Black River by Joss Stirling

Author:Joss Stirling [Stirling, Joss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2020-08-01T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Leo

The order Leo had given for an increased police presence around Jago Jackson had quickly paid off. The patrol had caught someone spying on Jago’s college rooms from the other side of the river, behaving in a manner that fitted with an obsessive stalker killer. His team was ready to celebrate but Leo wasn’t so sure it would be this easy. They thought they’d got their man. Had they? It would seem a very fast turnaround for someone whom Leo had down as a careful planner. But then again, murder was fundamentally a reckless act, as well as a morally repugnant one. He shouldn’t give the killer too much credit for intelligence.

Leo placed a call. A second opinion from a psychologist might give his gut a little more backing.

Michael was shown into an office which had a screen displaying the interview room. In there, a confused-looking young man in a running strip was sitting at the table, studying his fingers which were clutched together. He had short brown hair, medium build, small hands – nothing that discounted him as the perpetrator but also nothing that separated him from a thousand other men who used the towpath each day.

‘Michael. Thanks for coming – and sorry for the early hour.’ Leo indicated a place for him to position his wheelchair and put a coffee down in front of him.

Michael took in the participants inside the interview room. ‘DS Boston is taking this? That’s generous.’

‘Not generous, no.’ Leo kept his smile tight. He’d imagined the interview and decided this was his best team to field.

‘Who’s the female officer again?’

‘Suyin Wong.’

‘Ah yes, the neat and sharp one.’ They both fell silent to hear the rights being read.

‘Lucas Crouch, do you understand what you’ve just heard?’ asked Harry with his usual bullish tone.

‘Yes, but I don’t understand what I’m doing here!’ Crouch turned to Suyin, mistaking her for the softer of the two officers. ‘This is crazy. I was just out jogging. There’s no law against that.’

‘Indeed, there isn’t,’ said Harry. ‘But perhaps you’d like to explain, Mr Crouch, why you were jogging with binoculars and a camera with a telephoto lens? I imagine that’s a recipe for damaging some expensive kit.’

‘I have them in a padded rucksack – I always carry them.’ He hunched up a little defensively. ‘Do I need a lawyer?’ He was still looking at Suyin.

They had to be careful here. If he called in a solicitor, the delay would lose them the momentum.

‘You have the right to call a lawyer,’ she confirmed. ‘If you do so, we’ll suspend the interview and continue when they get here. That will take some hours.’

It was the right aspect to emphasise. ‘You mean take even longer? I’m due at work at nine.’

‘What is it that you do, aside from taking photos?’ asked Suyin, picking up the opening.

‘I’m a caretaker.’

‘Where?’

‘Ferry leisure centre.’

‘Does that mean you clean the pool?’

He was relaxing. Bad move, Crouch. ‘Among other things. I keep the changing rooms clean – tidy the public areas – people can be absolute pigs, leaving their rubbish everywhere.

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