Her Last Mistake - Detective Gina Harte Series 06 (2020) Read online

  ‘Art? Since when did you have an interest in art?’

  Any conversation that acted as a diversion from what was happening was most welcome. She didn’t normally get too squeamish but today the post-mortem just added to the uneasy feeling in her stomach. After an unsettled night with both Hannah and Holly running through her every spare thought, and her conversation with Briggs waking her every five minutes, a banal conversation was just what she needed.

  ‘Jennifer has opened my eyes to so much. We now have a shared passion for Salvador Dali and René Magritte.’

  ‘A bit of surrealism?’ Gina could have laughed. Her whole life at the moment felt like it was a work of a surrealist creator pulling her strings. Between what was happening and the weird dreams, she pushed images of Dali’s melting clocks to the back of her mind. ‘I’m glad you’re both happy.’ A flash of Dali’s ‘Carnation and Cloth of Gold’ entered her mind as Gina thought back to Holly’s body. The flower petals had to mean something even if they were just snatched from the table centrepieces. Had the killer chosen them with thought or was the carnation simply a coincidence? She felt the cogs of her mind kicking into action. ‘Carnations – the Mother’s day flower.’

  ‘What?’ Jacob glanced her way.

  ‘Someone left carnation petals on her torso for a reason. Holly was going to be a mother. Let’s keep that in our thoughts as we investigate.’

  Jacob slowly nodded in agreement.

  Swabs and samples were being catalogued and the body was being sewn up. Gina hoped they had all they needed and that Marianne Long would be able to start arranging her daughter’s funeral.

  The pathologist stepped to the side and headed towards the shiny stainless steel sink. After scrubbing himself, he left through the other door.

  ‘I suppose we best get the low-down.’

  The door opened. ‘Ah, DI Harte and DS Driscoll,’ the pathologist said as he straightened his Pink Panther tie. He held out his arm revealing a crisp white cuff as he gestured for them to leave the room. ‘Lovely to meet you both again. It’s a shame the circumstances are always so macabre.’ His eyebrows arched. ‘Follow me. There’s a room down the corridor where we can talk. We have a lot of the forensics results back too and I’m happy to talk you through what we’ve got.’

  The pathologist held the report in his hand, smiling as he led the way to a tiny room with three mismatched plastic chairs surrounding a small coffee table. ‘Have a seat.’ He slipped his glasses from his pocket and pushed them up his thin nose.

  ‘So, what do you have for us?’ Gina rested back onto the plastic chair, resisting leaning too far back when it creaked.

  ‘Holly Long, aged twenty-five.’ He scanned his eyes across the report. ‘I’ll obviously need time to prepare my official report but this is what I have for now. Her nose was fractured, just slightly on the right of the bridge. This would have caused some bleeding and looking at the blood spatter photos and reports, we can confirm that the blood on the wall by the door did come from her nose.’

  ‘Taken by surprise?’ Gina imagined someone knocking or calling through the door and Holly answering. Was it her lover? The baby’s father? She opened the door to someone she knew, or could it have been a call from staff? Room service, maybe. She thought back to the reports she’d read. The staff all had alibis. Her mind flitted back to the drug dealer, Phillip Brighton.

  ‘Could have been. The other main injury is that of the blow to her head. The actual size of the cut to the right side of her skull is two point three centimetres. I have matched this to the lamp measurements and the edge of the base fits this measurement. We also have a blood match to the lamp. Holly Long’s blood is on that lamp.’

  ‘There was some evidence at the scene showing that she may have been smothered with a pillow. Can you confirm this?’ Gina thought back to the blood on the pillow that had been placed back on the other side before her body was left to look like she was sleeping.

  ‘I was just coming to that one. Look at her eyes.’ He passed a photo across the table. ‘See the little bloodshot prickles? This is a sign of suffocation. Also, we pulled out fibres of the pillow from her bloodied nose. The fibres were found in her mouth and throat too. If you look at her skin,’ he passed another photo to Gina, ‘petechial haemorrhaging – during asphyxiation blood vessels break and can leak into the skin, causing this.’

  Gina passed the photos back. ‘Can you email these over to me?’

  ‘Of course. I can get these sent this afternoon.’

  ‘Are there any more signs of a struggle?’

  ‘Yes, she has a broken rib. Given the bruising on her body, it looks like someone straddled her and held the pillow over her face. There’s no doubt that this would have been traumatic for the victim. Confusion and dizziness would have set in after a few seconds and that soon would have been followed by unconsciousness and death. There was also bruising to her wrist, colour consistent with it occurring that evening. She could have been grabbed or pulled. The fingerprint measurements will be in my report. Also, her body still contained a lot of its heat when the forensics team arrived. No rigor mortis, but you already know that there was only a small window of time when her murder could have happened.’

  Gina glanced at Jacob’s notes. He’d got it all down. ‘And the foetus?’

  ‘The foetus weighed in at 14.9 ounces and was measured at 4.1 inches long. Sex, female. Holly Long was about fifteen weeks pregnant.’

  Gina scrolled through her diary on her phone. ‘So, she would have conceived around the week of the twentieth of January?’

  ‘That would be a good estimate. There was something else.’

  Gina exited her calendar and looked back up.

  ‘There were a couple of scars on the base of her neck, consistent with fingernails digging into her skin. The measurements have been logged. I will send these to you too. Two rows of half-moon scars. Someone must have gripped her like this – may I demonstrate on one of you?’

  Gina nodded and the tall pathologist leaned over her, placing his two thumbs gently on her throat as he gently pressed his nails into the back of her neck. As the nails pinched her flesh she felt her stomach sink and her heart rate speed up. He let go and sat back in his chair. ‘Do you see what I mean?’

  Gina nodded. She saw what he meant and she knew how it felt. She knew what it was like to gasp until her oxygen supply had been cut off. She knew how it felt to look into the eyes of someone who was clearly enjoying every moment as her vision had prickled.

  ‘Are you okay?’ The pathologist pushed his fringe to the side.

  ‘Guv?’

  ‘Yes, I’m okay. It’s just such a horrible way to die, suffocation. No, I’m fine. I suppose what Holly went through has just become more real. Thank you for demonstrating.’

  ‘That’s where the light scarring could have come from, anyway. Unfortunately, I can’t say when this could have occurred. Going back to other things, we found no other blood on Holly apart from her own. No semen, no other bodily fluids and no skin from a struggle under her fingernails. As for DNA, I know from the reports I’ve read that the lab has a lot to process still.’

  ‘I know, I think the whole party had been in the room at some point during the day, plus it hadn’t been properly cleaned between customers. It’s proving to be a nightmare. Anything else?’

  The pathologist smiled. ‘This is an unusual one. I noticed a slight shadow at the back of her throat.’

  ‘And.’ Gina’s pulse began to race.

  ‘The head of a carnation with all the petals removed had been pushed right back.’

  Gina shivered. ‘So we know where the petals had been torn from. That’s made me feel a little queasy. Poor Holly. Any more surprises?’

  ‘No, that really is it.’

  ‘Thank you. I suppose we best go. We have a pub to get to.’ Gina felt the urge to get out.

  ‘Lucky for some.’

  ‘If only. We have to get to the bottom of these gatecrashers, s
o not for pleasure unfortunately.’

  ‘If there’s anything else specific you need to ask, just pick up the phone. Otherwise, I’ll get started on the report. Are you sure you’re okay?’

  She nodded. The pathologist had applied barely any pressure at all when he placed his hands on her neck. It was no more than a tickle and now with the news of the flower head in Holly’s throat she almost wanted to gag. She felt her face reddening as they said their goodbyes and left the building.

  ‘Any thoughts about all that, guv? That was a lot to take in.’ Jacob placed his notebook in his pocket and checked his phone as they hurried across the car park.

  ‘The person who did this was quick. They took her by surprise, startling her with a fractured nose as she opened the door. I’m just running a scenario here. Maybe her attacker then grabbed her by the wrist and thrust her onto the bed. She would have been kicking up a fuss by now or maybe she was stunned. I can imagine a blow to the nose would be instantly disabling and I’m guessing that the person who attacked her would know that. So the attacker has her on the bed and she’s starting to fight back maybe, this is when the attacker grabs the lamp and hits her over the head, stunning her again. They then take the opportunity to weigh her down with their body weight and smother her with the pillow. This is a really violent attack.’

  Jacob gripped the car door handle and got in.

  Gina placed her keys in the ignition. ‘Then Holly’s attacker places the pillow used to smother her back in its place. Why even do that? There is blood on the drawers, blood on the wall, blood on Holly’s head and face. Neatly placing the pillow back wouldn’t disguise what happened. They went to the effort to place it facing down so that the blood was hidden from view, then they leave without even closing the door properly. Before that, they place her neatly, put a flower head in her throat and sprinkle petals on her torso. This person was deeply affected in one way or another by Holly’s pregnancy – of that I’m sure.’ She pondered for a moment. ‘The initial attack had been thought through. Stun and go in for the kill. But the finish, it’s shoddy. This is the finishing of a panicked person, an emotional person but no one saw anyone looking panicked at the party following the time of the attack. Whoever did this must have composed themselves almost immediately.’

  ‘Complicated. I’ll never understand what drives someone to do something like this to another person.’ Jacob shivered as he put his seat belt on. ‘Late breakfast or pub? Which first.’

  ‘I’ll treat us to a pasty from the garage after we’ve been to the Angel Arms.’

  ‘Right you are!’

  She drove out of the car park and felt a knot forming in her throat as she thought about facing Samuel Avery once again. The day was going from bad to worse.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The smell of beer-sodden carpet wafted through the doors of the Angel Arms as Gina and Jacob entered. A girl who couldn’t have been much older than the legal age to work in a pub smiled, showing off her braced teeth. Gina opened the buttons of her jacket and smiled. ‘Are Samuel Avery and Robin Dawkins here?’

  The girl straightened out the stripy tank top over her crisp white balloon sleeved shirt and furrowed her brow. ‘Robin? I don’t know anyone called Robin.’ She glanced at Jacob and smiled.

  ‘Elvis, sorry. He’s known as Elvis.’

  ‘Ahh, I see. Elvis, I never did get it. He thinks he’s the karaoke king but in my opinion, he’s a bit off key. They’re in the beer garden, smoking.’ Two elderly men queued up behind Gina, waiting to be served. ‘Do you want a drink or shall I serve him?’

  Gina stepped aside.

  ‘Your usual, Billy?’

  The man nodded. ‘And his usual too.’ He pointed his walking stick at his drinking partner.

  ‘I’ll bring them over in a minute.’

  Jacob leaned on the bar. The girl glanced over and smiled – his action man looks often made him a little bit of a hit but unlike Samuel Avery, Jacob would never take advantage of someone so young or cheat on Jennifer. ‘Were you working here on Saturday night?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He stood up. ‘Great. We’ll be back to chat with you in a minute. Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome,’ she called as she began measuring a couple of drinks from the top shelf. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘DS Driscoll and DI Harte,’ he said as they walked off.

  ‘I pity anyone that has to work here,’ Gina said as they walked past the toilets toward the beer garden.

  The slabbed patio was full of wooden tables and chairs. Moss grew through the gaps in the tiles and beer bottles and cigarette ends were scattered all over the garden.

  ‘Samuel Avery, Robin Dawkins,’ Gina said as she walked up to them, Jacob catching up with her.

  ‘Not you again. Turn the porn off, Elvis?’ Samuel Avery let out a pantomime laugh.

  The younger man slammed the laptop he held closed and stood up from the table.

  ‘Chill, Detective Inspector, or can I call you Gina now that we’re practically family?’

  ‘You will never be my family.’

  He shrugged and grinned as he swapped his weight between his feet. ‘What’s this all about? Come to tell me to keep away from little Hannah again? I can’t help it that I’m irresistible to women.’

  He lit a cigarette, inhaled and blew out a plume of smoke. He was a smoker like the man their drug dealer spotted touching himself in the clearing on the night of Holly’s murder. Had Samuel Avery gone back to the venue after taking the van full of kegs back to the pub? He wouldn’t even need to drive. Had the location where his crime had taken place lured him back? Had being there given him a thrill? He could have taken the country walk at the back of the town that led to the woods, easily avoiding the police that were guarding the comings and goings on the road.

  ‘Were you alone after leaving Cleevesford Manor?’

  ‘What do you think? Oh, maybe I brought Elvis and Cass back for a three-way.’

  She’d come to expect this type of comment from Avery.

  ‘Seriously, I came back. I was knackered and I went to bed.’

  She glanced at her notes trying not to imagine him with Hannah, feeling her knuckles clenching around her pen. ‘Tell me about the gatecrashers. They were a group of locals that frequent the Angel.’

  ‘Everyone who lives in this town and likes a drink frequents my pub. It’s the main boozer in Cleevesford. What makes you think the gatecrashing issue is anything to do with us? Do you know anything about any gatecrashers coming from here, Elvis?’

  The younger man shook his head, his quiff bobbing as he moved. ‘Err no, Sam.’

  ‘Are you sure? It was an open bar. It would be financially beneficial to you if more people were to come and drink all night, run the tab up even more, so to speak.’ Gina watched as he paused to think of a retort.

  ‘First you come and have a go at me for being in your daughter’s room. She invited me in, believe it or not. Secondly, you think I invite a load of boozers over to a function to run up a bill. I do a good job at events and earn a pretty packet. I wouldn’t do that. I pride myself on the ales I sell. I don’t need a few gatecrashers to boost the coffers. You’re barking up the wrong tree.’

  Gina took a tiny step forward. ‘Why do you look so worried then?’

  ‘It’s you lot. You’re always on my case. Your daughter’s lovely, you know. You should stop letting her down, Detective Inspector.’

  Jacob caught her eye and gave a subtle shake of his head. Now wasn’t the time to bite. ‘You weren’t behind the bar all night. In fact, neither of you were. Some of the witness statements say that it looked like you and Robin were shirking off, wandering about and mingling while the woman who was working with you did all the work.’

  ‘My Cass is a good one,’ Elvis said with a snigger.

  Avery nudged him in the stomach with his elbow, reminding Gina of a couple of schoolboys playing the teacher up at the back of class.

  ‘Okay, we did
mingle, but we were around all the time. The most wandering off we did was to go outside for a smoke or the toilet. That’s all.’ A bead of sweat formed at Avery’s hairline.

  ‘How well did you know Holly Long?’

  Samuel Avery rolled his eyes. ‘I only knew her from the pub. She came in a few times with Fran, Kerry and Lilly. Only occasionally. They’re all locals and they’ve virtually grown up in the town. How could I not know them?’

  ‘Have you ever had any type of relationship or friendship with Holly Long?’

  He stared at Gina, a grin spreading across his face. ‘I have never been in a relationship with her, we’ve never shagged and we’ve never spent a meaningful moment together. I barely know any of them. I just know them to look at. I think that’s all I’ve got to say to you unless you’re arresting me?’

  ‘Should I?’ Gina felt her confrontation hackles rising.

  He shrugged. ‘Got anything on me?’

  Gina paused, her stare meeting his. This was war and she had lost the second battle to him. First, her daughter, and now, her lack of evidence to place him in or near Holly’s room at the time of her murder. She turned and headed back towards the bar.

  ‘That was a bit intense, guv.’

  ‘You’re telling me. We need to speak to the bartender. Double check whether she knows anything about the gatecrashers.’

  They approached the bar and waited for the two couples wearing business attire to get their drinks. Gina flashed her identification. ‘We need to talk to you about Saturday night. Could I take your name?’

  ‘Oh sure, it’s Leslie Benton. What’s this about?’ The girl took a sip of her water and sat on a stool at the end of the bar so that they could talk a little more privately.

  ‘Have you heard about the murder at Cleevesford Manor?’ Gina sat while Jacob scribbled a few notes down.

  ‘I saw it on Facebook and gossip is rife around here. It’s all anyone is talking about. In fact, people are looking now.’ She pulled up her balloon sleeves and placed her elbow on the bar.

  Gina glanced back. The group in suits pointed towards Gina as they spoke. ‘The wedding reception was invaded by a group of gatecrashers that we have been led to believe came from here. I need the names of everyone who was in on Saturday night and I need to know who left and when.’