‘Roy, I was told you’re the on-call SIO — I thought you were off active duty for a while?’
‘I am, DG, but I’m covering for Kevin Shapland this week. What’s up?’
‘We’ve got a suspicious death. Woman in a bathtub in a block of flats in Hove. It was called in by an electrician who had apparently gone to the premises to carry out some rewiring work. A Response Unit attended, along with an ambulance crew, who declared her dead — sounds like she had been dead for a while.’
‘A while? Any idea how long? Days, weeks?’
‘No, but some hours — perhaps overnight.’
‘What about the cause of death?’
‘It looks like she might have electrocuted herself, but the officers attending were not happy about an injury to the back of her skull, and blood on the bathroom tiles, and requested supervision. Their sergeant attended and agreed with them, declaring it a potential crime scene. A senior CSI was called in, along with the duty divisional DI. There are a number of factors that make me think this looks like a job for Major Crime — can you attend and take command of the investigation, Roy?’
‘Have they got scene guards?’
‘Yes, in place.’
‘Good. We’ll need to inform the Coroner’s Officer.’
‘I’ve done that.’
‘Good. OK, if you let me have the address and any other details I’ll get there right away. What information do you have on the victim and what are the other factors you mentioned, DG?’
‘Her name is Lorna Jane Belling. She’s a domestic violence victim — white female, thirty-five, married and works from home, in Hollingbury, as a hairdresser. But the location where she has been found is a flat on Hove seafront, Vallance Mansions, where she has a monthly tenancy. It’s a run-down old block, with a landlord who’s had a ton of complaints over the years from his tenants. Health and Safety did an inspection a couple of years ago and reported him.’
‘So the landlord could be in the frame for a manslaughter charge?’
‘Well, possibly, but here’s one complicating factor. On Monday of this week a Response crew attended at this same woman’s marital home, following a violent assault by her husband, Corin Belling — his third reported assault on her in a year. He was subsequently arrested and the IDVA were notified and made contact with her. Then he was released on bail the following evening, just short of thirty-six hours, because his wife refused to press charges. It sounds like this flat in Hove might be her secret bolthole.’
‘Or love nest?’
‘Possible.’
‘Has the husband been informed?’
‘Under the circumstances, not yet, sir.’
‘Good, let’s keep it that way for now. Do we know where he works?’
‘A company called South Downs IT Solutions.’
Grace frowned. ‘That name sounds familiar.’
‘It should be, Roy! They used to be about three hundred yards from Sussex House — on that industrial estate — near the old Argus building.’
‘Duh! Of course.’
‘But they’re in Burgess Hill now.’
Grace immediately called Temporary DI Guy Batchelor, who was in the new Detectives’ Room, an open-plan area on the floor above, and asked him to come to his office right away.
Two minutes later Batchelor knocked on his door and entered. A burly, shaven-headed man, suited and booted conservatively, reeking as usual of cigarette smoke, he had a warm personality and the physique of a rugby player. In his previous office, Roy would have sat at the small, round conference table with him. Now all he could offer was the empty desk in front of his.
Grace brought him briefly up to speed and asked, ‘How do you feel about attending as my deputy SIO, Guy? I’ll come with you today, then I’ll leave you in charge until I return. Are you comfortable with that?’
‘Fine, boss,’ Batchelor responded, nodding pensively.
‘It’s a big responsibility — if you’d rather, I could ask DCI Best, who’s the on-call SIO from tomorrow.’
‘No, I’d be very happy to do this.’
‘If it does turn out to be a homicide this could be a great career break for you, Guy. I’d prefer to keep the job rather than hand it over to Nick Best, though if you find you need any urgent guidance you could speak to him — I’ll let him know.’
‘Thanks, boss, I’m very grateful. Sounds like we already have a possible suspect. Track record of abusing his wife. We might be able to wrap this up very quickly.’
‘ABC, Guy,’ Grace cautioned him with the police mantra. Assume nothing. Believe no one. Check everything.
‘Ingrained on my soul!’
Grace grinned. He liked Batchelor a lot. He was a smart detective who he believed would go far in his career. Probably further than he himself had ambitions for. All the way to the top. He could see him being a chief constable one day. ‘Good man,’ he said.
‘I won’t let you down, boss.’
‘That’s why I’ve chosen you.’
22
Thursday 21 April
As Grace drove the unmarked job car past the security gate of the Police HQ, out onto the residential street and up the hill, his right leg, where he had been hit with eleven shotgun pellets a few months ago, was still causing him discomfort. But he ignored it as he talked Batchelor through the initial procedures to follow, while the DI noted everything diligently on his pad for Operation Bantam, the random name generated by the Sussex Police computer system.
They drove through the Cuilfail tunnel under the cliffs on the edge of the county town of Lewes, and then onto the A27. Grace was feeling the same surge of adrenaline he always got when heading to a potential murder scene. The weeks of paperwork were necessary, but the real bang for him always had been and, he knew, always would be, leading a murder enquiry from the front. Excitement, mingled with both fascination and a little dread, too, at what he might be about to see. Coupled with the knowledge of the almost overwhelming burden of responsibility that came with it. All he could hope to achieve was justice for the victim, and some sort of closure for the victim’s family. The victim’s family was the most important of all. Until the offender was convicted and sentenced, the family could not start to move on.
He never forgot that.
This sounded potentially a simple case, with a prime suspect already on the radar. Eighty per cent of victims were killed by someone they knew, and with Lorna Belling’s history of domestic abuse by her husband already well known to the police they had a good starting point. But, equally, he well knew from his years of experience that things were not always as they seemed.
‘We need to check out the electrician’s story, Guy. We also need the names of all the tenants in the building and background checks on them. And all the tradesmen who call regularly, and any other contractors working in the building, or who have recently worked there. We’ll need a list of all her friends and relatives, and any work colleagues and clients.’
Batchelor continued to make notes. ‘I should also have a check done on any known offenders against women who might recently have been released from prison, with links to Brighton and Hove.’
‘Absolutely, Guy, good thinking.’
Fifteen minutes later, crossing the lights at the junction of Hove Street and Kingsway, and making a left along the seafront, he didn’t need the satnav to find the building, just a short distance ahead. There were two marked police cars outside, a white CSI van and another car with a crest and the words HM CORONER on each door. An outer cordon of crime scene tape, attended by a uniformed PCSO scene guard, flapped in the wind outside the entrance to a shabby-looking, 1950s low-rise apartment building. So far, he was pleased to see, there were no reporters, although it would not be long, he knew, before they arrived. But he preferred to be fully informed before engaging with them.