The Whole Truth

‘For internal purposes, the line will be that the reallocation of the case is a purely procedural matter, not a reflection on DI Fawley’s conduct in the last twelve hours.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

He frowns. ‘You don’t get off that easily. Not by a long way. But right now, we have a murder case to solve, and public trust to maintain.’

He sits back and turns, as pointedly as he can, to Gallagher. ‘Over to you, Ruth.’

* * *

Interview with Hugh Cleland, conducted at St

Aldate’s Police Station, Oxford

10 July 2018, 6.15 p.m.

In attendance, DCG. Quinn,DCA. Asante, P. Brunswick (solicitor)

GQ: I would remind you, Mr Cleland, that you are under arrest. Do you need me to remind you of the wording of the caution?

HC: I do watch TV. And I’m not a complete fucking imbecile.

GQ: I’ll take that as a ‘No’. So, last night. Talk us through that again.

HC: [gesturing at Asante]

I already told him. I have nothing to add.

GQ: For the benefit of the recording. If it’s not too much trouble.

HC: I went for a run, at Shotover.

GQ: You drove six miles, when you could have just nipped down the road to the Parks?

HC: There’s no law against driving to take exercise. Not that I’m aware of.

GQ: What did you drive? The Range Rover?

HC: [pause]

No.

GQ: Oh? Why was that?

HC: Last time I took it up there some little tyke keyed it.

GQ: Oh dear, how very annoying.

PB: There’s no call for sarcasm, Constable.

GQ: So if not the Range Rover, then what?

HC: My wife’s car.

AA: And that is?

HC: A Honda Civic.

AA: Colour?

HC: Black.

AA: Registration?

HC: [pause]

I don’t know. Not offhand. I rarely drive it.

PB: I’m sure we can supply details of the car, if required.

GQ: But you drove it last night?

HC: Like I said –

GQ: Yes, I know what you said.

AA: One of Emma Smith’s neighbours saw a dark-coloured saloon parked outside her door at about nine o’clock last night. She doesn’t recall seeing the car before.

HC: Well, it certainly wasn’t mine.

GQ: You didn’t go and see Ms Smith? Perhaps you thought you could get her to change her mind? Let you have a kid after all?

HC: a) I wouldn’t have demeaned myself by going cap-in-hand to some council nobody who was only going to say no anyway, and b) even if I had wanted to, I didn’t know her bloody address. Capeesh?

AA: You could easily have followed her home from work. You were seen on the Iffley Road –

HC: Buying wine –

GQ: I thought you said you didn’t buy any?

HC: You know what I mean –

GQ: So what time did you leave the house for this run of yours?

HC: About 8.30. There or thereabouts.

AA: And what were you wearing?

HC: What do you think I was wearing? T-shirt, shorts, trainers.

AA: The ones we retrieved from the house? The white T-shirt and black shorts, and the Nike trainers?

HC: I already told you that.

GQ: How long did you run for?

HC: I don’t know, 20 minutes?

GQ: That’s a long round trip for such a short run – half an hour there, half an hour back –

HC: Are you checking my petrol consumption now?

GQ: So by my calculations you’d have got home about ten.

HC: Something like that.

GQ: Your wife will confirm that, will she?

HC: She’d bloody well better.

AA: Did you see anyone while you were running, speak to anyone?

HC: I was running. It’s not a bloody social club.

Interview interrupted by DSDavid King andDCSimon Farrow.

DK: Stop the recording, this interview is now suspended.

GQ: What’s going on?

DK: Mr Cleland will be returned to the custody suite, pending further investigations, and forensic test results.

HC: What, overnight? In the fucking cells? You can’t do that –

DK: Oh, I think you’ll find we can.

GQ: Is someone going to tell me what the fuck’s going on?

DK: [smiling]

Afraid that’s above your pay grade, DC Quinn.

* * *

Sent:Tues 10/07/2018, 19.05Importance: High From:DIAdamFawley@ThamesValley.police.uk To:CID@ThamesValley.police.uk, AlanChallowCSI@ThamesValley.police.uk, Colin.Boddie@ouh.nhs.uk cc:DIRuthGallagher@ThamesValley.police.uk

Subject: Case no 75983/02 Smith, E

This is to inform you that DI Gallagher’s team will be taking on this case with immediate effect.

It has been brought to my attention that Ms Smith was a friend of my wife, so it is not appropriate for me to continue to direct the investigation.

For the record, I knew Ms Smith only as ‘Emma’. I met her very infrequently, usually at my own house but also once at her flat. DI Gallagher is fully aware of the circumstances.

I know you will give DI Gallagher’s team your full cooperation.

AJF

Adam Fawley

Detective Inspector, CID, Thames Valley Police

St Aldate’s Police Station, Oxford OX1 1SZ

* * *

Adam Fawley

10 July 2018

20.49