Frozen Grave (Willis/Carter #3)(106)

‘Does the name JJ Ellerman mean anything to you?’

‘No comment.’

‘You are facing charges relating to drug dealing and rape of a female under the age of sixteen. Do you want to add murder to the list of charges? Now is the time to speak out. The murder weapon was found in your possession.’

‘No comment.’

‘What is your relationship with Simon Smith?’

‘No comment.’

‘Your own grandfather was mauled to death by a dog that you set on a woman named Olivia Grantham. We have the proof. We have a match with the bite cast from your grandfather’s body and that of Olivia’s. Your dog. Your cowardly way of killing your own grandfather.’

‘I object to your line of questioning,’ Chapman said.

‘I’ll reword it. . .’

Balik’s eyes burnt with hatred as he looked across at Carter.

‘Don’t bother . . . No comment.’

They terminated the interview at four and headed back across to the Dark Side.

‘He’s not going to say anything unless we get him really angry,’ said Willis.

‘He’s going to wait and see if the case crumbles around him first.’

‘How can it crumble? The girl will testify.’

‘Maybe. She will have to be moved, otherwise her family will be intimidated as part of the gang culture. Plus, the Fiat car jack needs his prints on them to make it happen. The drugs belong to his crew. In other words – we need him to want to talk.

Robbo was just calling them as they walked back into his office.

‘The surveillance team have lost Ellerman.’

‘Where was he seen last?’

‘Headed towards the M3, south-west. He’s definitely going on one of his overnight trips. They said he had his bag.’

‘Okay.’ Carter took a deep breath. ‘We’ll hit the road again, just in case he turns up uninvited on Dartmoor. We can’t afford to put Harding at risk.’ He turned to Willis. ‘Ring Scott and tell him we need him on stand-by.’

The roads were empty of traffic. The gritters were out. It was cold and bleak as they hit the road to drive south-west at 5 p.m.





Chapter 57


Harding pulled up outside the house and, before she had a chance to get out of the car, a woman appeared at the driver’s window. Harding wound it down.

‘Megan Penarth?’

‘That’s right. You must be Jo Harding?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you have a good journey?’

‘Not bad – it’s blowing a gale down here, isn’t it?’

‘Yes. It’s due to be bad tonight but it’ll be still by the morning. Would you mind pulling in around the back of the house? There’s plenty of parking there.’

‘Of course not.’ Harding drove round the side to the back of the house and parked up next to two other cars. Then she walked back round to the front of the house. She had a present for Megan, two bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

‘I took the liberty.’ She handed them to Megan. ‘It seems rude to come empty-handed when you’re being so generous as to host this.’

‘How kind. Thank you.’

Harding stepped inside and saw two other women sitting at the kitchen table. She saw Megan set the wine next to two other gift-wrapped bottles and she smiled.

‘Great minds, hey?’

Megan chuckled. ‘Yes, as awkward as this is, meeting JJ’s other women, you have to find it slightly funny that we must have a lot in common that we don’t even realize.

‘Okay – we’re all here now. This is Jo Harding. Jo – here we have Emily there at the end of the table and Paula nearest.’

Harding smiled. ‘Hello.’

‘I have been waiting to announce another guest until you got here, Jo. We also have JJ coming.’

Emily looked down at her mug of tea. Paula looked up, panic-stricken. Jo Harding laughed.

‘I’d better go,’ said Paula, standing up. ‘We can’t all be here when he comes.’

‘Yes, we can. This is the perfect solution to it all, Paula,’ said Emily. ‘Megan told me he was coming and I almost didn’t come but then I thought – all together. A showdown.’

‘Does he know we’re here?’

‘No.’ Megan smiled. ‘Do you really think he’d come if he knew?’

Paula sat back down. She chewed her lip nervously. ‘I need a drink,’ she said.

‘Red or white?’ Megan asked.

‘Both.’

Megan opened a bottle of wine whilst Harding made herself comfortable. Megan put the open bottle on the table together with glasses for people to help themselves.

There was the sound of a message coming through to someone’s phone. It was Megan’s; she picked it up and read it. She looked up at the group.

‘He’ll be here in one hour. He’s just stopped for fuel.’

‘Oh, God . . .’ Paula poured out wine and took a large swig.

Emily poured out the rest of the wine into glasses and handed one to Harding. ‘We need to use this time to decide things.’ Emily took out the agreement from her bag.

‘I’ve made a copy for each of us. Please read it and see what you agree with and what you don’t. This is just a general agreement between us. I know it looks like it puts me in charge but it’s just a template for the real thing.’