by E. J. Kay
“You think she’d top herself?” asked Robson.
“I don’t know. I do know that the closer we seem to move towards a solution to this case, the faster it seems to run away from us. We need divine intervention.”
Just then her mobile rang. She looked at the screen. Ah, the divine Dr Connor. He’ll do.
“Dr Connor. How are you?”
“I’m fine. You?”
“Not so bad. What’s up?”
“Did you hear about Mike Osewe? He’s been injured in a shooting accident at the university rifle range.”
Kelly was shocked. “Oh dear. I’m very sorry to hear that. How is he?”
“I’ve just been to see him in hospital and he’s dazed, but at least he’s alive and likely to make a good recovery. Minus an ear, though.”
Kelly grimaced. “Oh no.”
“Look, there’s something I’m really concerned about. I think Mike’s injury might be connected to Alec’s death in some way. Can I come and talk to you now?”
“We could meet in the coffee shop. Same one as last time. I could be there in about…” She looked at Robson and he mouthed ‘ten’. “… ten minutes.”
“OK, see you there.” The divine Dr Connor rang off.
Chapter 29
Kelly was waiting at a corner table when Joseph walked in.
“My round, I think,” she said, standing up and gesturing for him to sit down. “What would you like?”
“Oh, actually, I’ve not long had one. Just a tea thanks.”
“My pleasure.”
She walked over to the counter and ordered Joseph his tea and herself a double chocolate macchiato with whipped cream. For some reason she was feeling girlish today.
Joseph leaned over when she sat back down at the table. “I wanted to talk about Mike. About his injury.”
“Not our province I don’t think. You said it was an accident.”
“Yes, it looks that way but, well, I think it may be connected to Alec’s death.”
“What makes you think that?” asked Kelly.
“Egraine Mountford, Alec’s research student. I guess you interviewed her?”
“Yes, we interviewed her, Ben whassisname and the other researcher, Lily White. Great name. Anyway, they all had alibis. OK, so White and Mountford gave each other alibis, it’s true, but we did get corroboration from the people in the neighbouring flat who said they heard them all evening. The walls are paper thin, apparently. Anyway, they didn’t have any obvious motive, or the means to do it.”
“At Alec’s funeral Egraine asked Mike to be her PhD supervisor. When they met the next day to talk it through she invited him back to her flat and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, she seduced him.”
Kelly grinned. “No law against that. He’s an attractive man.”
“Yes, and in a stable relationship with a pregnant partner.”
Kelly shrugged. “Still not illegal.” They got the call for their drinks at that moment, and went to pick them up. Kelly’s came in a tall glass and looked more like an ice cream sundae than a drink. Joseph looked at her quizzically. “In a playful mood today?”
“Mmm, even police officers can have a bit of fun you know.” They went back to the table.
“OK, listen,” said Joseph. “Firstly, according to Lily and Ben, Egraine had a bit of a thing about Alec but he wasn’t interested in her romantically. He dies. Then she has a bit of a thing about Mike. They have one brief fling and then he tells her he doesn’t want to see her again. He nearly gets his head blown off. She then asks another good looking man in his late thirties, Raman Sharples, to supervise her. Now Raman tells me that she’s been flirting with him, pretty seriously.”
Kelly put on a creditable Miss Piggy impersonation. “I’m beginning to see a pattern in the men I date.” She giggled. “Muppet Treasure Island. Great film.”
Joseph didn’t laugh. “I’m deadly serious. And I think Egraine might be too.”
It was clear that he wasn’t going to play with her so she gave up and looked at her coffee with regret. “But we can’t tie her to either Dr Whickham’s death or Dr Osewe’s injury. She wasn’t there either time.”
“No, but a student named Gary Mason may have been. He was certainly there when Mike was injured, and something Mike said today when I saw him at the hospital made me wonder.”
“What did he say?”
“Well, just ‘Gary and Egraine’. He was woozy with the sedatives and on the edge of passing out so he didn’t elaborate. But why would he associate the two of them? Maybe it’s worth checking them out, just to see if there is any link between them,” said Joseph, although now he had told Kelly, it didn’t sound anything like as convincing as when it had just been in his head.
“OK, I’ll get checks run on them, but I do think it’s all a bit thin. There’s no evidence that Mountford had any involvement in Alec Whickham’s death. And, your record on hunches isn’t too reliable, is it? Your last one about the blog postings still hasn’t come to anything. Despite my best efforts,” she added, somewhat ruefully.
“I know, but this time I’ve got a much more distinct feeling.”
“As I’ve said before, Dr Connor, I can’t go on feelings.”
“But it would be odd if there were an association, don’t you think?”
“It all sounds coincidental to me. The activities of one randy student don’t amount to motives for murder and attempted murder. But I’ll get the two of them checked out, if you promise to stop playing detective. I have asked you that once before.”
“Yes, I know. Of course, sure, I won’t do anything.”
“Good. Right, I’ve got to go.” She got up and turned towards the door.
“You haven’t touched your coffee,” said Joseph.
She turned back. “No, somehow I’ve lost the mood. Promise me, no investigating. Whoever is responsible for Alec Whickham’s death is not someone you want to tangle with. And if they’re also involved in Mike’s injury, they could be very dangerous indeed.”
Joseph nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.”
Fat chance, she thought, as she walked out of the cafe and into the fresh spring rain.
Chapter 30
Joseph picked up his jacket from the stand in the hall. “See you later,” he shouted.
“’Bye love,” came Anna’s response from upstairs.
He got into the car, wondering why the hell he was doing this. But he was sure about one thing. Egraine had something to do with Alec’s death and Mike’s accident. He didn’t think that Kelly was going to take him seriously this time though, particularly as his suspicions about the postings on Alec’s blog had come to nothing. He had promised Kelly yesterday that he wouldn’t get involved, but if he could just get Egraine to spill something about her relationships with Alec and Mike, perhaps he would get Kelly’s full attention next time. And, maybe Egraine would try something on with him if he made out he was interested in her work, which might flush her out. So, he had arranged to see Egraine at her flat this evening. He knew he might be playing a dangerous game, in more ways than one, but Alec and Mike were his friends and he owed it to them. Not to mention Juliet, still locked away in her house going slowly mad.
He parked in the local centre car park near the flats in Rufus Court. This was where he usually parked on his visits to Juliet, who lived just round the corner. He crossed the road and walked the two hundred yards or so to Egraine’s flat. He knocked on the door and she opened it, wearing baggy jeans, a loose top and a pair of large, bunny-rabbit slippers. She had her hair pulled back into a pony tail, reading glasses perched on the top of her head and her face looked scrubbed and shiny. Oh well, at least I don’t appear to be a seduction target.
“Hi, Dr Connor. Come in.” She led Joseph down the hall and into the lounge. Papers, artefacts and balsa models were strewn all over the lounge table and a half-drunk bottle of white wine, cork out, was balanced on top of a pile of papers on the floor. “Sorry, you’ll ha
ve to excuse the mess, I’m working on my thesis.”
“This looks like really interesting stuff. The models are particularly good.”
“Thanks. Well, they’re not completely accurate anatomically – they’re more like vehicles for me to try out some ideas. And I can’t take credit for them. Actually my brother is the artist. He does them for me.”
“He’s very talented.”
“Yes, he is.” She motioned for him to sit down.
“I wanted to see how you are,” Joseph said. “We haven’t had chance to talk much since that terrible day in the lab, and now you’ve lost Mike as the project leader too. As Raman says, this whole project is beginning to look jinxed! I met with Lily and Ben yesterday and they seem to be coping well. How are you doing?”
She looked concerned. “It’s all been very stressful and worrying, to be honest. I’m really concerned that the Kenyan authorities will want Nimue back right now, and I couldn’t blame them. We’ll lose the chance to work on her and that would make my research contract with the university look precarious. And Lily and Ben too. At least they’ve got their doctorates. Have you any idea how difficult it is to get paid studentships? Oh, yes, sorry, of course you do.” She put her head in her hands. “I liked Alec and Mike personally too, so it’s been really upsetting.” She pulled herself up. “But, Raman is being very helpful and supportive. Everyone is, actually.” She looked at him and smiled.
If this is an act, it’s a very good one, thought Joseph. He began to think that this visit was a wild goose chase. Maybe if he tried to make the situation look bleak she would rise to it a bit more. “I know that the university will be trying to negotiate with the Kenyan authorities, but we’re running out of people to lead this project. With Juliet looking likely to be found guilty, Alec gone and Mike likely to be out of commission for some time, it’s hard to see who’s left to pick it up.”
“Raman could, couldn’t he?” she asked, hopefully.
“Well, it’s not really his field, and he may not have the experience that the Kenyans are looking for.”
She began to look more agitated.
“This was Alec’s project.” He continued to press the point home. “Anyone else is just a stand-in. Mike’s my friend, but he wasn’t really up to this, if I’m honest. And Raman certainly isn’t. Alec had that touch of genius that only comes along rarely. Whoever killed him did a terrible thing, not just to him and his family, but to this project and the furtherance of our understanding of ourselves.” He looked hard into her eyes and saw sadness there.
“That’s so true,” she replied, and sniffed. She pulled a scrunched-up tissue from her sleeve and blew her nose. “But I’m forgetting my manners. Would you like a drink?” The sudden change of subject took Joseph by surprise, but he recovered quickly. “A coffee would be good, thanks.”
She got up and went into the kitchen. He heard the sound of water running. Music suddenly started playing from somewhere in the room, and it took him a moment or two to realise that it was her mobile phone on the coffee table in front of him. She came back into the room and picked it up.
“Hi. Not right now but we could do later. I’ll call you. Bye.” She smiled at Joseph and went back into the kitchen.
He didn’t know why, but he picked up her phone and pressed last call. The name stared out at him from the screen.
Gary.
Joseph was sweating. Oh God, what have I got myself into. He knew he was out of his depth and needed to get out of Egraine’s flat as soon as he could. He took his own mobile out of his pocket and switched it on, hardly noticing the missed call from Kelly.
“Oh, sorry Egraine,” he said, standing up as she came back into the room with the coffee. “I’ve just had a call from my wife. I need to get back right now. A bit of a domestic crisis. Don’t worry, I’ll let myself out.” He almost ran down the hall and out of the door. Egraine put the coffee down on the table and saw that her mobile was showing ‘last caller’. She picked it up and pressed call.
Chapter 31
It was seven o’clock and Kelly was packing up for the evening when Robson came back to his desk. “Those checks on Mountford and Mason have come back.”
“What have we got then? Anything interesting?”
“Not really. No known association between them.” He skimmed the paperwork. “Egraine Mountford, twenty three years old, daughter of William and Helena Mountford. He’s a civil servant. The family travelled all over the place from the look of it. He’s currently working in Egypt. Helena Mountford died eight years ago. Gary Mason, nineteen, son of Hilary Mason. Father not known. Born and brought up in Falkirk. I can’t see any family connection between them, but I suppose they may be in a relationship. Although we checked both their Facebook sites and neither of them lists the other as a friend as far as I can see. We got Mountford’s mobile phone details when we interviewed her at first, so I’ve got call records being checked too, for completeness. Should get those back shortly, but it doesn’t look like there’s any connection between them so far.”
“OK, so, looks like another of Dr Connor’s hunches isn’t going play out.” She leaned back in her chair. “That just leaves us with Juliet Bailey. There’s really no one else in the frame. Thackray doesn’t have an alibi, but neither does he have any real motive, nor a clear opportunity to kill Whickham. There’s no real case against him, unfortunately.” She paused, then asked, “Gary Mason didn’t have any connection with Alec Whickham, did he?”
Robson shook his head. “Nope, he’s a second year student in computing. He’s not even on the same part of the campus.”
Kelly looked thoughtful. “He’s a computing student?”
“Yes, so what?”
“Go and see him tomorrow. Find out if he has an alibi for the night Alec Whickham was killed.”
“What are you driving at?” asked Robson.
At that moment a young constable came to their desks. “Excuse me ma’am, but I’ve just got the mobile phone records for Egraine Mountford. She’s made four calls to a mobile number registered to a Gary Mason in the past three months. The last one was at nine twenty-four pm on the tenth of April.”
Kelly stood up quickly. “Come on Jack, we have to find Mason and Mountford and get them in here as fast as we can.” She pulled out her mobile phone and scanned through the recent calls directory until she found Joseph. She made the call. “Come on Joseph. Answer it.”
“This is Joseph Connor. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.”
“Dr Connor, could you call me as soon as you get this message please? It’s urgent. Thanks.” She rang off. “Waters, would you get me Joseph Connor’s home phone number, please?”
“Why are you calling Connor?” asked Robson.
“Because I think he may be daft enough to get himself killed.”
They walked across the office to where DC Waters was looking at her computer screen. “Got it ma’am.”
Kelly tapped the number into her mobile and Anna’s voice answered. Kelly hesitated. “Oh, hello, Mrs.Connor. Is Dr Connor there please? It’s DI Kelly.”
“No, I’m sorry. He’s gone over to see one of Alec’s research students. He’ll be back later. Can I get him to call you?”
Kelly went cold, but battled to sound matter-of-fact. “Er, yes please. Did he happen to mention the name of the student he was going to see?”
“Yes, Egraine, I think he said.”
“Ah, OK, I see. No problem. If you could ask him to call me on my mobile if ..” she corrected herself quickly, “…when he gets back. Thanks very much.” Kelly rang off. “Shit. We need to get round to Mountford’s flat right now. Have you got the address?”
“Yep.” Robson picked up his jacket from the back of his chair.
“I’ll try his mobile again on the way. Come on, step on it then!”
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Joseph ran out of Egraine’s flat and along the road, heading back towards the car park. A car on the opposite side of the road s
tarted its engine and revved up loudly. Joseph saw the headlights reflecting in the shop windows as it did a U-turn and headed straight for him. He could feel his heart racing as he sped down the road towards the corner. His mobile rang. Sod it, not now! He ignored it and carried on running as he heard the car screaming towards him. Then another one came around the corner in front of him. He just had time to recognise it as Robson’s as the car behind hit him and sent him flying over the bonnet.
Robson braked hard and Kelly jumped out. “Follow him!” she shouted, as she ran over to where Joseph lay. He wasn’t moving. “Oh you silly sod, why couldn’t you do as you were told!” She pulled her mobile out of her bag and called for an ambulance. “There’s been a serious road accident. It’s DI Kelly. Corner of Wellington Road and Rufus Drive. Get them here quick.” She kneeled down and stroked his forehead, feeling the sticky sensation of blood. “Come on Joseph, stay with me. Please.”
The car in front was an old, clapped out Vauxhall Viva that was pouring out grey smoke from the exhaust. Robson put his foot flat to the floor as he shot the red light. He can’t keep this up for long. His car’s going to give out any minute. The driver was heading for the promenade that ran at a right angle to Rufus Drive. But much too quickly. He’s never going to make the turn at that junction. The lights changed to amber as the Viva screamed through and tried to make a sharp left turn. But it was going too fast. It flipped over, bouncing bonnet over boot, and careened into the railings at the sea front. There was a high spring tide and the waves were smacking into the sea wall, spraying the road with foam and froth. The railings gave way as the car somersaulted into the sea, its headlights carving a bright white arc across the ominous sky. Robson screeched to a halt, got out of his car and ran over to the sea wall. The Viva was upside down in more than four feet of water. He couldn’t hope to reach the driver. Taking his torch from the glove compartment he shone it on the crashed car, illuminating the driver’s smashed window. He could see a body through the churning water, hanging upside down from the seatbelt. A thick liquid line traced a scarlet watermark in the white foam.