Chapter Eleven
Chief Superintendent Elaine Jenkinson watched as the press and news reporters sat down when she looked at Alec and Ellie and Ellie noticed the look on Alec' face. He looked angry as he strummed his fingers on the table and she gently placed her hand on top of his hand. He looked from her hand to her when he barely nodded his head and Elaine started the press conference. She talked about the fire and finding the body on the beach and assured the press that Ginger's children have been placed under Human Services' care.
"Seeing this is the third fire in three days, will the beach be closed down?" one of the reporters asked with a blank look on his face.
"I'm afraid we will be closing the beach until further notice," Ellie said.
"What about the patrols? Why haven't they seen anything?"
"It seems the person or persons doing these crimes have been able to get around the patrols."
"Which means they're being watched?"
"I cannot comment on that at this time."
"Has the CCTV cameras been checked?"
"They are being checked as we speak," Ellie said then took some more questions. Elaine ended the press conference when the reporters left the room and Ellie looked at Alec. He got up then followed the reporters out of the room when he saw Maggie and Olly and balled his hands into fists.
"Mister Stevens, I want a word with you!" he said as Olly and Maggie looked at him and Maggie nodded her head. Olly walked to Alec when he saw the anger in his eyes and wonder why he was so angry.
"What's wrong?" Olly asked.
"I saw the look on your face during the conference. Did you know Ginger Lange?" Alec asked and Olly pressed his lips together.
"We…we've dated," Olly said and Alec folded his arms across his chest, waiting for him to continue. "We met last year. I had just broken up with my girlfriend…"
"Did she ever mention if she was married?"
"No, but she did mention she had a boyfriend before she came to Broadchurch. She said he was a real arsehole. He drank and would smack the hell out of her so one day she packed up and took off with the kids. She didn't know how, but he would always find her and threatened to kill her if she didn't come back with him," Olly said then gave him a worried look. "You don't think he did this, do you?"
"I cannae say at the moment. Thanks," Alec said then turned and walked down the hallway. Olly watched him go around the corner while Maggie walked closer and placed her hand on Olly's shoulder.
A knock on the door made Alec look up when Peter opened the door and walked in the room. He walked to the chair in front of the desk when he sat down and Alec tilted his head to one side.
"You look knackered," he said and Peter slightly smiled.
"I didnae sleep well last night," he sighed and Alec placed his lower arms on the desk.
"What's wrong?" he asked and Peter sat back against the chair.
"It was just a bad dream," he said and looked at the paper in front of Alec. "Is that the ballistic report?"
"Aye," Alec said then looked at the report. "The bullet casings match."
"And Ginger Lange, have you found the boyfriend?" Peter asked and Alec sighed, sitting back in the chair.
"No," he said with a shake of his head. "According tae her file, she listed no next of kin and had listed the children as fatherless,"
"Blood marvelous," Peter sighed when Ellie appeared in the doorway and Alec looked at her.
"We got the CCTV camera footage," Ellie said as Peter and Alec got up and followed her out of the room. She sat at her desk as she typed on the keyboard and Alec leaned over the top of the chair. They looked at the footage when she looked at Alec then looked back at the screen. "I asked for footage of the last few days and noticed this."
On the screen was the early morning footage as they watched the screen when she pointed to a tall figure wearing what looked like a gray hoodie, jeans and boots and whoever it was seemed to be carrying a large, black sack over their right shoulder.
"What is that?" Alec asked, pointing at the screen.
"I don't know," Ellie said, typing on the keyboard.
"It looks like some sort of sack," Peter said. They watched the figure heading down the street until reaching the main road toward the beach and vanished.
"Any footage on the CCTV cameras on the beach?" he asked and Ellie typed on the keyboard. They watched as the images change and she pointed at the screen.
"There's no one on the beach," she said and typed on the keyboard.
"There should be," Alec said while frowning and tilted his head to one side. Ellie typed on the keyboard when they saw the figure coming toward the rental boats then placed the black sack on the sand. Ellie tried to get a close up of the face, but the image was too grainy and the figure picked up something. The figure walked to one of the rental boats and placed whatever it was on the sand. Ellie typed on the keyboard as the screen showed a small figure and Ellie typed on the keyboard.
"That looks like a dog," Peter said and Ellie nodded her head.
"It must be Lucky," Alec said. They watched the figure removed a larger figure then dragged it toward the rental boats and placed the large figure next to the smaller figure. Ellie still couldn't get a clear image as they watched whoever it was walk to one of the rental boats and ducked down. "Shite, they had the accelerants under the boats."
"You'd think the dog would have smelt them," Ellie said.
"He might have and Lenny went tae confront whoever this is," Peter said.
"Which got him killed," Alec sighed. "Let's see the rest."
Ellie typed on the keyboard as she brought up the rest of the CCTV coverage and they watched as the figure moved down the street with another black sack on their shoulder and headed down the street.
"That must be Jake Taylor in the sack," Peter said and Alec nodded his head. They watched the scene changed to the beach and the figure placed the black sack down. They watched as whoever it was dragged Jake's body to the rental boats then walked to a rental boat. They watched the rest of the footage as Alec stood up straight and sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "He must have found the accelerants."
"Aye," Alec said and Ellie typed on the keyboard. Ellie typed on the keyboard when they watched the next footage and the figure walked down the street, carrying the black sack in their arms. "That has tae be Ginger Lange's body."
Ellie nodded her head as she typed on the keyboard and they watched as the figure arrived on the beach. The figure placed the black sack on the sand then removed Ginger Lange's body from the black sack. After placing her body near the rental boats, the figure walked to the rental boats and ducked down.
"Guess they're looking for the accelerants," Peter said and Ellie nodded her head. They watched the rest of the footage, but Ellie still couldn't get a clear look at the face and she sighed.
"This is so bloody frustrated," she sighed and Alec leaned over the back of the chair, looking at the screen.
"Go back tae when we first see the figure," Alec said and Ellie typed on the keyboard. "Can you see which direction they're coming from?"
"Hold on," Ellie said as she typed then looked at the screen and frowned. "Oh shit."
"What?" Peter asked.
"According to this, they came from the direction of the church," Ellie sighed and Alec stood up, looking at ceiling.
"Coates," he sighed then walked away while Peter looked at Ellie and she looked at the screen, balling her hands into fists.
Paul straightened the hymnals when someone knocked on the door and he walked to the door, opening the door enough to look out at Alec and some officers standing on the stoop. Paul opened the door wider when he looked at Alec and saw the anger in his eyes.
"May I help you?" he asked and Alec sighed, placing his hands in his coat pocket.
"Reverend Coates, you need tae come with us," Alec said and Paul frowned, giving him a confused look.
"May I ask why?"
"We need tae ask you some question regarding the murders on the beach."
"You already did that."
"Something has occurred and we need tae ask some more questions."
"I see," Paul sighed and held up a finger. "I need to get my coat."
Alec followed him inside as they headed for his office and Paul turned, looking at him.
"Do you really think I did it?"
"I hope nae," Alec said and Paul saw that he was telling the truth.
"This is new," Paul said when he removed the leather coat from the peg on the coat rack and placed the leather jacket on. "The Alec Hardy I met wouldn't have given a shit if I was guilty or not."
"People change," Alec said softly and looked at the painting of Jesus over Paul's desk.
"For the better if you ask me," Paul said as he walked by Alec then Alec turned and followed him down the aisle. Alec held the door open as they left the church then closed the door and they headed down the path.
The interrogation room was quiet as Paul sat on one side of the table and Ellie, Alec and Peter sat on the other side. Alec pushed the button on the digital recorder as he sighed and placed his hands on the table.
"This is DI Alec Hardy," he said then looked at Paul and frowned. "Reverend Coates, I want to thank you for co-operating during this investigation."
"You're welcome," Paul said.
"Lenny Walker, how long have you known him?" Alec asked.
"I met him three years ago. He came to church on Sundays and helped out at church functions."
"Did you ever argue with him?"
"No," Paul said with a shake of his head.
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"It was last Sunday."
"Lenny was homeless. Were you the one who recommended him for a job?"
"Yes," Paul said with a nod of his head.
"Jake Taylor, did you know him?"
"Yes," Paul said with a nod of his head.
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"It was two months ago."
"He was homeless. Did you recommend him for a job?"
"Yes."
"Ginger Lange, did you know her?"
"Yes," Paul sighed, closing his eyes.
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"It was four days ago."
"Did she seem upset?"
"Yes, but I can't tell you why."
"Did it have anything tae do with her boyfriend?" Alec asked and Paul's eyes widened.
"You think Olly killed her?" Paul asked with a shock look on his face.
"No, I mean her boyfriend before that,"
"I can't tell you."
"We could get permission."
"I'm sorry," Paul sighed and Alec nodded his head.
"She was homeless as well. Did you recommend her for a job?"
"Yes," Paul sighed.
"Until we learn more, we're going tae put you in holding," Alec said when he turned the digital recorder off and Paul sighed, nodding his head. They watched as the officer walked closer and led Paul out of room and Peter went with them. Ellie looked at Alec as he placed his head in his hands and she gently rubbed his back, making him look at her.
The black car stopped at the curb as Ellie watched Alec get out of the car and closed the door. She got out of the car then walked around to the other side of the car and saw him looking up at the sky. She knew he was tired and angry as she slowly reached for his hand and he looked down. Wrapping his fingers around her fingers, he glanced at her then squeezed her fingers and let go of her hand. She watched him walk away then go inside when she sighed and headed down the front path.
The stars twinkled in the night sky as the wind blew some papers around and the soft sound of footsteps filled the air. The shadows of the warehouses stretched across the sides of one another while the cargo boats gently rocked on the water and the soft hum came from the overhead lights. Fingers pushed the buttons on a security panel near a door when a low beeping sound came from the security panel and the door opened. The door closed and a few seconds later a flash of light appeared then a soft glow that grew brighter and the door opened. Someone ran when the sounds of sirens echoed in the darkness and smoke billowed out of the door.