Daisy in Chains(23)

Everyone seems to think he is.

‘I’ve had the same thought,’ says Maggie. ‘It’s possible there was a deliberate placing of the latter three victims to ensure their early discovery and to disguise a possible personal connection between the killer and the first victim. If so, wouldn’t this rather point to Hamish? Zoe was the only victim he knew personally.’

‘He was with me when she disappeared.’ All heads turn to Sandra. ‘Why does no one believe me?’

Shiven clears his throat. ‘OK, next point. From where, exactly, did the killer supposedly cyber-stalk Jessie, Chloe and Myrtle? This killer, who I will not call Hamish, thank you very much.’ His hands open wide in front of his body. ‘Does anyone here want me to call him Hamish? No? Thank you. This killer managed to create three entirely fake identities: Harry the doctor, Isabelle the jewellery tycoon and Anita the Disney-loving grandmother.’

As Shiven calls out each alias he counts them off on his fingers. ‘The computer he used to do this has never been found. In the last five years, there is no record of Hamish Wolfe having bought a computer that the police were unable to trace. Hamish didn’t cyber-stalk these women.’

‘And yet one posting on Jessie Tout’s Facebook page was definitely sent by Hamish,’ says Maggie. ‘It was traced to his home computer. One posting is enough to establish a connection.’

Another argument breaks out and Maggie hears the words fake, set-up. If they are going down the path of conspiracy theories, she’ll be home earlier than she’s planned.

‘Rowland has also pointed out the next problem with the case,’ says Shiven. ‘Rowland, would you like to step in at this point?’

Rowland suppresses a belch and shakes his head.

‘OK.’ Shiven is only too happy to carry on speaking. ‘We know that during February and March of 2013, the killer was “grooming” his next three victims. Thanks to Rowland and his in-depth knowledge of serial killer pattern behaviour, we know that this simultaneous victim selection is entirely untypical. Stalking three at once has a ‘kid in the candy store’ feel about it which is out of character with everything we know about this sort of killer.’

Actually, that is a good point.

‘So what do you think, Maggie? Have we convinced you?’

The faces around her have an unquestioning belief in the rightness of their cause.

‘Far from it,’ Maggie says. ‘You haven’t come up with a single good reason for doubting Wolfe’s conviction. The jury heard all about Sandra’s alibi for the night of Zoe’s disappearance. They heard the speculation about the difficulties of getting women into the caves but concluded, quite rightly, that Hamish was as likely a candidate as any other. And, whilst I can understand that these might seem like discrepancies to you, they are balanced against some iron-clad evidence, namely the hair and carpet fibres found on Jessie’s body, the Facebook posting from Hamish’s computer and the sighting of his car at the petrol station on the night Myrtle Reid disappeared. I’ve heard nothing new here and before I can even think of taking on this case, I will need something new.’

‘We have something new.’

Broon is speaking so quietly that only Maggie can have heard him.

‘What?’

There seems to be some sort of unspoken conversation taking place between Broon and Odi. She is shaking her head firmly and Maggie catches a glimpse of a puffy, pale face, framed by short grey hair.

Around the circle, others look mystified.

‘What is it, Broon?’ asks Shiven. ‘Do you and Odi know something you haven’t shared with us? Because absolute honesty was a founding principle of our group.’

‘Broon?’ Sandra looks about to get out of her seat. ‘Odi, what is it?’

Broon seems to make up his mind. ‘Hamish was arrested on 4 December 2013. Before the bodies of Chloe Wood and Myrtle Reid were found.’

‘Broon, no!’

Maggie ignores Odi’s outburst. ‘That’s right. They were found some months later. They’d decomposed quite considerably.’

‘We saw someone going into Rill Cavern the following April. Odi and me. We saw somebody going in carrying something heavy.’

‘Only me, Broon. You were asleep.’

Maggie’s heart is beating faster, she simply can’t help it. She leans forward to get a good look at the woman. Odi is older than she’d first thought. Her short, straight hair is completely grey. Just the plumpness of her face smooths out the wrinkles, giving her a younger look. ‘You saw someone carrying the body of Myrtle Reid into Rill Cavern?’

‘No, no, it wasn’t a body.’ Odi can’t look up from the floor. ‘It was dark, we were a long way away. I just saw someone, with a small light. You know, like one of those miner’s lamps? On their heads? Nothing really, just a dark figure, with a light.’

‘I know,’ Maggie says. ‘People buy them for camping. Sometimes for running.’

‘Well, Odi saw someone wearing one of those,’ says Broon, ‘and carrying something, going into the cave.’

‘What time?’ Maggie ignores Broon, keeping her eyes fixed on Odi.

‘After dark.’ The other woman shrugs. ‘Maybe around eleven o’clock. Possibly midnight.’

‘Male or female? Young? Old?’