Chapter Thirty-Six: Funeral Arrangements

The coroner finally released Leo's body as the investigation turned to a manhunt. Jenny was left arranging Leo's funeral pretty much on her own. He had no parents now and no siblings. His friends seemed to have scarpered long ago, thus Jenny was left picking up the pieces. Ed Bailey and Paul Foreman had agreed to go as Leo was a work colleague if nothing else. Jenny was currently at Rita's, not knowing Stephen had even left the country. She was helping George Shuttleworth and Todd Grimshaw write down some details. Both have come round to help now his body has been released for burial. He was to be buried as Jenny thought he deserved a gravestone at least. Rita making the two men a cup of tea as she passed them over.

"I don't even know what he would have wanted. I know what he liked and who he was but what guy his age thinks this far ahead? We never discussed funerals...Even I'm too young to think about that. Never mind somebody his age" Jenny paused as she wiped away more tears.

"Well that's good, Jenny. Just tell me who he was and we can work it around that...Type of music he liked can be used for the service and what colour he liked can be used for his wreath. Anything like that" George gently responded.

"You know this might sound stupid but could I have his name and a rugby shaped ball wreath? I think he would have liked people to have known how good he was at rugby. Is that okay?"

"Yes and it doesn't sound stupid. We had footballs and even football teams wreaths before. Any colour you would like or would white be okay?"

"White would be fine. He wasn't big on colours anyway...As for the music, I erm...I know he liked Oasis and Blur. Britpop stuff...Clocks by Coldplay maybe. How...Sorry, I'm really struggling. I just can't stop thinking about him lying there"

"Take all the time you need, honestly. We will write down clocks by coldplay, okay? Any other songs he liked and you can tell me or Todd. As long as it's a day or two before the funeral. You are welcome to see him when he's in our chapel of rest"

"When will that be?" Jenny asked through another bout of tears.

She felt Rita slowly walk over as she stood behind the chair with her hands resting on her shoulders. Rita remembered what a mess she was over her father Alan Bradley's death and this brought back those days. Though her parents weren't the only hard loss, Jenny's son Tom's death was unbearable.

"Tomorrow. We will let you know when he arrives...The coroner has said that due to how long he was there and the fact he was exposed to some of the elements. It may be too distressing for you to see him as he won't look like himself so we will keep the coffin closed" Todd nervously piped up as he tried to explain as gently as he could.

"Okay. I understand"

"Right. Well you're welcome to write down your own eulogy and any more information about his life that you wish to divulge to us. You're welcome to add anything on...Have we got everything?" George asked.

"Yeah"

Rita saw the two men out of her flat before siting on the opposite side of Jenny. Telling her that she got over the first hurdle. Though Jenny didn't think she gotten over anything at all. She just wanted Leo to have a dignified funeral and burial after the awful way he was killed and was then deposed of. The fact that Teddy was likely dead too caused her distress and she knew it wasn't over.

"Poor Leo...He's been treated so awfully by that monster that I can't even see his face for one last time. I hope Stephen is locked up for life. I know they would have got to 'Grasmere Drive' by now and arrested him" Jenny spoke up with anger, not knowing yet that he fled the country with Audrey in tow.

"I don't know how Audrey's going to cope-"

"Audrey will cope. Her son is going to prison, he's not dead in the ground like mine"

...

The manhunt was underway as the police found 'Grasmere Drive' empty. Stephen and Audrey landed in Canada at 1pm (Toronto time) after a successful flight. Not knowing that back at home, the police were frantic and looking for them both. DS Swain was assigned to the case now and she went straight to the Platt household with questions. If anybody had an idea where they might be, it was the rest of the family. A police car was parked outside Coronation Street and as Swain began to question the shocked family. She found that they weren't in on this at all, they had no idea they were thinking of fleeing. Martin felt duped in particular as he spoke to him just yesterday.

"No! My mam wouldn't have done this freely...I don't believe she would have gone without some sort of blackmail" Gail insisted in disbelief.

"Do you have any idea where they are right now?" Swain asked.

"No. I don't...I spoke to them not last night but the night before. Gabrielle told...Oh, it's her isn't it? She said they had something planned and we won't even see it coming. This is what she meant, isn't it? Oh that little-"

"Gabrielle?"

"Gabrielle Reid. Wife of Stephen or ex-wife...I'm not sure nowadays but they seem to be back on good terms. She lives in Milan. Have you looked there?"

"No but we will. Does anyone have her contact details?"

Sarah almost looked she was debating giving them out. A part of her thought maybe her uncle and gran are finally happy. But no, she couldn't justify not helping the police find them. Despite the love and nostalgia she truly felt and those glorious days in Canada. How she thought Uncle Stephen and Aunty Gabrielle looked like royalty at their wedding in 1999. The woman found her hands shaking as she got out her phone and got her number up.

"I have her number and address" Sarah finally admitted in a very sad tone of voice.

"It's obvious she's in on it. She admitted as much at the house to me and Gail, she got something planned and we won't even see it coming. Well guess she was right, wasn't she?" Martin asked rhetorically.

As the police began wriiting down Gabrielle's details in Milan.

"Do you think Gabrielle was in on anything else? I know this is a long shot but when we originally questioned Stephen when we found Leo's body. Gabrielle halted our investigation by giving out what we now know was a false alibi. Do you think she helped Stephen kill Leo?" Swain questioned further.

"Oh no. I mean...She was visiting here around that time but that was because of the divorce. But obviously, I can't tell you yes or no. Can I? I don't know" Gail answered.

They questioned them all a bit longer as they gave out places they could be. Milan, Toronto and Quebec were given out. Three big cities and it would be difficult but not impossible. The police questioned about the last face-to-face meetings and last phone calls. Martin having to explain about him coming to the garage, taunting him and hovering outside the factory. Though what happened after that was unknown to anyone but the trio.

...

"I have no idea what you're on about. I left on my own not long after you came round" Gabrielle responded to an angry Gail a few hours later.

She was back in her factory in Milan. Not knowing the police were on their way over to her and she would be extradicted when they came. Though she was worried now she knew Gail was onto her.

"You're such a liar, Gabrielle! You told us you had something planned and we wouldn't see it coming. You tell me where my mum has gone otherwise I'll go over there myself and talk to you!" Gail yelled back as she paced around her backgarden.

"And you'll get the same answer. What I meant by that was I was going soon-"

"Please just tell me she's alright! Why are you doing this? Stephen doesn't love you otherwise he wouldn't have stole from you. Why are you doing anything for my brother, Gabrielle?"

"You don't know a thing about him to say any of this. I know my husband-"

"Oh wow. Here we go again with the whole you used him for his money...I heard it all from him thank you very much. And yeah, maybe we took his money for granted. But that doesn't give him a free pass to do any of this. Just tell me my mum's alright please"

"She's fine"

"And you know this for a fact? You spoken to her in the last one or two hours, have you? Because how long until my brother finds out she's a burden to him on the run? Because one sign of trouble and he will drop her. You know this!"

"He wouldn't do that. He would never hurt her"

"Oh please. This is ridiculous! And I can't even process it, please do the right thing and tell me where they are right now"

"Sorry, Gail"

"Gabrielle!" Gail shouted as the phone went dead.

She gripped onto her hair as she couldn't believe this was happening. She went back inside the house and began ranting to Martin. Gabrielle knows something and she knows where they are but refuses to tell her.

"Gran has chose him over us then. Should have known she would...I'm surprised it took her this long" David spoke up.

"Oh shut up David! This is not the time for these stupid snide remarks" Gail spoke back in exasperation.

"He is right though. If Audrey's daft enough to go with him...Then just let the police do their job and find them both. She's clearly not being blackmailed or whatever you think. Stephen is clearly not going to hurt her so just let them find her" Martin chimed in as he tried to be the voice of reason.

Gail though wasn't so sure.

...

The next couple of days were a waiting game. Gabrielle was extradited back to the United Kingdom and thus Weatherfield. She was rather exhausted by the time she reached the station. She was given a glass of water but looked at it with disdain as Swan sat opposite her. Her lawyer sat besides her after giving her a quick briefing on her rights, Gabrielle only thought they had anecdotal evidence so she wasn't too worried as yet. She shot herself in the foot really by helping him without any thought for herself, she should have thought ahead.

"You understand Mrs Reid that you have been extradited back here because you have been involved in aiding and abetting a suspected criminal. Your sister-in-law has told us that you spoke of having a plan that she wouldn't see coming. And then your husband and his mother go missing the following day. A day after he was forced to give out his fingerprints for assaulting Mr Martin Platt. You understand this puts you in a very compromising situation" Swain began.

"Has nothing to do with me" Gabrielle replied with her arms still crossed.

"Really? So can you tell us your last interaction with Mr Stephen Reid?"

"It was at the house. Like I told Gail, I left not long after she did. He got arrested and so I left because I couldn't cope with it. He always had a temper and I wanted no further part in it. He scared me sometimes"

"Did you book your plane ticket back home at the airport?"

"No. I booked it online that night and left before he came back. On my own, okay? That's all I got to say. You extradited me back for no reason and I will sue you when I get back home"

"The problem with that Mrs Reid is that we know you're lying. I wanted to give you a chance to admit it but I suppose you're not up to that" Swain paused before picking up a couple of folders and explaining the process as she put the first one down which showed a still image of CCTV footage of Gabrielle, Stephen and Audrey at the airport.

Gabrielle felt her world crumbling at this. She knew this could happen but she somehow got away with everything for so long. That she thought she was untouchable but she wasn't. Her lawyer looked slightly annoyed that his client had been so stupid to think this wouldn't happen. Gabrielle scanned the photograph and the date, it was a day after she said she left so she couldn't even cling onto that.

"Okay. So I got the date I left mixed up-"

"It seems you got a lot of stuff mixed up, Mrs Reid. Explain this to me"

"Stephen scares me and he threatened me that if I didn't help him or if I told on him. He would come back and kill me. That's why I didn't say anything...I promise I don't know where he went after this. I went back to my flat alone"

"Then why is your car seen driving out at half 4 to Milan airport? Where once again, Mr Stephen Reid and Mrs Audrey Roberts are seen at the airport. Going to Warsaw and then Toronto? We have all the bookings you made, Mrs Reid. You booked them under your name" Swain further expanded.

Getting out the next still image of some CCTV footage as well as the printed out plane tickets made in her name. Her car being seen on CCTV footage was also shown as she kept getting out more and more evidence that they managed to retrieve in the last couple of days.

"That's not my car" Gabrielle insisted as she now uncrossed her arms and nervously placed her hands on the desk.

"We know it's your car. We looked at the registration number"

Silence followed this remark as Gabrielle kept looking at all the evidence in front of her. She was shaking like a leaf as her cocky attitude suddenly disappeared. She looked towards her lawyer for help. Which made him ask to stop the interview so he could talk with his client again. Swain just nodding before telling the tape recorder that the interview was suspended at such and a such a time. She thus left the room and left Gabrielle with the lawyer (a man in his mid-forties).

"Listen to me, Gabrielle. These charges are very serious and they are only going to get more serious. Your husband is on a few very serious charges himself and you only look more complicit the more you deny any part in helping him. The police know he killed Leo Thompkins and Geoff Masters. You already lied for him about Leo by giving him an alibi. They think you had a part in all of this...Including the theft from Mrs Audrey Roberts. Denying any of this will look like you have no remorse or emotions towards his victims" the lawyer began to explain (he was called Hugh Foster).

"I had nothing to do with those deaths!" Gabrielle spoke in shock and outrage.

"Take my advice. Admit to aiding and abetting him out of the country, admit to giving a false alibi and admit to helping him try and steal the house from Mrs Audrey Roberts. If you have nothing to do with the deaths. They won't find any evidence and you won't be charged with what you haven't done. But you deny the rest and they may think you know more than you do"

"God. I admit to helping him out the country but I didn't know it was for murder. I didn't know about any of this. I wasn't even in the country when his dad died. He forced me into helping him steal from his mom"

"Explain all of this to the police. You got to lower your barriers, Gabrielle. I know it's not ideal but you have to tell them everything before it's too late. You have no choice but to comply. The evidence is too strong...I understand you may be protecting him but this will not benefit you"

"I'm going to prison and losing everything either way. So your advice is what? That I admit to this and get how many years?"

"Depends on the seriousness of the crime. For aiding and abetting, you can get up to ten years if the crime is serious enough. The false alibi can be up to five years while the theft can be up to seven years. But if you make it clear he forced you to do some of this, you can get some years taken off"

"He did force me to help him steal from 'Grasmere Drive'. He stole from me before fleeing to England"

"Tell them that then"

"But he wasn't a bad husband to me. He wasn't abusive and I don't want them thinking he was"

"It's your prerogative, Gabrielle. But you may have to besmirch his name if you have any chance of getting a lesser and harsher sentence. Otherwise you just look like an accomplice. Do you know where he right now? Because they may already know and you have to give up some information yourself"

"I'm not telling them where he is right now"

"I would highly advice you to but like I said, it's your prerogative"

Swain returned a minute or two later to resume the interview. She switched the recorder back on and a much less defensive Gabrielle was now facing her. Swain could see she was looking a less confident.

"So tell me again, Mrs Reid. When was your last encounter with Mr Stephen Reid?"

"I helped him and his mom flee the country to mine because he told me he was in trouble. He said he had stole from the factory, hit Elaine Jones and that everybody was gunning for him. I helped him to mine and then I helped him again. I drove him and his mom to Milan airport and booked them both tickets to Toronto. I honestly had no contact with him after that"

"Where is he in Toronto?"

"I don't know and that's the truth. I booked him and his mom into a hotel, it should be in my credit card history since you have everything else. But I promise you that if he's moved from that hotel. I don't know where he would go after that"

"Why did you give him a false alibi for Leo Thompkins?"

"Because I generally thought he was with me. I was there that day, talking to him about the divorce. Ask Gail and Sarah. I had an argument with him in the factory gantry about it. I didn't think my alibi was false"

"And you didn't think to retract this statement when his body was found?"

"No. Look, I have my own business to run and he's my husband. I'm sorry that I didn't piece two and two together to help your precious investigation. I had a lot on my mind and I didn't think my husband would turn out to be a murderer"

"Okay but what about 'Grasmere Drive' and the equity? He stole money from you, didn't you think that stealing from your own mother-in-law might be wrong? That's a crime within itself"

"He forced me into that"

"Forced you how?"

"He said I wouldn't get my money back unless I helped him with that"

"Why didn't you report him to the police?"

"Because he was my husband and I still love him. That a good reason for you? I don't know what you want me to say. I made mistakes but I only did them because the man I loved and thought I knew wanted my help. I wouldn't have helped him had I known he was a murderer. I swear on my life"

...

TBC