The red suffused Bill’s face and the veins on his neck and temple began to protrude. He slipped his hands below the table, clenching them as he fought to control his growing anger. ‘It was a one off.’
In contrast, Lucy’s voice was calm and gentle. ‘To our knowledge, sir, you’ve been warned on many an occasion both pre- and post-offence. Football matches seem to be the common ground but also violence much closer to home.’
‘I made a mistake, I listened to gossip.’
‘You caused serious injury to a person you suspected was having a relationship with your girlfriend. “Too familiar” were your words to the magistrates. “He was too familiar when I saw them together.” Did you ask if he knew your girlfriend?’
Rodgers was about to speak but Fred held up his finger and he stopped.
‘No. You simply beat him senseless. Did you do that to Jennings too? When you’d lured him out onto the sands where it was all quiet.’ He let the question hang momentarily like a bad smell. Rodgers tried to avoid a response by turning his face away and narrowing his eyes. His breathing immediately came in short, sharp intakes as if it were a controlling exercise, a method of quelling his growing anger. ‘Did she tell you she’d been shagging Jennings too and that he was better than you – bigger and better? Did you revert to your old Mr Hyde or is it Dr Jekyll? Do you know, Mr Rodgers, I can never remember who was the evil one in those two, can you? Did you kill him, Mr Rodgers? We’ll also need to take a swab for DNA. It should match what we have on record.’
Rodgers brought his hands onto the table and placed them palms down as he turned to look Fred directly in the eye.
DC Kasum Kapoor approached Skeeter, a file in her hand. We’ve just received this and I heard you’d been waiting. A matter of urgency, I believe.’
‘Results from the IT search?’
‘Indeed, ma’am. Is there anything else?’ She waited, hands folded, her back straight as Skeeter looked into the file.
‘No, no that’s perfect. Sorry, yes. Anything on the phones?’
‘Not as yet.’
‘Thank you.’ She watched as Kasum moved away. ‘That young lady does yoga, you can tell from her posture.’ She took a side glance at Tony. ‘Whereas you’re a grand master of slobbery. There’s a difference, it’s only subtle, yes, but there’s a difference.’
Tony pulled a face. ‘If you bloody say so! I tell you what, she’s pretty though.’
Skeeter extracted notes from the file. ‘Nothing to suggest SM or the like. Some porn but nothing we should worry about. Strangely, there’s more in Carla’s computer history than in that of Jennings’s. We also have confirmation of the material on Facebook, Twitter and other sites and their contacts. They’re each on the others but we knew that from Debbie’s phone. Interestingly the tech people have highlighted certain emails for our immediate attention. Don’t you just love them?’
Tony leaned over her shoulder. Her tightly plaited hair was immaculate. ‘Do you do your hair yourself, Wicca?’
‘The bloody list, look at the list or bugger off,’ Skeeter grumbled.
‘Jennings! He sent flowers to Carla.’
‘What date was that?’
Tony checked. ‘Just over a month ago. She was living alone then. Let’s see what was written on the card if there was one: “Thanks for your understanding, x”.’
‘What the bloody hell does that mean? Understanding of what I wonder.’ Skeeter shot back at Tony.
‘Look there, we have communication between Gaskell and Jennings. This goes back to about the time Smith and Sharpe were splitting up and leaving Gaskell’s flat.’
They read through the mails. Tony continued. ‘He offers himself as a guarantor for Carla Sharpe if she could stay in the flat at a reduced rental for an extended period of one calendar month even though they were breaking their tenancy agreement. I just wonder how formal and legal the original documentation was?’
Skeeter checked the file and dialled Smith’s mobile. It rang twice.
‘Smith.’ He sounded as though he had been working out.
‘Mr Smith, DS Warlock. Sorry to trouble you so soon after our meeting. One question. The tenancy agreement you had with Gaskell. How formal was it?’
‘It wasn’t. It was done on a handshake and that’s why he was so disappointed when we cut it short. It worked well for all of us until then that is. If it had been more formal, we’d have been buggered financially. Then we might have ended up staying together – who knows.’
‘So Carla tried to stay on, extend her stay at a reduced rental?’
‘Yes, I asked him if he’d let her stay as I knew I could find a place easily over on the Wirral but Carla loved the place. She couldn’t afford it and I couldn’t afford to help her.’
‘Do you know if anyone else tried to get him to change his mind?’
‘No, sorry. Not that I’m aware of. Like who?’
‘Thank you, you’ve been most helpful.’ Skeeter hung up. She looked for Gaskell’s number and dialled. Tony walked over to his desk. Gaskell’s phone went immediately to answerphone. ‘Bugger! Make a note to call Gaskell every thirty minutes until we get through, I need to know what all that was about.’
Tony waved his hand. ‘Incoming aircraft every thirty minutes ...’ There was a pause. ‘Nike, the note on your computer screen. Did you see the cap found near Jennings’s body had the Nike thingy on it, you know, the tick?’
Skeeter stopped what she was doing and immediately logged onto the forensic report.
‘I know differently. I didn’t kill Jennings, or Carla for that matter. You said she wasn’t dead but still missing. I’ve killed no one. And for your records …’ he turned directly to the camera ‘… she enjoyed being with me, if not why
