Barnaby’s eyes widened. ‘What do you mean. How?’
‘An acid attack on Saturday night which is why I need to—’
‘Hold on,’ Barnaby said, stepping away from Copeland. Hisvoice travelled and echoed around the tiled hallway as he shouted urgently. ‘Kerry, Will.’
A female barrister turned around and looked at Barnaby quizzically.
‘My room,’ Barnaby said, picking up his laptop and papers.
‘Who are you?’ Kerry asked, removing her wig as Barnaby closed the door of the CPS office.
‘DC Copeland, this is Kerry Murphy, defence counsel for Ms Ferguson,’ said Barnaby ‘And this is Will Summers, Ms Ferguson’s solicitor.’
‘Have you found her?’ Will asked.
Copeland glanced at the clock on the wall. Ferguson had been dead for nearly thirty-six hours. She couldn’t understand why she, a police officer from a unit on the other side of the river, was delivering the death message.
‘On Saturday night a woman was attacked with acid in Notting Hill and died yesterday morning,’ said Copeland. ‘That woman was identified as Catlin Ferguson.’
‘Excuse me, what?’ Will exclaimed as his briefcase fell out of his hand. ‘She can’t … are you sure?’
‘Her identity was confirmed and her family have been informed.’
‘Why areweonly being informed now?’ asked Kerry as she looked across at Barnaby and then back at Copeland.
‘I don’t know why you or the court haven’t been informed by the investigating officers,’ said Copeland softening her voice, aware that she was getting defensive.
‘Aren’t you the investigating officer?’ Will asked suspiciously.
‘No, I’m attached to the Serial Crimes Unit,’ said Copeland. ‘It’s early doors and we’re just making all the necessary enquiries now to determine if Ferguson’s murder is a part of a series of vigilante attacks.’
‘Christ,’ Will said. ‘How can the verdict stand if the defendant is dead?’
‘The verdict has to be set aside. Excuse me.’ Kerry grabbed her belongings, pushed past Copeland and left the room.
‘Verdict?’ Copeland asked as Barnaby also picked up his belongings. ‘The trial isn’t listed until 11 a.m..’
‘The wrong time was published online,’ Barnaby explained. ‘The case was called on at 9.45 a.m. and the judge sent the jury out almost immediately. He then called us back in at 10.25 a.m. and issued a bench warrant because we thought Catlin had failed to surrender. I think the jury had already made up their mind because, forty minutes later, there was a verdict.’
‘Guilty,’ said Will. ‘Unanimous. Not that I was surprised. She should have bloody pleaded. She would have been serving a prison sentence but at least she would have been alive.’
‘I was hoping that the OIC would be around. I wanted to ask him if Catlin had reported incidents of harassment,’ said Copeland as she moved and blocked the door. ‘Was there anything that happened recently, any incidents at court? I’m not asking you to break legal privilege, Mr Summers, but did—’
‘She thought she was being followed,’ said Will. ‘I assumed she was being paranoid and overdramatic as per usual.’
‘Was there anything else other than being followed?’ Copeland asked.
Will blew out his lips as he rubbed the top of his bald head. ‘I’m assuming you already know about the slashed tyres and shit through her door?’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Copeland. ‘Did she report it?’
‘I advised her to but—’ Will stopped as his phone rang. ‘Sorry, it’s the office. I need to take this.’
‘There was also the incident last Friday with her sister, Siobhan,’ said Barnaby as Will left the room and the sound of the tannoy crackled.
‘All parties in the case of Ferguson to Court Six immediately.’
‘That’s us, but you might be in luck. Siobhan has been here for every single day of the trial. Check with witness services. I’m sorry, I really have to go but also don’t leave the building, just in case the judge wants to hear from you.’
