Fatal Act

by Leigh Russell

  ‘How many people drown in the bath?’

  She pressed him to tell her how he knew, but he became increasingly hysterical and less and less coherent.

  ‘He’s evil. She was an angel, and he destroyed her. He took all the joy out of her life, and he destroyed her with his own hands.’

  ‘Are you saying you think he killed your sister?’

  Hearing disbelief in her voice, he sprang from his chair. ‘You’re like all the rest of them. I’ll show you!’ he cried.

  Assuming he was leaving the room to fetch some photographs of his sister, Sam bent her head and began adding to her notes while he disappeared from view behind her.

  A powerful arm pressed against her throat. Hard as metal, it constricted her breathing until she could no longer gasp for air. It was too late to fight against her assailant. Her arms flailed helplessly in the air, straining to make contact with any part of him. Vainly she tried to grab hold of him and scratch his skin while she still had any strength left. Her last thought before she hit the floor was that he had never even been a suspect.

  Chapter 62

  GERALDINE STRUGGLED AGAINST A feeling of panic that threatened to overwhelm her ability to think clearly. She knew she would never forgive herself if anything happened to Sam as a consequence of her instructions. She reminded herself there was no proof that Darius had killed anyone. Summoning back up might turn out to be an embarrassing overreaction. But if her instinct was right then she had sent Sam to the killer’s home, alone, and oblivious to the danger she might face when she arrived. Assuming Piers’ account was trustworthy, Darius had been excessively attached to his sister. In her ignorance, Sam might follow Geraldine’s instructions and enquire about Ella. As a rule the sergeant was able to take care of herself. Supple and strong, she was an expert in martial arts. But as far as she was aware, Darius wasn’t even a suspect. He just happened to have known Piers in the past, so was in a position to offer helpful information. Sam might press him to talk about his sister’s marriage, without suspecting her questions could provoke a violent reaction. Even someone skilled in self defence was at risk when an attack was unexpected.

  Her mobile in her hand, Geraldine was on the point of contacting the station when her phone rang. Expecting to hear it was Sam returning her call, she was startled to recognise Nick’s voice on the line.

  ‘How’s it all going?’ he asked easily. ‘Look, I just wanted to explain why I was a bit short with you earlier –’

  ‘What?’

  ‘This morning, when you wanted to have a chat –’

  Geraldine interrupted him impatiently.

  ‘Nick, I’ve got a bit of a situation here.’

  She bit her lip, hearing her voice wobble. She had faced death several times in the course of her career, and not once had she faltered or given way to panic. After all, she was trained to maintain her composure under pressure. But this was different. In despatching Sam to question Darius, Geraldine had quite possibly sent the sergeant to her death.

  ‘What’s wrong? Is there anything I can do?’ Nick asked.

  Reaching a decision, Geraldine spoke rapidly. ‘Sam Haley’s gone to question a possible witness, Darius Cooper. I think he’s our killer.’

  She hoped desperately that she was wrong.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t talk, just listen. Meet me outside Cooper’s flat in Frognal as soon as you can, and arrange for urgent back up. Tell them to wait nearby. No one’s to do anything until I get there. He could be dangerous.’

  She hung up without waiting for a reply.

  There were no missed calls on her phone, which remained obstinately silent. If Sam was fine, she was certainly keeping quiet. The one hope was that there was no signal in Darius’ flat. Geraldine imagined the conversation in Reg’s office if that turned out to be the case.

  ‘You summoned back up, and took another inspector off his case, because a possible witness from years ago had no phone signal in his flat?’

  All the same, he would approve her decision. He might grumble about wasteful deployment of limited resources, but he would understand that she had no choice, faced with a potential threat to the safety of a fellow officer.

  The traffic moved painfully slowly up Highgate Hill. Past The Gatehouse pub on the corner, Geraldine put her foot down and sped west along Hampstead Lane, north to Arkwright Road where she turned left into Frognal. Several police cars were already waiting. Although he had travelled further, Nick arrived only a moment after Geraldine drew up.

  ‘I’ll go in first,’ she said. ‘He’s seen me with Sam and might not realise anything’s going on if I show up.’

  ‘Is that sensible, given that you think he’s dangerous?’

  ‘It’s better to have two of us in there when we make the arrest.’

  ‘Why don’t I go in? Surely this is a job for a man. You said yourself he could be dangerous –’

  Geraldine was glad Sam wasn’t there to witness his blatant sexism, but there was no time to protest.

  ‘He’s not going to murder police officers in his flat, is he? The danger is that he might get away. He’s a dab hand at that. Get uniform in position front and back. Surround the place. Remember, he can vanish through a crack in the wall.’

  Nick winced as his inflamed eye hurt when he frowned.

  ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing? It doesn’t sound very safe and, if you don’t mind my saying, you sound a bit emotional.’

  ‘Can you think of a better plan?’ She took a deep breath. ‘Look, I’m fine. I’m just going in there to arrest him. He’s not going to kick off with two of us in there, is he? We’ve only got back up here because he’s such a slippery customer. He’s extricated himself from tighter spots than this. Watch all the exits – including upstairs windows, and the roof. You’ll need to check for fire escapes and be ready to alert the neighbours. He might try to get out of the building at any point, however unlikely. He’s like spider man.’

  ‘Let’s not allow our imaginations to run away with us. Now, there’s one piece of advice you really ought to listen to before you go haring off. The main drawback to allowing two women in there unaccompanied –’

  Geraldine had no time to listen to any more of his advice. Nick might be under the impression that he was the superior officer present by virtue of his gender and experience, but this was her call to make. It was her investigation. Her sergeant was inside the flat with Darius. The longer they waited, the more chance there was that Sam would say something to provoke him.

  ‘Get uniform in place now. I’m going in.’

  Chapter 63

  KEEPING HER EXPRESSION IMPASSIVE, Geraldine rang the bell. She had been here before, but on her first visit had paid no attention to the property. Now she registered the old-fashioned sash windows which would be relatively easy to climb through. A drainpipe ran down the length of the house right beside one of the first floor windows. Apart from the internal stairs, there was likely to be either a permanent metal fire escape out of sight at the back of the property, or a ladder of some sort that could be lowered in case of fire. Moreover, an athletic man could slip out through a skylight in the roof and effect an escape that way. All this passed through her mind as she stood on the step, waiting for Darius to open the door. She hoped Nick would give the uniformed officers sufficiently detailed instructions to prevent anyone leaving the property undetected.

  After a few minutes, she rang the bell again. This time Darius opened the door. He smiled easily at her.

  ‘Inspector. What a surprise, seeing you again. How can I help you?’

  ‘I’ve come to join my colleague.’

  She succeeded in keeping her voice level, her tone relaxed, although her heart was beating so fast she could scarcely breathe. She could feel the muscles in her shoulders and back stiffen with tension.

  Darius frowned. ‘Your colleague?’ he repeated. He shook his head and looked perplexed. Then his refined features softened again. ‘You’re not t
alking about the sergeant who was here, are you? I’ve answered all her questions.’

  As he made a move to close the door Geraldine stepped smartly across the threshold, preventing him from shutting her out. He raised his fine eyebrows but shuffled aside to make room for her in the narrow hall.

  ‘Where is she?’

  He shook his head, still smiling at her.

  ‘I’m not sure who you’re supposed to be looking for, but whoever it is you won’t find her in my flat. I live here all alone.’

  ‘I’m here to join my colleague,’ she repeated quietly. ‘Where is she?’

  He shrugged. ‘I told you, she’s not here. No one’s here but me – and now you.’

  She wasn’t sure why his words sounded like a threat.

  He folded his arms, considering.

  ‘She was here, but then she left.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘I’m afraid I didn’t make a note of the time. I can’t be expected to keep track of your sergeant. Now, if that’s all, I’d like you to leave.’

  Geraldine hesitated, momentarily nonplussed. No one had left the building since the police had arrived in the street, and Darius himself had admitted Sam had been there. The likelihood was that she was still in the building, and Darius was lying. Geraldine knew she could summon the team waiting outside, but first she wanted to get Darius out of the way. If he realised what was happening, he might easily dart through the door to his flat and slam it shut. They would waste valuable time gaining access, by which time he could have made his escape. Not only would they risk losing him, but if a serious crime had been committed, the scene would be hopelessly contaminated if they were forced to break in before scene of crime officers arrived. Somehow Geraldine had to get him away from the flat without arousing his suspicion. With a shudder, she realised she was approaching the place as a crime scene. It might already be too late to save Sam.

  Darius stood perfectly still, his expression bland. If anything, he looked bored. Yet his eyes never left her face. He seemed to be watching her, catlike, waiting for her next move, calculating his response. She felt as though she had been standing in that narrow hallway for hours, although in reality it was just a few minutes. Too long, if Sam was lying flat on her back injured, unconscious, or possibly dying. Every second counted. Geraldine contemplated abandoning caution and hitting the button on her phone as a signal to Nick that she was in need of urgent assistance. One tap of her finger and a small crowd of bulky constables would come crashing through the door. But she hesitated, wanting to make sure she hadn’t got this completely wrong.

  ‘There are a few more questions I’d like to ask you before I go,’ she said gently, doing her best to adopt a conversational tone. ‘It’s just routine. I’m sure you’d like to help us find whoever killed your nephew, wouldn’t you?’

  Her instincts told her not to trust him; Sam was upstairs. But she had no proof. She couldn’t be certain until the flat had been searched. If her suspicions proved unfounded, Darius need never know the street outside his home had been crawling with police, watching every possible means of exit from his flat.

  ‘We’re investigating your former brother-in-law,’ she announced firmly.

  ‘I know. Your sergeant told me. You seem very keen to tell me about your suspicions. First her, now you.’

  ‘Zak was your nephew. You have a right to know what’s going on. And, to be honest, we’re hoping you can help us establish his guilt.’

  ‘What can I do?’

  This was her chance.

  ‘It would be best if you came with me so we can talk about this somewhere more suitable.’

  It seemed a fair enough request, on the face of it, but he looked uneasy. She waited, trying to hide her impatience.

  ‘So,’ he replied, moving nearer to her as he spoke, ‘you’re looking for your colleague and you thought she might be here?’

  He was so close he was almost touching her. The front door was shut. She had already considered the possibility that Darius had succeeded in overpowering Sam. The sergeant was a tough, strong woman, trained in self defence and a martial arts expert. For the first time it occurred to Geraldine that in her eagerness to protect Sam, she might have put herself at risk. She had been so wrapped up in worrying about Sam’s safety, she hadn’t paused to consider her own. Meanwhile, the minutes were ticking by and she had to acknowledge that she couldn’t manage the situation by herself.

  As she reached for her phone Darius lunged forward to seize both her wrists in a grip like a vice.

  ‘What have you got in your pocket?’

  ‘I was going to blow my nose.’

  He tightened his hold. She couldn’t move. She squirmed in pain but she couldn’t break free of his powerful grip. Suddenly he yanked one of her arms across her chest so he could clutch both her wrists in one hand. At the same time, he thrust his other hand into her pocket. His action was so swift, he had tossed her phone away before she could react. Watching it slide across the floor, she struggled to control her fear.

  She had been a fool to go in alone. She had allowed her judgement to be clouded by guilt at having sent Sam to speak to Darius alone, and by her own pride in the face of Nick’s patronising tone.

  ‘You said you wanted to join your colleague, didn’t you?’ Darius hissed, leaning forward until she felt his warm breath on her ear. ‘So let’s go and see her.’

  ‘The longer this goes on, the worse you’re making it for yourself. I suggest you start co-operating, because she will have called for help by now –’

  In the poorly lit hall she saw Darius grin.

  ‘She’ll be exactly where I left her.’

  Chapter 64

  NICK PACED UP AND down watching Geraldine as she strode away. After a moment she disappeared from view and he returned to the car. It was too cold to stand around outside for long.

  ‘Freezing my bollocks off out there,’ he muttered to the sergeant who had driven him there. ‘Might as well be stuck behind a desk as stuck in here.’

  The sergeant grunted. Nick was in a foul mood. It was nearly twenty-four hours since the fight. His face had settled into a steady ache that sent a stabbing pain through his head every time he moved or spoke. All he had planned to do that day was sit quietly at his desk, not talking to anyone, because that only made it hurt more. But he had been dragged away on this crazy chase after a possible suspect.

  Normally he would have been pleased to help at a stake out. He hadn’t joined the force to sit at a desk all day, like a bloody civil servant. He wanted to be out on the streets, preferably in a speeding car. The rush of adrenaline was what made the job worthwhile. He loved racing through the streets while other vehicles pulled over to let him pass. Nothing matched the exhilaration of a chase on blues and twos, sirens screaming above the roar of the engine, voices barking out orders and tyres squealing. Sitting in a car waiting for a signal from a colleague was less thrilling. The chances were she would reappear and they would return to the station, and that would be the end of it. Another bloody waste of time. If he hadn’t been keen to curry favour with Geraldine, he might not have responded to her request in person.

  He checked his phone. It was switched on, battery full, with a good signal. He placed it on the dashboard where he could see as well as hear if it rang. There was nothing else he could do but wait. After fifteen minutes, he snatched up his phone and called her. If she didn’t need him any more, the least she could do was tell him. He realised she must be busy, questioning Cooper, but he was put out when she didn’t answer. He waited a few moments then phoned her again. Still there was no answer.

  ‘Do you think they’re all right in there?’ his sergeant asked.

  ‘How the hell should I know?’ he snapped, irritably.

  The situation was out of control, his head ached, and sitting kicking his heels in a cold car wasn’t helping anyone.

  ‘Turn the heating up for Christ’s sake.’

  After ten minutes, he tried her phone a
gain. The fact that she still didn’t answer wasn’t merely annoying; he was beginning to worry about her. He decided to go in and take a look. If she didn’t appreciate him barging in before she’d requested back up, it was her own stupid fault for not communicating with him. She had been in there long enough. His sergeant at his heels, he marched up to the front door. Two uniformed officers accompanied them. The back door was covered, as were the side windows, and more officers were watching the roof. There was no way Cooper could leave unseen. If he really was the invisible killer Geraldine had been looking for, he wasn’t going to get past Nick. With a grim smile, he rang the bell.

  A dark-haired man came to the door.

  ‘Darius Cooper?’

  ‘Yes.’

  The two men sized each other up. Cooper was thin, but he looked strong. His black eyes flicked from Nick to the sergeant at his side, and beyond to the two constables in uniform standing behind him. Nick had his foot over the doorstep but before he could move closer to the suspect, Cooper turned and dashed back along the corridor to disappear up the stairs. He moved like a panther. A second later they heard a door slam upstairs. The four police officers sprinted after him. Nick turned to the constables.

  ‘One of you stay here and watch the street door,’ he said. ‘There might be another way down. Radio through to the others to watch all the windows. He’s on the first floor. He’s probably going to try and make a run for it.’

  He turned and raced up the stairs after the sergeant and the second constable, his aching head forgotten in the rush of the chase.

  ‘Which door?’ the sergeant panted.

  There were two doors off the first floor landing. Nick jerked his head, indicating one of them to the sergeant. He ran to the other door himself and began thumping noisily.

  ‘Open up! Police! We’ve got the building surrounded.’

  The door the sergeant was knocking at opened and a wizened face peered up at him.

  ‘Is anyone else in there with you?’ the sergeant asked.