‘I have text messages between me and Sophia!’ he blurted out, fumbling in the trousers of his jeans. He took out his phone and with trembling hands unlocked the screen and scrolled through. He slid it across the desk to Erika and Peterson.
They peered at the text message chain:
* * *
09.31 SHAWN M: Morning, what u up 2? X
* * *
09.33 SOPHIA （Vick’s mate） Not much, U? x
* * *
09.34 SHAWN M: In bed, twiddling my…
* * *
09.34 SHAWN M: thumbs… ????
* * *
09.55 SOPHIA （Vick’s mate） You know how to use them ?? What u doing this afternoon?
* * *
09.56 SHAWN M: Free to twiddle my thumbs and anything else ?? but I have to be back at work by 6, I could do around 2.30pm?
* * *
10.58 SOPHIA （Vick’s mate） See u then
* * *
10.59 SHAWN M: ????
* * *
14.42 SHAWN M: Train has stopped outside station. Almost there. Delays zzzzzz. Don’t want to twiddle my thumbs. Saving it for u.
* * *
14.50 SHAWN M: Did u get my message???
* * *
14.55 SHAWN M: We’re moving. Almost there, sorry not my fault. TRAINS!
* * *
15.00 SHAWN M: Just got off at Blackheath, see you in a sec.
* * *
‘You can see that we were texting back and forth and she asked me to come over,’ he said.
Erika scanned the text message chain.
‘You didn’t hear from her again after she answered your message at 10.58am?’ she asked.
‘Yeah, that was Sophia, she always liked to be aloof,’ said Shawn.
‘You arrived at Blackheath station at 3pm. What happened next?’
‘I went to the flats. Well, no, I went to the co-op quickly first…’
‘Why?’ asked Peterson.
Shawn shifted and looked at Erika. ‘To buy, er, johnnies. I mean, condoms,’ he said.
‘Do you have the receipt?’ asked Erika.
‘I dunno, I might do somewhere. I never used them cos I went to the flats and that’s when I found Sophia.’
‘How did you get in through the main front door?’ asked Peterson.
‘I had my key from Vick, which has an entry fob for the main front doors,’ he said.
‘So what time do you think that was, when you found Sophia’s body in Vicky’s flat?’ asked Erika.
‘I dunno, around quarter past three…You can see that I was late and texting her from the train… Please, I didn’t do it!’
‘We have a problem, though. You say that you arrived at Honeycomb Court around ten past, quarter past three. We can check train station CCTV to confirm this, and if you have that receipt for the co-op?’
‘I do. I can find it, and yes, CCTV. I’ll be on the train station CCTV!’
‘Where did you go between the time you found Sophia’s body at quarter past three, until you were captured on the Morrison Road bus stop CCTV at 4:25pm?’
‘I…’ His voice tailed off and he stared ahead, his eyes slightly out of focus. ‘I was freaked out, so I went for a walk on the heath.’
‘Did you see Vicky?’
‘No.’
‘Because we have Vicky caught on the CCTV at the same bus stop almost twenty minutes before you. You were both in the area.’
‘I didn’t see her. I was on the heath… Can’t you check my mobile phone records?’
‘Did you call anyone? Did you call Vicky after you found Sophia’s body?’
‘No. I was in shock and terrified that I was going to be blamed. I just walked about trying to work out what to do.’
‘Did anyone see you?’
‘I don’t know, it was quiet and empty.’
There was a knock and McGorry poked his head around the door.
‘Sorry. Boss, a word,’ he said. ‘It’s important.’
25
‘This better be good,’ said Erika to McGorry when they were outside in the corridor. Peterson followed her out. He nodded, with an excited gleam in his eyes.
‘It is. After Vicky was caught on the CCTV camera on the Morrison Road bus stop, she went to Blackheath railway station, and took a train to London Victoria. She then walked to Victoria coach station, and boarded a coach northbound. It was an overnight service to Glasgow…’ He handed her a series of printouts showing Vicky at Blackheath train station, the vast concourse at Victoria train station and then the smaller, more cramped and murky thoroughfare at Victoria bus station. In all of the photos she kept her head down, but they were able to follow her by the black Adidas cap.