Ice Cold Blood

by David W. Millar

  But on arrival at the house Hunter had been offhand and sullen, only grudgingly shaking his hand, no doubt jealous at Ellie spending time with someone he considered a rival. Flint could see Ellie giving Hunter dark looks and before he had time to drive off he heard the raised voices and saw Ellie come storming out of the house. She rushed up to his car throwing herself into the passenger seat, said he was being a fucking arse, and asked to be taken to the railway station. He had ended up driving her home to Edinburgh while somehow feeling sorry for Hunter.

  He knew appearing unannounced was a risk, but never got an answer when he phoned. He’d left messages and sent emails that were ignored. There was a chance that things could get nasty and Hunter was a big guy, but Flint was fed up and now wanted answers.

  He’d been to the pregnancy clinic. The one that Annabel had told him Ellie had most probably attended before her trip to New Zealand but was still none the wiser. They refused to answer any questions about her, even to acknowledge she had even been there They said he had no proof she was dead, and in the end, he was asked to leave. He did find out that the clinic also advised on problems concerning conception, abortion and artificial insemination by donor as well as contraception. It was possible Ellie had gone there for any of these reasons. But only one of them might explain why she had been so angry at him for missing that meeting with her in Edinburgh.

  Flint reckoned Hunter was in since there was a car in the driveway. He deliberately drove in to block any exit before marching up to the path and hammering on the door. After a few seconds the door was opened by Hunter who looked completely surprised when he saw Flint standing on the doorstep.

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Some fucking answers to my questions. You know something about me and Ellie and I’m going nowhere until you tell me.’

  Hunter tried to push the door shut but Flint stuck his foot in the doorway to prevent him.

  ‘Listen you bastard, I’m not leaving this fucking house till I get some fucking answers and I’ll stay here all evening and annoy your neighbours.’

  ‘I’ll just call the police and they’ll soon take you away.’

  ‘You do that! Then I can have a nice chat with DCI Tosh and tell him you’re withholding information about Ellie.’

  Hunter hesitated before eventually opening the door and indicating with a jerk of his head for Flint to enter.

  Once inside Hunter guided him to the kitchen where he motioned Flint towards a stool.

  ‘I’ve got a pot of coffee that’s just been made. Do you want a cup?’

  Taken aback by the change in Hunter’s demeanour, Flint nodded.

  ‘You’ve spoken to Annabel then,’ Hunter said, putting a mug of coffee down before sitting across from him. ‘What did she tell you?’

  ‘She told me that Ellie probably went to a pregnancy clinic before going to New Zealand. It was around the time that she wanted me to come to Edinburgh and went berserk when I cancelled because of work.’

  ‘Yes, that might have been the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.’

  ‘What is this all about? Everyone just seems to talk in riddles. Can you not just tell me what happened?’

  Eventually Hunter rose from his stool and disappeared from the kitchen for a minute before returning with a large unsealed brown envelope.

  ‘What’s this?’ Flint asked, while taking out a piece of photographic paper.

  ‘It’s a scan of Ellie’s unborn child,’ he paused, ‘maybe your unborn child.’

  ---oOo---

  They went to the Ben Nevis Distillery for lunch on Sunday. Shona knew it would be busy so she had pre-booked, asking for a table by a window. It was set apart from the other tables making conversation easier. Both had decided not to talk police business in the restaurant. Tosh had briefed Shona on the progress of the Ellie Saunders’ case, or rather lack of it, on the way over in the car. They talked about whisky and its place in Scottish culture. Tosh confessed he hated the stuff, much preferring beer, while Shona indicated red wine was her weakness.

  ‘So,’ Shona smiled when their drinks arrived. ‘Are we ready to talk relationship history?’

  ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘I’ll go first. I told you I’d had had two serious relationships.’

  ‘So did you get your heart broken?’

  ‘No, I ended both. I knew the first was going nowhere but had hopes for the second. I was sad for a while and felt a bit lonely. Like everyone said it would, it passed.’

  ‘Were they cops?’

  ‘No, one was an insurance broker and the second a teacher.’

  ‘So what happened with the second one, the one you had some hope for?’

  ‘He was an interesting guy, an art teacher who was good company and the opposite of me.’

  ‘What do you mean by opposite?’

  ‘I like logic and order. He was expressive, unpredictable and loved painting and photography. He was so good with his hands. I went to his school once and watched him throw a pot on the wheel. It was amazing.’

  ‘But in the end, it didn’t really work for you?’

  ‘I’m more interested in politics and history. Being in the police has opened my eyes to the poverty and hardship that people face every day.’ She paused for a few seconds. ‘In the end all we had in common was music and films.’

  ‘We like music and films,’ Tosh said with a mischievous smile.

  Shona raised her eyebrows disapprovingly at his quip. ‘Hopefully, we like other things too. Although we’ve still to find that out.’

  ‘Point taken.’

  ‘Look Bill I’m sorry that was a bit hard. I know this is only the third time we’ve been out, and we don’t need an inquisition.’

  ‘No, it’s better to get things out in the open. It’s been so good for me to meet you. Hopefully, we will go out again; you deserve some honesty.’

  ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to rush things.’

  ‘You saw me kicking a chair about the room that day after I’d spoken to Alison, so my break-up was a bit more traumatic than yours, as well as more recent. I know I’ve got baggage. What worries me more is the baggage I don’t know I’ve got.’

  ‘How long were the two of you together?’

  ‘Almost four years.’

  ‘That’s a long time.’

  Tosh nodded, his thoughts drifting through the past, triggering an avalanche of memories. Their first meeting was when he was a detective sergeant and Alison was still a constable. She’d been first on the scene at an armed robbery on an off-licence and when he arrived, she was administering first aid to the owner who had been struck with a metal bar. He had been impressed with her calmness and presence of mind and bowled over by her smile.

  When statements had been taken, he offered her a lift back to the station and asked her out when they reached the car park. She’d smiled at him and said, ‘why not.’ He’d driven off shouting ‘yes, yes, yes’ all the way back to his base across the city.

  They worked out of different police stations, but he continually thought up excuses to visit her. For the first date he took her for a meal to an expensive restaurant to impress her and she dressed to kill with an outrageous red mini skirt. It was such a heady time. They were finding out each other’s likes and dislikes; books, films, food, clothes and sport. They shared childhood memories of their first kiss, their first fumble. They had laughed like kids. He took her home and his parents loved her. Alison’s parents had split up, so he met them separately. He could tell she was closer to her mother. And then the first holiday abroad: two weeks of walking hand-in-hand in the sunshine followed by warm nights of passion. After six months they rented a flat and moved in together. Within a year he made detective inspector and she was promoted to sergeant. Then after a year they had bought a flat in the city centre together. They bought another prope
rty in Bearsden while renting out the flat. It was a good house to raise children in she had said.

  ‘What happened that made you split up?’ Shona asked cutting across his thoughts.

  He looked across at her amazed that he had managed condense over three years of memories into less than 30 seconds.

  ‘She met someone else.’

  Their first course arrived bringing a welcome break from what Tosh felt was an intense five minutes of conversation. They had chosen different starters, Shona insisting they sample each other’s. Tosh felt it an intimate gesture and smiled appreciatively. When they had both finished, he lent back in his seat and sighed.

  ‘That was really nice. Can’t wait for the main course.’

  ‘You made a good choice with the fish and chips. They do it well here.’

  ‘Maybe we could skip the heavy discussion until we have our coffee,’ Tosh suggested.

  ‘Sounds a great idea, but you know you haven’t told me yet who your footie team is,’ she laughed. ‘That is if you have one?’

  ‘It’s St Mirren. My dad took me along to a game when I was wee and that was me hooked. I used to watch them regularly when I was at Uni, though I haven’t seen them in ages. It’s still the first result I look for on a Saturday. I wasn’t there when they won the cup in 87, though I saw them win the League Cup in 2006.’ He paused and laughed loudly. ‘Glory days, as Bruce Springsteen would say.’

  ‘Apparently we won the cup in ’21 and the League Cup in ’71 but apart from the Glasgow Cup there’s not been much else. I’m hoping for something big soon.’

  ‘To St. Mirren and Partick Thistle,’ Tosh raised his glass. ‘Two teams with the best fans in Scotland!’

  They clinked glasses together just as their main courses arrived. Tosh looked at the huge plate of food placed in front of him and groaned.

  ‘God, this could feed an army.’

  ‘We can go for a walk afterwards. I love walking.’

  ‘Provided it’s not trudging through snow up the highest mountain in Scotland I might enjoy walking too.’

  Despite his initial concern Tosh cleared his plate without too much trouble. They ordered coffee just as a blast of rain hit the window.

  ‘Looks like we’re stuck in here then,’ Shona laughed.

  ‘Well I’m happy to continue our discussion then. I think we were at the bit where Alison left me for another man.’

  ---oOo---

  They slept for over three hours, waking simultaneously as rain battered against the glass of their conservatory. Both felt a bit sheepish, smiling at each other like naughty children. Serafini suggested they order a takeaway for dinner, his wife nodding in agreement. When it arrived, Katie had set the table and a bottle of Italian red had been opened.

  ‘So what should I do? Do I turn myself in to the police?’

  ‘Who else knows about this?’

  ‘I told Martin.’

  ‘Yes, I thought you might,’ his wife mused. ‘A good choice for a confessor. I doubt he’ll say anything.’

  ‘They’ve put out a TV appeal for this counsellor to come forward,’ Serafini said morosely. ‘I can’t believe I’ve got this far without someone knowing of my meetings with Ellie.’

  ‘You didn’t kill her and it’s their job to find you. It’s voluntary whether you contact the police or not.’

  ‘They’ll find my DNA.’

  ‘All the more reason not to go to the police.’

  ‘It might make matters worse if they do find me. The courts will hold it against me.’

  ‘You had a fling on a mountain. It was consensual sex and then you left, walked down and drove home. You haven’t broken any law.’

  ‘I’m not sure if withholding information regarding a murder might be a crime.’

  ‘That will pale into insignificance if you’re charged with murder,’ she replied raising her eyebrows at him. ‘They might find the killer and you won’t be involved.’

  ‘That’s been my logic up till now. You know my real fear was you finding out.’

  ‘Well I know now, so let’s just keep things quiet for now.’

  She refilled their glasses with wine before resuming her meal. Serafini felt a little unnerved by her nonchalance.

  ‘We should make plans to travel, I’ve just come into some unexpected cash.’

  He looked incredulously at his wife. The change of subject seemed surreal.

  ‘What cash?’

  ‘When I was on the phone to mum there, she said she’d decided to split most of the savings she has between me and my brother. She’s mentioned it before but decided now’s the time to do it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Dad’s going to need a lot of care soon and mum’s keen that her money does not count towards that.’

  ‘Do they take a spouse’s income and savings into account?’

  ‘Don’t think so though mum’s not wanting to take any chances. She’s had her savings in a separate account for years to safeguard against that. Now she’s decided she doesn’t need the money and wants the family to benefit now so we can use it when we’re still youngish.’

  ‘That’s very generous. Am I allowed to ask how much?’

  ‘About £200,000 each.’

  ‘Wow, that’s a lot of cash.’

  ‘I’m thinking of taking at least a year off from work. If you do the same, we could go to Australia and hire a camper van.’

  ‘That’s assuming I’m not detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure.’

  Katie put her knife and fork down, looking directly at her husband. ‘In that case I would have to go on my own.’

  ‘There wouldn’t be many prison visits then?’

  ‘I can forgive you for fucking her. I can even cope if your involvement is made public during the trial and it’s splashed all over the papers. If they lock you up for 20 years, even if it’s for something you didn’t do, I won’t be here when you get out.’

  Chapter 23

  Joe Flint stared at the printout from the ultrasound scan showing what might be his unborn son. The bottom of the page was marked boy in what he thought was Ellie’s handwriting. He was grateful for that information since there was no way he could have discerned the gender from such a grainy and ill-defined collection of lines and whirls. The date on the scan was consistent with her request for him to meet her in Edinburgh so it looked like she had been pregnant and was sure the child was his.

  That clash with his work and the subsequent refusal to go to Edinburgh had clearly upset Ellie and for some reason she had decided not to tell him about the pregnancy. Maybe it had been a test to see if he would make a responsible father. If only she had told him, he would have cancelled that trip in a heartbeat.

  Now he was at a loss as to what to do. Hunter had claimed that was all he knew, although Flint felt he was still hiding something. When pressed on why he had a copy of the scan, he refused to answer, becoming agitated and demanding that Flint leave. Any connection between Ellie’s trip to New Zealand and her pregnancy remained unresolved, as did the fate of her baby.

  He had Annabel’s mobile number, so Flint decided to call her and share what he had found out. There was always the chance she might remember something about Ellie’s trip to New Zealand. She answered promptly as if expecting the call.

  ‘Annabel it’s Joe, how are you?’

  ‘I’m fine Joe, did you manage to find anything out?’

  ‘The clinic wouldn’t tell me anything. Euan Hunter gave me a scan of Ellie’s unborn baby boy.’

  ‘Oh my God, so she was pregnant!’ Annabel shouted down the phone making him jump. ‘I was right. It explains so much.’

  ‘What does it explain?’

  ‘Her moodiness with me, her anger at you, her sudden disappearance to New Zealand.’

  ‘Why did she go to New Zealand
? What happened there?’

  There was a long pause.

  ‘I don’t know Joe. All Ellie said was she flew to Christchurch, hired a camper van and toured the South Island for six months. She said she needed a break and her colleagues at work didn’t seem to know anything. She did make contacts for her business. Then when she returned, she just picked up as if nothing had happened.’

  Flint sighed, he and Ellie had resumed a working partnership again too. She was happy to lead expeditions and never said anything about New Zealand. He had never pressed her. They shared a bed again and life seemed to run to the same rhythm as before, sometimes up and sometimes down.

  ‘Do you think I need to go to the police with this? They might try to find out what happened in New Zealand. They would also be able to get more information out of that clinic.’

  ‘Could be worth a shot, although it might upset her family to know she was pregnant and then…’

  ‘Then what? She had an abortion?’

  ‘Joe she might have lost the baby, maybe a miscarriage. Then she decided she needed to get away for a few months to recover. Was there a date on the scan to show how many weeks pregnant she’d been?’

  ‘It gives a date when it was taken, that’s all.’

  ‘What about Euan, did he not have any information?’

  ‘He knows more than he’s saying. When I asked him how he had the copy of the scan he got angry saying Ellie had given him it to say it was all over between them and she was carrying someone else’s’ baby.’

  ‘That doesn’t ring true.’

  ‘Too bloody right it doesn’t but things started to get heated. He’s an angry man!’

  ‘He wouldn’t hurt you Joe.’ There was a long pause before she continued. ‘Are you still in Scotland?

  ‘I’m staying in my cottage in Glencoe.’

  ‘Look I’m not working tomorrow so if you could meet me in Edinburgh, we can both go to that clinic with the scan. I’ll phone to try and make an appointment with someone senior and see if we can get more information. They should have computer records even from all that time ago. If we can’t get anything out of them then we can go to the police. I’ll also speak to Euan soon but maybe give him a bit of time to calm down first.’