“But Nigel’s still alive,” Taylor says.
“Maybe Nigel was next,” Chloe says.
“I think you’re right,” says Sam, nodding. “Jack was probably relying on Nigel taking his own life but he may well have planned to stage that later—then as next of kin, Jack would have inherited everything. Charlotte knew that something wasn’t right about Jack, which is why she didn’t call her uncle that night when her father failed to collect her from Jessica’s house. I refuse to attribute Charlotte’s wariness of Jack to simple instinct—there is no special intuition that alerts women and girls to the predator in their midst. Jack must have done something to put Charlotte on her guard. We’ll never know.” Sam gives a sad shrug.
“Perhaps,” Taylor ventures, “Charlotte caught her uncle reading a book calledHow to Get Away with Murder.”
That idea hadn’t occurred to Sam, but she thought it was a good one. “Charlotte was a smart girl. She figured Jack out a lot faster than we did.”
“Edris still got him, though,” Chloe chimes. “Even with Denver’s book to help him, Jack still didn’t get away with murder, thanks to her.”
“Don’t underestimate how much you’ve helped, Chloe,” Sam adds. “And you, Taylor. We all played our part. We can’t bring Charlotte back, but we gave her everything we had to give. Well done, everyone.” Sam smiles. They all watch through the glass as Tina and Harry chat animatedly in the DCI’s office. Tina is beaming, nodding, as Harry shakes her hand and pats her shoulder.
“Looks like the DCI is pleased with her,” Taylor says. “A quick arrest will be great for his precious stats. All he needs now is for us to find the real Denver, then Blakelaw will go down in historyas one of the most successful DCIs the Met has ever seen. I hope he gives Tina the credit she deserves when he speaks to the press later.”
Sam turns away and heads for the kettle. She’d love to tell Taylor that she was the one who had finally pieced together the bits of Denver’s book that Jack had used to try to get away with murder. How she had realized Jack lied in his interview when he claimed that he didn’t read or exercise much—Jim the gardener had confirmed the opposite to Sam. How Jack had followed Denver’s instructions about tracking devices, planting the pregnancy test, using bicycles and disguises, as well as creating a physical and digital alibi. How Jack had very likely persuaded his grieving brother to throwHow to Get Away with Murderto the press and deflect attention away from Charlotte’s actual killer.
Sam had pieced it all together, slowly but surely—yet she’d decided to give the win to Tina. Her reasons were not pure. In fact, they were selfish. Sam didn’t want to vindicate Harry’s decision to make her SIO when he knew she was not ready. Moreover, she felt that, in some small way, helping her colleague secure her first arrest as a Met detective might go some way to guard Tina’s future with a police force that desperately needed more strong women. Sam knew that the institutional misogyny plaguing the Met wouldn’t be cured by Sam going without credit so another woman could have it, but she was already confident that she had found Denver Brady, and just as soon as Sam had cleared up the confusion around Andrei Albescu, she would have her own big arrest to celebrate.
Sam was perceptive enough to know that if she had simply called Tina and told her what she’d realized about Jack Mathers murdering his niece, Tina would have insisted that Sam receive full credit for solving the case. So, she’d been a little cunning in her approach. When Sam had called, she’d led Tina just far enough down the path to be sure that her colleague would reachher own conclusions and make the arrest. When she’d hung up, Sam had felt weightless and free, knowing that she’d helped to bring Charlotte the justice she deserved. Knowing that Charlotte’s killer would soon be behind bars left Sam feeling like she could breathe properly for the first time in many months.
“DI Hansen…” A colleague interrupts her thoughts. “Call from the custody suite. Your suspect, Andrei Albescu, is ready to talk. The lawyer and translator are ready, too.”
“Damn,” Sam says, then turns to Taylor. “I forgot to ask Duggan about Barry Brown.”
“Ask him what?” Taylor says.
“What degree Barry did at Northumbria University,” Sam says.
“Why?” Chloe asks.
“It’s just a piece of the puzzle I think might be important.”
“Ma’am,” the woman presses. “They’re waiting for you.”
“You go,” Taylor says. “I’ll call Duggan, then join you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Inside the interview room, Andrei Albescu waits with a man in a crisp suit and a woman who sits in the corner, a notepad and Romanian dictionary on her lap. Sam and the translator exchange a polite nod and Andrei’s lawyer stands to introduce himself.
“Julius Windsor,” he says, shaking Sam’s hand, “of Windsor, Forbes and Knight. King’s Counsel.” The pale, jowly man hands Sam a business card and smiles at her with watery blue eyes. She doesn’t return his smile. She thinks for a second that Toni would growl at this man, as he occasionally does when they’re out walking.
“DI Hansen,” Sam says to the room.
“We’ve met before, Detective,” the lawyer says. “A couple of years ago. Back when you were investigating cold cases—”
“I don’t remember,” Sam cuts him off. “Shall we get down to it?”
The man straightens and wipes his sweaty top lip with his tie, which makes Sam’s insides roll. Taylor arrives just in time to conduct the formalities, and as he does so Sam takes in Andrei Albescu’s demeanor. He looks remarkably calm, his hands clasped loosely on the table, his eyes neutral. He’s wearing fresh gray clothes andhe’s showered. Her eyes drift to the lawyer’s garish tie, which is baby pink with birds on it. Are they flamingos?
“It’s clear to me, Detective,” the lawyer smiles, “that you have no evidence against my client. Nothing. A misguided sentence or two, without representation and without a translator. You and I both know—”
“Andrei,”—Sam leans forward, ignoring the lawyer entirely, “I no longer need to question you regarding Charlotte Mathers. Do you understand?” He nods. “All that I need you to do is explain to me why you burned down Swinton’s Printers and why money from a website called Howtogetawaywithmurder.com is ending up in your account. I know there’ll be a reasonable explanation. I know you aren’t a killer. But I need you to tell me the truth,so that I can get you home to your family.” Sam sits back, her mouth a little dry.
Andrei looks to his lawyer, who shakes his head.
“No comment.”
