‘So all your stuff is there?’
He nodded. Gina saw that Wyre had noted the address down. A search of the rental property would be arranged. ‘Does your dad know you used his credit card details?’
‘Yes, I told him I was in trouble and he offered to help me. He’s always looked after me when I’ve been short. He met up with me and handed it over. My dad’s a good bloke. Will you tell him to get my cats and look after them? I can’t see them out on the street.’
‘I’ll pass the message on.’ Gina knew that they’d have to check out the claims that his father let him use the credit card so asking him about the cats wouldn’t be a problem. The last thing she’d want was to see his cats being taken if there was another home they could go to. Finding Annabel was more important right now, so that would have to wait a while. ‘What was your relationship with Annabel?’
‘We’ve already been through this.’ He shrugged and folded his arms.
‘What really happened at the night of the party?’
He slammed his hand palm down on the table. ‘If you really must know, we shagged against a tree. There you have it. Two colleagues, drunk at a Christmas party. We’d been flirting for ages and things just happened. Okay. Neither of us planned it, we got carried away in the heat of the moment.’
His solicitor whispered in his ear.
‘All my answers will be no comment from now on. I will close by saying that I did not run over that woman. I did not take Annabel. I did not kill Taylor. I’ve just been in the wrong places at the wrong time. I confess to sexual assault. I know I have problems and I’m putting my hands up to them because I want to be a better person, to get better, which is why I’m going to get help and it starts with facing what I’ve done. I confess to all but I didn’t rape Anita. She was up for sex as much as I was but I harassed her after when she didn’t want to be with me. Okay?’
‘I guess a jury will decide the outcome.’ Gina knew with so many victims, it would go to trial.
‘And that’s all my client will be saying.’ The solicitor sat up straight.
Wyre leaned toward the tape. ‘Interview ended at twenty-two thirty hours.’
Someone tapped on the interview room door. O’Connor beckoned Gina out. She left Wyre to finish up before taking Whittle back to his cell. He’d be facing the magistrates’ court with his charges the next morning, where there would later be a trial and sentencing at Crown Court in the near future. She followed him away from the room. ‘Have you found the boy?’
He shook his head. ‘Sorry. I wish we had. I’ve had Whittle’s shoes examined and I’ve spoken to Bernard.’
‘And?’
‘Whittle’s shoe is the same size as the prints we found at the scene of Taylor’s murder. Our suspected perp walks with a limp and Whittle doesn’t.’
Gina’s shoulders dropped. ‘That leaves Omar, and did the team look into the list of people that had been to the Braddocks’s house? The ones who knew about the boat and where it was kept?’
‘Yes, but one person did come up more than the others.’
‘Who?’
‘Annabel’s father. He has previous. He has access to their life and would be able to use Grant’s other car.’
‘Go on.’
‘When Annabel’s mother was alive, in fact when Annabel was probably about five, he was convicted of hitting her mother. It was a one-off report and he pleaded guilty immediately and got a suspended sentence.’
‘So, just theorising here. He didn’t like who Annabel was married to and if he knew that Taylor was sleeping with Grant, maybe he wanted to make her pay too. I’m going over there now. If nothing else, he’s looking after little Cally. We may need to involve social services so get them on hand.’
‘On it right now, guv.’
Gina felt her fists clench. She liked Annabel’s father. He’d come across as the perfect caring father and grandfather. To hear of his conviction had turned everything upside down.
FIFTY-FOUR
‘Hey, sweetheart. We have to go. Get in the car?’
Cally rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. ‘I need Olaf.’
‘It’s okay. He’s in the boot. I’ll give him to you when we get there.’
She looked up from the back of the car. It felt odd not sitting in her child’s car seat. Her mum always told her she had to be strapped in, that it wasn’t safe otherwise. ‘Where are we going?’
