Page 65 of Maybe Tomorrow

‘Yes. You are.’

‘So, what are we going to do?’

‘I don’t know. Bishop has a signed confession from Anthony and witness statements from three prostitutes saying how Anthony liked to perv on them. And being in Canal Street at that time places him near the murder site. That’s the angle he’s going with; that Anthony’s some kind of sexual predator. As far as he’s concerned, it’s an open-and-shut case.’

‘What do you think?’

‘Does it matter what I think? I’m just a lowly DC.’

‘I’m even lowlier than you and I’m raging. Chris, I did not join the police force so I could sit back and see people get sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. There is a man out there who raped and murdered Alice Patterson. If he gets away with it, there is every chance he could do it again. Do you want that on your conscience? I bloody don’t.’

It was a while before Chris answered. He turned and looked out of the window. There was a stiff wind blowing and the sky was clouding over. It was going to be a long winter.

‘No. I don’t.’

‘So, will you help me?’

‘Do what?’

‘Prove Anthony’s innocence.’

‘How are you going to do that?’

‘Well, for a start, we can go back and talk to these women, these prostitutes, and ask them exactly what they know about Anthony.’

‘I can’t do that,’ Chris exclaimed quietly.

‘Why not?’

‘Do you have any idea what Bishop would do to me if he found out I’ve been going behind his back? He’d do more than send me back to uniform, he’d probably have me thrown out of the force.’

‘So, that’s it, is it? You’re not prepared to help.’

‘Freya, there’s nothing I can do.’

‘Fine,’ she said, standing up. ‘I’ll have to do it on my own, then.’

‘Do what?’

‘Talk to these women. Can you get me their contact details?’

‘Freya, if Bishop finds out what you’re doing, he’ll make your life hell. I know it.’

‘I can live with that. What I can’t live with is an innocent man in jail.’

‘You’re going to make yourself very unpopular.’

‘I really don’t care. Look, Anthony might be guilty, and if he is, I’ll hold my hands up and say he deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison, but not this way. This is wrong.’

‘Aren’t you going to finish your dinner?’

‘I’ve lost my appetite,’ she said, walking away.

ChapterTwenty-Six

Jennifer Ripley pulled up outside Pauline Winstanley’s house on Crescent Avenue in her silver Volvo. She turned off the engine and remained seated. She did not have good news. After meeting Pauline that morning, she recognised that she was a woman enduring enormous emotional stress and was under the illusion Jennifer would be able to sort everything out and bring Anthony home to her that night, all charges dropped. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

It was a little after five o’clock and already pitch-dark. The sky was clearing, and an infinite number of stars were shining. Jennifer shivered as she climbed out of the car. She lifted the collar on her knee-length coat and grabbed her briefcase from the front passenger seat. She didn’t need it, but it gave her extra confidence.