place on first view seemed modern, it was actually an awful sixties-built block.
Williams towering above Anna was very much the gentleman, gently steering her by the elbow through a warren of corridors until they approached double doors leading into the incident room. Williams had to press in a code to gain entry. The lights were off and he switched them on from a panel by the side of the door, and holding it open, he gestured for Anna and Paul to walk in ahead of him. Even at his size Williams was very coordinated, moving quickly to light up the incident board before heading into a small kitchen annex to brew up some coffee.
Anna and Paul looked over the astonishing array of information in front of them. Many of the photographs they had seen in the pub were also pinned up here, along with witness statements and reports which cluttered almost every inch of the board. Then they noticed that a separate board had been brought in and placed beside the Cornwall investigation. There were the email contacts sent by Anna’s team with photographs of Alan Rawlins, plus the photograph of the property they believed he owned.
‘Is Williams Drug Squad?’
Anna shook her head. He was obviously leading the enquiries into the dead teenagers.
‘I like him,’ she decided.
Paul agreed, liking Williams even more when he carried in a tray of mugs with steaming coffee, milk and sugar, indicating that they should help themselves to whatever they wanted.
‘I see you’ve started to compile a board for my enquiry,’ Anna remarked.
‘Yep. Reason being, I am interested in the possibility that your man might have been caught up in the drug situation. We’ve sort of collaborated with the Drug Squad and we’re working together. You’ll meet everyone tomorrow.’
‘I appreciate it,’ Anna said, sipping the strong coffee.
Williams perched himself on a desk facing the boards.
‘What’s your gut feeling on this bloke Alan Rawlins?’ he said.
It was strange to hear Williams ask the same question that Langton always asked, and Anna didn’t say anything at first, continuing to sip her coffee. Then she sat beside him and gave a brief rundown of her enquiry to date, while Paul eased himself into another chair. She detailed the amount of money they’d established Alan Rawlins had accumulated and added that they’d found that he did know Sammy Marsh, so there was a possibility they were connected through the drug trade.
‘He’s also gay, right?’ Williams asked.
‘Apparently so, or bisexual. He was living with a woman called Tina Brooks and they were engaged to be married.’
Williams took a gulp of his coffee, staring towards what little information they had acquired from Anna’s investigation on their board.
‘Is she involved?’
‘To be honest, I keep on looking at her as a prime suspect and then I back off.’
‘The evidence found in the flat she shared with Rawlins puts her, in my mind, dead centre of the frame,’ Williams said. ‘She had to have known about the blood pooling, how could she not? Unless she has lied about going back to see the boyfriend. She said he had a migraine – right?’
‘Yes. She’s also been interviewed twice and we always get the same response. She denies knowing anything about it, denies knowing Rawlins was homosexual, denies being aware of the amount of money we know he was hoarding and denies playing any part in his disappearance. Without a DNA sample for comparison we have been unable to confirm that the blood in her flat was in fact Rawlins’s.’
‘She ever come to Cornwall with him?’
‘No. She says she couldn’t swim so he always came alone.’
Williams drained his coffee and replaced the mug onto the tray.
‘Well, we’ve got our work cut out for tomorrow, so let’s call it quits for tonight and start afresh in the morning.’
Anna agreed, and Williams drove them back to the B&B. She liked the way he got out and walked with her and Paul to the front door.
He waited whilst Paul used his key to let them in before leaning closer to Anna and quietly asking her if she believed Alan Rawlins was still alive.
She hesitated and then nodded. But Williams didn’t wait to discuss it further and returned to the car. He drove off as Anna waved goodbye and closed the front door.
‘What did he say?’ Paul asked as they moved quietly up the stairs.
‘Nothing. Goodnight and see you at breakfast.’
Anna waited until she heard Paul finish in the communal bathroom before she went and ran a bath for herself. Lying in the deep hot water she closed her eyes, thinking about the evening and about Williams. She felt confident that they would uncover something that moved her case forward. She also began to think again about Tina Brooks. Could she have lied about returning to the flat the same night? The entire timeframe of the murder was based on her statements, as they could not determine when the blood pooling had been deposited. It meant they had no real time of death. The same applied to the reports of Alan becoming a missing person. This was not until two weeks after Rawlins had left work early with the migraine.
Anna sighed, trying to assimilate all the facts. If they didn’t get a result from this trip to Cornwall, she knew Langton might well replace her or call off the investigation.
Chapter Sixteen
Anna woke early and repacked her things, but she doubted they would leave that night. She was finishing breakfast when Paul joined her at the small table laid for two. The other equally small tables were set with only a white cloth and a small plastic rose in a bottle.
‘You sleep well?’ she asked.
‘Out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.’ Paul poured himself coffee and Anna suggested he pack up just in case they did get the last train back to London, although they’d more than likely have to stay another night. They couldn’t be sure until they’d seen what they could come up with during the day. His breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and fried bread was presented with a flourish by the landlady, who also brought in a fresh pot of coffee. Anna asked if she could have a word about the possibility of staying on and whether they could leave their bags in their rooms.
‘The rooms were booked for two nights.’
‘Fine – well then, expect us when you see us.’
Leaving them to finish breakfast and obviously not happy with the uncertainty of not knowing if they were staying or not, she departed to her domain.
‘Bit prickly, isn’t she?’ Paul remarked, eating like a starved man.
‘It’s her business, so who can blame her? I’ll see you upstairs as I want to look over the maps Williams left.’
‘Okay. When do we do the helicopter ride?’
‘Williams said early this morning. No doubt he’ll have the day organised, but we’ve a lot to get through. First port of call will be visiting the property Rawlins owns.’
Williams was parked outside the B&B waiting for them. It felt even colder today than the night before. He said he was a trifle concerned about the weather and that it might not be suitable for flying, but he hoped the wind would die down later in the morning. By the time they reached Alan’s house, it was raining hard. The large gates to the property were open so they were able to drive up to the parking area. It was only nine-thirty and it didn’t look as if anyone was at home.
‘Maybe they’re still in bed,’ Anna said as she got out of the patrol car. The wind whipped around her and she hugged her jacket close as she walked up the path accompanied by Paul and Williams. It was just as the
