Chapter 45

Dawn was sat on an uncomfortable sofa in the police station at Forth Banks. Her mother was beside her. Dawn hadn't stopped crying since she had called the police from Langdale Close and told them about her grandfather. She hadn't wanted him to be alone, so when DI Terry Braithwaite arrived at the bungalow, he had found Dawn sitting by the bed next to her grandfather, holding his hand.

Terry had been surprisingly sympathetic. He hadn't rushed her as he gently eased her up and walked her slowly to a waiting car where he told a PC to take her to the station, sit her in the family room and call her mother.

An hour had passed, and Dawn hadn't said anything to her mum. Rita had made the right placatory noises and hugged her daughter, but Dawn seemed to be in a state of shock.

The door opened, and Terry breezed in with Kyra Willis behind him. They closed the door and sat on a matching sofa opposite.

‘Dawn, how are you?' Terry asked in a quiet, soothing tone. ‘Are you up for answering a few questions?'

She gave a brief nod in reply.

‘When was the last time you saw your grandfather?'

Dawn's face was blank. She looked to her mother.

‘It was the third of January,' Rita said. ‘We were due to go around on the second as that was Carole – his wife's – birthday, but, well, with everything that had happened, neither of us felt like it. We went the following day.'

‘How did he seem?' Terry asked Dawn.

‘He was sad. Reflective,' Rita said. ‘He missed his wife terribly.'

‘Did he mention his son at all?'

‘Yes.' Rita continued speaking for Dawn. ‘He said…' She trailed off.

‘Go on,' Terry prompted.

‘Well, the thing is, his wife killed herself because of what Dominic had done. I think Anthony thought that if someone had killed Dominic in prison all those years ago, or he'd killed himself when he first went to prison, then Carole would still be alive, and they'd be happy.'

‘He blamed his son for his wife's death?'

‘Yes.'

Terry and DS Kyra Willis exchanged glances.

‘What's going on? Why the look?' Rita asked.

‘In Anthony's bedroom, we found an envelope addressed to me,' Terry said.

From a folder, Terry took out a white envelope and placed it on the coffee table between them.

‘In it,' Terry continued, ‘Anthony states that he killed Dominic.'

‘What?' Dawn exclaimed. ‘No. That's not possible.'

Terry took a single sheet of paper out of the folder and opened it. ‘He says that he didn't believe he had long left to live, and he felt justice needed to be served. So he killed him, and then himself.' Terry left the revelation hanging in the air before continuing. ‘He had told us he was ill, but why did Anthony believe he didn't have long left to live?'

‘He has bone cancer. Had bone cancer,' Rita explained. ‘He was diagnosed around September last year. It was spreading quickly. There was nothing the doctors could do other than try to ease the pain. He was taking medication, but I don't think it was working. There were days when he looked in agony. He never complained though.'

‘The thing is, we don't think Anthony murdered his son. The level of violence inflicted upon Dominic is not something a man in his physical condition could have managed. Why would he admit to a crime it's so obvious he didn't commit?'

‘I don't know.' Rita shrugged.

‘Dawn?' Terry asked.

She didn't say anything.

‘My years of experience tell me he's confessed to cover up the identity of the real killer.'

‘Why would he do that?' Rita asked.

‘Because he wants to protect them.'

‘But…' Rita started to speak then trailed off. ‘You think… You think he confessed to protect Dawn? That he thought Dawn killed her own father? Why would he think that?'

‘Why would I want to kill my dad? I'd only just met him. I was getting to know him. I helped him find that house. I got him a job. I had no reason to kill him,' Dawn said, her words tripping over each other as she finally started to speak.

‘How are your finances?'

‘What?'

‘You live on your own. You run a car. You've not long left university. You can't be earning much as a junior paralegal. Your father had been awarded a million pounds in compensation. I'd say that was motive enough for killing him.'

‘What? No,' Rita exclaimed. ‘She wouldn't. I can't believe you're even suggesting this. I've brought Dawn up on my own. I've taught her that if she wants anything in this life, she has to earn it herself. She had two jobs while at university. She saved and saved for everything she needed. I wanted to buy her a car, but she wouldn't let me. She bought that old Golf for a few hundred pounds.'

‘And how much did the Peugeot cost?'

‘That is none of your business,' Rita said.

‘It is my business. I'm investigating a murder.'

‘My daughter is innocent.'

‘Then she won't mind answering a few questions about her finances.'

‘She bought the car on finance,' Rita said.

Terry turned to Dawn. ‘Did you?'

It was a while before Dawn answered. ‘My dad bought it for me.'

‘What? You told me it was financed,' Rita said. She removed her hand from Dawn's.

‘He offered.'

‘So you lied to me?'

‘I didn't think you'd understand.'

‘What's there to understand? It's nothing to do with me if he wants to buy you a car. Why lie, Dawn?'

‘I'm sorry,' she said, tears rolling down her face.

‘And the large-screen TV in your flat?' Terry asked. ‘Did Dominic buy that for you too?'

‘Yes,' she replied, her voice barely audible.

‘Did he buy you anything else? Diamonds? A Caribbean cruise? First class tickets to New York?'

‘Don't be flippant,' Rita said. ‘He was her father. He hadn't been in her life for twenty years, and he suddenly came into money. He had every right to buy her things.'

‘He didn't buy me anything else,' Dawn said. ‘I didn't want anything else.'

‘As his next of kin, you will inherit what is left of his compensation claim. You have no alibi for the time of his death. Your grandfather confessed, it seems, to cover up for someone. That someone, I can only assume, is you.'

‘He was my dad,' Dawn cried.

‘He was a child murderer. It's not going to look good for a paralegal to have a convicted murderer for a father, especially one who was able to cheat the system and get one million pounds in compensation. It would make for a very nice nest egg if your career takes a nosedive when clients find out your true parentage.'

‘Is she under arrest?' Rita asked.

‘No.'

‘Then we're leaving.' She stood up and practically dragged Dawn off the sofa. ‘If you want to ask her any more questions, you can do it in the presence of a solicitor.'

Rita wrapped her arm around Dawn, pulled open the door and pushed her through. The door slammed closed behind them.

‘Do you think Dawn's the killer?' Kyra asked.

Terry inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. ‘I think she might be, but if she is, she's playing a very good game.'

‘How do we catch her?'

‘By playing a better one.'