Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Now that Reynolds was in their sights, there was no question of leaving anything to chance. Locked away alone in her office, Helen was surrounded on all sides by files, the result of many hours dogged graft by her team, who’d done heroic work unearthing everything that was on record about the Reynolds family’s health, wealth and personal history. Helen was beginning to feel that she knew Reynolds and his dependents better than she knew herself, but this was just as well. The suspect had been arrested, cautioned and was already downstairs, being processed for questioning in the bowels of the building.
Their first chat had been a skirmish, Helen sounding Reynolds out, attempting to confirm her suspicions that he was a bad egg. This second conversation would be all-out war. Reynolds was fighting for his life, his liberty, teetering on the edge of an abyss that might destroy him. Even putting aside the professional disgrace and attendant personal shame, his conviction would usher in the grimmest period of his life, a paedophile policeman at the very top of the list for ‘honour’ attacks amongst prison inmates. Reynolds would resist her accusations forcefully and with passion, so it was up to Helen to use whatever leverage she possessed to crack him, whilst hoping the painstaking search of his property and vehicle revealed compelling evidence of his connection to these awful crimes.
Sifting through the details of his life, Helen had satisfied herself that there was no way Reynolds could have paid for his and family’s lifestyle through legal means. Even putting aside the material wealth and the brand new BMW, there were a number of exotic foreign trips he’d treated the family to – jaunts to Barbados, St Lucia and Florida, which he’d conspicuously failed to mention to his colleagues. Other chaps in the locker room used to tease him, calling him sunbed Dave, but the joke had turned out to be on them, Reynolds presumably having never set foot in a tanning centre. But where did all this wealth come from? And how was it acquired? There were no obvious purchases from electrical outlets or online retailers, so had he required all these high-value goods via cash, possibly from criminal suppliers? There seemed no other obvious explanation.
As illuminating as his financial records had been, his medical history was also intriguing. Three times in the last ten years he had been treated for a sexually transmitted infection, his GP’s notes recording in detail both the complaint and the treatment provided. Three times in a decade was a high hit rate for a happily married man, suggesting his real sexual interest lay outside the marital home, especially as there were no recent instances of Jackie Reynolds having to receive similar treatments, according to her medical files.
Helen was still digesting these details, when DC Wilson approached, a serious look on his face.
‘Just heard back from Meredith Walker.’
‘And?’
‘The Mazda is clean as a whistle, inside and out. By the look of it, it had a thorough valet before it was returned to Cartwright. No hairs, no DNA, no prints, even on the exterior, it’s like it’s brand new.’
Helen slumped, deflated by this surprising news. Concrete forensic evidence of Naomi’s presence in that car was their best bet of forcing a confession from Reynolds. Wilson must have read her mind, because he now added:
‘Oh, and DS Brooks wanted me to tell you that the suspect is ready for interview. Shall I let her know you’re coming?’