Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey Book 12), M Comley [world of reading TXT] 📗

His voice escalated, drawing attention from the other customers sitting at the nearby tables around them. “Try to remain calm. After speaking with you, no, I don’t believe you’re guilty of the crime. Although we’re going to need to seek an alibi for you, just to keep the paperwork tidy.”

“Thank fuck for that. I’ve heard so many horror stories where the police tried to pin a murder on an innocent person, usually a husband or boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend should I say. Bloody hell, I’m sorry for calling her a bitch, I never would have done that had I known that she was dead.”

“I believe you. Try to keep calm. I need you to think back, during your time with her, did Mona ever have any problems with other men? Someone stalking her, perhaps?”

“No, not that she told me about. God, is that what happened to her? Someone followed her and killed her? Why, why would someone do that to such a bright and bubbly person?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“Do you know it was a man who killed her?”

Sara glanced around her and then leaned forward and whispered, “She was also raped. But that part isn’t likely to come out in the news.”

His hands slapped against his cheeks, and he appeared dumbfounded by the information. “Oh, God, that’s just awful. So she really suffered before her death.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to imagine her going through that.”

“It is appalling. If you can think of anything that you believe might help us, will you get in touch?” Sara slid a card across the table, bypassing his discarded sandwich.

“I promise I will. Bloody hell, I want this person caught as much as you do.” He shook his head a few times. “Why?” He repeated the word over and over.

“We’ve yet to establish the whys and wherefores. We’re going to head off now. I’m sorry to have dropped this bombshell on you like this, during your shift.”

“It’s fine. I’d rather know from you than hear about this through the media. Please, please get this bastard and punish him for robbing us of this beautiful girl. Yes, she had her faults, but don’t we all?”

“We do indeed. Take care.”

Jack nodded. “I will.”

Sara and Carla left the hospital and made their way back to the car. “You believed him then?” Carla asked.

Sara shot her a glance. “Didn’t you?”

Carla chewed her lip before answering, “I’m not so sure. I’m willing to go along with your perception of the guy on this one because, in truth, I just couldn’t work him out.”

“Fair enough. I get occasions like that with some people I question as well. He seemed to be too cut up to me.”

“Cut up? He came across as angry to me.”

“That as well. I’ll tell you what, just in case my gut feeling is way off the mark with him, we’ll keep him on the suspect list for now.”

They reached the car. Carla looked over the roof at her. “I’d feel happier if we did that. Thanks, Sara.”

“For what? Listening to my astute partner? Get in the car, and I repeat, don’t ever feel bad about speaking out if something doesn’t gel with you.”

They slipped into the vehicle. “That’s a deal. What now?”

“Back to the station and start the investigation now we’ve contacted the next of kin and who we should logically note as the main suspect.”

“What if this was a one-off, an attack by a stranger? How the hell are we going to track down the culprit?”

Sara pulled out of the road and joined the traffic which had ground to a halt at the lights. “That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question right there. I sense solving this case is going to be tougher than most we’ve had to deal with lately.”

5

“What’s going on, guys?” Sara demanded, hearing the commotion that awaited their arrival in the incident room.

“Sorry about the noise, boss. I was thrilled to find something on CCTV and needed to share it with the others,” Craig replied, looking sheepish.

After nodding her understanding, Sara pointed at the screen on his desk. “Well, you’d better show me then.”

He settled back into his seat and hit a few keys while Sara pulled up a chair and sat alongside him, her gaze drawn to his monitor.

“Here. This black Peugeot was parked close to the entrance of the alley just before Mona’s body was discovered.”

“How long was it there?” Sara asked, her interest skyrocketing.

“I’ve gone back and forth several times, it was positioned there around thirty minutes in total.”

“Enough time to wait for Mona to arrive and then kill her. I don’t suppose you got a close-up on the driver either in the vehicle or when he left it?”

“No close up, but this is him exiting the car and heading towards the alley. As you can see, he’s doing his best to disguise himself, wearing a cap and pulling up the collar on his coat.”

“Okay, it’s quite a distinctive coat nevertheless. Once we pick him up for questioning, if we ever get that far, we can search his property for the coat and cap and match them to the CCTV. Teaching you how to suck eggs, I know, it’s just me thinking out loud.”

Craig grinned. “I thought the same, boss.”

“Right, keep up the good work, Craig. Let me know if you stumble across the reg number.”

“I’ll do that, nothing so far, but I’ll keep digging. If this proves pointless, I’ll try and source footage from elsewhere and then try to track the car through the ANPRs.”

She stood and squeezed his shoulder. “Good man.”

Sara then brought the whiteboard up to date. Carla handed her a coffee. She’d almost finished her task when DCI Carol Price entered the room. The euphoria from moments earlier died down, and a hush descended.

“As you were, team, don’t let my presence prevent you from working. DI Ramsey, can I see you in your office?” She marched into the office ahead of Sara.

Sara cast a glance in Carla’s direction