Page 45 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

‘That is correct,’ Anderson said. ‘On the grounds that a reliable identification couldn’t be made and there was no supporting forensic evidence. Now, getting back to the current investigation . . .’

Baldwin wasn’t finished. ‘Rape, attempted rape or any form of sexual assault are very traumatic for the victim and can also be for the officer investigating. From DI Chapman’s tone when speaking about the incident, I feel he may still feel animosity towards Mr Palmer.

His objectivity and impartiality are therefore questionable, constituting a clear conflict of interest.’

‘I decide who will investigate this case, Mr Baldwin, not you. DI Chapman has done everything by the book, and I consulted with the commander in charge of major crime investigations, who agreed there is no conflict of interest. If you wish to make a formal complaint, feel free to do so after the interview, but first, there is other incriminating evidence we want to question Liam about.’ Anderson nodded at Chapman to take over.

Chapman put three footmark photographs down on the table.

‘These are photographs of footmarks recovered from your flat this morning. They are from Adidas Ultraboost trainers. You said earlier that you don’t own that style of trainer. Can you tell us how those footmarks came to be in your flat?’

Palmer shrugged. ‘Someone who came to the flat I suppose.’

Chapman put down three other photos of the same trainer. ‘Would you agree the tread marks on these photos are the same as the other ones on the table?’

Palmer didn’t even look at them. ‘If you say so.’ Chapman asked him again to look closely at them, which he did. He agreed they were the same type of footmark.

‘This is absurd,’ Baldwin complained. ‘My client is not a footprint expert.’

‘It doesn’t take an expert to see the similarities, Mr Baldwin. I’m sure you will too if you take a closer look.’

‘As my client said, a visitor could have left them in his flat,’ Baldwin replied.

‘That’s true, but the second set of pictures are footmarks from Johan De Klerk’s house left by the intruder who stabbed him.

Our footmark expert has positively identified the marks in Liam’s flat as coming from the same Ultraboost trainer that left marks at the crime scene.

There are also matching footmarks in blood at De Klerk’s house. ’

Chapman laid photographs of the bloodstained footmarks on the table.

‘We didn’t find any Ultraboost trainers in your flat, Liam, so either you disposed of them after the crime, or someone came to your flat and left the footmarks before or shortly after the crime was committed. Which was it?’ Chapman asked.

Baldwin could see the implications of the footmark evidence and shook his head at Liam, encouraging him to make a ‘no comment’ answer, but he ignored him. ‘It must have been someone who visited me . . . or you put them there like you did with the money and the watch,’ he replied angrily.

‘You said earlier that no one visited your flat on Sunday or Monday.’

Palmer suddenly looked worried. ‘Maybe someone did. I’m confused and can’t remember now.’

‘The five hundred pounds we found in your wallet. Does it belong to you?’

‘Of course it does. It isn’t nicked if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘That’s a lot of cash to carry around,’ Chapman remarked.

‘I don’t like using my bank card apart from withdrawing money. I know how much I’m spending when I’ve got cash in my pocket.’

‘Are you saying you got that money from a cash point?’

Palmer nodded. ‘It’s all legit money.’

‘That’s still a lot, considering you can only draw out two hundred a day.’

‘I was saving up to get a bike,’ Palmer said, looking down at the table.

‘We had the money in your wallet examined for fingerprints, and yours were on it.’

‘Of course they were!’ Palmer replied, obviously confused, as was Baldwin.

‘So were Johan De Klerk’s, along with marks from the Sealskinz gloves, which were next to your prints on one of the notes. Our fingerprint expert said the odds of that happening by chance are a million to one.’

‘I don’t understand what you’re saying! You’re confusing me!’ Palmer’s voice had risen noticeably.

‘The money in your wallet must have been in Mr De Klerk’s possession at some point, and the only reasonable explanation is that you broke into his house, assaulted him and stole his money.’

‘No, no, this is not right. You must have put the stolen money in my wallet as well!’ Palmer shouted.

Baldwin put a hand on his arm. ‘Just stay calm, Liam, this is all evidence not disclosed to me before the interview.’

Chapman shrugged, ‘Life is full of surprises, Mr Baldwin. We also found De Klerk’s fingerprints and some from the gloves on the cash hidden under the sink, again indicating it was taken from Mr De Klerk’s house.

The gloves and the trainers haven’t been recovered because Liam disposed of them, probably when he set light to the Range Rover. ’ He looked at Liam, steely-eyed.

Palmer looked genuinely scared as he turned to Baldwin.

‘No, no, he’s lying. I didn’t do it. This is all a fit-up.

’ Jessica had to admit she was enjoying watching Palmer squirm and was impressed by how Chapman had confronted him bit by bit with the incriminating evidence.

It reminded her of Commander Williams’s remarks about ‘boiling the frog’.

‘Do you own any other mobile phones besides the one you had on you when arrested?’

‘No . . .’ he said nervously.

Chapman put a photograph of the phone recovered from Palmer’s flat on the table.

‘This is a burner phone. Have you seen it before?’

‘No, never.’

‘It’s been used to communicate solely through WhatsApp messages and calls with another burner phone.

The first message received on it last Friday said, “he’s going away Saturday morning, back Monday”.

Johan De Klerk was due to be away from his home over that period but cancelled his trip at the last minute.

’ He tapped the photo, ‘The reply sent from this phone was, “will do job early hours Monday.” Then, on Monday at four a.m., not long after the break-in, this same phone sent a message saying, “job done, call later”.’ Chapman paused to let it all sink in.

‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ Liam protested. ‘I’m telling the truth. I swear to God I don’t know anything about that phone.’

Chapman raised his eyes. ‘It was also used to call the other burner at 3.10 p.m. on Monday and last used on Tuesday at 3.48 a.m. A message saying, “car torched” was sent to the other . . .’

‘For fuck’s sake, I’ve never made any calls or sent messages on that phone! Why are you doing this to me?’ Liam screeched.

‘Has cell site analysis been done on the phone you allegedly found at Liam’s flat?’ Baldwin asked Chapman.

‘Some, yes, but it’s still ongoing. I can tell you it was switched off at eight p.m. last night.

The last recorded location at that time was a cell mast in Montague Road, fifty metres from where Liam lives.

’ Chapman placed another photo on the table.

‘Is that your bathroom toilet cistern, Liam?’ He nodded, looking confused by the question.

He started rubbing his eyes nervously. ‘We found the burner phone in a waterproof bag hidden inside the cistern. Our lab said it had been wiped clean of fingerprints and DNA. Can you explain how it got there?’

Baldwin put his hand on Liam’s arm to stop him from talking, but he shrugged him off and exploded with rage, swiping his hand across the table and scattering the photographs across the floor.

‘It’s you!’ he shouted. ‘You put it there. You put everything in my flat to frame me!’ His lips were flecked with spittle and he seemed close to tears.

‘We found these Adidas tracksuit bottoms and this hoodie in the communal bin at John Walsh Tower. Do they belong to you?’ Chapman asked, holding up a photo.

‘No, they don’t, and you know it!’ Liam wailed.

‘The clothes had blood on them, which is being DNA tested. We believe it will be Johan De Klerk’s blood, and we believe the clothing is yours.’

‘I never went to his house or stabbed him.’ Liam sank his head in his hands and started to cry.

Chapman didn’t say anything. ‘Can you tell me how Liam came to be a suspect?’ Baldwin asked Anderson.

‘Anonymous information to Crime Stoppers after a press release. The informant said a man called Liam was trying to sell a Rolex watch to him in a local pub on Monday and . . .’

‘I told you that, I fucking told you I was in the pub Monday lunchtime!’ Liam burst out. ‘But I didn’t try to sell anyone a watch. You can ask the landlady, Pauline. She’ll tell you I’m not lying.’

Chapman started speaking again. ‘The informant gave us a description that matched Liam’s and said he lived in a flat in John Walsh Tower, which we now know is owned by a Winston Brown.’

‘Then this Winston Brown would have a key to the premises. He may have committed the crime and put the stolen property in the flat,’ Baldwin suggested.

‘Unlikely, as Winston’s been in Jamaica for some time now. We believe he used to be in a relationship with Liam’s mother and sublet the flat to him,’ Chapman replied.

‘The informant could be responsible,’ Baldwin argued, but he sounded like he was grasping at straws now.

‘There was no sign of forced entry,’ Anderson said, ‘so Liam must have let the informant into his flat or given him a set of keys. If so, this is his opportunity to tell us who the other person involved in the crime is. At present, everything points to him being responsible for the attempted murder of Johan De Klerk.’

Liam put his head in his hands. ‘I didn’t do any of this. I swear to you, I am telling you the truth, it’s someone else.’

‘Then tell us who that someone is,’ Anderson said.

‘I swear, I don’t know . . . if I did, believe me, I’d bloody tell you,’ Liam pleaded.

‘We’ve shown you overwhelming evidence that proves you were involved, and you’ve repeatedly lied to us,’ Anderson said.

‘I’m not lying.’