A Body in the Lakes by Graham Smith (great books of all time .TXT) 📕

piece of evidence that would seal his conviction for murder. ‘And the items of clothing were women’s. Specifically, they were an exact match for the clothing worn by Christine, Joanne and Harriet. They are, of course, being tested for skin flakes, hairs, etcetera, so they can be verified as belonging to the victims, but let’s face it, they were in a bag on the floor of the wardrobe, so trying to tell us they are his sister’s or girlfriend’s is a waste of everyone’s time, as they were the only items of women’s clothing in the house. Something else we found was a bag containing a digital camera and its accessories. The camera is a match for the make and model of the one Christine Peterson had with her when she was taken, and her husband has identified the bag as hers. Willow’s dress and underwear were found in a corner of the room where she’d been tied to the bed.’

‘Fuck.’ Cooper’s head tilted back so he was looking at the ceiling. Beside him, Irving’s face was grey.

‘Also, and perhaps this may seem spurious or circumstantial to you, Mr Irving, but when I caught your client about to rape his fifth victim, he was naked from the waist down and I couldn’t help seeing his genitalia. Please understand me when I tell you this, I’m speaking objectively as a police officer. The pathologist’s reports state that the first three women were raped by a man with a micropenis. My colleagues also found a number of devices, creams and pills that all purport to increase penis size.’

Irving’s eyes closed in defeat. When they opened, he looked at O’Dowd. ‘If it’s agreeable with you, Inspector, I’d like to request that this interview is suspended so that I can consult with my client.’

O’Dowd gave a short nod and suspended the interview.

As Beth walked out of the interview suite she wanted to punch the air. The interview was done for the time being and they had more than enough to charge Cooper, which meant they didn’t have to worry about releasing him when his twenty-four hours were up.

She also knew the real reason Irving had requested the interview be suspended. He’d want to point out the hopelessness of Cooper continuing to plead his innocence. They had him on five counts, plus the usual resisting arrest and assault of a police officer. When the interview resumed, it would be confession time.

‘Ma’am, when are you planning to resume the interview?’

O’Dowd shrugged. ‘Whenever his poor lawyer persuades him to sing. Why?’

‘You know that the mayor and I have been looking at setting up a charity to help victims of serious sexual assault?’ O’Dowd nodded. ‘Well he’s going to some party today and he’s invited me along because the host is someone who’s set up charities before. Do you think you could get someone else to finish off for me? After all, he’s going to plead guilty, isn’t he?’

‘Jesus, Beth. Do you never stop trying to do good? You need a hobby, or better still, a man in your life! Not the mayor though, he’s too old for you. Go on then, get yourself off.’

Sixty-Nine

When Beth parked her car, she felt out of place before she even opened the door. The car park of the Lakes and Fells Hotel was littered with flash vehicles. There were Mercedes, BMWs and a couple of Bentleys.

The hotel itself was a tall building with three main storeys and dormer windows indicating a loft conversion at some point in the building’s history. The gardens were manicured to the point where there wasn’t so much as a blade of grass out of place and the bushes and shrubs were trimmed into perfect spheres.

A small marquee was visible to the left of the hotel, so rather than going directly inside when she got to the top of the steps leading to the entrance, Beth followed the path round towards the marquee.

The feelings of unworthiness she’d had when parking returned when she took in the guests at the garden party. There was an air of money and class emanating from every person her eyes landed on. The women were dressed in designer summer wear and the men wore either linen suits or corduroys topped with a striped blazer.

It was a different world than she was used to, and she had to battle the temptation to turn around and go home.

Beth quashed her nerves and stepped forward before she changed her mind. She’d been pleased with how she looked when she’d checked herself in the mirror. The calf-length pleated skirt she’d pulled from her wardrobe suited her. Its powder blue colour was a perfect contrast for her black strappy top. She was glad she’d chosen to wear heels rather than the ballet pumps she’d first chosen. Not only were they a bit smarter, but she was happy to have a little extra height. Her entire outfit had cost less than fifty pounds and she doubted that any of the other women present had ever spent that little on any single item of their clothing.

Beth’s eyes picked out the mayor as she accepted a glass of orange juice from a sweating waiter. Forster was holding court with a group of five men. Two had cigars in their hands and they were all laughing at something.

Beth hovered at the edge of the marquee; the evening sun was still strong and she was glad to find a little shade.

She waited until Forster’s group splintered a little and walked over to him.

He greeted her with a hug, and flashed a smile at her that held traces of brandy and Cuban leaves. Try as Beth might, she couldn’t stop the instinctive stiffening of her body when his hug got that little bit too tight.

The next hour passed her by in a blur as Forster introduced her to various people. The most interesting of these was the host. A rotund man, he had a sharp mind and a quick wit. She only