The Lost

‘Then what was her body doing in your garage?’

‘I keep telling you, I don’t know. But I didn’t put it there.’

Jonah was all too aware of how weak that sounded. Technically, this was only a voluntary interview, but he had no illusions about what that meant. If he’d been arrested, the police could only hold him for twenty-four hours, although that could be extended to four days if there was need. As it was, because he was there ‘voluntarily’, the questioning could drag on indefinitely. The clock would only start ticking once he was arrested.

When he’d first been brought in, he’d felt confident that wouldn’t happen. Confident enough not to demand a lawyer, in fact. Despite everything, he was reluctant to accept that he might actually need one, trusting to the fact he’d done nothing wrong.

Now it was starting to look like a bad move.

‘So, you admit Daly came to your flat two nights ago,’ Fletcher continued. ‘To “apologise”, I think you said.’

‘That’s right. She said she felt bad about how she’d treated me.’

‘And you believed her? After she’d tricked you in the hospital and ambushed you at McKinney’s memorial service?’

‘I know how it sounds, but yes. She told me she was having doubts about her job.’

‘So you offered her a shoulder to cry on, is that it?’

‘No, we just talked,’ Jonah said. He was more thankful than ever now that Marie’s phone call had come when it did. Maybe nothing would have happened between him and Daly anyway, but if it had, he might have found himself with even more to explain.

‘What time was this?’ Fletcher asked.

‘She got there about half-nine. You can check because I ordered a pizza. She arrived at the same time and brought it up.’

‘She delivered your pizza?’

‘It was sort of a joke. I think she was worried I wouldn’t let her in.’

‘So, she arrived around nine-thirty. What then?’

‘She said she wanted to apologise. We got talking and ended up sharing the pizza and having a drink.’

‘Very forgiving of you.’ Fletcher took out a carefully folded tissue and dabbed his watering eye. ‘What did she have to drink?’

‘Beer.’

‘How many?’

‘A couple, I think. Small cans.’

‘And you?’

‘The same. I’d started one before she arrived so... one more than her.’

‘That would be three, then.’ It was hard not to think that Fletcher was enjoying this. ‘You say you got talking. What about?’

‘General stuff. She told me about her daughter. And she said one of the victims had been identified.’ He glanced at Bennet, who stared back without a flicker of emotion. ‘She told me he was a Kenyan student called Daniel Kimani.’

From Fletcher’s lack of surprise it was evident he already knew. ‘Anything else?’

‘She knew about Gavin’s suspension, but wouldn’t say who’d told her.’

‘And what about you? What did you tell her?’

‘Nothing about Gavin or the case, if that’s what you’re worried about.’

‘Oh, I’m not the one who should be worried. But, just to be clear, you had beer and pizza and civilised conversation with a journalist who’d made you look stupid. And then she said goodnight and left. Is that it?’

‘Pretty much, yes.’

‘And what time was that?’

‘About eleven. Maybe half past.’

‘She was there for two hours? My, you did have a lot to talk about. Did I mention we’d found her car? Parked not far from your flat. So we know she didn’t make it back there. She didn’t turn up for work the next day either. Or call her parents like she was supposed to. In fact, nobody saw or heard anything from her after she came to see you.’

‘She was fine when she left my flat. Check the CCTV cameras, if you don’t believe me.’

‘Oh, we are doing. But all the ones nearby seem to have been smashed. Funny that, eh?’

Jonah felt too wretched to care about the jibe. ‘Do you know yet how was she killed?’

Fletcher looked at him for a moment. ‘You’re priceless, Colley, you know that? You seriously think I’m here to discuss it with you?’

‘She’d been wrapped in polythene like the warehouse victims,’ Jonah pressed on. He wanted this on the record. ‘From what I saw she was fully clothed and I didn’t see any blood, so I’m guessing she was knocked unconscious and then left to suffocate. Again, the same as the three victims at the quayside. The plastic bag was new, but I expect he’d learned from what happened before with the girl. Nadine. He wasn’t taking chances on Corinne Daly surviving.’

‘And by “he” you mean...?’

‘You know who I mean. It had to be Owen Stokes. He must have been waiting outside the flats and jumped her when she came out.’

‘Ah, of course.’ Even Fletcher’s nod seemed sarcastic. ‘Seems like Owen Stokes is to blame for a lot of stuff that happens around you.’

He stopped as the interview room door opened and Bennet came in. She was carrying a small evidence box, which she set down on the table. Looking at it, Jonah felt a feathering of apprehension.