‘She’s only a few weeks away from her due date, and has already been hospitalized once for stress. I wasn’t about to risk that happening again by telling her there could be some sort of stalker in the area.’
She’s terrified enough already without that. But this I don’t say.
‘Emma – Ms Smith – didn’t want Alex worrying either. That’s why she came to the station rather than calling me at home. She said as much – in fact, she used that exact phrase.’
Harrison gives me a look; a look that says, We only have your word for that. I should know – I give it to suspects myself often enough.
Gallagher shifts a little in her seat. Embarrassed? Uncomfortable? Who knows. I’d like to think she, at least, would understand about Alex – she has kids herself. But I’m basing that on my experience of her before, when we were on the same side. Right now, it feels like that bet is off.
Harrison is still watching me.
‘Where did you go?’
His tone is calm now, almost sympathetic. But I am not deceived.
‘Where did I go when?’
‘In Smith’s flat. Where did you go? The kitchen, the living room, the bedroom?’
I stare him out. ‘The living room, sir. That’s all.’
‘And you were there, what, an hour? More?’ Gallagher now.
‘Less. At most, thirty minutes.’
‘But you had a drink, didn’t you, in that time.’
It’s not a question. Of course – the glasses.
‘I had half a glass of wine. I was driving. I didn’t even want that, frankly, but I didn’t want to upset her. She was in a bit of a state.’
Gallagher and Harrison exchange a glance.
‘Well, I think that’s all for now,’ says Harrison. ‘Major Crimes will handle the case from now on. Better late than never.’
That was aimed at me: if he’d known I knew Emma he’d never have given it to me in the first place.
He shifts again and his pompous leather chair squeals under his weight.
‘For internal purposes, the line will be that the reallocation of the case is a purely procedural matter, not a reflection on DI Fawley’s conduct in the last twelve hours.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
He frowns. ‘You don’t get off that easily. Not by a long way. But right now, we have a murder case to solve, and public trust to maintain.’
He sits back and turns, as pointedly as he can, to Gallagher. ‘Over to you, Ruth.’
* * *
Interview with Hugh Cleland, conducted at St
Aldate’s Police Station, Oxford
10 July 2018, 6.15 p.m.
In attendance, DC G. Quinn, DC A. Asante, P. Brunswick (solicitor)
GQ: I would remind you, Mr Cleland, that you are under arrest. Do you need me to remind you of the wording of the caution?
HC: I do watch TV. And I’m not a complete fucking imbecile.
GQ: I’ll take that as a ‘No’. So, last night. Talk us through that again.
HC: [gesturing at Asante]
I already told him. I have nothing to add.
GQ: For the benefit of the recording. If it’s not too much trouble.
HC: I went for a run, at Shotover.
GQ: You drove six miles, when you could have just nipped down the road to the Parks?
HC: There’s no law against driving to take exercise. Not that I’m aware of.
GQ: What did you drive? The Range Rover?
HC: [pause]
No.
GQ: Oh? Why was that?
HC: Last time I took it up there some little tyke keyed it.
GQ: Oh dear, how very annoying.
PB: There’s no call for sarcasm, Constable.
GQ: So if not the Range Rover, then what?
HC: My wife’s car.
AA: And that is?
HC: A Honda Civic.
AA: Colour?
HC: Black.
AA: Registration?
HC: [pause]
I don’t know. Not offhand. I rarely drive it.
PB: I’m sure we can supply details of the car, if required.
GQ: But you drove it last night?
HC: Like I said –
GQ: Yes, I know what you said.
AA: One of Emma Smith’s neighbours saw a dark-coloured saloon parked outside her door at about nine o’clock last night. She doesn’t recall seeing the car before.
HC: Well, it certainly wasn’t mine.
GQ: You didn’t go and see Ms Smith? Perhaps you thought you could get her to change her mind? Let you have a kid after all?
HC: a) I wouldn’t have demeaned myself by going cap-in-hand to some council nobody who was only going to say no anyway, and b) even if I had wanted to, I didn’t know her bloody address. Capeesh?
AA: You could easily have followed her home from work. You were seen on the Iffley Road –
HC: Buying wine –
GQ: I thought you said you didn’t buy any?
HC: You know what I mean –
GQ: So what time did you leave the house for this run of yours?
HC: About 8.30. There or thereabouts.
AA: And what were you wearing?
HC: What do you think I was wearing? T-shirt, shorts, trainers.
AA: The ones we retrieved from the house? The white T-shirt and black shorts, and the Nike trainers?
HC: I already told you that.
GQ: How long did you run for?
HC: I don’t know, 20 minutes?
GQ: That’s a long round trip for such a short run – half an hour there, half an hour back –
HC: Are you checking my petrol consumption now?
GQ: So by my calculations you’d have got home about ten.
HC: Something like that.
GQ: Your wife will confirm that, will she?
HC: She’d bloody well better.
AA: Did you see anyone while you were running, speak to anyone?
HC: I was running. It’s not a bloody social club.
Interview interrupted by DS David King and DC Simon Farrow.
DK: Stop the recording, this interview is now suspended.
GQ: What’s going on?
DK: Mr Cleland will be returned to the custody suite, pending further investigations, and forensic test results.
HC: What, overnight? In the fucking cells? You can’t do that –
DK: Oh, I think you’ll find we can.
GQ: Is someone going to tell me what the fuck’s going on?
DK: [smiling]
Afraid that’s above your pay grade, DC Quinn.
* * *
Sent:Tues 10/07/2018, 19.05Importance: High From:DIAdamFawley@ThamesValley.police.uk To:CID@ThamesValley.police.uk, AlanChallowCSI@ThamesValley.police.uk, Colin.Boddie@ouh.nhs.uk cc:DIRuthGallagher@ThamesValley.police.uk
Subject: Case no 75983/02 Smith, E
This is to inform you that DI Gallagher’s team will be taking on this case with immediate effect.
It has been brought to my attention that Ms Smith was a friend of my wife, so it is not appropriate for me to continue to direct the investigation.
For the record, I knew Ms Smith only as ‘Emma’. I met her very infrequently, usually at my own house but also once at her flat. DI Gallagher is fully aware of the circumstances.
I know you will give DI Gallagher’s team your full cooperation.
AJF
Adam Fawley
Detective Inspector, CID, Thames Valley Police
St Aldate’s Police Station, Oxford OX1 1SZ
* * *
Adam Fawley
10 July 2018