The two had been together for almost three years and had been renting a small third-floor flat for the past eleven months, the young man explained as the two police officers sat on the small sofa opposite him.
Darren Blackheath was a twenty-four-year-old tyre fitter with no previous convictions. A Middlesbury resident all of his life, hed lived with his parents until moving in with Sally Evans. Similarly, Sally was also in her first serious relationship, although she had shared flats with housemates and lived in student accommodation when studying for a degree in tourism management.
The couple had met in a bar one night, exchanged phone numbers and started dating officially, as he put it, a month later. A bit of delicate probing revealed that the relationship had been going well, according to Blackheath. So well in fact that he had been planning on proposing to her on Christmas morning. With reddened eyes, he had shown the two police officers the diamond ring with which he had hoped to seal the deal.
The night that Sally had disappeared had been unremarkable. Hed left work at his usual time, sending her a text message to let her know that he was on his way. Crossing town had taken no longer than normal and hed pulled up outside the rear entrance to her workplace at a few minutes past six. As usual the street was deserted, but unusually his girlfriend was not waiting for him.
She usually comes out on the dot of six and has a fag whilst shes waiting for me to pick her up. I dont mind her smoking in the flat, but I draw the line at me car. His eyes grew moist again. She promised she were going to quit in the new year. Its one of the reasons I decided to propose. She always said shed quit before she got married, cos she wanted a white wedding and she said there were nothing worse than a bride with a fag in er mouth. Nearly as bad as tattoos. He looked embarrassed for a moment. No offence if you have tattoos. But I figured it would give her an extra incentive, you know?
So what happened then, Darren?
Well, I checked me mobile, but there was no message. Normally shes out the door on the dot, so she doesnt bother replying. But if shes going to be late she always texts me so I dont worry.
I waited for about five minutes before I rang her mobile but it rang out and went to voicemail. So I locked the car and tried the back door to her place, but its a fire door and it was locked from the inside. So I walked around the front and saw that the shop was closed. The front door was locked and no one was in.
Was that unusual? It was only just after six.
No, not really. The shop actually closes at five-thirty. They spend the last half an hour cashing up and finishing the paperwork. They all leave together at six oclock. Most of them leave by the front door. Sal is the only one to leave by the back. The manager checks the door locks behind Sal then bolts the front door and I guess sets the alarm.
Warren jotted this down. So far the story matched that given by Blackheath four days before when he reported her missing. Now, however, it was important to make certain that no details were missing or different no matter how small they might seem.
Do you know who was working that night?
Blackheath recited a list of office staff that matched the list already supplied to the missing persons team. The office was small and on a typical weekday four of the six permanent members of staff would be in. Warren made a note to have them all questioned again to make sure their stories corroborated Blackheaths.
What did you do next?
I went back to the car, to see if shed reappeared, and tried her mobile again. Then I phoned her boss Kelli. She said that Sal had left at the usual time and that shed locked the door behind her.
I was getting worried, so I phoned her mum and her best friend, Cheryl. Neither had seen her. Cheryl had sent a text message just after six saying that she was coming around for a girlie night, but Sal didnt reply. His voice broke slightly.
What did you do then?
I drove home and started phoning all of her friends. Cheryl and Sals mum came around about half-seven. By midnight we couldnt think of anyone else to call and figured that if she had gone to the pub with some other mate, shed be back by now. Thats when we called the police and reported her missing.
By now, Warrens gut was telling him that Blackheath was not their man. However, if his timing was to be believed, there was a ninety-minute window between Sally Evans leaving work and her mother and best friend arriving at the flat; potentially long enough for him to have taken Sally Evans to Beaconsfield Woods, raped her, dumped her body, then returned home. Warren made a note to check with neighbours what time Blackheaths car had arrived back at the flat.
In order to eliminate him fully, Warren arranged for Blackheath to be escorted to the police station for fingerprinting, DNA typing and a formal statement. He also arranged for Forensics to go over his car and the flat.
With Blackheath dispatched to the station and a forensic unit on its way to look for evidence, Jones and Hardwick drove the short distance to the home of Cheryl Davenport, Sally Evans best friend.
The young woman that answered the door was a short, slightly plump girl with bottle-blonde, permed hair. Her make-up, though expertly applied, couldnt conceal the dark rings under her eyes and their swollen redness. The tears came back within moments of the two police officers entering her small kitchen. She offered her visitors a coffee, which they both accepted, less to quench their thirst than to give the grieving woman a few moments to compose herself.
As she fiddled with the kettle Warren took stock of the tiny room. It was pretty much what he expected of a twenty-something, single woman. Tidy and compact, the sink was already full of mugs but no other cutlery; the overloaded ashtray spoke of a person whose world had been turned upside down and who had spent the past three days living on caffeine, nicotine and worry. The kitchen units were clearly the cheap MDF beloved of low-rent landlords. A washing machine took up the only space under the counter, forcing the tall, fridge-freezer to stand awkwardly in the corner, half hidden by the open door. Stuck to its white front were the usual Post-it notes and postcards. In pride of place were a half-dozen photographs of Cheryl and her best friend Sally, mostly arm in arm, taken on beaches or foreign-looking nightclubs.
Noticing his gaze, Cheryl started to cry again. Weve been going on holiday ever since we left school. The last couple of years weve been to Greece, Turkey, Egypt, you name it Sally kept an eye out for cheap deals when she was at work and she usually managed to wangle us some sort of discount or upgrade. She sniffed loudly. Even when she started seeing Darren, we still went off on our girlie trips. That doesnt always happen you know. Some girls get hooked up and thats it, they only go away with their blokes. But Darren was all right about it he was pretty cool. He said she could have her week in the sun with me, as long as he could go on his footie tour.
It was another point in Blackheaths favour, Warren decided. Men who killed their partners often turned out to be domineering and controlling types; hardly the sort of man whod let his girlfriend disappear for a week of fun in the sun without him. Nevertheless, they needed to pursue every lead to its conclusion. He glanced at Karen Hardwick, who picked up on his subtle cue.
Were sorry to put you through this, Cheryl it must be an awful time for you but we need to ask some questions. Will you help us?
Were sorry to put you through this, Cheryl it must be an awful time for you but we need to ask some questions. Will you help us?
Cheryl nodded; underneath the tears, Warren could see a strong resolve to help in any way that she could to find her best friends killer.
The story she told was much the same as that of Blackheath. Shed texted Evans at about six p.m., inviting herself over with a DVD and a bottle of wine. She hadnt received a reply, but about six-thirty Darren had called asking if shed seen her. After hed hung up, shed put it out of her mind as she made herself something to eat and got ready to go out. Apparently Sally could be a bit forgetful when it came to charging her mobile phone and so she hadnt been worried. By seven-thirty, Sally hadnt phoned or responded to her text message and she had been just about to try her landline when Darren had called, sounding worried.
Picking up her address book, shed set off for their flat, arriving about the same time as Sallys mother, who Darren had also called. At first theyd been a bit jokey, trying to convince Darren that it was nothing, but as they finished calling all of her usual friends the worry had set in. Finally, at about midnight, theyd called the police to report her missing.
If only wed called sooner, maybe theyd have found her beforebefore Finally she dissolved in a flood of tears, her carefully constructed façade collapsing completely.
Hardwick leant over and took her hands and Warren was again glad that hed decided to bring the young detective constable along with him. The two women were roughly the same age and some jobs needed a special touch that Warren, try as he might, would never possess.
You dont know that. Its unlikely that wed have found her any sooner we wouldnt have known where to start looking. Karen didnt mention, of course, that with no evidence of foul play a young woman missing for less than six hours before the clubs even closed wouldnt merit much more than a few details in the duty log and a sympathetic, but firm, wait and see if she turns up in the morning, then call again.
After a few moments, the young woman regained her composure. Warren took over now. Tell me about Darren. I believe theyd been together a while?
Cheryl nodded. Nearly three years. Theyd been in the flat for almost a year. Hes been good to her. He has a heart of gold. For the first time since they arrived, she smiled. I teased her when they first started dating. Hes a right skinny one is Darren and he isnt the sharpest tool in the box, but he really loves her and hed do anything for you. Hes never really been one for nightclubbing or that, he prefers a quiet night in, but he always insists on picking us up if weve been out on the town. No smoking and no puking, he always says whenever he turns up in that car of his. Sally used to joke that she never worried about him having an affair, because, between looking after her and polishing his car, he hasnt got enough energy. The smile faded as the reality of the past few days came flooding back.
So you would say that they had a strong relationship?
Cheryl nodded vigorously, before her expression turned conspiratorial. He was going to ask her to marry him.
Warren blinked. It seemed a little odd that he would share his intentions with his girlfriends best friend. He said as much.
Cheryl laughed slightly. Oh, he never said a word. Sal told me. The silly sod hid the ring in his underwear drawer she found it one day when she was hunting for a missing sock. She knew exactly what he was planning but didnt have the heart to let him know the cat was out of the bag. She was going to act all surprised when he asked her. She swore me to secrecy. The brief moment of happiness passed and Cheryls face crumpled again. I dont suppose it matters now.
The feeling in Warrens gut was even stronger. Mentally he crossed Sally Evans boyfriend off his suspect list. Moving on, he asked Cheryl if Sally had mentioned anything strange over the past few days. Had any ex-boyfriends turned up on the scene or had she mentioned any disagreements with friends or co-workers?
To every question, Cheryl shook her head firmly, insisting that Sally told her everything.
She didnt have much of a history before Darren. He was her first really serious boyfriend. She dated a couple of lads at university, but never for more than a few months and I think they are all happy and married now. She blushed slightly. She wasntinexperienced before she met Darren, you know, but she didnt put it about and shes been faithful to Darren ever since she met him Im absolutely sure of that.
What about co-workers? Is there anybody who could have perhaps mistaken friendliness for a bit more and got jealous? Warren was grasping at straws now. The statistics showed that so-called stranger attacks were far rarer than the public feared. Almost all victims had had some prior contact with their murderer, no matter how slight. Attacks by a total stranger were not only rare, they were also inherently more difficult to solve, because so many of the leads that the police would normally follow were absent.
In answer to his question, Cheryl was again equally firm. Almost the entire company was composed of females, varying in age from twenty-something to late fifties. Warren wasnt quite ready to dismiss them yet; hed interview them first. He couldnt rule out that they were working a partnership with a male accomplice, but he knew it was unlikely, given that Sally Evans had probably been sexually assaulted as well as murdered.
The two male employees were added to the interview list, but again Warrens instinct told him that, based on Cheryls description, Kevin the seventeen-year-old Saturday boy and Angus the openly gay former flight attendant, who lived in a civil partnership and took care of his elderly mother, were unlikely to be responsible.
Finally, Warren could think of no more questions. As they left he heard the sound of the kettle being filled again and smelt the first wisps of tobacco smoke, as Sally Evans best friend settled down again with her grief.
Chapter 5
The final visit of the morning, before returning to the station to take stock, was to Sally Evans parents.
The small house where Sally Evans had spent most of her childhood was filled with mourners. Grandparents, aunts and uncles occupied every chair. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and every surface held an ashtray, a teacup or both. The atmosphere was one of grief but also mutual support. Warren couldnt help contrast that with the loneliness of her boyfriend why wasnt he here?
Dont judge, he chided himself. For all he knew, Blackheath could have spent the last two days here and only returned to the flat to get changed. Hed probably have found the smoky atmosphere hard going as well. Warren remembered that when the law changed to outlaw smoking in enclosed public spaces, some bright spark with more legal sense than common sense had noted that when a police officer visited a person in their house, it could be argued the house was now a place of work and so the occupants should be asked to refrain from lighting up whilst the visitor was present. Needless to say, as much as Warren and his colleagues might dislike sitting in a cloud of fumes when they did their job, it would be regarded as rather poor taste to ask a grieving family if theyd mind stubbing out their cigarettes before the police could interview them.