Dead Of Winter (Willis/Carter #1)(18)

‘Of course . . . You have the emotional attachment that so many people felt to him. Carmichael was a serving officer. Of course the police handled it differently.’

‘How differently?’

‘We had to weigh up the effect of it; we had every journalist camping outside the police station wanting blood, wanting it to be Carmichael who’d done it. We were trying to catch a murderer. We had to keep things quiet while the investigation was ongoing.’

‘And from Carmichael himself?’

‘Yes . . . Details were spared from him. Plus he was a suspect. He didn’t help himself. He went into meltdown. I remember it well. Things were very difficult at the time . . . decisions were made that maybe now seem strange. But, at the time, we did what we thought was best, Chief Superintendent Davidson included. We all tried to help him. Carmichael was his own worst enemy.’ Harding glanced over at Ebony.

‘Do you think the Super will reopen this case?’ They walked towards the front door.

‘Davidson will do the right thing. I’ll organize a SOCO team to go through the place again,’ said Harding. ‘Plaster walls like this can hold DNA samples for many years.’

She looked at Ebony as they stepped out onto the path. ‘You’re a good choice to look into things, Ebb. I have confidence in you. You need my help? Just ask. We’re all on the same side.’

‘Thanks, Doctor Harding.’ She followed her out. ‘There are a couple of things I wanted to ask you about the autopsies. I was expecting to see a toxicology report, liver biopsy . . . I couldn’t find either.’

Harding looked momentarily flustered but recovered fast.

‘Come to my office when we get back and I’ll give you the original autopsy reports with my notes.’

‘What was the actual cause of death, Doctor?’ They walked to the gate and stood looking back at the cottage.

‘Sophie died from a single cut to the throat severing the carotid artery. Louise died when they cut out her heart. Chrissie the same.’

‘What did you think had happened here when you came here that day thirteen years ago?’

‘I thought some mad man, or men, had come into this cottage and had subjected the women to something unimaginable, killed Sophie in front of her mother, and slowly and mercilessly cut the women to death before removing and eating their organs.’





Chapter 10


Ebony got a call from Carter just as Harding dropped her back outside Fletcher House.

‘How was it, Ebb?’

‘Just on my way up, Sarge.’

‘Don’t bother coming up, I need you to head down to the Tube. Talk to me on the way. How did it go at Rose Cottage?’

Ebony turned and walked back along Macdonald Road towards Archway Station.

‘As far as I can see the whole crime scene was ill managed thirteen years ago. No one took the gardener’s statement, for instance. He said he rebuilt a section of the wall that was knocked down by a high-sided vehicle. Plus, half of the autopsy reports are missing.’

‘What did Harding have to say about that?’

‘She didn’t. She said she’d give me the full report plus her notes later on today.’

‘How did you get on with her?’

‘Okay. She’s a bit frosty, defensive even. Sticking up for Davidson. She said she thought at the time they could be dealing with a cannibal killer. No wonder they wanted it kept quiet. It sounds like the SIO panicked.’

‘Yeah. He cared more about brushing it under the carpet than solving it.’

‘Nothing’s been really messed with in all these years. Harding agrees it would be worth bringing a SOCO team down and looking at it again.’

‘Okay, we’ll get Sandford onto it. I’ve been in touch with the owner of Blackdown Barn. The neighbours were right – he lives on Jersey. He hasn’t been there in years. He leaves it to an estate agent called Simpsons. It’s just on the high street in Barnet, two minutes from High Barnet tube. Go straight there for me, Ebb. The owner – manager – Mr Simpson is expecting you. I’ll see you back here afterwards.’

‘Okay, Sarge.’

Ebony came out of High Barnet tube station, walked into Simpsons and showed her badge to the first woman on a row of desks. She was shown through to the manager’s office. He had the file already waiting for her. He handed it to her as he looked at his watch.

She took it from him and pulled up a chair.

‘Thank you, Mr Simpson but I would appreciate it if we run through this together? It’s just in case I need to query anything in it; it will save time.’

‘Uh . . . now?’ He scratched his forehead. His hair had taken on a Friar Tuck look – two long thin brown islands either side of his head, parted by a sea of baldness. Ebony nodded. ‘I have an important meeting in ten minutes.’ He looked at his watch to emphasize the point.

‘I suggest you postpone it for an hour.’

He nodded his reluctant agreement.

He went back behind his desk. ‘What can you tell me about the tenant at Blackdown Barn?’

‘His name was Chichester.’

‘Did Chichester say he was going to live there with anyone?’

‘Occasional guests.’

‘What did he look like?’