Ice Cold Blood

by David W. Millar

  I think we could conquer some of the difficult peaks together; even K2 is a possibility if we plan well. These are challenges that are well worth the effort and will strengthen us as people. Make your peace with Joe Flint - he’s a good person and not a rival for my affections.

  So what did you think of my revelation? It certainly had an effect, didn’t it – Ha! Ha! Despite that though, I think you were quite shocked. But remember it takes two to tango and the big shit, who unfortunately happens to be my brother, had it coming. Maybe some day I’ll tell you more but for now revenge is sweet. I don’t think Eamon knows yet and I’ll say nothing, but it will be interesting to see if Lysette decides to tell him. I don’t care whether she does or does not; for once in my life I have power over him. And you have no idea how good that feels.

  Call me soon and let’s do lunch, dinner or both.

  Ellie

  He put the letter back in the envelope and sighed. There were only two letters left to read but he felt emotionally exhausted and wanted coffee. There was still no visit or call from Chief Inspector Tosh making it look like he might have to contact him directly.

  As he ground the beans his mind wandered back to his conversation with Ellie in the hotel bed. The sex had indeed been wonderful and, relaxing in the afterglow with some red wine, Ellie had dropped the bombshell.

  ‘I could tell she was up for it. She would flirt with her eyes - sexy French style. Then she deliberately ran her hand across my bottom when we were all at my parents’ house for a meal. It was so thrilling, and it was then just a case of getting the chance to be alone together.’

  ‘So how did you engineer that?’ he asked, the image of them together was arousing him. ‘You could hardly ask your brother to sleep somewhere else.’

  ‘Instead of going for the traditional family walk with the dogs that morning, Lysette feigned a headache saying she wanted to go back to bed, all the while catching my eye and smiling. I made an excuse that I had some business calls to make and once my parents and Eamon were gone, I made some tea and took it up to their bedroom.’

  ‘Then you seduced her?’

  ‘More she seduced me,’ Ellie laughed. ‘She said she was so cold and begged me to get in beside her. And then God her hands were all over me. She said she’d always wanted to taste me and spend ages licking me out. Of course, I had to return the favour. I never said anything to Eamon, but she must have said something for he never spoke to me again.’

  By then his erection was almost painful and Ellie seemed to sense how turned on he was, slipping her hand under the covers.

  ‘Well, who’s a naughty boy,’ she said, immediately straddling his body so her arse was in his face. ‘Well we can lick each other out now.’

  Eventually they fell asleep in each other’s arms, exhausted but happy.

  In the morning they’d made love again, had breakfast and flew back to Edinburgh on the same flight. They had separate seats so there was little conversation, but on arrival in Scotland they made a tentative agreement to meet in two weeks. That gave him the coming weekend to spend with Eilidh. She kissed him hard on the mouth, reminding him that if he wanted to see her it was his turn to make the running. Then she piled her luggage on a trolley, refusing his offer of help, and headed for the bus stop. As he watched her leave, he knew he was back on the rollercoaster.

  Euan gathered up the envelopes containing her letters, leant back in the chair and sipped his coffee. Gazing out of his window it was clear spring had arrived. There was still snow on the hills and the occasional frost in the morning. But it was getting warmer. Daffodils and crocuses were sprouting in the garden. There was the promise of lighter nights: the chance to get some cycling in the evening after work, go hill walking with Eilidh or take her and a friend to Spain where his parents had recently bought an apartment. But that would all depend on the police and his conscience.

  Chapter 40

  Joe Flint went to the same bus stop the next morning. There was a mizzle of rain and he was glad of its presence, allowing him to stay under the cover of the shelter and look for any sudden appearance of the boy. There was a good chance he would either cycle, walk or be driven to school but by far the best outcome would be if he caught the bus that Flint was ‘waiting’ for.

  He let one bus go past, then another before he saw movement in the driveway. A man came out of the house, opened and entered the garage, before reversing out the car. He then opened the passenger door and yelled something Flint couldn’t make out. After a few moments, clearly annoyed, he got out the car and went back into the house before reappearing with the two children. Both were wearing different school uniforms. There was no sign of the mother. Flint left the cover of the shelter and walked a few paces to get a better look. He was completely unprepared for what happened next.

  ‘You want something here mate?’

  ‘No, I was just waiting for the bus and…’

  ‘Bus stop’s over there. You seem pretty interested in my kids.’

  ‘I just saw them and…’

  ‘Yeah, and I saw you here yesterday staring at them as well.’

  ‘My name’s...’

  ‘Kids get in the house now.’

  Both children looked at their father and Flint before turning and walking into the house.

  ‘I don’t care who you are all I want to know is why you’re here outside my house staring at my kids?’

  The people waiting at the bus stop were staring and Flint felt self-conscious and a bit vulnerable.

  ‘Look I don’t want to talk out here, Mr Carter.’

  ‘So you know my name. Well, I suggest you clear off right now and don’t come back or I’ll call the police.’

  ‘It’s about your son Richie.’

  Carter took a few steps closer to Flint. ‘What about my son?’

  ‘I’ll be at the Cardrona Hotel this evening around seven if you want to talk. I’ll be leaving New Zealand in a few days.’

  ‘I suggest you leave now while you’re still healthy.’

  ‘Goodbye Mr Carter, I’ll be at the Cardrona Hotel at seven.’

  Flint turned and walked away wondering if the guy was going to come after him. His heart was thumping, and he had to fight the urge not to run. At least he’d made some contact.

  He walked for about an hour around Wanaka trying to take in the scenery, but his mind was in a whirl. Eventually he went into a café and ordered a coffee, using their Wi-Fi to get online. He sent some emails and checked his business account to see that bills had been paid on time and invoices sent out. Then he texted John Dylan to suggest a meal on the evening before his flight home. Eventually Flint felt his mind relax and he decided to hire a bike and spend the afternoon cycling around Wanaka. By the time he got back to his room there was only time for a quick shower before heading for the hotel.

  He got there just before seven and ordered a beer prepared to sit it out for an hour to see if the man would turn up.

  In the end he only had to wait ten minutes.

  ‘Thanks for coming Mr Carter. Can I get you a beer?’

  ‘I don’t have a lot of time, so let’s just get down to business. You said this is about Richie?’

  ‘I’m sorry for all this,’ Flint nodded, extending his hand. ‘My name’s Joe Flint.’

  He ignored the outstretched hand.

  ‘Thanks for meeting with me and I’ll get straight to the point. Was Richie adopted?’

  Flint tensed as the man’s head shot up, the eyes fixing him with a hard stare. Wearing a t-shirt, his biceps looked huge and there was little fat on the stomach. This was not a man to get on the wrong side of.

  ‘You’re entering dangerous territory here, Mr Flint. I would tread very carefully.’

  Flint took a drink from his glass and nodded. The man’s eyes never left him, reflecting a physical threat Flint felt was very real.r />
  ‘Mr Carter, I don’t know where to start with this, but I want you to know that I will never do anything to cause division in your family.’

  ‘Too right you wouldn’t mate. I would see to that.’

  The overture had been rebuffed and Flint was unsure on how to proceed. The wrong word might see the man get up and leave or worse take a swing at him.

  ‘Mr Carter, I’m not sure how to…’

  ‘Just fucking say it.’

  ‘I got some information that led me to believe a friend of mine gave birth to a boy in New Zealand some 12 years ago and that I might be the father of that boy.’

  ‘So how did you come by this information?’

  ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘Then try and make it simple for me.’

  Flint drained his pint as a waiter passed their table. Holding up the empty glass he signalled for another drink, looking enquiringly at Carter who just shook his head dismissively.

  ‘I’m not here to have a drink with a mate.’

  ‘Well Mr Carter, I reckon you wouldn’t be here if your son wasn’t adopted so let’s take it from there. And when I say this is complicated, I mean fucking complicated. Now I don’t know why I came over to New Zealand, maybe to see if I could catch a glimpse of a boy who might be my son. Maybe then I could just fly back to Wales and get on with my life. Even if it’s true, I have no rights and I’m not going to march up to your front door and say Hey Richie Carter, I’m your real dad!’

  ‘Well you were pretty close to my front door.’

  ‘I was given an address, that’s all. No names to go on, so I thought I’d see if I could just get a look at the boy.’

  ‘Well, you’ve had your look Mr Flint,’ he rose to his feet. ‘Now I suggest you get out and stay out of our lives.’

  ‘Does he know he’s adopted, Mr Carter?’

  He brought his face to within a few inches of Flint’s. ‘That is none of your fucking business.’

  Flint stood up meeting the stare. ‘No you’re right, it is none of my business. But it might be your son’s business if he ever asks about his biological mother and father. Then you can say Oh yeah, I might have met your dad years ago, but I told him to fuck off and leave us alone.’

  ‘I’m the boy’s father, Mr Flint. I brought him up and he calls me dad.’

  Aware of people starting to stare, Flint sat down. The waiter appeared with the beer he’d ordered, asking if everything was ok.

  ‘It’s fine, I’m just leaving,’ Flint nodded reassuringly while paying him. Standing up he pushed the beer in front of Carter. ‘Thanks for your time. I don’t want to be a part of your son’s life right now. He’s your boy. I just wanted to know if I had a son out there in New Zealand and maybe later, much later, he might be curious. So here, have a beer on me.’ Then he strode off.

  ‘Wait!’

  Flint had only gone a few yards towards the exit when the voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around slowly.

  Carter still standing nodded with his head to where Flint had been sitting. Retracing his steps, he sat back down. Carter then shoved the bottle of beer towards him.

  ‘How did you find out where we lived?’

  It was the question Flint was dreading.

  ‘It’s complicated and...’

  ‘You’re not the first person to make enquiries about Richie.’

  Flint looked at him in surprise. ‘Someone else was here?’

  ‘About a couple of months ago someone, possibly from a detective agency, was snooping around asking questions about Richie. This guy went to the school and tried to talk to him and his friends – seems he took his picture with his phone. One of Richie’s pals also said he saw him at rugby training too. It freaked us out. We think his biological mother might have been trying to trace him.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘We contacted the police, but they weren’t much help. They asked Richie a few questions but didn’t follow anything up. Then about a month later, when we’d forgotten all about it, out of the blue a letter arrived from England addressed to Richie. My wife was suspicious and opened it rather than give it to Richie.’

  ‘What did it say?’

  Carter shook his head and made a fist with his hand. ‘Jesus how could someone be so fucking stupid. It claimed to be from his biological mother and gave a contact number so he could speak to her.’

  ‘Oh God,’ Flint groaned. ‘Look I’m sorry. I never knew anything about that.’

  ‘We called the number and a woman’s voice answered, but when I spoke to her she hung up. I contacted the police and they made a half-hearted attempt to trace it. You can imagine how I felt when you turned up. You’re lucky I didn’t bring the police with me this evening. They’d probably have arrested you on the spot.’

  ‘So why didn’t you?’

  ‘You asked to meet me and gave me your name. I thought I could handle this myself.’

  Flint’s mind struggled to make sense of this new information. If it was genuine then maybe Ellie had tried to get in touch before she was killed. He would have to be careful about what he divulged.

  ‘I don’t know how even a private detective could get any information on your son,’ Flint said at last. ‘He would need something to go on and I wouldn’t imagine that adoption agencies readily give out any names.’

  ‘There was an unfortunate incident at the hospital when we went to pick Richie up.’

  Flint said nothing waiting for him to continue.

  ‘Richie was ill with jaundice and we had to delay taking him home for a few days. When we got there, and unknown to us, his biological mother was still in the hospital. She had come in to see Richie for some reason, maybe to say goodbye. Anyway, we were there, it was awkward, and eventually she was ushered out by the nurse. There wasn’t a scene, but I reckon she might have overheard stuff, maybe our names and the fact we had said we were going to call him Richie. If she’d filed that away in her head, then she might have been able to track us down.’

  ‘Do you know anything about Richie’s biological mother?’

  ‘Not a thing and we never wanted to. And to answer your earlier question, we told Richie he was adopted on his eighth birthday.’

  ‘How was he when you told him?’

  ‘He shrugged his shoulders and said we were his parents and he always wanted to be with us. It’s never been mentioned again.’

  ‘’That’s how it should be Mr Carter.’ Flint nodded offering his hand. ‘I won’t bother you again.’

  ‘It’s Billy and thank you for your understanding. Is there anything I can do for you?’

  Opening his rucksack Flint took out an envelope. ‘I don’t know if I am Richie’s biological father. Before I left, I got a DNA analysis which is in here along with all my details. If Richie ever wants to get in touch, then maybe you could get his DNA analysed now and if it matches then he’ll know where to find me.’

  ‘He looks a bit like you Joe, but if he’s ever curious I know where you are.’

  ‘I hope you and your family’s left in peace.’

  ‘Do you think his mother will try to contact him again?’

  ‘I can guarantee she won’t Billy.’

  ---oOo---

  ‘I’ve a feeling they might formally charge me quite soon,’ John Serafini said to his wife.

  She said nothing, merely nodding in acknowledgement while studying her laptop. Conversation had been difficult, and she’d repeated the threat of starting a new life if he went to prison. He wondered if she had someone in mind for that new start. His children had kept away and that hurt more than anything.’

  ‘I didn’t do it, Katie. It’s important for me to know that you believe I’m innocent and you convey that to the kids.’

  She closed the lid of the laptop and stared at him. Then to hi
s surprise she reached out covering his hand with her own.

  ‘I know you didn’t do it, John. You’re not capable of it. You’re a pacifist who’s marched on the streets against the stupid conflicts that this country has got itself involved in. You speak out for minority groups and women’s rights. You make generous donations to charities and you’ve never once smacked your kids. I know you couldn’t kill someone you cared about,’ she paused and smiled. ‘I’ve spoken to Patrick and Emma at length and convinced them you did not do it. I think the initial shock for them has subsided a bit. They worship you - it’s been hard on them.’

  ‘Thanks for that. I miss them.’

  ‘I’m struggling with all this. If they put you away, then I won’t be here when you get out. I’ll start divorce proceedings and move on with my life.’

  ‘You’ve made that clear so many times. I get the message.’

  ‘It sounds callous, but it’s what you would do in my place.’

  ‘I’m scared about prison. You hear stories about sexual violence.’

  ‘You haven’t been charged and if it comes to it then hopefully Andrea can instil doubt in the minds of the jury.’

  ‘What with? I have a motive; I was the last person to see her alive. My DNA was found inside her, I didn’t come forward when I had the chance. And I used a false name at the hotel. I would convict me if I was on the jury.’

  ‘When are you seeing Andrea?’

  ‘She’s coming round this afternoon with an advocate she’s recommending represents me in court.’

  ‘Well that’s positive. He’ll know how to work the jury.’

  ‘You’re guilty of jumping to sexist conclusions,’ he laughed weakly. ‘The he is a she and she’s expensive and I hope worth it.’

  ‘God and I get all uppity when patients assume their surgeon will be a man. That’s good. A woman advocate might come across as softer, portray you as the gentle person you are.’

  ‘It’s not going to be cheap but dad’s insisting on paying for it all.’

  ‘That’s good of him, that way he feels he’s doing something for his son.’