by Helen Harper
I lowered my voice. ‘Are there any local residents who might be secretly supe?’
Boateng looked uncomfortable. ‘The only person whose name has come up is a woman called Miranda James, but it seems unlikely that she’s the culprit. She doesn’t have an alibi for Lacey’s murder beyond being at home asleep with her son in the house, but there’s no motive and nothing to tie her to the supernatural beyond local gossip. And she’s certainly not a heavily built male.’
‘Indeed. And while she might not have a solid alibi for Lacey’s murder, she’s got one for Julie Mackintosh’s.’ I pointed to myself. ‘Me. I was with her.’
‘Ah.’ He scratched his chin. ‘Well, she didn’t seem a likely suspect.’ He sighed. ‘I have to say that I don’t like this. I don’t like it all. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s far more to this than murder. I don’t suppose you’ve turned anything up?’ He didn’t sound particularly hopeful – and he was right not to be.
‘Unfortunately most people seem more keen to talk to me about my parents and what happened to them than anything else.’
Boateng looked unsurprised. ‘If most of the village know who you are, that’s only natural. However, I don’t think it will be helpful for you to continue with any more interviews, Emma. The waters are muddied enough without potential witnesses focusing on a decades-old crime that’s already been solved.’
I wanted to argue, to say that it was possible my parents’ murder hadn’t been solved. But until I heard more from Miranda, I didn’t have much information to provide and I knew that Boateng was right. If everyone I questioned veered onto the subject of my parents rather than focusing on the two immediate murder victims, my skills as an interviewer would be wasted.
‘Okay,’ I conceded. ‘I understand – but I hope you don’t mind if I continue to help your investigation wherever I can.’
‘Well, now you mention it,’ Boateng gave me a long look, ‘I’m not sure your assistance will be required for much longer. Barry and Larry have something they think you should look at.’
I raised an eyebrow and glanced round. The mustachioed pair were in the same section of park as they had been when I arrived, still crouched down and sifting carefully through the earth. I nodded at Boateng and joined them. ‘I hear you might have something for me.’
Barry glanced over and flashed me a quick smile. ‘Indeed. Take a look at this, detective.’ He gestured to the patch of ground in front of him. Larry moved to the side so I could get a better view. When I saw what they were focusing on, I sucked in a sharp breath.
There were two sets of prints in the soft earth next to a pretty rosebush. The first set was chillingly familiar: two clear, heavy boot prints. The second, placed about a foot in front of them, was a gigantic paw print. It looked exactly the same as the mark that had been found at the site of Lacey’s death.
Once again, it looked as if whoever wore the boots had transformed in mid-air before landing on a single paw. I stared at the prints. Then I drew back. ‘No.’
Barry and Larry looked at each other. I thought I saw a flicker of a smile at the edges of Larry’s mouth. ‘Go on.’
‘It doesn’t make any sense,’ I said. ‘It was credible in the alleyway where Lacey was found because there were several distinct trails and we know that attack happened at night. Not to mention that there was a gap of a couple of metres where no prints were visible. But it’s a different story here. Looking at these prints, our suspect is a supernatural being who wears big boots but can still transform in a split second.’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t buy it. I’ve seen plenty of werewolves shift from human to wolf and back again. It’s a fast process, but it’s not that fast. The gap between human and animal prints here is a foot at best, and the earth underfoot is far softer than the alley. There would be a mess of prints on the ground, not merely a few perfectly formed ones. And what the hell happens to the boots after he transforms? Werewolves’ clothes burst off if they don’t take them off first. Have you found any scraps of material?’
‘No,’ Barry said.
‘And nothing like that was found in the alleyway,’ Larry added.
‘So either the killer is wandering around naked apart from his boots, or he calmly takes off his clothes and springs out of his boots before transforming. That hardly seems likely.’ I stared at the prints. ‘It might have worked in the dead of night in a deserted alleyway when your victim is three sheets to the wind and can’t walk in a straight line, let alone pay attention to what’s in front of him. It wouldn’t work here.’
I paused. ‘I don’t think this is a supe. I think it’s someone trying to make us look for a supe.’
I expected at least one of them to disagree but neither of them did. ‘The prints are highly suspicious, too,’ Larry told me. ‘Like you, we were prepared to take them at face value at the first murder scene, although we had some questions. But what we saw in your wardrobe and now see here is making us think otherwise.’
‘Go on.’
‘They’re too perfect. Footprints are rarely perfect impressions.’ He gestured to the nearest boot print. ‘But these are about as perfectly formed as you could ask for.’ He swivelled round. ‘Take a look at the park. This is the only section where the ground is soft enough to form a clear print. But why would you enter at this point? The fence is high, and if you walked in through the gate you wouldn’t leave any marks behind because the path there is covered with asphalt. And if you really had to hop over the fence rather than walk in like a normal person, surely it would make more sense to choose the section over there where it’s lower and easier to climb over.’
Larry was right. ‘We were supposed to find these footprints,’ I said grimly. ‘And not just these ones, but the ones at all the crime scenes. Whoever the killer is, he planted this evidence because he wants us to believe he’s a supe who can transform himself into a gigantic creature mid-step. I don’t think this is a supe crime at all, it’s human. No wonder we can’t find any match for the prints except for a Kodiak bear that most definitely wouldn’t be prowling around the little village of Barchapel without anyone noticing. And no wonder no attempt was made to hide the claw marks on the tree outside my room. We’re being played.’
Barry and Larry straightened up and folded their arms simultaneously like some kind of bizarre boy band. ‘DC Bellamy,’ Barry said, ‘we concur.’
DCI Boateng appeared at my shoulder. ‘You’ve been very helpful, Emma, and this is no reflection on you or your abilities but if no supe is involved in these murders then…’
‘You neither want nor need Supe Squad’s help,’ I finished. Fuck.
Chapter Fifteen
Much as I wanted to remain at the Roselands scene to see what else might be uncovered, I knew that it would be a wasted effort. If a supe wasn’t involved, my presence would only confuse matters. It was important that the focus was on looking out for the right sort of person, not on the supernatural.
It also didn’t help that I caught people staring at me every time I glanced towards the small crowd of anxious locals beyond the cordon. Yeah, everyone knew who I was by now. I shouldn’t have been so quick to admit my identity in the bar the previous night, though if I hadn’t I’d never have spoken to Julie. My shoulders sagged. Much good that conversation had done either of us. I forced my darker thoughts away and mulled over what I’d learnt so far.
The trouble was that I was invested in Barchapel now, and not just because of my parents. I might not have spoken to her for long, but Julie had been kind to me and I’d never had the chance to apologise for disappearing. She hadn’t deserved what had happened to her; for that matter, neither had Patrick Lacey. And what if there were more victims yet to come?
I gnawed on my bottom lip as I walked slowly back to the Bird and Bush. Dusk was approaching. Miranda wasn’t expecting me until the following morning, and I suspected that it would be far easier to talk to her when Albion was safely out of the way at school. In the meantime I
had to find a way to prove to Boateng, Rothsay and the rest of his team that, even though the perp might be human, a Supe Squad detective on the periphery could still be useful.
Laura was leaving the pub just as I arrived. She smiled at me but I could tell from the focused light in her eyes that she had other things on her mind. She was carrying a small suitcase. ‘I’ve heard about the latest murder,’ she said grimly. ‘If we include you, that makes three deaths in less than a week. It beggars belief in a small place such as this.’
Tell me about it. ‘What worries me most,’ I said, ‘is that there might be more deaths.’
‘I think everyone’s worried about that,’ she said. ‘Look, I know how important it is to find out the truth about what happened to you years ago, and I retrieved the forensics reports from back then. From what I’ve read, the scorch marks were present when your parents’ deaths were discovered and they were examined at length. The conclusion appeared to be that Samuel Beswick tried to set the bodies alight to hide what he’d done. Obviously, we both know that’s not the case. It’s frustrating that more wasn’t made of it at the time, but I don’t suppose the investigators could have ever imagined the truth.’
I gave a humourless laugh. ‘No, I don’t suppose so.’
‘But it does make me wonder what else they might have missed. There are a few other details in the reports that might be worth picking up on. There is bagged evidence still available that I can look at, but it’s being held in storage so it’ll take a day or two to retrieve. Because I have to be careful with the chain of evidence, it can only be viewed under specific lab conditions and my room at the Bird and Bush won’t cut it. The nearest suitable facility is in Maidstone, so unfortunately I won’t have any new information for you for a while yet.’
I debated whether to share what Miranda had already told me, but I sensed that Laura had more to say. I pointed at her suitcase. ‘It’s a decades-old crime and we have a far more recent one to worry about. You’re on your way to Maidstone now, aren’t you? To the morgue?’
She nodded. ‘Julie Mackintosh’s body is being transferred, and Patrick Lacey’s is already there. The pathology team is short-handed so I’ve offered my services and they’ve accepted. Given the short space between the murders, they desperately need any clues or evidence that will point them towards a suspect. I hope you don’t mind.’
I widened my eyes, astonished. ‘Goodness, no. People are dying, Laura – myself included. We can’t let the bastard who’s doing this get away with it, and we can’t risk him hurting anyone else.’
‘I knew you’d understand.’
‘Believe me, I’m worried too. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that supes are involved and I’ll be shut out of the investigation. I don’t want that to happen. Not now.’
We exchanged glances of mutual determination, then Laura raised her fist and bumped it with mine. ‘All for one,’ I murmured.
I ordered a pot of coffee and took it up to my room. Because of the day’s events, from my resurrection to Miranda’s revelations to Julie’s death, adrenaline was still buzzing around my system. The last thing I needed was caffeine but I knew that the crash would come soon, and I wanted to stave it off and remain alert for as long as possible. I had a lot of work to do and I couldn’t afford to doze off.
I slid my laptop out of my bag, glad that it hadn’t been stolen along with the files on Patrick Lacey. As it powered up, I called Lukas and was relieved when he finally answered.
‘D’Artagnan,’ he purred. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m good,’ I told him. ‘How are you? I felt like you were avoiding my calls earlier.’
‘I was stuck in meetings all day. The council are being particularly intractable on the licensing for the new club. There’s no law that states we can’t run a business outside Soho, but that doesn’t mean the authorities won’t put up as many stumbling blocks as possible.’ He released an exasperated breath. ‘I’m not giving up. If we expand into other areas, we can connect with more communities and dispel some of the idiotic myths about supes. I’ll get what I want sooner or later.’ He paused. ‘I always do.’
That was definitely true. ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘No, it’s in hand. And it’ll be better for you in the long run if you keep out of the negotiations. I appreciate the offer, though. How are things going in Barchapel?’
‘Not great.’ Laura’s suggestion that I still didn’t entirely trust Lukas flashed into my mind and I wrinkled my nose. ‘There have been a couple more deaths since we last spoke.’
There was a beat of silence. ‘Murders?’
‘Yeah.’
‘By the same person?’
‘It looks like it.’ I fiddled with my cuffs. ‘One of them was mine.’
There was a long pause, so drawn out that I wondered if Lukas was still there. ‘Hello?’
‘I’m here,’ he growled. ‘What happened?’
Sticking to the facts, I gave him a brief précis.
‘You need to get out of that pub and find somewhere else to stay.’
I remained calm. ‘There isn’t anywhere else. All the other accommodation is filled by either tourists who booked months ago or by other police officers investigating the murders.’
‘It’s obviously not safe, Emma,’ Lukas argued.
‘It’s fine. I’m fine. I can’t actually die, remember?’
‘We don’t know the limits of your phoenix powers.’
No, we didn’t. But I was beginning to think that Miranda James might. ‘I’m working on that.’
Lukas bit out a curse. ‘Emma…’
‘I’ve got this. Besides, the more often I die, the more powerful I become. I’m in this for the long run, Lukas. And this killer isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.’ I outlined what we’d learned about the footprints. ‘He’s not a supe, he’s just trying to make us think he is. His days are numbered.’
‘I sincerely hope so.’ He didn’t sound optimistic.
‘You worry about your problems with the council, and I’ll worry about things here.’ I ran my tongue over my teeth. ‘What are you wearing?’
‘Huh? Are you trying to turn this into a booty call, Emma?’
‘Is the thought so very unappealing?’
‘I’m not convinced that you can tell me you’ve been murdered again, then try and turn me on a moment afterwards.’
I felt a surge of wicked delight. ‘Really? Not even if I told you I wished I could unbuckle your belt right now? Slowly unzip your trousers and then trail the tip of my finger along the trail of dark hair that leads down? Use my tongue to…’
‘I’m still in the council headquarters,’ Lukas said, sounding gratifyingly strained.
I laughed. ‘Another time then?’
His voice was rough. ‘Count on it.’
We said our farewells and hung up. That had ended better than I’d hoped.
I understood Lukas’s fears because our roles had recently been reversed when I’d had to witness his death and subsequent resurrection. Resurrection of sorts, anyway. I knew where he was coming from. I also knew that I would be fine. I didn’t stay dead – unlike Patrick Lacey, Julie Mackintosh, and my parents.
I tapped the keyboard on the laptop, pleased to see that DSI Barnes’ email had come through with the files relating to my parents’ murder. I left it unopened for now and checked for messages from Liza. Nothing yet. Reaching for my phone again, I called the Supe Squad office. ‘Hey,’ I said, before Liza could launch into her mandated script for a second time. ‘It’s me.’
‘Good,’ she replied briskly. ‘I was about to call you.’
‘How are things?’
‘As you might expect. There’s no sign of Fred and I’m stuck in the office with Grace breathing down my neck.’
‘Is he there right now?’
‘He’s upstairs,’ she said sourly. ‘Inspecting the weapons. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll shoot himself in the foot with one of the crossbow
s.’
My fingers tightened round the crossbow on my bed. Although I felt attached to it now, not that long ago I could barely hold it upright. Everyone had to begin somewhere. ‘Liza,’ I began.
‘Yeah, yeah,’ she muttered. ‘Do you want to hear what I found out about werebears or not?’
That could only mean she’d discovered something useful. I frowned. ‘Actually,’ I said, ‘we’re working on a different theory now. It’s more than likely that the Barchapel perp is only pretending to be a supe.’
‘Are you trying to tell me that I’ve wasted my day researching supernatural bears?’
Uh… ‘No research is wasted, Liza. It’d be really helpful if you could send through what you’ve found. But—’
I could almost hear her roll her eyes. ‘But what?’
‘But I could also use any details of murders committed by humans where supes have been implicated, ones that happened before I joined Supe Squad and that I don’t know about already but which occurred in the last two years. You don’t need to search for them yourself,’ I added hastily, ‘but if you could point me in the right direction so I know where to look, I’d be really grateful.’
Liza sighed audibly. ‘The Met intranet has everything you need but you won’t find much relevant to your Barchapel murder. I can probably tell you what you need off the top of my head. I’ve had to transfer the files for all of the recent cases to our database and I have a good memory.’
‘You’re amazing.’
She sniffed. ‘I know. There was a nasty killing in Manchester about eighteen months ago. A young man was found down by the docks. At first glance he seemed to have been savaged by werewolves, but a simple DNA test discovered that he’d been attacked by dogs, not wolves. Whether the animals were trained to be killers and ordered to attack him or it was simply bad luck is still up for debate. His murder was never solved.’
I remembered that one – it had been big headlines at the time. As I recalled, the man who’d died had been involved in a gang and pissed off several local drug dealers by dealing on their territory. ‘Okay.’ I nodded to myself. ‘What else?’