‘The biggest problem we have is finding out where Jodie was between Thursday evening and Monday evening. We know she wasn’t at Bluebell Cottage because there isn’t any evidence of her presence in the house. Only in the shed. The forensic guys have been all over the place with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing. Not even a stray hair or a fingerprint.’
‘Doesn’t mean to say Hillock couldn’t have cleaned up after himself.’
‘That’s true. But Mr Hillock’s mother has confirmed her son was at home every evening following Jodie’s disappearance because he was too distraught to go anywhere apart from the Book Café.’
‘She could be covering for him,’ Alison said. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time.’
Palmer nodded. ‘It is possible, but we don’t have any reason to believe Mrs Hillock has done anything improper. She called the police the minute she discovered Mathew and Jodie in the shed.’
‘And as far as we know,’ Halliwell added, ‘he doesn’t have access to anywhere else.’
‘What about the bookshop?’
‘We’ve conducted a thorough search of the premises. There’s no evidence to suggest Jodie was ever kept there. Again, it would be unlikely Mathew could abduct your daughter and keep her hidden right under his mother’s nose.’
‘So what are you saying?’ Christine asked. ‘That’s it? Let him off the hook just because you don’t have any proof?’
‘Not at all. But we need a lot more evidence than we’ve got to take the case to the CPS. Our biggest problem is a lack of physical evidence. And the manual strangulation marks around Jodie’s neck suggest the perpetrator had much smaller hands than Mr Hillock.’
‘You’ve got fingerprints?’ Alison asked.
Palmer shook his head. ‘The perpetrator wore gloves. But the gloves themselves leave prints just as unique as fingerprints. We can tell what size they were and identify them by distinguishing marks such as stitching and so forth.’
‘Fat lot of use that is, then,’ Christine said. ‘Unless you test every pair of gloves in Oxfordshire.’
‘On the contrary. It could prove to be a useful piece of evidence when the case goes to court.’
‘If it goes to court,’ Alison said.
Christine took a sip of water. ‘Even my bloody cat could tell you Hillock’s guilty.’
‘I understand how it looks. But we believe Jodie was killed and placed in the shed by someone else. Mathew Hillock found her and went into an emotional blackout.’
‘He’ll go into a bloody blackout if I ever get my hands on him,’ Christine promised. ‘I’ll wring his bloody neck.’
‘What do you mean, “emotional blackout”?’ Alison asked.
‘Mr Hillock suffered a serious head trauma when he was eight years old. An intruder broke into his home and beat his sister and father to death with a baseball bat. Mathew survived the attack, but he’s suffered some degree of mental impairment since. He sometimes goes into what they call a fugue.’
‘What the hell’s that when it’s at home?’
‘It’s a kind of trance. I don’t know much about it, but he describes it as his cave.’
‘Sounds like a load of old fish hooks to me,’ Christine said. ‘A bloody excuse ’cos he doesn’t wanna face up to what he’s done.’
‘I understand how you feel,’ Palmer said. ‘But I have to stress that it’s important not to jump to conclusions. Believe me, we’re doing everything we can to find out who committed this dreadful crime.’
‘Not enough from where I’m standing,’ Christine said. ‘It’s been two weeks since Jodie was found, and all you can say is the man sitting next to her dead body doesn’t have anything to do with it because he was suffering a mental breakdown. Not good enough, Detective. Not good enough at all.’
Palmer stood. ‘I’m sorry we’ve got nothing more positive to tell you.’
Alison rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand. ‘Do you know what it’s like to look at your only child lying dead on a mortuary slab?’
Palmer shook his head. ‘I can’t imagine—’
‘Knowing she’s never gonna grow up and have kids. Get married. Come round for Sunday lunch. I had to say goodbye to my baby before she even got to be a teenager.’
DC Halliwell nodded. ‘You’ve been put through hell, Alison. No one wants to see the monster who did this get away with it. If Mathew Hillock is involved, believe me, he will be brought to justice.’
‘And what exactly is justice?’ Christine asked. ‘A nice cushy life in prison for a few years before some idiot psychiatrist deems him fit to be released?’
‘Unfortunately, we have no say in sentencing policy, but I can promise you we’ll continue to do everything in our power to catch the person responsible. Have you any questions before we leave?’
‘Do you have any other suspects apart from Hillock?’
‘Not at this time. Sorry.’
Halliwell stood and joined her colleague in the doorway. ‘Anything you need, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to call.’
‘I need you to catch the filthy bastard who did this to my daughter,’ Alison said. ‘That’s it! Nothing else.’
Alison watched them walk into the hall. She had no faith in the police. Maybe they were doing their best, but it wasn’t good enough. If Mathew Hillock wasn’t responsible for Jodie’s murder, then the real killer would get away with it. Be free to kill again. Put another family through hell.
The front door banged shut. Christine shook her head. ‘Well, that was a fat lot of good.’
Alison felt the room closing in around her. ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
‘Do you want me to run a hoover round?’
‘No.’
‘But the house needs a clean, love. Let me at least do a bit of washing.’
Alison sighed and shook her head. ‘I want to be on my own.’
‘You know that’s not a good idea.’
‘Isn’t it? Tell me what is, because I’d love to know?’
‘Time, Ali. That’s the only thing that will help.’
‘Bugger time. I’ve had enough of time. First Colin does the dirty on me, and now I lose Jodie. I can’t take any more of this shit.’
‘I’m gonna ring the doctor.’
‘What for?’
‘He’ll be able to give you something to help you sleep.’
‘I don’t want pills. I just want Jodie back.’
‘I know you do, love.’
‘Then stop rattling on about time and pills. Go home. I don’t want you here.’
‘I’m not going anywhere while you’re like this.’
Alison stood. ‘Then I’ll stay in my room.’ She walked into the hall and ran upstairs. There was no point in living anymore. Her life was over. All she wanted was to be with her beautiful little angel. Take care of her and never leave her side again.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Thursday morning found Mathew sitting on his bed talking to Tortilla. His mother had gone back to Bluebell Cottage on Monday afternoon. She’d tried to persuade him to go with her, but he’d refused. He never wanted to see Bluebell Cottage again, let alone live there. Granddad had said he could stay with him for as long as he wanted, which was forever, unless the police arrested him again and put him in jail.