Over coffee Serafini tried to make sense of what Ellie had said. He understood the bitterness she felt at Euan Hunter going off with her best friend, but the anger directed towards Joe Flint was strange since their relationship had always been casual. Then Serafini had a flash of insight: the stopping of the medication saying it was life-threatening, the fact she had complained of feeling sick, but most telling of all - she wasn’t drinking wine in the bar that evening. Ellie had been pregnant before she went to New Zealand and there was a good chance Joe Flint was the father.
---oOo---
‘I still think you need to go to the police with this information,’ Annabel declared to Euan, waving the envelope in the air. ‘I’ll give this to Joe but one of us has to mention it to the detectives on the case.’
‘I’m not sure it’s relevant to anyone apart from Joe Flint and he’s not a suspect so where’s the problem?’
‘We’re withholding information in a murder enquiry. Joe’s got his reasons regarding a child who might be his son and I’m caught up in trying to help him. What’s your excuse?’
‘I have an address in New Zealand, that’s all. There’s no name - just an address. If he decides to go to New Zealand to try and find anything out, then that’s up to him.’
‘You’ve given me information that might lead him to a son he never knew he had. Why did you do that?’
‘To get him off my back.’
‘So Ellie confided in you before she was killed about this child and you’re playing with Joe Flint, giving him tantalising bits of information and getting your own back because he had a relationship with Ellie.’
‘I’m not speaking to the police.’
‘You still think Serafini did it then?’
Euan shrugged his shoulders. ‘The police seem to think so though he hasn’t been charged.’
‘That’s not what I asked. Do you think he killed her?’
‘I think he was responsible for her death.’
Annabel looked at him suspiciously. ‘I think the word here is dissembling Euan, but while what you do is up to you, there is something you should consider.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Your daughter Eilidh loves you so much and would be devastated if you ended up going to prison.’
‘It might be too late for that now.’
---oOo---
Tosh called McIntyre after Eamon Saunders had left the hotel, hoping that the DS might have discovered something useful from interviewing Ellie’s friends, but there was nothing new to report. He texted Shona, thanking her for her message and saying he was really looking forward to their meal together when he got back to Fort William the following day. About to leave, Tosh saw the door open and a figure he recognised enter the bar. The man looked round and headed towards him.
‘Chief Inspector Tosh,’ Alan Saunders extended his hand. ‘I was hoping I’d find you here.’
‘Mr Saunders,’ Tosh smiled. ‘I’ve just had a chat with your son.’
‘Yes, he told me he was meeting you here. Can I buy you a drink?’
Tosh hesitated, never happy about accepting drinks from members of the public. There were vague rules of protocol within the Force and drinking on duty was frowned upon, but in this case he felt it would be rude and counter-productive to refuse. So, looking at the array of beers at the bar he requested a pint of a local ale.
‘I take it you’re not driving then?’ Alan Saunders smiled on returning with two glasses of the craft beer.
‘Thank you. And no, I will not be driving today.’
Tosh took a sip of his beer and nodded appreciatively.
‘Yes, that’s a seriously good concoction. As good as anything I’ve tasted in Gloucester.’
‘You wanted to see me about something.’
He nodded, holding up his glass and studying the colour. Tosh relaxed into his seat and took a long pull from his pint. There was no hurry.
‘I wasn’t much use when we spoke at the funeral. I wondered if there was maybe anything else you wanted to ask me?’
The man looked haunted, grey and thin. He was also edgy and hesitant, no doubt still prone to breaking down when talking about her. Yet another victim of the crime committed against his daughter. Ellie might have suffered a violent death, but it was at least instantaneous compared to the prolonged suffering her loved ones would have to endure for the rest of their lives.
‘Did you know of anyone who might want to harm Ellie?’
To Tosh’s surprise Saunders hesitated. Clearly nervous, shifting his glass to various positions on the table.
‘The only one I can think of is Eamon.’
‘Eamon!’
‘They didn’t get on.’
‘Yes, your wife told me what happened when they were in their teens. Apparently…’
‘I’d rather not go over any of the details, Inspector.’
‘Yes, yes of course.’
‘Ellie could be direct, but also very loving. She cared about her friends, her colleagues at work, the homeless, her mother, and until I blotted my copybook, she cared a lot about me.’
Tosh suppressed a smile at the old-fashioned euphemism for infidelity. Alan Saunders and Ellie had obviously been close, and his pain would be huge at the death of his daughter and the inability now to heal the rift.
‘Your son has an alibi and I’m sure you doubt he could have killed her.’
‘And I’m sure you encounter stranger things in your line of work Inspector.’
‘I’ve heard Ellie was very creative and made things out of metal in your workshop. I know you had lots of happy times working with her.’
‘Yes, she was talented - could weld and braze metal better than me.’
Tosh decided it was time to move things along.
‘Is there something you want to share with me Alan?’
Saunders nodded before draining his pint, rising to his feet and making his way to the bar. He returned clutching two more beers.
Tosh opened his mouth to protest that it should have been his turn to pay but decided against it, accepting the drink with a smile and a nod. Saunders wanted to talk, and Tosh didn’t want to cloud the issue with an argument over whose round it was.
‘Thanks Alan.’
‘Do you have a photo of the weapon that was used to kill Ellie?’
‘I can arrange to have one sent via email. Why do you ask?’
‘My ice axe is missing.’
Tosh raised his hand in acknowledgement before taking out his mobile. When he had spoken to McIntyre he reached under the seat for his laptop, setting it up on the table. ‘The pub has its own wi-fi that I can connect to.’
‘Did it have a long wooden handle?’
Tosh nodded before a soft ping indicated the arrival of an email. After punching a few buttons, he turned the laptop round to face Alan Saunders.
‘Yes, it’s mine. I made it over 30 years ago in my workshop. It’s got that distinctive handle. I’d recognise it anywhere.’
‘When was the last time you used it?’
‘Years ago, my days of scaling icy slopes are long gone. I kept it in my shed along with my crampons and ropes.’
‘Did Ellie ever borrow it?’
‘No, she had made one herself, I remember helping her. It was metal with a rubber covering on the handle. It was much lighter and shorter.’
‘What made you check to see if your axe was missing?’
‘I started to tidy up my workshop - gave me something to do. I wanted to keep all the stuff that Ellie and I had made together and put up some shelves to display it. I thought I’d move all the climbing gear to the loft in the house to give me more room and that’s when I noticed it was missing.’
‘Who else ever goes into your workshop apart from your wife?’
‘My wife seld
om visits my workshop Inspector.’
Chapter 36
They finally split up by mutual consent when Eilidh was one. It had all been very civilised, no shouting, no tears or insinuations. Annabel acknowledged he was a good father and that he loved and cared about his daughter. But she felt they only functioned as parents and not as a couple. He couldn’t argue with her logic, but it had been a difficult decision. Eilidh was a very loving child and made him happy. They had spent a lot of time together and the thought of not seeing her every day was depressing. Annabel assured him he could visit whenever he wanted and take Eilidh at weekends when it suited him. There would be no legal agreement needed for access and when he suggested a monthly sum for Eilidh’s maintenance she said it was too much. Euan knew Annabel loved him but despite the immense gratitude he felt towards her for giving him such a beautiful daughter, he knew he could never love her in return. He still loved another woman.
His parents couldn’t understand all this and begged him to reconsider. He knew they loved Eilidh and Annabel. His mother had warned him of ‘falling under Ellie’s spell’ again while his father had lectured him on his responsibilities as a father - something that had not gone down well. It took personal reassurances from Annabel, that she and Eilidh would always be a part of his parents’ lives for them to stop fretting. And it was good for him to be able to take Eilidh to his parents’ home for a weekend and watch them dote on her. He knew he was a lucky man to have such loving parents.
Euan had found a flat to rent in Edinburgh, initially giving the tenants in his flat in Glasgow six months’ notice to move out, before realising it was so much easier just to live in Edinburgh allowing his tenants to renew their lease for another year. He enjoyed working out of the Edinburgh office and since his company wanted him to oversee some of their big projects abroad, it made so much sense to stay put in the capital.
The first few weeks were strange but eventually he started to enjoy his freedom, playing more indoor football and sometimes going for a pint afterwards with his friends. The responsibilities of being a parent lessened and he would have started climbing again but felt it unfair not to spend as much time with Eilidh as he could and that usually meant keeping his weekends free. While trips abroad were stimulating and exciting, he always missed his daughter and was usually glad to get home. A year later Annabel met a man at a conference organised by the bank where she worked, and they started going out together. Euan had felt it might be confusing for Eilidh, but Annabel’s new man had sole custody of his two children from a previous relationship and was clearly in no hurry to become over involved in another relationship. And when they both met, he seemed a genuine guy, thoughtful, kind and a good amateur artist. Euan could see he made Annabel happy. All of which helped lessen the guilt he felt at having left her to bring up Eilidh on her own. Life was almost becoming straightforward before the letter arrived.
Euan
I hope you are well.
I have a favour to ask, something I have thought long and hard about before approaching you. We have not spoken for years now and there is clearly no onus on you to agree to this request.
I was approached some months ago by an outdoor activities company (Not Joe Flint’s!) who asked if I would be interested in an expedition. I have a qualification now. (When it is a mixed group, they prefer a woman on the team.) To get to the point quickly I need a partner for a climb I am both co-organising and part-leading to the Matterhorn in less than six weeks. The person you would be replacing was injured in a fall last week and will not be fit in time for the expedition. If you are willing it would mean you taking the Friday and the Monday off work for that week. All flights, accommodation and meals would be provided. (The company has also agreed to pick up the tab for your drinks bill!) I know you’re not a registered guide, however they would be happy to ‘bend the rules’ since you are not technically receiving payment. While I’m not sure about your ‘rock and ice fitness’ we have both climbed the mountain before and you were very proficient. I know you would remain calm in the face of any emergency and I’m sure the pace of the climb would be pretty slow. In any case it would be good to see you and catch up with your news.
My own company continues to do well, and my manager is very efficient, so I have been climbing a lot recently and leaving her to run the business. It’s an exciting time for me to take on some challenging climbs. I am aware that you and Annabel are living apart and hope that has not been too painful for you. It cannot be easy for you and hopefully you are able to see your daughter whenever you can.
If you could let me know one way or the other ASAP then I would really appreciate it. I can be contacted at the usual number.
Ellie
He knew instantly he would accept the invitation. It had felt so exciting to have the chance of climbing with Ellie again and he also knew it was inevitable they would start sleeping together on the expedition. It meant she had missed him and was reaching out to him. Their reunion would be a glorious and supercharged sexual affair.
The only problem would be confessing this to his mother.
---oOo---
The flight to the other side of the world had been long and exhausting. Most of the leaders for the expedition to climb Mount Cook lived in New Zealand so there was no one on the flight he could talk to and to make matters worse a child behind him kept kicking his seat until finally he had to remonstrate with the parents.
There were only a certain number of films you could watch before total boredom set in. He had downloaded several books on his ‘Kindle’, but after a few hours found it impossible to concentrate on the words. His mind kept wandering to this boy living in New Zealand - a boy who might be his son. Then he ran various unrealistic scenarios through his head about them meeting up and even going for a meal together, before reason intervened, reminding him that it would be unlikely that he would ever cast eyes on his ‘son’.
The ascent of Mount Cook had gone smoothly; all the climbers returning safely to base camp. It was always a relief that no one broke a bone or twisted an ankle and needed stretchered off. They chose the standard route via the Linda Glacier and traversing the Linda shelf, having first used a helicopter to reach Plateau Hut situated at around 2100m above sea level the day before. He had felt this use of aerial transport something of a cheat but was told it maximised their chances of reaching the summit and getting back in the one day. And for many climbers reaching the top was what mattered - another of the world’s peaks ticked off.
The climb was still arduous, needing good rope and crampon technique especially when traversing the Linda Shelf. To keep costs down there was a ratio of one leader or guide to three paying members of the expedition. Urged on by these guides the party moved quite fast when necessary and Flint was glad that all the members had at least some experience of Alpine climbs. Nevertheless, danger from ice fall or even avalanche was ever present, and the leaders were always wary and cautious. The team talk before leaving Plateau Hut in the morning mentioned the numerous dead bodies that still lay somewhere on the mountain.
However, the sun shone for most of the day and visual acuity was high, raising everyone’s spirits. Flint found himself sweating profusely despite having consigned his heavy climbing jacket to his rucksack. You could see for miles and cameras were used at every available opportunity to capture the beauty of the landscape. There were tired legs at the summit, but the mood was one of elation. There were group hugs, back slapping and congratulations all round. Timed exposures took shots of the entire group, no doubt to be posted on the company’s website – always the best advert for attracting more clients.
There were three women in the ascent, all capable climbers and Cynthia the female lead, marshalled them well. An American, she was gregarious, highly competent and always encouraging. She had reminded Flint of Ellie, making him sad that he would never climb with her again. To his surprise Cynthia had met Ellie on an expedition to the Ei
ger where both women were acting as guides.
‘She was an excellent climber,’ Cynthia had told him when the leaders had met for food and drink at Lake Tekapo after the climb. ‘She was confident yes, but always careful. I was shocked to hear she was murdered.’
‘We were quite close,’ Flint sighed. ‘I miss her a lot.’
‘Of course, Joe Flint - you’re Flinty! Ellie talked about you a lot. She said you ran your own company.’
‘She was the only one who used that nickname.’
Cynthia reached over, putting an arm on his shoulder and raised her voice so the others could hear. ‘Well Ellie also told me you were a great climber, and she was right. You can belay for me anywhere, anytime.’
The others laughed, raising their glasses in a toast before more beer and wine was ordered and everyone relaxed. They were ravenous after the exertions, devouring their food to replace the lost calories. The tension of the previous day’s climb was evaporating to be replaced by a quiet sense of achievement. Then the inevitable climbing tales, no doubt the dangers grossly exaggerated, were swapped. Emails and phone numbers were exchanged, and everyone promised to keep in touch.
Flint, like a few others, was staying the night in the hotel at Lake Tekapo and would leave in the morning. At nine o’clock he headed up to his room and, tired after his exertions, slept right through until seven the following morning.
After breakfast Flint checked out and headed to the car park. Loading his gear into the boot, he saw Cynthia striding out towards him.
‘I am really sorry about Ellie, Joe. It’s so hard when you lose someone you were close to. My boyfriend died five years ago in a climbing accident.’ She paused and then said hurriedly, ‘I know that’s different from, you know, what happened to…’
‘Thanks, I appreciate that.’
‘Have you ever been to Colorado? It’s where I live and work.’
‘No, but it’s on my to-do list.’
‘Well come soon before you’re too old,’ she laughed.
Ice Cold Blood Page 26
