Separated at Death (The Lakeland Murders) Read online

  ‘Some money. That’s all.’

  ‘Did you touch anything else that he has on him?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Think carefully. Did you shake hands or anything like that?’

  ‘Christ no.’

  ‘You understand that we’ll need to move quickly on this? We don’t want the information getting out.’

  ‘Yes, shall I text you the address?’

  ‘No, absolutely not. Just say it to me but put it in a sentence about something else. Can you do that?’

  ‘I think so. Give me a minute. But do we have to do this?’

  ‘I’ve explained this before. It’s a machine that’s listening for trigger words and phrases, not a person. So it’s not hard to fool it. I know which town we’re talking about, so all I need is the number and the road name. That’s not hard to do.’

  ‘So there were 25 of them I think, and I saw them on Highfield, in the road. Got it?’

  ‘Got it.’

  The line went dead. Simon Hamilton’s back hurt, and he was very tired. He wondered what he’d tell his wife about the bruises, but he’d think of something. There were always accidents in the construction business.

  Thursday, 16th December

  Before he’d left the pub the night before Hall had asked Mann and Jane Francis to meet him in the office at 7.30am, and to keep this line of enquiry between themselves for another 12 hours.

  ‘I don’t want to start any hares running’ he’d said, but they all knew what he meant. He didn’t want Robinson finding out that they were pursuing another line of enquiry, just a day after Robinson had enjoyed a coffee with the Chief up at HQ, and they’d congratulated each other on a job well done, or rather well managed.

  ‘So how do you want to play this?’ asked Mann when they met in Hall’s office, steam rising from their brews. ‘Do you want a warrant and a full search team?’

  ‘No, just the three of us. Jane, I want you to stay with the wife in another room. Don’t question her, don’t tell her we know that her alibi for her husband is cobblers. But make sure that she knows we’ll be talking to her too. Let her sweat for ten minutes. Just check that she wasn’t driving the car that night, and let us know if she’s saying it was her. Happy with that?’

  ‘Yes boss.’

  ‘OK, Ian, let’s see how they play it.’

  They went in Mann’s car, and he played Radio 2 the whole way to Windermere. Hall heard Jane humming along to a couple of songs in the back, but he had no idea what they were. But it could have been worse, it could have been a phone-in.

  It was just after eight-thirty when they reached Hamilton’s house. It wasn’t quite light and the clouds were low and full of snow. A few flakes had fallen already. Both of the Hamilton’s cars were parked outside the house. Mann put his hand on each in turn, and both were stone cold.

  ‘Looks like they’re both at home boss.’

  Hall rang the door bell and waited. He was about to knock again when the hall light went on, and Mrs Hamilton came to the door. When she opened the door she looked surprised, then concerned. To Hall’s relief she asked them in.

  ‘My husband is still asleep I think. Would you like me to wake him?’

  ‘If you would Mrs Hamilton. It is important.’

  She went back upstairs, and returned a couple of minutes later.

  ‘My husband asks if you could come back later. He’s not feeling very well this morning.’

  ‘It won’t take more than a few minutes Mrs Hamilton.’ Hall’s tone was as pleasant as always, but firm.

  Sarah Hamilton went upstairs again, pulling her dressing gown tighter as she went. She came down almost immediately, said that her husband would be a couple of minutes, and offered to make them all coffee. Jane Francis asked a couple of chatty questions about the house, and the work that they’d done to it, and Mrs Hamilton became increasingly forthcoming in return.

  Eventually Simon Hamilton appeared, stooping slightly, and walking slowly.

  ‘Done my back in’ he said, as he took a mug of his coffee wordlessly from his wife. He’d got dressed, and slowly led Hall and Mann from the kitchen into the living room. Out of the corner of his eye Hall saw Jane catch hold of Mrs Hamilton’s arm as they left the room.

  Hamilton sat down slowly. ‘I hope this is important. But if I can help, in any way, to clear my brother’s name then I’d be more than happy to do so.’

  ‘Thanks’ said Hall, ‘but it isn’t about your brother. I need to check something with you. When you were first interviewed you were asked where you were last Wednesday evening. Can you remember what you said?’

  ‘Of course. I was in Manchester that day, in meetings, and I drove home after. I got here at about eight thirty. My wife will tell you.’

  ‘We’ll chat to her in a minute.’ Hall sensed that Hamilton had only just realised that his wife wasn’t in the room. ‘But you said about eight thirty?’

  ‘Yes. Might have been a bit before or after. I don’t time myself.’

  Hall smiled encouragingly. ‘Of course not. Half an hour before or after? More, less?’

  Hamilton hesitated. ‘Why are you asking me this? You’ve charged my brother with Amy’s murder.’

  ‘How far either side of eight thirty might you have arrived Mr Hamilton? Take your time.’

  Hamilton frowned.

  ‘Probably ten minutes or so.’

  ‘So between twenty-past eight and twenty-to nine. You’re quite sure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And which car were you in?’

  ‘The Merc.’

  ‘The vehicle that’s parked outside now?’

  Hamilton nodded.

  ‘Thanks. And I just want to check one other thing with you. When you left the motorway, which route did you take back here?’

  Hamilton hesitated, and at that precise moment Hall felt certain that he was looking at Amy’s killer. Hall knew, with the same certainty that he’d felt when he first realised that his wife was having an affair, and he knew that Hamilton was thinking about CCTV, and had made the connection with their questions. They must have seen his car on CCTV somewhere. It seemed like a long time before Hamilton replied.

  ‘I came off at 36, nipped into Kendal to get some cash from an ATM, then drove home. I came home along the Crook Road, I always do.’

  ‘Which bank was it?’

  Again Hamilton hesitated. He’d realised that what he’d said could be easily checked.

  ‘Sorry, it wasn’t money I stopped for last Wednesday. That must have been another night.’

  ‘Did you drive through Kendal though?’

  ‘Oh yes, certainly. I stopped at a take-away and got a bag of chips. But don’t tell my wife.’ Hamilton smiled, and Hall smiled right back.

  ‘And what time was this?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Perhaps fifteen minutes or so before I got home.’

  ‘So between about five past and twenty five past eight.’

  ‘If you say so.’

  ‘I’m not saying anything Mr Hamilton. I’ve just deducted fifteen minutes from the range that you’ve already given us.’

  ‘Then yes, it must have been between about eight and half past.’

  ‘And where did you park?’

  ‘Park? I didn’t park.’

  ‘Then how did you get your chips?’

  ‘I just stopped on the yellow line for a minute. Ran in and ran out again.’

  ‘And which take away was this?’

  ‘The one near the town hall I think. I just turned left and parked up outside.’

  ‘And then what?’

  ‘I drove home. I’ve already told you.’

  ‘Which route did you take from the chipper to the Crook Road?’

  ‘I don’t remember. What does it matter?’

  ‘Did you carry on up the hill, or did you turn round and go round town? Come on, it’s only a few days ago Mr Hamilton. Just think back for me.’

  ‘I think I carried on up the hill, turn
ed right somewhere and came out again on Windermere Road.’

  ‘So you drove along Queens Road then?’

  ‘Yes, if it’s the only way then I suppose I must have.’

  ‘And it didn’t occur to you to mention this to the officer who questioned you?’

  ‘It was just a two minute phone conversation. I told him where I was on Wednesday, my wife confirmed it later, he was happy, end of.’

  Mann winced. That sounded like Ray Dixon’s style.

  ‘And you didn’t see your niece on or near Queen’s Road?’

  ‘Of course not. I would have told that other copper if I had.’

  ‘Thanks. Would you just stay there for a minute or two?’

  ‘I’d like to be with my wife’ said Hamilton, getting up.

  ‘That won’t be possible sir’ said Mann firmly, as he stepped in front of Hall and towards Hamilton, who sat down again as quickly as he could manage.

  ‘Our colleague will come through to you in a moment’ said Hall pleasantly.

  In the hall Mann shook his hand and nodded. ‘You were right. It’s him. But why?’ Hall shook his head, held his finger to his lips and opened the kitchen door. Mann beckoned to Jane and whispered, ‘living room, stay there’ as she passed.

  ‘Mrs Hamilton, we’ve been checking with your husband what time he got home last Wednesday night’ said Hall. ‘Can you remember what you said in your statement?’

  ‘He came home at half-eight.’

  ‘That’s a very exact time Mrs Hamilton. You’re certain it was exactly half past?’

  She looked far from sure of anything.

  ‘Yes, exactly. Well, within a few minutes anyway.’

  ‘Think carefully please Mrs Hamilton. What is the latest time that your husband could have arrived, and when was the earliest?’

  Sarah Hamilton certainly looked as if she was thinking hard.

  ‘Not after quarter to nine, and not much before half past.’

  ‘But no later than quarter to. You’re certain?’

  ‘Yes, absolutely.’

  ‘And which car was he driving?’

  ‘The Mercedes. He only drives the Porsche at weekends. Is that it?’

  ‘Yes, for now. But one thing strikes me as odd, Mrs Hamilton. You haven’t asked me why we’re checking what time your husband came home.’

  ‘Just routine?’

  Hall smiled. ‘Not really, no. We’re investigating the brutal murder of a seventeen year old girl, so nothing is routine, and we will check and double-check every detail that we need to. You’d be surprised what we’re able to find out, when we really put our minds to it.’ Hall smiled diffidently. He couldn’t stand immodesty, even when deployed tactically. ‘Well, thanks for your time Mrs Hamilton. I’m sure we’ll see you again soon.’

  Sarah Hamilton picked up the emphasis on ‘sure’.

  On the way back to the station Hall briefed Mann and Jane to grab everyone they could get hold of and look for Hamilton’s car on the Kendal CCTV cameras, anytime from the moment Amy’s car had gone up Beast Banks until ten pm initially.

  ‘Are you going to brief the super?’ asked Jane.

  Hall nodded.

  ‘That’ll take the shine off his buttons’ said Mann. He hadn’t had a lot of time for most senior officers when he was in the Marines, and he liked them even less now.

  But when they reached the station Hall didn’t have to find Robinson, because he was already sitting in Hall’s office. ‘I’ve just got off the phone from Simon Hamilton’s solicitor. He tells me that you and two other officers have been harassing him. He’s coming in later to file a formal complaint.’

  ‘That’s desperation, sir.’

  ‘Whose desperation though Andy? His or yours? I’ve heard about your cosy little chat with John Hamilton in the cells, what was that all about?’

  ‘It was a welfare visit sir, nothing more. And we went to see the Hamiltons because we have evidence that clearly contradicts their account of events last Wednesday night, and potentially puts him in Kendal at the time of Amy’s death. Not at home as he and his wife still claim.’

  ‘What evidence? Why wasn’t I told about this?’

  ‘Because it has only just come to light sir. But we now have him coming off the motorway at 36 at exactly the time he says he was at home, or almost there at least, and he’s now admitting to have stopped in Kendal as well. So at present we’ve got an absolute minimum of half an hour unaccounted for, and probably closer to an hour.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘And now Simon Hamilton is also saying that he drove along Queen’s Road, right past the entrance to the woods, sometime soon after eight: but we know it must have been much later than that.’

  ‘And you’re thinking that if he killed Amy, and so knows the time and place of death, then he’d be very keen to make sure that we can’t place him at or near the locus at the time?’

  ‘Precisely sir. The discrepancy is the difference between having a solid alibi and absolutely sod all.’

  Robinson was starting to look at least a little mollified.

  ‘Got anything else?’

  ‘We’re working on it. First, we’re going to pick up his car on CCTV, and really nail down where he was and when. Assuming we can prove he’s lying we’re going to get him in for a formal statement.’

  ‘No, get him in now. Shall we say noon?’

  ‘Fine sir. That gives us time to check the CCTV anyway. I’m sure we’ll pick him up on some of the cameras in town.’

  ‘And so what about the phone?’

  ‘Planted by Simon is a plausible explanation. We already have a statement from both brothers about Simon’s visit. He was on his own briefly, so he did have time and an opportunity to plant it. And of course everyone there would have been in a terrible state. I doubt they can remember all that much about the last few days.’

  ‘But what’s the motive here? Are we really suggesting that Simon hated his brother so much that he would murder his daughter in order to frame him for the killing?’

  ‘There might be some other motive.’

  ‘Child abuse?’

  ‘The thought had crossed my mind, historic maybe. Perhaps Amy was threatening to tell her parents, and so Simon killed her.’

  ‘But why plant the phone?’

  ‘Maybe he just saw an opportunity to bring his brother down. Two birds with one stone so to speak.’

  Robinson made a careful note on his pad with his silver propelling pencil.

  ‘Can we prove he planted the phone?’

  ‘Doubtful.’

  ‘So how do you think he’ll play it? Stick to his story?’

  ‘I doubt it. He’s not stupid, and he’ll know that the town is well covered by CCTV. If not his brief will remind him of it. So if I were him I’d be vague about the time, and give us his exact route. From his point of view it just proves he was near the scene at the time of Amy’s death. So at worst all he loses is his alibi, at least for now.’

  Robinson nodded. He hadn’t questioned a suspect in years, but he remembered how they’d try to stretch the truth as far as they could. It could be frustrating, but Hall was patient and careful. He wasn’t the grandstanding type, and Robinson liked that.

  ‘So how will you play it?’ he asked.

  ‘Just let him know that we’re on to him, and see how he reacts. But the wife is a different matter. If we convict him then she’s going to do jail time too, so I’ll let her know what that entails.’

  ‘OK Andy. But one thing. Don’t ever open a fresh line of enquiry in a major case without informing me first. Is that quite clear?’

  ‘It is sir.’

  Based on the actual time that Simon’s car left the motorway it was a quick and simple job to find him on the key CCTV cameras. He came into town at just after quarter to nine, didn’t stop, and was heading up Beast Banks at a few minutes before the hour. So he could easily have met Amy at nine or soon after, but even if he hadn’t stopped and had just carried o
n along Queen’s Road he couldn’t possibly have been home before nine fifteen, and more likely after that.

  Hall couldn’t yet be certain that the car hadn’t stopped, because they didn’t have it in continuous line of sight, but he was confident. Not least because in fact the car that Hamilton had followed into town turned right at the town hall, immediately before he turned left up Beast Banks. And the CCTV from outside the pub half way up the hill, and well beyond the take away, had him still heading north.

  So Hall hoped that he’d stick to the part of the story about the take away, because either way Hamilton had a problem. If he did stick to it, then the CCTV would almost certainly prove him to be a liar, because even without 100% coverage of the area the fact that he followed another car through town proved that he hadn’t stopped between Kirkland and the town hall. And if he said that he hadn’t stopped, just as he hadn’t gone to an ATM, then Hamilton would have to explain why, at the end of a long day, he’d taken a detour through town. It wasn’t insuperable, he could just say that he’d intended to stop and changed his mind, but it would be yet another shift in position.

  The Hamiltons and their solicitor, a local man called Charles Jenkins who Hall knew slightly, did arrive at noon, and Hall and Mann had already decided to start with Mrs Hamilton.

  But the solicitor spoke as soon as they sat down and the recorder was on.

  ‘I have a statement here for you, which both my clients are willing to sign, confirming the time range between which Mr Hamilton returned home. On reflection, neither of my clients can recall the exact time, but estimate that it was in the range of eight thirty to nine thirty pm. No doubt CCTV evidence will show at what time the car was in Kendal.’ Hall thought he caught the hint of a smirk on the solicitor’s face. ‘Do you wish to ask my client anything else? I should like to put on record that we’re most anxious to help in any way that we can, and hope that my clients’ earlier statements have not hampered your investigation. As you will appreciate the death of their much-loved niece has placed both of my clients under very considerable strain.’