Behind Closed Doors (23 page)

‘OK, put him on.’

A moment later Gavin’s voice came down the line. ‘I hope we’re not causing a problem. We’ve waited weeks for an appointment, and now this cancellation has come up . . .’

‘It’s fine,’ Andee assured him. ‘We’re having to delay things anyway. Gary Perkins has just been arrested.’

There was a beat of shocked silence before he said, ‘Is she with him?’

‘Apparently he’s claiming not to know where she is, but we’ll have a better idea of whether he’s telling the truth once we’ve interviewed him.’

‘When are you doing that?’

‘He should be back in Kesterly within the next couple of hours, so sometime this afternoon. I’ll call as soon as there’s some news.’

‘You’ve been to see Kasia?’

Jackie Poynter popped two Anadin and washed them down with a large glass of wine. ‘Yes, Tomasz,’ she confirmed, opening her menthol cigarettes, ‘I have been to see Kasia.’

‘Why?’

Not much liking his tone, she flicked a lighter and inhaled deeply. This search for Sophie Monroe was turning into a major headache, and she really wasn’t in much of a mood to deal with a disgruntled Tomasz Sikora right now either. ‘She didn’t tell you?’ she responded.

‘She said you talked about her husband.’

She took another drag. ‘Mm, I believe he came up.’

‘But why did you talk about him? You’ve frightened her. She doesn’t know anything . . .’

‘Then she has nothing to worry about. Is there another reason for this call, Tomasz, because I’m rather hoping there is.’

‘Yes. I’ve been contacted.’

At that her eyes widened. ‘Good. So everything’s going to plan?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you’ll be coming back with how many girls?’

‘None. The police are looking for me. I can’t bring anyone or anything with me. Aleksei is organising it.’

‘How do we know we can trust him?’

‘We don’t have much choice, unless we want to cancel the arrangement.’

Her expression turned sour. ‘OK. Do I need to know any more than that?’

‘It is only important for you to know that I must speak to the police when I return.’

She took a moment to consider that. ‘Can you handle it?’

‘I think so.’

‘Gary Perkins has just been arrested. Did you know?’

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Jimmy’s arranged a lawyer for him. We can do the same for you.’

He didn’t answer.

‘Are you still there?’

‘Thank you,’ he said quietly.

‘You’re welcome, and please stop worrying about Kasia, she’ll be fine, everyone will, as long as you keep your head.’

It was late afternoon now, and to Andee’s frustration Perkins was still holed up in an interview room with one of the town’s most established lawyers. No duty solicitor for him, apparently.

‘Piers Ashdown,’ Leo murmured, as they helped themselves to coffees in the Stress & Mess. ‘Makes you wonder how that connection was made, doesn’t it?’

Trying not to check her watch again as they sat at the only clean table they could find, Andee sighed heavily. Though she was impatient to get on with this, she was trying to take her mind off the wait by wondering when, if, Graeme would be in touch. She hadn’t heard from him since the night she’d gone round there, and she was sure, when she left, that he’d said he would call. Of course, she could always call him, and maybe she would if he hadn’t been in touch by tomorrow. She sorely wished she could see him tonight, tomorrow night, any night, but at least he understood that for the moment her family commitments had to come first.

Realising Leo was talking about Sophie’s diary, she quickly refocused on what he was saying. ‘It’s like it’s been written by two different people,’ he was commenting. ‘She’s changed a lot between the time she started it and now. If you ask me, it’s like she’s trying to grow up too fast. There again, show me a kid of that age who isn’t.’

‘What about her relationship with Sikora?’ Andee asked. ‘Do you think it’s real, or just a dream?’ Though the diary had gone off for analysis now, they wouldn’t have the results for at least another week and she couldn’t stop wondering about it.

Leo was shaking his head as he thought. ‘It’s hard to tell. She obviously wants one, but whether or not he took advantage . . . He might have, but there again . . . I was thinking about the local boys she mentioned, back at the beginning of the summer. Her best mate must know who they are.’

‘If she does, she isn’t telling because Jemma’s already asked. All she’ll admit to is being at the party and things getting a bit out of hand.’

‘Was there an assault?’

‘Estelle says no.’

‘She’s got to know these boys’ names.’

‘They’re already in the case notes. One was called Jason, or Justin, another was Carl, and she’s sure there was someone called Rob or Robin. That’s all she can remember, she claims. She’s got no idea which school they go to, or where any of them live. They met them on the beach and got chatting, like kids do, and when it came out they were all from Kesterly Sophie invited them to a party that night. Are you thinking it has some sort of significance?’

He shrugged. ‘They’re the only locals around her own age she’s mentioned,’ he replied. ‘Maybe she made a connection with one of them that Estelle knew nothing about.’

Feeling doubtful, Andee looked at her mobile as it rang. At last Jack Trevors, the custody sergeant.

‘Apparently Mr Perkins’s lawyer has a pressing engagement this evening,’ Trevors told her, ‘so he’s keen to get started.’

‘Don’t you just love lawyers,’ Andee muttered, as she and Leo made for the lift.

On reaching the custody suite they found Piers Ashdown, a portly, pompous man, talking into his mobile. However, he had the grace to end the call as soon as he saw them.

‘Piers,’ Andee said, not fully disguising her antipathy.

‘Good to see you, Andee,’ he told her. ‘I’m sorry about Dougie. A great shame. He’s going to be missed.’

‘He will be,’ she agreed. ‘So, I’m guessing we have a prepared statement.’

Ashdown’s eyebrows arched. ‘You know, it’s your amazing powers of deduction that make you such a good detective,’ he teased.

Thinking how happy it would make her to slap him, Andee gestured for him to go ahead and exchanged a roll of the eyes with Leo as they followed him into one of the more spacious interview rooms. Perkins, unshaven and very possibly unwashed, was already there.

After everyone had identified themselves for the tape, and Perkins had been reminded of his rights, Ashdown started to read aloud.

‘“I, Gary John Perkins, am issuing this prepared statement to say that I was with Sophie Monroe on the night of August 17th. She came to my flat some time around eight thirty, upset because she’d had a row with her parents, and weirded out after being chased on the beach. She thought it was one of the wardens who’d been chasing her. She stayed for about an hour, maybe less and then said she was going to the Entertainment Centre to watch Tomasz Sikora. I left the flat just after her and went to the clubhouse too.”’ Ashdown peered over his glasses. ‘The clubhouse is the same as the Entertainment Centre,’ he informed them.

Andee only looked at him.

Resuming, Ashdown read, ‘“. . . went to the clubhouse too, where I had a couple of beers with whisky chasers. After the show ended I saw Sophie chatting to Tomasz Sikora. I don’t know what they were saying, because I wasn’t close enough. Just after that I went down to the underground car park and got into one of the wardens’ golf carts. I was meaning to take it out and have a bit of a laugh, but I couldn’t find any keys. I ended up falling asleep in the back of one and I didn’t leave the car park until Rafal, I don’t know his surname, but he’s a warden, woke me up and drove me out in the morning. That’s all I have to say. I will not answer any other questions you put to me.”’

As Ashdown looked up, Andee glanced at Leo before asking Perkins, ‘Are you aware of Sophie Monroe’s age?’

Sitting back in his chair, Perkins said, ‘No comment.’

‘Why would she have come to
your
flat after being chased on the beach?’

‘No comment.’

‘What did you do during the time she was there?’

‘No comment.’

‘Did you give her any illegal substances?’

‘No comment.’ He was clearly enjoying this.

‘Did she talk about running away while she was with you?’

‘No comment.’

‘How well do you know Tomasz Sikora?’

‘No comment.’

‘Did you see Sophie leave the clubhouse?’

‘No comment.’

‘Did you tell anyone you were going down to the underground car park?’

‘No comment.’

‘Did you speak to Tomasz Sikora when he came to get into his van?’

‘No comment.’

‘Did you leave with Tomasz Sikora?’

‘No comment.’

‘Why did you disappear from the campsite when you found out Sophie had been reported missing?’

‘No comment.’

‘Where is Sophie now?’

He shrugged. ‘No comment.’

‘Did you know Sophie kept a diary?’

His eyes turned wary. ‘No comment.’

‘Have you ever had sexual relations with Sophie?’

‘No comment.’

Andee glanced at Ashdown. He surely had to know there was no way Perkins was walking out of this station today, nor would the magistrates bail him when he went before them tomorrow. He was in for the long haul, with absolutely nothing to save him, unless his lawyer did something radical and advised him to be helpful.

It wasn’t going to happen, Andee could see that as plainly as she could see that Perkins still hadn’t connected with just how serious this was.

In the end she got to her feet and with the tape still running, she said to Perkins, ‘I have no more questions for you, Gary, I’m simply going to tell you something that I don’t believe your lawyer has bothered to explain. No matter what you’re hiding, who you’re covering for, or where Sophie is now, the evidence in her diary is going to send you down for life,’ and having had the satisfaction of watching her words smack the smugness off his face, she left the room.

She wasn’t surprised when Ashdown came hurrying after her.

‘You sounded fairly confident about that, Andee,’ he declared, joining her at the custody reception desk, ‘but as we both know you’re going to have a hard time proving those diary entries are fact.’

‘Tell it to the CPS,’ she advised.

‘I shall, but I’m talking to you right now and I stress again . . .’

‘I heard what you said,’ she interrupted. ‘Now you can hear me. If you think you can persuade a jury that the diary entries are made up, all I can say to you is good luck, Mr Ashdown, because you’re going to need it.’

‘Andee, you’re not listening to me . . .’

‘No! You’re not listening to
me
. The only thing that’s going to save your client from a life sentence is if he tells us where Sophie is, and even then there are no guarantees.’

‘But he doesn’t know . . .’

‘Bullshit! He knows. So when you’re ready to tell me, you know where to find me,’ and leaving the custody sergeant to deal with the charge she got into the lift and took out her phone.

‘He’s not talking,’ she told Gould when she’d made the connection.

‘Where is he now?’

‘Being booked.’

‘OK, I’ll get back to you.’

Minutes later Leo followed her into the incident room. ‘Do you believe any of the statement?’ he asked.

‘His timings check out,’ she replied, ‘up to the point he went down to the car park. We need to find out from the warden if he really did pass out in a golf cart.’

‘The warden could be in some way involved.’

‘Indeed, so don’t rule it out.’

‘Jack Trevors just told me something interesting,’ he said. ‘Apparently when Perkins was brought in he gave his address as Blue Ocean Park, but when Ashdown turned up he changed it to a flat in Kesterly that, by all accounts, Suzi Perkins has just rented.’

Andee regarded him curiously. ‘
When
did she rent it?’ she asked.

‘Not sure, but I thought it would be worth looking into.’

‘Do that, because it’s sounding to me as though she was expecting him to be bailed so she needed somewhere away from the campsite for him to go. Except why on earth would she think he’d get bail? She’s got to know it was never going to happen.’

‘Ashdown didn’t know about the diary until he got here,’ Leo reminded her, ‘so my guess is he told her there was a chance he could get her brother out.’

Andee was frowning hard as a sixth sense told her there was more to this. ‘Find out what you can about that flat, and about Piers Ashdown’s clients,’ she said, and leaving him to it she took herself off to CID to find Hassan Ansari, one of the DCs, sitting at her desk.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked as he looked up.

‘Pressure from on high to get these burglaries sorted over on Wermers,’ he told her. ‘Anything you can tell me I ought to know?’

‘Everything’s in the case notes,’ she assured him. ‘Have there been any more?’

‘Not on Wermers, but a couple of stores at the Mall have reported being targeted. Gould was looking for you.’

‘I’m looking for him. Where is he?’

‘Not sure now.’

Taking out her mobile, she was about to ring him when a call came in. Seeing it was Graeme, her heart gave a pleasing flip. ‘Hi, how are you?’ she asked, going into Gould’s empty office and closing the door.

‘I’m good. I see from the news that you’ve got your man.’

‘Mm. Unfortunately he’s claiming not to know where our missing girl is, so as it stands we’re not any closer to finding her, but that’s not for public consumption. How are things your end?’

‘Busy, but not too busy to think about you.’

Smiling, she said, ‘Well, I’m glad about that, because I’m finding myself thinking about you quite a lot too.’

‘Enough perhaps to have dinner with me tomorrow night?’

Her heart sank.

‘I know, I know, I’m supposed to be giving you some space over the next couple of weeks, and if it’s a problem . . .’

‘I promise you, I’d love nothing more than to have dinner with you, but I’m afraid it’s not going to be possible.’

‘OK, I won’t say I’m not disappointed, but I do understand.’