Ice Cold Blood

by David W. Millar

  ‘I didn’t see how it was relevant to her murder.’

  ‘Ellie Saunders has this hidden history in New Zealand where she might have given birth to a child, but you don’t think it’s relevant? You didn’t think that it could possibly have a connection to her murder or at least was something the police should know about?’

  ‘Annabel wanted to tell you guys. I persuaded her to wait.’

  ‘Wait for what?’

  ‘Until we had more information.’

  ‘So what information did you find out in New Zealand?’

  ‘I was working in New Zealand. I also had dinner arranged with friends.’

  McIntyre thumbed through his notebook. ‘According to my information you stayed on for three days after the expedition finished. So were you just sightseeing during that time?’

  Flint’s mind raced as he tried to work out how much he should tell. He had thought things over on the plane but had not reached any firm decision. The detective sergeant meeting him at the airport had caught him off-guard.

  ‘I should remind you Mr Flint that withholding evidence in a murder enquiry can lead to criminal charges.’

  ‘I didn’t know whether Ellie had given birth in New Zealand or had had an abortion,’ he said at last. ‘There was a chance that I was the father of the child. I wanted to see if there was any truth in what I had been told.’

  ‘So, what did you find out?’

  ‘It appears that Ellie did give birth in New Zealand.’

  ‘And what happened to the child?’

  ‘I believe the child was adopted.’

  ‘You believe the child was adopted or you know the child was adopted?’

  ‘The authorities won’t give out information on adopted children.’

  ‘Yet you know she did give birth and didn’t have a termination.’

  ‘Yes, I managed to find that much out.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Through a contact I have.’

  ‘And during all this time leading up to her death, Ellie Saunders never once mentioned to you that you might be the father of a child that she gave birth to in New Zealand?’

  Flint felt himself relax. He could answer truthfully now and not dissemble.

  ‘She kept it completely to herself and as far as I know told no one.’

  ‘Yet Euan Hunter, for some unknown reason just happened to have a copy of the pregnancy scan.’

  ‘He might have known something, but he refused to say anything and only gave me the copy of the scan to get rid of me.’

  ‘So do you think you’re the father of this child living in New Zealand?’

  ‘It’s possible, but I’m not sure I’ll ever know.’

  ‘Mr Flint is there any further information you would like to share with me?’

  ‘Just an opinion.’

  ‘And what’s this opinion?’

  ‘I doubt Annabel could tell you anything more than I have but there were three men who played a big part in Ellie’s life. This counsellor, me and Euan Hunter,’ Flint paused. ‘I’ve told you what I know and I’m sure this counsellor will be cooperating all he can to stay out of prison. Euan Hunter clearly knows more than the rest of us put together.’

  ---oOo---

  Dear Euan

  What a brilliant idea for a different type of date - a climbing wall! And of course we had to have a competition to see who could get to the top the quicker. Your time wasn’t far behind mine which is pretty good considering the bulk (I know it’s all muscle!) you have to shift to get to the top. Power to weight ratio favoured me. You climbed well and I had to be at my best to win. The meal afterwards was wonderful and thank you again for paying for both of us. A comment on our love making is compulsory in my letters so rest assured it was thoughtful, exciting and satisfying.

  I feel more at peace with my life just now. Although almost a distant memory now New Zealand was a wonderful experience and since I came back, I have a new-found focus in my work and in my play. (Not to mention in my men!) ’Life is suffering,’ the Buddhists say and for a huge percentage of people on the Earth (and animals too!) that is undoubtedly true. They suffer from lack of food, lack of clean water, exhaustion, poverty and are often tortured or raped. I try to think of the ‘real’ suffering these people endure to stop me complaining about ‘being a bit down!’ Anyway I’m continuing to try to get a natural remedy to stop these feelings of melancholy from taking hold and I know I will succeed. My counsellor who is a close friend will also help me find a way. As you know I am not one for filling my body with chemicals.

  I know weekends are a precious time for you to spend with Eilidh so I will not make demands to see you every weekend but let me know when you are free, and we can continue our adventures on the hills and in the bed!

  Ellie

  PS Eamon and Lysette have split up. Serves him right – she was too good for him.

  It was another typical letter from Ellie - non-committal and philosophical. While it was thoughtful in not wanting to intrude on his time with Eilidh, again there was no hint that they were in any permanent relationship. It had made him feel he was just her muse, someone who was convenient for sex on the occasional weekend. It was also the first mention, on paper anyway, that she was being counselled. Euan knew the counsellor was a he and, from comments she’d made before, that Ellie was almost certainly having sex with him. But for some reason the reference to this man in a personal letter had made him angry at the time.

  Reading between the lines Euan felt she was struggling with her mental health. The references to universal suffering was her way of downplaying her own struggles. Ellie would often stop and start her medication which, according to his mother, was always the wrong thing to do. At least she was following her positive mantra about just getting on with her life. As always, he had felt that if he just plugged away with Ellie and was there for her then they had a future together.

  The reference to her brother Eamon and Lysette splitting up had made him feel uneasy at the time. That Ellie had deliberately caused the breakdown of her brother’s relationship was outrageous. Despite Ellie’s contempt for her brother Euan had liked the man and felt she was overly hard on him. He was aware that Ellie had made references to childhood incidents that obviously still ran deep but deliberately having sex with his fiancée to break them up seemed excessive.

  Replacing the letter in the envelope Euan realised that up until a few weeks ago he didn’t appreciate just how deep these scars ran.

  ---oOo---

  ‘You don’t think I did it, do you chief inspector?’

  Serafini’s words caught him unawares and he didn’t know how to answer. After the interview with Alan and Eamon Saunders, Tosh had contacted John Serafini to see if he was willing to have another informal discussion at his home the following morning. It would still be recorded, however.

  ‘For the moment you remain the prime suspect.’

  ‘I don’t think you’d be sitting here drinking coffee with me if you thought I’d killed her.’

  Tosh put his empty cup on the table and leant back in his chair. ‘As it stands you will probably be charged with Ellie’s murder and there is a good chance you will be convicted.’

  ‘My solicitor is confident you don’t have enough evidence?’

  ‘It would appear that you were correct in your assumption that Ellie was pregnant and gave birth in New Zealand,’ he declared ignoring Serafini’s comment.

  ‘Really, Ellie had a child in New Zealand?’

  ‘Police in Christchurch have confirmed as much but won’t release any details,’ Tosh paused. ‘It’s intriguing but I don’t know how it alters things regarding the murder.’

  ‘So there’s no way of knowing who the father is?’

  ‘If brought to trial then we would use it as more evidence against you.’

 
‘Why?’

  ‘The prosecution can claim that Ellie told you about the child in New Zealand when you were in the snow-hole and threatened to tell your wife, so you killed her.’

  ‘A paternity check would put that one right.’

  ‘It might prove that you’re not the father, not that Ellie told you that you were the father before you killed her.’

  ‘It all sounds a bit weak.’

  ‘Did Ellie ever talk about her relationship with her brother Eamon?’

  ‘Is he a suspect?’

  ‘He has an alibi with corroboration from multiple people. I know he and Ellie never got on and fell out big time when they were young. Did Ellie ever mention what happened?’

  ‘If he’s not a suspect why go there?’

  ‘Because I’ve nowhere else to go, Mr Serafini. Euan Hunter might have a motive and he doesn’t have a firm alibi but he’s not a suspect.’

  Serafini rose and went into the kitchen, returning with the pot of coffee. After filling both cups he sat down.

  ‘According to Ellie there were several incidents where her brother was violent towards her, or at least very physical. There was once particular incident where Ellie claimed she was sexually assaulted by one of Eamon’s friends.’

  ‘Yes, I know that much.’

  ‘It had a big effect on Ellie and she never forgave her brother.’

  ‘I heard Eamon Saunders’ account. Can you tell me Ellie’s?’

  ‘This happened years ago, although Ellie did bring it up a few times during our sessions. I think the three of them were fooling around in their father’s work shed, trying to see who was the strongest. This friend of Eamon’s suddenly made a grab at her breasts and she hit him hard. He then tried to take her jeans off. She screamed and lashed out, but I think he still managed to touch her sexually.’ Serafini paused and sighed. ‘Ellie claimed her father played the whole thing down and suggested she was making it up.’

  ‘Right thanks, it was obviously a bit more serious than was made out by her mother, but it doesn’t seem to have led anywhere.’

  Tosh rose to his feet but Serafini held up his hand.

  ‘There’s one other thing. I got a text the other day which said, “I hope you’re suffering”.’

  Tosh looked at him and nodded. ‘So someone decided to send you a hateful text.’

  ‘This was the mobile that I used exclusively for contact with Ellie. I never gave the number out to anyone else. It was locked in my drawer and Ellie knew I checked it every night. She too had an exclusive mobile that was used only for contacting me. That was how we communicated.’

  ‘You never mentioned this before. No mobile phone belonging to her was never found. And why were you checking it when you knew she was dead?’

  ‘I wanted to look at the previous texts from her to see if I could learn anything from them.’

  ‘And Ellie was happy with that arrangement?’

  ‘Ellie understood that if my wife found out it could be pretty damaging. She was always very discreet. I didn’t think it was relevant and if you’d managed to find the mobile, you’d probably have tracked me down much quicker. Someone obviously managed.’

  ‘So you think someone, say for example Euan Hunter, managed to get your number from that phone.’

  ‘You’d be surprised at the number of people who regularly check their partner’s phone or email.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t Hunter have told us this? If we had your number, then maybe we’d have been able to trace your phone.’

  ‘I don’t know the answer to that.’

  Chapter 43

  After McIntyre had reported back regarding his interview with Joe Flint, Tosh decided it was now time to bring Euan Hunter in for further questioning. Although obviously annoyed at having to leave his work Hunter dismissed any notion of legal representation.

  ‘Were you aware that Ellie Saunders had a mobile phone that she used solely to contact John Serafini?’

  ‘We hadn’t spoken in close to a year.’

  ‘I would appreciate if you would answer the question Mr Hunter.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Tell me about the pregnancy scan of Ellie Saunders’ unborn child you apparently had in your possession and gave to Joe Flint,’ Tosh asked, changing the subject and hoping to catch him unawares.

  Hunter shrugged his shoulders. ‘Ellie sent me it inside a letter through the post.’

  ‘So why would she give you a scan of what might be Joe Flint’s unborn child?’

  ‘It’s a long story.’

  ‘I’ve got plenty of time,’ Tosh replied sweetly, while rising to his feet. ‘I’ll just go and get us some tea and give you some time to get your facts straight.’

  ‘Can I send a text?’

  ‘Of course.’

  When Tosh returned with a tray of tea and biscuits Hunter was busy texting on his phone.

  ‘Decided to have legal representation then Mr Hunter?’

  ‘It’s my work,’ Hunter barked. ‘I have a video conference in an hour to discuss the construction of a bridge and my clients will be really pissed off if I’m not there.’

  ‘Then let’s get this done quickly,’ Tosh smiled pouring out two cups of tea. ‘So why did you have a copy of the scan?’

  ‘I asked Ellie to marry me about a year ago. She turned me down and when I asked why she said she loved someone else.’

  ‘Joe Flint?’

  ‘No, not Joe. It must have been Serafini.’

  ‘The child was Joe Flint’s.’

  ‘She sent me the scan two days after I proposed and said this was the reason she couldn’t marry me. I assumed Serafini was the father, but I was wrong,’ he paused. ‘I was wrong on many counts. I phoned her and asked what this all meant but she refused to discuss it. In the end I gave up. I think she just wanted someone to know about the pregnancy.’

  ‘You said you proposed to Ellie?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘She turned you down?’

  ‘Yes,’ he replied wearily. ‘Is there any point to this conversation?’

  ‘What did you do then?’

  ‘I tried to move on with my life.’

  ‘When did you realise the scan was Flint’s child?’

  ‘She told me months later in a letter that she had been let down by all the men in her life. It had started with her brother and latterly her father. Apparently, I failed to understand what she wanted in a relationship, so I let her down too. Then she said Joe Flint wasn’t there when she had needed him. So that was the obvious link to the scan. Then there was the mention of the one man she really loved but was married with children.’

  ‘The counsellor?’

  Hunter shrugged his shoulders. ‘That would be speculation, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘You don’t like this man?’

  ‘I’ve never met him.’

  ‘But you were jealous of him.’

  Hunter fixed Tosh with a stare. ‘I was jealous of all the men in her life.’

  ‘Do you still have that letter?’

  ‘No, I binned it.’

  ‘Didn’t you think that information might have been relevant to this inquiry?’

  ‘It was personal.’

  ‘Do you have copies of other letters Ellie sent to you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I can charge you with withholding information in a murder inquiry.’

  ‘You think I do not know that.’

  ‘Did Ellie ever mention the ongoing feud she had with her brother Eamon?’

  Hunter looked up sharply. ‘Something happened between them when they were children. She was never clear about it. I think she might have been sexually assaulted by one of her brother’s friends, but I don’t have any details. I do know how she took revenge on him.’

  ‘And what w
as that?’

  ‘She had sex with his fiancée in her parents’ house.’

  ‘You’re sure of this?’ Tosh asked incredulously.

  ‘Yes, Ellie told me that Eamon must have found out because he and his fiancée split up soon after.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Ellie was always a bit ambivalent about her sexuality and confessed to finding women attractive.’

  ‘But seducing her brother’s fiancée!’

  ‘Can I go now?’

  ‘One last question for now, can I ask what Ellie’s reason was for saying that you had let her down?’

  ‘I stifled her spontaneity,’ Hunter replied angrily. ‘Apparently I wanted to own and control her. Worst of all I was too needy.’

  ‘You tried too hard then?’ Tosh smiled, rising from his seat and extending his hand to signal the interview was over and switching off the machine before saying. ‘I know what that’s like.’

  ---oOo---

  Joe Flint was finding work almost impossible. He did some paperwork and paid a few bills online but decided against leading any expeditions for at least a couple of weeks. What had happened in New Zealand was messing with his head and he knew he would be a liability on any mountain. The sense of euphoria that he probably had a son was also waning; a son in terms of biology, but not a son that he could envisage taking climbing or skiing.

  After the meeting with McIntyre, Flint had caught a train to Wales and slept for over ten hours. An email from Billy Carter in New Zealand the following day said he would have Flint’s DNA checked against Richie’s and get back to him. The tone of the email was friendly and encouraging but Flint knew it was maybe better all round that Richie Carter never knew who his biological mother and father were.

  Annabel phoned later that morning to say she’d been contacted by the police and asked whether she had known that Ellie was pregnant.

  ‘I told them what I knew but couldn’t add anything to what you’d told the detective. I got a rap on the knuckles though.’

  ‘Yes, I got told off too,’ he laughed. ‘I doubt what happened to Ellie in New Zealand had any connection to her murder.’