No Lovelier Death (52 page)

‘So what happened?’

‘I had a drink with a friend. I just told you.’

‘And afterwards?’

‘I came home and went to bed. Like you do.’

‘You didn’t hear anything from him?’

‘When?’

‘That night? Last Saturday night?’

For the first time she faltered, and Faraday sensed that this was the moment on which
Mandolin
might turn. So far Nikki Dunlop had been a textbook witness. The next second or two, she had to make a very big decision.

‘Yes.’ She was looking Ellis in the eye. ‘He phoned late. Very late.

I expect you can check the exact time, can’t you?’

Ellis answered the question with one of her own.

‘What did he say?’

‘He was upset. That wasn’t Matt. He said something terrible had happened. That tone of voice, I believed him.’

‘So what did you do?’

‘He gave me an address. It was in Craneswater. That’s half a mile away. He asked me to bring a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and some trainers.’

‘And did you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you ask him why?’

‘No. I just did it.’

‘How long did it take you to get there?’

‘I just threw something on and ran. Five minutes? God knows.’

Matt had given her an address in Sandown Road. She was to go into the garden of number 11 and climb over the wall to number 13.

‘I knew number 11. I’d been there to meet Rachel’s parents a couple of times. They were keen to start her swimming again.’

‘And?’

‘She wasn’t interested.’

‘I meant on Saturday night.’

‘I did what Matt asked. There was this huge party going on. It was incredibly noisy, all kinds of stuff kicking off. I got over the wall. Matt was waiting on the other side. He said he’d got blood on his trainers and T-shirt and all over his jeans. He took them off there and then and gave them to me. Then he put on the gear I’d brought over.’

‘Did you ask him what had happened?’

‘Of course I did.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘He didn’t say anything. He just asked me to trust him. He said it would all be for the best.’

‘What would be for the best?’

‘Good question. I just didn’t know.’

‘Are you sure? This is important, Nikki.’

‘I’m sure I’m sure. All I knew was the state he was in. I’d never seen him like that before. He was trembling. He just couldn’t control himself. He kept shaking his head. The best, he kept saying. It’s all for the best. It was like a mantra, like a prayer.’

‘Did you see Rachel at all?’

‘No. But then I didn’t expect to.’

‘You didn’t? You didn’t associate her with the blood?’

‘No way. He loved that girl.’

‘So where did the blood come from? In your view?’

‘I’d no idea. I know it sounds unreal but that’s because it
was
unreal. One minute I’d been asleep in bed. The next I’ve got a handful of Matt’s gear with blood all over it. I just assumed he’d been in some kind of fight.’

She left the house with the clothing and trainers. The party, if anything, was even louder. Back home she put the lot in the washing machine.

‘At one in the morning?’

‘Something like that. If Matt was upset, then so was I. I just couldn’t get my head around it. I waited up that night, waited for him to come home. I must have gone to sleep in the end because it was suddenly daylight. A bit later it was all over the news.’

‘And what did you think then?’

‘I was appalled. I couldn’t believe it. The new boyfriend, I could understand. Maybe Matt had slapped him too hard. He could be quite physical when it suited him. But
Rachel
? No …’ She shook her head. ‘That didn’t work for me.’

‘When did you see him next?’ It was Suttle.

‘Sunday evening. He just stepped into the house like nothing had happened. I was the one who lost it, not him, not Matt.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘Nothing. He wouldn’t talk about it. It was like it had never happened. ’

‘The call in the middle of the night? The clothing? The blood?’

‘I went through it all. He just shrugged. Shit happens.’

‘He said that?’

‘Word for word.’

‘So how did you feel?’

‘I thought he’d gone mad. I thought he was in denial. We rowed a lot about it. I’d scream at him, I’d do anything to try and get through. But then the days went by, and you guys seemed happy enough, and he did too, and I suppose I just blanked off. It was easier that way. It’s always easier that way.’

‘You never brought it up? All the stuff in the papers? On TV? You never talked about it?’

‘Of course I talked about it, at first I talked about it lots. But he just refused to say anything. You’ve got to understand something about Matt. He takes everything to the wire. He’s very black and white. Trust me or don’t trust me. In the end I had no choice.’

‘You could have come to us.’

‘Yeah …’ She nodded, tipping her head back, gazing up at the ceiling. ‘You’re right, I could.’

‘Wouldn’t that have been a kindness? To Rachel?’

‘Sure. Of course it would. But then you’d have come looking, wouldn’t you? And we’d have probably ended up here.’

‘We? You mean you and Matt?’

Her face stiffened, a mask now. She pursed her lips, refusing to avoid Suttle’s eyes. Then she swallowed hard, fighting for control, shaking her head very slowly, and Faraday had a sudden glimpse of the way it must have been, this woman’s investment in flesh and blood, in hours and hours of grinding effort, in getting Matt Berriman to the kind of giant he’d become, only to see her dreams dissolve. His bloodied T-shirt on the rinse cycle, he thought. At one o’clock in the morning.

Ellis wanted to know what had happened to Berriman’s clothing and trainers once she’d washed them.

‘We threw them out.’

‘We?’

‘I threw them out.’

‘Where?’

‘I put them in the rubbish. The collection’s on Monday.’

Ellis made a note. Another lengthy fishing expedition at the municipal tip. Her head came up again. ‘And you’ve no idea where Matt might be?’

‘None. We normally eat together on Sunday evenings. I’d be expecting him around six. Maybe you scared him off.’

Next door, Faraday nodded to himself. A uniform at the front door. A Scenes of Crime van parked across the road. No way would Matt Berriman have been in a hurry for supper.

Ellis was asking Nikki whether she’d like a break when Faraday’s phone began to ring. He fetched it out, put it to his ear. It was Parsons wanting an update. So far, Faraday explained, there’d been no word from the Scenes of Crime guys at Adair Road but it was still early days. Given Nikki’s admitted complicity, she’d already be facing a conspiracy charge. Under PACE rules, without an extension, they’d have to formally charge her within twenty-four hours. Either that or let her go free.

‘So what do we do, boss?’

Parsons took a while to answer. Faraday could hear the murmur of conversation and an occasional clink of glasses in the background. Some fancy London eatery, he thought. With Parsons about to order the champagne.

Finally, she was back on the line.

‘Press her on Berriman, Joe. From what you say, there’s obviously a relationship.’

‘That’s true, boss, but I don’t think it’s as simple as that.’

‘You’re telling me they’re not at it?’

‘I don’t know one way or the other. They may be. They may not.

On balance, I think probably not. But she’s protecting him for sure, exactly the way she’s always done.’

‘Meaning she knows where he is?’

‘Meaning she might do.’

‘Then go for her, Joe. Give her a shake. We need to lay hands on Berriman asap, and from what you’re saying she’s our best chance.

OK?’

‘Sure.’ He brought the conversation to an end.

Suttle stepped into the room. Dawn Ellis had gone to the loo while Nikki’s brief sorted some coffees. When Faraday nodded at the screen and offered his congratulations, Suttle shot him a look. ‘Not quite what we were promised, boss. Winter seems to think she did the girl.’

‘Maybe Winter’s wrong.’

‘Sure, but do we believe her? She’s obviously crazy about the guy.’

‘You think so?’

‘I know so. He’s young. He’s hunky. He’s got it in spades. But he’s also in love with his ex-girlfriend. Are we seriously suggesting he stabs her to death?’

Faraday’s gaze returned to the screen. Nikki Dunlop was still alone in the interview room.

‘There was a phrase she used,’ he murmured. ‘It’ll be on the tape.

I should have written it down. “Matt was the kind of guy who made things happen.”’ Faraday looked up at Suttle. ‘He’s in control, Jimmy. All his life he’s in control. He’s a winner. He’s the fastest, the strongest, the bravest. He knows there’s nothing he can’t do. Then suddenly, bang, his girlfriend’s left him, he’s not swimming any more, and life’s not quite so rosy. Some people cope. Some don’t. And for my money he didn’t.’

‘So he stabbed her? Repeatedly? Five times?’

‘It’s possible. You know it is.’

‘And you really believe that?’

‘Yes, I think I do.’

 

The interview began again. Nikki’s solicitor registered his concern about the lateness of the hour but accepted Suttle’s assurance that this second session would be brief. When he asked Nikki about the likelihood of Berriman knifing Rachel to death, she shook her head.

‘I don’t believe he could.’

‘Could or would?’

‘Either. Both. But
could
’s stronger, isn’t it? He loved that girl. He was passionate about her.’

‘He’d have killed for her?’

‘That’s glib. You don’t murder someone you love.’

‘Then who else might have done it?’

‘I’ve no idea.’

‘Did you ever ask him?’

‘Of course I did. I’ve just told you. I live with this man. I’ve known him half his life. He must have been there. He must have seen it.’

‘And?’

‘Nothing.
Nada.
If he was here, now, it would be exactly the same.

You wouldn’t get a word out of him. There are some things too private to share. You might get that far. But beyond that …
nada.
’

‘He said that? He told you there are some things too private to share?’

Nikki stared at Suttle a moment, then ducked her head, refusing to answer. Suttle asked the question again, letting the silence stretch and stretch before offering her the chance to make things a little easier for herself. He told her she was already facing an extremely serious charge. Conspiracy to murder could land her with a substantial prison sentence.

She nodded, sat back, looked Suttle in the eye.

‘Conspiracy to
what
?’

‘Murder, Ms Dunlop. We have two dead bodies. We have Matt Berriman ringing you at one in the morning wanting a change of clothing. According to you, he’s offered no satisfactory explanation of exactly what happened. You say you’ve tried to get the truth out of him and you say you’ve failed. For everyone’s sake, we need to talk to him, and we think you probably know where he is. Or, at the very least, where he might be. Help us at this stage and we’ll bring it to the attention of the judge.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes.’

Her solicitor touched her on the sleeve and Faraday watched their whispered conversation. Finally, she turned back to Suttle.

‘No comment.’ She said.

‘Meaning you don’t know? Or meaning you won’t tell us?’

‘No comment.’

‘Fine.’ Suttle glanced at Dawn Ellis. Ellis shook her head. Suttle made one final attempt to coax the information out of her then checked his watch. ‘The interview ended at 22.16.’ He reached for the cassette machine and pressed the stop button.

Still watching from next door, Faraday saw Nikki Dunlop get to her feet. She looked exhausted. As she manoeuvred round the table, she tripped. Her hand went out instinctively, reaching for support. Suttle caught it, steadying her, asking whether she was OK. She nodded, grateful, and asked what would happen next.

‘We’ll keep you here overnight, Ms Dunlop. And talk again tomorrow. ’

‘Here? You mean a cell?’

‘I’m afraid so.’

She looked at him a moment and shook her head. ‘Shit,’ she said softly.

 

Winter was still up, half-expecting a phone call from the Bridewell, when Suttle’s upturned face appeared in his video entryphone. He buzzed him in and had sorted a cold Stella by the time Suttle stepped in through the open door.

Suttle opened the can and took a couple of gulps. Winter wanted to know how the interview had gone.

‘She coughed to bringing the change of clothes.’

‘Jeans and trainers?’

‘Yeah. And a T-shirt. They talked by the wall between the two houses. She’s saying she never saw either of the bodies.’

‘Surprise, surprise. What happened to the gear?’

‘She washed the lot.’

‘Then what?’

‘She says she binned it. That’s probably the truth. We’ll action the dump tomorrow. Might take a week or two but we’ll get there in the end.’

Suttle told him about the rest of the interview. She couldn’t get any kind of story from Berriman. Neither did she have a clue where he’d gone.

‘And you believe her?’

‘No. Faraday thinks she’s protecting him.’

‘And you?’

‘I think he’s right. He also seems to think Berriman probably did them both.’

‘And you, son?’

‘I think she probably did Rachel. I think she took the knife home and disposed of it. Fuck knows where.’

‘So what does that make Faraday? Apart from wrong?’

‘Unfair question, Paul. Faraday’s OK. You’re going to owe him, big time. Most D/Is I know would have you down the Bridewell by now.’