Taunting the Dead (29 page)

‘No.’

‘Strange, considering what good friends you were.’

‘It’s pretty convenient too that Terry does this to me right after the murder, don’t you think? He sees me for a few weeks, Steph’s murdered and then he dumps me with a punch?’

Allie paused for a moment, to regroup her thoughts. ‘Do you think he would have harmed Steph?’

‘If you’d asked me yesterday, I would have said no. Now, after what I’ve just been through, I’d say anything was possible. He just went crazy in a flash.’

‘So why do you think he stayed with her for so long?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Do you think she had some sort of hold on him?’

Carole screwed up the tissue in her hands before nodding. ‘It’s something that she didn’t confide in me, before you ask.’

‘Did you try to find out more?’

‘Of course I did.’ Carole laughed rudely. ‘I mean, come on. You know by now that their marriage was a sham. Normal married couples don’t act like they did.’

Allie thought back to the charity event at the beginning of the month. She’d seen Terry trying to keep his cool as his wife became more and more intoxicated. Maybe he was bothered that she would say something that would land him in it one day? She had to dig deeper.

‘Do you have any idea what it might be?’

‘No. But there’s a compartment in the master bedroom, behind her wardrobe. She kept her jewellery and stuff in there. You wouldn’t find it if you didn’t know about it. Terry paid a fortune for it not to be traceable. Steph told me that too. Maybe there might be something in there?’

Allie could hardly contain her excitement. A secret compartment? She’d have to get a warrant to search it out but if this was true, there could be anything inside it. Terry certainly hadn’t mentioned it when they’d been looking through Steph’s belongings.

When Carole lay for a while in silence, Allie stood up.

‘Get some rest,’ she told her. ‘I’ll come back or send someone over tomorrow to get a full statement.’

Carole groaned. ‘I don’t want to press charges.’

‘I’m not talking about that. I need a statement about the night Steph Ryder was murdered.’

‘I can’t.’ Carole looked up at her and began to cry again.

‘You can and you will.’ Allie leaned in closer. ‘If all these fragments fit together, don’t you realise that Terry Ryder could have murdered his wife?’

‘No. He wouldn’t do that.’

‘How can you be so certain after what he did to you?’

She paused. ‘Would he?’

‘I need you to make a statement.’

‘But then Shaun will find out that I’ve been having an affair!’

Allie was losing her patience. She wanted to say that it wasn’t her problem but she stopped herself. It wasn’t her job to break up relationships. But Carole would have to tell Shaun at some point. She relented a little. The woman had been through enough over the past few days.

‘Look,’ she said. ‘If he asks me questions about the attack, then I’ll either tell him to check the details with you or if he asks me anything I can’t reply to without landing you in it, then I won’t lie. But if I were you,’ she shrugged, ‘I’d come clean.’

‘I can’t do that,’ Carole sobbed.

‘It’s up to you. But you saw his face. He wants revenge. From what I’ve seen of your husband, he’s a good guy –’

‘He is.’

‘So he’ll want the perpetrator caught. I’m not certain he’ll let this rest. I’d have a good think on it because it isn’t going to go away.’

Shaun was waiting when Allie came downstairs.

‘What did she tell you?’ he asked.

‘Not much, I’m afraid.’ Allie decided to give Carole a little time. ‘She’s obviously disorientated, confused.’

Shaun nodded. ‘I’ll go and check on her.’

Allie stopped him. ‘Maybe you could leave her be for now? She’ll be clearer in the morning.’

Forgetting all about her visit to Georgia Road, on her short journey back to the station, Allie’s head was ready to explode. If what Carole told her checked out to be true, she could put Terry Ryder at the scene of the crime at the time of the murder. She needed to talk to Nick about getting a warrant and sussing out that secret compartment.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

When Allie got back to her desk, only Sam and Perry were in the office.

‘I’ve heard from The Bartley Hotel, where Terry Ryder said he was staying,’ Perry told her before she’d even taken off her coat. ‘He does use the hotel quite regularly but he didn’t have a booking that night.’

Allie paused. Surely Terry would have known they’d check up on that? Why lie?

‘Could he have used another name?’ she asked, sifting through the messages on her desk and finding nothing that needed dealing with immediately.

‘It’s possible, I guess. But if they know his face, wouldn’t he have been better booking another hotel? I doubt Ryder would get caught out that easily.’

‘Hmm… Thanks, Perry. Any luck with the CCTV footage, Sam?’ Allie placed her coat around the back of her chair and switched on her computer.

‘I’m almost done piecing it together.’

‘Good, because I have a witness who can put Terry Ryder in Brooke Lane at the time of the murder.’ Quickly, she told them about her interview with Carole.

‘But if Carole Morrison was with Terry Ryder at the time of the murder, then it could have been her,’ Sam piped up.

Allie pressed two fingers either side of her temple. She’d been so hell-bent on linking the murder to Terry that she hadn’t thought about the implications of Carole being there too. Missing important details was a no-no. How could she have overlooked that little gem?

She stood up. Suddenly an image of Terry ramming a fist into Carole’s face attacked her vision. Then it changed to the image of Steph Ryder. Again. And again. Bile rushed into her mouth. She barely made it to the ladies’ loos before throwing up.

‘Are you okay?’ Sam rushed in after her.

‘I’m fine. Must be coming down with something.’ Standing up, she took the handful of tissues offered and wiped her mouth.

‘You sure that’s all it is? Because I think –’

‘I’m fine,’ she repeated.

Sam shrugged. ‘You don’t want to talk anything through?’

‘No.’ She looked up quickly. ‘Just give me a moment, yeah?’

Once she’d gone, Allie tasted fresh vomit rising. She swallowed rapidly a few times, trying not to smell it on herself, knowing this would start her off again. Then she swilled her face and hands.

Ashen and nauseated, she held onto the sink for support. Her face in the mirror said too much. What had made her react like that? Was it fear that she felt or a delayed reaction to the brutal act itself? Did she really think Terry Ryder would kill his wife now that it was a possibility? It could just have easily been Carole Morrison who dealt the fatal blow.

She shuddered. Terry Ryder had made a pass at her earlier. And if she wasn’t careful, it could be her lying in bed with half her face swollen like a melon, like Carole.

It took her a few minutes but finally colour came back to her cheeks. Allie returned to her desk; everyone around her was working and, thankfully, oblivious to her plight. Shaking now, she switched on her computer. Time to get back to work. Until she could talk to Nick, she had things to think through.

Unable to face seeing his dad since he’d taken the beating off Shaun the day before, Lee had been keeping a low profile while he tried to work out what to do next. His mind kept whirling over the things that could happen to him if Terry found out that he had done his wife in. And taking that beating off Shaun Morrison had surprised him too. He’d expected him to bow down gracefully and give it up.

Fuck, he should never have killed Steph Ryder. What had he been thinking? The simple idea of blackmail had turned into full-blown murder in a matter of a few hours. He knew he shouldn’t have taken all that cocaine last Friday.

The more he thought about his predicament, the more he realised that he had to get out of Stoke. But he still needed money before he left. He’d have to visit his dad.

When Phil opened his front door it was nearing three in the afternoon. His sigh was loud and exasperated.

‘What the fuck happened to you?’ he asked, surveying the bruises on Lee’s face.

‘Just a bit of trouble last night.’

‘What kind of trouble?’

‘This and that.’ Lee shrugged and followed Phil through to the kitchen. ‘Have the pigs been round here?’

‘Someone questioned me, yeah.’

‘What?’ Lee’s voice shot up an octave. ‘When? What did they want?’

‘You’re a bit jumpy,’ said Phil. ‘What’s up?’

‘Nothing.’ Lee shrugged again.

‘Look, I could do without the hard boy act right now.’ Phil pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. ‘What have you done?’

‘I’m in trouble, Dad. I need to get away.’

When Phil’s eyes met his this time, Lee knew he had to come clean. But his stare got to him. He gulped away his nervousness. ‘You must know that stupid prick Morrison didn’t kill Steph. Well, I’ve been trying to get money out of him to keep quiet.’

‘I’m not with you.’

‘I was going to get some money off him to keep my mouth shut about him knocking off Steph Ryder. But the stupid bastard couldn’t kill her when push came to shove. I went –’

‘How did you know I asked Morrison to do it?’

‘I followed you.’ Lee could barely meet Phil’s eye now, sensing his mood change. ‘I saw you meet him in The Reginald Mitchell and then again on Friday. I was going to watch him at The Potter’s Wheel then tell him I saw everything and get some cash from him.’

‘Blackmail?’ The vein in Phil’s temple started to twitch. ‘I told you to keep your mouth shut about what you heard between me and Terry!’

‘It was too much of an opportunity to miss.’ Lee tried to explain. ‘But on the way I saw him puking up at the side of the road. I knew something wasn’t right. When I turned back, he’d gone. He bottled it! So I thought if I …’ he paused for a moment, ‘if I did the job I could still get money out of him because no one would know who did it.’ Another pause. ‘I finished her off instead.’

Phil jumped across the room in one swift movement and drew his fist up in the air. ‘You stupid fucking idiot!’ he screamed.

‘I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t think it through.’ Lee’s hands went up to protect himself. ‘I thought I was doing you a favour when he wouldn’t do it. You’d be in deep shit, right, if the hit on Steph wasn’t carried out? I always thought Morrison was gutless so I took a hammer with me, thought if I used the claw side, it would be over and done with in one swing. When I got there, Steph was sitting outside the entrance. I thought I’d have time to wait for her round the back but she saw me. As I drove past, she started yelling, followed me in the car, giving me right fucking lip across the car park. I was coked up, Dad, and I lashed out. I hit the side of her head. When she fell down, I heard her head crack on the tarmac and she never got back up.’

‘That’s not right.’ Phil shook his head. ‘The police said it was a brutal attack. Her head was
smashed in
with a hammer.’

‘I know what the police said but I –’ Lee pushed his arm away but Phil held on tight.

‘Don’t you see, you stupid idiot? That wouldn’t have killed her!’

‘She went down like a deck of cards. I saw her.’

‘No, you’re lying. She took a right beating.’

‘She didn’t!’

‘She did!’ Phil screamed into his face. Then he pushed him away.

Lee straightened out his jacket. He didn’t understand. He’d seen Steph go down and she sure as hell hadn’t got back up again. He’d nudged her a few times but she hadn’t moved. He must have killed her! And if he hadn’t killed her, then how was she dead?

‘It must have been me!’ he said. ‘How else –’

‘Get out! I’ve had as much as I can take of you for now.’

‘But, Dad, you’ve got to help me!’ Lee pleaded. ‘Terry will be after me. I need some money so I can leave Stoke, stay away for a while until the heat dies down.’

‘OUT!’

‘Can’t you see? I messed up but it’s Morrison who’s in the wrong. He told you he’d done her over. He’s the one taking the piss. Why should I get all the blame?’

‘Oh, he’ll get what’s coming to him,’ said Phil. ‘But you? I can’t trust you. You’re a liability.’

The word
liability
hung in the air. A liability could mean there’d be a hit out on him. A liability could mean… Lee shuddered at the thought.

‘Dad?’ Lee reached out to Phil. ‘I need your help, Dad.’

Phil pushed him away again. ‘Fuck off out of my sight or I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF!’

After leaving number two, Lee ran back to his house. The silence did nothing to welcome him; soon it was ringing in his ears. He sat with his head in his hands. Fuck, this was all going wrong. Why had Phil been so angry? He wasn’t at fault here. It was Shaun Morrison who had bottled out. Shaun was the one who should have killed Steph and didn’t.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Was his dad really in love with Steph? He knew they’d been screwing around for some time and he knew Phil screwed around with other women too. But what if that was the reason he hadn’t been able to kill her?

He wondered if Terry knew about the affair. Or maybe he’d found out? Was that the reason he’d wanted Phil to kill Steph? Some kind of fucked-up sweet revenge?

He began to pace the room. Fuck, he was in deep shit now. Without his dad to help him out with money, he didn’t have a chance of getting away. There was no alternative but to try Shaun Morrison. See if he could call his bluff. Without a second’s thought, he was off again.

On double yellow lines outside The Orange Grove, he gathered up his nerve and got out of his car. Trying to fit in and look casual amongst the shoppers walking by, he leaned back against the driver’s door and stared through the large glass window into the restaurant. He could see Shaun stocking up behind the bar. He lit a cigarette and waited. It wouldn’t be long before he spotted him.

Sure enough, Shaun appeared outside a few minutes later. Lee stepped back slightly as he came hurtling towards him.

Shaun pointed a finger into his face. ‘Stay away from me and my wife or you’ll get more of that bruising.’