DARK CRIMES a gripping detective thriller full of suspense (16 page)

‘Have you got someone under arrest?’

‘No. We’re just trying to build up a picture of the person at the moment.’

‘I’ve never seen a chief inspector before. It was just a couple of ordinary coppers when I reported the assault. Does this mean it’s really serious?’

Sophie nodded. ‘Tell us the details, as you remember them.’

Tracy took a deep breath. ‘I was only nineteen, and it was my first serious relationship. At first I was in heaven because Andy was so wonderful and caring towards me. He seemed so sensitive to my needs, and so protective. After a few months it dawned on me that he was starting to run my life. He made all the decisions. He didn’t want me to see my friends. He got angry if I went out without him. Then he started to hit me, usually when he’d had a bit to drink. But he always made up to me afterwards, and bought me expensive presents. I was really confused.’ She paused. ‘This is so hard. I still think about it, but I’ve never talked about it to anyone. I made statements when I started the charges against him, but they were more about the assault itself, not what had happened before.’

‘Do you feel that your case wasn’t dealt with correctly?’ asked Sophie.

‘No, it’s not that. I know they were busy. It was the same time as the London bombings. I wasn’t made to feel unimportant, but I felt I was taking up police time. Anyway, Andy bought me a pearl necklace and promised me a holiday somewhere exotic. So I decided to give him another chance. That’s why I dropped the charges.’

‘What happened after that?’

‘The holiday didn’t happen. He started hitting me again a while later, so I did a runner. I never saw him again. I’ve kept quiet since then. I got together with Jerry about three years ago, and we’ve been together since. He’s completely different, a really decent bloke who’s very gentle and thoughtful. Just the opposite of Andy. He looked decent most of the time, someone you thought you could trust, but he changed completely when he lost his rag. He was evil. He could really scare people just by giving them one of his looks. I wish I’d never met him. All of my friends are happy-go-lucky. They like to enjoy life. Nowadays I feel anxious and nervous, and I wasn’t like that before I met him. It frightened me, and I’m still scared now. I don’t know if it will ever go.’

She began to cry.

‘Tracy, that’s very helpful, what you’ve told us so far. But I now need some details. Are you okay to continue with that, if I ask you some questions?’ Sophie said.

‘Yes. Maybe it will help me get over it all finally.’

What was his full name?’

‘Andrew Ridgway, but he was always called Andy. I don’t know if he had a middle name.’

‘Do you know his date of birth?’

‘His birthday was on August the twenty-fifth. I think he was born in eighty-one.’

‘That makes him thirty now?’

Tracy nodded. ‘But I can’t be absolutely sure of his age. I may be wrong.’

‘Do you know where he lives?’

‘No. And I don’t want to. I never want to see him again.’

‘What about when you were together? Where did you live then?’

‘I rented a small flat in Poole. He came to live with me, so I don’t know where he lived before. He was always a bit vague. He must have had a place of his own somewhere, because he used to disappear for a few days sometimes. But I only asked him about it once. He told me I was a nosey bitch and to keep my mouth shut.’

‘Did you ever meet anyone else in his family? Parents for example?’

‘No. He said that he had an elderly mother in a nursing home. I didn’t think about it much at the time but if it’s true, she must have had him very late in life. He was only about twenty-five when I was with him.’

Sophie drew the photofit images out of her bag and placed them on the table.

‘Is this him, Tracy?’

Tracy started crying again. ‘Yes, the one without the beard. That’s him.’

‘I think we need to give you a few minutes’ break, Tracy. Could we make a pot of tea or coffee?’

‘I’ll do it. It’ll help if I do something.’

When she brought the tea, Tracy looked more composed. Sophie decided to press on with her questions.

‘Tracy, how did you meet him?’

‘It was at a club. I was single at the time, and went with a group of friends. He was by himself, and we just got dancing together.’

‘Do you remember what kind of a job he did?’

‘He was a maintenance engineer of some type, but he was very vague about it. I do remember that he worked in lots of different places. Factories, shops, even ships sometimes.’

‘According to our records he attempted to strangle you. Is that correct?’

Tracy nodded.

‘Could you take me through the events that led up to that attack? I know it’s not easy, but please bear with me. I’ll explain later. When did you first experience the violence?’

‘About three months after he moved in with me. He used to shout at me when I did things that didn’t please him. He’d come right up to me and put his face up against mine and shout. His face would be red with rage and his spit would fly all over my face. But I never knew what I’d done to set him off. Not exactly. I knew I was doing something wrong, though. And the other thing was that he’d tie me up in bed and gag me. I know lots of people do it, but it was different with him, not like in magazines and books where people use soft cord or fluffy handcuffs. He was getting vicious and he used ropes that he’d tie so tight that they bit into my skin. And he’d put his hand on my throat and squeeze. He’d say really vile things when I was like that. I knew he got a huge thrill from it. The more pain I was in, the more of a turn-on it was for him.’

She paused and took a gulp of tea. ‘Then I went out to a friend’s hen party. We were all a bit pissed and started talking about sex. Some of the others had tried a bit of tying-up, and said they enjoyed it. When I told them what Andy did with the ropes, and showed them the marks on my wrists they were gobsmacked. The next day one of them met him in the street and had a go at him about it. I could tell something was wrong when he came in, but it was far worse than his usual temper. He was white-faced. He told me I was a gossiping slut and worthless. He grabbed me round the throat with both hands. I nearly fainted.’

Tears were streaming down her face now, but she seemed oblivious to them.

‘Tracy, it’s important that you try to remember if he hurt you somewhere else while he was strangling you.’

Tracy looked puzzled for a moment. ‘Yes, he kicked me on the legs really hard,’ she whispered. ‘I’d almost forgotten about that.’

‘You’ve been brilliant, Tracy. Really helpful. I know how hard it’s been for you.’

‘It’s a relief in an odd way. I’ve never talked it through like this. Not with anyone. So is that it?’

‘Not entirely, no. How long have you been in this flat?’ said Sophie.

‘I got it when Rachel was a year old. I’ve been here for four years.’

‘It might be safer for you to move out for a short while in case he knows where you live. Is there anyone you can stay with for a week or so? Anyone this man Andy wouldn’t know about? What about someone in Jerry’s family?’

‘What? What are you saying?’

‘He’s more dangerous than you realise, Tracy. Trust me. Your lives might be at risk.’

Tracy Beck’s face went pale. ‘God. Is it that bad? What’s he done?’

‘I’m sorry but I can’t go into the details. Now, can you think of anywhere else you can stay for a while? You’ll need to keep quiet about it. The fewer people that know the better.’

‘Jerry’s sister manages a hotel near the quayside. They’ll have empty rooms this time of year. Would that do? But how am I going to explain this to him?’

‘No need, Tracy. Leave it to me. We’ll walk to the park, and I’ll do the explaining. By the way, did Andy ever find out about Rachel?’

‘Do you think I was going to tell him after what he did to me? No, he never knew. I left him before I was big enough to start showing. And I never want him to know. She’s such a sweet-tempered little thing. My little darling. He mustn’t ever find out.’

Jimmy Melsom looked stunned.

CHAPTER 15: No Excuse for Violence

Monday Morning, Week 2

The Monday morning briefing took place in the incident room as normal. Matt Silver was present as an observer. After it was over, the five detectives remained behind.

‘What’s going on?’ whispered Melsom to Pillay.

She shrugged her shoulders. Marsh moved a few desks, and a technical support worker set up a laptop with microphone, video camera, data-projector and loudspeakers.

‘The boss wants us to take part in a video-conference with Wendy Blacklock.’

‘Why can’t we just use Skype?’ Jimmy said.

‘Not secure enough. We have to go through the central police system so that we can’t be hacked. That’s why we’ve got all this paraphernalia. Bigger stations have a permanent room set up for this kind of thing. We could have all gone across to county HQ, but that would have knocked the morning out for us, and she didn’t want to lose that much time. This is a mobile set that they keep at Winfrith for times like this.’

The technician switched on and nodded to Sophie.

‘Okay, Wendy. We’re connected.’

Suddenly Wendy Blacklock’s head appeared on the screen.

‘Hi, Wendy. Good to see you,’ said Sophie.

Wendy smiled. ‘Morning. I hear that you’ve got some interesting information for me.’

‘Yes. But can you do us a favour first, Wendy. Can you give us a simple summary of the latest ideas on domestic violence?’

‘Okay, a potted account. Please interrupt as things occur to you. It’s helpful to subdivide the problem of abusive and controlling behaviour into categories. Since you’re not experts, I’ll use a system devised by some American counsellors who’ve spent many years working with violent and controlling men. They’ve come up with about eight or nine categories of control and abuse. By the way, most experienced workers in the field insist that there are no real excuses for what these men do. The perpetrators come up with all kinds of reasons for their actions, and analysts love it. But it’s all hogwash, according to this guy. It just makes the victim feel partly responsible for the abuse, the “It’s my fault. What did I do to set him off?” syndrome. In fact, they bear no responsibility whatever. The experts reckon these men do it because they like doing it and can get away with it.’

‘What about the idea that men abuse because they were victims of abuse themselves as children?’ asked Pillay.

‘There’s little statistical evidence to support that idea, apart from in the most brutal types. Even then, although there is some evidence for a link, it’s not a clear-cut one. The manipulative and controlling behaviour is learned from a range of sources. Role models, peers, exposure to pervasive cultural messages. The list goes on.’

‘What about low self-esteem? Isn’t there a link?’ Barry said.

‘Again the jury’s still out because there are plenty of men who have low self-esteem who don’t try to dominate their partners. These are all just excuses used to justify a behaviour trait that has no justification. We, as police officers, have to uphold the law, and the law on it is absolutely clear. Domestic violence in all of its forms is entirely wrong.’

Wendy took a sip of water.

‘I’ll give you an example. I was involved with a recent case where the man threw stuff around when he wanted to control his partner. Things went flying, got smashed and broken up. She was expected to clear up, despite being terrified by the ordeal. She genuinely thought that he had lost control when he got into one of these tantrums. When he calmed down, he’d tell her that it was just his temper. That he was “out of it” and it was things she did that set him off. When I got her to list what had actually been broken, we discovered that it was almost always her possessions. He was in control enough to avoid breaking his own things. Now doesn’t that tell you something? Some researchers are coming to the view that feelings, and even emotional problems, do not cause the abusive behaviour. It is more likely that beliefs and values are the driving force, even if these are largely subconscious. But the decision to act abusively on any given occasion has a rational component to it. Anyway, I won’t go through all of the types in detail, especially since these men may move from one category to another, as they see fit. And they don’t even always involve violence or intimidation. One type of abuser is nicknamed ‘the water-torturer’. He never raises his voice, but uses intense sarcasm and derision to gain control. This type is also often found when a woman is the abuser, and the victim is a male.’

‘I was going to ask you about that,’ said Marsh. ‘Isn’t it often forgotten that the abuse can be that way round?’

‘Yes, and we need to be aware of it. It is more common than people think, but it rarely reaches the extremes of violence that characterise the worst cases. In these severe cases there’s an element of sadism present that is terrifying. The perpetrator reminds the victim that extreme violence and murder is a possibility, sometimes overtly. One guy even cut out newspaper articles of cases where husbands murdered their wives, and pinned them up for his wife to see. Can you imagine the effect that had on her? She lived in total and absolute terror. And your current case is a typical example of this extreme, terror-based domination. What Tracy Beck described yesterday to you, Sophie, clearly puts your man into this category. We don’t need to try and understand the reasons for him doing it. It’s not our problem, and frankly, as I’ve said, the research is all over the place. He likes hurting people, it’s as simple as that. He gets a kick out of beating-up on his women.’

‘Can you offer any thoughts on the murders?’ said Sophie.

‘He killed Donna because she left him and ended up with another man. He can’t accept rejection. He couldn’t go on living knowing that a woman who had rejected him completely was still alive and enjoying life. It’s inconceivable to him. So she had to go. Her mother was killed for a couple of reasons. She probably knew too much about him, for one. But mothers are also identified closely with their daughters in the minds of men like this. Donna had turned against him, and he might have seen Brenda as a partial cause.’

‘But he didn’t murder his previous victims,’ Pillay said.

‘No, you’re right to mention that. It could mean that Donna was more special to him than any of the previous women. It’s also possible that he managed to trace her whereabouts, but couldn’t do so with the others. We can only speculate.’

‘And Susie?’ prompted Melsom.

‘She may have died simply to shift the line of enquiry over onto your Latvian guy. But I don’t think that was the only reason, convenient though it is. Isn’t there some evidence now that he might have known her?’

‘Yes. We also now know that Donna and Susie knew each other. They took a holiday together. In fact we are trying to discover if Donna moved in with Susie when she left him.’

‘I was just about to say that it’s likely that she upset him in some way, and that the relationship was deeper than the normal one between prostitute and punter. I’m guessing here, of course. But if she sheltered a girlfriend who was on the run from him, then that would provide him with a good enough reason.’

‘Wendy, it’s possible that he has used different surnames with his early victims. We can’t be sure about it yet. Tracy knew him as Andy Rule, but one of the other possible assaults that we haven’t checked out yet had an Andy Ridgeway down as the perpetrator. There’s also an Andrew Renshaw showing up in our database searches. Yet they all share the same birthday, so it could be the same man. Have you come across anything like this before?’

‘No. It’s disturbing. If what you’re saying is the case, then there’s an astonishing level of calculation. It means he introduces himself to these women with a false surname. Why would he do that under any normal circumstances? He knows in advance that the relationship is just going to be a temporary thing. And presumably they’ve lasted six months, a year or even longer? The level of subterfuge is quite astounding. I wonder how he gets away with it. Are these women stupid? Hardly, from what you’ve told me of Donna’s background. What about Tracy?’

‘She’s a bright young woman. She worked at managerial level in a local retailer.’

‘It’s almost as if each relationship is a game of some sort. No, I haven’t seen it before. Sorry, can’t help you on that one.’

‘Might she be in danger if he thinks that we’re on to him?’

‘Most definitely, in my opinion. He’s killed three. Why stop now? He doesn’t know that you’ve already identified some past victims, so as far as he’s concerned he’s still ahead of you. He’ll go after them, if he hasn’t already done so. But this is not part of the pattern of abuse. It’s now down to a question of survival for him. In a way, Sophie, you don’t need my expertise on this. The abuse took him close to the line of causing violent death. Once he went over that line, with Donna last week, he’s into your realm rather than mine. I can’t guess what’s driving him anymore, but I think he’ll look at the women in his back-catalogue, and he’ll wipe them out, one by one.’

‘Wendy, I do have one further item that you might be able to help us with. I’ve kept quiet about it because I don’t want our man to find out at any time, even when we catch him. Tracy has a daughter by him, but he doesn’t know. She left him before he knew she was pregnant. The little girl, Rachel, is nearly six. From your knowledge of violent men, how might he react if he did find out? Would it alter the way he views Tracy?’

‘Well, you’ve saved the juiciest bit till last. Domestic violence rarely changes when children arrive. Children put more stress on a relationship, and there are fewer opportunities for the couple to seek help or talk through any problems. It often gets worse, with the victim feeling even more downtrodden than before, with the possibility of just upping and walking out removed. But in this case? I’d guess that he’d feel enraged by Tracy’s decision not to tell him. He’s had the wool pulled over his eyes for nearly six years. He won’t see it from her point of view. These people can’t see it from the perspective of their victims. No, by what she’s done she’s managed to turn the tables on him and gained the upper hand. He’ll be really vindictive if he finds her. You need to keep her safe.’

‘Are you sure, Wendy?’ Matt Silver said. ‘We’re taking resources away from the search for this man and putting them into the task of identifying previous victims and keeping them secure. I know there’s a big overlap, but we do need to know that the temporary switch in emphasis is worthwhile.’

‘Absolutely. By definition, we are dealing with the unpredictable whenever we make decisions about violence of this nature. I think it probable that he will do two things. Firstly, start to seek out these women that he’s harmed before and left alone for these six years or more, particularly if they could identify him. And secondly, he’ll go ballistic when he finds that Tracy has concealed his daughter from him. The three women he’s killed so far have died quickly from stabbing or strangulation. There’s a good chance that he’ll be not just brutal but sadistic if he catches up with Tracy. She needs protection. Trust me.’

‘Okay. That’s good enough for me.’

Sophie said, ‘Wendy, this has been invaluable. I think we are all more aware of what we are up against. Thanks.’

The line was cut. Sophie spoke to the detectives before they went to their different tasks.

‘The existence of the little girl is strictly confidential and on a need-to-know basis. The rest of the team don’t know about her, and won’t know unless it becomes absolutely necessary. We keep it between ourselves. Clear?’

They all nodded.

‘When we spoke to Tracy yesterday she gave us some information about our man’s line of work. She mentioned that he worked in some form of engineering in shops, factories and sometimes on boats or ships. What line of work would give that kind of spread? Give it some thought and put a list together. We don’t seem to be getting very far with the name Andrew Rule at the moment, so it’s probably false. For all we know every surname we’ll find for him could be false. The common factor is his first name, Andy, so we’ll assume for now that it’s genuine.’

She glanced at her watch.

‘Time for me to be off to Bournemouth. We’re looking at student photos, then following up that mobile phone number this afternoon. We’ll be back later. We’ll see you when you get back from Southampton, Barry.’

Sophie and Melsom drove via Corfe Castle. Sophie wanted to call in to the hotel that had employed Brenda Goodenough. She wanted to speak briefly to the manager who’d been on holiday the previous week. He took them into his office and closed the door carefully behind him. He was hesitant, often pausing as he spoke. Sophie interrupted him.

‘Mr Blake, we don’t have time to pussy-foot around here. I sense some reservation on your part, but please be honest with us. Clearly there was a problem. What was it?’

He told them that Brenda was often suffering from the effects of a hangover. Moreover she could be moody and irritable to the other staff and guests.

‘Thank you for your honesty. Please contact us if you think of anything else that might be relevant.’

* * *

The session at Bournemouth University proved to be very helpful. David Bell and the two women students interviewed on Friday must have worked for much of the weekend contacting others and collecting the photographs. They had set out the ones with Donna in them. Each table had the photos for a different event or function. ‘They’re all in date order,’ said Bell. ‘The first table clockwise from the door holds photos from freshers’ week, then we work around the room and finish eighteen months later when she dropped out. You can see there are far fewer for her second year. She was withdrawing from the student scene.’