‘When I was attending the scene at Lake Ullswater this morning, I spoke to a paramedic. He told me he’d attended a similar deposition site, even gave me a name for the victim.’
‘And?’ O’Dowd planted her hands on the desk and leaned towards Beth. ‘What have you found?’
Beth explained to Thompson and O’Dowd about Harriet Quantrell, Christine Peterson and Joanne Armstrong.
‘Shit.’ O’Dowd looked back and forth between Beth and Thompson. ‘I hope one of you two has a bright idea.’
‘Actually, ma’am, there’s more—’
‘More victims? Please tell me there aren’t any more victims. Four is more than enough.’
Beth didn’t bother to hide her irritation at O’Dowd’s interruption. ‘Not victims, connections to the mayor. Harriet Quantrell had done a short internship for him three years ago when he was deputy mayor, and when I checked out the other two victims, I saw a newspaper report that placed the mayor in Barrow at the time Christine Peterson was killed.’
‘What about the other woman? Was he anywhere near her when she disappeared?’
Beth shook her head. ‘I couldn’t find anything online, but it’s only an hour away from where he lives in Carlisle to the place her car was abandoned, so I don’t think we need to worry about whether or not he was in the area.’
‘We’re going to have to arrest him.’ O’Dowd huffed out a long breath and looked at Thompson. ‘I’ll let the DCI know what we’re doing; you get a few uniforms organised and we’ll get on the road to Carlisle in ten minutes.’
Thompson gave his chin another vigorous scrubbing. ‘You sure that’s wise?’
‘What? Arresting the mayor? No I don’t think it’s wise, but I do think it’s necessary.’
‘No. I meant freezing Young Beth out of the pickup. She’s done all the legwork here and it’s only fair that she’s there to make the collar.’
O’Dowd gave Beth a stern look. ‘You up for this? Two women arresting a possible serial rapist and murderer.’
‘Definitely, ma’am.’
As she waited for O’Dowd to return from the DCI’s office, Beth tried to work out if Thompson was acting out of generosity or self-preservation. If they were wrong about the mayor’s involvement in the killings, there could be the kind of fallout that stalled careers.
Four
When Beth started out her police career, she never imagined that she’d have to arrest a mayor. Yet there she was, standing on the step of a Georgian house on Stanwix Bank in Carlisle. She was glad O’Dowd was with her, although the DI looked to be as reluctant as she was. While duty had to be done, this case was as toxic as they came. They’d had a lecture from both the chief super and their DCI before leaving their office at Carleton Hall.
O’Dowd had tried without success to wriggle out of the case. The mayor was a handsome, charismatic man who claimed his word was his bond, and he’d fought to deliver on every one of his election promises. Where some mayors donned the robes for ceremonial duties only, Derek Forster strove to improve the lives of others. A self-made man, he’d built up a tech business which he’d sold so he could concentrate on his mayoral duties.
If the evidence against Mayor Forster was substantiated, proving his guilt would shock the county’s residents, and if they were false, the team investigating him would become hated for maligning the reputation of a popular and benevolent man.
Beth knew she should feel reassured that O’Dowd was with her, but the DI’s blunt manner didn’t fill her with confidence. If words were weapons, O’Dowd would always choose a broadsword over a scalpel.
When O’Dowd’s finger pressed on the doorbell, Beth felt her mouth dry up even more than it already was. Her tongue felt like a burst pillow and she could feel beads of sweat trickling down her back that had nothing to do with the morning sun.
As befitted his status and personal wealth, Mayor Forster’s house was imposing without being flash. From where she was standing, Beth could see both Rickerby and Bitts Parks and the River Eden. As views went, it was among the best in the city.
The door creaked open to reveal a handsome man in his fifties. Beth hadn’t expected the mayor to answer his own door, but she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised that he had showed the ordinary touch, which he capitalised on at all times.
‘Good morning, ladies, how may I help you?’
The mayor’s voice was layered with Carlisle’s relaxed drawl, but his mannerly greeting and gentle smile added a level of class that was absent from the local accent.
O’Dowd lifted her warrant card so the mayor could see it. ‘DI O’Dowd and DC Young. We’re here because we need to talk to you about a number of cases we’re investigating.’
Forster’s smile slipped from his face, and the way he took a half step back made Beth think he was going to slam the door in their faces and dash through the house so he could escape via a rear exit.
She was wrong. Instead of slamming the door he pulled it wide open and stood to one side.
‘Then I think it’s only right that I invite you in.’
Beth followed O’Dowd as the mayor led them to his kitchen. The house had been decorated with taste, and while original features such as picture rails and decorative cornices remained, the house had an element of contemporary styling to it.
When they entered the kitchen there was the same mix of traditional and modern. A red Aga was surrounded by granite worktops laden with a variety of cooking gadgets.
Either Forster was a keen cook, or he was a gadget freak. When researching him before leaving Carleton Hall, Beth had learned that the mayor was unmarried and he wasn’t currently in a public relationship.
‘Can I offer either of you a coffee?’
Maybe it was the man’s manners, or his relaxed attitude to the fact he had two detectives turn up at his door to question him that jangled
