‘Good morning, it’s nice to see so many familiar faces. Some of you may know I already have a personal interest in the Reynolds case.’
Members of the team looked at each other, wondering exactly what Mike Lewis meant.
‘I signed off DI Simms’ report as suicide. My decision at the time was based on what was put before me, and whether I was right, or wrong, will be borne out by this new investigation. If mistakes were made then we need to rectify them, so all I ask is that you carry out your duties with professionalism and integrity.’
Anna, as ever, was impressed with Mike Lewis’s frankness and honesty. He had never been one to blame others for his mistakes. It was clear that Langton had fully briefed him on the current state of the investigation and had probably assigned him the case because of his ‘personal interest’.
Anna asked Barbara to go over the timeline, calls and texts she had drawn up for Josh and Donna Reynolds, whereupon Barbara explained that she had compiled the timelines from statements and phone billing enquiries made during the initial investigation. She had where possible shown not only calls received but also those made. For ease of reference, and where appropriate, she said, she would refer to the two timelines together, starting from the morning of the 5 November 2012.
Barbara read aloud: ‘November fifth, Donna left the flat in Bayswater at 7 a.m., where Josh was asleep in bed. Donna spent the morning at her mother’s where along with her sister Aisa, they were preparing for the Lynne charity ball at the Savoy. At noon, Donna drove to the Savoy and checked in with Aisa just before 1 p.m. to set up for the ball. Barbara continued, stating that Josh Reynolds usually left his flat between 11 and 11.30 a.m. on working days, which were Monday to Saturday. Two calls to the Trojan’s drinks suppliers were made from Josh’s mobile at 11.40 a.m. and 11.57 a.m. The suppliers confirmed these calls. A call was made from his office phone to food suppliers at 12.10 p.m, so this would fit with his usual arrival time of midday, as given by Marcus Williams.’
Barbara went on: ‘1.10 p.m., Donna, as confirmed in her statement, rang Josh on his mobile to tell him that she would be staying the night at the Savoy and probably wouldn’t be home before he left for work on the sixth. This was the only call made from Donna’s mobile on the fifth and the next was on the sixth when she dialled 999. Between 3.30 and 4 p.m., Josh left the club and spoke briefly with Williams, stating he had to go out on business. Williams said Josh ‘seemed upset’. At 4.15 p.m., Josh phoned the Savoy Hotel on his mobile. It was not known whom he spoke to on the reception desk but it had been assumed that he rang for Donna. The call lasted thirty seconds. Josh also made another call to the Savoy at 4.30 p.m., lasting just short of a minute.’
Mike Lewis asked if there were any other calls, texts or messages to Donna from Josh’s mobile. Barbara replied that there weren’t but that Josh also phoned the Savoy at 6.45 p.m., and the call lasted nearly two minutes, though again it was not known whom he spoke to. Jessie asked why the reception desk staff were never asked who the calls were put through to and Barbara said that they were but that incoming calls were not monitored so there was no way of knowing to which room or to whom the calls had been transferred. Anna recalled Donna saying in her original statement that she had her phone on silent when she was at the Savoy preparing in the afternoon and had left it in her room during the ball. Mike remarked that he thought it strange that Josh did not at least try and call Donna on her mobile or leave a voice message or send a text.
Barbara continued that at 7.10 p.m. Josh phoned Marcus Williams and told him he was not coming back to work as he had a stomach upset and felt sick. From this point on there were no other calls made from Josh’s mobile.
Mike asked Anna what the pathologist’s report said about time of death.
‘Anywhere between four p.m. on the fifth to four a.m. on the sixth, but Reynolds was clearly alive at 7.10 p.m. as he phoned Williams,’ Anna said.
‘So an obvious question and one we need to find the answer to is where Reynolds was from when he was last physically seen alive by Williams to the time he was murdered in his flat,’ Mike observed.
Barbara raised her hand and Mike nodded to her.
‘I considered that when I was doing the timelines. I contacted Josh’s mobile phone company this morning and asked for a cell site analysis on all his calls. It will take a day or two but should help to narrow down his movements through the call locations.’
‘Good work, Barbara,’ Mike said, and Joan now raised her hand.
‘I hope I’m not being rude, and I may be wrong, but there is something that appears to have been overlooked,’ she began nervously, as everyone turned to her as if to say, ‘This had better be good.’
‘Speak up, Joan, your input is always valued,’ Langton said reassuringly.
‘Cell site helps with movement and location but can also assist as to whether someone was on foot or in a car. I just wondered if we know whether or not Josh Reynolds owned a car?’
Everyone looked at each other, realizing that it was something they had all overlooked.
‘That, Joan, is an excellent observation. Anyone have an answer?’ Mike asked, looking round the room.
‘There were no car keys recovered from his flat or personal possessions at the mortuary, however there was an Oyster travel card in his wallet,’ Anna said.
‘I’ll check with London Transport for an Oyster usage history,’ Joan offered.
‘We can also ask Marcus Williams, and there’s Curtis Bowman, the odd-job man at the Trojan. He said something about washing cars at the back of the club,’ Anna said.
Mike moved on to ask about any CCTV and Barolli said that there was none found as of yet. Nothing at the Bayswater flat itself or the street outside, and nothing from the surrounding streets either.
Barolli sucked at the end of his Biro. ‘We’re now so many months on since last November that most of the hard drive storage systems have been reused, so we’re not having much luck. We know the Savoy Hotel CCTV was seized and a copy taken by Tech Support but as yet it hasn’t been examined as Donna had a confirmed alibi from her mother and sister for her movements that night.’
‘But we don’t know if Josh went there on the fifth, do we?’ Langton said flatly and swallowed a yawn.
‘I will get on to it and make sure a twenty-four-hour period is fully viewed. I know a team joker who will be just the man for the job,’ Barolli said and Detective Dan Ross slid down his chair in mocking submission.
There was a slight pause before Mike moved on to the intelligence files on Josh and Donna. Barolli told him that there wasn’t anything that stood out as such and that what little information they had obtained came from either Donna or Marcus Williams.
‘Any family on Josh’s side we can speak to?’ Mike asked.
‘His father John died in 2011 and his mother Esme in August 2012, and according to Donna’s original statement there is no other family in the UK but possibly some in Jamaica,’ Barolli replied.
‘So when his father died I assume that what he had was left to the wife Esme, and in turn when she died it all went to Josh then passed to Donna when he died. Any info on what Esme’s estate was worth?’
‘I don’t think that’s ever been looked into,’ Barolli said, somewhat embarrassed that he hadn’t considered it before.
‘I know you have all been very busy but let’s make it a priority,’ Mike suggested tactfully.
‘Might have to tread carefully there – Lady Lynne’s solicitors dealt with Josh’s last will and testament,’ Dewar informed Mike. He glanced towards her, as she had so far remained silent.