Page 25

TWENTY-FOUR

‘We have no evidence as yet against Colson, guv,’ Jacob said. ‘I’m glad he’s agreed to a voluntary interview.’

She nodded. ‘Let’s get in there now. That girl needs us, and we need to know who he was to Marie, and if he is , or if he knows , the man in the red baseball cap.’

She entered. ‘Mr Ferguson, I trust everything has been explained to you.’

His dark brown fringe stuck up like he’d slept on it and not combed it before coming out. His unkempt appearance befitted a man who’d lost everything, and the small room was beginning to fill with the scent of his nervous sweating. Beads glistened in a line across his forehead. He wiped them away with the arm of his polo shirt. ‘Yes, I didn’t mean to run. Like I said, I thought you were debt collectors. They ring all day and they kept turning up at my flat before I got evicted. I explained everything to the copper who brought me in. I’m sorry about that.’

‘Okay, so we’ll get started.’ Jacob pressed the recorder button and introduced Colson Ferguson for the tape.

‘That’s me, Colson the total loser. Literally.’ He paused. ‘Sorry, carry on.’ The tremor of his hands told Gina that he needed a drink, or a fix, of whatever his poison was. He looked down at his hands. ‘It’s drink. Like I said, loser.’

‘We’re not here to judge and we’ll give you some information on establishments that help with that before you leave.’

‘Can we just get on with it?’

‘You used to be in a relationship with a woman called Marie back in 2006 or 2007, is that correct?’

He stared wide-eyed and scrunched his brows. ‘That’s what this is about? Seriously? Some woman I dated a million years ago. I’ve lived with someone, left her and had two more serious relationships since then, not to mention dated a load of women. What about Marie?’

‘Tell me about her. Was she seeing anyone else around the time you were with her, or just before or after? Did she mention anyone?’

‘There were others but I can’t remember anything about them. It was ages ago.’

‘We spoke to someone you worked with. They said that you hit a man while you were there.’

He rolled his eyes. ‘I pushed an idiot out of the way. I was seeing Marie and I could tell he liked her.’ He paused. ‘I shouldn’t have pushed him. It was stupid.’

‘Do you remember what he looked like?’

‘He was wearing a white hair cover and a white coat. That was the uniform. Everyone looked a bit samey. He left while I was there but Marie said he was a bit weird. I can’t remember him. It was so long ago and I temped at so many places at that time.’

‘It’s not every day you end up pushing someone. Wouldn’t he be a person you would remember?’ Gina asked.

He shrugged. ‘I should but I don’t. I was young and stupid back then; I pushed a few people and got into my fair share of meaningless scuffles. What can I say? I just don’t remember him.’

‘Did Marie ever mention a boxer or someone who could have been referred to as City Boy?’ She glanced at her notes to make sure she got that name right.

‘Nah, Marie didn’t tell me everything. We weren’t exclusive. We both dated other people. She was pretty and popular. I don’t know either of those people.’

Gina pulled out the sketch of John Doe. ‘Do you recognise this man?’

He barely looked at the picture. ‘Nope, but then again, I’ve had that many jobs I could have met him but he’s not standing out.’

‘How about the red baseball cap?’

‘Nope. Again, I’m not saying I’ve never met him but I don’t recognise him.’

Gina placed the picture back in the file. Their John Doe would have worked at the factory over a decade ago. He could have changed a lot.

‘Is Marie okay? Has something happened to her?’

‘Quite the opposite, we are trying to locate her. Do you know her surname?’

‘Yes, it was Blaine.’

‘Have you seen her since?’

‘Nah, I hated the factory we both worked at. I got sick of stinking of fish every day, so I left. I don’t know what happened to her after that. We didn’t keep in touch.’

‘Did she ever mention being worried about something while you were together?’

He leaned back and began to grind his teeth while he was thinking. ‘She thought someone followed her home one night, but I think she was just being a bit melodramatic.’

‘What makes you say that?’

He shrugged. ‘Well, she was okay. No one attacked her.’

‘Do you know where she lived back then?’

‘Yes, I picked her up to go out one night. She lived with her dad and nan. She had a cousin, too, who used to come and have lunch with her sometimes.’

‘Do you know the name of her cousin?’

‘It may have been Lissy, but don’t quote me on that.’

‘Did you have an address for Marie?’

‘I don’t know the name of her road back then, but the house was directly opposite to the Cleevesford Cleaver. It used to be a bed and breakfast. It’s a hostel now, I think. She probably doesn’t live there anymore, but it might be worth a try.’

‘Mr Ferguson, do you play chess?’

‘I used to be on the school chess team, but not since then.’

‘Do you or have you ever owned a red baseball cap?’

‘No. I’m not that man in the picture you showed me.’

‘Do you have access to a car?’

He looked from side to side. ‘Err, no.’

‘Where were you between five and eight o’clock this morning?’

‘Asleep.’

‘Where?’

‘In my van.’

‘So, you have access to a van? What van do you drive?’

‘A Mercedes Sprinter.’

‘What colour?’

‘White. Why?’

‘Where do you park your van when you sleep?’

‘In a car park at Cleevesford Nature Park.’

Gina tried to envisage the route from the nature park to the back of Cleevesford High School. There were no automatic number plate recognition cameras along that route. He could have easily driven to the location and attempted to kidnap Keeley Moore.

‘Where is it now?’

‘On the road behind the bookies.’

‘Do you know someone called Keeley Moore?’

‘No. I mean, yes. Oh shit.’ He stared at her. ‘I, err, she… I want a solicitor. No comment.’

He knew Keeley.

He was in the area and he had a van that matched the description given to them. Before he could hide anything, they needed his van and phone.

‘Mr Ferguson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the attempted kidnap of Keeley Moore. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court.’

Gina exhaled. They were hopefully one step closer to finding the girl.