‘Do you two still get on?’
‘He loves Eilidh and she adores him too so there’s no problem there. My partner Mark and Euan get on well so that’s good too. Mark has two boys from a previous relationship so there’s a good understanding all round. We all work together to keep things harmonious.’
‘I asked if you and Euan got on?’
‘I loved him once and he’s Eilidh’s father so that’s a powerful bond. We get on well enough that I feel I can broach the subject of Ellie’s pregnancy, especially since he gave you the copy of the scan. I’m not sure what his reaction will be. Her pregnancy is maybe something that we have to mention to the police.’
‘He’s obsessed with this counsellor. I don’t get it, what’s that all about?’
Annabel swallowed the last of her coffee and looked at her watch. ‘I need to go now. Ellie never told me much about this mysterious counsellor and I haven’t a clue who he is. She did tell me one thing that would cause Euan to hate him.’
‘What was that?’ Flint asked, confusion showing in his face.
‘That he was the only man she ever loved.’
---oOo---
It was one of the longest letters she had written to him, somehow full of hope for their future together, even if her words were still vague and non-committal. It was the only one without a stamp, hand delivered on a beautiful summer’s morning in August, just as he was preparing to leave for work.
‘A quick fuck and then I’m going back to Edinburgh?’ she laughed, when he’d opened the door, surprised to see a woman wearing sunglasses and dressed in Lycra shorts. It took him a few seconds to realise it was Ellie. She held a cycle helmet in one hand and a letter in her other. She was covered in mud. ‘I know you’ve got work so don’t stand there with your mouth open.’
Out of the blue Ellie had taken up running and cycling, proving remarkably good at both. Her lithe frame, loping style, fierce determination and an ability to ignore pain, made her a formidable athlete on the road. Fit though he was, there was no way he could keep up with her for more than a couple of miles. And he knew she was pleased he could not match her pace, sometimes cheekily jogging back to where he was to cajole him into making some extra effort. Cycling was different though, his powerful frame made him the favourite on the flat, that advantage disappearing on the hills.
He remembered it took only five minutes to comply with Ellie’s request. Maybe it was the endorphins from the long cycle, for she was incredibly aroused, her urgency transmitted to his own body. They had fucked standing up in the kitchen, Ellie pulling down her shorts and kicking them high in the air before leaning over a chair, offering up her bottom to him. He’d struggled with his trousers, almost falling over in haste. He remembered how wet she was, climaxing after a few strokes in unison with him, and a worry that they were clearly visible through the kitchen window. Then, still half naked, she had rushed over to the toaster, slamming down two slices of bread while exclaiming how hungry she was. He still had his socks on.
‘You need to get to work, so better get your trousers on or the women there will be going berserk. I’ll have something to eat here and head back to Edinburgh when you’ve gone.’
‘You’re cycling back to Edinburgh?’
‘Well only as far as the train station,’ she laughed. ‘It took over seven hours to get here.’
‘Just stay the night here, I can make it home sharpish.’
‘Got a meeting around 4pm with a new client so I need to get home and have a shower, or I’ll be smelling of sex. That must have been the quickest fuck we’ve ever had.’
‘I’m away on Wednesday to Singapore for a week, just got a call last night. I was going to phone you this evening. It means I’ll miss dinner with Annabel and her new boyfriend.’
‘Good job we got one in then, isn’t it,’ she replied, slabbing the toast with jam. ‘That romp will have to sustain me until you get back. We can rearrange with Annabel, so don’t worry.’
‘That was the biggest surprise I think I’ve ever had since Santa brought me a skateboard when I was four,’ Euan laughed, wondering why she liked to use the word fuck so much.
‘Well it’s good to know I’m up there with a skateboard.’
Euan glanced at his watch, ‘right I need to go.’ He kissed her hard on the lips. ‘You are one crazy woman.’
‘It’s a good job you love me then, now scoot before I ask you to fuck me again. You look quite hunky in that suit.’
He had taken the letter with him, reading it at lunchtime in a café near the construction site. It had been hard to concentrate on work, still buoyed by the unexpected visit and her parting words. She knew he loved her and hopefully that was reciprocated but he was afraid to ask in case it made him look needy. He dared to hope it might be mentioned in her letter. As usual he was disappointed.
My Dearest Euan
Hopefully when you read this letter we will have fucked in your kitchen and I will be riding my bike back to Edinburgh, but only as far as the train station! I’ve planned this for days. I used four high power lights on the handlebars and one on my helmet since we set out at night. A friend came with me and she has gone to stay at her parents’ house. It was a glorious cycle, very dark and spooky along the canal at Falkirk. If you’ve gone in early to work, then that’s tough shit! Maybe next time. Ha! Ha!
I am currently running every morning and trying to fit in cycling in the evening if the weather is good. There is a spinning class at the gym, and I’ve managed to get there a few times. It’s really hard work and the rewards are worth it. The natural endorphins soothe my brain better than any medicine. It’s so important to fit your life around exercise. I mentioned this to my doctor and suggested stopping the pill and simply running every day to keep my brain healthy. She argued against it and when I spoke with my counsellor, he agreed with her. I’ll see how things go in the next few weeks, as you know I don’t like taking chemicals!
But we are good again and that is how things should be. Since the last meeting and our frank discussion, I feel more able to visit your parents if you would like that. Families should be important in our lives. My family are desperate to see you again and, according to my parents anyway, my brother Eamon actually asks after you. Apparently, he is working hard in the city dealing in stocks and shares and no doubt raking in the cash. His girlfriend Lysette has also managed to get a job in Edinburgh, so they’ll have a little love nest with plenty of cash! I don’t speak with him much and think he’s become a real shit. Our acrimony has a long history and goes way back to childhood. (Doesn’t everything!) But I know you have a brother who lives and works in London, so maybe we should plan a trip there and hook up with him. I really want to see if he’s as handsome as you!
Dinner with Annabel and her current partner is still on for Friday and you said you could manage that work permitting. The evening may well turn out to be boring. He is also an artist though a bit full of himself (reminds me of Eamon!) and although his work is technically sound it is hardly original or inspiring. He waits on tables to make a living. I know Annabel really likes you so I hope you can make it, dinner in Edinburgh then long luxurious sex to follow. If you can bring your bike in the car or on the train, we could go for a cycle and have lunch somewhere nice in the country.
My business is doing well and I’m picking up clients worldwide. I’ve a trip booked to America in a month and that should be interesting. And while on that subject, I have a proposition for you! It’s to accompany me to Paris. There is a company there who are interested in my work and with your ability to speak French that might go down well. I realise it might be difficult for you to get time off.
We can plan some winter climbing if you like, here in Scotland or abroad. There are so many good climbs that I would like us to tackle. What about Mount Cook? New Zealand sounds a great country to visit. Apparently, it’s a difficult climb and there’s ple
nty of dead bodies still around there to testify to that. Then there’s Everest, the king of them all. Why shouldn’t we have a go at that? We’re both technically proficient and can handle the pressure. All we need to do is plan, plan, plan. After all, we’re in our prime.
We’ve been a couple (ok maybe on and off!) for ages now and I’m lucky to have you in my life. You give me love, stability and friendship; our adventures together increase my passion for life. You know my mind and my body, my strengths and my weaknesses. Having you beside me as I go through life is a great source of comfort. I know I can be difficult, opinionated, rash at times and quick to react in anger. Am I worth the effort, for I will always want you in my life? They say life is a journey, well I want you beside me and hope you will stay the course.
Your darling
Ellie
It was yet another letter full of disjointed thoughts. He pondered for a while at the vitriol directed at her brother, trying to gauge its meaning and what had happened between them when they were children. His focus was on the words that spoke of their future together but no mention of love, setting up home together or marriage. She claimed she wanted him for life’s journey though maybe not as her exclusive partner.
And, as always, he knew he wanted absolute rights to her mind and her body.
Chapter 27
Andrea sat beside him throughout the initial police interview.
‘How long had you known Ellie Saunders,’ Tosh asked kicking off the proceedings.
‘Almost 25 years, we met on a climbing course where she was acting as a guide. When she learned I was a counsellor she asked me for some private sessions.’
‘You’re a psychosexual counsellor. Did Ms Saunders have problems regarding sex?’
‘She had many problems, mostly to do with her mental state. Ellie was effectively bipolar, suffering from mood swings. It was my opinion she used sex to help ameliorate the lows.’
‘So when did you start supplying your own version of sexual therapy?’
‘I don’t think smart comments like that are called for, nor particularly helpful,’ Andrea interjected sharply.
‘Yes, sorry about that,’ Tosh soothed, throwing his colleague a warning glance. ‘Can I ask Mr Serafini when he started a sexual relationship with Ms Saunders?’
‘About six months after we met. We went for a drink one evening and Ellie suggested we go back to her flat for coffee.’
‘Is that something you did a lot of,’ Tosh asked. ‘Going for a drink with a client?’
‘Ellie Saunders was the only client I ever saw outside my work. Perhaps it was because we met initially in a social situation and my counselling was therefore less formal.’
‘But you were attracted to her physically and emotionally?’
‘Yes, I was.’
‘And you had sex regularly after that?’ McIntyre asked, keen to be involved again in the interrogation.
‘On and off for 25 years I guess.’
‘The last time being on Coire Leis shortly after which Ellie Saunders was killed with an ice axe.’
‘I didn’t kill her.’
‘I think you killed her because she threatened to tell your wife about your sexual escapades going back all those years.’
‘You think I could kill someone, someone I really cared about, so my wife wouldn’t find out?’
‘It’s been done for centuries. You won’t be the first and you won’t be the last.’
‘I think you’ll find my wife Katie is being incredibly supportive. She knows I couldn’t kill anyone.’
‘You counselled Ellie for a number of years,’ McIntyre interjected. ‘She must have mentioned her past lovers. Is there anyone you think might have killed her?’
‘John, I don’t think it’s up to you to be suggesting suspects.’
‘I’m happy to answer the question Andrea.’
Andrea sighed while shrugging her shoulders
‘I knew most if not all of Ellie’s relationships or dalliances and it may well be it was one of them who killed her.’
‘My reason for not coming forward at the beginning was that I felt you might simply scale down the investigation once you had a suspect. And yes, you’re right in that the publicity I would get, even if you did subsequently find her murderer, would be unwelcome and put a strain on my family. So I said nothing in the hope you would find the killer and the case was then wrapped up.’
‘Very convenient,’ Tosh replied dismissively.
‘You asked me about suspects,’ Serafini continued while ignoring the remark. ‘Well Euan Hunter was obsessed with Ellie. He loved her to distraction and Ellie complained about the jealousy he exhibited when she saw other men.’
‘And you think that’s a better reason for him killing her than you had?’ McIntyre asked.
‘Well detective sergeant,’ Serafini smiled. ‘I have the advantage in knowing that I didn’t kill Ellie, so that means someone else did, and you asked me for potential suspects. So in terms of the people Ellie has mentioned in our sessions together, Euan Hunter would have to be top of my list.’
Tosh made some notes to give him time to think. Serafini seemed confident, completely unfazed by the questions and, outwardly at least, very calm. Perhaps his training as a counsellor allowed him to play the part but it did not augur well for either a confession or a conviction in court. Tosh knew psychopaths could lie persuasively, but Serafini was not a psychopath and his present demeanour was not that of a man charged with murder.
‘Did you keep records of your counselling sessions with Ellie Saunders?’
For the first time Tosh saw Serafini hesitate before answering.
‘I did have records but deleted them when I realised she was dead.’
‘Now isn’t that convenient,’ McIntyre scoffed. ‘You delete any incriminating evidence after you killed her. Well I’m sure we can recover those records once we get working on your computer.’
‘I doubt you would be able to recover them detective sergeant. I use very sophisticated software.’
‘Well we’ll see about that, you’ll find we have very sophisticated software too,’ McIntyre replied haughtily.
‘Why did you delete them Mr Serafini?’ Tosh asked softly, getting slightly irritated by his colleague’s interview technique. He would give him some words of advice later. Serafini was clever and not someone to be bullied. You had to be direct but polite to get the best results.
‘I delete all records once a client or patient has left my practice. I explain this to my clients, and they are usually grateful. Data protection is important in the medical profession.’
‘But Ellie Saunders was dead, so her privacy wasn’t an issue.’
Serafini nodded, ‘Yes you’re right, but there was no point in me leaving evidence on my computer if I was trying to avoid being the person who walked up with her to Coire Leis.’
‘Maybe the records showed a history of a violent sexual relationship that you didn’t want revealed,’ McIntyre suggested.
It was a good question this time, Tosh nodding his appreciation. They had found marks on her body suggesting bondage or some form of dominance. Now was the perfect opportunity to introduce that subject.
‘There were some deep marks on Ellie Saunders’ naked body commensurate with her being tied up,’ Tosh added before Serafini could reply to McIntyre’s question. ‘Did you tie Ms Saunders up and force her to have sex against her will?’
‘No, I can assure you our sex was of a consensual nature and neither bondage nor submission formed a part of our relationship from the start.’
‘Do you own an ice axe and if so where is it?’
‘Yes, and the answer to your second question is at my home.’
‘Does it have a long wooden handle like this one?’ McIntyre extracted a photograph from a folder and handed it to Serafini.<
br />
‘That looks pretty ancient, mine’s much smaller.’
‘Have you ever seen Ellie Saunders carry this ice axe?’ Tosh asked.
‘No, she has a smaller one than that.’
‘Did she have an ice axe with her on the evening you went to Coire Leis?’ Tosh continued.
‘Yes,’ Serafini replied after some thought. ‘You know I think she might have had an axe like that one with her.’
‘It’s a pretty big ice axe not to notice.’
‘We walked up in the dark and she wasn’t happy if I touched her stuff.’
‘So why sex in a snow-hole? Maybe the unusual venue stirred up strong feelings and the encounter then verged on the violent. Maybe she even encouraged it to begin with?’
‘Then when she asked you to stop, you couldn’t,’ Tosh added with an edge to his voice. ‘And then when she threatened to accuse you of rape you snapped and hit her with the axe.’
Serafini just shook his head and smiled at the two police officers. ‘Good try gentlemen, but when I left, she was very much alive.’
‘Was she naked when you left, or had she put her clothes back on?’ Tosh asked.
Serafini thought for a few moments before replying. ‘I think she was mostly naked inside her sleeping bag. We drank some whisky she had brought and then tea from my flask before she asked me to leave.’
‘And you were reluctant to leave?’
‘I was very reluctant to leave. It was pitch black and cold, but Ellie was adamant. She said she wanted to do snow climbing in the morning. I protested but she got very angry, so in the end I just left.’
‘Did it look to you that she had enough equipment to be spending a day climbing in the snow?’ McIntyre asked.
‘Her rucksack looked heavy anyway. I don’t remember seeing crampons or a climbing rope. I do remember that when I went to move her bag to the back of the snow-hole to give us more room she asked me quite sharply to leave it where it was.’
‘Her rucksack hasn’t been found. Did you take it?’
‘No, I had my own one. I wasn’t going to carry two of them down the mountain.’
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