Coming, Ready or Not (D.S. Hunter Kerr Book 4) (9 page)

Dipping a hand inside his jacket Mike withdrew his pen and tested it on
the top line of a sheet of foolscap. ‘If I tell you that we’ve now tracked down all of Gemma’s friends that she regularly associated with and built up a pretty good picture of her life to date, what I need from you is just to fill in the gaps regarding what you know about Adam Fields and of your daughter’s movements in the week leading up to her death.’

Stuart and Margaret Cooke exchanged looks.

‘When did your daughter and Adam Fields first get together?’

Margaret Cooke released her hand from her husband
’s and began wringing her handkerchief. She said, ‘It was roughly a couple of months after she split up with Jamie – James Blaney. He’s the one who fell off the balcony on holiday last summer. They’d already been split up a good while when that happened. She was already in a steady relationship with Adam when he died. In fact Adam had moved in with her.’

‘
Do you know how they met?’

‘
Gemma told me she knew Adam from before. I think they used to bump into one another when she went round town with her mates. She brought him round here before he moved in, but I couldn’t take to him. There was something about him I didn’t like. You’ve seen him haven’t you? All brawn. He was too fond of himself for my liking. Used to act like he was God’s gift. I tried to warn Gemma but she wouldn’t listen and now look where it’s got us.’ She released a sound which was the start of a sob and then caught herself.

‘
Well as I say, Mrs Cooke, we don’t know for sure yet whether Adam is involved in Gemma’s death, we’ve still got a lot of enquiries to do.’ Mike scribbled down a few key words of what Margaret had just said. He would expand on them later when he formulated her statement. He asked, ‘Did Gemma ever mention to you if Adam had hit her or not?’

Mrs Cooke
exchanged looks with her husband for a few seconds and then returned her gaze. ‘Gemma wouldn’t tell us anything like that. We didn’t find out that Jamie had beat her until well after they’d split up.’ She paused and looked up towards the ceiling momentarily. Returning her look with glassed-over eyes she continued, ‘I could tell though that something wasn’t right between her and Adam.’

‘
What makes you say that, Margaret?’

‘
Oh, I could read our Gemma like a book. She was such a bubbly outgoing person normally, but these last couple of months she’s not been herself. I asked her more than once if things were all right between them and she just kept telling me “not to fret” and then changed the subject.’

‘
Do you happen to know if she was seeing anyone else?’

‘
Our Gemma?’

Mike nodded.

‘Not that I know of. Why has somebody said she was?’

He made a note.
‘It’s just a line we’re following up.’

She looked to her husband again.
He shook his head. Margaret responded, ‘Our Gemma kept things close to her chest, but I don’t think she’d have been so down as she was if she’d been seeing someone. I know what our Gemma’s like when she starts a new relationship.’

‘
Okay, Mrs Cooke, just one more question and then we’ll leave you in peace. You’ve already said Gemma was a bit down, but had you noticed anything out of the ordinary about her recently. Something she might have said, or reacted to, while you had been chatting with her? It might just be her manner, or the way she’s done something that was different to her day-to-day routine.’

Margaret shook her head
. ‘No, nothing like that at all. Just a bit down that’s all.’

Suddenly
her demeanour changed, Mike spotted it. ‘Is there something, Margaret?’

‘
Well there is something unusual, but it’s not about anything Gemma has said or done, it’s relating to what she was wearing.’

‘
Wearing?’

‘
Yeah, you know when she was found. When we went to identify Gemma, the officer there handed over Gemma’s personal effects. One of the things he handed over was a silver locket which I knew wasn’t hers. I quizzed him about it. He said it must be hers because it was around her neck when they found her. But I definitely know it didn’t belong to Gemma. And the initials inside prove it.’

Mike
’s eyebrows knitted together, ‘Initials?’

‘
Yeah, when I got the locket home I had a closer look at it, just in case I’d got it wrong. It’s quite an old one you see and I was trying to remember if anyone in the family had bought it her when she was younger. I knew in my own mind that nobody had, but I wanted to make sure, for myself. When I opened it I knew it wasn’t Gemma’s. They weren’t Gemma’s initials inside.’

Mike thr
ew his colleague a puzzled look before returning his gaze to Mrs Cooke. ‘Margaret, can you show us the locket?’

She pushed herself out of the sofa and padded to
wards a set of drawers, in the alcove to the right of the fireplace. She opened the top drawer, dipped a hand inside and after a few seconds withdrew a clenched fist. She reached out to Mike and sprung open her hand.

‘
Have a look inside it.’

With thumb and forefinger Mike delicately lifted a silver coloured chain and
heart shaped locket from Margaret Cooke’s palm. The face of the locket had a leafed flower engraved upon it. It looked like a daisy. It took him thirty seconds of messing with the clasp before he prised it open. He surveyed the inside.

‘
See what I mean.’

Mike was about to shake his head. At first he hadn
’t clicked on to what Margaret Cooke was alluding to. Then the light bulb lit up in his head. He said ‘JC.’

‘
Yes, JC. Our Gemma’s name begins with a G, not a J.’

‘
Then who does this locket belong to?’

Mrs Cooke shook her shoulders.
‘Search me.’

- ooOoo -

Day Five: 22nd March.

In the gloom of the MIT room silence reigned. A sea of detectives’ faces were glued to the 42 inch plasma TV screen at the front of the room. They were watching the dying seconds of two minutes worth of CCTV footage, which had already played out. Many looked on with horror. Some shook their heads.

Detective Superintendent Leggate freeze-framed the last section.
The picture was clear and sharp. It depicted a man holding open the rear door of a black taxi cab. Gemma Cooke was about to climb into the back. She tapped a finger over the man’s image.

‘
You all see the same as me. Conclusive evidence I think you’ll agree. And unless he has a twin brother there’s no doubt who this is getting into the taxi with Gemma, at Barker’s Pool, just after midnight on the eighteenth. Added to that, is the statement we have from the man who lives opposite Gemma, providing the description of the man who was seen going into the house with Gemma, at roughly quarter to one that morning. Finally, we have the forensics’ evidence. That came back late yesterday. The prints on the pizza box in the kitchen, on one of the wine glasses in the lounge and on the handle of the knife used to kill Gemma all belong to DC Tom Hagan.’ She deliberated over her words as she released the officer’s name. ‘I have no doubt once we get his DNA that it’ll match up with the semen stains on the bedding.’ She clicked the DVD remote’s stop button and the image cleared. The screen turned blue. ‘Lights on, please.’

Someone at the back switched on
the fluorescents. Within a couple of seconds the room was awash with a bright white light.

Everyone blinked to adjust their sight.

Tightening her eyes, SIO Dawn Leggate continued, ‘This has cast a very dark shadow over this enquiry. DC Hagan is now the prime suspect in the murder of Gemma Cooke. I have already informed the Chief Constable and Professional Standards. I’ve also spoken with his DI this morning. She informs me that DC Hagan is day off today, but he’s not at his home, is not answering his mobile and she doesn’t know where he is. But, he is due in at nine tomorrow and so she’s bringing him across here the minute he gets in.’ Dawn Leggate still held the remote in her hand. She sought out Hunter with it. ‘As you and Grace have already spoken with DC Hagan I’m handing you two the task of interviewing him.’

S
IO Dawn Leggate ended briefing by determining that everyone should clear up what current work they had on and finish the day early. She told the team that she wanted them fresh for the new week ahead, and so, the remains of the day fell away with detectives spending their time reviewing and consolidating the priorities and actions they had already been allocated.

Individually
Hunter and Grace worked on their evidence journals, formulating their notes on their interview with Adam Fields. He had been put before court and had been remanded to Armley jail, where he would remain pending a trial date. After lunch they went back over Gemma Cooke’s case file, to prepare themselves for their interview with DC Tom Hagan. By late afternoon they had pulled together crime scene photographs and the key witness statements and were in a state of readiness for the following day.

On his way home
, Hunter stopped off at the supermarket and bought a decent bottle of red wine. The past few days had been manic and he wanted nothing more than to spend that evening with Beth winding down after they had put Jonathan and Daniel to bed. Times like this were precious and he wanted to make the most of it, he said to himself as he climbed back into his car.

- ooOoo -

Day
Six: 23rd March.

Hunter and Grace stood in the Custody Suite waiting area. An uncomfortable silence prevailed and was only broken by the odd discordant sound erupting from one of the cells down the corridor. It sounded like one of the overnight drunks was still in high spirits.

Opposite the reception desk, one leg
hooked across the other, Hunter leaned back against the wall, bracing himself with his shoulders. Waiting.

Glancing at the clock on the wall opposite
it dawned on him that he and Grace had been here for almost half an hour. During that wait, he had attempted to exchange looks with the three members of staff working behind the desk, but they had snatched away their eyes the moment they had met his gaze.

He felt isolated.

Feeling the need for support he glanced down to where his partner was sitting on one of the secured metal seats that were there for the use of prisoners who were waiting to be booked in. She was hunched forward, elbows resting on her knees, eyes fixed forwards. She reminded him of someone who was waiting to see the dentist.

What they were in fact waiting for was
the consultation to finish between DC Tom Hagan and the Federation appointed solicitor so that they could begin their interview; since the booking in procedure the pair had been locked in conference.

T
ut-tutting to himself he lifted his eyes to the ceiling. Given that the suspect they were about to interview was a fellow detective he tried to focus on his line of questioning but his thinking was a shambles. He couldn’t even remember the first question he had written in his pre-interview notes only three quarters of an hour ago. He dragged back his gaze and flipped open his case notes. As he started to read his script the interview room door swung inwards, startling Hunter. Tom Hagan’s solicitor appeared in the doorway.

‘
DS Kerr, DC Marshall, my client is ready.’

Hunter sprang himself forwards at the same time as Grace pushed herself up from her seat.
They exchanged knowing looks. It was time.

Hunter snapped shut his file, collected his
messy thoughts and marched into the room.

What faced him took him by surprise.
He had expected to be met by someone who looked as though they were prepared to do battle, yet the display on DC Tom Hagan’s face was anything but. He was ashen-faced and wore a mask of defeat. He slouched in his chair, elbows on desk, hands supporting his head.

His solicitor took the chair next to his client. Making himself comfortable he announced,
‘Detectives, Mr Hagan has made it clear to me that he realises the seriousness of his predicament and wishes to fully cooperate. He has prepared a statement.’

Hunter dropped the folder onto the table and took his place opposite Tom Hagan.
‘That’s good but I would still like to ask him a number of questions.’

Tom Hagan never even conferred with his solicitor
. He met Hunter’s eyes and nodded.

Grace switched on the tape recording machine and administered the introduction and caution.

Hunter opened his folder. His pre-interview notes took centre stage. He checked the first few sentences he had written, but before he even had begun to speak DC Hagan said,

‘
It’s not what you think.’

Hunter glanced up and offered a
questioning look.

‘
I didn’t kill Gemma. I hadn’t anything to do with her death. She was alive when I left.’

‘
Then why didn’t you say anything to us the other day when we came for Gemma’s case file. You must have known your prints and DNA were all over her place.’

‘
Course I did. You just hope against hope don’t you, cos the whole situation was a friggin’ mess. I knew I was in a heap of shit.’

‘
Enlighten me.’

‘
You know the story of how I came to meet up with her again after all this time.’

‘
Do I?’

‘
Yes, from the complaint that was made. You have to believe me when I say this. When it came across my desk and I was asked to follow it up, I spotted her name, and wondered if it was the same Gemma Cooke from school, and of course when I went out to see her, it was.’

‘
So what happened?’

‘
Nothing happened, like you think it did. I did my job. Sure we caught up, but genuinely I did my job. I gave Gemma my card, like we always do for follow up contact, and then I arrested Adam, and afterwards I phoned her up and gave her an update. While I was chatting with her she happened to mention she was going out with her mates into Sheffield for a night out celebrating St Patrick’s Day. She said she needed to just chill out after everything that had gone off. I told her that was a coincidence because me and a couple of the CID lads were having a night out that same night in Sheffield, but that we were going to go to the casino after a couple of drinks.’ He sought out Hunter’s eyes and locked gazes. ‘You can check this out. I didn’t arrange it. It was a CID thing and they asked a couple of us in the office if we wanted to join them. It’s a regular thing.’

‘
Okay, so you and a few of the CID lads went into Sheffield on St Patrick’s night. What happened there?’

‘
Well, we started in that old pub opposite Sheffield railway station. Stayed there about an hour and then went to a few real ale pubs around Kelham Island and then we made our way up to Division Street. That’s when we bumped into Gemma and her mates. It wasn’t planned I can assure you. They were in the Frog & Parrot, I think it’s called and they’d had quite a few by the looks of them. We got in a round of drinks and I went across and chatted with Gemma for a while.’

Hunter interrupted,
‘What about?’

‘
Mostly about our schooldays, what we’d done with ourselves and of course the circumstances of how we’d met up again. You know, her domestic I’d just dealt with. That was it.’ He see-sawed his eyes between Hunter and Grace. ‘Honest. There was nothing in it. I didn’t chat her up. Nothing like that at all. I spent about twenty minutes with her. I finished my beer and then me and the lads went on to the next pub and left her and her friends to it. As I say it was planned that we’d do a few pubs and then go off to the casino.’

‘
But that never happened?’

‘
Well you know that, because I ended up at Gemma’s, didn’t I? But that’s also not how you think either.’

‘
Tell me how it was.’

‘
Well, me and the lads did a few more pubs, and were about to jump in a taxi to go to the casino, when Gemma rang my mobile. She said she’d had enough. That she wasn’t in the mood and so she’d left her mates in the pub and decided to call it a day. She said she thought she was being followed. She sounded really panicky on the phone. I asked her if it was Adam, and she said, she didn’t think so, but she wasn’t sure. I asked her where she was and she said near the City Hall. I was only round the corner from there, and so I told her to hang on and I’d shoot round. I left the pub and found Gemma by the front steps of the City Hall. She was in a bit of a state. And I don’t mean drunk. In fact she appeared to be pretty much sober.’ He lifted his head off his hands and pushed himself back in the seat. ‘She then told me that she thought Adam had texted her early on, threatening to slit her throat, and burn her house down, and that she didn’t know if it was him, or a mate of his, who was following her. She said whoever it was had kept dodging out of sight so she hadn’t been able to see them. I had a good look round but I couldn’t see anyone so I told her I’d see her into a taxi. And that’s what I intended doing. Except when I got her a taxi she asked me if I’d come home with her and just see that everything was okay when she got there.’ He paused a second and again sought out Hunter and Grace’s faces. ‘I guess that’s when I should have said no, but I didn’t, did I? Like an idiot I got in with her. On the way back, she said she was starving and asked me if I fancied sharing a pizza with her. We were getting on all right and I thought there was no harm in it and so we got the taxi driver to drop us off on High Street. The pizza place was still open, so I grabbed one and then we walked back to her place. Her house is only ten minutes from there, when you cut through the backs. When we got to her place she opened up a bottle of wine, while I divvied up the pizza and she poured out two glasses. I guess you know what happened then.’

‘
You went to bed and had sex?’

Downheartedly he answered,
‘Yes. We had sex.’ Then his eyes lifted. ‘But that was it. Once the moment had gone I felt awful. I know I shouldn’t have done it. I said to her afterwards that we shouldn’t have done that. She told me not to apologise. There was no harm done, she said. We were both adults. I told her that I couldn’t stay and so I had a quick wash, told her I’d catch up with her later and then left. She let me out by the back door and I cut through the back streets home.’

‘
Did anyone see you leave?’

‘
No, not that I know of. To be honest I really was feeling shitty over what had just happened. And you know my circumstances. I didn’t want anybody seeing me there. That’s why I used the back streets.’

‘
When you say circumstances, what do you mean by that?’

He sighed,
‘That I’m married. Six years, this year. She’s going to find out, isn’t she?’

Hunter shrugged his shoulders. Resolutely he replied,
‘You don’t need me to answer that question, do you, Tom? I think you know the answer yourself. This is a murder investigation.’

He hunched his shoulders,
‘This is going to crucify her. We’ve not had a good couple of months together. Things have been a bit strained of late. We’ve just had a baby – a little girl – three weeks ago.’ He shook his head, ‘How can I have been so chuffing stupid?’

‘
Let me pull you back here, Tom. You’re telling us that when you left Gemma she was alive. Am I right?’

He looked aghast.
‘Course I am, for Christ’s sake. She was alive. She saw me out of the back door. I just said I’d be in touch. That was it.’

‘
And you never argued.’

‘
No, why should we? I hold my hands up I went to bed with her when I know I shouldn’t have done. I’m not proud of what I did, but that’s how it was. What else? Why should I harm her?’

‘
I don’t know. Maybe she wanted more from you, after you’d had sex together. Maybe she asked you to leave your wife.’

He shook his head vigorously.
‘No. Although I’m guessing she probably knew I was married she never asked me. It wasn’t like that. Jesus, you’ve got to believe me. It happened exactly like I’ve just told you. Gemma was fine about everything. In fact she gave me a peck on the cheek and said something like “if I ever needed her company again to give her a ring.” Honestly that’s exactly how it was. I’m telling you, when I left her she was alive.’

‘
Okay, Tom, what time did you leave?’

He thought about the question for a few seconds.
‘It would’ve been roughly about quarter to two. I say that because I can remember looking at my watch after we’d done it and it was just before half one. Like I’ve said, I got up had a quick wash, got dressed and then left. So at the most that was quarter of an hour.’

‘
And what time did you get home?’

‘
I guess it’s roughly twenty minutes to my house from Gemma’s, and I wasn’t strolling. I put in a bit of a jog so it could have been quicker.’

‘
Will your wife be able to corroborate this?’

Shaking his head he sighed,
‘As I said earlier, things have been strained between us. Baby blues and all that – I don’t know. She’s at her sister’s. She felt she needed a break, so she’s been there for the last couple of days.’ He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, ‘This is not going to help things with our relationship, is it?’

No more than you deserve
, because instead of being at the casino with your mates you were getting your end-away with a vulnerable witness, Hunter thought to himself.

DC Hagan
’s face changed and took on a worried look. ‘What a fucking mess, and all because of a one-night stand. Shit.’

Least of your troubles
, mate.
Hunter then asked, ‘Just going back a bit, Tom. You said you divvied up the pizza. What did you mean?’

His forehead creased into a frown,
‘I cut it in half. Well not just in half, into three slices each, but neither of us finished it. We left it on the side in the kitchen. I think there were a couple of pieces left.’

‘
What did you cut it with?’

‘
A knife. I asked Gemma if she’d got a pizza slicer, but she hadn’t.’

‘
Where did the knife come from?’

Tom Hagan
’s brow creased, ‘Kitchen drawer, I think. To be honest I didn’t see. Why?’