The dead husband, p.4
The Dead Husband, page 4
‘Mrs Smith, is there anyone we can call for you so you won’t be alone with the children today?’ Jenny feared the woman was suffering from shock. Harriet blew her nose and thanked Jenny.
‘My husband will be able to come home, but I’ll ring him, he’ll only worry if he gets a call from a police officer.’
After a few more questions Sam gave Harriet a card with her contact numbers. ‘We’ll leave you in peace now but PC Walker will stay until your husband arrives. I’m sorry for what’s happened and if you remember anything which might help, please ring.’
Samantha decided they should go back over the field to see if there was anything new to report before returning to the station. It was pointless having too many personnel standing around freezing.
‘Anything yet?’ she asked Rick, the pathologist they’d spoken to earlier. Rick shook his head. ‘The body’s literally frozen stiff and I haven’t turned it yet to get into his pockets. I’ll let you know if we find anything, and take some photos to send over.’
‘Great, thanks, Rick.’
The women trudged back to the car.
‘Gosh, is it still morning? Feels like I’ve done a full day’s work already and my feet are like blocks of ice.’ Jenny sighed and reached for the heater again, turning it to its highest setting. ‘Lovely house the Smiths have.’
‘I suppose so if you like dead bodies in the vicinity.’
‘You’re a cynic, boss. I dream of a kitchen like that – those slate floors and granite worktops. Do you think the beams are original?’
‘Yeah, I noticed genuine woodworm too.’
‘No. seriously! I know I’ll never be able to afford a place like it, but I can dream, can’t I? Harriet Smith has good taste, too. All her lovely blue-and-white china on the dresser and those sweet little teapots. It had such an authentic feel, the Belfast sink, the Aga…’
‘Oh, Jen. Why waste time pining for things you’ll never have? Anyway, I thought you were the modern type, don’t you like your flat?’
‘Yes, but it’s so – square. Square rooms, square windows, you know – no character. It reminds me of the song my mum used to sing to me. D’you know it – Little Boxes?’
‘If you’re going to sing you can walk back to the station.’
‘No, I’ll not sing, promise, but I often feel like I live in one of those boxes…’
‘Pleaseee!’ Sam groaned.
‘Okay, we’ll talk about dead bodies instead, shall we?’
EIGHT
THURSDAY 8TH DECEMBER
DI Freeman entered the office and went straight to her DC’s desk. ‘Layla, was the misper you took yesterday a forty-something male?’
‘Yes, why? Is it a man’s body you’ve found?’
‘Afraid so. Did she bring a photograph?’
Layla pulled her phone from her pocket. ‘Here it is, what do you think?’ The DC passed it to Sam who studied it carefully.
‘It could be him, although I only saw his profile and the blood and mud didn’t help.’ Just then her phone pinged with a message from Rick, the pathologist at the crime scene, who’d sent the promised photograph in an attachment. Opening the image Sam placed it beside the one on Layla’s phone. ‘Not conclusive but it looks very much like the same man to me.’
Layla nodded and Jenny joined them to offer her opinion. ‘Yes, boss, I’d say this is Callum Cooper. How long had he been missing, Layla?’
‘His wife last saw him on Tuesday morning when he left for work. He works at Blacketts and they’ve confirmed he was there until 5pm but no one can account for him since. The poor woman.’
Samantha sighed. ‘That would fit in with CSI’s initial thoughts. The freezing temperatures will play havoc with predicting time of death but I think we should proceed on the assumption of our body being Callum Cooper. Layla, I think it’s best if you come with me to see his wife, a familiar face might help. Jen, can you start full disclosure on our victim, Paul can help.’
Layla grabbed her coat and hurried after her DI, and within fifteen minutes the two detectives were pulling up in front of number 43 Cypress Close. It was in a pleasant enough suburb, a terrace of Edwardian houses with small forecourts to the front. Number 43 was well maintained with a low wall enclosing a double-fronted bay-windowed house. Snow covered the path but Sam assumed clearing snow would be the last thing on Amy Cooper’s mind. ‘I hate this part of the job,’ she half whispered and Layla nodded her agreement.
A nervous-looking woman, somewhere in her early- to mid-forties, Sam guessed, opened the door and looked anxiously from one detective to the other. As recognition dawned on her, Amy’s eyes widened and she asked Layla, ‘Have you found him?’
Steering the woman inside, Sam asked her to take a seat while she and Layla took the sofa opposite. ‘I’m so sorry, Mrs Cooper but we’ve found a man’s body and have reason to believe it could be your husband.’
‘Nooo…!’ Amy Cooper wrapped her arms around her body and rocked backwards and forwards in the chair as huge sobs racked her body. A quick glance from Sam had Layla rushing to the kitchen to make tea while the DI crouched in front of Amy and spoke softly.
‘We need a formal identification before we know for sure.’ Sam grabbed a packet of tissues from her bag and gave them to Amy who suddenly jumped up and ran into the downstairs toilet. Retching could be heard from inside and as Layla entered with a tray of tea, she looked at Sam and grimaced.
‘Poor thing, it must be such a shock.’
Amy returned to the lounge and accepted the mug of tea Layla offered. Seemingly more composed, Amy almost whispered her questions. ‘How did he die? Where was he?’
‘We won’t be certain until the autopsy but it’s possible he was hit by a car. His body was found in a ditch about four miles south of New Middridge. Do you know of any reason he would have been in that area?’
Amy’s face was pained. ‘No. He should have come straight home – I don’t understand – had he been there since Tuesday?’
‘Again, we can’t be sure at this time.’ Sam couldn’t give her definitive answers.
Amy began furiously scratching at her arm. ‘If he was hit by a car why didn’t the driver stop and call an ambulance?’
‘It appears to be a hit-and-run, Mrs Cooper. It’s a quiet country road with no CCTV cameras – we’ll be seeking witnesses and investigating the circumstances.’ Sam knew her words were inadequate and any investigation would be difficult. It was unlikely anyone witnessed the incident in the quiet location and such appalling weather conditions. ‘Can we call someone to come and be with you? Layla said you have a sister in town.’
Amy nodded and passed her phone to Layla. ‘Her number’s in there, under Beth.’ Layla took the phone into the kitchen to make the call and break the news to Amy’s sister that they suspected her brother-in-law was dead.
While they waited for Beth Moorhouse to arrive, Sam turned to Amy. ‘I know how much of a shock this must be but I have to ask a few more questions so we can establish what happened to your husband. Did Callum drive to work?’
‘No, he preferred to walk – it was only about a twenty-minute walk. He enjoyed the exercise and it left the car free for me to use if I needed it.’
‘And do you work, Mrs Cooper?’
‘Not any longer. I was made redundant during the Covid lockdown. Will I have to identify… the… Callum?’
‘If you feel up to it, yes, but we’ll let you know later. Do you have any children, Amy?’ Sam switched to using her Christian name, attempting to put the woman at ease and develop a rapport with her; she would be seeing a lot of Callum’s widow in the days to come. Amy took a sip of tea before answering. ‘No, we couldn’t have children, there’s just the two of us.’ The sensitive subject brought more tears and Sam waited for her to recover before asking her next question.
‘I know I asked before, but can you think of any reason why your husband would be on that stretch of road?’
‘No, I can’t understand it…’ The doorbell ended the conversation and Beth dashed inside and ran straight to her sister. After a few moments and a repeat of the few facts the detectives knew, Sam and Layla left the sisters, promising to be in touch later concerning the identification of the body.
NINE
THURSDAY 8TH DECEMBER
It was late afternoon when Sam and Layla returned to the police station. Jenny turned from her computer to give them an update. ‘The body’s at the morgue but Rick can’t perform the autopsy until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. He said something about it needing to defrost.’
Sam wrinkled her nose at the thought – she knew this was quick and Rick would try his best. It was usual to wait three or four days for an autopsy. ‘Can you give him a ring and see if he can prepare for an ID this evening or early tomorrow? We need a positive ID as soon as possible.’
Jenny swung her chair back to her desk and took out her phone. Paul gave an update on his search into Callum Cooper. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary, boss – no police record. I assumed you’d want to wait for a positive ID before I dig any deeper.’
‘Yes, thanks, Paul. Can you get Tom and Kim to search for CCTV from near Blacketts? He was last seen leaving there at 5pm and I want to know how he ended up in a ditch at the other side of town.’ Tom Wilson and Kim Thatcher were new to Sam’s team and she was committed to giving them both as much experience as possible, recognising the potential in both of these young DCs. Tom possessed excellent computer skills and could be an asset to Paul’s side of the enquiry. Kim was keen to be at the forefront of the investigation and her people skills could prove useful. Sam turned back to Jenny who was ending her call.
‘Rick says if you give him an hour, he can have the body ready for viewing.’
‘Great. Layla, will you ring Mrs Cooper and pick her up to bring her to the morgue? Perhaps her sister would accompany her, and I’ll meet you there in an hour.’
The morgue wasn’t Sam’s favourite place, she could never understand why anyone would choose a career in forensic medicine. Yet attending autopsies was unfortunately a necessary part of her job when death was deemed suspicious, which this case appeared to be. She arrived only a minute before Layla brought the two sisters in, and the four women sat in the corridor until Rick appeared to tell them he was ready. In preparation for the ordeal, Layla had explained that the viewing would be through glass as contact with the body would be inappropriate and may cause contamination. She told them to take their time to make sure their identification was correct.
As the sheet was removed from the victim’s face both women gasped, staring for only a few moments at the body before Amy sobbed and almost collapsed into her sister’s arms. Beth helped her back to her seat and Layla offered her a bottle of water.
‘Amy.’ After allowing her a minute to compose herself Samantha asked softly, ‘Can you tell me if this is Callum?’
‘Yes… it’s Callum.’ Amy turned her head onto her sister’s shoulder. Beth nodded in agreement and the detectives moved away to give them time and space.
‘If she’s up to it, Layla, perhaps you could prepare her for what will happen over the next few days.’ Layla nodded and when Beth stood, she moved back to the women to take them home.
Amy Cooper sat in the back of the car and cried softly all the way home with her sister comforting her as best as she could. Several times Amy thought she’d be sick and asked Layla to open the window – the biting cold helped and the nausea passed. Beth too was glad of the fresh air, the sight of the body appeared to have affected her almost as much as her sister.
The house in Cypress Close felt cold and empty when they entered with Layla following them, hoping for a chance to discuss the days ahead and the investigation that the positive ID had set in motion. Beth made tea and Amy blew her nose and tried to compose herself.
‘I’m sorry but it was such a shock… to see him… I’ve never seen a dead body before… he looked so cold and grey.’
‘You did really well, Amy. It’s a difficult ordeal for anyone but it’s over now and we can try to find out what happened to Callum.’
‘Was it a hit-and-run?’
‘We won’t know for certain until later, it’s going to be tomorrow afternoon before the pathologist is able to perform the autopsy, and even then we may have to wait for tests to confirm how Callum died.’
Amy’s eyes widened as she looked at Layla with such a sad expression. ‘What kind of tests?’
‘The pathologist will primarily be looking for cause of death, in this case it could be a hit-and-run but it may be that your husband had an underlying illness or condition which caused his death, an unknown heart condition for example. Toxicology tests are routinely done too, and as these things all take time it may be a few days before we can reach any conclusions.’
Beth entered the room with a tray of tea. Having clearly heard the conversation from the kitchen she asked Layla, ‘So will nothing happen until you know the cause of death?’
‘No, the investigation’s already underway. The crime-scene investigators have been gathering physical evidence where your husband was found and if there’s anything you can tell us about Callum it will help. For example, if you know the route he usually walked home from work it will give us a starting point and help build up a picture of Callum’s routine. We can check any CCTV cameras near his place of work and try to get a sighting of him. We’ll also be visiting Blacketts to interview his colleagues and see if anyone saw him leave – walked with him part of the way, perhaps.’
Amy turned to her sister as if wanting her to answer. Beth sipped her tea thoughtfully. ‘We can put a route together quite easily; do you want to do it now?’
‘If you’re up to it.’
Amy nodded and Layla took out her phone and brought up Google Maps. She found Blacketts and asked Amy to point out the way her husband would take on his journey home.
When Layla left the Coopers’ house twenty minutes later, it was with a route, somewhere to start. She rang the office to update her boss and then went home. Tomorrow would be an early start and a long day.
After taking Layla’s call Samantha chased most of her team off home to rest. The investigation would begin in earnest when they had the autopsy report and the coming days could be long ones. Taking her own advice, she too left for home where a delicious aroma of curry greeted Samantha as she stepped into the lobby, a welcome clue to Ravi being home first. She smiled, the memory of making up for their argument the previous night still fresh in her mind. It was almost worth the aggravation of the row.
‘Hi.’ Ravi appeared in the kitchen doorway, her tiny yellow apron stretched around his waist and a wooden spoon held in his hand, dripping with curry sauce.
‘Hi, yourself,’ Sam replied. A warm contented feeling flooded her body on seeing this handsome man who had chosen to spend his life with her. This is what home should feel like, she thought – relaxed and carefree. There were bound to be the occasional arguments, especially when both partners had stressful jobs, but the sight of Ravi’s smile and the gentle way he looked at her made Samantha feel vital, cherished. She stood on tiptoes to kiss him before hurrying upstairs to change.
‘Curry in twenty minutes!’ He waved the spoon after her.
‘So, how was your day?’ Ravi asked later as they sat side by side on the sofa, content after a delicious curry and fruit to follow.
‘Cold and miserable. I attended the scene of a suspicious death, a man in a ditch, either hit by a car or dumped there – I’ll start fitting the pieces together when the autopsy gives us a few pointers.’
‘Do you know who it is?’
‘Yeah, Layla had taken a misper case yesterday and it turns out to be the same man. His wife was able to give us a positive ID. I’ll be attending the autopsy tomorrow afternoon.’
Ravi rolled his eyes. ‘I’m so glad you don’t bring work home with you!’
TEN
FRIDAY 9TH DECEMBER
The autopsy was scheduled for 2.30pm. DI Samantha Freeman would attend with her usual reluctance, as would her DS, Jenny Newcombe.
The team spent Friday morning in the office, collating what little information they had. The case was still officially a suspicious death, at best manslaughter, at worst, murder, yet either scenario would require a full investigation. Sam was keen to set the wheels in motion even without cause and time of death. She made a couple of phone calls then turned to her DC.
‘Paul, can you contact the owners of the two cottages near Harriet Smith’s? There’s a slim chance one of them might have been in the area and seen something, or even been responsible for running the man down.’ She knew it was a long shot but it was something they could be doing while they waited for the autopsy. ‘Layla, would you ring Mrs Cooper to see how things are with her this morning – ask if she’s thought of anything which may help us. Jen and I are going to visit Beth and Dave Moorhouse.’
Jen looked up from her computer. ‘Okay, boss.’ She was already struggling into her coat. ‘Yes, I’ve rung and they’re both at home, get a wriggle on will you.’
Taking the same pool car they’d used the day before, Sam drove while Jen entered the address into the satnav. ‘What are we hoping for from Mr and Mrs Moorhouse?’
‘Some background on her sister’s marriage and a general feel for them, particularly Beth. When she accompanied her sister to identify the body, I noticed traces of a nasty bruise on the side of her face. It looked to be a couple of days old but I’m always curious about these things.’
Beth and Dave Moorhouse lived in a small house, which estate agents would probably describe as semi-detached yet there was hardly any space between the neighbouring property. It looked like a seventies’ or eighties’ build and was identical to the surrounding houses. The doorbell played a Christmas carol, a bit early, Sam thought, and hardly appropriate when her brother-in-law had just been found dead.
