Dead of Winter djm-1

by Lee Weeks

  ‘He punched someone in the head and then left them to drown.’ Ebony looked about to keep arguing the point.

  ‘Either way, Ebb, it’s over, done. We’ll hear from him soon enough. I’m looking forward to meeting Justin de Lange,’ he said, changing the subject.

  Chapter 39

  They pulled into the car park. It was four in the afternoon and already dark. Orange lights flooded the area.

  ‘That could be Justin de Lange over there, Sarge.’ Ebony looked across at the entrance as they parked up. ‘He looks like he’s spotted us.’

  Carter looked across to the hospital entrance; a man picked up a briefcase from the back seat of his black Audi before looking their way. He was striking-looking, in jeans and a denim shirt. He had on a sheepskin coat. Expensive but casual. Ebony thought how de Lange looked like an ageing footballer with his blue eyes and blond hair falling over his collar.

  ‘Blimey it’s the lion king, Ebb.’ Carter kept the engine running and sat for a minute watching him. ‘Yeah. . I agree. He’s waiting for us. Should be interesting, Ebb. Wonder where wifey is.’ The man smiled at them as they walked across the gritted car park to meet him.

  ‘Justin de Lange?’ He nodded. Carter made the introductions as they reached him. ‘I am Detective Sergeant Dan Carter and this is Detective Constable Ebony Willis. Thanks for seeing us this afternoon.’

  ‘How do you do? I just came out to get my briefcase. Follow me and we’ll go inside to my office; it’s freezing out here.’

  ‘Absolutely. . Lead the way.’

  Ebony turned to look around the car park. She saw a car drawing in, parking in the corner; that made twelve cars in total. They walked up the ramp and through the swing doors, past reception. Carter smiled at Ivy. She beamed back. Justin led them up a flight of stairs and into his office.

  ‘Please sit down, I’ll order us coffee. How do you take it, Sergeant?’ Justin sat on the edge of the desk with one leg on the floor.

  ‘Milk and sugar please. . Ebb?’

  ‘Not for me, thanks.’

  ‘Please. . make yourselves comfortable. My wife will join us as soon as she can. She was helping Mr Martingale today.’

  ‘You’re from South Africa too?’ asked Ebony.

  ‘British.’ As he said it he looked across at her and smiled politely.

  ‘How long have you been in the UK?’

  ‘This trip? About a month. We’ve been overseeing a new project in Poland.’

  ‘This must seem almost tropical then compared to Poland?’ Carter laughed.

  ‘About the same actually.’

  ‘You managed to keep your tan?’ Justin smiled, didn’t elaborate. Carter was searching Justin’s face. Ebony knew what he was thinking. Justin’s perfectly even tan should have disappeared by now after a month in the UK winter and Poland before that. It had to be the product of a sunbed or a bottle. ‘Where were you in Poland? I went there once on a stag do. Luckily it was springtime. Although we never got out in daylight.’

  ‘Our new flagship hospital is just outside Krakow.’

  ‘You know what. . I’d love to see it. . wouldn’t you, Ebb?’

  ‘Love to. I’ve never been outside England.’

  Carter and de Lange looked at her. ‘Really?’ said Carter. She nodded.

  ‘Can you show us on your laptop?’

  Justin went round to sit at his desk, opened his laptop to face him and tapped some keys.

  ‘Sorry. . seems to be on a “go-slow”.’

  ‘Ebb will look at it. . won’t you, Ebb?’

  Ebony stepped forwards. ‘Of course. .’

  ‘No, that’s okay. Can’t let anyone else onto it. You know how it is: patients’ records and stuff.’

  ‘Oh yes, of course. Understandable,’ Carter said. Justin’s phone buzzed for a message alert. He picked it up and read it, turned and looked out of the window, down into the car park at the front. ‘Here’s Nikki now. She’ll be with us in a minute.’ Ebony moved closer to the blind and counted the same cars in the car park as when they’d come in. The twelve hadn’t changed.

  ‘You live near here, Mr de Lange?’ she asked.

  ‘Please, call me Justin. Yes, we live here in an apartment in the hospital grounds. In the relatives’ accommodation on the other side of the car park. We prefer it to staying in a hotel and we both work here in the hospital so it makes sense.’

  ‘Ah Nikki. .’ The door opened and Nikki de Lange came in. She was also in casual mode, wearing a black polo-neck and leather trousers, no makeup and her hair scraped up in a ponytail. Ebony resisted the urge to see if Carter was sweating.

  ‘How nice to see you again, Sergeant, Constable?’ She smiled at Carter and Ebony in turn and looked at Justin: ‘If you’re ordering coffee I’ll have one please.’ She threw the jacket she was carrying onto the back of the sofa and sat down, crossing her legs.

  Justin buzzed down for coffee.

  ‘Is it difficult for you working together?’ Carter looked at Justin.

  ‘No, not at all. We do different jobs, we just both work for James, that’s all,’ he answered. His face was difficult to read: his expression hardly changed. He gave a flick of the head as his long fringe fell into his eyes again. He was still fiddling with the laptop. The atmosphere in the room had changed since Nikki’s arrival.

  ‘He must be a very special bloke?’

  ‘Yes he is, very special.’ Justin shut the laptop irritably. ‘I give up.’

  ‘He’s actually a genius, isn’t he — a modern-day Louis Pasteur? If you Google him you get loads of pages: must be weird to be that famous. He’s written books, papers, and theses about medical procedures.’

  ‘He’s very special,’ Justin answered. Trying his best to look relaxed, crossing his arms across his chest. He hadn’t gone back to his perch at the end of the desk. He looked like a man with a short fuse, thought Ebony. He was pent up. He was trying hard to show just one side of his character. He was getting irritated by Carter’s style.

  ‘Still working?’ Ebony was beginning to understand what Carter was about. She could never do it. He was making himself out to be slow, a little thick but well-meaning. He was lulling them into thinking they could let their guard down. ‘Is he ever going to retire do you think? He obviously doesn’t need the money any more? I’ve looked into his empire a little. It’s pretty huge.’

  Nikki thanked Ivy who brought in a tray of coffee and set it down on the table in front of her. ‘No, you’re right. It’s not about the money. It’s his contribution to the world, his legacy. He’s always striving for perfection, always looking to find the answers to medical conditions.’

  ‘He’s definitely carved his name in history.’

  ‘Yes, thank you, we are very proud to be working for him.’ She looked towards Justin. He nodded. It was a nod that said ‘enough is enough’.

  Carter turned to Justin: ‘And you are in charge of just about everything else, according to our researcher? You’re the nuts and bolts of this empire.’

  Justin de Lange smiled. ‘I wouldn’t say that. I’m the spare parts man. I make sure there’s enough paper in the toilets.’ Nicola gave a forced, shrill laugh. ‘Here. .’ He handed a smart-looking dossier over to Carter. ‘I have prepared the list of companies that you requested.’

  ‘Thanks. . But tell me. . you preferred the world of finance to medicine? I understand that you trained as an anaesthetist before you became an accountant? That’s a lot of years of study to then change career? What happened?’

  Justin smiled. ‘You did your homework. Life happened, I suppose. You get channelled into one direction when you’re young and I accepted it but it never really suited me. When I was given the chance to try something new I jumped at it.’

  ‘You don’t look old enough to have done so much. I have your age down as forty-five?’ Carter said. ‘Surely that can’t be true? You and your wife seem to have eternal youth.’

  Justin de Lange smiled. Nicola’s smile was a little
thinner. Her eyes flicked towards Ebony. Ebony could tell that she wasn’t so easily convinced by Carter’s attempts to appear naïve.

  ‘We are lucky,’ de Lange answered.

  Yes, thought Ebony. . lucky to work for a cosmetic surgeon.

  ‘I was wondering about the headlines in the papers yesterday about a group of what they’re calling Bloodrunners?’ Nikki de Lange asked Ebony.

  ‘We are still looking into leads at the moment,’ answered Ebony. ‘But it’s part of an ongoing investigation into the murders in Totteridge and the link with Rose Cottage.’

  ‘I was just talking to Dad about it this morning. He’s very upset by it. If there’s anything we can do to help, we will.’

  Carter shook his head. ‘Sorry? Dad?’

  ‘I’m Mr Martingale’s daughter. There’s four years between me and Chrissie, or there was. She was my half-sister. I’m the result of his first marriage. That didn’t last long either. He’s not into long marriages.’ She smiled, looked at them both. ‘I can see you didn’t know much about me. I’m happy to fill in any gaps.’

  ‘Can I ask. .’ said Ebony. ‘Is your mother around?’

  Nikki shook her head.

  ‘Who knows where she is? I don’t remember her. She left me with my father to bring up. She was from Zimbabwe. I think she’s probably there now, if she’s still alive.’

  ‘You never tried to find her? You’re not curious at all?’

  ‘No. . my father said she was a wild child, arty, mysterious, and she disappeared.’

  Carter smiled. ‘He had a type. . your father?’

  ‘Type?’ As Nikki looked at Carter she was turning colder by the second. She didn’t mind Ebony being blunt but she didn’t like it from Carter.

  ‘Arty? Creative?’ Carter smiled, trying to backpedal.

  ‘Seems so, doesn’t it?’ Nikki smiled with her mouth, not her eyes. ‘Glutton for punishment.’

  ‘Did you grow up with your father?’ asked Ebony.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did you know your sister at all?’ Ebony was firing questions at Nikki de Lange, who seemed not to mind, although Carter could see Justin getting fidgety at the desk.

  ‘No. I don’t remember her,’ answered Nikki, still smiling.

  ‘You must have been here at some time while she was alive?’

  ‘No. I wasn’t always with my father when he came over.’

  ‘You never met her?’

  ‘I did; but I don’t remember.’

  ‘What about your nephew Adam? Have you ever met him?’

  ‘No. I’ve never met him.’

  ‘I think that’s enough questions, Constable,’ Justin interrupted.

  ‘I don’t mind.’ Nikki turned to him and spoke the words succinctly.

  ‘Did you attend your sister’s funeral?’

  ‘No, I was poorly at the time.’

  ‘Right,’ said Justin. ‘You have the information I promised. If you don’t mind, my wife and I need to get on with things now. We have lots to attend to.’

  ‘Of course,’ answered Carter. ‘We’ll leave you to it. Thanks.’ Nikki de Lange went to escort them to the door. ‘Don’t worry, we know the way,’ Carter smiled.

  They walked back to the car.

  ‘What do you think, Ebb?

  ‘Lots to think about, Sarge. For a start, I don’t think his laptop was playing up. He just didn’t want me to look at it. Or he didn’t want us to see the hospital in Krakow for some reason. For another thing. . I can’t believe she never tried to find her sister. Her only sister.’

  ‘Did she seem a little false and strained to you?’

  ‘Yes. . they both did. There’s something not relaxed about them as a couple. What a weird world she lives in. She’s brought up by a man who thinks he’s God and she’s married his junior. What kind of a life has she had?’

  ‘Frigging weird one if she didn’t even want to meet her family.’

  ‘Unless she doesn’t want to tell us about it.’

  ‘Out of loyalty to who?’

  ‘To her dad maybe. She says he strives for perfection all the time. He must have done the work on her face. . who does that? Takes a knife to his daughter’s face to make her prettier? Surely your kids are supposed to be perfect as they are?’

  ‘We don’t know he did the work.’

  ‘He’s bound to have done it.’

  ‘Do you think Martingale was secretive about her? I had no idea.’

  ‘Hard to tell, Sarge. We didn’t ask. Maybe he presumed we knew. It was no secret there was another child. Carmichael mentioned he knew there was a sister but he knew nothing else about her. We just never saw any info on her, I suppose.’

  ‘We’ll have to talk to Martingale about the Bloodrunners soon. Now that the papers have got hold of it, everyone will know, including Carmichael.’

  Chapter 40

  It was five o’clock and Carmichael was walking towards the Lansdown when his mobile rang.

  ‘Hello, Hart speaking.’

  ‘It’s Linda.’

  ‘Linda the “girl next door”? How’s business been?’

  ‘Times are hard. . you can imagine.’ Carmichael smiled to herself. ‘Thought you might want to rescue me from Christmas hell. I have some information about Sonny for you.’

  ‘Coffee or drink?’

  ‘Drink.’

  ‘Right answer. Meet you in an hour outside Liberty’s.’

  ‘Can we go to your place instead? I’ve had enough of crowds.’

  ‘Okay. I’m staying at the Lansdown Ambassador’s Suite. See you shortly.’

  Thirty minutes later Nikki de Lange knocked on his door.

  ‘Hope you don’t mind?’ She walked into the room. ‘Can we have a drink in your room here? I don’t like crowds.’ She took off her coat and put it across the back of the chair.

  ‘No problem.’ He opened the fridge for her to choose.

  ‘White wine will be great.’ She made herself comfortable by the coffee table.

  He poured a large glass and handed it to her.

  ‘Wonderful, thank you.’ She smiled as she took it from him and took a slug. ‘This is a major outing for me. Don’t get out much.’

  ‘Apart from going to strange men’s houses and being paid for sex, you mean?’ He poured himself a glass of wine too and said a silent cheers.

  ‘One person’s house.’ She smiled and looked away.

  ‘You said it was your second time.’

  ‘I lied.’

  He smiled. ‘So your career as an escort hasn’t had the best of starts.’

  ‘I did get paid three hundred pounds.’

  ‘I gave you that.’ He grinned.

  ‘Yeah. . but it still counts.’

  He laughed. ‘I’m in credit, then.’ She looked up enquiringly. He shook his head, grinning. ‘Don’t worry. It’s not my style.’

  ‘Have you ever tried it?’

  ‘What. . paying for sex?’ He nodded. ‘Yeah. . when I was young and with the boys. . got to admit to doing it but not sure what the outcome was — was too drunk. Woke up with the condom still on so I guess we can be sure I didn’t catch anything.’ She laughed. He realized it was a long time since he had heard a woman laugh. ‘So you stay at home most days and do what?’

  ‘Sell things on eBay.’

  ‘Entrepreneurial type, then.’

  ‘I try.’

  ‘You make enough to earn a living?’

  ‘On a good day.’

  ‘Have you always been self-employed?’

  ‘No. I was a nurse once, many years ago.’ Nikki smiled. She had concocted the story late the night before and as she said it out loud for the first time it had a clichéd feel to it. But she knew that it was better to stay in the ‘almost truth’ zone than venture into completely unknown territory. If he wanted to know anything medical she could more than hold her own. She was taught by her father. But she hoped she didn’t need to worry about that. She could see that she’d already begun to
charm Mr Hart. ‘I married a doctor. We couldn’t have kids. I just hung around at home waiting for him to come back every day, trying to please him. In the end he left me for another doctor. Said our lives were dull. I had to agree. I didn’t want anything from him. I agreed to the split. I agreed to the fact that he had earned all of the money in our marriage. Of course I didn’t realize we’d been living way beyond our means and there were more debts than anything else and they were all in my name. He moved to France with his new wife and here I am. What about you, Mr Hart?’

  Carmichael sat down opposite her. ‘I’ve just arrived here in London. Been living out of a suitcase. I’ll be happy to put down some roots. I’m waiting to get a licence for a new nightclub, takes a while. What did you want to tell me about Sonny?’

  ‘I saw the news. Sonny’s body being pulled out of the Thames.’ Carmichael didn’t comment. He drank his wine. ‘Was that your business with Sonny? Was it getting girls for your club? I know that’s what he does, did; one of the girls who got me into escorting told me she used to date him.’

  ‘Your information?’

  ‘I haven’t really got any information. Just felt like seeing you, that’s all.’

  He sat back to observe her. ‘Why?’

  ‘I wanted to say thanks.’

  ‘Thanks for what? You might have earned a lot more from Sonny.’

  She shrugged and smiled. ‘Maybe but it didn’t suit me — escorting. I wanted to see you today because I need a job. I need a life. You’re new in town. You look like you’re going places. I do have a lot to offer the right man. It’s just that no one sees my potential.’ He smiled. ‘It’s not funny. . I thought maybe I could be of use to you. . I need a break. I need to get a job but I was never any good at cleaning floors or wiping kids’ noses. I’ve decided escort work’s not for me. I thought maybe. . you know. . we could see how it goes?’

  ‘You don’t know me.’

  ‘And you don’t know me. That’s the fun of it. I’m sick of my life. We’ve all got our regrets. I want a fresh start.’

  ‘I repeat, you don’t know me.’

  ‘You’re right, but I think it’s better not to delve too deeply into people’s pasts. I think it’s better not to ask.’