A Room Full of Killers, Michael Wood [best books for students to read txt] 📗

I’m sorry, but no. Look, we’ve moved on as best we can. I intend this conversation with you to be my only one. I think I am capable of getting through this with you calling me Belinda Asher but I won’t be giving you my new name.’ Her voice was fragile and breaking. She was taking deep breaths, trying, but struggling, to hold onto her emotions.

‘I understand,’ Matilda said. ‘Before we go on, is there anything you’d like to ask me?’

‘Like what?’

‘Like how Ryan died maybe?’

‘No.’

‘You don’t want to know?’

‘No, I don’t. I’m not interested. Please, ask your questions.’

‘OK. Mrs Asher, can you tell me what Ryan was like as a child?’

Belinda burst into tears. ‘We tried our best. We did everything we could. We were always there for him. He wanted for nothing. I wanted another child. For some reason I always wanted two but it never happened. I don’t know why Ryan ended up the way he did. Maybe I was too protective of him and he rebelled against us, I don’t know.’

‘His home life was incident free, you’d say?’

‘Yes, I would. Until he was twelve he was never any trouble. He was well behaved; he always came home when we asked him to; he cleaned his room and always went to school.’

‘So what happened? Did he fall in with the wrong friends?’

‘Yes. You probably won’t have heard about it in South Yorkshire, but there was a gang in Norwich he got involved with – quite a well-known gang. They damaged cars, stole from shops, terrorized the local kids. Then it escalated. I think one of them got involved in drugs. One of the gang ended up getting stabbed. Anyway, Ryan started asking us for money, ten pounds here, twenty pounds there. At first, we gave it to him but then he started asking for more … ’

‘Was he involved in drugs?’ Matilda interrupted.

‘I don’t think so. He wasn’t taking any but he may have been buying for others. I’m not sure. It all escalated quickly. He started smoking. I could smell it on his school uniform. I told him to quit but he got quite volatile.’ She started to cry again. ‘I thought that maybe once he’d left school and was away from that gang he would improve. I had no idea things would turn into … he killed my mum and dad,’ her words were replaced by heavy and loud sobbing.

Matilda waited until the crying began to subside. ‘I’m sorry to bring all this up. I won’t pretend I know what you’re going through because I don’t.’

‘It’s OK,’ she sniffled. ‘Just ask your questions.’

‘What did Ryan’s school say about his change in behaviour?’

‘They were useless. At first, they didn’t notice a difference in him at all. It was only when I contacted them that they realized he’d changed. They said he was a lot quieter in class and he didn’t work to his usual standard.’

‘So if he had made new friends they were outside of school?’

‘It would appear so.’

Matilda remained quiet. She wanted to ask more but also wanted Belinda to take the lead and offer the information.

‘We talked about moving away but we couldn’t with our work. Then, the Malcolm Preston incident happened.’

Matilda hadn’t heard of Malcolm Preston but felt she should have done. She quickly scribbled his name down on a notepad but didn’t say anything. She waited for Belinda to elaborate.

‘I often search the internet for Malcolm’s name to see if there’s any news, but he’s still in a coma. The police, the school, even Malcolm’s parents, they all knew it was Ryan who attacked him but there was no evidence,’ she took a deep breath. ‘We knew it too.’

‘How did you know?’

‘He withdrew completely. He went to his room as soon as he came home and was out the next morning before we both got up. We hardly saw him.’

‘It must have made your home life very difficult.’

‘It did. Stu … Paul and I were arguing. He wanted to send him away. There are special schools that deal with disruptive children, but I didn’t want to. Ryan was my son. I wanted to be able to help him myself, but I couldn’t. I tried everything. I failed him.’ The tears came fast and she struggled to breathe. ‘I should have listened to Paul. If I had, my parents would still be alive.’

Matilda waited for Belinda to regain control but she was in for a long wait. Eventually, a man came on the line.

‘My name is Paul Asher. I’m sorry but I don’t think you should continue with this conversation. I don’t see what use it will be to your investigation.’

‘Mr Asher I’m very sorry to have upset your wife but at the end of the day Ryan Asher is your son.’

‘No,’ he snapped. ‘He stopped being my son when he burned his grandparents to death. I want nothing more to do with him.’

‘Mr Asher, eventually, Ryan’s body will be released by the coroner for burial.’

‘Do what you want with him. We don’t want him back. Now I would appreciate it if you didn’t call this number again. Thank you.’

Before Matilda could say anything, she found herself listening to the dial tone. She wasn’t surprised by the result of the conversation. She typed the area code 01806 into Google and found Paul and Belinda Asher were now living in Shetland. They really had wanted a complete change when they left Norwich. She couldn’t blame them.

FIFTY-FOUR

Craig Hodge was sitting in an interview room in South Yorkshire Police HQ. He never thought he would be back in a room like this answering questions after spending so long in Starling House. He thought his questioning days were over.

Sitting opposite him were DS Sian Mills and DC Scott Andrews. Sian had informed Craig of his rights and told him the interview was being recorded and videoed. He’d looked up to the camera in the corner of the room and smiled at whoever was watching him. Sitting to