No Lovelier Death (51 page)

At length, Faraday finished the call. When he tried Parsons, her phone was on divert. He left a message asking her to get in touch urgently, then wondered about phoning Willard. First, though, he needed to be absolutely clear about Nikki Dunlop.

He slid the door open and stepped back into the room. Winter was waiting, his glass empty.

‘She’ll have absolutely no reason to expect us? Am I right?’

‘Who?’

‘Dunlop.’

‘None, boss. I’ve talked to her a couple of times. She knows I work for Mackenzie. She knows we have an interest in what happened. But I kept it nice and social, the way you do.’

The word ‘boss’ sparked a smile. Nothing changes, Faraday thought.

‘What about Berriman? Might he be there too?’

‘I’ve no idea. What’s the plan?’

‘We’ll arrest them both. Suspicion of murder. Apart from anything else, we have to get them out of the house.’

‘Very wise.’

Faraday was already thinking about an interview strategy. He’d been overseeing interviews on
Mandolin
from the start. In the absence of Parsons, he was happy to sort them out.

‘You’re free tonight?’ He was looking at Suttle.

‘Of course, boss. You want to team me up with Dawn Ellis? Only she dealt with Berriman on his last interview.’

Faraday nodded, said nothing. He was looking at Winter. ‘So what do I tell Parsons? And Willard?’

‘I’m not with you.’

‘Should they be expecting an invoice? Services rendered? Or what?’

Winter glanced at Suttle, who was studying his shoes. It was Faraday, in the end, who broke the silence.

‘They’ll start talking about obstructing the course of justice. You know that, don’t you?’

‘Of course.’ Winter went to refill his glass. ‘It’s the least I expect.’

‘They’ll also want to ask you about Berriman’s phone.’

‘Surprise me.’

‘Where is it, as a matter of interest?’

‘It’s around.’

‘Have you had it long?’

‘You wouldn’t want to know.’

‘Better me asking these questions than someone else.’ Faraday watched the Scotch splash into the glass. ‘Don’t you think?’

Winter nodded, then smiled at him and raised the glass in a toast. ‘So where’s the phone?’

‘Handy.’

‘You’ll make sure it gets to Jimmy?’

‘Sure.’

He held Faraday’s gaze for a long moment. Then, with a nod to Suttle, Faraday was heading for the door. There’d be a briefing at Major Crime in half an hour’s time.

Suttle waited for the muffled rumble of the lift. Then he turned to Winter. The object in his hand was a satnav.

‘What he didn’t say was thank you.’ He tossed the satnav onto the sofa. ‘Deal?’

‘My pleasure, son.’ Winter dug in his pocket and produced a mobile phone. Suttle inspected it. He looked up, about to ask about the tiny black specks of earth, but Winter had a question of his own. ‘Does Faraday know anything about this?’ He was looking at the satnav.

‘No.’

‘Will he? Ever?’

‘No.’

SUNDAY, 19 AUGUST 2007
. 20.39

It seemed to Faraday that the operation went with a smoothness long overdue in the brief history of
Mandolin.

The Scenes of Crime van parked up on the seafront as the first of the evening’s barbecues flared on the beach. A uniformed car swung in beside it. Faraday and Suttle, already in Adair Road, radioed that the target had just returned to number 81. The go signal, at Faraday’s suggestion, was
Egret.

They waited until the uniforms were in sight, then crossed the road and knocked at the door. Inside a dog began to bark. Moments later a tall figure shadowed the pebbled glass.

‘Nikki Dunlop?’ Faraday offered his warrant card.

‘That’s me.’

‘I’m arresting you on suspicion of murder.’ He read the caution, aware of her eyes following the uniforms up the street. If she was surprised, she certainly wasn’t showing it.

Faraday had finished. In the slightly comic pause that followed, Nikki asked them whether they wanted to come in.

‘Is there anyone else here?’

‘No. You want to check?’ She stood aside, letting Suttle through.

He was back within a minute.

‘Nothing, boss.’

Faraday nodded. If there was anything Nikki needed for the next couple of days, then now was the time to fetch it.

‘Couple of days?’ For the first time she appeared to understand that this was for real. ‘Are you serious?’

 

The uniforms took Nikki Dunlop to the Bridewell. She completed the booking-in procedure and made a call to her solicitor. By now Faraday had DCI Parsons on the phone. He explained the situation and said that he proposed to start the first interview as soon as he’d discussed disclosure with Dunlop’s solicitor. Suttle and Ellis would be in the interview suite. So far there was no sign of Berriman though the uniform guarding the house had been warned to expect his return.

‘And then what?’

‘We arrest him, boss. And bring him down here.’

Parsons was sounding more cheerful by the minute. She was in London, having a meal with a friend. Faraday wondered briefly whether it might be Willard. She wanted to know more about Nikki Dunlop.

‘She used to be Rachel’s coach at the Northsea Club. Berriman’s too. She’s known them both for years.’

‘And you think she may be implicated?’

‘We think she may have killed Rachel Ault. In exactly what circumstances we have yet to establish. I’ll keep you in touch, boss.’

‘Do, Joe. And well done.’

 

The interview started at ten to ten. Nikki’s solicitor was a veteran of the Magistrates Court, a man she’d known for years. Faraday gathered that he’d seen her through a divorce and several property moves and she certainly treated him like a close friend. Watching on the video monitor from the adjoining room, Faraday could only marvel at her composure.

Dawn Ellis led the first phase of the interview. She wanted Nikki to explain the relationship she’d established with both Rachel and Matt. Could she do that?

‘Of course. How far back do you want me to go?’

‘The beginning, if you don’t mind. Assume we know nothing.’

‘Sure.’ She nodded. ‘Two young people, kids really, different schools, different backgrounds, both highly recommended, both hugely talented. That’s where it started. That’s where it always starts. You try them out. You explain how hard it’s going to be, not just physically but mentally; you start to set them little tests, see how they cope, see how they measure up. In both cases they were excellent. Great attitude. Bags of talent. And fun too.’

‘You’re all buddies?’

‘Of course.’

‘How does that work?’

A tiny frown clouded her face. ‘Work, how?’

‘Being buddies? Being friends? Isn’t it sometimes a question of discipline?’

‘Of course. But I’m a mum to them, as well as a coach. I’m there to care about them, as well as make them suffer. They were both young, remember. We’re talking eleven. Like I say, kids.’

She took the story on. How she’d watched them physically flower.

How their confidence had grown. How they’d come to depend on each other a little.

‘Is that unusual?’

‘Not at all. Swimming’s immensely physical, especially competition swimming. For six hours a day you’re practically naked around each other. You’re super-fit. You’re mega-hungry most of the time. If you see a pattern in all of that, an outcome, you’d be right.’

‘Outcome?’

‘They got it on. Girl and boy. Rachel and Matt. Am I telling you anything surprising?’

‘Not at all. What kind of age are we talking?’

‘By this time?’ She frowned. ‘Fourteen, fifteen. Swimmers peak early, especially girls, but Matt was on the edge of the national squad by now and Rachel wasn’t far behind. We used to take them away for training weekends - Ponds Forge, up in Sheffield … Crystal Palace sometimes. Give most kids an inch and they’ll take a mile, Matt especially.’

‘What does that mean?’ It was Suttle.

‘It means he was hungry. It means he was growing up at breakneck speed. Matt was always a risk-taker. He was the kind of guy who makes things happen. That’s why he swam sprints. He had loads of energy, loads of ambition. It was coiled up inside him. It was my job to make sure he released all that power, all that energy, at exactly the right time.’

‘On race day, you mean?’

‘Of course.’

Dawn Ellis wanted to know about Rachel. Was she similar in temperament?

‘Not at all. She had the talent, and she certainly had the drive, but she was much more balanced. Do you believe in astrology at all?’

‘Sometimes.’ Ellis nodded. ‘When it suits me.’

‘Then Rachel was Libra to Matt’s Scorpio. That’s partly why they were such a natural couple. They complemented each other. They were the perfect fit. There was a bit of an issue over Matt’s brother too. The lad’s severely handicapped. Matt was never too easy around any of that.’

The perfect fit.
Watching, Faraday found himself increasingly fascinated by this woman. She was measured. She was intelligent. She’d clearly cared about both her young charges. And, more to the point, she was bringing a rare sense of coherence to the anarchy of that night in Sandown Road.

Suttle wanted to know about the last couple of months as far as Rachel and Matt were concerned. What was Nikki’s take on the break-up?

‘I wasn’t the least bit surprised.’

‘You weren’t? After everything you’ve just said?’

‘No. Kids change.
People
change. The training began to fall away.

You notice it in small ways at first - an excuse here, a headache there, too much homework, whatever. Then the weight starts to go on, Rachel especially. Matt was having substance problems too. Another challenge he could resist.’

‘Substance problems?’

‘Booze, mainly. The kind of fitness level you need, you’ve got to be a bit careful. He was using weed too. And being the guy he is, I expect he took a run at one or two other things. Don’t get me wrong. This is a guy with huge strength of character, enormous presence. You don’t get to swim the way he did without it. But he was always pushing and pushing. That’s the way he was built. He couldn’t help it.’

‘Is that why they split up?’

‘Partly. The rest was down to … I dunno … life. They grew apart.

Different goals. Different values. It happens, as I’m sure you’re aware.’

Ellis shot Suttle a look. This was developing into a seminar. Ellis took up the running.

‘How did you feel about Matt yourself?’

‘I was proud of him. Immensely proud. But I was worried too.’

‘Why?’

‘The split was Rachel’s decision, as far as I can gather. Matt didn’t cope well.’

‘You were still seeing him? Outside pool hours?’

‘Sure. We’re talking just a couple of months ago. He wasn’t training at all by then.’

She’d seen him in the street a couple of times, she said, and once in a café-bar. They’d chatted, just like the old days, then came the morning when he’d turned up on her doorstep wanting to borrow her car.

‘And?’

‘I said yes. He had a licence. He said he was insured. He needed to go to a little place in Dorset and apparently the trains were a nightmare. So … yes, why not?’

‘But he got done.’

‘As it turned out …’ she nodded ‘… yes.’

‘Doing 132 mph.’

‘Yeah.’ She smiled. ‘My old banger, who’d have thought?’

‘And afterwards?’

‘We had a chat. Like you do. If you want the truth, I was bloody angry. Not because of the car but because he’d lied. It was a stupid thing to do. And it showed zero respect. That wasn’t the Matt I knew and loved.’

‘Loved?’

‘Yes, loved. Loved as in protégé. Loved as in son. Matt was a very lovable bloke. Still is.’

Ellis made a note. Suttle asked where Matt was now living.

‘With his mum, some of the time, when he can cope with Ricky.

With me the rest.’

‘And do you have a relationship?’

‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘Just the way we always did. I keep an eye out for him. I make sure he does the little things. I try and make sure he understands the big things. I try and stop him hurting himself.’

‘That wasn’t really my question.’

‘I know it wasn’t.’

‘Do you sleep with him?’

‘I’m not prepared to answer that question.’ She broke off to confer with her solicitor. She nodded a couple of times, then she was back with Suttle. ‘No comment.’

‘Are you fond of him?’

‘Of course I’m fond of him.’

‘Do you know where he is at the moment?’

‘I’ve absolutely no idea.’

‘When did you last see him?’

‘This afternoon. He left around lunchtime.’

‘But you’ve no idea where he’s gone?’

‘None. And that’s typical too. He has a life to lead. He’s not my property and, before you ask me the question, he never will be. Living full time with Matt would be a nightmare. I love him to bits because he is who he is. But that pretty much rules out anything sensible.’

Dawn Ellis wanted to take the interview forward to the night of the party. Had Berriman been around that day?

‘Yes. It was great weather. We go swimming a lot, as you might expect.’

‘In the sea?’

‘Yes.’

‘And in the evening?’

‘I was meeting a friend for a drink. I hadn’t a clue what Matt was up to. Like I say, I’m not his keeper.’

‘He hadn’t mentioned anything about Facebook? About Rachel?’

‘Nothing. But that would be typical Matt. He loved doing stuff on the spur of the moment. He just followed his nose, really.’