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‘Do you recognise this, Mr Carrington?’ Robyn held the mobile phone up.

Liam nodded.

‘DI Carter has shown Mr Carrington a pay-as-you-go mobile phone,’ Matt said clearly for the recording device.

Robyn spoke again. ‘Could you confirm your response for the benefit of the tape recorder please? Do you recognise this mobile phone?’

‘Yes,’ said Carrington.

‘Did you use this mobile device for conversations with Henry Gregson?’

‘Yes.’

‘When was the last time you used it?’

‘On the fourteenth. Henry rang me.’

‘Why did he ring you on this number and not your usual mobile?’

‘I had to keep the calls secret. I didn’t want Ella to find out.’

‘Why not?’

‘I didn’t want her involved in any of it.’

‘When you say you didn’t want her involved in any of it, what do you mean by that?’ Robyn stared intently at Carrington.

The man licked his lips and spoke. ‘I’d cheated the system. I took a winning ticket from a couple in MiniMarkt, told them they hadn’t won anything, and pocketed the ticket myself. I couldn’t claim the jackpot without arousing suspicion, so I pretended the syndicate, of which I was a member, had won it. Henry found out and was going to give me up to the police. I didn’t want Ella to find out – it would have freaked her out. That’s why I got the second phone, so Henry could ring me on it and talk it over. We had several conversations about it. I was hoping he would change his mind and not shop me.’

‘But he threatened to do so.’

‘He came to my house while Ella was out and said he’d decided to tell the lottery people and the MiniMarkt owners.’

Robyn folded her arms and studied Carrington’s face. He licked his lips again. She nodded towards Matt, who placed the gun on the table in front of Carrington and his solicitor.

‘Is this the weapon used to murder Henry Gregson on the fourteenth of February?’

‘Yes.’

‘Can you explain why it was found at your home, inside a memory box?’

‘I put it there. I hid it. After I killed Henry.’

‘You admit to killing Henry Gregson?’

‘Yes. I arranged to meet him on Cannock Chase. I hid behind a tree and waited for him to arrive. He didn’t see me at first. I walked forwards and waved at him. He lowered the window to call me over and I shot him. Then I drove home and hid the gun.’

‘You drove to Cannock Chase?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what time would this have been? You were spotted around the village at twelve.’

‘I don’t know. After Henry said he was going to tell the lottery people about me stealing the ticket, I lost track of time. I rang him while I was walking about the village. Astra was tired that morning and had dozed off in her buggy, so I put her in the back of the car and drove to Cannock Chase without thinking about it.’

‘And you pulled into the car park, walked up to where Henry was waiting for you, shot him and drove home?’

‘Yes, except I didn’t go to the car park. I drove to the clearing where Henry was waiting. There’s a lay-by close by. I pulled over there,’ he said with some satisfaction.

Robyn continued staring at him. ‘That’s indeed very true. There is a lay-by close to the clearing where Henry Gregson was found dead, but you did not drive to it. Your car did not go through any of our automatic vehicle recognition points. If you had taken that route, it would have shown up.’

‘I went a different route,’ he said quickly.

‘There are points all around that area. It would have been impossible to have approached the lay-by without your car being seen.’

‘I did go there. You can’t prove I didn’t. I killed them all.’

‘Are you also confessing to the murders of Tessa Hall, Juliet Fallows and Anthony Hawkins?’

‘I am. I killed them and I shot Henry.’

‘But you said you hid the gun in the memory box after you shot Henry?’

Liam blinked rapidly before answering. ‘I took it out again to kill Juliet. Then put it back.’

Robyn nodded then spoke. ‘I’m afraid I don’t believe your version of events.’ She pushed forwards a photograph.

‘DI Carter is showing Mr Carrington a photograph taken at one fifteen on fourteenth February.’

Liam’s face gave nothing away.

‘This is a photograph of a car that passed through one of the automatic vehicle recognition points at one fifteen. As you can see, it’s a taxi from A111 Taxis, based in Burton-on-Trent. The driver remembers the passenger who booked this taxi from Burton-on-Trent to Cannock Chase via Yoxall quite clearly and was able to give us a detailed description. The company also has records of the same individual who booked a trip from Cannock Chase to Yoxall an hour later. They have records of the times this passenger was picked up and deposited. If you look very closely at the photograph, which has been enlarged, you’ll see that passenger. Mr Carrington, can you explain why your sister, Ella Fox, was in that cab?’