Shame the devil, p.3
Shame the Devil, page 3
She nodded, drying her eyes with the tissues, then scrunching them and clutching them in her hand as though they offered her some sort of comfort.
Molly waited until Cassie had composed herself, then continued. ‘I’m sorry to have to go over this again, Cassie. I know it’s difficult for you.’ She took a sip of the tea. ‘Silly question, but how are you coping?’
She nodded. ‘Beth’s been great. I must admit, I never really knew her that well before all this. Just the odd chat anytime we bumped into each other in the street. But she’s been so kind.’
‘And what about Arthur? How’s he getting on?’ She had made sure to remember the baby’s name before she left the office.
Cassie stared at her tea. ‘I don’t know. I’m sure he can sense something’s different, but I don’t know how much babies pick up on.’ She gave a little shudder. ‘What’s it going to be like for him growing up without a father? I don’t even know if I want that for him.’
‘You’ve got family, though? People who can help out?’
She was still staring at the tea. ‘There’s my mum. She lives in France. She coming over today sometime, just as soon as she can get a flight. I haven’t seen my dad in years, and my brother’s worse than useless. I don’t really know Kieran’s family. We haven’t been together very long. In fact, it was Arthur that brought us together. I haven’t spoken to his parents yet. It’ll look like I don’t care.’
Molly could see that she was upset. ‘Has anyone from Family Liaison been in contact with you?’
‘A woman called this morning to say someone would come round later. I thought you might have been her when you knocked on the door.’
‘Family Liaison will be a great help, Cassie. This is a difficult time. You shouldn’t have to deal with everything on your own. The police will have contacted Kieran’s parents, and I’m sure they’ll be in touch with you, but you should have your own family around you at a time like this.’
Cassie nodded. ‘What about funeral arrangements?’ She clamped a hand round her mouth. ‘God, I don’t even know if Kieran wanted to be buried or cremated.’
Molly explained about the post-mortem, how there would be a delay before the body could be released. She felt sorry for Cassie, but she was there for a reason.
‘Cassie, I need to ask you some questions about yesterday evening. I know you’ve been through it all with DI Denning and DS Neeraj, but I need to ask if you’ve remembered anything else. Try to think back. Take your time and talk me through the events of yesterday.’
‘I don’t know. It’s all so crazy. It was just a normal evening. We’d both got back from work at the usual time. I’d collected Arthur from the childminder earlier in the afternoon. I work part time in the Tesco next to Bromley-by-Bow station. Kieran got back about six. He was in the living room watching the news. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner – it was my turn to cook. Arthur was in his high chair. I was listening to the radio, then I heard the doorbell go. Kieran shouted through that he would get it. I didn’t think anything of it. A minute or so later, I heard a crash, I looked round and I saw Kieran standing in the doorway to the flat, clutching his stomach. I ran to him, helped him into the living room and saw that he was bleeding. He collapsed on the living room floor and passed out. I called an ambulance. I waited with him until it arrived. He kept drifting in and out of consciousness. I couldn’t get much sense out of him.’
‘Did he say anything else? Anything at all?’
She shook her head and rubbed a hand over her face. ‘No. He just said he’d been stabbed. I couldn’t understand it. Why would someone stab Kieran? We’ve only lived here for a few months. It’s a safe street. Or as safe as anywhere.’
‘We’re going to find out who did this, Cassie. But we need more information first. You told my colleagues last night that Kieran didn’t have any enemies, but if the two of you hadn’t been together for very long, how can you be sure?’
‘Kieran wasn’t the kind of person who made enemies. Everybody liked him. He was just a big, daft lad. He’d never harm anyone. We never argued, well, not seriously. He was great with Arthur. There’s no reason why someone would want to kill him.’
But Molly knew there must have been a reason. Yes, people did murder random strangers from time to time, but it was rare. And even then, there was usually a reason for it: a gang initiation, or someone suffering from mental health issues. But these cases were incredibly rare and invariably happened in the street. It was unheard of for someone to ring the doorbell of a complete stranger and randomly stab them to death. This had to be about something else. Unless Denning was right and Kieran Judd hadn’t been the intended target all along.
‘What about the man who used to live in the upstairs flat? Did anyone ever call round for him? Maybe press your doorbell by mistake?’
‘No. Not that I remember anyway. The bells are clearly marked. And he kept himself to himself. In fact, we always used to jokingly refer to him as “the bloke upstairs” as we rarely saw him.’
‘And he moved out a few weeks ago?’
She thought for a moment. ‘About three weeks ago, I think. He never actually said he was leaving, he just wasn’t around anymore. We never heard any movement coming from upstairs. Then I bumped into the landlord in the communal hallway one day and he said he was going to have the flat decorated and then look for another tenant. He still hasn’t got round to decorating it.’ Cassie looked at Molly. ‘Why? Do you think he had something to do with what happened?’
Molly smiled, trying to reassure her. ‘We don’t know at this stage. But it’s a possibility.’
There was a puzzled look on Cassie’s face.
‘What is it?’
‘I’m sure I heard…’ She shook her head. ‘No, forget it…’
‘What is it, Cassie? Anything you can think of will be useful.’
‘I wasn’t paying attention, but I remember I kept half an ear out. I was curious as to who might be at the door.’
Molly felt there was something more she wanted to say. ‘Go on. It might be important.’
‘I thought I heard him say something like “yes, that’s me”. I don’t know though. I couldn’t really hear over the sound of the radio.’ She shook her head again. ‘I mean I could have imagined it.’
‘But you’re sure you heard him say something?’
She looked confused for a moment. ‘Like I say, I’m not sure.’ Another shake of the head. ‘But I’m certain I heard him speak.’
Molly was thinking hard. ‘Can you remember how long between the doorbell ringing and Kieran appearing in the hallway?’
‘A couple of minutes. Maybe.’
‘Think carefully, Cassie. It might be important.’
‘When the doorbell rang, the clock on the oven said 6:17. I remember thinking if it was someone coming to visit, then it wouldn’t be long until dinner was ready. But I can’t remember how long before Kieran appeared bleeding in the hallway. I mean, not long. A minute. Two minutes.’
Molly was thinking. Rather than a random attack, what if the killer had taken a moment to confirm that Kieran Judd was living there.
That then raised the question: what if Kieran Judd had been the intended target all along?
* * *
She left the flat and spoke briefly to one of the forensic officers who were still working next door. They were in the process of finishing off and Molly confirmed that Cassie would be allowed back in within a couple of days. She understood Cassie’s concerns. Even though the flat was the scene of her partner’s murder, it was her home. She was going to have to take the first steps at rebuilding her life, and that would be easier if she was living somewhere familiar. It was going to be a long process.
Molly crossed over the road and knocked on the door of number thirty-one. There was a dirty Transit van parked immediately outside and another smaller van parked further down the street.
The door was eventually answered by an overweight man in his forties, sweating slightly and looking dishevelled.
‘What do you want?’ he asked.
‘Calum Nelson?’
‘Yes?’
Molly showed him her ID and explained why she was there. He glanced across the street at Cassie’s flat, then jerked his head back indicating for her to come in.
Nelson lived in a house rather than a flat, but the ground-floor layout was almost identical to Beth’s. The living room was cluttered with magazines, and dirty crockery littered the floor. There was a faintly sour smell about the property.
There was no offer of a seat, so Molly remained standing. ‘One of your neighbours was stabbed to death yesterday evening,’ she said. ‘I was wondering if you knew anything about it?’
Nelson sat on an armchair that faced an over-sized television. There was a black and white tattoo of an eagle on his neck, and another of a snake on his right arm. Despite the situation, Molly couldn’t help appreciating their beauty. ‘I heard about it on the news this morning,’ he said. ‘But I wasn’t here last night so I can’t tell you anything.’
‘OK, well, maybe you could tell me about the feud you had with Mr Judd. It was about parking, wasn’t it?’
He laughed. ‘Who told you it was a feud?’ Another laugh. ‘He whinged at me a couple of times because he claimed I parked my van outside his flat. I pointed out there are no designated parking spaces in this street. It’s first come, first served. He doesn’t own the street. And I’ve been here a lot longer than him and his missus.’
‘What exactly happened?’
He sighed. ‘One Saturday morning, he had a go at me because I’d parked in front of his place and he wasn’t happy. Said he’d had to park miles away and it meant carrying his baby and shopping and shit.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I told him to get lost.’
‘So it was aggressive?’
He laughed again. ‘It wasn’t aggressive. I admit I deliberately parked in front of his gaff again a couple of days later to wind him up. Nothing came of it though. I’d made my point.’
‘You can confirm where you were yesterday evening?’
‘Of course I can. Look, we had a bit of verbal about parking. Him and just about half the fuckers in this street. Parking’s hell round here, and I have a van and two cars. The van is for work and the car is for personal use. When I first moved here twenty years ago, you could park anywhere on this street. You were unlucky if there were more than a dozen cars the length of the entire road. Now, every sod’s got at least one car, sometimes more. Parking spaces are like gold round here now, and I have to park somewhere.’
His tone suggested it was fine for him to have more than one vehicle but not OK for his neighbours. The ‘me and mine’ mentality, she thought.
‘So you admit there was animosity between yourself and Mr Judd?’
He was silent for a moment, as though thinking over his answers, wary that Molly was trying to catch him out.
‘Look, if I knifed everyone on this street who’d had a go at me over the years, half the street would be brown bread.’ He sighed. ‘I didn’t dislike the guy. I just don’t like people telling me what I can and can’t do in my own home. But I didn’t kill him, and I can prove I wasn’t here yesterday evening. I had to make a load of deliveries between Portsmouth and London, and I didn’t get home until almost midnight. I saw loads of Old Bill blocking the road, so I had to park my van in the next street. I’m sorry the bloke’s dead. He might have been a bit of a twat, but he didn’t deserve that.’
‘What about the man who used to live in the flat above Kieran and Cassie? Tony Hallam? Did you ever have anything to do with him?’
He pulled a face. ‘Do you think I spend my days chatting to my neighbours? I’ve got a job to do.’
‘I’ll take that as a no, then.’
Chapter Five
Tony Hallam looked at Denning and Neeraj with annoyance when they knocked on his door. He was now living in a flat on the tenth floor of a tower block that overlooked the Mile End Stadium in Tower Hamlets.
‘What do you want?’ he asked, eyes dancing from one to the other.
They showed their ID and asked if they could come in. For a moment it looked like he was going to refuse until he realised that would mean having his business discussed on his doorstep with all his neighbours listening in.
He reluctantly showed them into his living room. Denning had to appreciate the impressive view from the large living room window, but the room felt draughty and slightly damp. Denning chose to ignore the view and sat with his back to the window.
‘So, what’s this about? I’ve kept myself clean since I got out and you’ve got nothing on me.’
‘Mr Hallam,’ Denning said calmly, ‘we’re not here in connection with anything you’ve done. At least, not directly.’
Hallam seemed edgy; eyes flicking between Denning and Neeraj, never quite remaining focused on either of them for more than a couple of seconds. ‘What are you talking about? I told you, I’ve kept my nose clean since my release.’
Denning explained about Kieran Judd’s stabbing the night before. ‘The bloke who used to live downstairs?’ Hallam’s eyes widened. ‘Shit! I’m sorry to hear that. He seemed like a decent guy. I mean, I never really knew him, but any time we chatted he was friendly. He’s got a kid too.’ He looked at Denning. ‘Look, I’m sorry to hear about what happened to him, but this has got nothing to do with me. I was in the pub last night. And anyway, I didn’t have any beef with the bloke. OK, his kid used to cry sometimes and it got on my nerves a bit, but that doesn’t give me a reason to want to stick a knife in his guts.’
‘We’re not suggesting you killed him,’ Neeraj said abruptly. ‘That’s not why we’re here.’
‘What then?’
‘Mr Hallam, we have reason to believe that you might have been the intended target. It’s just possible Mr Judd was stabbed by mistake.’
Hallam looked incredulous. ‘You’re joking, aren’t you? Why would someone want to stab me?’
‘That’s why we’re here, Mr Hallam,’ Denning said calmly. ‘If you were the intended target, then there’s a good chance whoever killed Mr Judd may come after you. Is there anyone you can think of who bears you a grudge or has recently threatened you?’
Hallam laughed. ‘If you think it’s someone who bears me a grudge, then look in your own ranks. You lot have been after me for years. I insisted I was fitted up for the last job I was sent down for, but none of you believed me. You’ve got me labelled as a criminal for ever more and that’s that.’
Denning sighed, while Neeraj rolled his eyes. ‘OK, Mr Hallam. Let’s just rule out members of the Metropolitan Police for now. Can you think of anyone who bears you a grudge? Someone you met in prison, maybe?’
Prisons were a melting point for grievances to fester and it wasn’t uncommon for them to spill over into the outside. If a serious falling-out had occurred, and the individual responsible still felt aggrieved, there was a good chance whoever bore a grudge would come after Hallam.
Hallam shook his head. ‘No. Nothing like that. I did my time. That prison was a shithole, but I survived.’
‘But there were never any incidents you were involved in? No threats made against you?’
He looked at Denning like he was mad. ‘You’re off your heads if you think what happened to that poor sod has got anything to do with me. I moved out of that flat weeks ago. If someone wanted to come after me, why would they go to my old address?’
‘How many people know your new address? Your ex-wife doesn’t even know you’ve moved.’
‘She doesn’t have any reason to. Besides, she’s made it clear where things stand. She wants me to have nothing more to do with her, or the kids.’
‘Why did you move?’ Neeraj asked.
He looked at Neeraj as though deciding whether or not to answer his question.
‘I couldn’t afford the rent. The landlord told me he wanted to sell the place. My probation officer found me one.’
‘And that’s the only reason you moved out of that flat?’
‘Look, I’ve told you. There’s no one after me. Nothing happened while I was in jail. You can check that out.’
‘OK,’ Denning said. ‘What about before you were sent down? What was your relationship with Declan Meech like?’
‘Declan? What the fuck’s he got to do with anything?’
‘Is it true the two of you had a big falling-out? If so, there’s a chance he might bear a grudge against you.’
Hallam shook his head. ‘That’s crap. We used to be mates. He’s got no reason to want to kill me. Why would he?’
‘Maybe because of the way you treated his sister,’ Neeraj said. ‘There’s an injunction out against you because you’ve been violent to her in the past.’
Hallam looked caught. ‘That’s got nothing to do with anything. Me and Maria went through a bad patch. We had no money coming in and two kids to feed. She was on at me all the time. All we did was argue.’
‘So you hit her,’ Denning said coldly. ‘When things got bad, you took it out on your wife.’
‘You can judge me all you like. I was in a bad place back then. I did stupid things because I was desperate.’
They needed to work out what all this had to do with what had happened to Kieran Judd. Denning took a punt. ‘But it is possible Declan Meech could bear you a grudge?’
Hallam thought for a moment. ‘I don’t know. No. No, he wouldn’t try to kill me. You’re insane if you think that. As I said, I’m sorry about what happened to that bloke. But this has got nothing to do with me. There’s no one after me and I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill me.’
Once they were outside heading to the car, Denning looked back at the flat on the tenth floor. He didn’t believe Hallam. He didn’t believe him for one moment.
Chapter Six
Molly Fisher was at her desk reading over her notes, eating an apple and tapping away at her keyboard as she entered anything relevant on to the database. She wanted to speak to Denning, but he and Neeraj weren’t back yet.
