THE EDEN PARK KILLER an enthralling murder mystery with a twist by FRANCES LLOYD

Author:FRANCES LLOYD [LLOYD, FRANCES]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thrillers, suspense and mystery
Published: 2023-12-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

DI Crump’s interview with Carlene was brief — rather briefer than he’d anticipated. He’d sent PC Johnson to bring her in and was somewhat disconcerted to find that she was the same forceful young woman who had pushed between them when he’d arrested Mrs Dawes. And being a stranger to Kings Richington, he was unaware of their very close business and personal relationships. Nevertheless, he was determined to force a statement from her in support of his submission to the CPS.

When it came to MMO, Percy had a tenuous grasp on the method — Mrs Dawes had the skill, knowledge and knives to be able to commit the murder. She’d had opportunity — the time, chance and access to the victim, thanks to this Carlene person tipping her off, but her motive — the reason she wanted Broadbent dead, seemed to have evaded him completely as Carlene was quick to point out. They eyeballed each other across the table.

‘For a detective inspector, DI Crump, you don’t have much of a clue, do you?’

Percy was wrong-footed. ‘Pardon?’

‘Why would Mrs Dawes want to harm a man she hadn’t seen or heard from for over twenty years?’

He thrashed about for a credible motive. ‘She’s a woman. They bear grudges.’ He felt qualified to comment on such matters as the ex-Mrs Crump had divorced him for nothing more serious than keeping his racing pigeons in the bedroom. He became impatient. ‘All I need you to do, young woman, is sign a statement admitting you phoned Mrs Dawes and told her Broadbent was in your takeaway so she could lie in wait and ambush him when he came out.’ He pushed the form and a pen towards her. Carlene pushed it back.

‘But I didn’t phone her. I hadn’t a clue who the bloke was, only that he asked for her surname and did I know what she was called before that — and I didn’t. Then he wrote a note on a napkin saying he was in trouble and needed her help and asked me to give it to her.’

‘Aah!’ Crump shot to his feet as if he’d sat on something sharp. His braces twanged menacingly and several ginger hairs lost their battle with gravity and fell out onto his collar. ‘Now, we’re getting to it. Where is the napkin?’

‘I gave it to Mrs Dawes later that night after I’d closed the takeaway. I saw her read it, then screw it up and chuck it in the bin.’

‘Because she knew he was lying dead in her van and she wanted to get rid of anything that might incriminate her.’ He was triumphant. He pushed the statement form towards her. ‘Are you going to make a statement or not?’

Carlene pushed it back. ‘Not! Making a false statement could get me six months for perverting the course of justice. Has it occurred to you, DI Crump, that while you’re wasting time trying to fit up Mrs Dawes, the real killer is still out there? If I were you, I’d start looking for a proper motive before somebody else cops it.

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