Page 85 of The Scene of the Crime

Anderson answered. ‘I can assure you it has no bearing on this case. I wouldn’t have allowed DI Chapman’s continued involvement if I’d felt it had. As you well know, Mr Baldwin, it’s not uncommon for police officers to arrest the same person more than once, and we are talking about something unrelated that happened ten years ago.’

Baldwin looked at Liam for an answer. ‘They said I tried to rape a probation officer. She told them a pack of lies, and they believed her. I was . . .’

‘That’s not true,’ Chapman interrupted.

‘Let my client finish, please, officer,’ Baldwin frowned.

‘I was only fifteen, and she came on to me, but I wasn’t interested. She didn’t like that I turned her down, so she made it all up to get back at me. My mum told Chapman I was at home all night, but he still arrested me.’ Palmer glared at him, breathing heavily. Palmer’s false accusation made Jessica clench both her fists tight with anger. He hadn’t come up with that story when he was arrested ten years ago, and she wished she was in the room now to challenge his lies. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and listened carefully as Chapman responded.

‘I met the victim that night, and from the state she was in, I had no doubt she was telling the truth. She didn’t hear the offender break into her flat but woke up to find him standing by her bed, masturbating. He jumped on her, put his hand over her mouth and tried to rape her. Then, when she managed to scream, he ran off. Although he wore a balaclava, the victim recognised his voice and named William Palmer as the person responsible. The grounds for his arrest were completely justifiable, and I had no further involvement in the investigation,’ Chapman said, matter-of-factly.

‘I take it the CPS decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr Palmer,’ Baldwin said.

‘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.’