The Genesis Inquiry

by Olly Jarvis

‘Cupboard above the sink.’

  She took out two and went over to the settee as he unscrewed the bottle. ‘Here,’ he said, after pouring her a glass. ‘What made you change your mind?’

  ‘Just felt a bit tight,’ she replied. ‘After what you’d been through.’

  He went over to the microwave and came back with a bag of rice, held in the corner with two fingers. He used a knife to stab it and unloaded the contents in two mounds on the plates. The steam made their faces sweat. ‘What about your new fella?’

  She used a fork to break up the rice. ‘I explained, he’s fine about it.’

  ‘That’s good,’ he replied without eye-contact: ‘You don’t have to feel sorry for me, you know.’ He went and got the saucepan and spooned some rougaille onto the rice.

  ‘I don’t.’ She used a finger to lift his chin. ‘Jay, I don’t.’

  He didn’t speak.

  She watched his face. ‘Actually, I’m fascinated by you.’

  His brow lifted. ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘For starters, I want to know how you coped, how you got into Cambridge without any help? You were on your own at sixteen…’

  He got up and went over to the kitchenette to put the pan back on the hob. ‘It was hard.’

  She watched him come back and sit down. ‘I bet it was.’

  He picked up a spoon and waited for her to dig in. ‘Not fitting in at school didn’t help. Always being an oddball.’

  Lizzie noticed that his body language was at ease now. ‘You won’t feel like that when you start uni, we’re all like that.’ She got some rougaille onto her fork.

  ‘I’ve noticed,’ he said.

  She laughed, so did he.

  ‘Tastes amazing.’ She scooped up another mouthful. ‘You are full of surprises.’

  ‘I’ve got a jar of lime pickle,’ he said, with his first uncomplicated smile. ‘But it’s starting to look a bit furry.’

  ‘Think I’ll pass,’ she said with a shake of the head.

  As they ate and chatted in the little flat, Lizzie lost track of time. She was glad her mother had given her his number. Maybe she knew her better than she thought. Her phone pinged. A text. ‘Oh shit, I’ve got to go, it’s Greg, I was supposed to meet him ten minutes ago.’

  ‘Oh, right,’ Jay replied, getting up and hovering awkwardly.

  Lizzie did the same then typed out a message.

  5 mins away

  She turned her attention back to Jay. ‘I’ve had a lovely time.’ She tilted her head. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Me too,’ he replied.

  ‘Can I just use your loo?’

  ‘Sure,’ he said, signalling with his head. ‘In there.’

  It wasn’t until she’d pushed the bolt across and sat down that she noticed all the photos on the wall of a much younger Jay and his mum in happier times. She felt choked.

  Suddenly there was an almighty bang. She flinched. It sounded like the front door coming off its hinges.

  There was shouting, coming from the lounge. Voices, not Jay’s.

  The sound of things being smashed.

  She could hear Jay. He was protesting, pleading.

  She stood up, trembling. Slowly, she undid the bolt.

  She opened the door slightly, enough to see three figures, all in black, wearing balaclavas. She pulled it shut, then summoned up the courage to open it again. One man had Jay pinned to the sofa, a gloved hand on his neck. He held a knife in the other which he drew back. She heard him say, ‘I’m going to cut you up, motherfucker.’

  Instinct took over. ‘No!’ Lizzie pushed the door wide open and ran in.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  ‘Two Jack Daniels, neat,’ said Broady, as they strolled past the bar.

  ‘Coming up,’ the barman replied.

  They took a couple of armchairs by the window, either side of a round, ornate, low table with lions’ feet on the legs. The evening sun had all but disappeared.

  ‘Can’t wait to see the place properly,’ said Broady, staring out across the forecourt and onto Parker’s Piece. ‘Tell me about Matthew Shepherd?’

  ‘Unfortunately, I don’t know much about him,’ Ella replied, crossing her legs. ‘He’s a recluse, an eccentric academic, a genius by all accounts. He disappeared a few weeks ago without a trace. Nobody knows what he was working on, if anything. His room at the college is like Fort Knox. He was either paranoid or afraid of something.’

  A couple of business types entered the room and nodded politely at the other guests before getting into a discussion at the bar about which brand of beer they could have on draught.

  Broady dug his fingers into the bowl of nuts on the table. ‘What do the cops say?’ He put a couple in his mouth.

  ‘There’s a young officer in charge called McDonald. He’s not been very helpful. He just says there’s no proof of life after his disappearance and he won’t tell me if they’ve been into his phone records or email account.’ She stopped as the barman set their drinks on the table.

  Broady gave the man an appreciative wink and waited for him to leave. ‘You want to know what he was doing just before he vanished?’

  ‘Exactly.’ Ella uncrossed her legs and leaned in. ‘I can’t help but feel this case is really important, but I don’t know why.’

  Broady downed his JD then put the glass firmly back on the table. ‘Maybe I should see this McDonald guy. Give him the old-brother-from-another-mother routine.’

  ‘Worth a try,’ she agreed. ‘So, what about Cameron?’

  ‘Two more of these,’ he called over to the barman, holding up his tumbler. ‘He was a bigshot lawyer and politico. Big-hearted democrat, tipped for the very top. ‘Lived alone on a desert ranch.’

  She looked at her drink but didn’t take a sip.

  ‘Their folks died young in a car accident. They told me in the town that Cameron was like a father to Matthew even though they were twins. Cameron was a minute older. Matthew was the thinker, Cameron more practical. He farmed his parents’ land. Paid his own way through law school.’

  Ella inclined her head. ‘You said that’s how Cameron died too? In a car crash?’

  ‘No, the car was in the garage,’ he replied, fixing her with his gaze. ‘Hosepipe in the exhaust.’

  Ella winced. ‘Suicide?’

  ‘That’s what they’re saying. Didn’t feel right to tell a stranger over the phone.’ She nodded. ‘Of course.’

  The waiter brought the round and placed the glasses on paper mats.

  Broady nodded his thanks. ‘Besides, I don’t buy it.’

  Ella waited for the waiter to be fully out of earshot. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He’d just bought himself a plane ticket to London.’

  Ella took a sip of her drink and leaned forward again. ‘You’re saying someone made it look like suicide?’

  Broady shrugged. ‘Just a hunch.’

  She checked no one was listening ‘Wouldn’t he have defensive injuries, signs of a struggle?’

  ‘There were sleeping pills in his system. A lot.’

  She frowned. ‘Were they his?’

  ‘Yeah, he’d been using them for a while.’

  ‘So, he could’ve taken them himself?’

  ‘Or someone stuck them in his food or drink. Someone who wanted to knock him out so they could put him in the car without a struggle.’

  ‘And leave no marks. Any prints on the car?’

  ‘Only his.’ Broady took a sip. ‘I could be wrong, I know I’ll never prove it, but I figure I owe it to him to come and ask some questions.’

  Ella found his analysis unsettling. ‘Motive?’

  Broady sat up straight and looked Ella in the eye. ‘To stop him before he told you something?’

  She was thinking the same thing, but it still made her shiver, hearing someone say it out loud.

  He maintained eye-contact. ‘Do you know what that could be?’

  ‘No, I wish I did. So, this trip, it’s not just about
the bucket list?’

  Broady sighed. ‘This guy really gave a shit, you know what I mean.’

  Ella nodded.

  He moved forward in his chair. ‘No clues at all?’

  She hesitated. Her phone pinged. She took it out of her bag and saw a text from Lizzie, some calls she must have missed earlier. ‘Something’s happened. It’s my daughter.’ She began reading Lizzie’s text.

  ‘What is it?’

  She stood up. ‘She’s at the police station, I’ve got to go.’

  He downed the rest of his drink. ‘I’ll come with you.’

  Ella ran out of the hotel and across the road onto Parker’s Piece. A car screeched to a stop and hooted. The driver shouted abuse out of the window.

  She raced across the green, Broady in her wake.

  Just as she arrived in the reception, Lizzie and Jay were being brought back through to the front desk by McDonald.

  ‘Mum!’ Lizzie stopped short of running into her mother’s arms.

  Forgetting their protocol, Ella threw hers around her daughter. ‘What happened?’ She pulled her tight.

  Broady panted in behind her.

  ‘Looks like a nasty robbery,’ explained McDonald. He shot Jay a disapproving look. ‘Probably by some of Mr Pitois’ associates.’

  Putting a sports bag over his shoulder, Jay said nothing. Ella could see how shaken he was.

  ‘We’ll take statements in the morning.’ McDonald came closer to Ella and said, sotto voce, ‘Not the best choice of companion for your daughter.’ Turning to Jay, and in a louder voice he said, ‘You know what they say, if you live by the sword…’

  ‘…you die by the sword,’ interrupted Broady.

  McDonald raised an eyebrow at the stranger.

  ‘Detective Hank Broady, Phoenix Police Department,’ he said, flashing his badge. ‘Great to meet you, officer.’

  ‘DC McDonald,’ he replied tentatively. ‘Are you with her?’

  ‘I’ll leave you to explain, Detective Broady,’ said Ella. ‘I need to get them back.’ She ushered the two young people towards the door. ‘Thank you, detective.’

  As soon as they were across the road and on the Piece, Lizzie stuttered, ‘Mum, they had weapons.’

  They huddled together in the moonlight. Ella looked from one to the other.

  Lizzie was angry now. ‘They kicked the fucking door in,’ she sobbed. ‘I thought they were going to kill him.’

  Ella put an arm around her. ‘Are you hurt, either of you?’

  ‘No,’ they replied in unison.

  Lizzie pulled away. ‘As soon as they saw me, they ran, it was weird.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Jay, his voice shaky. ‘Like they didn’t want any witnesses.’

  ‘He’s staying at mine tonight,’ said Lizzie. ‘It’s not safe there.’

  ‘No,’ said Ella. ‘You can’t do that.’

  ‘But, Mum,’ she replied, evidently ready for an argument. ‘He’s not even got a proper door on yet.’

  ‘It’s OK, I get it,’ said Jay. ‘She doesn’t want me around you.’

  ‘No, it’s not that,’ Ella lied. ‘You can stay in my room. It’ll be safer for both of you.’

  Lizzie softened. ‘What about you?’

  ‘I’ll stay in the van.’

  ‘Me too.’ She grabbed her mother’s arm and held it with both hands. ‘I don’t want to be alone tonight.’

  They started to walk back across the open space to the hotel.

  ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ said Jay. ‘They were like military.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘All in the same gear.’

  ‘They kept asking: “Where is it?”’

  ‘Where’s what?’ asked Ella.

  He shrugged. ‘That’s just it, I don’t know.’

  Lizzie gave his back a reassuring rub. ‘Don’t think about it tonight.’

  ‘They must’ve thought you had something,’ said Ella, falling into cross-examination mode. ‘The people that set you up, did they think you had something of theirs?’

  ‘No,’ Jay replied, his frustration showing. ‘You read the file, I just got them access, that was it.’

  She stopped and faced him. ‘What about anyone else you’ve dealt with? Think.’

  He looked away for a moment, then, suddenly distracted, he dropped the bag off his shoulder and stared intently at the ground as if working something out. His expression became more intense. ‘Maybe it wasn’t about me.’ He stared at Ella. ‘Maybe it was about you?’

  Her head went back in surprise. ‘Me?’

  Lizzie turned towards her. ‘Mum?’

  Ella was silent now, her expression troubled.

  ‘Please tell me this isn’t down to you?’

  Ella couldn’t get her head around it. She tried to think it through. ‘The memory stick? No, it can’t be…’ Ella stuttered. ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’ She tried to take hold of Lizzie’s arm but she pulled away. Ella walked a few yards, then turned back, running a hand over her hair. ‘One thing is for sure, I’m way out of my depth here.’ She paced some more, ‘Let’s go back, I need to talk to McDonald.’ She started walking towards the station.

  Lizzie followed.

  ‘No,’ said Jay, firmly, stopping them in their tracks. ‘Have you managed to open the file?’

  Ella turned around. ‘No, why?’

  He took a few steps towards her. ‘Let me try, I think I’ve earned the right.’

  Ella found herself considering it.

  ‘If you tell McDonald,’ said Jay, ‘he’ll take the stick, and chances are there’s something really important on it.’

  She thought about this. Her instincts told her it was wrong to involve Jay any further, especially if he was right about the attack.

  Jay continued, ‘I know why you’re in Cambridge.’

  ‘How?’ But she’d already guessed.

  He looked at Lizzie. ‘She told me.’

  Lizzie mumbled a sheepish, ‘Sorry.’

  Ella stifled a desire to tick her off. She began pacing again. ‘You said it could take weeks?’

  ‘That’s brute-forcing, with software.’ His voice lowered. ‘There’s another way.’

  She stopped. ‘What?’

  ‘Human engineering. I can always figure out the password if you tell me enough information – whose stick it is, what you know about them…’

  ‘Tell you more? I’ve already put you in serious—’ She stopped herself and looked at Lizzie. ‘It doesn’t bear thinking about.’

  ‘I think I’ve earned the right to have a go,’ said Jay. ‘To know what this is all about, and so has Lizzie.’

  ‘Too right,’ said Lizzie, moving closer to Jay’s side. ‘Typical of you to have me running errands about Aristotle, managing what you tell me, never the full picture.’

  Ella backed away. ‘That’s not fair.’ She needed to think. ‘No, we all need to get out of town for a bit until I know what’s going on.’

  ‘What?’ Lizzie’s voice rose. ‘Have you heard yourself? Always running away.’

  Hurt, Ella didn’t reply.

  ‘If you’re worried about my safety,’ said Jay, in a more conciliatory tone, ‘then I should be on board. I was only vulnerable when they thought I was some young criminal nobody gave a shit about.’

  Ella thought through what he was saying.

  ‘If you make me part of this, they’ll think twice about doing anything. It would draw too much attention.’

  She let out a sigh of resignation. ‘OK.’ She held her eyes closed for a few seconds to help her focus. ‘Let’s go back to the room.’ She walked off with the others falling into step behind her.

  ‘Who was the American?’ Jay called after her.

  In disbelief at the events of the last few hours, Ella replied, ‘He says he’s a cop.’

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Harris’ colleague was waiting for her at the end of the corridor by the double doors. Her footsteps echoed off the polished parquet. He gav
e her a scornful head shake before ceremoniously opening the door. ‘Not going very well, is it,’ he whispered with a smirk.

  Ignoring him, she brushed the front of her trouser suit, took a breath, then entered, her colleague in tow. She was still perspiring from the dash from the car park.

  ‘You’re late,’ said Combover, jowls oscillating.

  She didn’t make excuses. ‘Sorry, sir.’ She took her usual seat.

  Many of the same people as before were seated around the table, with a few additions. There was a plate of biscuits, a teapot and some half empty cups scattered around. Male body odour hung in the air.

  ‘Well, what the hell’s going on?’ Combover took a hanky out of his breast pocket and wiped some of the stress off his face. ‘I’m told all hell’s broken loose?’

  Harris remained calm. ‘The American, Broady, has made contact with Ella Blake and is now—’

  ‘I’m talking about the bloody robbery,’ he said impatiently.

  ‘Yes, three of them broke into Jason Pitois’ flat and attacked him.’

  ‘The computer kid?’ He glanced around the table. ‘How do we know it was them?’

  We don’t, but it’s got his MO all over it and he’s getting more reckless every day. He clearly thinks Blake’s onto something.’

  ‘Police involved?’

  ‘Yes, McDonald. He won’t be a problem.’

  A conspiratorial nod. He took his glasses off and threw them on the table. He fiddled with his silver cufflinks, sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  Harris said, ‘Sir, I don’t think Blake’s got any idea of the danger she’s in.’

  ‘There’s no evidence she’s at risk,’ barked one of the other men. There was a murmured agreement from around the room.

  ‘I was wondering,’ she said tentatively, despite the opposition to her previous comment. ‘Whether we were duty-bound give her a danger-to-life warning?’

  Her colleague shot her a withering look.

  The others shifted in their seats. No one was making a note now.

  ‘And blow the whole thing wide open?’ said Combover in a raised voice, putting his glasses back on. He tapped the end of his pen on the table.

  ‘She’s smart,’ Harris persisted. ‘She could lead us to Matthew. That must be why they broke into Pitois’ flat. Blake must know something.’