Cath Staincliffe - Make Believe

‘Clive Wray,’ he said, ‘Hayfield was hosting a fell race that day. Hundred and forty entrants, stewards and supporters. If he was there, he couldn’t have missed it. He said there was no-one much about to alibi him. He’s lying to us, boss.’

Janine felt a surge of energy. This was just what they needed to keep the investigation moving forward. She wasn’t surprised by the news, people lied a lot, lied to the police as long as they thought they could get away with it. Shap’s earlier comments speculating about the family being involved suddenly looked a lot more likely.

Early that morning Janine made her way through the press camped outside the Wrays’ house, ignoring the intrusive thrust of cameras and the questions the journalists called out: Any news for us, ma’am? How are the family coping? What progress have you made? What about the bearded man seen at the park?

Claire Wray opened the door herself and flinched at the barrage of activity outside.

‘Is there any news?’ Claire said as they went into the kitchen.

‘No, I’m sorry. Is Clive here, Claire?’

‘He’s out, we’ve no milk. If you want tea…’

‘That’s fine,’ Janine said.

‘He won’t be long,’ Claire said. The woman was so jittery. Her face flickered with emotion, hands busy.

‘I need to ask you a very difficult question, Claire. And I wouldn’t do so if it wasn’t vital,’ Janine said.

Claire Wray nodded stiffly, stuffed her hands in her pockets. She looked at Janine directly then away.

‘We believe Clive is lying to us about going walking,’ said Janine.

‘I don’t know what to think anymore,’ Claire said urgently.

Janine scalp prickled. Claire knew something. ‘Claire?’

‘The suspicion. It just grows and poisons everything. I thought I was being paranoid. He was so jumpy every time anyone asked us where we were. I thought I was going mad. His boots were clean. I looked in his pockets. I was going to ring you.’ Claire pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket. She handed it to Janine along with a little ticket.

‘That’s where he was,’ she said agitatedly. ‘Look at the date. He’s lying. A time like this and he’s lying. Why would he lie, when Sammy… why would he lie?’ She was distraught, close to breaking down, her eyes wild.

Janine took in the contents of the flyer.

‘Thank you. I realise how very difficult this must be and I’ll make sure we find out exactly what’s going on. Can I ask you to keep this between ourselves for now until I’ve had time to look into it?’

Claire, her mouth working with worry, nodded.

‘There may be a very simple explanation but you did the right thing telling me,’ Janine reassured her, when they heard the door opening.

‘Mr Wray,’ Janine said.

‘Hello?’ he said. He went to put the container of milk in the fridge.

‘I’m afraid I have no news as yet but I wanted to call and see if either of you had anything to add to your statements.’

Clive shook his head, ‘No, sorry.’

‘Have either of you remembered anything fresh about the day Sammy went missing or the period leading up to it?’

‘The vandalism,’ Claire said suddenly.

‘What?’ said Janine.

‘We had these incidents, the car was scratched and the tyres let down, then we had a stone thrown at the window,’ she said.

‘You didn’t report this to the missing persons inquiry?’ Janine said.

‘It was weeks before, it was just kids,’ Clive said dismissively. ‘You get a spate of things and then it goes quiet.’

‘Could you make a note for me,’ Janine asked them. ‘When the incidents occurred, exactly what happened.’

‘You think there might be a connection?’ Claire said.

‘Just being thorough, we don’t know yet what is significant and what isn’t but it is important to consider everything.’

Claire nodded, wringing her hands.

As she left them, Janine wondered if Claire had the fortitude to keep quiet about what she had uncovered or whether she would crack under the pressure and confront Clive. The sooner the inquiry could establish exactly what was going on with Clive Wray the better.

‘We know he wasn’t hiking,’ Janine told Richard as they rode up in the lift to the incident room together. ‘But we get the story behind this before we pull him in.’ She indicated the leaflet and parking ticket in a protective evidence bag.

Richard’s phone rang and he answered, ‘Millie.’

He listened and laughed. ‘Do you now? Well, you’ll have to wait, won’t you?’

Oh please, Janine thought. She could do without being party to innuendo-ridden flirting between Richard and Millie. She rolled her eyes at him but he affected not to notice.

‘But listen,’ he said, ‘Clive Wray, his wife’s shopped him. He wasn’t roaming the dark peak, turns out he was at Sport City.’

Janine bristled. Who was he to go telling the press office what was happening? She was in charge.

‘Don’t know, yet,’ he said.

The lift stopped and the doors opened. There was more dirty laughter from Richard as he ended the call, ‘Yeah, catch you then,’ and followed Janine out.

Janine glared at him.

‘What?’ he said.

‘I’m the SIO. I decide when and how the press officer is briefed,’ she snapped.

Richard looked taken aback. ‘She was on the phone. Are you serious?’

Of course she was serious, she wouldn’t have bloody-well said it if she wasn’t.

‘Look,’ he said crossly, ‘maybe it’s a bit tricky for you, Millie and I seeing each other, working the same case together. If that’s hard for you to deal with, me dating someone here, if you want me to step down…’

God, no! She felt ridiculous, exposed. He was making her out to be some petty bully and implying she was jealous. Besides they had a break in the case, it was all about to escalate. She wanted Richard onside not shipped off to another inquiry.

‘It’s got nothing to do with that,’ she said hotly. ‘You’re way off the mark.’

‘Am I? What then? Enlighten me!’

‘I do not have issues about you dating. It’s about clear channels of communication, that’s all.’

‘If you say so.’

‘Richard, you can date who you like, it’s none of my business.’

‘You got that right.’

‘As long as it doesn’t affect your professionalism,’ she said.

He gasped, was about to object but she overrode him. ‘Fine, that’s sorted. Here.’ She passed him the flyer and the parking ticket. ‘Get someone onto that. We’ll schedule the meeting once we’ve more information on why on earth Clive Wray was at Sport City.’

‘Yes, boss,’ he flung the title at her and swung off in the other direction. Was she losing his friendship now along with everything else?

Shap’s trip to the Sport City stadium paid dividends. The place was state of the art. Built to host the Commonwealth Games back in 2002 and now home to Manchester City football team, it included impressive security with comprehensive CCTV coverage. Shap was made comfortable and shown the rudiments of the console so he could view the relevant CCTV footage. The parking ticket was timed for 10.55 and activities had been focused around the playing fields. So he began from that time and concentrated on that location.

Forty minutes later he found film of Clive Wray, Clive being given the bum’s rush by a very attractive, young competitor.

‘Naughty boy,’ Shap murmured and went to see about e-mailing the file across to the inquiry.

Now he sat with the others in the incident room as they all watched the scene: an under-16 girls’ hockey match stopped for half-time; a digital time counter on the screen showing 11.45; All Saint’s v Marsh High School visible on a scoreboard. Spectators and players milled about as Clive Wray approached a player, a young woman with long dark hair and tried to draw her into a hug. She pushed him away and began shouting at him. Clive Wray appeared to be pleading with her but moved away as people glanced at them.