Sat outside Megan’s flat, Jake was turning the psychiatrist’s card over in his hand. He was about to plug the details into the car’s Satnav when the vehicle’s Bluetooth system announced he had an incoming call.
‘This is DS Knight,’ he said aloud, answering the call.
‘DS Knight, it’s Harry Venables, sir.’
Jake cranked up the car’s air conditioning, surprised Harry had dared to call after last night’s indiscretion. He’d probably come to his senses and was phoning to apologise, or to advise that he was going to come clean to the fearsome Inspector Carlton. Either way, Jake didn’t see the need to be kept informed about the naïve PC’s every activity.
‘What is it, Harry?’ Jake asked, unwilling to keep the frustration from his tone.
‘I wanted to check you’d heard the autopsy findings for Charles Xavier.’
‘The post mortem examination has already been completed?’ he asked, surprised Inspector Carlton or the Medical Examiner hadn’t called him with an update.
‘Not exactly,’ Harry replied, ‘but the toxicology results have come back negative. There were no narcotics or alcohol in his system when he went into that water.’
Jake’s curiosity kept him from berating Harry for interfering in his investigation. ‘How do you know that and I don’t?’
‘I have a friend who works in the lab. I asked her to call me as soon as she had the results. I know how long these messages can take to get out sometimes. I thought you’d prefer to be kept on the inside track.’
Jake shook his head in disbelief; how many girlfriends did this lad have scattered across the county?
‘What else did this friend of yours say?’
‘Cause of death was definitely downing, based on the volume of water found in his lungs, but the pathologist is still trying to determine whether he was conscious when he died. Apparently there are bumps consistent with the victim bashing his face and head before the car went under the water. There’s also nothing to suggest he was wearing a seatbelt when he entered the water. Ordinarily the belt would leave a mark across the driver’s chest, but there is no such damage.’
Jake thought back to the red patches on Isabella’s skin when she’d stood in front of the mirror and made him feel it.
But if the victim hadn’t been trapped in the car, then something else had to have kept him beneath the water long enough to drown. Jake knew only too well that the human instinct to survive nearly always cut in as death approached. And even the most ardent of suicide attempters failed because that instinct overcame their basest desires.
‘So she thinks he must have been unconscious because he didn’t try to swim back to the surface?’
‘I guess so,’ Harry agreed.
It added another interesting angle to the growing list of questions in Jake’s head. Suicide still fit the M.O., but it wasn’t quite as straight forward as the Rita Enfield nosedive.
‘I’d like to do more,’ Harry continued. ‘I know now that going into the water last night was a stupid idea, and I want you to know how sorry I am for potentially compromising the investigation, and for putting you in such an awkward position. You should also know that my motives were truly in the best interests of the case.’
‘Apology accepted, Harry, but I think it’s time you stepped back from the frontline now. Leave it to the professionals.’
‘With all due respect, sir, I can be of use to you. And I want to help. Please? I don’t mind chasing down dead ends, or viewing security camera feeds; you know, the boring stuff? I just want to be involved. You must remember how hard it can be to gain experience on major investigations. Is there nothing I can do to prove how sorry I am?’
‘I can hear how sorry you are, there’s no need for you to prove anything.’
‘Please, DS Knight – Jake – let me help ease your workload.’
Jake rotated his head, trying to ease the tension in his neck muscles, and failing miserably. The kid had a point: there were plenty of loose and probably dead ends to chase down, and if Harry was following those, it freed Jake to concentrate on more substantial leads. It also meant Jake wouldn’t need to rely so heavily on Ian Waverley when he had something big to chase.
‘I drove by the victim’s house earlier,’ Harry continued. ‘Spotted security cameras on the front gates, and judging by the location and size of the property, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were more cameras inside. If we could gain access to the property, I could -’
‘Already done it,’ Jake said, pressing his head into the headrest. ‘The cameras all feed into an external hard drive which I’ve procured.’
‘So you’ll be able to determine what time he left the property on Sunday. It might give us some insight into whether he drove straight to the lake, or whether he went somewhere else first.’
‘That’s right, Harry. Maybe I did you a disservice. Maybe you have got the makings of a detective’s mind. And something tells me that if I don’t give you something to do, your face is going to keep popping up where I don’t want to see it. Am I right?’
‘I just want to help, sir.’
Jake couldn’t believe what he was about to say. ‘Well for starters you can stop calling me, sir. When it’s just the two of us you can refer to me as Jake, but refer to me in the third person when talking to others. Understood?’
‘Yes, sir, I mean, Jake. You won’t regret it, I promise.’
‘I’d better not,’ Jake cautioned. ‘I’m only going to warn you once, Harry: stay on piste. If I get any hint that you’re going off the rails or doing something strictly out of procedure, I’ll come down on you like a ton of bricks and Inspector Carlton will have you supervising school crossing patrols before you can argue. Am I making myself clear?’
‘Last night was a one-off, I swear.’
‘Good. Now I’m sure Inspector Carlton won’t agree to working full-time with me on this, so you’ll have to stay in uniform rather than plainclothes, and your existing work and patrols will have to take priority. But if you’re at a loose end, then see what you can find out about our victim. In particular I want to know if he went by the name Carlos, instead of Charles.’
‘Spanish is he?’
‘From Mexico according to his driver’s licence, but I also spotted books written in Spanish in his house. Also, see what you can find out about his family life: was he married? I think he had a son, but have no idea what happened to him, so find out if he was a father. Also, where did he work? Who were his friends? And how long has he lived at the address in Lyndhurst. Go and speak to his nearest neighbours and keep a note of everything they tell you. Call me back tonight when your shift is nearing a finish and let me know what you’ve learned. What time are you on until?’
‘Ten.’
‘Okay, that gives you six and a bit hours. But tread carefully. Remember, we haven’t yet notified his next-of-kin, so don’t go blabbing to everyone that he’s dead. If anyone asks why you’re interested, be evasive. Okay?’
‘Will do. Thanks, Jake. I appreciate you taking a chance on me.’
Jake couldn’t decide if the lad’s enthusiasm was a good thing or not. As he hung up the call, Jake hoped he wasn’t making a huge mistake to involve Harry.
THIRTY-NINE
It had been years since Megan had been to Eastleigh, a large town that sat between the M3 and M27 motorways, and also lay claim to Southampton’s International Airport. It had taken two different bus journeys to get from her pokey flat, and as she made her way from the bus stop, she was grateful that there finally appeared to be a break in the heat, with vast clouds covering the sky. There hadn’t been rain in at least ten days, and the promise of a cooler night and reduced pressure was a welcome relief. The grass could certainly do with the drink.
The branch of supermarket in Eastleigh was less than half the size of the one where Megan worked in Lordshill, but at five o’clock on a Thursday evening, it seemed just as busy, with men and women in smart clothing holding their baskets impa
tiently at the checkout line. It was a reminder that Megan should find a meal for one for the evening, though she sensed she would probably end up buying a reduced price sandwich.
But that wasn’t why she’d made the hellish journey across the city to be here. Had she realised how long the buses would take, she might have phoned ahead, and now she just had to hope that Janice hadn’t finished for the day. But every time Megan’s eyes closed she saw Janice’s face lying in that red pool, the bloody knife glinting in Megan’s hand.
She had to be sure that Janice was still alive.
There had to be a rational explanation for the dream, Megan tried to reassure herself. After all, Megan was not a violent woman; never had been. She was usually so squeamish around blood; hated violent and horror movies; and couldn’t bear it when animals died in programmes on the television. And the vision of Janice’s face had to have been triggered by their earlier phone conversation prior to the anxiety attack. Probably on some subconscious level, Megan’s mind held Janice accountable for the panic attack and had created the nightmare in order to work through the tension and anguish.
Probably.
The fact that Megan had enjoyed the dream so much that she had reached orgasm didn’t bear thinking about. And she was sure that detective – what was his name? Jake Knight? – had thought her mad when she’d told him about the nightmare where she’d fallen from the tower. He’d given her this pitying look, but crossed with an expression that suggested she was wasting his precious time. But that was on him: he was the one who came looking for her.
But maybe there was something in two people from the same support group committing suicide within a week, but it could just as easily be coincidence. Megan certainly hadn’t picked up on a vibe that those at the group were there because they all wanted to kill themselves, despite her own efforts on the subject.
Megan didn’t recognise the faces of any of the uniformed staff workers, but she didn’t envy them stacking shelves and responding to customer queries. It wasn’t that Megan didn’t enjoy her job, nor that she wasn’t proud to work for the company, but her motivation for doing so had gone. Rob and her had been saving to buy a home of their own; that was what had got her out of bed every morning, and with him gone, what was the point?
Thankfully Wanda hadn’t dared suggest that she would one day meet someone new, though Megan sensed her would-be sister-in-law was building up the courage to make the suggestion. That had to be what the proposed “girlie holiday” was in aid of. Wanda hoped to help Megan move on, but what if she didn’t want to? Had Wanda even considered that possibility? Megan had met her soul mate in Rob and no man – no man – would ever live up to the standard he’d set. So what was the point in searching for, and failing to find, someone else?
The aisles in this particular supermarket weren’t very long, and Megan soon found herself at the entrance to the staff area and warehouse at the back of the store. It was security controlled, and without a pass, Megan wasn’t permitted to enter. So she waited, hoping a staff member would pass and she could ask whether Janice was in. But as the door opened, and a woman in tottering heels emerged, Megan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Janice, you’re here, thank God.’
Janice who had been busy fishing for something in her handbag, looked puzzled as her eyes fell on Megan in the chair. ‘Um, sorry did we have an appointment or something?’
‘No, sorry,’ Megan offered, realising that Janice’s shift must have finished as she had an anorak over her arm and was holding car keys. ‘I should have phoned. I was hoping to speak to you for a few minutes.’
Janice looked at her watch, and then from Megan to the store’s exit, and then back to Megan. ‘Okay, I can spare ten minutes, come through to my office.’
Janice waved her pass to open the door, and led them though the cold warehouse, out to a corridor which led to staff changing rooms and toilets, and a small canteen at one end. Janice’s office was at the opposite end of the corridor, and according to the detail on the door, she shared it with the store manager, who thankfully didn’t seem to be in.
Janice dropped her bag onto the desk, before closing the office door behind them and taking a seat. ‘What did you want to speak to me about? I’m sorry if my phone call earlier upset you,’ she added with a smile, revealing a fresh splash of lipstick on her top teeth.
Megan took a moment to compose herself, uncertain how best to start. ‘I think I should probably be the one to apologise for what happened on the phone earlier. According to the doctor I suffered an anxiety attack of some kind. But you said I should come in, so here I am,’ Megan finished, forcing a smile of her own.
‘I’d meant we should arrange to meet at your store in Lordshill, so we can see what adjustments need to be made. Maybe that would be the best thing for us to do. What do you think? I can be there on Tuesday or Wednesday next week if that helps? It’s my day off tomorrow and I’m away over the weekend. How are you fixed for Tuesday?’
‘Are you going somewhere nice?’ Megan deflected.
Janice’s eyes sparkled with excitement. ‘Hubby is taking me to Paris for a romantic getaway. Now that the kids are old enough to fend for themselves for a weekend, we decided to do it. He just received a rather tasty bonus from work and so he’s planning to wine and dine me in the most romantic city in the world.’
Megan’s heart ached that she and Rob had never made it to Paris. ‘That sounds nice. How many years have you been married?’
‘It’s our twentieth anniversary tomorrow. I know you’re not married, but when you get the chance, don’t turn it down. I thought I was in love once before, with a guy who was everything to me. I was in my early twenties, and he was a few years older, but he was so attentive and loving, the age gap didn’t bother me.’ Janice raised her eyebrows dramatically. ‘And then I learned that he was married. I should have ended it then, but he was one of those who made promises that he would leave his wife for me, but then he never did. Anyway, it all ended messily, with his wife finding out. I thought my world would fall apart until I met Darren and then learned what love really is. And we’ve never looked back.’
‘Whatever happened to him? The man you were seeing, I mean?’
Janice gave her a confused look. ‘God knows! I never heard from him after things ended. I moved to Southampton and never thought about him again. Why?’
Megan had rehearsed this part over and over in her head on the bus, but as the words began to flow and Janice’s face contorted into even greater confusion, she knew she’d missed the mark.
‘I think your life might be in danger. Is there anyone out there who would hold a grudge against you? This man’s wife, for example?’
Janice laughed uneasily, like someone who’d heard a punch line and hadn’t understood it. ‘What is this? Some kind of joke?’
But Megan wasn’t laughing, looking as serious as possible. ‘You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I genuinely believe your life is in danger.’
Janice looked at her watch, her impatience growing. ‘I have plans this evening. I don’t know what this is all about, but I think we should just make that appointment for Tuesday. Okay?’
‘No,’ Megan shouted, surprised at her own aggression. ‘I’m telling you: I saw you dead in my dream and -’
Janice instinctively recoiled, pushing her chair away, her eyes darting over Megan like she was expecting her to pull out some kind of weapon. ‘Right, enough of this, Megan. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but this has to stop now.’
‘I have no intention of hurting you, but what I saw, I needed to let you know, so you can make reparations to keep yourself safe.’
Janice studied Megan’s face. ‘Are you some kind of psychic?’
‘No! Well, no, not that I’m aware of. It’s just...I’ve been having strange dreams and one of them came true and had I acted sooner the woman might not be dead now. That’s why I had to come and see you: to warn you. Somebody wants you dead.’
&nbs
p; ‘And you saw this in a dream?’
Megan nodded. ‘I know how crazy this sounds. Believe me! But I’m telling you that’s what I saw.’
Janice was leaning closer now, clearly interested in Megan’s potential paranormal powers. ‘Can you commune with the dead too? I’ve always been fascinated by psychics and mediums. Do you think you have the gift?’
Megan was tempted to slap some sense into the woman, but gently shook her head instead. ‘I don’t think so, but...’
‘Can you see who it is? Or how it happens?’
The image of Megan licking the blood from the knife filled her vision. ‘No, that’s why I was asking if someone bore you a grudge.’
‘And do you know when it will happen?’
Again Megan shook her head. ‘When it happened last time, the dream came true within a matter of hours.’
Janice’s eyes widened with panic. ‘Someone’s going to kill me tonight?’
Megan suddenly regretted her words. ‘Not necessarily. Listen, I don’t know how this works. You just need to be more careful. You said you were going out tonight, who are you going out with?’
‘Just the girls. We were supposed to meet last night, but one of the mums had babysitting issues so we rearranged for tonight. Why, is that where it’s going to happen?’
‘I have no idea. But maybe you should think about cancelling and going home instead.’ But Megan suddenly had another thought: what if Janice going home instead of out pushed her into the arms of the killer.
‘Scratch that!’ Megan shouted. ‘Go out tonight, but make sure you’re not alone. Try and keep lots of people with you. Safety in numbers, that kind of thing.’
Janice glanced at her watch. ‘You should come with us! We’re meeting for food. That’s where I was heading.’
‘Oh that’s kind of you, but I shouldn’t -’
‘I insist. I’d feel a lot safer with you with me. Maybe you’ll be able to spot whomever it is before he strikes. Please?’
The last thing Megan wanted was to hang out with a group of strangers, but it was better than waking up to hear Janice had been slaughtered.
Déjà Vu Page 20
