Deadly Intent at-4

by Lynda La Plante

  Mrs. Webster returned to her kitchen and washed his dishes. It wasn't exactly a prison; he loved his room. In many ways, she was the prisoner, and had been from the time Jeremy had been diagnosed. She wondered what he had been talking about for so long with the policewoman, totally unaware that her son might have given the murder inquiry a mind-blowing breakthrough.

  CHAPTER 4

  Cunningham looked at the lists with an open mouth. "You're not serious?""Yes, we are. These are all the pages of license-plate numbers we have to check out.""Work backward. Don't for Christ's sake go from the top of the list. Use whoever we need to get onto the D andV Licensing Agency. Give this over to Gordon; you can come with me to the path lab. Then we have to pay another visit to Frank Brandon's widow."Anna was relieved not to spend any more time with the scrambled-egg-and-tomato gourmet Gordon, who had said not one single word during her entire interview with Jeremy. She was not sure, though, which was worse—having to partner up with him or travel with Cunningham, who unnerved her. Anna was constantly expecting her to ask about Langton.She didn't. "This kid is what?""Autistic," Anna replied."Well, it could be a big break or we could be the butt of a lot of flak, taking this nutcase's word.""He is not a nutcase, ma'am.""He isn't? Holed up in his bedroom or pushing trolleys around doesn't bode well for a witness, Travis.""He might not be able to stand up in court, but I believe him. You have to meet him to understand the way his mind works.""Yeah, well, 1 beljeve you. Thousands wouldn't."Dr. Ewan Fielding was a thin man with bony hands and a rather high-pitched voice. As he drew back the green sheet from Frank Brandon's body, Anna had to turn away. Brandon s face was hard to recognize.the bullets having torn most of the right side of his skull apart. His mouth gaped; part of his jaw was broken and the teeth splintered. Anna couldn't help but think of James Langton. The two of them were linked in her mind as they had all worked together on the same case. She even recalled Brandon asking her out. She'd refused. Now she wondered if Langton knew what had happened to Brandon. She shook her head, trying to concentrate."Three gunshot wounds to the head and face," said Fielding, "and lower down, we have two more: one in his upper chest and, moving upward into his larynx, another just above his heart. He died instantly from the bullet that went into the right lobe of his brain. The bullets have been sent to ballistics. The deceased was healthy: very fit with strong organs and heart." Fielding had found no trace of any drugs or track marks.Returning to the patrol car, Cunningham seemed irritated. "That didn't give us much. At least we know he wasn't using, so what the hell was he doing in that shithole?""Maybe he was working on something that took him there.""Yeah, maybe, but we still don't know what he was actually doing. Let's see if we can get more from the widow."As they headed out of London toward Wimbledon, Cunningham rested back in her seat and closed her eyes, her arms folded. Anna kept as far away from her as possible. Even sleeping, she looked tense and angry.Julia Brandon was wan and red-eyed. She was wearing a quilted robe and slippers, sitting on one of the plush sofas with a tissue in her hand."The children don't know," she said in a heavy voice."They're not his, though, are they?" Cunningham asked. This was somewhat unnecessary, Anna thought; they already knew that."No, but he was wonderful with them. It's strange, really. I was always a bit worried how he would cope. He even said at one time that he didn't want any, but then he just took to them, and they had started to call him Daddy." Julia broke down in tears. She wiped her eyes, apologizing repeatedly.

  "Mrs. Brandon, we need to ask you some questions and then, if you are willing, perhaps later today we will have you taken to identify your husband."Anna again wondered if this was necessary. They had verification that it was Brandon from his fingerprints; to subject the poor woman to seeing the terrible damage to her husband's face would be a hideous experience."Yesterday you said you were unsure exactly what work your husband was doing, but we really need to know anything you can tell us. Have you had any further thoughts?"Julia Brandon looked stunned at Cunningham's question."We need to know what vehicle he was driving.""It was a Volkswagen, but he also drove my car." Julia rose shakily to her feet and crossed to a large glass-topped cabinet. Opening a drawer, she took out a folder and flicked through it. "These are his car insurance details." She passed the folder to Cunningham."Did your husband have a life insurance policy?""I think so, but I don't know the details. My accountant arranged it—he does everything.""Your accountant?""Yes, he looks after me, us—things like the house insurance. He's also my business adviser.""Business adviser?" Cunningham echoed again. She kept her eyes down as she looked through the file."Yes.""But you don't work?""No. I have money from my ex-partner for the children."Anna remained silent. She didn't like the harsh way Cunningham was questioning Julia."Can you give me his name and address?" Cunningham persisted."Isn't it on the file you have?" Julia replied. Anna detected a little bit of anger rising."Ah, yes, good. I'll just copy this down."At that moment, a tray of coffee was brought in by Mai Ling and placed on the table. She passed the coffee around, then left the room. Cunningham opened a notebook and made some notes."Were you able to get any sleep last night?" Anna asked Julia, gently."No.""This must be very distressing for you. I'm sorry we have to be here under these circumstances, but we are trying to ascertain exactly what happened to your husband. Any help you can give us will be really appreciated, and obviously the sooner we have more details, the better."Julia gave Anna a wan smile, as if thanking her for her quiet comforting voice. "How did it happen?" she asked nervously.Anna glanced toward Cunningham, who didn't look up from the file, so she continued. "He was found dead.""I know he's dead, but how did it happen? I don't know what is going on! If you told me last night, I was too shocked to remember anything that you said!" Julia's voice rose; she was losing control.Anna was unsure whether or not Cunningham wanted to take over, but she was paying no attention, still busy reading letters in the folder. "Your husband died in a flat in Chalk Farm.""A flat? Whose flat?"Cunningham looked up. "It was a drug dealers' squat, Mrs. Brandon. There is no easy way to give you details without it being very distressing.""Tell me what happened to my husband!""He died from gunshot wounds to his head, face, and heart.""Oh my God." Julia leaned forward, almost resting her head on her knees."So you see why we need to know who he was working for. Your husband was not using drugs?"Julia looked up, her eyes like saucers. "I've no idea.""Didn't he ever mention what work he was doing, or for whom?""No! All I know is, about two or three months ago, he got a job that he was very pleased about, as the pay was so good. He said it was driving and security, and that his past career had made a good impression at the interviews.""Do you have any idea where he went?""No, it was all happening with the house and moving in. I didn'teven ask him. All he said was that it might involve long hours and late nights."Cunningham sighed. "Thank you, Mrs. Brandon. Now, I really would appreciate it if you got dressed and accompanied us.""No. I am not leaving the house.""Mrs. Brandon, we do need you to make a formal identification, unless there is someone else that you could ask to do this?"Julia bent her head low again."What about his parents? Other relatives?""There's no one." She suddenly tossed her head back and took a deep breath." I'll do it."Cunningham finished her coffee while they waited for Julia to dress. She picked up the file and, when she went to the drawer to replace it, Anna saw her checking through the drawer's contents."She's worth a lot of money," the woman commented. "Frank landed on his feet with her."Anna tensed. Considering what had happened to him, this remark sounded crass in the extreme."I'm surprised you are getting so uptight, Travis. 1 would have thought after working with Jimmy Langton, you'd be used—"Anna interrupted her. "I'm sorry. It's just, considering she has only just been told her husband is dead, it feels as if we are being very unsympathetic.""Really .. .Well, how about Mrs. Brandon coming into a half-million-pound life insurance policy?"Anna was taken aback."You think that she wouldn't know what he was doing? Come on, what do you think? She's a poor little rich girl about to be quite a bit richer. She knows a lot more than she's admitting."Anna shrugged. "Well, maybe you
'll get more out of her when she sees his body.""Maybe we will, Travis, maybe we will, because right now all we have is a list of vehicles from a kid with autism that might or might not give us a lead. We need one, because we have fuck all, in case you're not aware of it!"