The Reunion

Chapter 3

2 - HELP

Christopher Duncan was taken to Exeter police station. He had a good lawyer, one of the best in the business, but he knew that he was innocent so everything should be fine. His lawyer instructed him not to answer any questions until she got there so he was detained in a cell for two hours. Chris was able to phone his wife, Kathleen, and tell her the news. To say she was shocked was an understatement. She was a gibbering wreck. He instructed her to take the children and go and stay with her parents because this was bound to break in the media quite soon. And, sure enough, by the time his lawyer arrived, she informed him that his arrest was breaking news. He was questioned for two hours initially, before they decided to take a break. Obviously, I was not in the room so can only go on what I've been told but Chris didn't do much talking. This was probably on the instructions of his solicitor. At the end she stated that if they did not have any evidence then they must release her client immediately.

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Oh, they had evidence all right. Not in the next two-hour session, but the one after that, they produced a t-shirt that they alleged belonged to Chris. They could see in his eyes that he recognised the garment but he said that he could not recollect it. The police indicated that his DNA had been found on it and the item of clothing had been found in the shallow grave with Susan's body. They asked him how an item with his DNA could have found at the murder scene. His solicitor instructed him to say "no comment". After another break, the police introduced another vital piece of evidence. A knife. They believed it to be the murder weapon as it had Susan's blood on the blade. The DI asked Chris if he recognised the knife, to which they were now receiving the standard reply of "no comment". They asked if he could explain why his fingerprints had been found on the weapon. Chris had started to sweat at this point. But he kept on shaking his head and saying "no comment" and that it wasn't him, that he was innocent.

It was the next sequence of questions that really shook him, however. He was first asked if he had been in a relationship with Susan Adams. He looked at his solicitor who just shook her head. 'No comment,' was the reply. Chris was informed that witnesses had told the police that Chris and Susan had been regarded as a couple. 'No comment.' He was then asked bluntly if he had ever had sexual intercourse with Susan Adams.

This time Chris ignored his solicitor. 'No!' he shouted. 'I never did.'

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A photo was placed in front of him and his solicitor. 'Do you know what this is?' he was asked. Chris was repulsed but fascinated by the photograph. He shook his head. 'That is a six- to seven-month-old foetus,' said the policeman. 'Susan Adams was pregnant when she was killed.' Chris could not control his reaction. He managed to turn his head as he vomited on the floor.

He was held for a further twenty-four hours, after a successful appeal to detain him for further questioning was granted, before being charged with the murder of Graham Longmuir's sister.

Graham had visited DI Martin, to get the papers to say that Susan's body could be taken, and was told that his sister had been pregnant when she was murdered. He almost fainted. Parveen managed to support him. He was given water to drink and was offered a tea or coffee. He declined this. The DI looked at him. 'You're going to have to tell your parents,' he said. 'It will come out if it goes to trial.'

Graham nodded numbly. 'What do you mean if it goes to trial?' he heard Parveen ask. 'Are you telling me that he hasn't been charged yet?'

'He is still being questioned. We have the right to hold him for twenty-four hours,' DI Martin explained. 'We can, and we will, apply for an extension. There is plenty of evidence but we don't want to rush this. If we make any mistake whatsoever, then his solicitor will jump on it and get him freed.'