She rang the bell and waited. She could hear music, and the sound of people talking and laughing. Finally a woman answered.
“Mrs Alton?” Ruth showed her warrant card. “Vida Alton?”
The woman nodded and Ruth smiled with relief. So Vida was real
—she wasn’t dead like they’d feared, or a figment of some nutter’s imagination. She was a real flesh-and-blood woman. Ruth could hardly believe they’d actually found her—but what did it mean for the case?
“I’m Sergeant Ruth Bayliss from Leesworth Police. Can I have a word?”
With a look of bewilderment on her face, the woman stood aside so that Ruth could go in.
“What’s this about? Is it Jimmy? Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine.”
Vida Alton had an American accent, and she was the right physical build too. She looked similar to the others, with fine features and long fair hair. Whatever was going on, this had to be the right ‘Vida.’
“Mrs Alton we’ve been looking for you for days now. At first we didn’t understand that ‘Vida’ was actually a woman’s name. When we did realise, we then had to consider whether or not some sort of harm had befallen you.”
Vida Alton shook her head, confused.
“Look—is everything okay?” I believe someone’s been bothering you lately? You received some strange text messages and they upset you. Did you keep them by any chance?’
“No, it was nothing, honestly—just someone playing a joke.
Well that’s what Jimmy said, so I deleted them all.”
“There were a few then—when did they start?”
“Just under a year ago—early last spring.” She led the way into the kitchen, where she was entertaining some friends. It was a huge room, beautifully fitted out and full of high-end equipment.
Three women were sitting around a table, drinking coffee. They nodded at Ruth.
“Want some?”
“No, thanks. Was that all there was—the texts? Are you sure you can’t think of anything else, anything odd that’s upset you recently?”
“Why would anyone bother me? No one would dare, not with Jimmy looking out for me.”
“You’re from the States, aren’t you? Can I ask how you and your husband met?”
“I went into the nursery one day to buy some plants—simple as that. I liked the place—I liked Jimmy at once, and I thought he had a good thing going, so I invested. That was several years ago now. And yes—before you ask we’re very happily married. What’s this all about? Is Jimmy in some sort of trouble?”
“We’re not sure yet. I can’t really tell you very much, I’m afraid.
But I will tell you this: a number of young women have been murdered locally, and each of the bodies we’ve found so far, had your name written on an item they were wearing. Another young woman was found collapsed this morning near the garden centre and she was wearing a tracksuit with the name ‘Vida’ embroidered on the top.”
“I lost one of my suits about a year ago,” exclaimed the woman in surprise. “I left my sports bag in the car on the drive while I brought in the groceries, and when I went out for it, the thing had gone.”
“Was there anything else in the bag?”
“No. I’d been working out at the gym, so just the suit.”
“And you’re sure that you have no other concerns? We can talk privately.” Ruth was aware of the curious stares of the other women.
“I promise you, I’m fine. Go spend your time looking out for those who need you. I’ve got Jimmy.”
“Tell her about the cat, Vida,” one of the women called out.
“That was nothing. Well not nothing, but nothing sinister I’m sure.”
“Well I think you’re totally wrong there, Vida. I told you at the time to tell the police, didn’t I? I mean it was weird what happened, and not natural.”
The woman looked at Ruth, clearly wanting to get something off her chest. “Someone killed her cat. But they didn’t just kill it, they left it mutilated and in agony on her doorstep. What sort of creep does that?”
“What do you mean by mutilated?”
“The thing had no teeth and its mouth had been sewn up. Now in my book that means someone has a problem.”
First the cat and then the girls. It looked like Vida had had a narrow escape. If James Alton was their man, then she was safe.
But if he wasn’t? Ruth decided she needed to have this woman watched.
“Has there been anything else?”
Vida shook her head vigorously. The memory of the cat had made her cry. “It’ll have been kids,” she sobbed. “I don’t like to talk about it. The whole thing is too horrible to think about.”
“Okay, Mrs Alton. I’ve finished for now, but I’m going to leave a police constable here as a precaution. I’ll give you my card and we’ll probably need to speak to you again.”
Ruth went back to her car and called in. She told Imogen about Vida, and left instructions for a uniformed officer to watch her house. They were finally closing in, but was Alton really their man?
Calladine seemed to think so, but she wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 22
James Alton had asked to have his solicitor present when he was interviewed and he’d been put into a room to wait. He’d refused to give a DNA sample, so Calladine was hoping that Julian would turn up something on the van pretty quick.
“Sir!” Imogen called. “The van is covered in prints. Two sets dominate; most likely Alton and one of his employees, but there are more, so Julian is checking whether any of them is a match for Patsy.”
“I want to know what he’s had in the back of that van. Ask Julian to get back to me on that one asap.”
“Inspector!” Alice called to him. “I know it’s not my place to say, but isn’t James Alton too old to fit the profile? Madison spoke of him being young. He’s old enough to be her father.”
Calladine stared at the young woman for a moment. She was the only one to have noticed this, and she had a point. It was something that had also bothered him. But Alton and his nursery figured in this somehow. They just had to work out how.
“Well spotted, Alice. Don’t worry. I have every intention of approaching this with a side order of caution. But for now, Alton is all we have.”
Whether or not Alton was their man, the Vida they’d been looking for was his wife. It was also looking highly likely that the bodies had been buried in the ground at his nursery. There was no getting away from it—the pieces were beginning to fit together.
When James Alton’s solicitor arrived, Ruth accompanied Calladine into the interview room.
“Mr Alton, can you tell me what happened to your wife’s cat?”
“For God’s sake, don’t tell me that’s what this is all about! I’ve got a business to run. At this time of year I can’t afford time off to piss around here with you lot.”
“Believe me, Mr Alton, we’re not pissing about. You saw the cat and what had been done to it?”
The man muttered his affirmative reply.
“Well consider this. The same thing has happened to a number of women over the past few months. Can you imagine that, sir? Can you imagine what it must be like to be held against your will and be mutilated in such a way?”
Alton’s ruddy face turned grey as he looked from Calladine to Ruth. “Surely you can’t think…Look—it wasn’t me. I don’t know anything about the damn cat. I never liked the thing, but I wouldn’t harm it—or anything else for that matter.”
“I’d like to believe that, but we have one or two problems, Mr Alton. For a start your van was used to transport at least one of the bodies. And that body had been buried in your well-tended soil.”
Calladine’s fingers formed a steeple in front of his face. “Can you think of any explanation—because I can’t—other than the obvious one?”
“Look, I’ve already said, this has nothing to do with me. We’re happy, Vida and I. I don’t know any other women. We’ve been happy since the day we met. She’s a great woman and a loving wife.”