Death on High (The Lakeland Murders) Page 24

  ‘Oh I doubt that Lillian, I doubt that very much. It’s much more likely that he delayed because he had no intention of leaving Vicky at all.’

  ‘That’s a lie. He was going to leave her.’

  ‘Does a woman who intimidates and dominates her husband make calls to a domestic violence helpline?’

  For the first time Hall sensed that he’d hit a nerve.

  ‘That’s not true. She must have been paranoid or something. He said she was menopausal.’

  ‘It’s true all right, she did. Quite close to the time of his death in fact.’

  Lillian Hill sat and thought about what Hall had said. He didn’t rush her for a reply.

  ‘So she did push him then, she must have done. I thought so, but I wasn’t sure until now. Are you charging her?’

  Hall let the question pass. ‘Let’s go back to what happened after Tony Harrison fell. Were you the first person to reach Lillian?’

  ‘Yes, I was. I started calling for Tony too, and I was trying to look over the edge, but I couldn’t see anything. A minute or so later another group arrived. They came running up and they tried to look for him too. From then on I stayed with Vicky.’

  ‘Even though you thought that she might have killed her husband, your lover?’

  ‘I didn’t know that for certain. And anyway, we’d both lost him.’

  ‘So why didn’t you come forward to us with your suspicions?’

  ‘Partly because I didn’t see anything, and partly because I was ashamed. I was committing adultery Inspector, and I wasn’t proud of myself. I’m still not. If I hadn’t behaved the way I did then perhaps Tony would still be here now.’

  ‘Be sure your sin will find you out?’

  ‘Amen to that. And it has, hasn’t it?’

  ‘What did Vicky say to you, when you were with her after the fall?’

  ‘After the fall? She just kept asking about Tony. It was all very confusing. I was in shock too, but I couldn’t tell her why.’

  ‘Did anything in Vicky’s behaviour lead you to wonder if his fall had really been an accident?’

  ‘Inspector, you’re asking my client to speculate, and to what possible end?’

  Lillian Hill didn’t give Hall time to reply.

  ‘No, I didn’t reach any conclusions. Not even when she went off in the ambulance with him. As I said, she was in shock, and I was too.’

  ‘And have you had any contact with Vicky since?’

  ‘No. I almost didn’t go the funeral, but I thought it might be noticed. So I did go to that, but otherwise no, we haven’t spoken. What could I have said, anyway?’

  ‘You could have said you were sorry.’

  ‘But I’m not sorry Inspector’ she said firmly. ‘Tony deserved better than Vicky, and I deserved my chance at happiness too.’

  When he got back to his office Hall sat and looked at his notepad. He was just starting to write a list of questions to ask himself when Jane knocked at the door, and came in. He would have preferred it if she hadn’t.

  ‘Am I interrupting?’

  ‘No Jane, you fire away.’ Hall expected that she’d come to talk through Lillian’s statement, and he was nowhere near ready to do that yet. But he was wrong.

  ‘I didn’t want to tell you earlier, but I got the email from personnel last night. I’m to be out of here at the end of the shift tonight, and report to HQ next Tuesday for re-assignment.’

  Jane looked close to tears. He wanted to get up, but he didn’t.

  ‘Thanks for telling me. Are we having a do tonight? I haven’t even had a chance to get a card and a gift sorted.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that Andy, I don’t want any fuss.’

  ‘I understand. But let’s do something together OK? I mean all of us. We’re all going to miss you, Jane.’

  She stood there for a few seconds, nodded, then turned and left. Hall watched her go, looked down at his list and couldn’t think of a single question to add. He started to get up, and then sat down again.

  Hall sat there sightless for ten minutes, his pen next to the pad, and then Robinson phoned. He wanted an immediate de-brief, as if he didn’t already know exactly what had happened in both interviews. As Hall walked out of his office he noticed how quiet it was in the open office, and he saw the cardboard box sitting in the middle of Jane’s desk. He really thought that he could punch Robinson’s lights out.

  ‘So you’re no further forward’ said Robinson, when Hall had summarised the content of the two statements.

  ‘I wouldn’t say that sir.’ Nothing in Hall’s tone betrayed his anger. Robinson wasn’t even trying to do the same, but then he was the Superintendent.

  ‘I would Inspector. Before all of this nonsense started there were three possible outcomes. Either the victim fell accidentally, or he was pushed by one or other of the two women. Correct?’

  ‘Essentially, yes.’

  ‘Absolutely yes. And where are we, after all this expense and effort? In exactly the same position, that’s where. You’re no further forward in eliminating any of those possibilities. In fact, I don’t think that it’s going to be possible to bring any charges at all, do you Inspector?’

  ‘No sir, probably not. We will re-interview the walkers who reached Vicky a minute or so after Lillian says that she arrived on the scene, but I’m not expecting anything conclusive. I very much doubt that they’ll have anything to add. It’s just possible that we could bring charges against Vicky for attempting to pervert the course of justice, but I can’t see where that gets us.’

  ‘No, nor do I’ said Robinson quickly. It was obvious that he wanted the case closed down with the least possible fuss. Hall looked across the desk at him. He was about to make Robinson’s day.

  ‘And we can’t touch Lillian at all. The account she offered was just about the best she could possibly have come up with, in terms of avoiding charges for herself without directly implicating Vicky. As a way of minimising any public fall-out it was little short of a masterstroke sir. Lillian must have been very well advised.’

  Robinson didn’t take the bait, as Hall knew he wouldn’t. But he wanted the Super to know that he knew. Hall was certain that Robinson had briefed Lillian Hill.

  ‘Of course there is the possibility that Lillian is telling the truth, isn’t there Inspector?’

  ‘Absolutely, there is. But I think we all have to acknowledge that it’s just as likely that Vicky is telling the truth as Lillian is, and that one of them broke the sixth Commandment. That may be uncomfortable, but there it is.’

  ‘It isn’t uncomfortable at all Inspector, because it isn’t the case. Now, I wanted to check that everything is ready for tonight’s operation. I understand that Ian Mann has confirmed that they’re on?’

  ‘Yes sir, we’re ready. Essentially it’s the same set-up as last time, expect Ray will be placing the tracking device on the lorry, and I’m placing two cars at Ian Mann’s place in Carlisle. I’m going to be in the ticket hut on site with Ray, just in case. As soon as Ian gets back from the job we’ll uplift him and get him out of there.’

  ‘Why the rush? I thought you were confident that Mann’s cover was still solid.’

  ‘Spedding went round in person this morning, and told Ian that they’d been digging around in Kendal, and no-one remembered a Gary Benson.’

  ‘What did he do?’

  ‘Came up with a story to cover a change of name. Spedding seems to have swallowed it.’

  ‘Seems to?’

  ‘Ian seemed confident, but you know what he’s like.’

  ‘I don’t, that’s your job.’

  ‘Ian is a brave man sir, in a way that I for one will never really understand. I honestly believe he’d get into that car tonight, even if he was pretty sure that they were on to him.’

  ‘What do you think then? Can we take that risk?’

  ‘From what he said I think they believed him. His story made sense, and earlier I asked Jane to put a couple of pictures of him as a kid
, which Ian sent down, up on a couple of local history message boards, using his other name. One’s called Fellside’s children.’

  ‘And what was this name he gave?’

  ‘Pratt, Sir’ said Hall, with a straight face.

  Robinson didn’t smile either. ‘And this is DC Francis’ last shift, is it Inspector?’

  ‘It is. Would you like me to send round the collection envelope for her leaving gift later?’

  When Hall walked back into the office he looked over at Jane’s desk. It was bare, and the chair was pushed in under her desk. He half expected to find a note on his desk, but there wasn’t one. He sat down, feeling the dryness in his mouth. He knew that feeling too well, but he knew how to suppress it too. He opened his email folder and re-read every exchange concerning the undercover operation that night. He owed it to Ian Mann to give it his absolutely undivided attention, and for the next two hours he did just that. He didn’t get up until he was sure that he’d missed absolutely nothing.

  Good Friday, 29th March

  It was almost one AM before the knock at the door finally came. Ian Mann had felt tense long before midnight, and he was really on edge by the time the knock finally came.

  ‘Car trouble’ said Spedding over his shoulder as they pulled away.

  Mann nodded and tried to relax. If anything the atmosphere in the car felt calmer than it had before, just a group of workmates heading off together for a night-shift.

  When they reached the Abbey it was cold, starry and still. The moon was up and bright as a torch. As they got out of the car Mann could hear the sounds of the countryside at night, which he hadn’t noticed before. The lorry looked like it was a different one once again, smaller than before, but all their gear was waiting on the flat-bed as usual. Mann and Spedding were on the roof faster than before, and this time they had the makeshift hoist constructed and working in ten minutes flat. Spedding grinned at Mann when they were finished.

  ‘Practice makes perfect.’

  Mann tried not to think about Ray Dixon, or about the officers sitting in cars out on the roads, and after twenty minutes he was completely immersed in the task. Spedding was working faster than the last time, and Mann was struggling to keep up. It looked as if they’d be clear in only an hour or two at this rate. Mann hoped that Dixon would get his tracker on the lorry quickly, and he reckoned he would. In his position he’d have taken the first opportunity he saw, just to get it done.

  Every time he and Spedding loaded up the basket Mann had to force himself not to look at the lorry, or at the ticket office only a few yards further away. And by the time they’d loaded up five or six times he’d completely beaten the urge. He’d just concentrate on his job; that was enough to worry about.

  ‘Take a blow or push on?’ asked Spedding, who was breathing heavily, as they loaded up the basket again.

  ‘I’m fit if you are’ said Mann, trying to control his own breathing.

  ‘I need five minutes’ said Spedding. He leant over the edge, to signal to one of the guys below to send up the drinks and food. The moon was very bright now, and Mann saw Spedding give the thumbs up sign. Then he pointed and called out, and even as Spedding’s arm started to move Mann knew exactly what was wrong.

  ‘Behind the truck’ Spedding shouted, and Mann started moving towards him.

  ‘What is it?’ called Mann, hoping to distract Spedding. But it didn’t work.

  It only took a glance over the edge for Mann to confirm that Ray Dixon had been spotted. He was on his feet, turning towards the door to the ticket office, which was opening. But two men were already running down the side of the lorry, and the driver had swung his door open too. Mann saw something glint in the moonlight. He looked across at Spedding again, and saw that he was about to clip back on to his ropes and abseil down.

  ‘Come on’ he shouted, and Mann didn’t need a second invitation. He ran straight into Spedding, and sent him sprawling, winded, on to the roof. Mann’s momentum carried him beyond Spedding, but he was back on his feet before Spedding had even started to get up. But as Mann turned his left foot caught in one of the ropes, which tightened and sent him sprawling. He heard Spedding shout, and as he tried to regain his balance Spedding was launching himself at him.

  Mann acted on instinct, training and fear. He began to crouch, instinctively twisting his body away from the edge of the roof, just a couple of feet behind him. His foot was still caught in the rope, but getting low was the right decision, and Spedding came at him too high and too fast. Somehow Mann got his shoulder underneath Spedding’s centre of gravity, and managed to deflect him over his shoulder.

  That only bought Mann a second or two, but it was enough for him to reach down and free his foot. But it wasn’t quite long enough to stop Spedding getting up and turning to face Mann, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. This time he came in low, and at the last minute swung his foot to try and trip Mann. It half worked, because Mann was thrown off balance, and he half fell, half stepped left, his shoulder crashing in to the hoist. It was the only thing that stopped him going over the edge.

  Spedding knew it too, and he took a step to his right, cutting Mann off from getting onto the open roof. And then Mann saw the blade in Spedding’s right hand, arcing upwards in the moonlight as Spedding came forward. Mann moved smoothly inside the blow, came forward and caught Spedding’s arm before he could raise it again and hyper-extended the elbow. He heard it crack, but somehow Spedding kept coming, his head catching Mann full in the stomach and propelling him backwards.

  Mann was convinced that his next step backwards would hit empty air, but it didn’t, and the lip of the gutter stopped his left foot sliding back any further. Over the next few weeks and months he’d often wonder if there was anything else that he could have done, and to understand why he did what he did next. Was it anger, fear, self-preservation or something else entirely? But the throw came easily, using Spedding’s momentum and body weight, and Spedding went straight over the edge of the roof, head first.

  By the time Mann had turned and looked over the edge Spedding was on the ground, not moving, and he could see that Dixon was down as well. Hall had his stick out and was slashing from side to side at the men in front of him. He wouldn’t hold them off for more than another few seconds. In the distance Mann could hear the sirens clearly, but no headlights were visible yet. He clipped onto his rope, and abseiled down the side of the building.

  By the time he’d unclipped at the bottom he could see that Hall was in serious trouble. One of the men was running back towards Spedding and had seen him, but the other two were concentrating on Hall. They’d disarmed him now and were closing in. Mann ran hard at the figure coming towards him, who must be the driver, and who seemed to be carrying a tyre lever or crow bar. Mann let him have a swing, and took the blow on his left forearm as he raised it above his head. The next blow was his though, a hard right into the driver’s gut. As he doubled up Mann hit him again with his left, as hard as he could, on the point of the chin. But there was no power in the punch, Mann felt the pain sear up his injured arm. and the driver started to straighten himself.

  And it was Mann’s next decision, made in a split-second and executed almost as fast, which would be so critical. He could have subdued the driver easily, even with one arm, but it would have taken time, and he couldn’t see what was happening to Hall. So he chopped down hard on the driver’s neck. He heard his neck snap, and knew he was dead before he hit the ground. He knew because Ian Mann had heard that sound before.

  Mann ran back towards Hall, and to his surprise Hall was still on his feet, and the other two men were backing off. Not because of Hall, but because they had seen the headlights in the distance and could hear the sirens becoming more insistent by the second. They made a run for the car and Ian Mann let them go. Hall was being sick, and looked as if he could collapse at any second, but at least he was still on his feet. But Ray Dixon was just a shadowed shape on the ground, and he wasn’t moving at all
.

  In ten minutes there were half a dozen Police cars on site. The two loaders, Tom Rigg and his mate Brian Thompson, hadn’t got far in the car. They’d been stopped by a stinger at the end of the drive, and both had been brought back.

  Ambulances were well on their way, plus SOCO, full tactical support and dog teams, but only the first were really needed. Dixon was sitting up and talking already, and beyond a few cuts and bruises where he’d gone down he didn’t have any other visible injuries, although he had a big lump on the back of his head and was extremely pale. One of the cops had put a coat over Ray’s shoulders and kept him talking, but stopped him from getting up. Mann came over and crouched down next to him.

  ‘I’m sorry Ian, I did what you said. I don’t know how they saw me. They were all over by the hoist, looking up, I’m sure of it. The boss said I was good to go too.’

  ‘You did right Ray. It wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘What about Spedding?’

  ‘Dead.’

  ‘And the other one? The driver.’

  ‘Same.’

  Dixon winced, and Mann knew that it wasn’t just because of the pain.

  ‘How are you?’ said Ray.

  ‘All right. Busted arm I think, but I’ll live.’

  The first two ambulances left with Dixon and Mann. The next two were in no hurry, because SOCO and the pathologist needed to do their work. One of the paramedics had given Hall some painkillers, and the Police surgeon gave him a quick examination in the back of an ambulance before passing him fit for duty. ‘But only half an hour mind, and get someone to drive you home.’

  Within half an hour there were fifty people on site, including the Chief and Val Gorham, both of whom lived fairly nearby. Hall was talking to the civilian rope access specialists who were going to get the search team and SOCO onto the roof as soon as it was light, and a team of uniformed cops had set up the generator and floodlights near the truck. It’s door was still open and the courtesy light was on, as if the driver was just about to get back in.