Cold Revenge (Willis/Carter #6)(93)

Perry was shaking his head but it was clear from his expression that his mind was reeling.

‘What did getting the tattoo mean to you, Mr Perry?’ asked Carter. ‘Must have been a big thing?’

‘It meant nothing,’ answered Perry, glancing across to his solicitor who was looking as if he was about to intervene. Perry shook his head as if to say he intended to carry on. ‘It meant Jimmy Douglas was making us feel special, a bunch of lonely kids who didn’t fit in anywhere. I’m guessing that’s what it meant.’

‘We heard it was a big deal when you got your tattoos, that something serious had happened between you all? So something went on that Saturday night, 20 May 2000, that meant that three people earned their tattoos,’ said Blackman. ‘What happened?’

‘Nothing happened. Listen, I can’t answer anything more than I know.’

‘Did you ever know about the holes dug on farmers’ land, where drugs were stashed?’ asked Carter.

‘No.’

‘Mr Perry, can we just return to the subject of Tony Poulson for a moment?’ said Carter. ‘Apparently Tony Poulson was killed in the bungalow that night or in the early hours of Sunday morning. His body was then driven in Douglas’s van to Lambs Farm and placed in a grave that probably had been used for storing drugs in a chest like this . . .’ Willis showed him the photo of the plastic chest and gave its exhibit number to be recorded. ‘This was uncovered in one of the five graves we found at Lambs Farm,’ continued Carter. ‘We know Douglas was famous for his drugs. Famous for hiding them in chests and some people have come forward to tell us they knew he hid them on farmers’ land.’

Perry shook his head. ‘It’s news to me.’

Carter smiled as he sat back and watched Perry becoming ever more uncomfortable.

‘Someone’s also told us that you were one of the people who helped bury him. For the tape, Mr Perry is shaking his head. ‘Do you deny helping to conceal Tony Poulson’s body at Lambs Farm?’

‘Of course.’ Perry’s face was beginning to twitch. ‘I’ve never seen this man.’ He glanced across at his lawyer, then back at Carter. ‘This is absolutely madness. I have no idea who he is, or the other ones, and I certainly didn’t see anyone murdered. That’s just not possible.’

‘Tell us how someone became one of Douglas’s disciples?’ Carter prompted. ‘You specifically? How did you become one?’

‘I don’t know. I lived in the bungalow, so I suppose I was just there.’

‘But he didn’t just tattoo everybody, did he?’ said Willis. ‘You had to be someone like Ash who had done something pretty awful. Someone like you? What do you think he liked about you?’

‘I can’t speak for him, but I think he could have a conversation with me. I had a lot to say about a lot of things in those days; we used to talk about history, politics, I read a lot, he liked that.’

‘Clever?’

‘I suppose it was just my upbringing. Private education sets a minimum standard which tends to be higher than average.’

‘Mr Perry, we understand that in order to become a disciple you had to be part of something that bound you together, that you had to experience something together,’ said Willis.

‘I don’t remember that. What is the obsession with Douglas and becoming a disciple?’

Carter asked, ‘You told us about the sexual assaults when we spoke to you last time, at your house, didn’t you? The ones Nicola and Yvonne used to carry out?’

‘I may have mentioned that there was a lot of sex in the bungalow.’

‘If someone is restricted against their will and forced to take part in a sexual act, that’s considered an act of violence. They would have seemed like violent attacks to other people,’ said Willis.

‘Look, I don’t know, I was just there and it all happened, I didn’t pass judgement at the time.’

‘Do you think your boundaries were blurred by Douglas and your time in the bungalow?’ asked Carter.

Willis added, ‘Did things just escalate into something bigger all the time?’

‘And before you knew it,’ Carter said, leaning across the table to get as near to Perry as he was allowed, ‘there was Tony Poulson’s body lying in the corner of the sitting room at the bungalow?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

The lawyer sat forward. ‘I insist we stop the interview now for me to talk with my client. We are not prepared for this line of questioning. Charge him or let him go.’

‘We will be holding him for questioning and to decide if charges will be brought. Mr Perry, before we let you go back to your cell, we would like to ask you about a place called Margery Farm – have you heard of it?’

‘No, I haven’t.’

‘We believe it is where Jimmy Douglas kept a container that he used to cage, torture and kill people in. We have had a first-hand account from Rachel McKinney and we have now traced that container. Before we open it, would you like to tell us anything you know about it?’

Perry shook his head.





Chapter 47


After Carter, Maxwell and Hector had left, Willis and Tucker sat together at the desk where Maxwell’s maps were laid out and talked strategy together. They had to decide on the best route in and keep radio contact with the team so that they could help by changing the route at the last minute, if needed. Whilst they worked on it, Willis got a text from Tina to say that Cabrina and Archie were in the canteen and they were waiting for Carter. Willis went down to see them.