Page 73 of Her Hidden Shadow

‘Mr Crawford. You have been arrested for the attempted murders of Hazel Blackford, Tiffany Crawford, Nancy Cross and Lauren Cross; and for the murders of Sienna Moorcroft and Robbie Shields. Also, you’ve been arrested for controlling and coercive behaviour, and administering a noxious substance to Tiffany Crawford.’

Kieron whispered something to his solicitor, and she shook her head.

‘Where were you between seven on Saturday night and one on Sunday morning?’

‘No comment.’

‘Why did you kill Sienna Moorcroft?’

‘No comment.’

Gina went through all their questions but for every one he answered no comment.

‘Mr Crawford, this evening, I found you strangling Lauren Cross. Is that what you did to Hazel Blackford and Tiffany Crawford?’

‘No comment.’ He stared into the lap of his standard-issue track bottoms. ‘No comment, no comment, no comment.’

‘Mr Crawford. We have a blood sample found at the scene of Hazel Blackford’s attack. Your DNA has now gone to the lab. It’s your blood, isn’t it?’

‘No bloody comment.’ His fingers began to shake.

‘We have word that the tablets your wife thought were vitamins were heavy sedatives. Also, there was residue of that sedative found in Mrs Crawford’s water, in her food and in her wine glass. Other things in your medicine cabinet, caffeine pills that had been crushed into a powder. The one pill your wife describes as a probiotic, turned out to be a strong laxative. Have you been purposely making Tiffany Crawford ill to the point she doubted her every move?’

‘You didn’t have to live with her.’ He slammed his fist on the table, making the cups jump. Gina leaned back. She’d cracked him. His solicitor whispered in his ear, and he dismissed her. ‘It’s no good, that blood is mine.’ He let out a laugh.

Gina’s muscles tightened. Was that a confession? ‘Are you saying that the blood left behind on Hazel Blackford’s door is your blood?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you saying that you broke into her house and attacked her?’

‘Yes. That bitch deserved everything she got.’

Gina’s heart began to thrum as she imagined Hazel fighting for her life. She wanted to reach over the table and make him pay but, as always, she remained still and calm. ‘Why did you try to kill her?’

‘She let me down like they all do. You know, my mother was an evil bitch, and Hazel knew that. She knew how hard I’d had it and she told me that no one would ever hurt me again. She said she’d never leave me. I was so happy that I’d found this angel with her long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She told me she loved me, and I fell for her deeply. Then out of the blue, she dumped me. I was upset and, at first, I wondered if it was because there was someone else, but she didn’t pick up with anyone, not for a year or two. Then, I noticed on her social media that she was in a relationship with a woman. I was never going to be enough for her and she’d led me on and spat me out. I couldn’t get her deceit out of my head. I went to her workplace to speak to her, but I couldn’t approach her, so I followed her home. That’s when I saw the nice house, the perfect everything and…’ He clenched his fist.

‘So, you attempted to kill her because she rejected you?’

He slammed his hand on the table. ‘They rejected me. You know, even though my heartless bitch of a mother never loved me, I cared for her up until the day she died. I bathed her, fed her, administered her medicine. In the end, she was in so much pain, she begged me to end it, but I made her suffer to the end while I watched the bitch die. Before you ask, no I didn’t kill her or help her to end it.’

‘Why did you strangle Tiffany? She was your wife.’

The solicitor began to whisper to Kieron Crawford. ‘Oh, zip it. She knows, they know.’

‘Tiffany?’ Gina waited and hoped that he’d continue against the advice of his solicitor.

‘At first it was hearts and roses. I fell for her quick and we drove to Cleevesford one day and stopped at the Bluebell Woods. I proposed to her, and she said yes. I was so happy.’

‘What changed?’

‘I couldn’t stop thinking about how happy I thought I was when I was with Hazel so I made sure the same thing wouldn’t happen again.’

‘How?’

‘I knew that if I scared her, she’d want me to be with her. I didn’t want to go to that stag do, I wanted to stay with her, but she insisted, like she wanted me to go out so she could get rid of me. A part of me wondered if she was seeing someone else and I couldn’t bear for her to leave me. After the night I had her scrawny neck in my hands, she never wanted me to leave her side.’

‘Why Lauren?’

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