Barolli sidled up to her desk and nodded towards Mike’s closed door.
‘You think Mike is up for this?’
‘Up for what?’
‘Getting the fox, as the guv said, out of his lair.’
‘You got that wrong, Paul, he’s got to think we don’t know what we are doing, not him, it’s going to be up to Mike to draw him out.’
‘Langton should be the one to do it.’
‘No he shouldn’t. This is Mike’s investigation, he has to take the lead, but Langton will be in the viewing room.’
‘You in for the interview with him?’
‘Samuels said it might be a bad idea, so you might have to do it.’
‘Who, me? You know more about all the cases than I do.’
‘What’s wrong, Paul – not up for it?’
As Paul hurried off, Anna laughed. Langton had already said she would be in the interview with Oates. The truth was, she was unsure about Mike’s ability to conduct the type of interview Samuels had recommended, but it was not her place to say so, and she knew that if she was sitting beside him rather than Langton he would have the opportunity to prove himself.
Langton left without saying goodnight, and Anna and Mike found themselves still working at nine o’clock, preparing for the following morning.
‘Christ, there’s so much here to get through, it’s going to take all night,’ Anna said.
Mike, visibly drawn and tired, hesitated and then ruffled his hair.
‘You think Langton should steer the interview?’ he asked Anna.
‘No, this is your investigation and you’ve led the team from day one. He’ll probably be looking over your shoulder from the viewing room and he’ll proffer advice along the way, but believe me, Mike, you are ready for this.’
He smiled and had no idea she was lying.
‘Thanks for that. Can we just go through some more strategy before you leave? I’ve got a shedload of notes from Langton and I’d like to run them by you.’
‘Sure, and we need to work out a signal between us when one or other of us takes over questioning Oates.’
‘What did you and Langton have?’
She smiled and said Langton would close his notebook to indicate that she was to open hers. Other times he would tap her on the knee beneath the table. It wasn’t a question of good cop, bad cop, it was simply exhausting work trying to draw out truthful answers from the depths of a twisted mind. Since everything was filmed and recorded, they had to go by the book.
‘Another one of Langton’s tricks is to use a fountain pen,’ Anna remembered. ‘He’ll take it out of his pocket when the interview starts, remove the cap and use it to write something. He then replaces the cap to look as if he’s finished. It unnerves the suspect as they think the questioning is over and they feel relieved, only for it to start again as he takes the cap off. I’ve seen him put that pen in and out of his pocket numerous times – again it unnerves the suspect – but the signal to take over is when he lays the pen down flat by his notebook, and if he taps the table twice with the pen he wants to take over the questions.’
Mike leaned back in his chair. She could tell he was very unsure of himself, and again she encouraged him, reiterating that no matter how nervous he was, she would be right beside him and together they would make a strong team. He opened a desk drawer and took out a fountain pen, held it up and smiled.
‘I’ll put some practice in, top off, top on.’
Anna suggested that they re-read the report from Samuels and pay very close attention to his interview advice. Mike agreed and together they went through the file he had left with them.
‘I reckon you should start off by asking Oates about the Justine Marks case first,’ Anna said.
Mike was puzzled as he had already done this and he didn’t think it would take them any further.
‘Remember Samuels said Oates knew the game was over as soon as Justine Marks’ body was found in the back of the van but you went in blind and were too aggressive,’ she prompted.
‘Thanks for reminding me. My confidence needed boosting.’
‘My point is that this time you’re not blind. Her case is the one with the strongest evidence out of all of them. It’s the freshest in your mind, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well it’s the same for him, but the difference is he’s revelling in it, still getting his rocks off dreaming about it every night. To Oates Justine is still a fresh kill.’
‘So you’re saying if I can draw him out about Justine’s murder using his behavioural patterns he may let it all out…’
‘Then the rest will follow and he will be dying to tell you about all the other murders.’
‘That’s brilliant, Anna, thanks for that.’
‘Just in case it doesn’t work, don’t disclose the doll pieces, trinkets box or crucifix to Kumar. Oates doesn’t know about them either and still thinks we haven’t found anything. To him they’re murder trophies, so it’ll be like dropping a bombshell when we reveal what we know.’
It was after eleven by the time Anna collected her briefcase and coat ready to leave, and even then some of the team were still working. Tomorrow was a big day, and she could see the trolley of files stacked up for Mike to select and check through. The mug shots of Henry Oates had been enlarged and pinned up. Having never met him, Anna stared at his face: the blue eyes set wide apart, the flattened boxer nose, the thick-lipped mouth. The face could not be described as foxy, there was no cunning in the vacant eyes, but she knew that inside Henry Oates was a vicious animal and that if they drew him out too fast, he would bite them and retreat back into his lair. To lure and keep him out of his lair they would have to stroke, cajole and encourage him and it would take time and patience.
Tomorrow she would meet him face to face. Her emotions were very mixed, but shockingly she was actually looking forward to drawing out the fox.
Chapter Fourteen
Adan Kumar arrived at Hackney Police Station promptly at eight-thirty. He was as usual overconfident and ingratiating, smiling and shaking hands with both Mike Lewis and Anna as they at first discussed the murder of Justine Marks. As he was already well aware that his client was charged with her murder, he listened without interruption. He had not, as they feared he would, requested a psychiatric assessment of his client. Kumar did however express concerns about his client’s physical and mental state, but Mike informed him that on his arrival earlier this morning Oates had been seen by a doctor who had declared him fit to be interviewed.
It was a shaken Adan Kumar who was led through the disclosure of his client’s connection to the disappearance of Rebekka Jordan and the murder of Fidelis Julia Flynn. He made copious notes and often asked for Mike to repeat himself, which he obligingly did. Kumar appeared hardly able to digest the bulk of evidence mounting against his client. He did attempt to argue that he should have been given prior access to the documents, but Mike pointed out that the enquiries were still ongoing and it was hoped that his client would be able to assist them.
Kumar, now visibly nervous, was given access to Oates to discuss the disclosure evidence and, to the surprise of the team, he returned after spending only half an hour with his client, to inform them he was now ready to be interviewed.
Langton was already set up in the viewing room with Barolli. The interview would be filmed and recorded to DVD. Whilst they waited for Oates to be brought up from the cells, Mike and Anna checked through the trolley filled with files and made sure that the photographs and statements for the Justine Marks case were laid out. Mike glanced at Anna. She had her notebook out and a row of sharpened pencils beside it.
‘You all set?’
‘Yes.’
They had only a few more minutes to wait before they heard footsteps outside in the corridor. Kumar entered and sat opposite Mike Lewis. He took out his notes and took one of the bottles of water provided on the trolley. The solicitor said nothing, but he gave a couple of anxious coughs and looked at his watch. Heavier footsteps sounded from the corridor as two uniformed officers approached with Henry Oates between them. One opened the door, the other stepped back to allow the suspect to walk into the room. He was wearing prison-issue denim jeans and shirt and black slip-on trainers. He was smaller than Anna had anticipated, no more than five feet nine, but he was well built, with broad sloping shoulders and a slim waist, and the jeans without a belt looked loose.