Page 73 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

Jessica received the call from Chapman as she came out of the ladies toilet. DS Wood was standing waiting for her outside. She handed him his mobile. ‘That was very interesting – and useful – thank you,’ she said.

He put the phone back in his pocket with a frown. ‘We’d better get a move on. Anderson’s waiting.’ They hurried to the viewing room, where Wood turned the recording equipment on. In the interview room, they heard Chapman opening with the usual introductions before he cautioned Cole.

Baldwin coughed. ‘Before you commence the interview, DI Chapman, I’d like to inform you that Mr Cole has made a prepared statement that he would like me to read to you.’

‘What’s a prepared statement?’ Jessica asked Anderson.

‘It outlines the suspect’s version of events and their response to the allegations against them. Because he hasn’t had full disclosure, Baldwin hopes it will stop further questioning and reduce the impact of adverse inferences at trial.’

‘So, the interview will be over after Cole’s statement is read out?’

‘No. Thanks to you and your team, there’s incriminating forensic evidence to put to Cole that has not been disclosed to Baldwin. Cole may well give “no comment” answers, but that will harm his defence if he suddenly comes up with an explanation at trial.’

‘Go ahead,’ Chapman said, and Baldwin cleared his throat before proceeding.

‘Firstly, I want to state that I am innocent of the crimes I am accused of and believe that John Wheeler and Christopher Bishop are responsible.

I admit to knowing Johan De Klerk. He’s a charming man and a customer of mine.

We first met eight or nine months ago when he bought some jewellery for his wife as a birthday present.

I also sold Johan a Rolex watch, which Mr Baldwin has told me was stolen from him during a burglary, which I know nothing about.

I get along well with Johan, but we had a slight falling out last December over a ring belonging to his wife’s friend Chandice.

Michelle brought her to the shop to have her diamond and sapphire ring resized and polished.

Chandice left the ring with me, but after I’d removed and polished the sapphire, I accidentally put a different one back in the ring.

They all thought I had deliberately made a switch to keep the sapphire and sell it on.

They were understandably angry when they discovered what had happened, and Johan came to the shop.

Thankfully, I found the original sapphire in a drawer with many others.

Johan was satisfied that it was a genuine mistake and apologised for accusing me of any wrongdoing.

I accepted his apology, and that was the end of the matter.

Last Friday, I received a phone call from Johan.

He asked me to come to his house in Victoria Park Road, Hackney, to discuss the sale of some diamonds he had acquired.

I was driven to Johan’s in the afternoon by Christopher Bishop, a cab driver, who I regularly use as I don’t have a driving licence.

I can’t recall when I arrived, but I think it was between three and four p.m. I told Bishop I wouldn’t be long and to wait for me.

Johan invited me to his cinema room in the basement, which also had a bar.

He gave me a cognac in a water buffalo engraved glass.

We sat in the cinema seats, and he showed me a black lockbox containing numerous rough, uncut diamonds.

I examined them and asked where they came from.

He said South Africa and asked if I wanted to buy them.

I suspected they were stolen or purchased on the black market and told Johan I wasn’t interested.

He asked if I knew anyone who would be. I said I didn’t, and he’d have difficulty selling them to reputable dealers like me, as rough diamond imports must be accompanied by a Kimberley Protocol certificate, which he didn’t have.

He told me he could get the certificates from a friend in South Africa, but I still wasn’t interested.

Johan didn’t say anything or pressure me, and I didn’t ask any further questions about the diamonds, but I think he understood why I didn’t want to get involved in illicit or stolen goods.

We talked for a while, and I left. On the way back to my shop, without thinking, I told Bishop about the diamonds Johan had tried to sell me, and I believe he must have informed John Wheeler.

About two months ago, Wheeler came to my shop.

I’d never met him before, and he mentioned he knew Bishop and tried to sell me jewellery that had obviously been stolen.

I told him to get out and spoke harshly with Bishop, saying I’d sack him if he sent other criminals to my shop.

Bishop was apologetic, and then he told me he’d met Wheeler in prison.

After that, we didn’t speak about the incident.

Mr Baldwin informed me that I am suspected of using a burner phone to communicate with John Wheeler.

I totally deny this, and I believe the messages and calls on these phones were between Bishop and Wheeler.

On Saturday morning, I went to Birmingham on business.

I don’t like trains, and Bishop drove me there.

He stayed in a nearby cheaper hotel, but I don’t know which one.

I believe he used the burner phone to contact Wheeler.

Any calls I made on my phone to Bishop were to request his services as a driver or to deliver purchased goods to clients, for which I paid him.

Mr Baldwin also informed me that I am suspected of being involved in the death of John Wheeler, who was gagged, bound and tortured to reveal the whereabouts of the property stolen from Johan De Klerk.

Again, I deny this, and I don’t even know where John Wheeler lives, but I suspect Christopher Bishop does.

I also believe Bishop tortured and killed Wheeler because he wanted the property he’d stolen from Johan De Klerk’s house.

I am aware that the police obtained my phone records showing that I called Christopher Bishop on Tuesday at 2.

05 p.m. while in Birmingham and again just after five p.m. near Euston station.

I do not deny either of these calls. Bishop was in Birmingham with me, and I called him to say I was ready to go home.

On the way, and while travelling through Euston, I remembered I had an important letter to post, and I asked him to stop when I saw a post box.

He said he’d drop me off and go around the block, as there were traffic cameras, and he might get fined for stopping.

I posted the letter and five minutes later he hadn’t appeared, so I called him, and he said he was stuck in a side street due to heavy traffic.

I am also accused of trying to escape from the police when they came to my shop.

This is sheer nonsense, and there is an innocent explanation.

I had arranged for Bishop to pick me up and take me to a fellow dealer in Golders Green who wanted to purchase a quantity of jewellery from me.

Bishop came to the shop, and I told him to drive around to the alleyway at the rear.

This is because I don’t like to go out the front with jewellery for fear of being robbed.

Bishop didn’t appear, so I looked around the corner.

I saw two men walking towards me and thought I was going to be robbed.

I had no idea they were police officers, so I ran.

In closing, I againdeny all the allegations madeagainstme.

I believe that John Wheeler and Christopher Bishop were working together, and Wheeler robbed and assaulted Johan De Klerk.

Something then happened that caused Bishop to go to Wheeler’s flat, and while there, he attacked and tortured Wheeler, thereby causing his death.

This statement is true.

Signed. Nathan Cole.’

Baldwin slid the statement across the table to Chapman, who read it for himself and jotted down some notes.

In the viewing room, Anderson had also made some notes during the reading of the statement.

He turned to Jessica. ‘So, it looks like Michelle knows Cole. Funny she’s never mentioned it to us.

It makes you wonder if she’s also withholding information about other things. ’

‘I agree,’ Jessica said, not letting on that it was something she already knew.

‘He anticipated we might recover some diamonds and find his DNA on them. He’s covering his back by saying he handled the diamonds at De Klerk’s house.’

‘Cole’s clever,’ Jessica agreed, ‘but not as smart as he thinks he is. His story might have to change when he discovers the forensic evidence we have against him.’

In the interview room, Chapman looked at Cole and held up the statement. ‘This is a fabricated load of nonsense, Nathan, and we can prove it. I didn’t disclose this to Mr Baldwin, but we know, from Bishop’s phone records, that he was in London while you were in Birmingham.’

Cole’s expression didn’t change. ‘No comment.’

‘There are some other flaws in your statement. The woman who came into your shop just before you were arrested was working undercover. She overheard you and Bishop talking in the back. Can you recall what you said to each other?’

‘No comment.’

Chapman looked at his notes. ‘Let me refresh your memory. Bishop told you the police were at his flat in Hackney and watching your shop. You replied, “We need to get to the Hackney warehouse. We can buy fake passports and get out of the country. Get your cab and meet me out the back.”’

‘No comment.’

‘You have a warehouse in Hackney next to Mr De Klerk’s where you make lab-grown diamonds. Is that correct?’

Baldwin held a hand up. ‘This was not disclosed to me before the interview, DI Chapman. I want to discuss it with my client in private before you question him further.’

Cole put his hand on Baldwin’s arm. ‘It’s all right. I’m happy to answer questions about it.’

‘So, you admit owning a machine that makes diamonds?’ Chapman continued.