‘To them you’re a stranger; they’re not used to taking advice or instructions from outsiders. You need to ease your way in, let them get to know and appreciate your skills.’
‘I like to be thorough and see a job well done. If anything, I feel I’ve been very helpful. Anna and I are making progress and working well together. It’s actually a shame she has to go to the States but I’m looking forward to working alongside DI Barolli.’
‘Good, onwards and upwards then,’ said Langton. ‘But here, take this CD. I’d like to listen to this with you.’
Dewar played the CD through once, hurriedly jotting down shorthand notes as she went. Before Langton could say anything, Dewar restarted the recording from the beginning, pausing and replaying bits as she went along and writing further notes. Langton found it rather irritating and wondered what she was picking up on.
‘Is there something interesting in the background?’ he asked.
‘No, I’m listening to her voice inflection,’ Dewar remarked, leaving Langton even more puzzled. ‘The alteration in pitch or tone can be very revealing. When telling a lie, people tend to speak in extremes; either monotone or with great energy.’
‘She just found her husband dead so her voice will be all over the place.’
‘Listening to this tape, I think she may have known he was dead even before she walked through her front door. We need to get Travis back in here to discuss this.’
Langton went to fetch Anna, observing that Dewar had picked up on something important in Donna’s voice inflection. Anna raised her eyebrows, suspecting that Dewar was just trying to impress Langton with more psychological mumbo-jumbo. When Barolli said he’d like to join them, Anna looked at him as if he were mad.
The four of them sat in Anna’s office and Dewar replayed the whole recording then asked if the others had picked up on anything unusual in Donna’s tone of voice or answers to the operator. Anna blandly replied that Donna seemed to be in a state of emotional shock, having found Josh with a bullet through his head and lying in a pool of blood. Dewar said she would take them through the call again step by step, and explain her reasoning about its inconsistencies as she went. She played the opening where Donna was asked which emergency service she required and stated ‘the police’. The connection made, the sound of Donna’s pleading voice was heard: ‘It’s my husband Josh… he’s been shot… there’s a gun and blood everywhere… oh, God, please help him… I think he’s dead.’ Dewar paused the CD.
‘After asking for the police she said: “He’s been shot,” and “I think he’s dead.” She thought he was dead, ergo she must have considered he might still be alive, yet she never asked for an ambulance at any point!’
‘So that’s why you think she knew what to expect when she walked in the room?’ Langton asked, intrigued by what Dewar was saying.
‘Not just that, there’s quite a bit more actually. Let’s look at the voice inflection on the last bit of her phrase: “I think he’s dead.”’
‘Can you explain what you mean by voice inflection, please?’ Barolli asked.
‘Certainly. Put in simple terms it’s the alteration in pitch or tone of the voice which in turn can change the form and tense of the word or words,’ Dewar told them.
‘Which words are you talking about?’ Langton asked.
‘“He’s dead.” If I walked in and told you that your best friend had just been killed, how would you feel?’ Dewar asked, looking at Barolli.
‘Shocked,’ Barolli replied.
‘Exactly, the tone of voice in stating “He’s dead” should be one of surprise, but if you already knew that your friend was dead and someone asked you how he was, what would you say?’
‘He’s dead,’ Barolli uttered in a forlorn voice.
‘The inflection changes because it’s an occurrence that happened in the past and you already know it. The instantaneous surprise is absent.’
‘You could also express it in a happy way if you were glad someone was dead,’ Barolli pointed out, causing Langton to frown at him.
Dewar continued: ‘The inflection in Donna’s voice in “he’s dead” is wrong. It’s very subtle and unless you really focus you will miss it. “I think he’s dead” is said both at the outset and when the paramedic speaks with her.’ Dewar fast-forwarded the CD to where the paramedic’s voice could be heard along with Donna’s reply: ‘Can you tell me if he’s breathing?’… ‘I think he’s dead, please hurry.’
She paused the CD once more.
‘Again the surprise is missing.’
Anna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her personal and professional experience had taught her that people in shock reacted and spoke in many different and strange ways. She was about to voice her objection when Dewar held up the crime scene photograph of Reynolds’ body and continued.
‘I believe that Donna knew that Josh was already dead and saying she “just got home and found him” is an attempt to distance herself from the crime. Her reactions, like the scene, were staged,’ Dewar said smugly.
Anna could contain herself no longer.
‘This is all a matter of opinion based on something you’ve read about. It wouldn’t even be allowed as evidence in our courts. We all react and say things in different ways when we are under emotional stress, which Donna Reynolds clearly was.’
‘My opinion is based on my research. It is objective and unbiased and strengthens my case that Josh Reynolds was actually murdered and Donna was involved.’
‘What about the fact Donna didn’t notice the wardrobe and safe door were open and also put the washing on before finding the body? That shows she was unaware he was dead,’ Anna argued.
‘Staged, to make it look as if she wasn’t expecting to discover the body.’
‘You twist everything to suit your flight-of-fancy theories and your methods are totally unethical,’ Anna said in a slightly raised voice.
‘This is my field of expertise, I know what I’m talking about and that’s why I’m a senior agent in the BSU,’ Dewar said, puffing out her chest.
‘You’ve never been to a real crime scene. You’re a desk jockey who only looks at pictures!’
‘I resent that remark, Travis.’
‘I think you mean resemble, not resent!’
‘What?’ Dewar said.
‘Donna had no motive to murder Josh. Your psychobabble is worthless crap!’
‘Half the value of the club, sale of their marital home, mad at him-’
Anna stood up and banged her hands on the desk. ‘She’s already rich so why would she want her husband dead?’
‘Who gives a fuck; the fact is she had him murdered and I know my gut instinct is right!’ Dewar said, and banged her own fist on the table.
Langton and Barolli looked at each other in astonishment as the heated exchange between Dewar and Travis grew in intensity. Eventually, Langton stood up and shouted at them. ‘Enough! Grow up and behave like the senior investigators you’re supposed to be.’
Dewar and Travis were instantly silent, as Langton continued.
‘God knows what that lot in the main office must think. They can’t have failed to hear you two bickering like spoilt schoolgirls.’
Both women apologized to Langton, but not to each other, and sat in stony silence, avoiding eye contact.
‘Be warned, I could pull you both off this investigation right now if I wanted to. But there are clear issues concerning the case that need to be investigated and further interviews that will have to be done.’
‘Shouldn’t we arrest Donna Reynolds?’ Dewar asked.
‘I am not taking sides here but my answer for now is NO, and that will remain the case until you have some hard factual evidence against her.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Dewar and Travis replied together.
‘You two have different skills and experience to bring to this inquiry so you need to sit down, sort out your differences and get on with the job. Do you understand me?’