The Hangman’s Hold: A gripping serial killer thriller that will keep you hooked

‘How long after the first message did you arrange to meet?’

‘Just over a week, I think.’

‘And who chose the date and time to meet?’

‘I did.’

‘Did he arrive on his own?’

‘Yes.’

‘Was there anyone watching or following you? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously?’

Adele frowned. ‘No. Well, I don’t think so. I didn’t take much notice of anyone else.’

‘Where did you go when you’d met?’

‘Lloyd’s Bar. We had a couple of drinks then on to Zizzi’s for a meal.’

‘Was there anyone in Lloyd’s Bar who you thought might be watching you or Brian?’

‘No. I was just out having a drink, I wasn’t looking for anyone watching us. I mean, you don’t, do you? I’m not a paranoid person.’

‘It’s OK, Adele, try and relax,’ Scott jumped in.

Adele took a deep breath. She had a sip of her tea, but it tasted foul. ‘We had a lovely evening together. We had a meal, a good chat, swapped stories, and then went our separate ways. That was all.’

‘What did he tell you about his past?’

Adele shook her head. What he had said had obviously been a lie. She couldn’t believe she had been duped. ‘He told me he’d been living in America for eight years. He said he was an English teacher.’

‘He didn’t mention having been in prison?’

She flinched at the word. ‘Of course he didn’t,’ she raised her voice. ‘If I knew that I would have walked out of the restaurant.’

‘What else did he tell you about himself?’ Aaron asked.

‘He said he was divorced. His wife had cheated on him with another woman. He’d moved to America to put some distance between them. I felt sorry for him. Can you believe that? I actually felt sorry for him.’

‘Adele, you didn’t know,’ Scott said, taking on the role of a friend. ‘There’s no way you could have known.’

‘Are you going to tell me what he’d done?’ she asked. Matilda had only told her the basics in the car on the way to the station: that he had been killed and was known to the police. When pressed further, Matilda claimed she didn’t know all the facts herself.

‘Do you really want to know?’

‘No.’ She half-smiled.

‘How did Brian seem last night?’ Aaron asked, remaining focused and formal.

Adele thought for a while. ‘Nervous to begin with, but then so was I. We both soon relaxed. He was chatty, he smiled, he laughed. He came across like any other normal member of the public.’

‘How did the date end?’

Adele baulked at the word date. It was like she was reviled for having a date with a criminal. ‘He walked me to the taxi rank opposite John Lewis. We kissed and said we’d arrange to go out again. I went home.’

‘Did Brian say how he was getting home?’

‘He was driving.’

‘Did he drink alcohol during your date?’ Scott asked.

‘No. He had juice.’

‘Did you see which direction he headed in after he’d left you at the taxi rank?’

‘No. As my taxi pulled away I turned to look through the rear window and he was still stood on the pavement. He waved. I waved back. That was it.’

‘Adele,’ Scott adjusted himself in his seat, ‘when you arrived home, did Brian contact you anymore that night?’

‘No.’

‘Did anything out of the ordinary happen?’

‘You mean apart from being burgled?’

The detectives remained silent, giving Adele a chance to relax and calm down a little before continuing.

‘Did you recognize the person burgling your home?’

‘No. It all happened so quickly. He was dressed in dark clothing.’

‘You’re sure it was a man?’

‘He was tall, a great big barrel. Yes, he was a man.’

‘Did he say anything?’

‘No. He looked at me and ran towards me. I just froze. The next thing I know there’s this gloved fist in my face and I’m on the floor.’

‘Did you lose consciousness?’

‘No. I was just a bit dazed.’ Adele wiped her nose with a soaked tissue. She took a deep breath. ‘I don’t want to know what Brian had done, but do you think I was set up? Get me out of the house then burgle me?’

Scott and Aaron exchanged glances. ‘I don’t think so, Adele,’ Scott said.

‘It’s bad, isn’t it? What he did. He didn’t spend eight years in prison for being a serial burglar, did he?’

‘No.’