by Val Penny
“What else did you learn?” Hunter asked.
“Hector was adamant that he doesn’t do drugs and had asked John not to keep any in his flat. He seemed pretty exasperated when we told him about the weed and the cocaine,” Oskar said, and looked at Neil.
“Oskar put to him that John thought the weed might belong to a friend of his. He disputed that because he rarely brought anybody to the flat due to John and Katy’s PDAs.”
“What’s are PDAs when they’re at home, Neil?” Hunter asked.
“Public displays of affection,” the team chorused in reply.
“Yuck, imagine getting that close to John,” Colin said.
Neil laughed. “I agree. He’s definitely not my type either. But when we asked him about dating apps, he really took offence, didn’t he Oskar?”
“He did. He said it was laughable that we should suggest that someone like him should need to use a dating app. But like John, he didn’t actually deny it.”
“That’s interesting. Eileen told us she met her attacker through a dating website, didn’t she Rache?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Well, go on.”
“Eileen’s been quite consistent in what’s she’s told us. A colleague at work downloaded this new dating app onto her phone, and she met the man calling himself Frederick through that. She tried to be careful by talking to him for a long time before she agreed to meet him.”
“And when she did agree to meet him, it was in a public place. She really didn’t do anything wrong,” Mel said.
“No, she didn’t.” Hunter agreed.
“But she did tell us that he looked a bit different from the photos she had seen online and from the facetime calls.”
“Have we got those photos from the dating agency yet?” Oskar asked.
“No. Client confidentiality, they claim.” Nadia pulled a face. as she said this.
“Them getting sued big time is closer to it, I’d bet,” Bear said.
“I know her phone was missing when you found her, boss, but can the provider help with photos she may have kept on her phone?” Oskar asked.
“I doubt it. He was clever, told her neither of them should keep photos of the other until they could get one together to keep forever.” Rachael sighed. “He is such a bastard. Any move forward on focussing on the suspects?”
“Mansoor couldn’t have done it himself. He was definitely inside at the time. It’s too late for him to have been given any kind of day release or work pass,” Nadia said.
“It doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved. He has a reach like an octopus,” Tim said. “Did Meera get her reports to you today, boss?”
“Yes. I’ve just finished going through them. There seems to be no doubt that the two women who died after their attacks were murdered in much the same way, and therefore by the same person. The way the assaults occurred, and the wounds inflicted, was almost identical.”
“What about Eileen Maguire?” Rachael asked.
“Eileen agreed to allow Meera access to her hospital records if it would help find her attacker. And I hope it will. We can’t let that young woman down. However, that attack was different, possibly because the perpetrator is becoming more confident as he notches up successes.”
“It doesn’t bear thinking about, boss,” Nadia said.
“I agree. But rather than lure Eileen to a quiet place where he could attack her and there would be no witnesses, Eileen was invited for a fancy meal at a posh restaurant where there were lots of people who saw them.”
“No-one could accurately describe or identify him. People are notoriously unobservant,” Tim said.
“True, young Myerscough. Too true. But then, rather than take her outside to complete his attack in the quiet and the dark, he takes her through the restaurant when she is clearly in a drugged or intoxicated state and attacks her in the lift. It is different.”
“But it’s clever, all eyes would be on Eileen and the state she was in, not on him.” Tim added.
“The nurses told Rachael and me that the only way Eileen survived the shock and blood loss of her assault was because you and Meera found her so quickly, boss,” Mel said.
“Yes, I heard that. The speed with which she got to the hospital was critical too. I did notice one thing that potentially links the cases: Meera’s report on the first victim reveals she had a match from the same dating website as Eileen and it was also with a man called Frederick.”
“And that’s the name Eileen’s date used.”
“Did he have a limp, boss?” Colin asked.
Hunter looked at Rachael. “Has Eileen said anything about a limp?”
“No, boss. What’s this about a limp, Colin?”
“Well, the boss will have noticed in our report that Nadia and I saw Eileen approach her date on the CCTV from the hotel bar near the restaurant. But we couldn’t identify him because he always keeps his head down.”
“I don’t remember this.” Hunter looked confused.
“Here’s another copy if you want it.”
“This was days ago. Why the fuck didn’t you or Nadia flag it up sooner?”
“When nobody mentioned it, we thought you must consider it a dead end, boss.”
“So what, in the name of God, did this monster look like?” Bear asked.
“He was taller than average, maybe about the same height as the boss. Not like you or Tim,” Nadia said. “It seemed like he had a thick, dark beard and dark hair. But he was clever, or lucky. He never raised his head, so we got a proper look at his face.”
“But that’s what I was getting at; he did have a limp. It’s all in my report. Did nobody read it?” Colin sounded uncharacteristically exasperated.
“Have we got stills of the footage?” Hunter asked.
“That would be attached to the report.”
“Okay. Could you get me a copy?”
“Nadia put it on your desk, boss.”
“No, you put it on the desk. I filed a copy.”
“Fuck,” said Colin. “I filed it too.” He blushed bright red, threw his apple core in the bin, and went to retrieve a copy of the report.
“You’re an idiot, sergeant, and you’re no better, DC Chan,” Hunter growled. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, what’s done is done, Colin. By my rules we’re all allowed one mistake. But this one counts for both you and Nadia.”
Colin handed the report to Hunter. The acting DCI looked at the print from the CCTV, tore it from the report, and stuck it on the white board. The picture showed the man with his head down and was taken from his right side. But it did reveal his height in relation to Eileen, his build, the top of his head, the shape of his profile, and his beard.
“Shit, this is a game changer,” Mel said. “He’s too slim to be John, and too young to be Mr Morrison.”
“Who’s Mr Morrison when he’s at home?” Nadia asked.
“Jamie Thomson’s next-door neighbour. His house was broken into, and the CSIs identified John’s, Hector’s, Felix’s and Mansoor’s prints on the scene. They’re all potential assailants in this case,” Tim said. “And Morrison says Mansoor is a family friend, and he was identified by some staff as a suspect.”
“So was the boss. Are you sure the two cases are connected?”
“No, I’m not, Nadia, but it’s strange there are so many echoes of the men identified in Eileen’s case also found on the scene of that break-in.”
“What’s the connection between Mr Morrison and the men whose prints were found there?” Nadia asked.
“Jamie lives next door, John and Hector are his nephews, and Mansoor is a family friend.”
“He’s deluded if he believes that. Mansoor is only a friend to himself,” Bear said. “But where does Felix fit in? It doesn’t sound like this Morrison fellow, and Sir Felix Buchanan, would move in the same social circles.”
“Tim, you and Bear find out, will you? You know Felix as well as Lucky.”
“We do, boss, but I wouldn’t say we’re friendly.”
“Makes no odds. Find out what’s going on.” Hunter frowned. “Who is still in the frame, now we have this picture?”
“It can’t be John; he’s too fat,” Mel said.
Hunter scored John Hamilton’s name off the list.
“It’s not Mansoor. He was in jail, and the shape of the nose is wrong,” Neil said.
“So that leaves us with Lucky, Felix, and Hector, doesn’t it? What about the limp? Did Eileen mention a limp?”
“No, boss. But I’ll pop round to the hospital today and ask,” Rachael said.
“I remember Lucky complained that he hurt his foot when he was out running that evening and had to hitch a ride back to rehab.”
“That’s good, Tim. And didn’t Felix say he had twisted his ankle running for his flight home from Ibiza?” Hunter asked.
“He did. They both had limps when we met with them.”
“I noticed Hector has a limp,” Oskar said. “It’s slight. I suspect it’s from an old injury or he was born with one leg slightly longer than the other.”
“How can you know that, Doctor DI?” Bear asked.
“I don’t, but I was a medical first responder in the Polish Army before I came here. It’s a suggestion. I’ve seen many injuries and their results. I’ve known enough people with leg length discrepancy to recognise the problems it can cause.” Oskar paused. “He probably wears an orthotic lift in his shoe.”
“Do we recall which leg they were favouring?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t remember, boss. Do you?”
“No. If we’d seen this report earlier, I’d have paid more attention.”
“Sorry, boss.”
“It is what it is, Colin. We’ll work with it now.”
“Hector’s left leg is shorter. He limps slightly to his left side,” Oskar said.
Hunter wrote ‘L’ beside Hector’s name.
“Okay, team. Today will be a busy day. Rachael, I want you meet with Eileen and see what she remembers. Tim, I want you and Bear go out to speak with Lucky and Felix. I want them brought here for questioning. It’s just more formal. But I don’t want you two doing the interview here. Hand over to Colin and Nadia. No social contact there for them to play on.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Oskar, you and Neil speak to John and Hector. We’ll arrest John for possession of drugs now and then release him on bail. I want you to question Hector more about the money found in the office and his connection with Morrison. Pin him down on why his prints were found on the underfloor safe. The CSIs found traces of liquid inside the safe, but we’ve no report on what it is back from forensics yet.”
“Mel, you and I will go around to the Morrisons. We’ll ask about that liquid, and tell him whose prints we’ve found. To be honest, if Mansoor’s involved, his agent will be a professional and would have worn gloves. Let’s find out more about that relationship.”
“Okay.”
“Colin, you and Nadia get back to the hotel with photos of our three main suspects. See if you can jog any memories.”
Hunter looked around the room.
“I thought we were to interview Lucky and Felix,” Colin said.
“True, but it’ll take Tim and Bear a lot longer to get to and from the estate than for you to get to and from a city centre hotel.”
“Don’t count on it,” Nadia said.
“No smart-arse remarks, DC Chan. And remember, I want every report on my desk. Don’t fucking file them.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Tim led Lucky and Felix into the station. Bear followed them in, and they were shown to interview rooms one and two respectively. Lucky looked around the small, dark room and noticed the only window had bars across it and was high up the wall. There was no way he was going to see out of it. The bars were covered by disgusting, thick cobwebs. Lucky held his nose. He had forgotten just how nasty these rooms were, and the smell was not at all fresh. How they managed to get them to smell of dirt, body odour and farts as well as air-freshener and disinfectant was beyond him. Maybe a coffee would mask the smell. He asked Tim if that would be possible. Tim nodded and held the door open for the young PC who would guard it and then left to fetch the drink.
“What are we going to talk about today?” Lucky said when Tim returned. “Bloody hell. This coffee’s out of a machine. What are you thinking about? Get us a decent one.”
“Sorry, Lucky, we won’t be chatting. My colleagues will be along in a few minutes. As for the coffee, that’s it, I’m afraid.”
Lucky watched as Tim left the room and failed to get any response from the PC either.
In the room next door, Felix sat on the metal chair on the far side of the table that Bear had indicated. He looked around. He was horrified by how musty the air was, and the tables and chairs were bolted to the floor. The recording device on the table was bolted on to it too, and high on the wall was a camera. He looked up at it and smiled, wondering if anybody was watching him at that moment.
There was a policewoman by the door. Felix looked at her and winked. She was pretty, but made no reaction. He wriggled around on his seat to look at the wall behind him. The peeling paint was ugly, and the movement hurt his ankle. His reward was to locate the only window, but it was too high up for him to see anything even if the cobwebs had not obscured it. The pain hadn’t been worth it. Felix thought, this place smelled bad too. How could anybody work in this environment, especially somebody like Tim who did it voluntarily?
He was brought back to the present by Bear’s offer of a coffee, but when Felix discovered it was from a machine, he declined. This room was bad enough without adding cheap coffee to the mix.
***
Colin and Nadia decided to interview Lucky first. Before they went into the interview room, they whispered together.
“Good cop/bad cop,” Nadia said.
“Of course. Which one do you fancy today?”
“How about I do bad cop now, and you play that role when we interview Felix?”
Colin nodded, and they entered the room.
“Lord Buchanan, thank you for your help with our enquiries,” Colin said. He turned on the tape and introduced those in the room. He explained that the interview would be recorded on tape and film.
“I don’t think I have to be here, but the big men didn’t make it sound like an invitation.” Lucky retorted. “I’m not under arrest, am I?”
“No. Should you be?” Nadia asked.
“Not at all. I’m just checking because that means I can leave at any time.”
“Indeed, you can, Lord Buchanan.”
“But we might draw an inference that you had something to hide if you did,” Nadia added.
“She doesn’t let much go, does she?” Lucky nodded at Colin.
“Nothing at all.” Nadia replied.
“Now, can we discuss the night of Eileen Maguire’s attack?” Colin asked. “You were still an in-patient at the Darling Rehabilitation Centre and coming towards the end of your treatment.”
“Correct.”
“A member of staff informed one of our colleagues that you completed the course very well. A model patient.”
“That’s good to hear. I tried.” Lucky’s expression was serious, and he looked down at his hands as he replied.
“She also explained that patients are permitted outside of the grounds as they near the end of their stay. Was that element of trust afforded to you?”
“Yes, it was. But it’s hard. The dealers know about it and wait in the road at the end of the drive. They offer uppers, downers, coke, hash, heroin, anything you might want and staying clean isn’t made easy by that.”
“Were you tempted?” Nadia asked.
“Absolutely. I nearly cracked the first time it happened.”
“What did you do?”
“I ran back up the drive to my room and locked the door until the cravings receded.”
“Commendable. So did you not go out after that?”
“I did. You
really must, so they know you can cope in the real world. I tended to leave early in the morning, because the dealers and junkies aren’t known for being early risers, or later at night after dinner when they had left for the day.”
“What did you do when you were out?” Colin asked.
“I’ve always loved riding and there was a stable down the road. I enjoyed going out on the horses. They don’t judge. I even enjoyed mucking out. It reminded me of the smells and sensations I experienced as a young boy.”
“What else did you do?”
“I used to go for coffee in one of the local cafes. I usually tried to go to the one with the prettiest waitresses.”
“Anything else?” Nadia asked.
“I’d go for a pint in the pub.”
“Were you ever offered drugs there?”
“Once, but the landlord threw the dealer out, said he wasn’t having any muck in his pub. That made it easy for me.” Lucky paused and looked up at the tape recorder. “Not much has been easy for me since my father died.”
“Forgive me if I don’t sympathise with the titled Earl whose grand home and estate cover so much of the Lothians.” Nadia sneered. “So apart from riding, ogling the local girls, and downing pints in the local, what else did you find to do with your newfound freedom?”
“I started looking after myself again. For a time, I didn’t care, but I shower every day, keep my hair and beard neat, and I’ve been going to the gym and running. I find that running allows my mind to be free and to forget about the bad stuff. I’m training for a marathon next month and hope to do the London Marathon this year.”
“Long distance running. Are you any good?” Nadia asked.
“I keep going, but I’m not fast.”
“The records show that you went out running on the evening of the day Eileen Maguire was attacked. Where did you go? What route did you take?”
“That’s the girl who was attacked in the Waldorf Astoria. I was in a rehab centre in East Lothian. I didn’t run that far.”
“How far did you run before you hitched a lift?” Nadia asked.
