Again, sorry for procedure, and sorry if this is a bit rushed but I can't cover ALL the interviews or we really would be here forever!
"The DNA has flagged up Gabby Reynolds as a close genetic match."
"What?" Gill was taken aback. What did Janet mean?
"It's someone Gabby would share 50% of her genes with"
Gill was shaking her head again. "Who? Her father?"
"He was definitely in hospital at the time, we double checked! But the DNA does belong to a male"
"So what? A brother?"
"We're in the middle of checking the birth records." Said Janet "We're also TIEing everyone from the yard today, and everyone from Gabby's work who can't provide a decent alibi for the night of her murder."
"Right" said Gill, she was confused again. What was it about this case? It certainly wasn't straight forward. "So we are closer to finding who the killer was?"
Janet smiled "Yes boss, although we're not much closer to finding out why"
Gill sighed "Oh joy. Well, if we can find out what an earth has happened here before the CID squirrels get hold of it then that would be bloody fantastic." She looked up as Rachel knocked on the door behind Janet. At least Rachel still knocks thought Gill, pleased that she hadn't lost the complete respect of her team.
"Ma'am, we've looked into Reynolds finances, and something very interesting has flagged up."
"Wait, shouldn't you be in with Gabby now?"
"Her solicitor wants another chat. She's trying to strike some deal with us in return for information"
Gill rolled her eyes. Solicitors were always the bane of her life. "What did you come to tell me then?"
"Their income is not consistent with their out-payments. The company should be making a net profit on the car parts they can sell on before scrapping them, but they've been raking it in. The company has been earning more than it should and so has Gabby. She's been taking a mother-load of cash out of the business, and nobody has noticed because she's raking so much in! But then the tax man doesn't get near her. It gets paid straight out again."
"But why?" said Janet "And where?"
"To her father. When he's not in hospital he's living in a residential home with specialist assistance for people who need round the clock care. It averages at about £1000 a week!"
"Jesus" Janet muttered.
"So maybe her money problems have got her into trouble in some way? Maybe she's having to protect the real killer because of money owed, or a deal that's been struck?"
"But where's it all coming from?" Gill was starting to get very tired of being so confused!
"Well, Ricky Brent's mother did say that the company may be doing dodgy dealings with the group Ricky worked for!" Janet reminded her
Rachel nodded. "Mitch checked out this David Bond, and turns out he's got a lot of previous. Stealing cars appears to be a hobby of his. I think he sees imprisonment as an occupational hazard!"
"I want him found then. You can get Mitch to interview him!" said Gill.
"Yes Ma'am"
XxXxX
"We've found a murder weapon Miss Reynolds" said Rachel, looking across the table into Gabby's dark eyes, which were now darting all over the place. She was breathing heavily and seemed to be shaking as she spoke.
"Sh-she fell over." She stammered. "She definitely fell over"
"You see Gabby, this is where I'm having trouble following you" said Rachel carefully. "Post-mortem results of Holly Wainwright's body show us that she was killed by a blow to the head. But I'm afraid that what you're telling us is not consistent with this, as we know that something hit Holly. Holly didn't hit something." Gabby let out what sounded like a terrified squeak, closely followed by a stifled sob. Rachel looked at her closely again. She looked terrified. No, she looked more than that. She looked completely distraught. Her expression reminded Rachel of a time she'd had to give the news to an elderly couple that their son had been charged with the rape of a 15 year old girl. They had looked so tortured. As if all the years of love and pride that they had treasured for their son, was being shattered into more and more tiny shards of confusion and guilt with every word Rachel spoke. It's always the parents who are blamed, she remembered Gill telling her after the court case was concluded. Suddenly, she looked up as she'd just had a thought. "Interview suspended at 11.03"She said quickly, ignoring the grunt of surprise that Pete had given from behind her, and checking her watch to confirm the time. She stopped the tape and stood up, hearing Pete stumble up behind her as she headed for the door.
XxXxX
"Boss, we've TIE'd Barry Mason, the young lad from the yard, and something very interesting has come up on his records!" said Janet.
Gill looked up from her computer for the fourth time that day. This was the second time Janet hadn't bothered to knock. "What?"
"He spent 6 years living in the Greenwood Children's Home in Chadderton."
"Is that the one Holly Wainwright was at?" Gill was suddenly very interested.
"Yes!" said Janet smiling "And they were both there at around the same time. They were 3 years apart in age. There's a very good chance they'd have known each other quite well. Perhaps stayed in touch?"
"Bring him in. What about DNA?
"Still waiting on it, but that's enough to question him isn't it?"
"Oh yes" nodded Gill, with the familiar gleam of excitement in her eye. She smiled at Janet, but her smile vanished as she turned to look behind Janet, where Rachel had come running up.
"Ma'am" Rachel was breathless, she'd run all the way up the stairs from the interview room without a second thought, but now she wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Rachel, if you don't like interviewing Gabby then you could just say" Said Gill sarcastically. This was the second time she'd been under the impression that Rachel was actually conducting an interview.
"She must be a mother!"
"What?" Gill and Janet were both staring at her.
"A mother. She's protecting her child. She must be. I can see it on her face" Rachel knew they thought she was babbling but she didn't care. She just had to get her words out.
"Who's a mother?" asked Janet calmly from beside her. She was slightly worried that Rachel might fall over at any second. She was certainly good at that.
"Gabby Reynolds. It all makes sense" Rachel was looking between Janet and Gill as she spoke. "Who would you protect over everyone else? Whatever they'd done, who would you want to know was safe." She looked desperately between the two women. They were both mothers, and for a couple of months even Rachel had felt that strong maternal instinct of protection. Something in her chest ached as she remembered. She tried to put it out of her mind. "We said that Gabby was doing dodgy dealings because of financial issues implicating her family. Mitch has got that much out of David Bond! So the killer must have had some personal reason for being so involved. Maybe they were protecting their own. Their family. And who would she want to protect if not her son!"
"But she doesn't have a son." Janet said gently
"Maybe she does!" said Gill slowly. "What was it you were saying about Barry Mason?"
"Barry Mason?" said Rachel, sounding confused
"That young lad at the yard" said Janet. He's been in care all his life"
"Do we have his DNA yet?" said Rachel, looking at Gill who was already dialling a number on her office phone.
"Only one way to find out." Gill paused, putting the receiver to her ear and waiting for a reply. "Hello, yes, DCI Gill Murray MIT. I need the DNA of Barry Mason, taken from the TIEs done this morning, to be compared with that of Gabriella Reynolds. Case reference CS56. And I need the results of this now, right now" Gill waited. Rachel looked at Janet, they were both eagerly awaiting the result. "Yes?..Yes I am... You have?" Rachel frowned. She hated only being able to hear one side of a conversation. Gill could be talking to herself for all I know, she thought. Actually, she probably does, when she's alone. I know I do. Rachel shook her head to stop her mind running away and concentrated on what her boss was saying. "I would like to be informed if information like this crops up...yes...well what am I paying premium rate for? For you to sit on your arse all day doing fuck all?...Yes...thank you. Thanks. Bye" She slammed the phone down.
"They discovered that the DNA of Gabby Reynolds was a close genetic link to that of Barry Mason over an hour ago. They just didn't think it was urgent enough." She was shaking her head, looking disgusted. "I mean, what were they thinking?"
"So he's her son?" said Rachel eagerly
Gill smiled. "Well done Sherlock! Bring him in!"
XxXxX
"Miss Reynolds, why didn't you tell us that one of your employees, Barry Mason, was your son?" asked Rachel, her voice steady and emotionless, with only a slight hint of curiosity.
Gabby gave a gasp.
"Would you like me to tell you why I don't think you told us Gabby?" said Rachel dryly. Gabby's eyes were shut and she was shaking her head. "I think the reason you didn't tell us that he was you son was because you knew he'd done something stupid. Maybe even something dangerous." Rachel looked very closely at Gabby. She was shaking, but she wasn't denying it.
"My client was not prepared for this line of questioning" said the solicitor, straight on the defence.
"Gabby?" said Rachel, ignoring the solicitor. "Gabby, I think you know. I think you know that he'd killed Holly. I think you worked it out, and that's why you said you'd done it. You wanted to protect him. To protect your son. Is that right Gabby?"
Gabby was crying now. Rachel couldn't help feeling sorry for her, although she didn't know why. Rachel knew what it was like to protect someone you loved from something very wrong that they'd done.
"He did it for me" she spluttered.
"Who, Barry?" Rachel was pushing for a name. Without a name a witness statement was pretty much useless, as the prosecution would tear it apart.
"It was all for his granddad. He still wanted to help" she looked up at Rachel "He wanted to be part of the family, even after everything I did to him"
"What happened Gabby?" Asked Rachel desperately, were they finally going to find out the truth?
Gabby let out another sob and raised her shaking hand to her face.
"Gabby it's really important you tell me everything you know." Said Rachel. She kept her voice strong. "Also Gabby, and this is really important" Rachel couldn't stress this word enough "I need to know. Do you know the whereabouts of Detective Constable Kevin Lumb?"