‘I didn’t think …’
DC Bzowski suddenly flashes another one of her lipstick-framed smiles. ‘Okay. So to clarify, you didn’t go out to meet Amber on Friday night?’
I try to make eye contact with my daughter, but Lucy’s avoiding my gaze altogether now. I’m not sure whether that’s because she’s angry with me for not shielding her from DC Bzowski’s questions, or because she’s about to lie. Again. ‘No, I didn’t meet her,’ she says. ‘I called to say I was blocking her,’ she clarifies. ‘And to leave me alone.’
The detective leans back in her chair. She’s quiet for a moment, as though deciding what to say next. ‘Did you go out at all on Friday night?’ she finally asks. ‘I understand there was a big party in the village.’
Lucy’s eyes flit towards me again. I wish she didn’t look so guilty. ‘I didn’t go to the party,’ she says. ‘It was my sister’s best friend’s eighteenth, so it was mainly the Year Thirteens.’
‘So you stayed at home?’ the detective prompts. Her eyes have narrowed with focus and a burst of realisation explodes inside me. She knows Lucy went out. There must be CCTV or something, proof that she was roaming the streets – the village shops might have cameras, and some people have those video doorbells that pick up passers-by.
‘I went out for a bit,’ Lucy mumbles. ‘I couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk around the village.’
‘What time was this?’ the detective asks. I try to blink at Lucy, as though she might be able to decipher the acronym CCTV from my frantic eyelids.
‘Around quarter to eleven.’ My chest shrivels. The lie is out, and I have no idea whether DC Bzowski can prove it or not.
‘On your own?’
‘At first, yes. Then Mum came and we walked home together. About half an hour later.’
‘And you definitely didn’t see Amber?’
‘No, sorry.’
Lucy’s voice is wobbling. I need to do something. ‘DC Bzowski, Lucy’s already told you she didn’t see Amber,’ I say. ‘Can we move on?’
The detective looks at me, her expression hard to read. ‘We’ve been checking CCTV from the post office, and a girl who looks a lot like Lucy passes by, but it was earlier than ten forty-five, before ten in fact.’
Lucy throws me a petrified look. ‘That’s strange,’ I ad-lib while my mind clatters through what to say next. The post office is on Keens Lane, around the corner from the parade of shops. Lucy wouldn’t come into view on the route to the church unless the camera has a very wide-angled perspective. ‘How clear are the images?’
‘Not hugely,’ the detective admits. ‘But we’re keen to work out who the girl is.’
‘Why her specifically?’ I ask. ‘I guess there were plenty of people walking past during the evening?’
‘There were, you’re right,’ DC Bzowski says. ‘But there are reasons why this person is of particular interest.’ She smiles again. I fight an urge to launch myself across the table, grab her shirt collar and demand a fuller explanation.
‘Lucy, have you ever smoked marijuana?’ the detective asks.
‘What? No.’
‘Taken ecstasy?’
Lucy shakes her head. ‘I’ve never done any drugs, ever.’
‘Do you drink alcohol then?’
‘Not really,’ Lucy murmurs, her confidence waning again. ‘I’ve tried wine a few times.’
‘Have you ever drunk vodka?’
I tense. Remember the bottle Lucy stole, the shards of glass hanging from its broken neck in the churchyard. ‘Why are you asking that?’ I say, wishing I didn’t sound so defensive.
DC Bzowski hesitates for a moment then apparently decides she wants us to know. ‘Preliminary reports on Amber’s clothing suggest that there were significant traces of vodka on both her top and jeans. The girl in the CCTV image was carrying a plastic bag with something heavy inside. We wondered if it might be a bottle of vodka.’
Email from DI Finnemore (SIO) to Det Supt Bishop
Subject: Wednesday 8th May update
Sir,
Hope conference is going well. Investigation is in a good place, I think. We have a suspect – but evidence is circumstantial at the moment and I’m conscious we need to strengthen the forensic case against them. Will update you as and when I have more concrete info.
Have received initial post-mortem results for victim (excludes toxicology, DNA, etc.). Cause of death was subdural haematoma. There was bruising and lacerations to the victim’s face and a fracture on the frontal bone of the skull, but the fracture that caused the fatal bleed was to the occipital bone at the back. Initial theory is that the victim was hit face-on with a weapon, causing her to fall backwards onto a rock which ultimately killed her. Blood spatter supports that. No weapon retrieved from scene, but based on size and shape of the front impact wound, plus evidence of tramline bruising, it’s likely to be a blunt cylindrical instrument. Possibly a baseball bat. Forensic team are looking at potential matches. But too narrow for a vodka bottle apparently – see later.
There were also cuts to the victim’s hand. Specks of glass were removed and sent for analysis. No evidence of sexual assault. Saliva detected on skin around mouth. Skin cells found underneath victim’s fingernails signifying some evidence of fighting back. Both sent off for DNA analysis. A couple of hairs found on victim’s top. No follicle on either so can’t retrieve DNA but don’t belong to victim. Long and light in colour – so could be cross-contamination from woman who found the body (Ms Salter). Will get a sample from her for the forensic team. All clothing swabbed. Awaiting results of blood analysis but clear smell of alcohol on victim’s top and jeans – best guess is vodka but waiting for confirmation.
Time of death between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. so not overly helpful based on what we know already. Confirmed that murder took place at scene. No footprints found yet, but CSI are checking route back to the village. It rained quite heavily overnight so not optimistic. Perpetrator could also have driven – there is a car park a fifteen-minute walk south of the crime scene, away from the village. Tyre tracks from two cars visible despite the rain, but these may well be unrelated.
Victim’s sister has moved back in with foster carers but was difficult to interview. Very wary of me. Her mother was beaten to death by her partner – when Jessica was 8 years old, and in bed in the next room – so maybe not surprising. Decided not to ask for DNA sample (for elimination purposes) just yet – will wait for forensics before deciding if it’s necessary. Jess didn’t know the code to Amber’s phone unfortunately, so we only have phone records – and masts are over a kilometre apart, so triangulation results are too broad to be helpful. Jess did admit to knowing her sister wasn’t home at 23.00 – she texted her to ask where she was – but then she clammed up again. My guess is she fell back to sleep, and now feels guilty for it. And we have contacted Meta and Snapchat for access to those accounts but I’m not holding my breath.
CCTV from three shops in the village plus the post office and railway station car park has been collected for the ten hours between 20.00 Friday and 06.00 Saturday and we have started to look through it. Amber picked up three times between 20.12 and 21.47. Always alone. Nothing after that, but the uniforms confirmed she didn’t attend youth club at all. We have started interviewing students at Lord Frederick’s and there is a consistent narrative that the victim was dealing marijuana and ecstasy. Nothing found at the foster home, but toxicology and forensic reports might reveal more on that.
Both reports due tomorrow.
Simon
