‘We have a problem verifying this,’ said Erika. ‘You provided us with a receipt and a train ticket, and we checked the CCTV for the time that ticket was purchased. The person in the video is wearing a trilby and the brim obscures their face.’
‘I own a trilby.’
‘Owning a trilby is not an alibi.’
‘Detective, we’re going around in circles here.’ The solicitor sounded bored. ‘Have you exhausted all avenues? Does the ticket seller recall seeing my client? What about other CCTV?’
Erika looked back at the case notes.
‘His face is obscured on all CCTV, and we haven’t been able to find him on any other CCTV across the network. The person working in the ticket office at Blackheath train station that day doesn’t recall seeing Mr Wakefield. How close are you to your neighbour, Henrietta Boulderstone?’ she asked, addressing Charles again.
‘She’s a good friend.’
‘She also owns a trilby and a long black trenchcoat. When I saw you at Vicky Clarke’s funeral, I noted how you both have similar dress and height. This person on the CCTV image buying a train ticket could just as easily be Henrietta.’
Erika took out the CCTV photo from her file and slid it across the table.
‘Detective, my client may not have an alibi that satisfies you, but this is just ridiculous and demonstrates that you are clutching at straws. You would need to link my client’s lack of alibi to more than just circumstantial evidence. You have no murder weapon for either of these murders. There was no forensic evidence found in my client’s flat when the police entered on Monday 22nd October. He didn’t know either of the young women beyond a casual acquaintance. And now you think, what? That he sent his elderly neighbour off disguised as him to provide him with an alibi? Really.’
His rebuke stung. Erika gritted her teeth.
‘Your client blocked us from taking a DNA sample on his first arrest, which has severely hampered our investigations,’ she said.
‘No, he didn’t. He had a valid medical reason for a swab test not being taken. And you have this sample now, no?’
‘Yes, we do.’
‘Do you have any more questions, or are you going to release my client? You certainly have no evidence to charge him.’
Erika stared at them both.
‘We have up to ninety-six hours before we need to charge your client. I suggest we take a short break.’
Erika and Moss came out of the interview suite and went back to the incident room. Her head was feeling fuzzy, and after round one with Charles and the solicitor, Erika was worried she had already lost.
Crane and Peterson had been watching the interview on the monitors, and they came out into the corridor. They met McGorry coming back from the main entrance.
‘Boss, we’ve just been back at Charles Wakefield’s flat,’ he said.
‘Did you see his neighbour, Henrietta?’ asked Erika.
‘No. But listen, we found this hidden in a drawer in Charles’s hallway,’ he said, handing Erika a clear plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a white envelope and a small A5 letter. There was no date or signature, but written in black ink in the centre of the paper was:
* * *
TWO WORDS, ‘LILY PARKES’。 YOUR SILENCE KEEPS YOU ALIVE
59
Back in the incident room, Erika took the letter and held it up in front of everyone.
‘I need us to divide into teams and work our way through this. It could be something and it could be nothing. Why was Charles sent this letter? Who is Lily Parkes and why is she relevant to his silence?’ She checked her watch. ‘And can someone chase up the DNA results we took from Charles Wakefield yesterday?’
The first answers came from Crane a little while later.
‘The paper comes from Venice,’ he said. ‘It’s not what I call rare, but it is specific to a certain small supplier in Italy.’ He held the bag up to the light. ‘It has a watermark with the name Benatku stamped in it.’
‘So, not your average Basildon Bond?’ said Erika.
‘No, but I was able to find the shop where it came from easily on the internet. I’m sure many people go and visit Venice every year and come back with souvenirs like this… along with those carnival masks and aprons with the statue of the naked guy.’
‘I’ve got one of those aprons,’ said Moss.
Crane smiled. ‘Course you have. Oh, and along with the paper, there’s also a matching envelope from the same place.’
‘Couldn’t there be hundreds if not thousands of people living in London with this paper?’ said Erika, going back to her desk.