet,’ Sandford said. ‘I met Towan briefly. He was in his dad’s room when I cordoned it off.’
‘Did he have anything in his hands?’
‘Not as far as I could see. I can’t be sure that no one will go into Stokes’ room while I’m gone – not unless we’re going to insist that they all leave the farm, and that’s pretty impossible with the work load and the animals.’
‘No, I’d prefer to have them where I can see them. We’ll catch up with you again later.’
They left Sandford and drove back towards Penhal. Willis phoned Robbo and put him on speaker phone. ‘Robbo, can you investigate the disappearance of Ella Simmons in the year 2000?’ she asked.
‘I’ll get Hector on it now. But local information’s got to be the best. What are people saying about it?’
‘Yeah, I’ll start asking but I won’t get anywhere,’ replied Willis. ‘You haven’t met the locals. Did Marky and Jago’s stories about where they went in Exeter pan out?’ she asked.
‘I’ve been looking at some interesting footage of them,’ answered Robbo, ‘and I’m waiting to see what comes of it. They were seen talking to some people who we know have trafficked kids in the past. Gordano services has been used as the switch point.’