Model Murder

by Nancy Buckingham

  MODEL MURDER

  Nancy Buckingham

  Chapter One

  Detective Chief Inspector Kate Maddox felt a sick lurch of horror in those first moments of looking down at the murdered woman. She closed her eyes briefly while she got a grip on herself, taking deep breaths to fight off waves of nausea. So much for thinking that she’d schooled herself by now to take violent death in her stride.

  This killing seemed all the more brutal and macabre in contrast to the peace and tranquillity of its woodland setting, with mellow sunlight filtering down through a canopy of beech leaves on a warm September afternoon. A beautiful, vivacious woman had become the victim of yet another sadistic rapist.

  All kinds of emotions were surging into Kate’s brain as separate strands of her horror. Revulsion. Pity. Shocked recognition. A blinding fury that men could do this vile thing to women. Interlaced with all these was something else, something that made the detective chief inspector instantly ashamed. A tiny twist of satisfaction that this particular woman was dead; her potential rival safely out of the way.

  You bitch, Kate.

  She glanced quickly around, hoping that her face hadn’t betrayed too much of these ambiguous feelings. Fortunately the attention of her male colleagues seemed focused on the corpse, which was still partly buried in fibrous leaf mould. The woman’s lovely features were grotesquely distorted, the eyes wildly staring, the tongue swollen and protruding, while frothy blood had dried in a crust around the nostrils. Her once elegant clothes, now stained and damp, had been half-torn from her body. A cream silk blouse and the lacy bra beneath it had been ripped apart to expose her breasts. Her lower torso was naked, too, with the skirt pushed up around her waist. One long leg and a slender foot lay bare, with satin panties and a pair of tights draped around the other ankle above a high-heeled black shoe. Incongruously, she was wearing gloves. Clutched in the right fist, mute evidence perhaps of an ineffectual attempt to strike back at her assailant, was a tubular flashlamp.

  Kate’s side-kick, Detective Sergeant Boulter, as yet unaware of her presence, was scribbling in his notebook. The police surgeon was crouched on his haunches beside the body completing his initial examination, his every movement recorded by a video operator. A still photographer was also busy taking pictures. Various other Scenes-of-Crime personnel were examining the ground minutely, both inside and outside the protective screens. Several uniformed officers stood around, waiting for instructions, their eyes peeled for any unauthorized person who had managed to sneak through the police cordon and creep up through the trees.

  Kate’s own arrival at the scene was relatively late in the proceedings. She’d been halfway to Bristol when she received news over her car radio of a suspicious death on her patch. The trip was planned to mark the sixty-eighth birthday of her Aunt Felix—lunch at a pub en route, a visit to the Arnolfmi Gallery in the afternoon, then early dinner and seats at the Old Vic for a Pinter play. Only lunch had been achieved before the recall to duty came through.

  The stockily built detective sergeant glanced up and saw Kate there.

  “Oh, afternoon, ma’am. This is a nasty one we’ve got here, and no identification so far. There’s nothing in her jacket pocket except a tissue, and no sign of a handbag. The bastard probably pinched it as a bonus. Her clothes don’t look off-the-peg, though, so that should help us to ...”

  “Tim, I know who she is.” Kate’s voice was clogged.

  “That’s a bit of luck.” The colour of his squarish, pink-toned face deepened. “Sorry ... if she’s a friend of yours, ma’am.”

  “Not a friend, just an acquaintance. Her name’s Corinne Saxon.”

  Boulter frowned. “Rings a faint bell, but I can’t quite ...”

  “She used to be a top photographic model, but that was some years back. Just lately she’s been managing that place Streatfield Park since Admiral Fortescue turned it into a hotel. I met her at the reception given for the launch last month.”

  Dr. Meddowes had risen to his full-stretch height of five-feet-four after fastidiously dusting off his nattily suited knees.

  “Ah, Chief Inspector. So you’ve finally managed to get yourself here.”

  Kate ignored the sarcasm from this pompous little man, being accustomed to it by now. Dr. Meddowes’s antagonism, she suspected, was as much because of her superior height as his chauvinistic resentment of women in positions of authority. He was a good police surgeon, she couldn’t deny that, but it galled Kate that he had just been appointed Regional Pathologist. It wasn’t going to make life any easier for her.

  She raked fingers through her short black hair in a gesture that dispelled all extraneous thoughts and concentrated on the job she had to do.

  “What do you have to tell me, Doctor?”

  He cleared his throat fussily. “From the bruising on the throat I think it would be safe to say that death was the result of manual strangulation.”

  “How long has she been dead?”

  He mused at length. “There are no signs of rigor mortis remaining, and decomposition is just commencing. I would say forty-eight hours, allowing a discrepancy of twelve hours either way.”

  “Can’t you be more precise than that?”

  “No, I cannot. You’ll have to wait for my findings when I conduct the post-mortem.”

  Kate clung to her patience. “When will that be? Quickly, I hope. If we can have the time of death narrowed down soon, it will save us a great deal of trouble and effort.”

  “It may surprise you to learn, Mrs. Maddox, that saving the police trouble and effort is not how I see my purpose as a pathologist.”

  Up yours, too. But, Kate, you did leave yourself wide open for that little dig.

  She said, with sweet reasonableness and finality, “I’m sure you’ll do your very best to assist us, Dr. Meddowes.”

  Sergeant Boulter made a face at the doctor’s departing back, and said, “Want me to get someone over to Streatfield Park, ma’am, to make enquiries about when the victim was last seen?”

  “No, I’ll go myself. We can’t take it for granted that the rapist was a complete stranger to her, so the more we can find out about Corinne Saxon the more we’ll have to go on. I hope it won’t come as too much of a shock to Admiral Fortescue, he’s got a bad heart. Just fill me in quickly, Tim. Who was it found the body?” The brush with Meddowes had at least given Kate a chance to control her emotions and become briskly professional.

  “A girl from the boarding kennels just over the hill there. Name of Sally French. She was exercising four of their dogs when they suddenly dashed off and started barking like mad.” The normally dispassionate sergeant allowed himself a moment for sympathy. “Tough on her to stumble upon this lot. She’s only about eighteen, and a real looker.”

  Gazing down at the much-abused body, Kate tried to make a mental reconstruction. “I’d say she was raped and killed right here where she’s lying, wouldn’t you? Any useful footprints?”

  He shook his head. “Our chaps first on the scene say those dogs had stirred things up more than somewhat.”

  “Hmm. Oh well, Scenes of Crime will find whatever there is to find. What was she doing with that torch she’s holding? Was she out for a walk on her own? After dark?” From what Kate had seen of Corinne Saxon in life, that didn’t seem very likely. And who would go strolling in the woods in fancy high-heeled shoes? “Did she try to bash her attacker with the torch?”

  Boulter stepped past the SOC officers, who were painstakingly removing pieces of debris one by one from around the body, and bent to look more closely.

  “No sign of adhering blood or hair.” He gently pushed at the torch with the nail of his forefinger. “She’s got it in a grip of iron.”

  “Cadaveric spasm. Well, I’ll leav
e you to wrap things up here, Tim. First off, I want you to detail a couple of DC’s to make enquiries at any house within say a half-mile radius. And isn’t there a pub somewhere around here?”

  “The Green Man. Near the East Dean crossroads.”

  “Get someone to ask questions there. One of the regulars might have seen something. By the way, where’s the nearest phone box? I need to make a personal call.”

  Boulter’s sandy eyebrows knit in thought. “Let’s think ... I know.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Go to the T-junction at the end of this lane and turn left. That’s towards Marlingford. You’ll find a phone box about half a mile along there, on your right. As a matter of fact, the gates of Streatfield Park are only a few hundred yards further on, so it isn’t out of your way.”

  “Fine. See you later, then, at DHQ.” With a nod around at the Scenes-of-Crime team, she departed.

  * * * *

  In less than five minutes Kate was pulling up beside the phone box. She could have wished for a bit longer to prepare herself for this. No question, though, she had to break the news of Corinne Saxon’s death to Richard Gower before it reached him some other way.

  Those two had at one stage been lovers. It had been many years ago, while Richard was working as a foreign correspondent on a national newspaper, a long time before a sniper’s bullet had interrupted his potential career as a top journalist, leaving him with a permanent limp and the need for a less strenuous lifestyle. In those far-distant days, Corinne Saxon was reaching the peak of her success as a photographic model. Kate could well remember how her sensational face and body seemed to be featured in every issue of the fashion glossies. It would have been an ego boost for any man to be chosen to share her bed.

  Richard had never spoken of this past affair to Kate until Corinne turned up at Streatfield Park to oversee the transformation of Admiral Fortescue’s stately home into a luxury hotel. Their relationship had started one summer in Greece, he explained, where he’d been covering a political crisis for the Monitor and Corinne was out there on a modelling assignment.

  The affair flickered on spasmodically whenever they both happened to be in London, up to the time Richard was sent to the Far East on a big drugs-trafficking story that kept him there for months on end. Corinne’s brief spell of fame at the top of her tree lasted a year or so more, but there was never any further contact between them. Richard had neither seen nor heard from Corinne Saxon until one day a couple of months ago she’d phoned him out of the blue to say hello and inform him that she was now at Streatfield Park masterminding its conversion to a hotel. It seemed she’d learned by chance that the owner/editor of the local weekly paper was a one-time flame of hers, and she’d realised that this happy coincidence could be put to good use publicity-wise. Richard had been very ready to go along with that. The story of the stately home’s conversion had provided him with some good copy. Besides (though he hadn’t exactly spelled out this aspect to Kate) Corinne was still a very glamorous woman.

  Just how glamorous she’d bitchily demonstrated at the launch party at Streatfield Park five weeks ago, held for a select gathering of local VIP’s on the day before the first hotel guests were due to arrive. Kate had not been expecting to attend the function. She went along in place of Detective Superintendent Joliffe, who was laid low with a sudden viral infection. As the official police representative, Kate had come in for introductions to various people involved with the project.

  In addition to Corinne herself and Admiral Fortescue, and the admiral’s son over from America for the occasion, she met the merchant banker who’d arranged the financing, the architect responsible for planning the conversion and the building contractor, the latter two with their wives ... Mrs. Builder devotedly basking in her husband’s hour of glory, Mrs. Architect, much less devotedly, wanting it clearly understood that the influence of her eminent county connections had played no small part in her spouse’s successful career.

  With Richard and Kate both happening to be there, it was only natural for them to gravitate whenever they weren’t talking separately to other guests. After enjoying the splendid buffet lunch laid out in the Orangery they’d strolled together through the various public rooms with refilled champagne glasses, admiring the skill with which the alterations and refurbishing had been carried out. Kate’s appreciation of good design had sprung from her late husband’s enthusiasm. Himself a computer programmer, Noel had worked on a number of projects connected with architecture and had become keenly interested in the subject. Kate always felt, sentimentally, that by fostering an interest in architecture herself she was retaining an extra link with her husband and their small daughter she had so tragically lost on that fateful afternoon, now so many years ago.

  She and Richard were by chance alone in one of the luxurious bedroom suites that was open to view when Corinne joined them. It was clear to Kate that she had divined the extent of their relationship, and didn’t like it.

  “Hi, there.” Coming forward gushingly, she took Richard’s left biceps in her two hands and pressed it with possessive fondness. “How’s my Big Dick enjoying the party? You and I will have to watch our step today, won’t we, with the fuzz in attendance?” The dazzling smile she flashed at Kate was solely for Richard’s consumption ... two women sharing a friendly little quip. But the look in those violet eyes of Corinne’s had carried a different message for Kate, a warning that she could easily snatch Richard Gower away any time she chose to do so. Later, that evening at his flat, Richard had voiced his pleasure to Kate that she and Corinne seemed to have got on so well. Only a man could be so bloody dim-sighted.

  Now Corinne Saxon was dead. And Richard had to be told. Sighing, Kate climbed out of the car and pulled open the door of the phone booth. Fishing in her purse for a coin, she inserted it and punched out the Gazette’s number.

  “I thought you were supposed to be in Bristol today,” he said, when she got through to him.

  “Richard, listen ... something’s happened.”

  “What is it?” His voice held concern. “Are you okay, Kate?”

  “It’s not me.”

  “Felix?”

  “No, not Felix. I had to call off the birthday outing and come back. There’s been a death, and I wanted to tell you myself before the news reached you from another source.”

  “A death? Someone I know, you mean?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. Corinne Saxon.”

  “Corinne? Oh, no!”

  “It’s true, Richard.” She paused, swallowed. “I ... I’m sorry.”

  He seemed badly thrown, unable to collect himself. “You mean ... an accident in her car? Poor Corinne, she always did drive much too fast. But Kate ... I don’t get it. How come you’re involved? What’s it got to do with the CID?”

  “It wasn’t an accident. She was murdered. Her body was found just a couple of hours ago in the woods near East Dean. She’d obviously been raped, then strangled. I’m really sorry, Richard, but you had to know.”

  There were long seconds of silence from Richard, while Kate wondered what exactly this news meant to him. It was a shock, of course, a fearful shock. Any man with normally decent feelings would be shocked and distressed to learn of the death in such horrific circumstances of any woman with whom he’d once been intimate. But did Corinne Saxon’s death mean more than just that to Richard? Without Corinne in his life, now that he’d met her again, did he face an aching void? Stop it, Kate.

  She ended the stretching silence. “I’m on my way to Streatfield Park now. To break the news, of course, but also to pick up whatever information I can about her to get this investigation off the ground.”

  Richard gave a baffled grunt. “Information about Corinne? How will that help? You said she’d been raped and strangled in the woods.”

  “Listen, this conversation is strictly off the record. Understood?”

  “I’m not looking for a scoop for the paper, Kate.” His voice was laced with reproach.

  “You’ll be g
etting a press release for the Gazette in due course. The point is, however much this case might look like an assault by a total stranger, it’s a statistical fact that a rapist is far more likely to be somebody who’s known to his victim. So I have to enquire into every aspect of Corinne Saxon’s life.”

  “What you’re saying is that every man she’s ever known is now under suspicion?”

  “Got to be.”

  “Which includes me.” God, he was bitter.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” But there was no protest she could make that would erase the implication of what she’d said. And Richard was suggesting nothing worse than the truth. Inevitably, his name would have to go down on her list of potential suspects. How cruelly ironic. They had originally met because Richard Gower had been a prime suspect in a previous murder investigation, when his car was stolen from outside his flat and used in a deliberate hit-and-run killing. After Kate had finally cleared him of suspicion (to her infinite relief) their friendship had blossomed. Only last night—as so often nowadays— they had been close in their togetherness. But now, suddenly, their entire relationship seemed in jeopardy. Yet she knew, knew with utter conviction, that Richard was not involved in this murder. Any more than he’d been involved that other time.

  “There’s something you can very likely help me with,” she rushed on, vainly trying to break through the barrier that was all at once between them. “Corinne’s next of kin will have to be informed. Who would that be?”

  “I haven’t the least idea.”

  “But surely ... didn’t she ever talk to you about her family?”

  “Not a lot, that I recall. It was ages ago that I knew her.”

  “For heaven’s sake, you must be able to tell me something about her.”

  “Well, she was born in France, her mother was French. The Lyons area, I think. That’s right, because her father was somehow involved in the silk business over there. But Corinne told me that both her parents had died when she was quite small. About six or seven, I believe.”