Cath Staincliffe - Dead To Me

‘I just told you that.’ Arsey again.

‘What time did you arrive and leave?’

‘I got there about two and left around half past two, to go to the town hall.’

‘While you were at the flat, please describe to me which rooms you went in,’ Rachel said.

‘The bedroom and bathroom.’

‘Nowhere else?’

‘No.’

He wasn’t scared, Janet thought. He was angry that he had been caught out, but he didn’t appear to be frightened of what else they might have on him. Was that because he had no more to reveal, or because his personality type made him overly arrogant?

‘On Monday, did Lisa resist you? Try to stop you?’

‘No, she wanted me there. She likes me,’ he said.

‘Lisa was expecting to have sex with you?’

‘That’s why I was there.’ Sneering, puffed up with his own inflated self-worth.

‘This had happened before?’

‘Yes.’

‘How many times?’ Rachel said.

‘Eight, maybe ten.’

‘When did you first have sex with Lisa?’

‘I can’t remember.’ Something else he didn’t want to admit to? Why?

‘But you had been seeing her for sex on a regular basis for some months?’

‘She was seventeen,’ he said, as if that made it all right.

‘And she was your client,’ Rachel said.

Tricky ground, Janet thought, ethics. Best left to the lawyers. Morally repugnant, but Rachel’s job was to tease out the facts and figures, and only that.

Raleigh didn’t even have the grace to look ashamed. Said nothing.

‘When you left, where was Lisa?’

‘In bed.’

‘What was she wearing?’

‘A robe thing.’

‘While you were there, did Lisa go into the living room or kitchen?’

‘No.’

‘Lisa was found dead shortly after your visit. What can you tell me about that?’

‘Nothing. I told you: we had sex, I left and she was fine.’

‘Did Lisa take drugs in your presence?’

‘No, I think she had some before I arrived.’

‘What made you think that?’ Rachel said.

‘She was high, uninhibited.’ He gave a slight smile, made Janet want to vomit.

‘Did you attack Lisa Finn?’

‘No. I’ve told you I didn’t. Why would I?’

‘Perhaps she argued with you, got aggressive – she had a history of such behaviour,’ Rachel said.

‘No, we were fine. We went to bed, then I left.’

‘What did you do with the condom?’

He moved his head back in surprise. ‘I flushed it down the toilet.’

Rachel put a photo on the table. ‘I am now showing the suspect exhibit number TP3. This is an item of jewellery that belonged to Lisa. Do you recognize it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Was she wearing it on Monday?’

‘Yes, I think so.’

‘Did you take it off her?’

‘No.’ He frowned, apparently not understanding why he was being asked about the cross and chain.

‘Did Sean Broughton know you and Lisa were having a sexual relationship?’

‘No, nobody knew.’

‘Why was that?’

He stared at Rachel, his eyes flat. ‘Because I’d lose my job.’

‘Lisa lost her life,’ Rachel retorted.

Nooo, thought Janet.

The solicitor complained as Raleigh said hotly, ‘That has nothing to do with me.’

Rachel sat back. ‘Let’s go over everything you’ve told me in greater detail.’

He sighed bitterly and moved in his chair.

‘Starting with when you first met Lisa.’

Another hour and Janet could see that he was finding it hard to maintain the veneer of civility, but even so his account had remained unwavering. Rachel finally declared they would take a break and Pete stopped the recording. Rachel went outside to smoke and Janet joined her there.

‘OK?’ Janet asked.

‘Slimy bastard,’ Rachel said.

‘Yes, you need to be careful with that, letting it show.’

Rachel rolled her eyes.

‘You were fine ninety per cent of the time, really. It’s not easy.’

‘You think he’s lying? About the murder?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Janet said. ‘I think he is telling the truth about the sex being consensual: the text messages, what we know about Angela, all makes that plausible.’ She shuddered. ‘I’m freezing. I’ll go up.’

‘I don’t think he’s got a clue, that we’re after him for Rosie too,’ Rachel said, blowing out smoke. ‘D’you want coffee fetching?’

The first time Rachel had offered to get her anything. ‘Thanks. Need something to keep me awake.’

‘Boring you, am I?’

‘Never that,’ Janet smiled, and hurried in as another gust of icy wind blew round the corner.

AS FAR AS the high-tech crime unit could see, James Raleigh had been circumspect in his use of the computer for his sexual activities. No email traffic with the women he manipulated, no Facebook friends or chat-room sites. Nothing with other men that implicated him in any wider abuse.

Gill summarized for the team: ‘He’s been careful to target women who were over sixteen and so avoid prosecution for statutory rape if found out. Of course his behaviour is totally unprofessional and we’ll see him struck off for what he’s disclosed so far. We’ve nothing on him for the murder. He’s put his hands up to consensual sex with Lisa and that’s our lot. We ask him about Rosie Vaughan next. Now, riddle me this – Lisa’s cross and chain: DNA traces from skin cells on the chain tells us it’s a woman. No hits, no previous record.’

‘Her mother,’ Rachel said. The girl had a real downer on Denise Finn.

‘Her mother gave her the necklace,’ Janet pointed out, ‘she would have handled it. That could easily account for it.’

‘Back in April – that’s eight months ago,’ Rachel said.

‘Dating DNA is a minefield,’ Gill reminded them. ‘It can last months, years even, and there’s no reliable way to pinpoint when it was left there. Thankfully, that didn’t occur to James Raleigh or he could have blown you off by saying he shagged Lisa weeks ago and the mucky mare hadn’t washed the sheets since.’

‘Probably hadn’t,’ Rachel said.

‘What about Angela?’ said Andy. ‘She’s besotted with Raleigh. If she caught wind he was two-timing her with Lisa-’

‘The pair have a history of animosity, fights at Ryelands,’ Mitch agreed.

‘Angela was slagging Lisa off when we were there,’ said Janet.

It was worth following up. ‘Mitch and Kevin, can you go fingerprint Angela and get a DNA sample. If necessary, we ask Denise after that. But I don’t see any reason to go disturbing her at this time of night.’

‘So, how you fixed, lads?’ Gill looked from Rachel to Janet. ‘Round two?’

‘Yes, boss,’ said Rachel.

‘Think on,’ Gill said to her. ‘He’s getting tired, but so are you. Collected, clear, impersonal – yes?’

‘Yes,’ Rachel said impatiently. Gill raised an eyebrow. ‘Ma’am,’ Rachel added.

That attitude showing again. Gill wasn’t going to pull her up now; she’d been very pleased with Rachel’s conduct in the first suspect interview and hoped she would maintain it in the second one.

‘I told you earlier that there were two matters I wished to discuss with you,’ Rachel said. ‘I now want to ask you about your relationship with Rosie Vaughan.’

His face set, frozen like a rabbit in headlights, except Rachel couldn’t see any fear in his eyes. She wanted to see it there, she wanted him to be petrified, chattering with panic, the way Rosie had been.

‘What about it?’ he said.

‘You had a sexual relationship with Rosie Vaughan?’

‘Long time back, yes.’

‘When was that?’

‘Two or three years ago.’

‘How did you meet her?’