Luke Delaney: Redemption of the Dead

‘A Detective Chief Superintendent Bannan — retired — said you should be one of the first to know.’

‘To know what?’ Sean asked with increasing impatience.

‘That Christopher Richards has confessed to the murder of Rebecca Fordham.’ Sean felt suddenly dizzy — elation and excitement mixing with regrets and sadness. ‘We found a tiny trace of DNA on a swab taken from Rebecca — too small to match at the time, but not now. The DNA belonged to Richards. Also, Mr Bannan wanted me to be sure to tell you Richards had touched the doll. We found flakes of rust from an old toolbox from his home that matched flakes we found on the doll’s clothes when we re-examined them. Mr Bannan told me to tell you that you had been right — he did touch the doll.’

Sean swallowed hard before he could speak. ‘And Richards?’

‘Well as you know he’s currently being detained indefinitely in Broadmoor — I guess this will only add to the indefinitely. He’ll plead not guilty on grounds of diminished responsibility and we won’t be contesting it.’

‘No,’ Sean agreed. ‘I don’t suppose we will.’