‘I will,’ Flint smiled, making eye contact. ‘I’ve got your email and mobile number.’
‘There’s some tricky climbs I think you’d enjoy.’
‘Would I be expected to take the lead then?’ he asked mischievously.
‘Maybe, I like men who take the lead,’ she laughed, touching him on the shoulder before turning and walking back to the restaurant.
Chapter 37
‘It’s not him, it’s definitely not Eamon Saunders,’ Tosh stated firmly. ‘He has an alibi confirmed by several people. He wasn’t there. He didn’t kill her.’
‘What if he got someone else to do it then, paid them to do it and gave them that ice axe?’ McIntyre suggested.
Tosh shook his head. They were en route to interview Serafini at his house. There were no police cars available, so he’d had to ask McIntyre to drive down from Fort William in his own car and claim the mileage. Tosh was not in good form for two reasons, one he had missed the possibility that there might be any significance regarding the murder weapon and two, he’d had to cancel dinner with Shona at her flat.
And the questions from DS McIntyre were not helping his mood.
‘Ian,’ for Christ’s sake. ‘Who in their right mind would hire someone to kill their sister and give the would-be assassin a weapon that belonged to someone in the family? Eamon Saunders might have hated his sister but he’s not stupid.’
‘Right then, I’ll stop talking,’ McIntyre replied huffily.
‘Sorry Ian, I’m grumpy over all of this and annoyed at myself for not paying more attention to the ice axe, just assuming it was Ellie’s. We need to work together, it’s good to bounce ideas around so please keep talking,’ he paused. ‘Now we know a witness thought he saw Ellie Saunders with the axe in her rucksack when he passed the pair of them on the mountain that evening. But Alan Saunders, her father, said Ellie had made her own axe which was much smaller. So why was she carrying her father’s one?’
‘You’re sure then that the axe Ellie was carrying was the one used to kill her?’
‘It’s too much of a coincidence not to be. Serafini might be able to confirm it.’
‘Maybe she lost or misplaced her own one.’
‘Yes, could be. But the wooden ice axe was big and old-fashioned and from what her father said she much preferred her own one. And then she’d have had to go to Gloucester to get it. No, there’s something we’re missing here.’
‘So, Ellie Saunders was carrying a wooden ice axe when she went to Coire Leis with Serafini. It might have been her father’s, but we can’t be a hundred percent certain. However, we do know the ice axe that killed her was her father’s. So, either someone murdered Ellie Saunders using his ice axe that she had carried up the mountain or someone arrived, maybe after Serafini left, with her father’s axe and killed Ellie then took the other axe away.’
‘Something like that,’ Tosh groaned. ‘This is all doing my head in.’
‘Or, more likely, Ellie just happened to have her father’s ice axe with her and Serafini used it to murder her after they had a row.’
‘Yes, that is still the most likely scenario.’
‘Will Serafini’s solicitor be there when we speak to him?’
‘I spoke to Serafini by phone and he’s agreed to see us alone. To keep things straight I also phoned his solicitor and said all the questions asked would be to ascertain facts and nothing discussed would be used as evidence in court. I also said we would record the meeting and let her have a copy of what was said.’ He paused for a few seconds. ‘For some reason Serafini seemed keen to talk to us.’
‘What could that be about?’
‘Well we’ll find out soon enough, it’s the next turning on the right.’
They were met at the door by Serafini.
‘You don’t need that,’ he declared when McIntyre started setting out the recording equipment. I’ve agreed to speak to you without my solicitor.’
‘I appreciate that Mr Serafini, but I am keen to play this by the book and will give your solicitor a copy of what was said between us.’
After the introductions to record the time, place and those present, Tosh asked Serafini to confirm that he was happy to continue without legal representation. When he had agreed Tosh took out the photograph of the ice axe that had been found at Coire Leis.
‘Yes, as I told you before I think I remember seeing it, or something like it anyway. It was a long-handled wooden thing - looked old-fashioned.’
‘Did you make any comment to Ellie about it? It wasn’t her usual axe, was it?’
‘No, I barely noticed it. I never did any serious climbing with Ellie. Some hill walks, a few Munros, that sort of thing. I don’t think we ever used one on our outings. I was never in Ellie’s league when it came to ice or rock climbing. She may have had her axe with her when we were out on previous walks, but I don’t remember seeing it.’
‘Apparently she was twitchy about you touching her climbing stuff that evening?’
‘We never camped out. I would try to counsel her on those walks as best I could, then we usually found a hotel room somewhere or used the car for sex before going back. I never had cause to touch her rucksack before. When she got annoyed in the snow-hole, I assumed climbers were just precious about their gear.’
‘Ellie never unpacked the ice axe in the snow-hole then?’ Tosh asked.
‘I take it we’re talking about the murder weapon here?’
‘What I’m trying to do is ascertain whether the ice axe Ellie carried up to Coire Leis actually belonged to her or was maybe borrowed from someone else.’
‘No, she never unpacked it. We were more concerned about getting undressed as it was freezing. We zipped two sleeping bags together and had a large fleece on top of that. I wasn’t paying any attention to her equipment. After we had sex and drank some of the whisky, she made me leave and I headed back to the car. If she was going ice climbing, she would have needed an ice axe I suppose. I’m sorry I can’t help you. It might be better asking either Euan Hunter or Joe Flint about her gear. They did some serious climbing with her.’
‘Well thanks for your time, Mr Serafini. We can terminate the interview now.’
‘Can we talk off the record, as they say,’ Serafini asked when the equipment was packed away. ‘I’ve made a pot of coffee.’
‘No problem if you’re sure you don’t want your solicitor present,’ Tosh replied. ‘And I’d really appreciate some coffee.’
When Serafini had served them coffee and biscuits, Tosh gave a little sigh of contentment and nodded his appreciation. ‘So, what did you want to discuss?’
Serafini hesitated, he couldn’t admit to having read the notes he’d kept on Ellie since he’d told them they were destroyed, so care was needed.
‘This may have no bearing on her murder, and it was a long time ago, but I remember counselling Ellie about six or eight weeks before she went to New Zealand. She was very agitated, the worst I can remember seeing her and…’
‘Mr Serafini, can I make some notes? It might be important for dates and times. I’ll show you what I’ve written when we’re through.’
‘She was very tearful and apologetic. We went for a drink and Ellie refused anything alcoholic. She loved wine and, despite any drugs she might be taking, always had a glass.’
‘Maybe she just wasn’t feeling well?’
‘I think she was pregnant.’
Tosh’s head shot up at the revelation. ‘Did she look pregnant to you?’
‘No, that’s the thing. I know I’m a doctor, but Ellie was wearing baggy clothes and an anorak, so I didn’t notice any bump. It could just have been the early stages - or I might be completely wrong.’
‘Very convenient that you manage to somehow remember this now, after all those years.’ McIntyre suggested.
‘Do you have any thou
ghts on who the father might be?’ Tosh interjected smoothly, throwing his colleague a disapproving glance. This wasn’t an official interrogation.
‘Ellie was also angry that evening, angrier than I’ve ever seen her. She said she’d been let down and couldn’t trust any man.’
‘So, any man that she was angry with?’ Tosh raised his eyebrows.
‘Yes, Joe Flint.’
---oOo---
‘Does it change things?’ Shona asked as they ate their late meal. ‘You know - the idea that she might have been pregnant before going off to New Zealand?’
McIntyre had managed, with some aggressive driving that had Tosh holding onto his seat, to get them back to Fort William before nine-thirty so his boss could salvage something of the evening he’d planned with Shona.
‘It muddies the water a bit and we don’t know anything for sure. Did she give birth in New Zealand? Did she have an abortion? Was the kid adopted? Did she have a miscarriage?’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘And why would that give someone a reason to kill her?’
‘Maybe Euan Hunter? You said he was jealous of Ellie’s relationship with other men and he doesn’t have a cast-iron alibi. Maybe if he found out she had been pregnant it might have pushed him over the edge.’
Tosh cut himself a hunk of cheese, reflecting on Shona’s words. ‘I have nothing to charge him with, no evidence he was near Fort William that night and then there’s a suspect who we do know spent part of the night with Ellie in the snow-hole and was the last person to see her alive. I think my boss just wants me to wind things up and have him formally charged.’
‘So Serafini will be tried for her murder?’
‘At the moment he’s still just a suspect - a prime suspect. He had a motive in not wanting his wife to find out about their affair. If he’s charged and appears in court then the prosecution will use that, along with the fact he didn’t come forward. There is also a woman who claims he was violent towards her during a counselling session. It all might convince the jury he killed her. Unless I can produce another suspect, he might well end up in prison.’
‘And maybe Ellie told Serafini the child was his and threatened to tell his wife?’
‘That thought went through my head, but Serafini brought up the possibility of Ellie being pregnant. And yes, he’s a psychiatrist so maybe he’s trying to make it look less suspicious by mentioning it now and using double psychology but…’
‘You still don’t think he did it?’
‘The pathologist thought Ellie was probably close to hypothermia before she was struck. She had drunk a fair bit of whisky and was naked. There were marks on her body to indicate she might have been tied up, so why not just let her die by the cold and then leave? Then there’s the missing rucksack,’ he sighed. ‘I don’t understand what’s going on, but I don’t want an innocent man to be jailed for something he didn’t do.’
She put her arms around him and kissed his cheek. ‘You’re doing all you can. Maybe something will turn up.’
‘You told me you like hill walking?’
‘Yes,’ she laughed. ‘You hate it, though.’
‘Could we walk up to Coire Leis on Sunday? For some reason I want to see the spot where she was killed.’
‘Yes, of course, I’d like that. Maybe check the weather first. I’ll take coffee and sandwiches for lunch.’
His mobile buzzed making him apologise to Shona for the interruption. Reading the text quickly Tosh turned to Shona and smiled. ‘Maybe a clue or just another coincidence.’
‘Well tell me then, Mr detective man.’
‘Serafini told me that when he spoke with Ellie, before she went to New Zealand, she was incredibly angry with Joe Flint, saying he had let her down.’
‘So Serafini’s hinting that Joe Flint’s the father - very convenient.’
‘Maybe, that’s what Ian thinks, but that’s him texting to say he’s tried to contact Joe Flint?’
‘And?’
‘Apparently he’s now climbing in New Zealand.’
Chapter 38
‘I have a secret,’ she said mischievously to him as they neared the summit of the Matterhorn where the four guide-led groups were close together. ‘It happened years ago, and I want to share it with someone and you’re a someone I’m close to and I know would always be discreet. But here’s not the place.’
Euan just nodded at her and said nothing. There was some snow and ice further up the mountain and the wind was blowing hard. There were fixed ropes at the top and the group was grateful for their presence. They reached the Swiss side of the summit ahead of time, allowing plenty of photographs to be taken before the descent.
He was trying to play it cool, hoping she wouldn’t realise he was playing it cool. He wasn’t sure if it was working but wanted her to make the running while he gauged the state of any new ‘relationship’. The fact she had described him as someone she was close to was making his heart race.
They had hugged awkwardly at the airport before she introduced him to the climbing party and the other guides. They were a mix of nationalities, German, French, Spanish, one Italian and the remainder from the UK. Sitting in the plane he tried to engross himself in a newspaper while Ellie made a point of moving about the aisle chatting to all the female members of the group, helping no doubt to bond with them and allay their fears. For whether it was their first climb of the mountain or not, the Matterhorn was always a challenge.
He was sharing a bedroom in the chalet with four other members of the group so there was no chance of a surprise visit from her in the middle of the night and, in the morning, she ignored him, breakfasting with the climbers assigned to her. They all seemed young to Euan, a reminder of his advancing years. But Ellie still seemed youthful and full of energy.
Before setting out, the overall leader of the expedition, Ian Marshall, a man in his early forties, held a briefing for the guides. Euan was impressed with his easy manner. Marshall outlined their route while advising them on the latest weather report and potential dangers. He had a quiet authority, mixing confidence with necessary caution. There was a need to keep moving he had said, since the climb would take 9-12 hours and long rests were to be avoided. There was a protocol to be observed, climbing to minimise dislodging rocks that might hit climbers below. So they would climb via the Hornli ridge, having pre-booked rooms at the climbing hut for the overnight stay. There would be a brief stop allowed at the Solvay Hut although no one would enter the building as it was only to be used in an emergency. Marshall had interviewed each member of the party gauging experience, any fears they might have, and what he called their sure-footedness. It was rated a ‘moderate’ climb by British standards. But it was a mountain, he said, where due care was important. Any fall could prove serious, causing the ascent for the whole party to be abandoned while the emergency services were called out. Apart from the life-threatening injuries, accidents were never good for business.
Ellie had indicated that one of her group now seemed quite nervous about the climb. Although a competent climber with good experience; the woman in question had considered abandoning the ascent, the fear perhaps brought about from the intimidating view of the mountain from Zermatt. It always looked so imposing. Ellie had talked through the woman’s fears, telling her she would be fine once they started the actual climbing. But she warned Marshall the woman might still need discreet watching and occasional words of encouragement. It was typical of Ellie’s professionalism and empathy.
‘Do you want to give me a hint,’ Euan yelled as the wind at the summit made conversation difficult. ‘What this secret’s about?’
She moved cautiously across the snow to where he was standing, put her arm around his waist and shouted in his ear. ‘It’s about Eamon. I’ll give you more details tonight.’
He tried to look into her eyes, but she was still wearing her snow goggles to protect against the spindrift
, and she had to leave his side to assist one of the climbers struggling with the wind and slipping on the ice. Eventually everyone reached the summit where they took photographs and gave congratulatory hugs. But Ian Marshall wasn’t going to allow any hanging about. There were a few black clouds looming and the windspeed wasn’t lessening.
The descent proved straightforward, everyone moving in a steady rhythm and the occasional slip or fall produced no injuries. Still, it was a huge relief for the guides when all the climbers were safely down, and their job was done.
They all met up for a meal at a hotel in Zermatt, now a happy bunch of climbers who talked of other mountains, other challenges. Bravado was not in short supply - even Everest was mentioned. Euan doubted any of the group were competent enough for that adventure. Yet Marshall was happy to advise on various climbs around the world while quietly promoting his company. Ellie sat herself down on a couch beside him and patted his thigh.
‘You climbed well.’
‘Thanks, but your group looked high maintenance compared to mine.’
He knew instantly that was the wrong thing to say.
‘Well they’re women. They’re used to being told they don’t measure up when it comes to men. But they showed they were as good as anyone else and beat several men to the top.’
‘Point taken,’ he laughed. ‘You’ve not changed much anyway.’
‘Ian,’ she said, pointing in the direction of the overall leader, ‘told me he’d be happy to have you back for future expeditions.’
‘Well that’s good to know. I enjoyed it. But I’ve no mountaineering qualifications and no desire to get any. It’s so different from climbing by yourself or with others that you don’t have responsibility for.’
‘You’re one of the most responsible people I know.’
‘You don’t take chances on the mountains although you’re more impulsive when it comes to life.’
She laughed and rubbed his thigh before rising to her feet. ‘I’ll get us some more beer since the company is still picking up the tab. This place is eye-wateringly expensive, so I suggest we find a cheaper location for a meal this evening.’
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