Page 106 of The Scene of the Crime

‘I’ll do my best to be there.’ She opened the dishwasher and looked inside. ‘Glad to see you rinsed and stacked the plates neatly for a change.’

He laughed. ‘That was Donna.’

* * *

Arriving at Barking, Jessica went to the ladies’ room. Looking in the mirror, she remembered Chapman saying that having her hair down suited her. She removed the scrunchie and puffed her hair before going to his office.

‘How do you want to approach things with Anderson?’ she asked as she walked in.

‘I think we should just be frank with him. The forensic evidence speaks for itself. I’ll let him read your report first if that’s OK with you.’

‘Of course. He might not like it, though.’

‘If Anderson wants to throw his toys out of the pram, then so be it. Everything you’ve said so far makes sense. He’d be a fool not to listen, but the choice is his.’

About half an hour later, Jessica got a phone call from Guy. ‘You’re in early,’ she remarked.

‘I wanted to get to work on Liam Palmer’s mobile phone asap.’ She put the speakerphone on. ‘I found a contact for a J. Wheeler. There have been no recent calls from Palmer’s phone to Wheeler’s. However, Wheeler’s number called Palmer on Monday at six p.m., and the call lasted about two minutes. Cell site analysis revealed that the call was from the Montague Road mast. I had the number pinged for the phone’s current location, and it’s still live and in the same area.’

‘Looks like Wheeler does live in one of the tower blocks,’ Chapman said. ‘Have you got an address?’

‘His mobile is pay-as-you-go, so there’s no registered address, I’m afraid.’

‘That’s no surprise, given he’s a wanted man,’ Chapman said.

‘The last call Wheeler received was just after midnight on Wednesday morning. I haven’t got the caller’s details yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do. I’ll keep digging and start looking at all the calls, texts, etc. made by Wheeler. Hopefully, that will give you the names of a few people you can speak to who might know his current whereabouts. I’ll send an email with what I’ve got and Wheeler’s phone number.’

‘Thanks, Guy. Good work.’ Jessica ended the call.

‘So we’ve got a definite connection between Palmer and Wheeler now,’ Chapman said. ‘The question is why Palmer has failed to tell us about him.’

‘He could be frightened of him. It doesn’t look like Palmer was a random choice to be the fall guy.’

‘I agree. Palmer tried to put on the hard man act, but I reckon he’s a soft touch and easily led. The stolen games consoles and laptop he had in his flat were probably bought from Wheeler and the proceeds of a burglary he committed. You’re right, you know.’

‘Aren’t I always,’ she smiled.

‘I mean what you said yesterday about re-interviewing Palmer.’

‘I thought you said there were legal implications about doing that?’

‘Stuff the legality. It’s the truth that matters, and we need to find Wheeler.’

They went to the custody suite, and Chapman took Jessica to a room with a one-way mirror so she could see into the interviewroom without being observed. ‘You could get into trouble for this,’ she warned him.

‘Honestly, I don’t give a shit,’ he shrugged. ‘He’ll be in court later this morning and then remanded in custody. Speaking to him on the inside without a solicitor will be almost impossible. And we’re up against the clock. This could be our last chance to see what he knows about Wheeler.’

Jessica nervously watched Chapman enter the interview room and waited for Palmer to be brought in. After a few minutes, a bewildered-looking Palmer was led in. As soon as he saw Chapman, his eyes opened wide with panic, and he turned quickly, trying to leave the room. The custody officer accompanying Palmer gripped his arm and led him towards one of the chairs.

‘It’s OK. You can let him go.’ Chapman put his hand on Palmer’s shoulder. ‘There’s nothing to worry about, Liam. Please sit down.’

‘My solicitor said you can’t talk to me again now I’ve been charged,’ he said.

‘This isn’t being recorded, Liam. This is all off the record. I’m here because I need your help, not to have a go at you, and if . . .’

‘Help me! You don’t believe a word I’ve said. I don’t want to talk to you anymore, so just take me back to my cell.’

‘I admit I didn’t believe you during the interviews, Liam. But I’ve learned things since then that have made me change my mind.’