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

slumped, most of the time looking down but occasionally looking up, her hands by her side.

‘So you went to the playground. What happened then?’

‘I played with the others, defence and attack. I kept looking over to Dave to check he was OK. Dad had told me to look after my younger brother. One time, I looked across and a man was talking to Dave, so I stopped playing and ran back to the playground. The man was still there so I told him I would call the police unless he left Dave alone.’

‘What did the man do?’

‘He ran away sharpish, like he was afraid.’

‘So what did you do?’

‘I ran back to finish the game because the other lads were calling me. When I looked around again Dave wasn’t there. So I went back to the playground and started looking for him, shouting his name, but he didn’t answer.’

‘What did you do next?’

‘I thought he could have run home. I ran back across the road and asked Dad, but he hadn’t seen him. We started looking then, meeting a copper on horseback in the park. Big hoss it was too, much bigger than me. The copper spoke on his radio and I heard it squawk but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Anyway, we carried on searching and then Dad rang the police again and they came out to look.’ A long pause. ‘That’s it.’

Ridpath had been taking notes all this time. Everybody was looking at him as his pen scrawled across his pad.

Finally, Emily said, ‘Would you like something to drink, Daniel, after such a long time talking? Shall we take a break for five minutes?’

‘OK, I wouldn’t mind going to the bathroom.’

‘I’ll take you,’ said Ruby.

As they left the room, Ridpath’s phone buzzed with a message.

Michael Carsley going to be charged with the murder of his son at eight p.m. this evening.

Chapter 63

I was out yesterday but I didn’t find anybody. There were a few children I could have taken but none had the innocence I was looking for.

What is wrong with this young generation? Why do they all look like they know everything and have seen it all? Perhaps it’s the internet? Or YouTube? Or video bloggers?

I came back depressed and lonely. I thought about going to the other house but I didn’t want to be alone, not tonight.

Mother sits there, not saying a word, but I know she’s angry with me.

Time to find somebody.

I hope he’s as good as the boy in the United shirt. I remember clearly his last words as he lay on the bed. ‘Please leave me alone, please.’

I decided to kill him then.

He took a long time to die and I had to finish him off with a chokehold.

I’ll keep the next one for longer.

He’ll be my friend.

Chapter 64

Ridpath ran out of the interview room and past the surprised security guard as he dialled Claire Trent’s number on his phone. ‘What the hell’s going on?’

‘I’ll remind you not to use that tone of voice with me, Detective Inspective Ridpath.’ The voice at the other end of the phone sounded like a knife being scraped across a whetting stone. ‘As Senior Investigating Officer, DCI Turnbull has decided, in collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, to charge Michael Carsley with murder at eight p.m. this evening.’

‘But it’s bullshit. Where’s his evidence?’

‘He obviously feels he has enough and the CPS agrees with him. A press release will be going out later this evening.’

‘But we have video evidence confirming Michael Carsley wasn’t involved.’

‘What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’

‘We need to get confirmation from Daniel Carsley. We’re halfway through the interview when I received a text saying Michael is going to be charged.’

‘Who released the information? Everyone has been ordered to keep it under wraps.’

‘That’s not the point, boss, Carsley is innocent.’

He heard a long sigh down the end of the phone, followed by ‘I want to see this evidence, Ridpath, now.’

‘I need to finish the interview with Daniel Carsley first. We still have thirty minutes left with him.’

‘Right, finish and be in my office at five thirty with your evidence that Carsley is innocent.’

The phone rang off abruptly. Ridpath stared at the empty screen for a second before returning inside to the interview room.

Emily was still sat in the same place. Chrissy was checking the footage she had shot in the first part of the interview.

‘Well?’

‘It’s true, Emily, he’s going to be charged.’

‘What am I supposed to do now? I promised Daniel I would let him know as soon as I heard anything about his father.’

Ridpath made the decision for her. ‘Tell him as we conclude the interview.’

‘Not straight away?’

‘No.’

‘Is that an order, DI Ridpath?’

‘No, it’s an instruction, Emily. And I will tell him.’

As they spoke, Daniel Carsley came back in the room, drinking a coke and eating a bag of cheese and onion crisps. He sat in the same place and Chrissy readjusted the focus on his face. She switched on the tape machine with another loud click.

Daniel Carsley smiled at her.

‘We are now ready to resume the interview with Daniel Carsley at 4.29 p.m.’ Emily’s voice had changed. It was harder now when she spoke into the microphone, not as soft as before. ‘Right, Daniel, are you ready to begin again?’

‘Yeah, I’m getting hungry, though,’ he said through a mouthful of crisp.

‘Your evening meal is at six,’ said Ruby Grimes. ‘I think it’s fish and chips tonight.’

‘I like fish and chips.’

‘Daniel,’ began Emily, ‘I’d like to dig a little deeper into your statement, ask a few questions to clarify the details. Would that be OK?’

The boy nodded. ‘OK.’

‘Now right at the beginning you said you asked your dad if you could go to the park. Is that correct?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What time did you ask him?’

‘Dunno, nearly one o’clock I think.’

‘Why did you ask him then?’

Daniel thought for a moment. ‘Me and me brother were bored and there was nothing on the box except stuff about antiques and doing up houses.’ Then he seemed