“It’s been a long, tiring day,” said Gus. “I need a quiet evening and a good night’s sleep.”
When he awoke this morning, Gus felt refreshed and ready for another gruelling day. The rest of the team were hard at work. Gus had just started updating his section of the Freeman files when his phone rang.
“The DNA results are back, Gus,” said Geoff Mercer. “They confirm Jeff Cummins is Rachel’s biological father.”
“Thanks, Geoff,” said Gus. “We’ve been expecting them. I must inform the family.”
Gus picked up his car keys and headed for the lift. He had to inform Rachel Cummins and Sean, and Byron Hogan Gerry’s death was a tragic but genuine mistake.
“Everything alright, guv?” asked Alex.
“Best laid plans, Alex,” said Gus. “At least we can tie the Hogan case in a bow now. I’ll drive to Bourne Hill from Trowle Common. Meet me there before twelve.”
The lift doors closed before Alex could answer. It was all-systems-go this morning.
At noon, Gus and Alex entered the interview room. Alex had already checked everything was ready. He went through the preliminaries while Gus studied the people on the opposite side of the table.
“I thought it best to employ the services of a solicitor,” said Arthur. “This gentleman is Mr Edward Vince.”
“Thank you, Mr Jackson,” said Gus. “Let’s begin. My first question concerns the ride-on mower you use when mowing the grass between the lines of fruit trees on the Wilton estate. When and how did it get broken?”
“I thought we’d cleared away every piece of rubbish that fell from the trees over the winter. The mower hit something hard on Friday afternoon, and a piece almost snapped in half.”
“You took that broken part to Frisk Engineering, didn’t you? The firm on Stephenson Road on the Churchfields Industrial Estate, next to the gym.”
“The sign says no jobs too small. I knew we needed the mower on Monday. They couldn’t repair it straight away. I had to go back.”
“How did you get to Churchfields on Monday?”
“I took one of the quad bikes. I had to get there and back as soon as possible.”
“What happened when you came outside with the new part they’d made?”
“I took off my fleece because it was hot in the building. I put it on the quad bike. When I looked up, I didn’t understand why the cars were there.”
“You saw Derek Preston, one of the builders, didn’t you, Martyn?”
“The man sat in the car with Mum. They were hugging each other. I didn’t like it. The man got out and went back to his car. I waited until he drove away and then went to ask Mum why she wasn’t at work.”
“Did you sit next to her?” asked Gus.
“I had to move things first. There were photos on the seat. The lady looked like Mum in the pictures, but she was naked and doing dirty things. I can’t remember what happened after that.”
“Did you carry your walkie-talkie with you that morning?” asked Gus.
“Mr Jackson called me first thing; then he said he’d call again when it was lunchtime.”
“Do you carry a knife with you when you’re working?”
“Yes, but it’s always in the sheath on my belt. It’s sharp.”
“You say you don’t remember what happened after you saw those photos. What do you remember about what you did later?”
“Mum told me it was wrong to have feelings for someone else when you were married. She said the family was everything, yet she lied. She was with that man. I couldn’t even be friends with Stephanie; Mum told me that was wrong. She said people shouldn’t say one thing and do another. It made me angry.”
“Where did you go when you got out of the car?”
“I was dirty, so I went to the gym.”
“Did you take anything from the car?”
“I had to take the photos. I couldn’t let anyone else see them.”
“How did you get into the gym?”
“Five, one, nine, four, five. I took off my clothes and had a shower. There weren’t any towels, but people always left clothes hanging on pegs and forgot to collect them. I dried myself and looked into the open lockers. I found tracksuit bottoms and a top that fitted me. There was a box of matches in one locker. I sat and ate my lunch while I watched the photos burn.”
“Did you take your lunch with you when you left the estate on the quad bike?” asked Gus.
“No, it was in the car. I had to take it. Mum said we mustn’t waste food.”
“What did you do after you ate your lunch?”
“I went back to the bike, put on my sweatshirt, and rode back to work.”
“What did you do with your dirty clothes?”
“I hid them in the bushes on the edge of the estate.”
“What did you do with your knife?”
“I washed it in the shower. It was dirty. I took the belt off my trousers and used it to hold the tracksuits bottoms up. They were too big for me. The knife’s still in the sheath, next to the rubber duck. My trousers are in the wardrobe at home. Mr Jackson told me to wear something smart today.”
“After you left the gym, what did you see when you walked past your mother’s car?” asked Gus.
“I didn’t look,” said Martyn. “She lied to me. Every day when I was growing up, Mum said I must tell the truth, and I mustn’t do anything wrong.”
“When did you see Martyn that morning, Mr Jackson?” asked Gus.
“I didn’t see him after he arrived in the office to ask what he should do. I told him to mow the grass between the trees, and I’d remind him to stop work at one
