Det Annie Macpherson 02 - Programmed To Kill

by Speake, Barbara Fagan

  ‘Yeah. Angie had a better night and the tests so far are looking good. No blood clots or anything worrying. They think she needs some rest before they start the rehab again. They’re going to delay discharge for at least a week.’

  ‘That’s a relief,’ Annie commented, but then realised it might sound like she meant the delayed discharge was a relief. She clarified quickly, ‘I mean about the test results.’

  ‘Yeah, it is. Annie, I’m afraid something else has come up which I need to sort out so I won’t be able to see you tonight. OK if I call you tomorrow?’

  Annie always hated phones and she felt uncomfortable now. She sensed there was something Charlie wasn’t saying, obviously not about Angela, but about whatever it was that had come up. It felt awkward to ask. ‘OK,’ she replied a little hesitantly, ‘I’m on a late interview anyway, so it could go over. Have a good night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’ Annie closed her phone, feeling unsettled after the brief conversation. It was Friday and if everything were going OK, she wouldn’t be working tomorrow. She had wondered if she and Charlie might go away overnight Saturday but he hadn’t said anything about it and that conversation would have been the time to do it. Her relationships with men were never straightforward. She had allowed herself to think that with Charlie it might be different.

  Chapter 36

  An hour later, Annie and Bronski were observing Dr Fogarty carrying out the autopsy of Patrick Mearns. The same technician present for Bannister’s autopsy was assisting again. When the two detectives entered the room, Annie had a feeling of déjà vu. The body was laid out exactly as Bannister’s had been on an identical, or maybe even the same trolley.

  Fogarty was as accommodating as he had been at the first autopsy and motioned the two detectives to step forward while he pointed out his first observations, before he began the formal process. ‘As you can see Detectives, the wounds are very similar to Father Bannister’s. I would say that the murderer wasn’t as rushed as with the priest as there is more precision with these cuts.’ His gloved fingers pointed to the deep lacerations. ‘With Bannister they were more ragged, but you can see that these cuts are cleaner. I’d say the weapon is the same or very similar.’ The Medical Examiner looked up at the two detectives.

  ‘I see what you mean about the cuts,’ Annie acknowledged, from her recall of the earlier autopsy.

  ‘I only saw the photos,’ Bronski replied, ‘so it’s harder for me to judge, but I take your point, Dr Fogarty.’

  As the two moved away slightly from the trolley, the Medical Examiner continued. ‘The other big difference, of course, is that the priest had had surgery so they were sutures to remove for my examination. Even with that, I would say that the two sets of injuries are so similar that it’s very unlikely we’re talking about different perpetrators.’

  Annie decided to test her theory. ‘In your opinion, do you think we’re looking for one or two perpetrators? Do you think it would have taken two to subdue either of the victims and then perform the mutilations.’

  ‘Not conclusive from this, I’m afraid and that’s your job to determine, not mine,’ Fogarty replied. ‘What I would say is that there are no defensive injuries on this guy, nor were there any on Bannister. Both were taped up so they didn’t resist that. So maybe he either held a gun on them or there were two of them and one held a gun and the other taped. But, of course that’s pure speculation on my part and not really in my purview to comment. What I can say from the evidence before me now and from the earlier autopsy is that both men had their mouths and hands taped. You already know that about this victim from the crime scene. He was found with the tape still on his mouth and when we turned him over, his hands were also bound. I have already bagged all the tape for further examination. With Bannister, the tape was removed before he was found. There were still microscopic traces of it and bruising where it had been. You’ll recall that the surgeon, Dr Doran, mentioned the bruising in his report.’

  ‘I remember,’ Annie confirmed.

  Fogarty proceeded with his examination. It took slightly less time than Bannister’s. Mearns was a fit man; all of his internal organs were in good shape. Cause of death was cardiac arrest due to massive blood loss – same as Father Brian Bannister.

  *****

  ‘You two look like you could use some coffee,’ Ellison commented as his colleagues returned from the autopsy. A few minutes later, he placed one on each desk. Bronski looked absorbed, so Ellison asked Annie how it went.

  ‘Pretty identical to Bannister’s, except the wounds were more obvious without the surgical intervention. God, I can’t imagine how excruciating it must have been to be cut up like that. They were both alive throughout. I still can’t see how one person managed to do it. There were no defensive injuries, so neither of them fought for their lives.’

  ‘Maybe, neither thought it was going to come to that when they were first taped up. Maybe they didn’t fear for their lives until it was too late,’ Ellison offered.

  ‘That could be right, which fits in with knowing the murderer. Maybe they both thought they were going to be beaten, punished in some way but not mutilated. Mearns couldn’t have known about the injuries inflicted on Bannister. Those details hadn’t been released publicly.’

  ‘Yet both of them were found with their trousers down, not completely off. So they must have had some inkling that something was going to happen.’

  ‘Maybe that simply helped to keep their legs out of the way. They would be restricted somewhat.’

  ‘Hmm, maybe.’ Ellison glanced at his watch. ‘We’ve got an appointment with John Merton in twenty minutes. You ready?’

  That interview went as well as could be expected. Merton and Amato were work colleagues and also socialised outside of work. It had been Merton who had alerted Amato to Father Bannister in the first place. But neither Ellison nor Annie put him down as the perpetrator. He also had an alibi for both times which they managed to check out.

  ‘So we have two bodies and no firm suspects,’ Annie commented as they got back in Ellison’s car.

  ‘No, but forensics might come up with something next week when more of the test results are in. I’m calling it a night, what about you? Want me to drop you home?’

  ‘Thanks, that would be great,’ Annie answered.

  ‘So off for a wild weekend with the soldier boy?’

  Annie was quiet.

  ‘What gives?’ Ellison asked. ‘Have I said the wrong thing?’

  ‘I don’t know. He cancelled seeing me tonight. I think there’s something he’s not telling me.’

  ‘Like maybe a sweetheart in the forces?’

  ‘I hope he would have told me that,’ Annie said, her voice not so steady.

  ‘Well if he’s not seeing you tonight, how about I pick you up in an hour and we grab a bite to eat and then go see a movie?’

  Annie looked at her colleague. ‘You know what, I haven’t been to the cinema in years. That sounds perfect after the day we’ve had. I’ll buy the popcorn.’

  Chapter 37

  Bill Williamson came into Grace’s office. She was exhausted after her first week back. It had been hectic, but she was confident that she now had her team in place and next week they’d be meeting to plan the next month.

  ‘What time are you leaving?’ Bill asked.

  ‘I need to get a cab to the rental depot and pick a car up, so probably about two o’clock.’

  Bill was thoughtful. ‘Can’t believe how stupid I’ve been. I have two cars; never sold my wife’s when she died last year. I use the two interchangeably to keep them both in condition. You can use hers while you’re here. You’d be doing me a favour.’

  ‘That’s so generous of you, Bill. Are you sure?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Of course. Cancel the rental and I’ll drive you to it after lunch. Th
en you’ll be sure to leave early. I’ll arrange the insurance cover now. I’ll need your driver’s licence.’

  Grace never moved from her chair for the next three hours. She wrote a strategy document covering the acquisition plan and outlining the roles she wanted the members of her team to play. Grace had experts in contract law, branding, banking, and employment law. Her role would be to oversee the acquisition and handle any of the more delicate communications. There was a lot riding on this project: success could lead to a position in the NY office. Although she hadn’t been looking for that in all the years she worked abroad, Jen’s death changed things. Mom was ageing before her eyes and Grace felt the pull of needing to support her. What did people say? Roles reverse – the child becomes the parent. They weren’t that far down the line, but Grace and her mother had experienced circumstances that many families never had to face. Now they only had each other.

  Bill was as good as his word, and drove Grace to his house shortly after lunch. ‘I should have told you the type of car. Is this too small for you?’ Bill asked. ‘My late wife, Brenda, liked compact cars and she’d had one of the original VW Beetles when we first met, over thirty years ago now. This VW was a present for her fiftieth birthday. She’d only had six months use of it before the cancer.’ He hesitated momentarily, obviously still upset about her death. Grace touched his arm. ‘It was only diagnosed when it was terminal and it took her life in that horrible, debilitating way that only cancer can. I don’t want to part with this reminder of her yet, although it pleases me to think the car can get some good trips in it now. Engines need that. So, you’re doing the car and me a big favour.’

  She hugged him after she transferred her bags into the VW. ‘Thanks, Bill, I’ll be careful.’

  ‘Take care of that mother of yours and don’t worry about work.’

  Grace enjoyed the drive home. Bill had filled the car up and she noticed it was good on gas consumption. As she drove the route, she started to notice the maples turning red and purple and everything seemed much more vibrant, colour wise. The green leafy landscape was so different from the muted browns of Dubai. The time passed really quickly and nearly three hours later Grace pulled into the drive of her childhood home. The screen door opened within seconds, her mother smiling. Hugging her mom, she noticed the smells wafting through the house from the kitchen. The aroma alone confirmed the fact that Grace Marks was home and that her favourite food was about to be served up. Later she anticipated that she would sleep soundly in her own bed, her room virtually untouched since she’d moved out all those years ago.

  The next morning, Grace couldn’t believe how soundly she’d slept. She heard her mother downstairs getting breakfast prepared. From the smells, she detected fresh corn muffins, one of her favourites. She showered quickly and joined her mother who was on her second cup of coffee.

  ‘Sleep well, dear?’ Lillian asked as she brought over the coffee and warm muffins.

  ‘There’s something about that bed, Mom, even after all these years. So what’s the plan for today?’ Grace asked as the butter melted on her corn muffin.

  ‘I want to put some flowers on Jen’s grave. Then I thought we could pick aunt Helen up and have some lunch out. She’s so looking forward to seeing you.’

  ‘Sounds good, Mom.’

  Lillian Marks drove to the cemetery, stopping on the way for the flowers. Grace had not been to the grave since the day of the funeral and had yet to see the headstone, which was positioned after she’d returned to Dubai. Lillian led the way through the various walkways until she stopped in front of Jennifer’s grave. Grace drew in a deep breath as she read the headstone. She was struck by the two dates: Jennifer had all her life in front of her when she chose to take it. A sob rose in her throat as she read the final inscription, Good night and God bless. The flashback to childhood was immediate. Those were the last words their mother would say each night when she shut their bedroom doors. Grace wiped her tears away before her mother saw them.

  ‘Has Auntie been?’ Grace asked as they set their own flowers down.

  ‘I don’t think so. She would’ve mentioned it when we spoke last night.’

  ‘Who’s left these other flowers, then?’

  Her mom looked thoughtful. ‘Maybe it was Barry.’

  ‘Barry – the ex boyfriend?’

  ‘I don’t know for sure, but he came to see me last week. He was at the funeral, don’t you remember?’

  ‘No, but I was still jet lagged. There was a guy who stood in the corner for a lot of the time, like he didn’t know many people. I assumed he was from the hospital, representing the staff.’

  ‘That was probably Barry. I should’ve introduced you. I’m afraid I was distracted.’ As she said those words, her mom reached into her handbag and retrieved her handkerchief to wipe away a tear.

  ‘My fault, Mom. I should’ve made a point of introducing myself to people I didn’t know.’ Then Grace was thoughtful. ‘I met Barry that one time when he came for Thanksgiving, didn’t I? I’d forgotten. Still that was years ago, so I guess it isn’t surprising that I didn’t recognise him.’

  ‘Well we can apologise for our rudeness tomorrow. I’ve invited him over for brunch. He was reluctant at first, didn’t want to interfere with our time together, but I said that you’d be leaving later in the afternoon, so that was the best time for us all to meet. I meant to tell you last night, but I forgot in all the excitement of having you home.’

  The two women stood in silence for a few moments, each lost in thought. Grace was overwhelmed with the feeling that she needed to understand why Jen had taken her own life. It would have to be her search, alone, as her mother was too consumed with grief and guilt, blaming herself for Jen’s suicide. Discussing it with her would only cause hurt and defensiveness, the last thing either of them needed.

  The phone was ringing as Lillian unlocked the front door. She hurried to answer it, as Grace went into the kitchen to make them a cold drink. Grace could overhear her mother on the phone.

  ‘Yes, I understand. I’ll make arrangements. Can I call you back, only my other daughter is here.’ A moment later she put the phone down and joined Grace in the kitchen. ‘That was the psychiatric unit. They were calling to remind me that they still have some of Jennifer’s belongings, which they packed up weeks ago. They were wondering when I’m going to pick them up.’

  Grace saw her mother’s eyes fill with tears. That place didn’t hold fond memories for the family. Grace knew that her mother dreaded the thought of going back there, so she didn’t hesitate. ‘I’ll pick them up, Mom. The unit is on the way back to New York. I’m happy to do it. Give me the number. I’ll call them now and make arrangements.’

  Chapter 38

  Annie couldn’t settle down to do anything Saturday morning. The weather outside was dismal. The warmth of the week had dissipated into thunderstorms and rain and the temperature had dropped. She’d already checked her cellphone several times, resisting the urge to ring Charlie. The closeness they’d shared in the week seemed to have evaporated and Annie felt that something wasn’t right. Chastising herself for always thinking the worst, she searched the fridge for some food. There was fresh salad, which she got out, and she opened a tin of tuna. Within minutes she had lunch on the table. Once again she checked her phone as she picked up her fork. This was so frustrating. She had thought this might be the weekend away that Charlie had mentioned. Now, there wasn’t even phone contact. She resolved to give it another hour and then she would ring him herself.

  The hour came and went. Annie pressed the stored number. She had to know or she wouldn’t settle down.

  ‘Annie, hi.’

  ‘Hi. I was getting worried that I hadn’t heard from you. Is everything OK with Angie?’

  ‘Yeah, she’s been out of bed again and for a walk down the corridor. Did you think that was why I
hadn’t called?’

  ‘I was concerned something was wrong.’

  ‘Annie, there is something else, something I have to tell you.’

  Annie felt her heart sink; not really wanting to hear what Charlie was about to say.

  ‘A colleague … um, a close colleague has … God, I’m sorry this is difficult.’

  ‘Charlie, tell me.’ For once Annie knew her pessimism was founded. By the time the call finished, tears were running down her face.

  *****

  ‘What’re you doing here?’ Ellison was shocked to see Annie walking into the squad room. All the other desks were empty. He was the detective on duty for the Saturday shift.

  ‘Thought I might catch up on some paperwork. I was bored at home.’

  Ellison raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Can’t I work if I want to?’ she replied before he got a chance to make a comment. Her voice sounded sharper than she’d meant.

  ‘Annie, what’s wrong? Something’s happened. Tell me.’

  ‘Dave, this isn’t the time or the place. Let me get some work done, OK?’

  Ellison held his hands up. ‘OK, but I’m picking the time and place, because I know there’s something wrong. I’m coming over to yours tonight at seven o’clock and you can tell me and then I’m taking you out.’ As he finished his sentence, the desk phone rang. ‘Yeah … OK, what’s the address? Tell them twenty minutes.’ He stood up as he put the phone down. ‘I’ve got to check out a break in, so I might not be back. Don’t forget, seven o’clock.’ He didn’t give her a chance to refuse his offer.