No stone unturned

Linton's confession

The next morning at 5 a.m, much to the annoyance of his wife, DCI James Ulster was awoken by the sound of his mobile vibrating on his bedside table.

James Ulster’, he grunted into the phone.

‘sorry to disturb you, sir, this is DC Will Trent from the murder squad. A woman’s body (parts) has been discovered in the back of a van over in Atlanta and they’ve arrested a woman called Sara Linton.’

James sat up, and his wife moaned as he threw the duvet to one side.

‘what?’ James asked, still not fully awake.

DCS Wagner is heading up the investigation and he wants you in for 7 a.m handover briefing at Atlanta police station.

Give me the address…. No, the crime scene!’

He jotted down the address and leaned over to kiss his wife and give her his apologies, but she was fast asleep. Dressed and using his battery shaver he headed across the landing and peeked in to see his twin boys, who were still asleep, before quietly heading down the stairs.

En route to the station James visited the scene, and was immediately taken to one side of the crime scene manager, who told him that a handbag had been recovered containing documents in the name of Elizabeth Marks.

The body was still in the back of the van as there were a lot of items around it that needed to be photographed then seized and bagged before she could be removed and taken to the mortuary. The postmortem was to take place at 3 p.m that afternoon.

James decided that he would carry out a short interview with Sara Linton beforehand. Jerry Barolli would assist him in doing so, while DC Barbara Falkland and DC Joan Maddox, with whom James had worked many times previously, set up the incident room at Atlanta police station and obtained details of any next of kin for Elizabeth Bennett.

James Ulster and Jerry Barolli entered the custody suite interview room. Linton was sitting on one side of the table with her legal representative, trey Callahan, by her side. They sat down opposite Linton and Callahan. Jerry informed Linton that the interview would be recorded and leaned over to the DVD equipment attached to the wall and pressed the start button, causing the recorder and two wall-mounted cameras in the room to light up. James introduced himself and Jerry then cautioned Linton, telling her that she didn’t have to answer ay questions but that anything she did say might be given in evidence. James was about to commence his questioning when to his and Jerry’s surprise Linton suddenly sat upright and then leaned across the table.

‘Right then, I may as well tell you what I already told my solicitor. Now where shall I start – or should I ask where you would like me to start?’ Linton enquired.

James was about to ask a question when Linton raised her hand, indicating to James to be quiet.

‘If you want me to tell you what happened then please don’t interrupt me’.

James and Jerry looked at each other in surprise, taken aback by Linton’s willingness to speak freely and Trey allowing her to do so. James decided it was best to hear what Linton had to say before putting any questions to her and allowed her to continue.

Linton told her story: she had borrowed the van off the owner Ben Hully, who was selling it. She had taken it out at night for a test drive only because she didn’t have a driving licence or insurance and she knew there would be less traffic and fewer police about. She went on her own to the eagle pub in Atlanta just before closing time where she’d notice a woman starring at her. After one drink she left to go home and was driving down the road when she saw the woman who starred at her previously and was worried because she was drunk and on her own so she stopped to offer her a lift, but she had refused and continued to walk on. Linton had followed her and asked her again if she needed a lift. This time she had been, in her words, RUDE, told me to leave her alone. She had driven past her for about fifty yards and then stopped and got out to tell her she was just trying to help. Linton claimed that she told her, her name was Elizabeth and agreed to accept her lift and got into the passenger seat. She (Linton) told her she was the most beautiful lady she’d ever seen and would like to show her what a fun night could be like, she agreed to have s*x with her and she had driven to some waste ground by Atlanta, they both got into the back of the van and had hot seaming lesbian s*x like never before. After they had s*x she suddenly turned hysterical and violent, kicking her in the gut, and she had panicked and hit her to keep her quite. Linton explained that she had just reached out for anything close to force her to stop screaming. She thought she had truck her with a section of the pump used to blow up the balloons.