She rested back in her chair, 'what did your research teach you Detective?'
'Nathan was employed at Stafford University before he moved here?'
'So I understand.'
'Did he know Rachel back then?'
Stephanie looked at him, suspecting he already knew the answer, but he wasn't going to admit that. He wanted her to do all the hard work. 'I don't remember, them two have been together for that long now. You've known Rachel for a long time, don't you know?'
'It was after when the two became an item, so to speak, wasn't it?'
'I guess it might have been, you will know more than I do.'
'I do Stephanie and I also know that there was a scandal at Stafford University that led to Nathan resigning his post there. You going to tell me what that was about?'
Stephanie raised her eyebrows, why was he asking when he already knew anyway, 'I'm not too sure. I don't know what you are talking about at all, Detective.'
Logan raised from his chair and started to stroll from one side of her office to the other, wearing a small trench into the carpet as he went. 'Yes! It was rumoured that Nathan had been having an affair with a female student. A freshman, she was just eighteen or nineteen. Her name was Beth. An English student, who had become infatuated with her devilishly handsome professor. She was young, naive and with the silly notion of being 'in-love'. He had the position of authority and he took advantage of that very position.'
Stephanie remained quiet, just sitting there in her chair twitching around uncomfortably. Logan lifted a bottle of water from the cabinet in the corner of Stephanie's office.
'Hope you don't mind!' he exclaimed to Stephanie as he unscrewed the bottle cap of and took a large gulp of the fresh spring water. 'See, there was a lack of evidence. It was a rumour. Both Nathan and Beth denied the allegation from another student that the pair were conducting a sexual relationship. However, the university couldn't afford the scandal and Nathan resigned his post with a large pay-off.' Logan paused before continuing, 'it's amazing how much money the university were willing to pay to keep it all hush-hush. The amount of students they could have lost, I guess would have hit them for a larger sum than they had paid Nathan.'
'As fascinating as this all is, Detective, I fail to see what this has to do with me and Catherine's death.'
'That's what I thought at first, Stephanie. Then I looked deeper and I have to ask the question, why the Vice Dean of this university would hire a professor who had an accusation like that behind him?' he stated quizzically and then remained quiet, waiting for a response from her.
She knew he was waiting for an answer, but what did she have to say, everything other than a lie would land her in as much trouble as Nathan would be if it all came to light. 'Well, I was not aware of Nathan's past so when I judged based on what he presented me.'
'Now, come Stephanie you really expect me to believe that you would not follow up with references.'
'I understand the theory Detective, but if Nathan was paid handsomely like you said because the university wanted it to be quiet, then they wouldn't have informed me of the allegation.'
'Yes I can see why you think that may have been the case, but I have already spoken with the Dean of Stafford University who has been there ever since Nathan had been and they informed me, after a little bit a gentle persuasion, that they did inform you of the allegation when you contacted them over his tenure here. I have to wonder why you would still hire him knowing that?'
'What are you insinuating?'
'I have to wonder what he has over you and how he is using that to keep you quiet?'
She stood up from her chair coughing, 'I need a glass of water myself,' she stated as she moved over towards the same cabinet as Logan had earlier and picked up a bottle of water. Almost mimicking Logan, she unscrewed the bottle cap and took a large gulp of fresh spring water.
'Are you avoiding my question?' Logan probed.
She replaced the bottle cap and placed the bottle back down on the cabinet, before turning to face Logan leaning slightly on her right leg, lifting her left side higher. Logan had retaken his seat and with his legs crossed, sitting there staring at her. 'I am not avoiding Detective, I just don't know what you are talking about and to be frank, I have lots of work I need to be getting on with. If we are done I would much appreciate being able to carry on with it.'
Logan remained still like a stature, infuriating Stephanie in the process. She moved over to the door, taking no more of his nonsense and placed an hand on the door handle.
'Stephanie, what happened to your neck?' he asked before she had had chance to turn the handle.
'My neck?' she asked astonishingly.
'The red mark around the side of your neck, looks like the beginning of a rash or something.'
'Yes that's probably what it is. I have changed my deodorant recently and I do have sensitive skin,' she stated moving her hand to cover the mark on her neck.
'It could also be the mark left by a human hand.' Logan stood from the chair and walked across towards her and placing his hand on top of hers, he moved it away from the mark. 'In between the red marks there are smaller gaps where the skin is untarnished.'
'I don't understand?'
'I have been a detective for a long time and seen my far share of marks left on human skin. What is on your neck is identical to a pair of hands been wrapped around your neck, the gaps are the small spaces when you put your fingers together.' Logan raised his hand for Stephanie to see and clenched his fingers together, 'see what I mean?'
Stephanie removed her hand from the door handle and moved away back towards her desk.
'I suspect the marks were left behind a male and I think we both know who that was.'
She took a seat at her desk and started to play with the clicking function on her Biro pen. Logan wasn't going to go away, he had been like a dog with a bone since he had entered her office. Logan walked across to the chair he had been previously sat on and putting both hands on the back of the chair he rested looking at the pen in her hands and the worried look on her face.
'Stephanie I only want to help-'
'We both know that's not the truth, you just want to have someone to bang up for Catherine's murder!'
Logan nodded in agreement, she had called it straight, 'OK Stephanie, but the way I see it, Nathan murdered Catherine, he has been blackmailing you for probably more years than you can remember and when you wanted out he showed you what would happen. What else do you think he would be willing to do?'
Stephanie knew she had no option but to unburden herself with the guilt she had been carrying around with her locked up inside for over fifteen years. She had to tell Logan everything.
Chapter 43
Rachel woke late that morning, the sharp pains from the night before when Nathan walked out had subsided but now there was a deafening numbness to her arm. She had laid on her left hand-side most of the night, but the odd role over had woken her in a stir and it had taken no less than thirty minutes for her to nod back off. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The house was empty, Nathan had been away all night and despite a message he sent in the middle of the night stating he would be back in the morning, she hadn't heard from him since. She was partly worried and partly relieved, she was not in the mood for seeing him right now. She pulled a coffee mug out of the kitchen cabinet and clicked the on-switch on the coffee machine.
She was stirring her coffee when Nathan walked back in through the front door, she heard him shut it gently behind himself, before hanging his coat up on the coat rack just inside the hallway. She continued to stir as he arrived in the door-frame of the kitchen, she was looking down at the coffee mug, when he moved across to be standing behind her. She immediately tensed her shoulders, when she felt his hands move over them and his fingers starting to softly massage the muscle.
'I'm sorry, normally the cases you work on don't stress me, but with this one been so close to us and with it being your first
case in charge,' he said softly and filled with sincerity.
'You hurt me Nathan. I don't know if it is going to be as simple as a sorry and all is forgotten,' she replied taking the spoon out of the coffee mug and tossing it in to the empty sink to the clinking sound of steel against steel.
He moved to the side of her and placing one hand on each shoulder gently, he twisted her around to face him, 'I know I hurt you and I am very sorry. I was wrong. I know how important your work is and yes, sometimes work just gets in way, no matter how much we try to push it aside. I know I owe you more than a sorry, but can you agree it's a start at least.'
Rachel contemplated his words and he was definitely making an effort, she could give him credit for that much at least. She looked him in the eye, he was smiling back at her, she lifted her hands up cupping underneath his elbows and he saw a crack in the stern face she had been holding onto firmly since he walked through the door. 'I guess I can always fly off the handle when the mood strikes me. I'm sorry too.'
Nathan pulled Rachel closer to him, she wanted to resist, but before realising she had allowed herself to be struck by the moment and was now in a full embrace with her husband. He tilted his head slightly back looking deep into her eyes with a glance she knew well. It was the glance that said sorry and he now wanted to make up and there was only one way he liked to do that. He moved closer with his lips as they gently pressed against hers, she didn't resist again and in returned pushed into the kiss. His hands slipped down to the base of her back and with his fingertips he traced her spin upwards halfway and then back down sending short bursts of shivers that tingled through the rest of her body. She couldn't resist the move and he knew it.
She pulled him closer as in the moment everything else disappeared around her. Logan constantly nipping at her heels ready to pounce on her job when she cocked it up, her first case that she still seemed to have no clue about who killed Catherine and the fact that Nathan could be a suspect. All that vanished as she felt his warm breathe on her and his hands caressing her.
His lips moved from hers, trailing down her cheek and then down her neck barely touching her, his breath just slightly grazing her. She was enjoying being that close it had seem like an eternity when they were last like that. He moved his hand down to the bottom of her top and grabbing it, he lifted it up clear over her shoulders and her head.
'I love you,' he whispered to her as he pulled down her bra straps before reaching around, unclasping it. Slipping it of her shoulders fully before letting it run through his fingers before it dropped onto the kitchen floor.
She let out a little moan as he ran his fingertips down over her shoulder blade and down onto the edge of her right breast, before he ran then underneath cupping the breast and gently squeezing it. She shivered as she felt the excitement build up inside her. He leant in to kiss her passionately, she didn't push him away now fully lost in the passion of the moment. She moved her hands over his jogging pants and felt his firm buttocks, giving them a squeeze before running her hands up inside his t-shirt.
She could feel the heat from his skin and the slight dampness from the sweat, she let her hands move steadily over his back as he pulled her closer and before she knew it the passion had developed them both. He bent his knees a little running his hands down over her bum and cupping the back of her thighs as he lifted her up on to the top of the kitchen counter. She lent back, resting the back of her head against the wall cabinets and allowing him to slide of his t-shirt before kissing her deeply once again.
Her mobile phone began to vibrate on the other kitchen worktop, they both gave a passing glance towards it before she pulled his cheek back to facing her.
'Whatever that is, it can wait,' she said to him with a cheeky smile.
'I love you Rach,' he replied.
'I love you too Nath. Now where were we?'
'Let me show you,' he said as he picked her clean up off the kitchen counter and with her legs thrown around his waist, he turned towards the kitchen door and headed for the stairs up to the bedroom.
Rachel was laid in bed next to Nathan with her arm across his chest when she heard him snoring. She was wide awake and thoughts of the case came back to the front of her memory.
She looked across at him with his eyes fully closed and the few nose hairs she could see flapping around with each breath in and out he took. He was sound asleep and she rolled from her side to her back and looked towards the bedroom door, in their passion the last thing they focused on was shutting the door behind themselves, it was wide open. She rolled over and slipped from under the bed covers before standing and looking back at Nathan laying there. He hadn't moved.
She picked up her jeans from the bedroom floor and her top and thrown them on as quickly and quietly as she could, not wishing to disturb Nathan, although not through the goodness of her heart rather than she wanted him out of the way while she checked out the house for any evidence. She hoped deep down she was wrong about him, but either way she was now desperate to find out.
She had made it downstairs with only one creek of the stairs, the bedroom had remained quiet. She noticed his coffee mug on the top of the kitchen counter, still half full and unwashed. Forensics had discovered some fragment of DNA when they had done a sweep of Catherine's apartment, however they had been unable to find a match on the police database and there was every chance that Nathan's could have been a match.
She emptied the remnants of the coffee from the bottom of the mug and placed it carefully in a zip-lock sandwich bag and placed it in the bottom of her handbag, before she heard footsteps on the bedroom floor.
Chapter 44
Logan left Stephanie's office disturbed by her admission to him, but it now confirmed to him that Nathan would have the motive to commit the murder of Catherine. He walked into the bitter cold, wrapping himself up in his overcoat and removing his mobile phone from his pocket. He checked through his message list, there was nothing from Rachel. He checked through the call list and again, nothing. Why hadn't he heard from her? He needed to track down her down.
He moved over to the car park and jumped in his car, his phone still in his hand he attempted to phone Rachel, it rang several times before the familiar sound of the voice-mail message came through. He clicked off the line and throw the phone on the passenger seat. He hadn't smoked in years but the craving was strong and he was fighting every urge to drive to the nearest newsagents.
He didn't, he resisted, practising meditation techniques he had been taught by the last counsellor he had seen when he last quit smoking. He had attempted to quit five time previously and each time lasted no longer than a month of two. It had been five months now since the last time a cigarette tip had touched his lips.
Margaret was in her late sixties and had smoked herself for over forty years and now she volunteered to help others quit and he methods had been the only ones that had worked for him in the last decade. It had been five minutes he had been sat there for and with the car stereo playing to itself in the background, he picked up his mobile phone from the passenger seat.
Other than the current time displayed on the screen in large white numbers in the centre, there was no alerts of any missed calls or texts. It had been just over eighteen hours since he had last spoken with Rachel. He unlocked his screen and begun flicking through his contacts. He was looking for one number particularly and one that had only been added recently after Rachel had demanded him to add it.
'I wasn't sure whether to answer when I saw it was your number,' Tanya replied.
'I wasn't sure whether you would answer but I am worried and I don't like that feeling, so why don't we put our differences to one side and work together!'
'OK,' Tanya said back flippantly.
'Do you know where Rachel is?'
'No. I haven't seen her since we had a drink together last night,' she replied with an ever increasing concern echoing through the tone in her voice.
'I've rang her a few times and she hasn't got back to me.
She usually loves ordering me around and I haven't heard anything since I left you both at the University.'
Tanya could hear genuine fear in Logan's tone, 'what is going on?' she asked.
Where did he start? The beginning was the only place really for him to start and that's exactly where he did. Ten minutes later and Tanya understood the urgency in Logan's voice.
'Does Rachel know?' she asked him.
'No I don't believe she does but if it's true then her life could be in danger.'
'OK, what do you need me to do?'
'Try ringing her, she might just be ignoring me and if you get hold of her let me know!'
'No problem-'
'-one other thing too, Tanya. Send me her address!'
Chapter 45
Nathan had left Rachel downstairs in the kitchen on her own for a couple of minutes now and she had wrapped his coffee mug in a large food bag and placed it ready in her handbag for the forensics team to carry out a DNA test. She knew deep down the DNA found in Catherine's apartment would match with Nathan's. It had to, he was the killer and she had been intimate with him that morning. She felt dirty, the deep engraved dirt that a thousand showers could not remove. She had prostituted herself to catch him.
There was still more she need though, the DNA will only prove that Nathan had been in the flat, the rest of it would be circumstantial and a good lawyer would rip the case apart. She needed the murder weapon!
She needed something concrete. He had torn her world apart, everything that they had planned together was now over and she was determined to see him behind bars. The case had been a roller-coaster ride and her eyes where no longer naïve to the nature of mankind. Nathan had broken far more than her trust, he had broken her spirit, he had torn her apart in to four pieces and scattered them in the four corners of the country.
She was not at all a chef or even liked spending anytime in the kitchen, but she knew Nathan wouldn't hide the bedside lamp in here. No it was too big to be inconspicuous, he would have to hide it somewhere more subtle, somewhere she wouldn't normally look. She was standing with the palms of her hands pressed against the counter-top next to the kitchen sink. The five sharp cooking knives standing in their holder in front of her. She instantly had a sinking feeling that made her feel woolly-headed and nauseous. The knives! What if Nathan went for her? Would she be able to stop him? Would she be able to protect herself? The trust she once had for him, now dissipated into thin air.
Catherine Page 22
