‘And at what point did I sneak into his house, guess the passwords for his computer and post on Jessie Tout’s Facebook page?’
Latimer is holding up both hands. ‘Keep your voice down, Pete. Half the department are poised to rush in here and stop you thumping me.’
Pete spins round to see several heads turn quickly away. ‘Trust me, they wouldn’t exactly rush.’
Latimer gives a quick, sharp exhale of breath. ‘Possibly not. But personal animosities aside, that’s the route Maggie Rose will go if she takes this case on. The evidence is strong. She can only discredit it by claiming it was planted. That someone framed Wolfe.’
‘Wolfe had no enemies that we found.’
‘From what I know of that woman, she’ll find one. And we know she’s already working on the case. She’s been phoning around, asking questions. And now this visiting order request.’
‘It’s what she does. She told me last night while we were walking round the Bishop’s Palace beneath the stars. Cases spark an interest and she learns more about them. She has umpteen books that never got more than a third of the way written. I’m sure the one she’s started on Wolfe, if she’s even started it, will end up the same way.’
‘I need to know if there’s anything you wouldn’t want to see held up to scrutiny.’
‘Nothing. And the killings stopped, remember? No women have been killed in even remotely similar circumstances since Wolfe was put away.’
‘Won’t be enough. She doesn’t have to find the real killer, she just has to throw enough doubt on your investigation for his conviction to be overturned. If she gets Wolfe out, she ruins you.’
Latimer is right. He’s a git, but he’s right.
‘Has it occurred to you that this personal interest she’s showing might be a ruse to get closer to the investigation?’
‘Yes, that has occurred to me.’
‘And?’
There is a knock on the door.
‘Sorry, sir, Sarge.’ Liz’s voice. ‘I thought you’d want to know there was a disturbance reported at Maggie Rose’s house last night.’
Pete watches Latimer think for a second or two, before nodding at Liz to go on.
‘She didn’t report it herself,’ Liz says. ‘It was a neighbour, by all accounts, who saw someone hanging round in the garden and called the police. Uniform attended, looked round a bit, spoke to Miss Rose and went away again.’
‘What do you think?’ Latimer says to Pete.
Still Pete doesn’t turn round to look at Liz. ‘I think I’d better go and find out what’s going on,’ he says.
They wait until the door closes behind Liz.
‘Will that be all?’
Latimer, distracted, nods briefly. Pete turns to leave.
‘Pete.’ Latimer calls him back just as he is about to step out. ‘Something I’ve been meaning to mention. Have you considered taking your inspector’s exam?’
‘Not sure I’ve done the time.’
‘If you were successful, I’d be happy to recommend you for promotion. As long as Wolfe stays safely inside, I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t happen.’
And a promotion to Detective Inspector will almost inevitably mean a transfer away from Portishead station. He and Latimer will no longer have to see each other every day. It has to be worth thinking about.
It can also be seen as a veiled threat. If anything goes wrong with the case that made him, promotion might be beyond his reach for ever.
Chapter 22
PSYCHIATRIC REPORT INTO HAMISH WOLFE
PREPARED BY SONIA OKONJO
NB: As is my normal practice, I recorded my interview with Hamish Wolfe and, subsequently, arranged for the tape to be transcribed. The reader can therefore be confident that where I quote snippets of conversation, they accurately reflect the exchange that took place between us.
Introduction
I was briefed about the case against Hamish Wolfe in March 2014 and the interview took place nearly five weeks later. By the time I met Hamish Wolfe, I’d had the opportunity to read the formal charge documents, the witness statements, the interview transcripts, the accused’s statement, his school, university and medical reports, the summary of the investigation prepared by Detective Constable Weston and the post-mortem reports, and view the crime scene photographs. I was as well prepared as it is possible to be.
Preliminaries
Upon being shown into the interview room where Hamish Wolfe was waiting, alone, I introduced myself and explained that I’d been appointed by the Crown Court to carry out an interview with him. The purpose, I went on to say, was to enable me to form a view of the state of his mental health, both at the present time and at the time of the alleged offences, and to prepare a report for the Court. In particular, I would be considering whether or not, in my view, he was fit to stand trial.