Kitabı oku: «Tick Tock», sayfa 5
‘They might open up if they’re all together on their own,’ Nick agreed.
‘They might. But there is the danger that they’ll hear things from others that they didn’t really see and then take those ideas as their own.’ Grace paused. ‘Do you think I should be in attendance? Or do you think I’m best having a word with Jason Tranter in the morning, see if he overheard anything, or was told something useful?’ She looked to Nick for advice. ‘How’s it best to play it, do you think?’
‘Difficult to tell.’ Nick ran a hand over his chin. ‘If we wade in, he might clam up. Maybe we should see what he gets out of the pupils first.’
Grace nodded. ‘I’ll let him know. How long has he worked at the school, Perry?’
‘Five years. He’s a local, too.’
‘What does he teach?’ Nick questioned.
‘Art. He seems okay, had the kids’ welfare at heart, but I’m keeping an open mind.’
‘As long as it’s not a cover-up like the Soham murders,’ Nick almost growled. ‘Seemed as though Ian Huntley had the kids’ interests at heart and look how that ended.’
Grace shuddered involuntarily, knowing she wouldn’t have liked to work on that case. Then she paused, feeling an overwhelming need to do whatever it took to bring down the person or persons who had done this.
‘On second thoughts, sir, I’d like to go to the youth club this evening.’
FOURTEEN
It was half past seven at night when Grace arrived back at Dunwood Academy. News had got around throughout the day, and now there were people of all ages gathering both in and around the school gates.
Grace always liked to step into the community when she could. See who was saying what and about whom. Often a snippet of conversation could turn into a nugget of information. Sometimes that’s all it took. So that’s why going to the youth club was a necessity. Besides, she wanted to help if she could. She knew what it was like to suffer the loss of someone close.
She passed bouquets and single flowers, propped up next to each other on the railings. Candles had been lit and scattered around, in between a few teddy bears. But it was the handmade cards and messages that brought a lump to Grace’s throat. Some of these children would never forget this incident in their lifetime. Especially the ones who were closest to Lauren Ansell.
So many flowers in a row reminded her of Matt’s funeral. Even though they’d asked for donations for the local hospice he’d been taken to for his last days, there had still been lots of tributes. Because he was so young and dying of a terminal illness, it had been quite a big crowd. A lot of people had known him when he’d passed away.
Matt had wanted everyone, including herself, to wear his favourite football team’s shirt or red T-shirts and to take lots of selfies with Grace. It had made for some happier memories of a sad day.
Pushing thoughts of Matt to the back of her mind, she tried to put herself into the students’ position. What it must be like to lose a classmate, a friend at sixteen years old. Long-term friendships were made at that delicate age. She could remember being the new girl when she and her mum had left Stoke when she was twelve. Everyone had already paired off with a best mate or groups to hang around in. She didn’t fit in anywhere. Of course she’d made friends eventually, but not any special ones. She was often guarded, never wanting to get close to anyone. She supposed that was owing to her background, having had a very abusive childhood.
Yet, even though there would be people milling around tomorrow, the next week, the following month, Grace realised that most of the people in the crowd – particularly the ones who weren’t close to Lauren Ansell – would have forgotten her soon and gone back to their normal lives. Just that in itself showed how precious life was, that it could be taken from you in an instant, and the world ticked on regardless. But you could still become a star for a day because of how you’d died.
Grace stepped around a woman hugging a teenager to her chest as the girl sobbed. There were two other girls next to her, crying silently as they stooped down to read the messages. Ahead, a lone male stood back, an angry expression on his face.
Was her killer amongst the people watching? Some suspects liked to be near to the scene of the crime afterwards; others wanted to be as far away as possible, only looking on from a distance via social media channels and the TV.
She glanced around, taking everyone in as she walked, hands in pockets, hoping not to stand out as a cop. She’d worn her hair down and had ditched her suit jacket for the denim one that was always in the boot of the car. She’d freshened up her make-up, too.
Finally at the gates, she paused for a moment. Hands behind her back, she stood in silence looking at the images of Lauren Ansell. One photograph showed a young woman who had everything to look forward to. Her eyes were smiling, dancing even, and there was a mischievous grin on her face. It wasn’t the usual school photo. It had been taken when she was somewhere hot. Grace could see a beach in the background, lights shining on the sea. Lauren was tanned, happy and smiling. She hoped her parents remembered her like that once the grief had gone.
‘You’re the cop I saw this morning, aren’t you?’ a voice said behind her.
Grace turned to see a teenage boy, tall, short dark hair, with an array of spots on his forehead. His wary eyes were flitting around before they finally landed on her.
‘Yes, I was here earlier,’ she replied. ‘And you are?’
‘Lewis Granger.’
‘Did you know Lauren?’
‘We were in the same class.’ He looked down the road and then thrust his hands in his pockets as he turned back. ‘I’m going to miss her.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. Did she get on with everyone?’
‘Yeah, she was good company. We hung around together.’
‘She seemed very popular from what I’ve seen.’ Grace threw a thumb over her shoulder. ‘I’m going to the youth club. Is that where you’re heading?’
He nodded. ‘I’m waiting for my mate to turn up.’
‘I’ll see you in there.’
As she walked off, he spoke again.
‘It seems weird, someone I know dying.’
She turned back to him. ‘There will be counselling available from the school when it reopens. It’s going to be tough for a while.’
Grace waited for him to speak again but when he stayed silent she walked away. She wondered if he’d searched her out for a reason, or maybe he’d noticed her arrival.
With her mind working overtime, she went inside.
FIFTEEN
The youth club was being held in a large hall, a pool table at one end. Next to it was an old sideboard with a coffee machine and stacks of paper cups in a pile. Music was playing low, the sounds of a recent chart-topper Grace knew some of the words to. She wondered if it was a favourite of Lauren’s or a track that was being played regardless.
Sitting in a huddle on a small settee were three girls. Several people stood in twos. A group of mixed teens sat around a large table. All of them seemed subdued, unsure what to do. The atmosphere was tense.
Grace moved towards two girls who were trying to comfort each other.
‘Excuse me, where will I find Mr Tranter?’ she asked, deciding not to show her warrant card. There was no need for such formality here.
One of the girls pointed to a room in the far corner.
‘Thanks.’
Grace followed the direction of the girl’s finger. Arriving at the room, she saw the door was open. There was a man inside, sitting at a desk. He had a thick sheen of dark hair and sultry blue eyes, and was casually dressed in jeans and a black woollen jumper.
‘Jason Tranter?’ This time Grace did get out her warrant card. ‘DS Allendale.’
‘Hi. I assumed someone might show up this evening. Come on in.’ He moved a pile of papers from a chair.
Grace sat down. ‘I thought I’d drop by. I’m not here to question anyone in particular.’ She thought it better to be economical with the truth rather than unfriendly. Of course she was there to gather information from as many people as possible, but she still needed to keep them at ease. ‘It will give me a feel of how well liked Lauren was, and also the chance to listen to her friends and their thoughts.’
‘Their thoughts?’ Jason frowned.
‘Sometimes people give themselves away when they least expect it.’ She held up a hand as he sat forwards to protest. ‘I don’t mean anything other than information that someone might think isn’t important and then turns out to be quite the opposite. I doubt they’ll open up to me as a police officer, but I hope I can rely on you to see what you can find out?’
Jason nodded. ‘Sure.’
‘How long have you been working at the youth club?’ she asked, looking around the room and spotting a corkboard crammed with photos of pupils.
‘A couple of years,’ Jason told her. ‘It’s voluntary. I love teaching during the day, but I don’t really like being stuck in a classroom. So this is another outlet for me. It’s only a few hours a week.’
‘So you know the pupils out there quite well.’ Grace paused. ‘Do any of them give you problems?’
‘They all do at one time or another. They’re teens. Hormones galore. The boys fight, the girls argue. They make up or they don’t in some cases.’
‘Anyone not made up at the moment that you know of?’ Grace pushed. ‘Any big arguments lately?’
‘Nothing comes to mind.’ He shook his head.
‘I’m just trying to get the layout of Lauren and her friends. If she’s been hanging out with different ones we’ve yet to find out about, it could be important.’
‘It’s Robert I pity. It wasn’t his fault, but it happened on his watch and I know he’ll blame himself. I would have done the same in his position. The girls were lagging behind, they were a minute out of his sight, and there had been three of them. Who would have thought that something like that could happen?’
‘How many pupils attend the youth club?’ Grace asked next, wondering why he had chosen to change the subject.
‘It has about seventy kids in total who use it every now and then. They don’t have to attend the school to be a member, though. We take anyone who will behave themselves.’ He smiled. ‘Some turn up every week, on the two nights we open.’
‘Which are?’ Grace asked.
‘Tuesdays and Thursdays. Others appear sporadically. They pay a pound subs and sign in. It covers the cost of the school being open late, and the drinks we provide. I won’t collect any money tonight. It doesn’t seem right. Do you want to see the signing-in book later?’
Grace nodded. ‘Was Lauren a regular?’
‘She came most weeks, twice sometimes. Her and her friends. There’s a group of about five of them, all girls. We offer a safe place for the kids to hang out, and also keep out of trouble in the local area.’
‘Did you get on well with her?’
‘Yes. She was a good kid. It will be weird not to see her around.’
Grace noticed he didn’t stir at the question. As Perry had mentioned earlier in team brief, he didn’t seem fazed by the fact that a murdered girl had a crush on him.
‘Tougher for the kids than me, I guess.’ Jason sighed before standing. ‘Can I grab you a coffee, perhaps introduce you to some of the members?’
‘That would be great.’
‘Nathan’s around, too. He’s been popping in and out. It’s not often we have the headmaster here.’ Jason paused. ‘I must admit, I hadn’t been too sure about opening the youth club this evening. For starters, why would any of the parents want their children out of their sight after one of the pupils at the school had been murdered? But Nathan insisted, saying it would be a good place for the kids to have time to be with each other and grieve.’
‘I expect he won’t be able to stay away.’ Grace knew how much pressure Stiller would be under right now.
A cry rang out and they all turned. One of the girls who’d arrived had burst into tears and dropped into the arms of another.
‘That’s Katie Davies,’ Jason explained. ‘Sophie Bishop is comforting her, with a Piggott twin. I can never tell them apart. They were all close friends of Lauren’s.’
Over the course of the next hour, Grace chatted to lots of the teenagers. Nathan Stiller did indeed come and go, joining in conversations as the students reminisced about Lauren. Some of the teenagers laughed openly about her when sharing anecdotes; others, Grace could tell, felt guilty if they did. But she knew as well as anyone how much better it was to remember the good times. Be comforted by them. Bury them deep within to be resurrected whenever necessary.
Because she’d done the same when Matt had died. It hadn’t lessened the pain, but it had made the days seem more bearable.
She was still struggling with the nights.
SIXTEEN
At the youth club, Sophie Bishop had been messing with her phone all evening. She’d been doing it under the pretence of looking for what people were saying about Lauren on social media. But really she was waiting.
Finally, a text message came in:
Meet me behind the sheds in two minutes?
She glanced around the youth club until she caught his eye. Her stomach flipped like it did every time he looked at her. She nodded her reply and turned to Courtney and Caitlin, who she was sitting with.
‘I’m going to grab a bit of fresh air.’ She stood, acting casual, even though her heart was pumping fast. ‘I feel like I need some space.’
‘Want me to come with you?’ Courtney asked with a look of concern.
Sophie shook her head. ‘No, you stay here. I won’t be long.’
‘Okay, babes. Message me if you want me and I’ll come out to you.’
Sophie nodded to her friend. Once outside, she let out a breath. Her dad hadn’t been too impressed when she’d said she was going out, but eventually she’d persuaded him that she needed to be with her friends. Teagan hadn’t been allowed to come, which was annoying, but at least she had the twins. She’d told her dad she was being picked up and brought home by Mrs Piggott. Luckily, he’d been okay with that.
She gulped down a sob. She was going to miss Lauren so much. They’d known each other since junior school and even though Sophie never usually cried in public, she hadn’t been able to stop the tears all day. Her eyes were red and sore, but there was no point in trying to make herself look presentable again now. He’d have to take her as he found her. One of them was missing, gone forever, not coming back. How were they supposed to cope with that?
After dropping them off at school, Mrs Piggott had told them she’d be waiting at half past eight, which is why Sophie knew time was of the essence. But as well as being there for the rest of the girls, she wanted to see him. She wanted to be comforted, too.
Finally, her phone beeped:
I’m here.
It was quiet back there but, even so, Sophie glanced around to see if anyone was watching. When she felt it was safe, she ran across to the outbuildings behind the sports hall. As she reached the first shed, he popped his head out and disappeared again. Around the corner, out of view, she ran into his arms.
‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you,’ she cried as she held on tight to him.
He rubbed a hand over her hair. ‘I’m glad that we’ve found time.’ He tilted her chin towards him and kissed her. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m okay, but it’s such a shock.’ She wiped away tears that had fallen. ‘I can’t stop crying. She was one of my closest friends.’
‘I know.’ He drew her into his arms again. ‘I feel like I don’t want to let you go. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I care about you too much.’
‘I care about you, too,’ Sophie replied, although she wasn’t really sure. Was he talking about love? She didn’t feel as if they’d been together long enough for that. But then, how would she know? She’d never been in love before.
They’d been meeting for nearly six weeks but she hadn’t told anyone. She’d sneaked out to see him two or three times a week. Knowing that people wouldn’t understand why she was seeing him, she’d fibbed to her dad, saying she was over at the twins’ house, and she’d lied to the twins, saying she was staying in. So far, it had worked out fine. Except when things like this happened and she wanted to see him but couldn’t.
‘I wonder who the killer could be,’ she said. ‘It’s hard to know that someone is still out there.’
‘I guess. But the police will catch whoever did it,’ he said.
She paused for a moment in honour of her friend, then flipped the talk back to herself as only a teenager could.
‘When will I be able to see you again?’
‘Soon.’
‘I hope so.’
She breathed in the scent of him, the tang of his aftershave. She really wished they had somewhere they could be alone together. She wanted his hands all over her.
He kissed her gently on the lips this time. ‘I need to remember you until we can be together.’
Sophie almost laughed – she couldn’t help it. He was trying to be romantic, but it sounded like a line out of a bad movie.
‘I can get out tomorrow, if you can?’ he questioned.
‘I’ll try.’
‘When will you know?’
‘Probably tomorrow afternoon. I’ll text you.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I have to go. Don’t want to blow my cover.’
He pulled her close, his lips crushing down on hers. It was passionate, something that made Sophie’s heart soar. She broke away with regret.
‘I need to leave.’ She moved away from him reluctantly.
He held on to her hand until he had to let it go.
Sophie blew him a kiss before running back to the youth club.
When she got to the entrance, she breathed a sigh of relief. Neither the twins, nor their mother’s car, were anywhere to be seen. She’d got away with it.
She slipped back inside the hall. Courtney and Caitlin hadn’t moved. They both had their heads down looking at their phones.
‘How are you now, babes?’ Courtney asked as Sophie sat down again.
‘Slightly better.’ She felt a blush rising to her cheeks and she got out her phone again. There was a text message from him already:
Can’t wait to see you again. xx
She tapped the phone to her bottom lip, trying desperately hard not to smile.
SEVENTEEN
After leaving the youth club just before nine p.m., Grace went back to the station for an hour. The phones had finally calmed down a little after the press release, only the odd call coming in. Officers and civilians were typing out details they’d pass over to Grace and her team. She would delegate cross-referencing them in the morning.
Nick had gone with Lauren Ansell’s parents to identify the body. She sat at her desk, thinking of Lauren – sixteen years old and murdered. That poor child who wouldn’t be going back to her bed that night. Her family who were mourning her loss. Her friends at school who’d miss her dearly. It seemed such a waste.
Finally, she texted Simon to say she was on her way home. He’d contacted her a few times during the day, letting her know when he’d be finishing and any developments with the Stoke News. Apparently, there had been lots of messages of condolence, but nothing much of anything else.
Simon would always check in on her somehow – either speaking to her on the phone or texting her first to see where she was. She liked that he cared enough, though she knew he hated living in his tiny house that he’d been in since the break-up of his marriage.
Grace was glad to see the living room light on when she pulled into the drive. It was comforting – much better than coming home to a dark, empty house. Simon never called uninvited, but she’d given him a set of his own keys as a silly stocking filler that Christmas.
Just as she was about to get out of her car, a text message came in. She read it before going into the house.
‘Hey.’ She sat down on the arm of the settee, leaning down to kiss him.
‘Hey.’ He smiled faintly. ‘Anything else come in?’
‘I’ve had a text from Nick to confirm formal identification has taken place, but other than that, nothing more than we knew this morning.’
Grace rubbed at her neck, feeling the tension in her shoulders. Suddenly, she realised that Simon was crying.
She slid down next to him and took him in her arms, pulling him close.
‘It could have been Teagan, Grace. She was only a few feet in front of Lauren,’ he said. ‘Every time I saw Emma Gillespie cry, I felt guilty for being glad my own daughter was alive. I can’t seem to get it out of my head. They must be going through hell right now.’
She let him cry until he lifted his head. Then she wiped a tear from his cheek, no need for words.
‘Sorry,’ he said.
‘You don’t have to apologise. How’s Teagan?’
‘Upset. We decided against her going to the youth club. I felt like the Big Bad Wolf, even though Natalie had agreed. I know Teagan wanted to be with her friends, but I needed to know she was safe, too. I called to see her this evening, not that it’s any consolation.’ He wiped at his eyes, a faint smile forming. ‘She kept ringing her friends. I was tired of hearing “babes”.’
Grace giggled. It wasn’t her favourite word, either.
‘I’m glad she stayed away,’ she soothed. Despite what people might expect, Grace didn’t feel an ounce of jealousy that he’d been with his ex-wife. Simon’s divorce had come through two months ago. ‘I know it will be hard for her, but you’re right, until we apprehend our suspect, she’s better at home.’
‘Do you have any leads?’
‘We have some things to look into. We’re going back to the school tomorrow. It’s closed, thankfully.’
Simon nodded. ‘Kettle’s boiled. Want a brew?’
‘I need a shower first. I’ll be ten minutes.’
Simon turned back to the television as Grace went upstairs. She smiled to herself, glad he’d cried in front of her. They were comfortable together. But that was all she could give him for now. She needed to see if their roles would get in the way of any big cases; if they’d be okay under the scrutiny. They had to work together, but not seem to be. To the outside world, they were always a threat. The cop and the journo. She hoped to prove everyone wrong. She was loyal to her team, as well as Simon, but she wouldn’t allow either one to be put to the test by the other.
Showered and changed, she joined Simon in the kitchen when she heard him getting cups out. He took her into his arms and she relished how tightly he held on to her.
‘I don’t know how you do your job when the victims are so young.’ He spoke softly against her hair. ‘Is she your youngest?’
‘No. We had a five-month-old boy who was shaken to death by his mother. She tried to cover it up by saying she had been asleep and he’d suffocated. That’s the worst I’ve dealt with yet.’
‘Ouch.’ Simon squeezed her to his chest. ‘And I thought reporting the aftermath was harrowing.’
Grace moved across the room. Even though she liked having Simon around, it was at times like this that she missed just being able to get on her treadmill and run the emotion of the day away. She wouldn’t sleep much that night; she never did after she’d seen a life taken. Everything would be going around inside her head for a while yet.
There was so little to get her teeth into on this case. No motive, no witnesses, no CCTV; no one had seen anything, but it was early days. She hoped they’d be able to find Lauren Ansell’s killer and that this case wouldn’t remain unsolved. Or worse, that the killer would attack again.
‘I read your piece just before team brief. You did some great coverage,’ she told him as he handed her a hot drink and a plate of buttered toast.
Her stomach growled, making her realise she’d hardly had anything to eat all day again.
‘Thanks.’ Simon hid a yawn with his hand. ‘It was kind of the Gillespies to offer to work with me so soon because I knew Lauren; her mum only wanted me to cover it in the Stoke News to see if it encouraged people to come forward with information. Yet, it was equally as easy as it was hard to write.’
Grace half-smiled. ‘Perhaps someone will remember something and come to us in the morning. It only takes one lead.’
‘I hope so.’ Simon kissed her on the forehead as he passed her. ‘I’m going up the wooden hill. Don’t be too long.’
She nodded, a mouthful of toast making her unable to speak.
‘Promise?’ He gave her a knowing look.
She nodded again vehemently and swallowed. ‘Just finishing my drink. I need some kip.’
Alone in the kitchen, she sat down at the table. She really did hope someone might know something tomorrow. Either that or forensics would come back with some clues. She tried not to picture the lifeless body as it had lain out in the field.
Grace didn’t want the girl to die without the case being solved.
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