Miss Thornton was at the end of the corridor, and he signalled to her that his meeting was over. She hurried down to the room and fetched Amanda out, putting her arm around her as she ushered her past Jack and back down the corridor towards the day unit.
Jack waited until Miss Thornton reappeared. ‘Is Amanda receiving therapy, or is anyone else interviewing her?’ he asked.
‘Well, obviously she was interviewed at length before being brought here. I’ve not been given details regarding any therapy. She obviously has a low IQ and is subdued. She’s as helpful as she can be when working in the kitchens. We’re attempting to trace her family as this isn’t a long-stay establishment.’
‘You know she was a runaway?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, we do have that information from Liverpool. She is also illiterate and obviously she may be required to be a witness at his trial. A police officer interviewed her but, as you may have discovered, she’s not very forthcoming. We’ve been told to wait for further instructions; in the meantime, we’ll take good care of her, and hope we can trace her family.’
‘Thank you for your time. I’ll be in touch if I need to talk to Amanda again.’
Jack turned to leave but Miss Thornton put a hand on his arm.
‘She is a very troubled soul.’
It was the second time that morning he had heard that expression. The same phrase had been used about Rodney.
Chapter Two
When Jack returned to the station, he completed his report. He wanted to discuss it with Clarke before he filed it, but the DCI wasn’t in his office.
Just then Laura appeared, dropping a large envelope down on Jack’s desk.
‘They’re the press cuttings I’ve printed out for you from the case file.’
‘Thanks, Laura, I really appreciate it. You having a good day?’
‘No, I’m not. Had to go to Battersea to see if this woman’s poodle had been handed in. It’s beyond belief how many poor little things are found wandering the streets.’
Jack looked puzzled. ‘Why, if I maybe so bold as to ask, is an experienced officer such as you are, being assigned to look for a dog?’
‘It’s the woman who was found wandering the street outside the station.’
‘Had she been handed in, too?’ Jack grinned.
‘Very funny. She’s a witness to a hit and run and was coming in to be questioned. But she seemed disorientated and distressed because her dog had run off when it happened. She couldn’t find him, so I was asked to check out Battersea.’
Laura sighed and returned to her desk. Jack picked up his report and went over to Anik, who was using antibacterial wipes to clean up some coffee he’d spilt on his desk.
‘Any news about Ridley?’ Jack asked.
‘Nope, not a dickie bird; consensus is, he’s sick. DCI Clarke seems to be pressing for all the ongoing non-serious cases to be put to bed and I’m tracing this punk that knocked an old man off his bike and pinched his shopping and his wallet. The man’s in intensive care; if he doesn’t make it, then it could be a murder charge instead of robbery.’
Jack filed his report, deciding that he would interview Rodney Middleton’s father in Wandsworth prison. He returned to his desk, but before e-mailing the prison authorities, he opened the envelope from Laura.
The newspaper coverage was not extensive. The two little girls had burnt to death in the top-floor bedroom but arson couldn’t be proved. Anthony Middleton, Rodney’s father, had suffered extensive burns in an attempt to save his children. He had a long police record for petty crimes and burglaries and was presently serving a seven-year sentence for breaking into a corner shop and assaulting the owner. Jack found it strange that Rodney had now been arrested for a second similar assault at his local grocery store, only this time with a knife.
Jack e-mailed the appropriate forms to Wandsworth prison, requesting an interview with Middleton’s father. A short while later he received a return e-mail informing him that the prisoner had agreed to meet him. He could see him at nine the following morning. Jack noticed Laura approaching his desk.
‘Well, they’ve traced the poodle, and they want the owner to collect him. So that’s me having to schlep over to her place and take her to Battersea.’
‘I’m going to meet Rodney Middleton’s father tomorrow. I might tell him that there’s a chance I have to reinvestigate the fire. That means I’ve got to read the full case report before I go.’
‘What are you looking at me for? I can’t read it for you.’
‘More’s the pity. Do you know where the DCI is? I want a word with him about the case.’
‘No idea. He was here most of the morning. Have you heard anything about Ridley?’
‘Nope, I called a couple of times but just keep getting his voicemail. You know this investigation I’m on? I went to interview the girlfriend and his psychiatrist and from what I’ve gathered, I think he’s a very twisted bastard. There could be a lot more to his case than we first assumed. CID don’t usually handle this type of arrest. Basically, his girlfriend calls in to the local nick as he was abusing her, so they go round. Coincidentally, they’re looking for a suspect who had just assaulted a grocery store owner a block away. He comes out, hands over the knife and admits he’d done it so is arrested. Open and shut case.’
Laura yawned.
‘Sorry if I am boring you,’ Jack said with a frown.
‘I’m all ears... I’m totally attentive... open and shut case, right?’
‘What do you know about the DS that was handling the case before it was passed over to me?’ Jack asked.
Laura sighed. ‘Not a lot. His name was Mike Poulson, big bloke, and I don’t quite know all the details. I think he had an aneurism, serious, went up North to his family. What do you want to know about him?’
‘Anything, really. I mean, I’d only just taken over the case when Clarke arrived, and I’ve got a lot of schlepping around to do tomorrow myself to try and find out what’s going on.’
‘Just make sure whatever you’re doing is written up on CRIS. Clarke is a stickler for being made aware where everyone is and specifically what they’re doing, via the crime report system. So, what’s your concern?’
‘Apart from Middleton being aggressive and keeping an underage runaway locked in his flat, something doesn’t sit right. I want to talk to his father to see what he has to say. According to his girlfriend, who was twelve years old when he picked her up at the station... twelve! I mean, she was dismissive about any kind of sexual abuse, but admitted to being knocked around by him. She’s just turned seventeen and I need to get advice on who should be dealing with her at the hostel.’
‘Is Middleton out on bail?’
‘No, he’s on remand. He’s got this over-keen legal aid lawyer who has asked for a pre-trial psychological assessment. I reckon the lawyer’s hoping Middleton isn’t mentally fit to plead or may offer a manslaughter plea on the grounds of diminished responsibility.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t get your knickers in a twist; he’s in custody, and you know the legal sods will try anything they can.’
‘I don’t want him released, though. I don’t trust him. He bit one of the uniforms, but because he handed over the weapon they never even entered his flat. It’s unbelievable! I’m not taking a swipe at that DS Poulson, but they should have searched the flat.’
Laura shrugged and started writing an update on the CRIS system, giving details of her day and proposed work for the morning. Jack remained perched on the corner of his desk flicking through the thick case file, banging his heel against the side of the desk.