DARK CRIMES a gripping detective thriller full of suspense (7 page)

‘I can do my paperwork on the train, so it won’t be a problem,’ she’d said. ‘It will be good to get out of London for a day, particularly to the seaside.’

Berzins had been brought up from the cells, and was sitting in the interview room with the solicitor. Sophie sat down opposite him. Barry Marsh and Wendy Blacklock stood against the wall, just inside the door. Berzins looked tired and pale.

‘Good afternoon, Vilis. Have you been treated well since I saw you last?’

The young man nodded.

‘Is there anything you wish to change in the statement you made yesterday?’

‘No. I told you what I know.’

‘Is there anything that you wish to add? Maybe you’ve thought of something else, something that you forgot to tell us?’

‘I do not think so.’

‘We didn’t really talk much about what you did while you were at the railway station in Bournemouth. Did you leave the station at any time?’

‘No. I took a book with me and sat reading it while I was waiting. I sat for most of the time in the waiting room where it was warmer than outside on the platforms.’

‘What book was it?’

‘
A Tale of Two Cities
. I am trying to read some of Dickens’ novels.’

‘Where is the book now?’

‘In the cell. It was taken from me when I was first brought here, with my phone and other things. But I asked for it to be returned yesterday evening so that I could read more.’

Sophie turned and looked at Marsh, indicating that he should fetch the book.

‘So you didn’t leave the station? Were there others in the waiting room with you?’

‘Yes. People came and went. Most didn’t stay long, just to wait for their trains to arrive.’

‘Did you talk to anyone? Would any other travellers be able to verify that you were there?’

‘I don’t think so. I sat reading all of the time. I don’t remember speaking to anyone.’

‘Have you been to Bournemouth before, Vilis?’

‘Yes. I went several times with Donna to visit the shops.’

‘How did you travel there?’

‘On the bus. Across the ferry. We got on the bus at the station.’

‘Where did you get off in Bournemouth?’

‘In the town centre. Where the big shops are. We had lunch there too. It was on our days off.’

‘Where did you have lunch?’

‘Donna liked the big pub beside the square. You can use the upstairs bar and look out over the gardens.’

‘Did you go to the area near the station on any of these visits?’

‘No. Yesterday was the first time I went there. The other times we stayed in the shopping area. What information do you want from me? I don’t understand.’

‘A serious crime happened yesterday only a few minutes’ walk away from the station, Vilis. It seems to have occurred at about the time you were there. Also, we found the body of Donna’s mother yesterday in her house. She had been strangled.’

He dropped his head onto his arms and sobbed quietly. Finally he raised his head and looked at Sophie through tear-filled eyes.

‘I didn’t do any of these terrible things. I could never hurt anyone that way. Please believe me.’

Marsh returned and handed a paperback book to Sophie. She opened it and read the inscription: ‘Happy Birthday, Vilis. Love from Donna.’

‘So Donna bought this for you as a gift? How long ago?’

‘It was for my last birthday, in September. Before we were seeing each other. She knew I liked reading, and I had read two other Dickens’ books. She gave me this, and told me I would enjoy it. She said it was a novel about liberation and sacrifice. She said that it meant a lot to her.’

‘Do you know what she meant by that?’

‘No. I told you that she didn’t talk about her past. Even when I asked her. And this was before we were together.’

Sophie opened the novel at a bookmark. ‘So where have you reached?’

Berzins sounded weary. ‘To where Sidney Carton has visited Darnay in prison and has taken his place.’

Sophie nodded. ‘Why do you think he did that?’

‘Because he loves Lucy. He wants her safe and secure and have a happy life.’ He paused. ‘That is what we all want. That is what I would have wanted for Donna.’

Sophie remembered Wendy Blacklock’s suggestion that she should ask questions about his family, particularly the female members.

‘Do you have any sisters, Vilis?’

‘Yes. I have twin sisters still in Riga. They are sixteen.’

‘Did you help your parents out when they were growing up?’

‘Of course. My mother was often working in the café. I would read to my sisters on many evenings. I even started to read to them in English. They are doing well at school. They want to be doctors. I think they will do so. They are both clever, and study hard.’

‘Did you help in the café sometimes?’

‘Yes, we all did on busy holidays. It was expected, because my parents came from poor backgrounds and worked hard to make the café popular. They wanted it to be in the family.’ Berzins almost smiled as he spoke about his family.

‘How do you get on with your mother, Vilis?’

‘Why are you asking me this? I love her of course. She means much to me. My parents have worked so hard to build up the café. It started small. I remember as a small boy that they had to struggle. Now it is one of Riga’s most popular restaurants. I am very proud of my parents. And my mother is very proud of us all, me and my brother and my sisters.’

‘What did you think of Donna’s mother?’

‘She was a nice lady, I think, but she was not warm like my own mother. I felt that she didn’t trust me. But I don’t think it was just me. From her talk with Donna I think she was probably the same with other men. She did not seem very close even to Donna. Not like my mother is with her children.’

‘Can you explain, Vilis, how we came to find her dead yesterday in her cottage?’

‘I cannot believe it. It cannot all be true. How can such terrible things happen? I do not understand any of this. Not any of it.’

‘Vilis Berzins, we have a positive match for your DNA at the scene of Donna’s murder. You will now be charged with committing that murder.’

Berzins shrank in his seat, looking bewildered. Sophie turned and nodded to the custody officer. He came forward, read out the charges, and handed the sheet to the solicitor.

* * *

Sophie and Wendy Blacklock walked along the corridor.

‘What do you think, Wendy?’

‘He’s a puzzle. I must say he didn’t ring any alarm bells. He didn’t show any sign of being a violent man. His reactions all seemed genuine. But he is speaking to us in what to him is a foreign tongue. His English is very good, but there was always a fractional delay in responding to questions. He had to pick his words — quite naturally. So he didn’t answer your questions instantly. And he is obviously very intelligent. How many of us could discuss a Dickens novel like that?’ She turned to Marsh. ‘Could you?’

‘No. Haven’t even heard of it. The only one I know about is Oliver Twist, and that’s only because I saw the film.’

‘Yet he was quite able to talk about it. He’s mentally sharp. Physically he doesn’t fit either, but the stereotype is too often wrong. Wife abusers come in all shapes and sizes, and from all classes.’

‘Aren’t you getting too hung-up on the abuse side of things?’ asked Marsh. ‘You are implying that the abuser is also the murderer. But the signs of abuse are old. They are probably from a relationship that was over some time ago. That doesn’t mean that Berzins didn’t commit the murder, just that he may not have caused the scarring on her body. Isn’t it the case that some women seem to be attracted to potentially violent men? They leave one but somehow manage to find another almost as bad, or maybe even worse? Maybe she’s had a string of troubled relationships, and without realising it she found herself in another one with Berzins.’

‘Donna’s friend Maria described Berzins as totally placid. She said that he wouldn’t harm a fly,’ said Sophie.

‘That doesn’t mean a thing, Sophie,’ answered Blacklock. ‘Maria was on the outside. Many domineering men are adept at hiding their real nature from even their closest friends. That’s why so many women are bewildered by the abuse that they suffer, and why people often don’t believe them. Friends and other family members think that the man couldn’t possibly be violent or abusive, so the woman must be partly to blame. The wife or partner can even come to believe that herself. She starts to think “It’s only with me that he is like this, so I must set it off somehow. It must be my fault.” This line of thinking is very common, but it’s completely wrong. The abusive man chooses to be abusive. He doesn’t choose to abuse his friends, sisters or neighbours, otherwise they would know. It’s almost always a rational decision, and he keeps the abuse within a single relationship at any one time. That’s what I was looking for in Berzins, those signs of a controlling nature. I didn’t spot it, so I don’t think he was the abuser, but I can’t be sure.’

* * *

They assembled in the incident room where the rest of the team were waiting. Sophie called the group together.

‘You all need to know that Vilis Berzins has just been charged with the murder of Donna Goodenough.’

There were loud sighs of relief.

‘But there is still a massive amount of work to be done. There are too many loose ends, and we still lack a clear motive. Really, the only thing that has allowed us to charge him is the DNA on the cigarette butts found at the scene. Without that, we would be nowhere. It makes me very uneasy, I have to tell you. We did think that the motive was linked to the old scars found on her body. But the time frames don’t match, and DI Blacklock here doubts that he had an abusive relationship with Donna. Barry has suggested that the two may not be linked at all. Donna was in an abusive relationship but it ended. Berzins was the new partner. He was not abusive but he did murder her. We have to follow all of these leads until each is wrapped up neatly, and we still have to find the motive for this murder — and that of her mother.’ She looked at Wendy Blacklock. ‘Is there anything else you want to add about your observation of Berzins?’

‘Not a great deal. Just be aware that he is very intelligent. It would be foolish to underestimate him as a typical young incomer from Eastern Europe, working at a low-level hotel job. He comes from a high-achieving family, and he is here for a clear purpose. His parents started with a small café, have turned it into a successful restaurant and have plans for a hotel. That’s why he is here. He’s no fool. If he is your man, then he is clever enough to have thought all of this through. From what I’ve heard, it will be difficult to get more evidence from him to support the case.’

‘Anything else to report, people?’

‘I think I’ve traced her brother,’ Melsom said. ‘In Walsall. I phoned and a cleaner answered. Apparently she comes in to do his cleaning and laundry twice a week. She confirmed that his name was David and that he has a family connection to Swanage. He gets in from work at about six thirty. He works for a small delivery company.’

‘We need to pay him a visit. Jimmy, do you think you could contact the local police and tell them? See if they know anything about the brother. I’ll go this evening if they agree. Do you want to come?’

Melsom looked surprised. ‘Me? Oh, yes. I’d love to.’ Then he added, ‘ma’am. Thank you. Ma’am.’

Sophie turned to Marsh, and winked.

He smiled back. ‘Good move, ma’am,’ he whispered.

‘We’ll set off in an hour or so, and drop Wendy off at Wareham station on the way. By the way, Jimmy, has there been any progress on the supposed phone call to Berzins’ mobile?’

‘I contacted his phone company, ma’am, and they’re doing a trace back. They said it might take a couple of days.’

‘Follow it up again tomorrow. If you feel they’re not pulling out all the stops, threaten them with me. Tell whoever it is that I’ll go direct to the top and give them a roasting.’

Sophie turned back to Marsh. ‘Barry, I’d hoped to see Kevin McGreedie in Bournemouth this afternoon. That’s impossible now. How would you feel about going instead? It’ll mainly involve keeping him up to date on what we are doing, and finding out anything new from him. And the initial post-mortem reports should be coming in from Benny Goodall later. Could you keep me posted? Phone me with any news.’

‘I’d be pleased to, ma’am. Things are really beginning to hum now, aren’t they?’

CHAPTER 6: Brotherly Love

Wednesday Evening, Week 1

Sophie, Melsom and a local police officer were on the second floor of a four-storey block of apartments. When they rang, a tall man in his late twenties came to the door. He had curly fair hair and was wearing jeans with a blue shirt open at the neck. He didn’t look anything like his sister.

‘Yes?’

Sophie held up her warrant card. ‘I’m DCI Sophie Allen, from Dorset police. This is my colleague, DC Jimmy Melsom. Constable Angel is from the local Walsall force. Are you David Goodenough?’

Goodenough nodded. ‘Yes, I am.’

‘May we come in?’

He looked puzzled. ‘Yeah. I’ve only just got in myself. Come through.’

He led Sophie through a small hallway to the living room. It was on the small side, but was neat and tidy. Sophie noticed a well-filled shelf of DVDs along one wall.

‘You can sit down. I’ve only just put the kettle on, so it should be ready in a mo if you want some tea.’

‘That would be lovely, Mr Goodenough.’

Sophie and the local officer sat on the sofa. Jimmy remained standing just inside the doorway from the hall. Goodenough came through from the kitchen and stood beside a coffee table in the middle of the room.

‘Why do you want to see me? It must be something to do with Donna or my mum if you’re from Dorset. Are they okay?’

‘You need to sit down, Mr Goodenough.’

His eyes didn’t leave her as he sat.

‘I have very bad news for you, and I’m finding it difficult to find a gentle way in. I don’t think that there is an easy way. I have to tell you that your sister was found dead two nights ago. She had been stabbed. We had difficulty in tracing your mother despite the fact that she lived close. When we did so yesterday afternoon, I found her dead also. She had been strangled. We think that the two murders occurred within a couple of hours of each other.’

He sat absolutely still, his face a rigid mask of disbelief. ‘Surely there’s a mistake? Both of them? It can’t be,’ he whispered. ‘No.’

‘We are certain that there is no mistake, Mr Goodenough. We are positive that the victims are, as I said, your mother and sister. We are all most dreadfully sorry about it.’

‘How can you be sure?’ His voice shook.

‘There hasn’t been a formal identification yet, which is why we’ve been trying to trace you. But we do have a photo from your sister’s flat. And descriptions given by Donna’s workmates, and your mother’s neighbour. We have little doubt.’

‘Who could have done it? And why?’

‘We have someone in custody at the moment. The motive is unclear but I’m sure we’ll discover it. They weren’t random killings.’

‘I heard about some murders in Dorset on the news this morning. But they didn’t give any details. I was going to phone Mum tonight to check up on her. And now . . .’

‘When did you last see them?’

He screwed up his eyes. His face looked crumpled, suddenly older.

‘In the summer. Late August. It was Mum’s birthday. I went to stay with Donna for the weekend. She was just moving in to her flat.’

‘You stayed with Donna rather than your mother?’

‘Yes. We were close. Mum’s a bit reclusive and doesn’t like her routine changed. We took her out a couple of times, and I visited the cottage. But I rarely stayed with her. Neither did Donna.’

Sophie looked across at Jimmy and mouthed the word ‘tea,’ but Liz Angel spoke up.

‘It’s okay. I’ll get tea for everyone. Are there some biscuits, sir?’

Goodenough nodded.

‘I don’t think we should talk about the details, Mr Goodenough. You’ve had a terrible shock, one that few people will ever have to face. What I’d like to do now is arrange with you a time when you can visit Dorset and carry out the official identification. It would be really helpful if you could make it as soon as possible.’

‘Whenever suits. Work is a bit thin at the moment, and the boss can handle it okay without me. When are you going back?’

‘This evening. But don’t think that you have to come with us. We can send someone for you anytime in the next couple of days.’

‘No, that’s fine.’ He sounded very tired. ‘I won’t sleep tonight if I stay here. I may as well come with you. I feel slightly distant, as though I’m no longer part of the world. Is that normal?’

‘Yes, and it’s absolutely to be expected. You’re in shock. Let’s have some tea and a couple of biscuits. You need something inside of you. I’ll arrange for a doctor to be available for when we arrive in case you feel worse. DC Melsom here can arrange somewhere for you to stay. Maybe a local hotel or guest house.’

‘Oh, I suppose I can’t use either of their houses?’

‘No. They are both crime scenes. But I’d like you to take us through both properties at some stage just to check for anything unusual. Would you be able to stay for a few days? We can contact your work for you if necessary.’

* * *

Jimmy drove on the journey south. He’d just completed the police forces’ advanced driving course and obviously enjoyed the feel of the smooth, high-powered saloon. Sophie sat in the back with David Goodenough.

‘Donna’s flat has obviously been searched by someone. Forensics have finished with it, and it would be useful for you to tell us if anything obvious is missing. There’s a photo of Donna in the lounge. It shows her on a beach somewhere. Probably abroad?’ Sophie said.

‘I know the one you mean. I think it was the summer before last. She went to Greece with a friend. She had it on the shelf beside the one of the three of us — her, me and Mum.’

‘The photo of Donna was the only one we found. It had dropped behind a chair. There were no others anywhere in the flat. And no address books, diaries or anything else that could help us trace her family and friends.’

‘That’s odd. She had quite a few photos, and she should have an address book.’

‘Who was the friend she went on holiday with?’

‘I don’t know. No one close. It might have been someone she was working with. She had part-time jobs while she was at university.’

‘We know nothing about your father, David. Is he still alive?’

His face seemed to harden slightly. ‘No. He died in a car accident in August. But he and Mum had been apart for years, and we never saw him. He wasn’t our favourite person. I don’t really want to talk about him at the moment. Donna and I hated him. If he’d still been alive he’s the first person I would have pointed you towards. So can we change the subject?’

He had become quite agitated, so Sophie asked him about his job. He was worried about the effect of the economic downturn on the delivery company he worked for. As for his personal life, he wasn’t currently in a relationship. He had broken up with his last girlfriend when she returned to her home in Norway. Apparently neither of them was unduly upset.

‘Did you know about Donna’s leg fracture?’ Sophie asked.

‘Mum told me about it. I think it was last winter. It was just a normal fracture, that’s what she said. And that she did it playing hockey.’

‘Was this before she moved to Swanage?’

‘Yes. I think she was living in Bournemouth at the time. I hadn’t seen her for ages. Mum said she appeared on her doorstep without any warning, hobbling on a crutch and with her leg in plaster. She said that she’d been in a lot of pain. She was in a cast for a few weeks.’

‘Do you know where she was treated? Was it in Bournemouth?’

He shook his head. ‘No idea. She hadn’t registered with a doctor there. She was still with our old family doctor up here.’

‘Yet she’d been living in Bournemouth for some time?’

‘More than a year, I think. I didn’t see her for a long time. She almost dropped out of our lives, and that includes Mum, who didn’t live far away.’

‘Do you know why?’

‘It was a bit odd. I thought that the three of us would stay in touch, even though I was still in Birmingham. I still saw Mum when I could, but it was as if Donna had gone into hiding. The only other time I’ve seen her was when I stayed in August. I hoped that we could start to get close again, just like when we were growing up.’

‘What about your father? I know you said that you didn’t want to talk about him, but at some time I will need to find out from you where he fits into all of this. If you really want to leave it until tomorrow, I’ll understand.’

‘You may as well know. He was a bastard. He was the cause of it all. He used to beat my mother up. And he used to knock us about, too. I put up with it until I was about seventeen and about to leave home after I got a job. Then I thumped him back, and walked out. I never saw him again, I’m glad to say. Mum left soon after. It was harder for Donna. She was the apple of his eye when he was sober, but he used to hit her when he was drunk. They were bad times. Thank God they’re over.’

He suddenly realised what he’d said, and looked shocked. ‘I didn’t mean that. Oh God, what a mess.’

‘Don’t worry. Your reaction is very understandable, and maybe I pushed you a bit hard. Would you like us to stop for a coffee or food? I think there’s a service area a few miles ahead.’

He nodded.

* * *

‘This must be a difficult thing for you to have to do,’ Goodenough said as they sipped their coffees. ‘I mean this part of your job. Visiting relatives of victims, and breaking bad news to them.’

‘It’s not easy, as you say. But it helps us to build up a picture of the person’s background.’ She took another sip. ‘This has been particularly difficult, with the double murder of your closest relatives. I really feel for you. I felt like I was walking on glass when I first broke the news to you. It must have been heart-rending to hear it.’

‘I still can’t take it in. I still think that you must have made a mistake somewhere, that it won’t be them, or maybe not both of them. But I know that’s not likely. I think you’ve handled it the best you could.’

Sophie nodded her thanks. She checked her mobile phone for messages. Barry Marsh reported that the meeting with McGreedie had been fairly routine, with no new information. Lydia Pillay’s message said that she had managed to arrange her visit to Bournemouth in the morning to interview hospital staff. She hoped to be back by midday. Sophie walked a short way from the table and phoned McGreedie.

‘Hi, Kevin. Listen, can we meet sometime tomorrow, fairly urgently?’ There was a pause. ‘Mid-morning would be fine. Yes, come across to us in Swanage if you like. There are a couple of things that have been niggling me. It would also give you an opportunity to see Berzins, our suspect. I’d like your views on him. See you then.’

* * *

It was late evening by the time they arrived back in Swanage. Marsh was waiting for them outside Donna’s flat.

‘Do you have a key?’ Sophie asked.

Goodenough shook his head. Marsh unlocked the door and Donna’s brother went in, moving slowly through to the lounge. The two detectives followed him.

‘It seems as if it’s lost its soul,’ he said.

‘Everything is pretty much as we found it. DS Marsh here can get a doctor across if you think you need one. You’ll still be in shock.’

Goodenough shook his head.

‘Okay, but could you do a really quick check of the photos, just to confirm what’s missing?’

He made his way through the silent rooms. ‘Family portraits,’ he said. ‘A couple in each room.’

‘But why would they have gone missing?’ asked Sophie. ‘I’m puzzled. I can only suppose they might have helped us trace you earlier.’

‘Donna always wrote on the back of her photos. She’d list the people, and the date and where it was taken.’

Sophie spoke quietly to Marsh. ‘That’s probably why all of the photos are gone. Maybe our man was worried that he was named on the back of a picture somewhere. He didn’t have time to check them all so he took the lot. He must have had a holdall or something with him. Yet the neighbours didn’t hear or see anything?’

‘No. The top-floor flat is a holiday home, apparently. They’re not in it very often once the summer is over.’

‘We’ll get Jimmy to trace them tomorrow, Barry. Just in case they were here, and saw something. It would be stupid not to check. If we could just find a clue as to what time it was ransacked, it would help a lot.’

‘Why’s that, ma’am?’

‘Berzins finished work at ten thirty and apparently didn’t hurry out. Donna finished at eleven sharp. If Berzins killed her, he would have had to search the flat after the murder. There just wasn’t time before, particularly with the need to get that street lamp sabotaged — and smoke two cigarettes while waiting on the path. If we find it was searched before the murder, then it wasn’t him, and we’re barking up the wrong tree.’

They dropped David Goodenough at a nearby guest house. They arranged with him to carry out a similar inspection of the cottage at Corfe sometime the following day. Then they discussed the initial post-mortem findings on Brenda Goodenough and Susie Pater. Apart from the obvious marks left by the strangulation, neither showed any other signs of physical abuse. There had been no signs of recent sexual activity in either case, but Brenda did have traces of an anti-depressant in her blood-stream. She also showed signs of cirrhosis of the liver, something that is consistent with long-term alcohol abuse.