Devil in the Detail A.J. Cross (read full novel .TXT) 📖

listened, then looked up at Reynolds. ‘Mr Lawrence is back here. Is there anybody with him?’

‘No.’

‘Put him in interview room one. Don’t let him leave.’

THIRTY-TWO

Thursday 27 December. 6.30 a.m.

Watts entered the interview room where Lawrence was pacing. He’d looked bad before. Now, he was haggard, looking years older and pounds lighter than when Watts had first seen him. ‘You’ve come alone, Mr Lawrence.’

‘Yes. I want to talk.’

‘That’s good. It’s still my duty to advise that you need—’

‘I want to talk and I don’t want anybody putting obstacles in the way of me doing it.’

Looking at him, Watts could see that he was at the end of his rope. ‘You’re still under caution. It has to be formal.’

‘I understand.’

‘Wait here.’ Watts left the interview room, posted an officer inside the room, and came into his office. ‘Lawrence is refusing representation. He says he wants to talk. We’ve been down that road with him already. This time we do it right.

‘Judd, go up to forensics. Tell Adam what’s happening. He’ll give you what we need. Bring it to interview room one. After I finish with Lawrence, I’ll have another job for you.’

Lawrence’s head was resting on his forearms. He didn’t stir as Watts came inside and sat opposite. The wall clock ticked. Judd arrived, placed what she was carrying on to the table and sat next to Watts.

‘Mr Lawrence?’

Lawrence raised his head, blinked at them.

‘This is my colleague, PC Chloe Judd, whom you’ve met.’ He reached out to the PACE machine, gave the date, time and details of the room’s occupants, indicating the cameras trained on them from its two corners, then asked Lawrence to confirm his details and waited.

‘You’re still under arrest, Mr Lawrence.’ Watts waited. ‘You need to confirm what I just said.’

‘Oh, sorry. Yes, that’s correct.’

‘You attended a second time with your legal representative, during which you responded, “No comment”, to all questions put to you. That interview was halted. On arrival here today you have indicated that you wish to proceed with this interview without benefit of legal representation. Is that correct?’

‘Yes. All correct.’

‘Are you able to confirm that you are not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance?’

‘Yes.’

‘I am now advising you again, that it is in your interests to have such representation. Do you wish to have it?’

‘No. I don’t.’ He clasped his hands either side of his head. ‘It’s all in here, you see. Playing on my mind. I can’t cope with it anymore.’

‘Are you now wishing to make changes to what you told me previously?’

‘I want to tell you all of it.’

Watts glanced at Judd. ‘First, Mr Lawrence, I want you to look at an exhibit.’

Judd removed the lid from the box on the table, slid it towards Lawrence. He got to his feet, his eyes fixed on the gun inside it.

‘Sit down, please, Mr Lawrence.’

He sat, averting his eyes.

‘This is the gun which was used to shoot your brother and sister-in-law. We know it was in your possession for several years prior to those shootings. What do you have to say about it?’

‘I admit it. I was there.’

Watts fixed him with a direct look. ‘Mr Lawrence, are you now admitting that you were at the Forge Street scene when your brother and sister-in-law were shot?’

Lawrence lowered his head. ‘Yes.’

‘On that occasion, did you handle this gun directly?’

‘Yes.’

‘What I want now is a straightforward account of what happened at the time your brother and sister-in-law were shot.’

Lawrence’s hands were clasped to his head. ‘It was about money. I was in deep trouble. My wife was refusing to help. I didn’t know where to turn and suddenly I had a proposition put to me. I agreed to it. All I had to do was go to Mike’s car, remove a couple of items and go.’ He looked up. ‘That was it. End of story. Except that it wasn’t. When I got there, I could tell something was wrong. As soon as I opened the car door, it was obvious something wasn’t right with Mike. I grabbed what I’d come for and got out as fast as I could.’ He sat back, looking exhausted. ‘I was in a real panic. When I heard the news about the shootings, I couldn’t believe it. That wasn’t part of the plan. I got rid of the bag and the valuables. It was supposed to be an insurance scam involving the jewellery but by then I wanted nothing to do with it.’

Watts’ phone lit up. A text from Traynor. He read it, read it again, then looked up at Lawrence.

‘It was a scam,’ said Watts, ‘but not to do with any jewellery. Your brother and his wife had some really heavy-duty life insurance.’

Lawrence’s head came up. ‘What?’

Watts got to his feet. ‘Mr Lawrence, I’m halting this interview temporarily. You’ll remain here until I return. Do you understand?’

Lawrence looked spent. ‘I’ve got nowhere else to go. I know everything at home is finished for me.’

‘I’ll arrange for coffee, tea, and anything else you need.’

He shook his head. ‘Don’t bother.’

‘In that case, this interview is temporarily halted at …’ Watts added date and time and deactivated the PACE machine.

Leaving Brendan Lawrence under the gaze of an officer, Watts and Judd headed downstairs. He gave her a sideways look. ‘I want you to lead on the next interview with Molly Lawrence.’

She stared at him. ‘This case is massive. It’s—’

‘You’ve got some doubts that you’re up to it?’

‘No.’

Seen in a different context, she might be taken for a sixth-former, yet he knew she was far sharper than her years, that her irreverent attitude hid a keen awareness of legal procedure. ‘Our approach with Molly Lawrence remains that she is a victim-witness. We’ll use an interview room down here, away from Brendan Lawrence. Don’t forget. Accuracy. Reliability.’

‘Where’s Will?’

‘He’s following up some information.’

Reaching into his pockets, he called to Jones walking ahead of them.

Jones turned and took the small plastic bag Watts was holding out to him.

‘Check Sebastian Engar’s home contact details. Go