When the Evil Waits by M Lee (top fiction books of all time txt) 📕

Hill. We’ll have to get them to change it.’

She scanned the article and nodded as she finished it. ‘Molly is better than I thought. She has communicated the main points across that I wanted.’

‘You’re going to charge Michael Carsley?’

‘Paul Turnbull has already taken him to Wythenshawe nick. He seems sure the man will confess as soon as he is confronted. The evidence is beginning to stack up, Ridpath.’

‘The man is innocent.’

The smile vanished from her face. ‘How do you know that? What evidence have you brought me, Ridpath?’

She waited for his answer.

‘I’m still working – we haven’t finished yet.’

‘But Turnbull is close to charging him.’

‘You said I had till Saturday.’

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘Things change in an investigation, you should know that.’

‘You knew about the problems the Carsleys had in Scotland?’

She shrugged her shoulders.

‘But you didn’t see fit to tell me.’

‘I wanted to see if your investigation was thorough. I told you as little as possible because I wanted you to check everything. Understand?’

He softened his tone. ‘You didn’t tell me you were planning to charge Michael Carsley?’

‘I didn’t know we were going to charge him when I briefed you. Something new came to light.’

‘Like?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not obliged to tell you anything, Detective Inspective Ridpath.’ She stared at him for a long time, her eyes boring into him. ‘But as you have been involved, however tangentially, I will let you know. We discovered new evidence.’

‘What new evidence… boss?’ The last was added by Ridpath in a deliberate attempt to at least appear to be contrite.

‘Police Scotland have confirmed that Michael Carsley was arrested but not charged for child abuse.’

‘What?’

‘Teachers noticed bruises and a bump on the head of his son and reported it to Child Services. They called the police and he was arrested and charged. But, due to the nature of the crime, the Procurator Fiscal decided not to proceed with the case.’

‘When was this?’

‘Right before the family came to Manchester. It was probably the reason they left Scotland. He had earlier been cautioned for an assault at his place of work and on his wife, Irene Carsley. It seems the man has a problem with his temper.’

‘Hang on, which son are we talking about? David Carsley would have been too young to go to school at that time.’

‘Correct. The charges were for an assault on Daniel Carsley.’

Ridpath sat down, his eyes darting from left to right as he tried to process the information. Was that why Mrs Carsley was so scared of her husband? Had she been unable to protect her children? But why leave them with him?

‘There are other factors as well.’

He looked up at his boss.

‘Carsley was seen leaving the house by a neighbour at one thirty on the day of the murder. That’s why we brought him in to question him. He admitted leaving the house but wouldn’t say where he went.’

Ridpath was stunned. ‘Why didn’t this witness come forward before?’

Claire Trent’s eyes rolled upwards. ‘She didn’t think it was important. And there’s more…’

Ridpath waited for the kick to the teeth Claire Trent was going to deliver.

‘The CSIs re-examined the boy’s clothes again, stacked next to the body. There was no DNA anywhere, but there was a fingerprint on the big toe of a sock. It belonged to Michael Carsley.’

‘They’ve just found out?’

‘They used a technique called Vacuum Metal Deposition. Apparently, it can show prints on fabrics. Luckily, somebody at the lab had the good sense to use VMD on the boy’s clothes.’

‘The fingerprint could have come from touching the boy’s clothes in the past. Dressing him the morning of his disappearance.’

‘That’s possible but would it have survived for so long on the sock? After two days the print would have disappeared with normal wear and tear. It was still fresh when they found it.’

‘Convenient,’ Ridpath said under his breath.

‘What did you say?’

‘Nothing, boss. Has Carsley confessed?’

‘No. Paul Turnbull is interviewing him now at Wythenshawe nick. He reckons with a bit more pressure, he’ll cough to the murder.’

‘He didn’t do it, boss.’

‘What?’

‘He didn’t kill his son.’

‘Where’s your evidence, Ridpath?’

Ridpath tapped his fingers together. His mind flashed back to the happy picture of Michael Carsley and his sons on the mantlepiece. ‘I don’t have any. But I don’t think he did it.’

‘Another one of your hunches?’

Ridpath didn’t answer.

‘Did you find anything wrong with Paul Turnbull’s investigation?’

‘No, boss, there were a few minor things; he seems to have covered most of the bases. But it still—’

‘Did he make any major errors? Miss possible evidence? Miss witnesses? Not follow proper procedure?’

‘No, boss.’

‘Did you discover anything?’

‘Not really – we’ve only had three days.’

‘Well, now your time is up, Ridpath. I’m reassigning Emily Parkinson and Chrissy back to Paul Turnbull. He’ll need all the help he can to prepare the case for the CPS.’

She stood up. ‘And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to tell the chief constable the good news. The fact that we’ve found the man responsible will be a weight off his shoulders. He may even be congratulated in the press for once.’

She strode toward the door.

‘Oh, and Ridpath – you’re off the case. I had a chat with Mrs Challinor a few minutes ago. Apparently, you have been neglecting your coronial work. I’ve told her you will no longer be working on the Carsley case.’

‘But, boss, he’s innocent.’

‘Read my lips, Ridpath: you’re off the case.’

‘What about my report? You wanted to see it.’

She thought for a moment. ‘Give it to me tomorrow at nine a.m. Afterwards, you can go back to work for the coroner. At least she will be pleased to see you.’

Chapter 45

Ridpath went outside HQ to get some fresh air. The usual groups of smokers were assembled around a standing ashtray, cordoned off like lepers from the rest of society.

For a second the familiar craving for a cigarette flooded his tastebuds as he smelt the secondary smoke drifting towards him.

Why did it always remind him of lavatories?

Perhaps that was where he had first started. Stealing a couple of cigarettes