Page 55 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

‘Yeah, that’s right, I was telling the truth. So the charges will be dropped and I can go home?’

‘I can’t make that decision, Liam. It will be up to DCI Anderson and the CPS. But if you answer my questions, it could help you. You have to be honest with me, though.’ Chapman showed him the photo of Wheeler on his phone. ‘Do you know this man?’

Palmer glanced at it, then quickly looked away. ‘No, I’ve never seen him before.’

‘You barely looked at it, Liam, which makes me think you do know him.’

‘I swear. I’ve never seen him before.’ His voice trembled, and he started licking his lips.

‘Are you frightened of him?’

‘If I don’t know him, how can I be frightened of him?’

‘His name is John Wheeler. I think he’s the person who’s trying to frame you for breaking into the house and stabbing Johan De Klerk.’

‘I want to go back to my cell. I’ve got nothing more to say to you.’

‘Did he give you the money in your wallet?’

‘No. Please, just let me go back to my cell.’

‘If I’m going to help you, Liam, I need you to tell me the truth.’

‘I am. I don’t know him.’

Chapman sighed. ‘The thing is, Liam, the money in your wallet had your prints and De Klerk’s on it, so it had to have been stolen from him. I don’t think you stole it, but I can’t help you if you don’t help me, Liam.’

‘I can’t help you because I don’t know him.’

‘What are you so worried about?’

‘I’m not worried.’

Chapman sighed again. ‘I can see that you are, Liam. Has Wheeler threatened you?’ Liam looked at the floor. ‘Have it your way. Wait here, and I’ll get the custody officer to take you back to your cell.’

Chapman got up and left the room, then went to see Jessica next door. ‘Liam must be terrified of Wheeler, but I don’t know what else I can do to get him to open up.’

‘Can the charge of attempted rape be dropped to indecent exposure?’

Chapman hesitated. ‘If that’s what you want, and the CPS agree, I don’t see why not.’

‘Then let me speak to him.’

‘I don’t think that would be a good idea.’

‘I’m not worried about being in the same room as him.’

‘All right, but I’m staying in there with you. Give me a minute to explain that someone else wants to talk to him.’

‘What are you going to say?’

‘I’m going to big you up,’ Chapman said, walking out before she could say anything.

The custody officer showed Chapman back into the room. ‘I want to go back to my cell,’ Liam pleaded.

‘The custody officer is busy, but he’ll be back here in a minute or two. There’s something I think you should know.’

‘What?’

‘The lady in charge of our forensic unit watched your interviews and believed what you said might be true. So much so that she looked at all the evidence again and concluded you were telling the truth. She convinced me you didn’t break into the house or assault Johan De Klerk, and Wheeler set you up for the crime.

If not for her, I wouldn’t be talking to you now and trying to help you. ’

Liam looked surprised. ‘Why would she do that for me?’

‘Because she cares about what happens to you. She doesn’t want to see you convicted of a crime you didn’t commit. She put her job on the line for you. Honestly, at first, I didn’t believe her. I was convinced you were guilty, but now I know you’re not.’

Liam looked gobsmacked. ‘Can you thank her for me? Nobody ever done nothing for me like that.’

‘You can do that yourself . . .’

Jessica took the cue, passing the waiting custody officer positioned outside as Chapman had instructed him, and entering the room.

‘This is Jessica Russell, head of our forensic unit,’ Chapman said.

Palmer’s eyes opened wide with shock. He started to push his chair back from the table as if he needed to get away from her.

‘Don’t worry, Liam,’ she said. ‘I’m not here to shout or scream at you.

Thank you for telling DI Chapman what happened in my flat that night.

It can’t have been easy, and I understand why you didn’t admit it back then.

’ Liam seemed bewildered, putting his hands on the table and then back on his lap.

He bowed his head, unwilling to look at her.

Chapman glanced at her anxiously, but she seemed relaxed and unconcerned. She let the silence lengthen.

Eventually Liam coughed and wiped his lips with his hand.

He still wouldn’t look at her. ‘I’m sorry for what I did.

I didn’t mean to frighten you. You were always kind and tried to help me when you were my probation officer.

All I knew as a kid was that my dad beat my mother, who was always drunk, and she took the punishment out on me.

It was never my dad who grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall until I was unconscious.

It was her. But I had to tell social services it was my dad who did it so she could keep custody of me and not lose her benefits.

I’ve been living a lie my entire messed-up life. ’

Jessica was shocked but tried not to show it. ‘That’s all in the past, Liam. It’s the present and what happens to you now that’s important. I think you know the man in the photograph, but I understand if you’re frightened of him . . .’

‘I don’t know him. I’ve never seen him before,’ he said stubbornly.

‘DI Chapman has enough evidence to arrest Wheeler, but we don’t know where he is.’

‘I don’t know either. Please, I appreciate you standing up for me, I really do, but now I just want to go back to my cell.’

Jessica spoke softly, leaning forward. ‘If he’s arrested and charged, he can’t hurt you. We know he’s trying to frame you for a crime you didn’t commit. Neither of us wants to see you go to prison for something you didn’t do.’

Chapman took up the baton. ‘We know Wheeler lives in one of the tower blocks on Montague Road, but we need the exact address. I understand why you’re frightened of him, but like Jessica said, if we arrest him, he can’t hurt you.’

Palmer looked hesitantly at Jessica for reassurance. ‘Liam, I want you to know that I have asked that the charge for the offence against me be dropped to indecent exposure.’

‘You’d do that?’ Palmer asked.

‘If you help us, I will talk to the CPS and ask that they consider granting you bail. I can also ask that you be considered for witness protection and given a place to live well away from Wheeler.’

He closed his eyes, shaking his head from side to side.

‘Listen, I’ve seen what this bloke can do .

. . I saw him smash a kid’s face in the pub for not doing anything, and I know he almost killed another bloke at his hostel .

. . he said he’d cut my throat if I ever said anything to anyone, I’m so scared of him .

. . how do I know he won’t find me and hurt me again? ’

‘You have my word, you will be protected,’ Chapman said.

‘And mine,’ Jessica said quietly.

Liam sniffed, then wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He took a deep breath. ‘Flat 78 Fred Wigg Tower. There, I done it.’

‘Are you sure, Liam?’ Chapman asked. ‘The last thing I want is to force entry to the wrong flat.’

‘I am telling you the truth. He got me the laptop, the PlayStation and Xbox, and I went there to collect them.’

Chapman nodded. ‘OK. Thank you, Liam. There are a few other questions I’ll need to ask you about your involvement with Wheeler, but right now, I’m going to go and arrest him. As soon as I’ve done that, I’ll let you know. Is that OK?’

Liam looked to Chapman first, and then to Jessica. ‘Am I going back to my cell?’

‘Yes, I’ll see you get some breakfast.’ Chapman was in a hurry to get going as the custody officer entered. Chapman hurried out and Liam and Jessica both stood up.

Hesitantly, Liam put his hand out, reaching towards her as if to shake her hand.

She stared at him. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she said quietly. She walked out as the custody officer took Liam by the arm.

It was 7.30 a.m. when Chapman tried calling Anderson, but there was no answer.

He sent a text message saying there had been a significant development in the investigation and that he needed to search a suspect’s address and arrest him if he was there.

Jessica was standing beside him as he put his phone down.

‘We need to go to Wheeler’s flat right away.

He may not be there, so we might have to set up a surveillance operation.

Hopefully, you and your team will find some incriminating evidence.

I’ll need a full forensic search on the premises, so I’d like you to come with us and see what you’ll be dealing with. ’

‘Yes, of course. I don’t expect Anderson will be very pleased, though.’

‘Sod him. He should have answered his phone. Mind you, it’s probably better he didn’t. He’d have told us to wait until he got here and wasted valuable time. I’ll see if anyone’s in the main office who can come with us. You get down to the yard, I’ll only be a few minutes.’

Chapman drove to Fred Wigg Tower with Jessica and DC Bingham, who had got into work early.

On arrival, they met two uniformed officers waiting around the corner in a marked patrol car.

They then all took the lift to flat 78. Chapman knocked on the door and waited, but there was no answer.

He knocked again, but still no one came to the door.

‘Bollocks,’ he muttered to himself. ‘I’ll need a warrant to force entry. For now, we’ll set up an observation post. That’ll give us time to brief Anderson and get the warrant, then he can decide whether to go in.’

Jessica got her phone out, dialled Wheeler’s number, put her ear to the door, and listened. ‘I can hear a mobile ringing. It’s unlikely he’d go out leaving his phone behind. He could be in there.’

Chapman turned to one of the uniformed officers. ‘You got a door ram in the patrol car?’

‘Yes, guv.’ He hurried off.

Chapman crouched down and opened the letterbox. ‘This is the police, Wheeler!’ he shouted. ‘Open the door now, or we’ll force it open.’ There was still no reply, and when the officer returned with the ram, Chapman took it from him.