by E. J. Kay
Kelly could sense that she would never get through to Egraine now. Something had changed in her when she found out that Gary had died. But it still rankled with her. “Just because you didn’t actually do the deeds, it doesn’t mean you aren’t guilty, you know. You’ll be going to jail for a very long time for your involvement in all this.”
“Yeah, whatever. It doesn’t really matter now. Any of it. We had a good run. We’d both had enough of being shat on from a great height by people who were supposed to love us. They all had it coming. Gary was the only person I’ve ever been able to rely on. The only person that ever really loved me. Now he’s gone. So nothing matters.”
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It was dark. Three o’clock in the morning. The duty officer checked her and saw her curled up and still; just a bump under the sheets. He closed the metal shutter on his side of the cell door and his footsteps faded down the corridor. She got up and pulled the bed round slowly and quietly until the metal bed head was under the light fitting. She took off her leggings and tied one leg in a loop and slip knot, taking care to make sure that the loop could pull tight. Balancing on the bed head, she reached up and tied the other leg around the light fitting and checked that it would hold her weight. It was quite tricky to get it through the gap between the fitting and the ceiling, but she had small and dexterous hands. And as much time as she needed. He wouldn’t be back for another hour. She pulled the leg through the gap so that the loop was just next to her head, and then tied it off tightly. “Love you, bro,” she whispered, as she put her head through the loop and stepped off the bed head.
Chapter 34
Kelly’s phone rang. She woke up blearily and squinted at the red digits on the clock, willing them to come into focus. Quarter to five. Oh, for God’s sake. Who’s died? The thought turned her cold. She rolled over and picked up the phone, suddenly wide awake.
“Yes. What’s happened?”
There was a slight hesitation and then she heard the voice of George Edwards, the night duty sergeant.
“Sorry to wake you ma’am, but there’s been a serious incident at the station,” he said. Another hesitation. “Egraine Mountford has hanged herself. She’s been found dead in her cell. I thought we should let you know as soon as possible.”
“Oh, thank God,” she said. It wasn’t Joseph.
“Ma’am?”
“I mean oh God, and, er, thank you for calling me so promptly. I’ll be there asap.” She put the phone down and lay back.
Her immediate relief at the call not being about Joseph evaporated quickly as the reality hit her. A suicide in police custody. She’d thought that her work would be in mounting the case against Egraine, but now it would be dealing with investigations by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
“Shit, shit, shit.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood up and stretched. “SHIT!”
The swearing released a bit of the tension, but not very much. She got dressed quickly, pulled her hair back into a pony tail and slapped on a bit of foundation powder and mascara, then picked up her mobile and called Robson’s home number. After a few rings a sleepy female voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Oh, hi Paula. It’s Elaine. Really sorry to wake you at this hour, but I need to talk to Jack.”
“OK. Hang on.”
He came on, sounding as dozy as his wife. “What’s up?”
Kelly took a deep breath. “Bad news I’m afraid. Egraine Mountford has hanged herself. Found dead in the cells. I’m just on my way in. I think you’d better get over there quick too.”
“How the hell did that happen?”
“I haven’t got any detail yet, but we need to get over to the station pronto. I’ll see you there.”
“OK.” He rang off.
Kelly got into her car and drove to the station as the sun began to rise over the roofs of the town.
Chapter 35
It had been a long day, and it wasn’t over yet. The PPO’s office had been informed of Egraine’s death and had already sent a preliminary investigator. Her body had been removed for autopsy, which was due to take place first thing tomorrow morning. Under the circumstances all police actions involving Juliet had been dropped, and Kelly was keen to tell her in person. She took the opportunity to drive over to Juliet’s house in the afternoon. It was a good excuse to get out of the station too; Egraine’s death had affected her more than she would have thought. An intelligent person, but so deeply damaged.
As she drove along the promenade she thought about all the people in this case and how much they had distracted her emotionally. Even Nimue. Such a familiar crime, but such a vast span of time. The picture of Nimue and Alec Whickham, side by side, had haunted her since that first day in the lab. And once she knew that they had both been killed in the same way, the sense of futility in her job had become almost overwhelming. If this is so deeply embedded in human nature, what’s the bloody point? Usually she could stay reasonably objective about her work and the people affected, but not this time. This time everyone had got under her skin. Even someone who had died more than a million years ago. And it had affected her judgement, too; her reaction to Luke Thackray, her feelings for Joseph Connor. Christ, I’ve made a real mess of this one. Well at least I’ve got some good news for Juliet Bailey, she thought as she drew up in front of her house. She felt almost elated that she could help Juliet to heal the wounds that the past couple of months had inflicted on her.
She walked to the front door of the house and rang the bell. No answer. She waited for a couple of minutes and then rang it again. Still no reply. With a growing sense of disquiet she tried the handle and found that it moved. She pushed the door open and called down the hall.
“Professor Bailey? It’s DI Kelly. Are you there?” No reply. With mounting anxiety she stepped in. “Professor Bailey. Are you OK?”
She heard a small sound, like a sob or gasp, come from the lounge. She ran down the hall and through the open doorway. There was a tray of tea and a large cake on the low table. Juliet was standing by the side of the sofa, looking down at the floor behind it. She turned when she heard Kelly come into the room. The blood was beginning to coagulate on the long knife she was holding, but a small drop fell as she moved. It hit the carpet. Kelly tried to stay calm and matter of fact, despite the sinking sense in her stomach.
“Professor Bailey, what’s happened?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Juliet turned back and pointed behind the sofa with the knife. Kelly walked over slowly. Luke Thackray was lying face up on the floor, a deep stab wound gaping from his chest. His eyes were wide open. Kelly bent down and felt for a pulse. Nothing. She stood up slowly.
“Tell me what happened,” she asked again.
“It was him,” Juliet replied, with absolute conviction. “He killed Alec. He denied it when I asked him, but I know it was him. He did write those blog postings. He finally admitted that.” She looked at Kelly with wild hope in her eyes. “You knew it was him, didn’t you? You’d never have got him, you know. He’s far too slippery. This is the only way. Real justice.”
Kelly slipped her hand into her pocket and slowly brought out her mobile phone. “I’ll just get someone to come and help you.” She walked back down the hall and speed-dialled Robson.
“Jack,” she said in a low voice. “Get to Juliet Bailey’s house quick. Bring back-up and SOCO. Bailey’s killed her uncle. Luke Thackray’s dead.”
She walked back into the lounge and gently took the cake knife from Juliet, who put up no resistance. Kelly walked her over to the large armchair, sat her down and put the knife on the table, well out of her reach. She tried for the third time. “Juliet, I need you to tell me what happened.”
“I knew you’d never get the odious man. So I invited him round for afternoon tea to get him to own up, and we talked for a little. He did own up to posting those comments on Alec’s blog, and seemed so very pleased with himself. My life has been turned upside down and he just sat there s
miling like a lunatic. The knife was in front of me and I picked it up.” She paused and looked confused. “Then you came in just now.” Then her eyes brightened. “You know it was him, don’t you?”
Kelly felt sick. How am I going to tell her about Egraine now? She decided it wasn’t the right time and fudged the answer. “We’ll sort all that out when we get you to the station. You know you’ll have to stand trial for this, don’t you?”
Juliet nodded, but said nothing. Strangely, she was smiling.
Kelly stared at the wall. This is my fault. My bloody conviction about Thackray led to this. They sat in mutual silence until Kelly heard Robson’s voice in the hall.
“Ma’am, where are you?”
“In the lounge Jack,” she answered, raising her voice a little more than was necessary. Juliet appeared to have drifted away to a safer place, but Kelly knew she had to pull her back. It worked.
Juliet jumped as Robson came in with three SOCO officers. Kelly pointed to the back of the sofa and he walked round to take a look. “Oh Christ,” he said. “Why did she do this? Just when we’d got Mountford …”
Kelly put up her hand to stop him. “We’ll talk about all that back at the station, I think. When Professor Bailey has had chance to calm down.”
“I’m perfectly calm,” said Juliet. “Calm and relieved. All the waiting is over now.” She turned to Kelly. “It’s been the waiting that’s been the hardest part. Waiting and not knowing. Now everything is clear.”
Kelly sighed, rubbed her forehead and stood up. “Professor Juliet Bailey, I’m arresting you for the murder of Doctor Luke Thackray.”
Juliet stood up obediently. Kelly took her by the arm and led her down the hallway towards the front door. Robson heard her voice fading. “You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence …”
Chapter 36
The summer had been long and warm, but it was now late September and Joseph could feel a damp chill in the air as he got out of his car. His left arm still pained him in some positions, and the morning chill didn’t help his leg either. But thank God for cars with automatic transmission. He took the walking stick out from behind his seat and locked the car. He didn’t really need the stick all the time now, but it still helped to have a little support as he climbed the few steps up to the science building. He walked into his office to see the familiar sight of Mike sitting at his desk. He was wearing what had now become his trademark beanie hat, pulled down to cover what was left of the pinna of his right ear. He looked up. “Hi peg-leg.”
Joseph smiled. “Hi Vincent. Welcome back to the asylum. Are Sophie and Johnny still doing well?” He hung the walking stick over the back of his chair and sat down, wincing at the discomfort in his left hip.
Mike smiled. “Yeah, great thanks. Johnny loves the cot mobile you got him last week. It gets him off to sleep like a charm.” He stretched and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve really enjoyed paternity leave, but it’s good to get back to work. We can start to settle into normal life again.”
Joseph laughed. “With a small baby! I know what you mean though. After the last six months I’m yearning for the ordinary.”
“There’s still Juliet’s trial to come, although I don’t think it’ll take very long,” said Mike. “Seems open and shut.”
“Well, the circumstances are pretty clear, but I think the sentence will hinge around the balance of her mind. She’s been having psychiatric treatment since her arrest.”
“Have you seen her much?” asked Mike.
“Once I was well enough to visit her on remand, yes. I’ve been a few times.”
“What’s your assessment of her, as a friend?”
Joseph hesitated. “Well, er, she’s not the same person. It’s weird, but that’s the best way I can describe it. The old Juliet doesn’t live there anymore. Egraine succeeded in destroying her too, in the end.”
Mike winced at the mention of Egraine’s name. “And it sounds like she destroyed DI Kelly’s career too.”
“Oh, I think her career could have survived Egraine’s suicide and Thackray’s murder, if she’d really wanted it to. From what little I heard from her, her resignation was something of a relief.”
“Do you know what she’s doing now?”
“Yes, gone into the forensic service. It’s where she belongs, in my view.”
Mike grinned. “She had a soft spot for you, methinks!”
Joseph grinned back, with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, OK, Anna spotted that too. And if I’m honest, so did I. Between you and me, I quite enjoyed it for a while. I guess it played up to my waning middle-aged male ego.” He suddenly looked crestfallen. “But I should have just acted my age and listened to her advice as a police officer, and then I wouldn’t have two metal pins in my leg.”
“Well at least you didn’t behave like a total twat, like me.”
Joseph lowered his voice. “Does Sophie know?”
“No. The police were happy with my explanation that Gary attacked me on Egraine’s orders after I turned her down. Which is true. Essentially. I don’t think the police need all the personal details and Elaine Kelly didn’t say anything, bless her. I’ve wrestled with whether or not to tell Sophie what actually happened, but I think it would do more damage to tell her than not. Or maybe I’m just being a coward.” He stood up and walked over to the window, taking up the customary thinking pose. “Or perhaps it’s a bit of both.”
Joseph got up slowly and limped over to stand by his friend. Mike turned to face him, a habit he had developed since the injury to his ear, which had left him essentially deaf on his right side. Joseph saw the dampness in Mike’s eyes. “I think enough people are suffering from the scars of this case. Even poor Nimue, all that time ago,” Joseph said.
“I love Sophie and Johnny so much,” said Mike. “I wouldn’t hurt them for anything.”
Joseph put his hand on his friend’s shoulder as they both turned back to look out of the window. “You know, I’ve been thinking about what we could do to make something good come of all this.”
“That would be a bloody miracle!” laughed Mike, sniffing and wiping his nose with the back of his hand. “What have you got in mind?”
Joseph limped back to his chair and sat down. “We should finish Watermark.”
Mike turned around. “Did I hear you right? Alec’s paper?”
Joseph took a deep breath, unsure about how Mike would react to his next revelation. “Well, according to Elaine Kelly, it was Egraine’s.”
“What?!”
“Egraine wrote it for Alec, to try to make the water-based theories of evolution more accepted. That’s why she used Watermark as the main title, I guess. She wanted to make the point that we all carry one in our genes.”
Mike chewed his lip. “Well, she was intelligent, there’s no doubt about that. And it’s a good paper. Or at least a good start.” He came back to his desk and sat opposite Joseph.
“I’d completely understand if you didn’t want to touch it with a barge pole. But I do think we could make a contribution with it, even though it needs quite a bit more work. And that way Alec and Egraine would make a contribution too. They were both flawed people, that’s for sure. But they did both have something important to say. We’d give them full attribution.”
Mike nodded in agreement. “And we could give Nimue a voice too. In the short time I was working on her I couldn’t help wondering what happened. She was definitely killed, murdered, I’m sure of that. We’ll never know her story, but we can still learn from her.”
Joseph raised his empty coffee mug. “Stick the kettle on and we’ll drink to Nimue, then!”
Chapter 37
It was evening. The sun began to set over the lake as Grandmother walked up to the top of a low hill and looked out over the water. Her daughter had been missing for three sunsets, and Grandmother instinctively knew that she was dead; knew that her daughter would never leave her children.
The lake had swallowed her.
/> Tears formed at the corners of Grandmother’s eyes and gently rolled down her face. My girl in lake she thought to herself. It was important to say it. To let the thought out.
“Nim oo ee ay.”
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