Wrongful Death

Chapter Thirty-Five

As Anna drove to work it struck her that Donna, and to a lesser extent Aisa, were both blind to how evil their mother really was. She controlled their behaviour by rewarding them, most frequently with money. Donna had briefly turned against Gloria and behaved in a manner that was clearly designed to annoy her, but there was little doubt that she had genuinely loved Josh Reynolds. Aisa on the other hand was totally spoilt and wanted for nothing, other than her sister’s husband, whose affection she gained by lavish gifts of cash and a Ferrari, a trait she had clearly inherited from her mother. Anna wondered if Josh had actually loved Aisa and really been about to leave Donna for her, or was it just the access to large sums money that he desired. Sadly he had taken the answers to that and so many other questions to his grave.

At the station, Anna arranged for a uniform constable to go to the hospital to have Marisha Peters moved to a single room, and to stand guard. Following that, she continued work on the disclosure she needed to serve on Ian Holme before the interview with Aisa. Holme was a formidable advocate, and having watched the video of Mike Lewis and Dewar’s interview with Donna she was aware of how astute and ruthless he could be. Her fear was that Holme would unwittingly pass on information to Gloria Lynne, which she could then use to twist or lie her way out of the evidence Anna had uncovered. She decided that it would be best to drip-feed the disclosure by interviewing Aisa, taking a break, serving further disclosure to Holme and then a further interview before repeating the process.

Anna had moved on to preparing a list of questions to ask Aisa when Jessie Dewar walked in and mumbled good morning in a disgruntled tone of voice.

‘Thanks for sitting with Aisa while we searched Lynne House and also for helping Barolli to book her in at the station,’ Anna said.

Dewar sighed. ‘Barolli and I have been to Josh’s old flat in Bayswater and two of the keys on the set recovered from Samuel Peters’ property at the mortuary did fit the locks.’

‘Good work. We now have evidence to prove that Samuel had access to both Josh and Esme’s flats.

‘Is it really all worth it?’ Dewar asked.

‘Worth what?’ Anna enquired, unsure what the woman meant.

Dewar looked at Anna and shook her head. ‘Turning your nose up at the FBI course and coming back here just to show me up?’

Anna could understand why Dewar was annoyed with her, but wanted her to know that she couldn’t be further from the truth. Don Blane was right. Anna needed Dewar on her side, especially when it came to having a better understanding of Gloria Lynne and her sociopathic behaviour. Anna asked Dewar to sit down, which she did.

‘Look, I know we’ve had one or two disagreements about the Reynolds investigation, but your input with the suicide note and Josh Reynolds’ death scene has been invaluable. Your knowledge of cars led directly to recovery of the Ferrari.’

‘Well it doesn’t feel that way,’ Dewar said with a sullen look on her face.

‘You have to believe me, Jessie, I’m not back here to belittle you in any way. I totally understand why you are annoyed with me, but right now I very much need your support, professional advice and assistance.’

Dewar leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, her expression unchanged. ‘Why now?’

‘While in the States, I became privy to information about Gloria Lynne that nobody here was aware of,’ Anna explained. ‘That information led to the discovery of Samuel Peters’ body and the arrest of Aisa Lynne. I will go into everything in detail in the office meeting, but what I uncovered at the time was not through the proper legal channels. It is highly sensitive and would have been impossible to convey in a phone call to you, Mike Lewis or anyone else on the team.’

‘Did you tell Jimmy Langton this sensitive information or is he in the dark as well?’ Dewar asked petulantly.

‘He knows everything and he approved my return to London. Because of the explosive nature of the evidence he is on his way back from Quantico to take command of the investigation,’ Anna said. To prove her point, she showed her the text Langton had sent the previous evening. Dewar unfolded her arms and sat upright and Anna knew that she had her attention.

‘If Jimmy’s back then it must be serious,’ Dewar said.

‘It’s all very complicated, but Gloria Lynne is more involved in the death of Josh Reynolds than any of us imagined. If it hadn’t been for the guidance and input of your colleague Don Blane then I would never have been able to put what is a very complex puzzle together. Blane himself said that your knowledge and skills would be invaluable in cracking the case against Gloria Lynne,’ Anna said, deliberately pandering to Dewar’s ego.

‘Can you at least give me a brief insight before the meeting?’ the agent asked inquisitively.

Anna told Dewar that she had uncovered marriage and birth certificates found hidden in Samuel Peters’ jacket that showed he and Gloria Lynne were married and Joshua Reynolds was their legally conceived son, but his birth name was Arum and Gloria gave him up to Esme when he was a baby.

Dewar’s eyes lit up. ‘Holy shit… INCEST. Josh was screwing his sister.’

‘Half-sisters, to be precise, but incest nevertheless, and they didn’t know.’

Dewar let out a loud whistle of surprise before she picked up on what Anna had said.

‘Wait a second, you just said sisters, plural, as in two?’

‘Yes. Aisa isn’t adopted, she’s Gloria’s real blood daughter and Donna’s blood sister.’

‘Jesus Christ, all we need now are Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince to make this a really complicated story!’ Dewar exclaimed, making Anna laugh.

‘I think Samuel was blackmailing Gloria,’ Anna said.

‘Was Marisha involved?’ Dewar asked.

‘Not directly, but I’m sure from the phone records she had knowledge of what was going on and benefited from the blackmail.’

‘I’ve been racking my brains about Marisha’s behaviour in the interview Barolli and I had with her. The “bitch” she was talking about was obviously Gloria Lynne, not Donna.’

‘Yes, and Marisha wasn’t drunk, she was suffering from atropine poisoning.’

Dewar raised her hands, needing Anna to slow down as she digested all the new information. ‘So let me try and work this out. Do you think Gloria poisoned Marisha?’

‘Yes, and forensics also found atropine in Samuel and Josh’s bodies as well. I know it was her, but the problem is, I don’t as yet have a shred of hard evidence to prove it.’

‘I always knew there was something not quite right about that woman,’ Dewar said, but Anna suspected she was just trying to jump on the bandwagon.

‘Will you help me try to break down Gloria Lynne?’

Dewar rubbed her hands in anticipation. ‘Of course I will, but I need to know everything you know about her.’

Anna looked at her watch. It was just after eight and she had further work to do before the interview with Aisa.

‘I’m pushed for time right now, so can I give you the full story along with the rest of the team at the nine a.m. office meeting?’

‘Yeah, fine by me. When you arrest Gloria, I’d like to sit in on the interview.’

It was a request Anna had anticipated but hoped Dewar wouldn’t make as the answer would probably offend her.

‘That will be up to DCS Langton, but with Ian Holme representing Aisa it could be tricky,’ she said tactfully.

Dewar sighed. ‘Did you see the interview with Donna? Now I know how he got his nickname Andrex.’

‘Yeah, but if it’s any consolation I thought he was showing off and a bit hard on you. There’s a viewing room you can watch from.’

‘Actually, that would be better – I’ll be able to scrutinize Gloria Lynne without any distractions,’ Dewar conceded.

‘Thanks, Jessie, I’ll show you the room right after the office meeting.’

Dewar seemed deep in thought as she grabbed her wallet from her handbag. ‘I’m going to the canteen, you want anything?’ she said as she got up, then sat back down again. ‘Did Don Blane say anything about Gloria Lynne having sociopathic tendencies?’ she asked, much to Anna’s surprise.

‘Have you spoken with him?’ Anna asked.

‘No, but that’s the niggling feeling I had about her ever since I met her and her daughters.’

‘Why didn’t you say so?’

‘It was just a gut instinct, nothing more. I had no evidence to support it, so who’d have believed me?’

‘Blane thinks she’s a sociopath, and I agree with him,’ Anna admitted.

‘Good, now I know what we’re up against and once I hear all the evidence you’ve uncovered I’ll prepare an interview strategy.’

Anna realized how astute Dewar really was and that her earlier mistakes in the investigation had probably all been down to a burning desire to impress her colleagues.

The agent stood up again and headed towards the door, stopped and turned to Anna. ‘Gloria Lynne will be the greatest adversary you have ever faced in your career, Anna. As psychologists we advise people involved with sociopaths to leave, run don’t walk, and never ever go back – it’s the only option for survival,’ Dewar said, emphasizing her concerns yet relishing the challenge.

As the agent left, Joan entered, and Anna wondered if she’d ever get any peace and quiet to get on with her work. The constable informed Anna that Barolli had just picked Langton up at Heathrow and the officer guarding Marisha had called to say that she had briefly come out of her coma. Before Joan could finish what she was saying, Anna was out of her seat and hurriedly putting on her jacket to go to the hospital.

‘If I can turn Marisha then I can really nail Gloria,’ Anna said excitedly, grabbing her notebook and handbag.

‘The officer said that her condition is still serious and her heartbeat’s irregular,’ Joan warned, but there was no stopping Anna now.

‘Joan, there’s a folder on my laptop I’ve named “Nightshade”. Everything I and Don Blane uncovered about Gloria Lynne and Samuel Peters is in it. There’s a lot in there, print it off for Langton and Dewar to read while I’m out and give them everything you got for me as well,’ Anna said as she headed for the door then turned back and handed Joan a list from her desk.

‘Here’s the initial disclosure list for Ian Holme. That’s all he’s to be given for now and he can have a private consultation with Aisa.’

In the main office, Anna noticed Barbara sitting at her desk tucking into her first bite of a bacon and egg sandwich.

‘Barbara, grab your coat and come with me.’

‘But I just got my-’

‘NOW!’ Anna shouted, causing Barbara to drop her sandwich and take a quick swig of her coffee to wash the mouthful down.

Anna got one of the uniform cars to rush her and Barbara to the hospital on blue lights and sirens. Arriving at the ward she spoke with the attending doctor who informed her that Marisha Peters’ condition was worsening by the minute and she might not have much longer to live. Anna could see Marisha through the internal window, her eyes closed and lying motionless with a myriad of tubes and heart monitor wires connected to her body, and a ventilator tube extruding from her mouth. Anna felt deflated for all the wrong reasons; she sympathized with Marisha’s pitiful condition, but so wanted her to be able to speak, to provide her with the evidence she needed against Gloria Lynne.

Anna asked the doctor if she could go into the room and he opened the door for her and Barbara to enter. The serenity of the room was broken by the soft rhythmic pumping of the ventilator and the heart monitor with its erratic beep reminiscent of a reversing sensor in a car.

Anna walked over to Marisha’s side and turned to the doctor. ‘Will she be able to hear?’

‘She’s no longer in a coma, but it’s impossible for me to say,’ the doctor replied politely.

Anna leaned forward so she could speak quietly. ‘I’m sorry it came to this, Marisha, but I promise you I will do everything in my power to see Gloria stands trial for what she has done to you and Samuel.’

There was a sudden change in the rhythm of the heart monitor as the beeps slightly upped in tempo and Marisha’s eyelids flickered.

‘I’m Anna Travis, Marisha, do you remember me?’ she asked and again the monitor changed tempo.

‘She is incapable of answering you, detective, and the heart arrhythmia is due to her deteriorating condition,’ the doctor insisted.

Slowly, Marisha’s bloodshot eyes opened, not fully, but enough for Anna to feel that she was awake.

‘If I ask her questions will she be able to move her head or squeeze my hand?’ Anna hurriedly asked the doctor.

‘No, she suffered a serious stroke while in the coma.’

Anna removed her iPhone from her jacket pocket and started to press the screen, causing the doctor to rebuke her as he reminded her that phone calls could interfere with the medical equipment. Anna assured him she was not about to call anyone and took him to one side, out of his patient’s earshot, leaving Barbara wondering what on earth Anna was doing and feeling most uncomfortable standing next to a woman who looked as if she was about to die.

Anna held her phone up in her hand, with the back of it pointing towards the doctor. ‘In your professional opinion is Marisha Peters’ death imminent?’

‘Yes, I’ve already told you that, and why are you pointing your phone at me?’

‘Because I’m video-recording our conversation and I need you to tell Marisha that she may be about to die,’ Anna said firmly.

The doctor looked stunned. ‘Are you out of your mind?’

‘As you know, Marisha was poisoned with atropine and I believe she knows who was responsible. I want to take a dying declaration from her, and for that to be valid in a court of law she needs to understand that she may be about to die.’

‘Really, officer, this is preposterous and apart from that she can’t even speak.’

‘She can move her eyes, though, but if you want her death to be in vain then so be it, doctor, it’s your conscience not mine,’ Anna said tactfully.

The doctor looked at Marisha for some moments and eventually nodded in submission. Anna handed Barbara her phone to record the dying declaration. Barbara held it in both hands to keep it steady as Anna crouched down beside the bed and took hold of Marisha’s hand, which felt cold and clammy. ‘Marisha, if you can hear me, I want you to blink three times for yes and twice for no,’ Anna said and Marisha’s eyelids opened and closed slowly three times.

Anna looked at the doctor, who stepped forward and told Marisha that her heart was failing and she might be about to die. The acceleration in her heart rate was mirrored by the increased beeping of the monitor.

‘Marisha, do you understand what the doctor just said?’

Marisha moved her eyelids three times, indicating, yes.

‘You understand that you may be about to die?’ Anna repeated, followed by three slow blinks from Marisha.

‘Is your sister Esme alive?’ Anna asked, to a response of two blinks. ‘Was Josh Reynolds Esme’s birth son?’ Again Marisha blinked twice. At first, Barbara was confused, but then realized that Anna was testing Esme’s ability to respond in the negative – however, there were some single involuntary blinks between questions. Anna signalled for Barbara to move in a bit closer to film everything.

Anna fired a volley of questions, each receiving three blinks: ‘Did Samuel marry a woman called Gloria Rediker?’ ‘Is that woman now Lady Gloria Lynne?’ Anna looked at Barbara to make sure she was recording it all before asking her next question. Barbara nodded and Anna continued.

‘Was Samuel blackmailing her?’ Anna asked, but Marisha didn’t move her eyes. The beeps of the heart-rate monitor intensified and the ventilator pump worked harder. The doctor leaned over Anna and pressed the emergency button on the wall and within seconds two nurses entered the room and he raised his hand for them to wait.

‘Please, Marisha, I need you to tell me the truth, and it doesn’t matter now if you were involved.’

The look in Marisha’s eyes was pitiful.

‘Did Samuel tell you how Josh Reynolds died?’ Marisha blinked twice. ‘Did you know about his death before I came to your flat?’ Two blinks, but with each progressive question Marisha’s ability to respond was becoming slower, while the heart monitor and ventilator were going into overdrive.

‘You need to stop now, officer, the nurses and I need to tend to the patient,’ the doctor said but Anna ignored him.

‘Did Gloria Lynne give Samuel the money in your freezer?

Marisha blinked three times as the doctor put his hand on Anna’s arm to escort her away, but she shrugged him off.

‘Did Gloria visit your flat the day Samuel disappeared?’

Marisha’s eyes began to flicker uncontrollably as a rasping sound rattled through her chest and lungs. The doctor waved to the nurses, who stepped forward and pulled Barbara out of the way so they could get to the defibrillator. Suddenly, Marisha’s eyes opened wide and looked as if they were about to pop out of her head and she rapidly blinked three times. The doctor told Anna to get out of the room and forced himself between her and Marisha, but Anna moved round to the side of him, her gaze transfixed on Marisha’s face.

‘Did Gloria give Samuel the spiced rum?’ Anna asked in a raised voice. Marisha gasped in air, blinked once, then again before her bloodshot eyeballs bulged even further. The gurgling noise from her mouth sounded as if she was trying to force herself to speak; she blinked one more time and Anna felt she was saying yes to her question. Marisha opened her mouth and the rasping sound was a long slow, ‘Yes.’

No sooner had she finished than Marisha flatlined. The doctor and nurses attempted resuscitation, but everyone in the room knew they were only going through the motions as the patient was clearly beyond help.

Anna moved over beside Barbara. ‘Did you get it all?’ she whispered.

Barbara rammed the phone into Anna’s hand with a look of disdain. ‘Does your obsession to bring Gloria Lynne down have no boundaries? Or is it just your ego?’ she asked, clearly distressed.

‘I had no choice,’ Anna protested.

‘Maybe, maybe not, but sometimes you need to respect people before they’re dead. I thought I knew you better, DCI Travis.

It was clear that the doctor was not entirely happy with Anna’s conduct either, but he understood that she had a job to do and agreed to make a statement when he was off duty. She knew though that her obsessive behaviour had left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

Anna knew that Langton would be back at the incident room when she got there. She wondered if it would be an appropriate time to tell him about her fractious meeting with Walters and that she had recorded Walters stating coldly and calmly that he had shafted Langton’s career and was about to force him into retirement from the Met.

Although she felt Langton had the right to know what Walters had done, and was going to do to him, she was worried that it would anger him so much he would be straight up to the Yard to have an almighty head-to-head with Walters. Anna knew she was being somewhat selfish in her reasoning, but she needed Langton to help her with Aisa and more importantly the arrest and interview of Gloria Lynne. For the time being, she didn’t want him distracted and came to the decision that it was best to tell him later and in private.

Still, she felt that Langton would be pleased with the result from the hospital. Although in effect hearsay evidence, as Marisha could now never testify under oath, a ‘dying declaration’ was an exception to the rules of evidence in murder and manslaughter cases. There was no doubt that Ian Holme would contest the declaration, but Anna felt she had adhered to the rules and made the recording when death was imminent and Marisha was also fully aware of that fact.

Entering her office, Anna saw Langton and Dewar sitting side by side on the sofa, both holding notebooks and pens. The whole of the coffee table and surrounding floor area were covered in documents, files and photographs, as was her desk. She greeted them both with a smile as she joined them and sat down in an armchair.

‘Interesting stuff, isn’t it? Even if Aisa sits there in stone-faced silence I think, after what Marisha indicated, that there’s enough to arrest Gloria for murder and a number of other offences,’ Anna said, pleased with herself.

Langton shook his head and despairingly dropped his notebook and pen onto the coffee table and scooped up a handful of papers from the floor. He held them up, waved them at Anna and then spoke calmly but with authority. ‘Interesting is about right, Anna, and certainly this mountain of paperwork raises a lot of questions, but for me the most crucial one is… where’s the bloody evidence to arrest Gloria Lynne on suspicion of murder?’

Anna could see from the look on Langton’s face he was being deadly serious. She had anticipated him being really pissed off about having to return to London so quickly, and even expected the usual heavy dressing-down about her ‘overzealous’ behaviour, but not this reaction. He had after all promised to back her up about Gloria Lynne.

She was just going to tell him about Marisha’s dying declaration when he continued in the same vein.

‘And before you start, I am not interested in Xavier Alleyne or Lord Henry Lynne’s deaths as they didn’t even happen in this country.’

‘But the circumstances surrounding their deaths can be used as similar fact evidence so I-’

‘Don’t jump the gun, that’s only in a criminal trial and if the judge allows it, so please just stick to Samuel Peters’ death for now.’

‘Marisha Peters just passed away in hospital, but I managed to get a dying declaration from her and recorded it on my phone. The doctor is willing to make a statement,’ Anna said, desperate to defend her actions and get Langton back on her side. She pulled her iPhone out of her pocket and put it on the table.

‘This better be good, bearing in mind that she was no angel herself,’ Langton said and sat back to watch the recording.

Anna had intended to explain that Marisha didn’t actually speak other than saying yes to the final question about the rum. But now she didn’t think it necessary as the video clip would show that Marisha understood everything that was going on. Anna watched the expression on Langton’s face as she played the recording but it gave nothing away.

As the video ended he looked up at Anna, totally bewildered. ‘She doesn’t say a bloody word and when you asked the two most vital questions about Gloria visiting the flat and giving Samuel the rum all I could see was the bloody floor.’

Anna quickly grabbed her phone and played back the last bit. She remembered the nurses had moved Barbara out of the way but only now did she realize it had prevented her from recording the whole declaration.

‘Shit, I don’t believe it. The doctor can confirm Marisha knew what I was asking and was able to answer both positively and negatively,’ Anna said, trying to be reassuring.

Langton had so far remained calm but he was clearly not impressed by the video.

‘This is worthless. You’re clutching at straws, Anna.’

‘Marisha said – sorry, I mean indicated – that Samuel was blackmailing Gloria and the money in the freezer was the proceeds,’ Anna said.

‘Okay, so let’s say Marisha was being truthful, technically she’s just confessed to being involved in blackmail and clearly spent the proceeds on electrical goods. No judge in the world will allow this as evidence because Marisha just confessed to being untrustworthy.’

‘But we know that Samuel was blackmailing Gloria so therefore we can argue she was telling the truth even though she was dishonest.’

Langton, becoming impatient, gave a loud sigh and stood up to stretch his legs.

‘Take Marisha out of the equation and tell me how you know that Samuel was blackmailing Gloria,’ he said sharply.

Anna scrambled around the papers on the coffee table and floor, finally finding what she was looking for. She held it up. ‘These marriage and birth certificates, why else would Samuel order them online, pay with Marisha’s credit card and have them delivered to her flat?’

‘Maybe he was doing some genealogy, tracing his and Gloria’s family history,’ Langton snapped.

‘You’re just being totally negative now.’ Anna was annoyed with what she saw as an unnecessary and flippant remark.

‘Am I? You did the CID course to become a detective, didn’t you?’ Langton asked.

‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ Anna demanded, angry at being belittled.

‘So you were taught, just like everyone else, that blackmail is an unjustified threat to make a gain or cause loss to another unless a particular demand is met.’

‘Samuel told Gloria that he would expose the fact Josh was their son and in an incestuous marriage with Donna – oh, and I nearly forgot about her bigamous marriage to Xavier. It’s all here in the bloody certificates,’ Anna said and threw the papers down on the coffee table.

Langton was now livid and Dewar, desperately not wanting to be stuck in the middle, stood up and said she just needed to run to the bathroom. But neither Langton nor Anna heard a word she said or even noticed her leave the room.

‘You need a bloody victim to report blackmail for a crime to have been committed and you don’t fucking have either. As for the bigamy, I don’t give a toss about that as it was over thirty years ago in Jamaica!’ Langton shouted as he paced around the room.

Anna stood up to confront him further. ‘Neither do I, but what I’m saying is that Samuel used the bigamy and incest to blackmail Gloria. He knew she could never report it for fear of losing kudos in her high society world.’

Langton took a deep breath and sat down again. In his heart he knew that Anna was probably right in everything she was saying, but he feared for her career and future if she arrested someone as powerful as Gloria with nothing more than what seemed to be circumstantial evidence.

‘There’s the phone calls to Gloria from Marisha’s landline and mobile, Josh Reynolds driving out to Weybridge and-’ Anna insisted, but he jumped in.

‘You can’t tell who made the calls or what was said, and you’ve jack shit to show he actually went to Gloria’s house, let alone Weybridge.’

‘If Gloria’s house or mobile phones show calls to Marisha’s phones, that makes the connection even stronger – how can Gloria explain that away?’

‘She doesn’t have to!’ he barked.

Anna shook her head in fury. ‘What? So you think Gloria just decided to have a cosy little catch-up chat or two with Samuel the lowly fisherman after thirty years. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why he turned up at the Charity Ball… she bloody well invited him!’

Langton sucked in his breath, determined to remain calm.

‘Joan got the results on Gloria’s phones and it was a big zilch, not one single call to either of Marisha’s phones. Yet again, where you thought there’d be evidence there is none!’

‘Because Gloria’s not that stupid, she will have used an untraceable pay-as-you-go phone to contact them.’

‘Jesus Christ, you have a bloody answer for everything, Anna. Your problem is you just can’t admit when you’re beaten.’

‘BEATEN, I am not beaten and you’ve lost your ability to see sense. Samuel, Marisha and Josh all had atropine in their bodies and one common denominator – Gloria Lynne!’

Langton was at boiling point. ‘Your effing report says you think Josh Reynolds committed suicide!’

‘Because he was under the influence of the atropine that Gloria gave him, he didn’t know what he was doing.’

‘How many times do I have to say it: you’ve no evidence to prove Gloria Lynne did anything!’ Langton said, determined to convince her.

‘That’s why she needs to be arrested and interviewed!’

Langton folded his arms. ‘Let’s stop shouting at each other, it’s pointless and getting us nowhere.’

‘You said you’d back me all the way,’ Anna pleaded.

‘I am, Anna, I am, but I can’t see you put your head on the chopping block like this. I’ve looked through all the paperwork and the evidence just isn’t there. I respect your gut feeling and normally I’d agree with you a hundred per cent, but this time you just have to let it go and move on.’

She was close to tears. ‘I can’t believe you are prepared to give in so easily.’

‘It’s not just the lack of evidence, Anna, you’re talking about taking on one of the richest and most powerful women in the country. She mixes with prime ministers and royalty, so ask yourself, whose side will the top brass and courts be on?’

Mimicking him, she folded her arms. ‘What about you? Fitzpatrick was rich and powerful, but that didn’t stop you hunting him down.’

‘That’s totally different and you know it.’

‘Is it? I always thought you believed that anyone who committed a serious crime deserved to be punished, no matter who they are.’

‘Sweetheart, you are in a no-win situation that isn’t worth risking your career for.’

Anna didn’t know what to say. She simply couldn’t believe she had come this far to be knocked back by Langton, and realized there and then that he had lost the will to do what he did best, to fight to the end for what he believed in, even when others doubted him.

She began to pick up the documents, unable to look at him.

‘Well then, walk away now and leave me to get on with my job. I’ll deal with Gloria Lynne with or without your help.’

Langton sighed with frustration. She could make him so mad one moment yet so full of passion the next. He knew he was wrong and was letting her down badly when she needed him most. He was more than certain his career was at an end, and this would undoubtedly be his last case. Suddenly it dawned on him he had nothing to lose. He’d promised to help Anna and he knew that to break that promise would destroy everything they ever had together. She was angrily stacking the files, still avoiding looking at him, and he gave a soft laugh. She turned towards him, and he smiled.

‘Okay, okay, you win, and you’ll have my help, but first we interview Aisa and see if she’s willing to play ball. If not, we break her down until she does and then we screw Lady Gloria Lynne.’

Anna instinctively grabbed him, squeezed him tightly then kissed him hard on the cheek before thanking him. Langton told her that Ian Holme had arrived nearly an hour ago and Joan had served him the disclosure papers. Anna offered to go and get Dewar, take her to the viewing room and see if Mr Holme was ready for Aisa to be interviewed.

‘Thank you,’ she said gratefully.

‘Yeah yeah, go on, let’s get this show on the road.’

As the door closed behind her, he sat down heavily on the sofa, rubbing at his head. ‘That’s me fucked,’ he said to himself.

As Anna took Dewar down to the viewing room to show her the layout, she explained that the video cameras were permanently on and relayed a picture to the TV monitors. The room was dark with no windows or natural light, but had a large table with two monitors and chairs at which to sit and write notes, or there were two comfortable armchairs. A cold-water dispenser, along with tea- and coffee-making facilities, stood in one corner of the room. Anna leaned over and switched on the monitors and turned to Dewar as the picture of the interview room came up onto the screens.

‘That’s about it – you can help yourself to drinks and it’s okay to bring in biscuits and sandwiches, as long as you clean up when you’ve finished.’

‘Is it wise to let Gloria speak with her daughter before the interview?’ Dewar asked.

Anna thought that Dewar was suggesting it would be a productive move. ‘No way, I don’t want them anywhere near each other, that’s why I stipulated Aisa was to have no visitors.’

Dewar leaned across to get a better look and pointed at the TV monitor. ‘Then why are they in the interview room together?’

Anna turned sharply. Gloria Lynne was sitting next to Aisa, her back to the camera, her arm wrapped round her daughter’s shoulder and holding her close whilst whispering in her ear. Aisa was trembling and in floods of tears.

‘Shit, SHIT! Who the fuck’s let that happen?’ Anna exclaimed as she ran from the viewing room towards the custody area, leaving Dewar gazing at the monitor. Gloria slowly, almost eerily, turned to face the camera, her impassive face and piercing eyes appearing to stare straight towards Dewar.