Chilling Out

by Andrew Puckett

  'He's scared of blood – at least, he was a few years ago. Something to do with his brother being a haemophiliac and getting AIDS.'

  'How d'you know that?'

  'I was here when he came down before. You know, the plasma scam, just before you came.'

  'That was him, was it…?'

  Adrian was the person Tom had least looked forward to interviewing, which was perhaps why he'd left him till last. Adrian had had 'a thing' about Holly during Tom's visit eight years earlier and hadn't been best gruntled when she'd preferred Tom. He'd eventually made such a nuisance of himself that Tom had nutmegged him at a hospital disco, pretending afterwards (as Adrian writhed on the floor) that it was an accident. It was a memory that would tend to linger, Tom reflected now.

  Adrian wasn't exactly rushing to join him, so he turned his thoughts to the anonymous note and who might have sent it. He read it through again. Two sentences: both instructions that were really facts, both mildly obscene.

  Something about that, about its whole tone, persuaded Tom that it was Verity. Maybe Jessie had worked it out and told her

  … was it worth challenging Verity with it now? Probably not…

  His reverie was interrupted by a single knock. 'Come in,' he called, and there was Adrian.

  'Hello,' Tom said. 'Come and have a seat.'

  Adrian did so without speaking. He hadn't changed much. The same thickset, powerful body with face to match, the same resentful expression.

  'It's been a long time,' Tom observed. Inane, but whatever he said would have sounded wrong.

  'Yeah,' said Adrian.

  Well, enough reminiscing… 'I'm sure you already know why I'm here?'

  'Yeah.'

  'I'm trying to find out as much as I can about Dr Goring's visit, and his death, of course. Did you know him at all?'

  No, not beyond a nodding acquaintance, either during his time as interim director or later. No, he hadn't liked him – he was responsible for them losing their jobs, wasn't he? And no, he had no idea whether Jessie's allegation was true or not – how could he have?

  'Did you often cover for Paul Bannister?'

  'How d'you mean, cover for him?' He knew very well.

  'Did he often say he was out with you when he was doing something else?'

  After a pause, Adrian said, 'Not often, no.'

  'How often?'

  He shrugged. 'Twice, maybe three times.'

  'That Friday, did he ask you to tell the police he'd been out with you?'

  'No. I wouldn't have lied to the police anyway.' He paused again. 'I didn't like lying to his wife, but his marriage is his own business, I suppose…' he looked as though he was going to say more, then changed his mind.

  It fitted with Adrian's own bitterness, Tom thought. Holly had heard, through her old colleagues, that he'd married after she'd left, but it hadn't worked out and he'd gone back to live with his parents.

  'So other than to come back here at around seven to fetch something, you didn't go out that night?'

  'No.'

  'What was it you came back to fetch?'

  'A book. I can read, believe it or not.'

  'I believe it. What was the book?'

  'Tarka the Otter, if you must know.'

  'Appropriate, for this area.'

  After another pause, Adrian said, 'I'd never realised how good it was before. They made us read it at school and it put me off.'

  Tom smiled. 'You and me both,' he said.

  'You've never read it?' Tom shook his head and Adrian said, 'You should – it's good.'

  'I'll do that.'

  Adrian said slowly, 'I don't know what's happened to us here… this place, it's gone right down the toilet since we were told it was closing.'

  'In what way?'

  'Nobody cares about anything any more – except bitching, bad-mouthing, back-stabbing… and jumping in and out of bed with each other…' He tailed off.

  'I've seen it for myself,' Tom said. After a moment, he said, 'So other than for Arthur Selwick, you didn't see anyone or hear anything while you were here?'

  'No.'

  'How long were you here?'

  'Five minutes, if that. Arthur's already told all this to the police, hasn't he?'

  He had, and there didn't seem much point in keeping Adrian any longer. 'How far away d'you live?'

  'About a mile.'

  'See anyone on the way?'

  'Only Maria, at the bottom of the road here.'

  Tom said casually. 'You didn't mention that to the police?'

  'They didn't ask me that. They asked me if I'd seen anyone here.'

  'You're sure it was Maria?'

  'Yes. Her face was lit by a street lamp.'

  'Did she see you?'

  'I don't think so. Is it important?'

  'I don't know. Probably not. Just after seven, you said?'

  'Yes.'

  After a pause, Tom said, 'Adrian, I'm honestly not sure whether it's important or not, but I'd like you to keep it to yourself for the moment – please.'

  'From Maria, you mean?'

  'From Maria, from everyone. OK?'

  'All right,' he said. 'Is that all?'

  Tom nodded. 'Yes, it is. Thanks.'

  He got up, hesitated. 'How is Holly?' he said at last.

  'She's very well.'

  'I'm glad. Would you give her my regards?'

  'Yes, I'll do that,' said Tom.

  Adrian nodded and left.

  Tom sat back, smiled wryly to himself. If it hadn't been for that most casually put of questions, and Adrian's concept of literal truth… and he had been telling the truth, there was no reason for him not to. Maria had been driving away from the centre at seven when she'd sworn she was with Medlar until eight, which made them both liars. He could challenge Medlar with it now, or he could challenge Maria… who was probably the weaker link…

  He knew he ought to tell Bennett about it, but if he could break Maria now, and he knew he could do that better than Bennett, then maybe he could break the case as well.

  Jessie slammed the door of her car hard enough to make the neighbour digging his garden look up, then went to the door of Verity's house and rang the bell. The pressure building behind her left eye wasn't quite a pain – yet, but she knew that within an hour or so it would evolve into a full-blown migraine.

  She rang the bell again. She shouldn't have come, she wouldn't have had to if Verity hadn't been so persistent… After being released the night before, Jessie had gone home and had been flopped on the sofa with a large whisky when the phone rang.

  'It's me, flower,' Verity said. 'They let you go, then?'

  'Sounds like it, doesn't it?' Jessie said, immediately regretting her churlishness.

  'He still doesn't believe us. Bennett, I mean.'

  'I know.'

  'Can you come round? We need to talk about it.'

  'Better not, I've just drunk enough whisky to tip me over the breathalyser.' She hadn't, not yet, she just didn't want to see Verity.

  'I'll come round to you, then.'

  'Verity, I can't take any more tonight – can't it wait till tomorrow, please?'

  'It's important.'

  'Tell me now, then.'

  'I can't, not over the phone.' She hesitated, said, 'I know who shat on you with Goring.'

  After another pause, Jessie said, 'Well, who?'

  'I'm not telling you over the phone.'

  Jessie had done her best to persuade her, but Verity refused and Jessie had eventually slammed the phone down in frustration.

  Did it matter? she'd wondered. Did it have any bearing? It might, but what could she do about it now…?

  She had needed more than the whisky in her glass before she'd been able to sleep that night.

  Now, she knelt, pushed open the letter flap and shouted loudly, 'Verity, it's me, Jessie.'

  The door gave slightly under her fingers… she pushed it open, stood up and went a little way into the hall.

  'Verity?' she c
alled.

  She looked into the living-room, saw the foot protruding from behind the arm of the sofa. She knew perfectly well what it meant, but still had to look.

  Verity was lying on her back, her eyes wide open as though in astonishment, staring up at the ceiling…

  The astonishment was appropriate, Jessie reflected as she picked up the phone, since a large latex phallus had been thrust crudely into her mouth.

  Tom listened patiently while Maria recited once again how she'd stayed with Medlar in his office on Friday evening until eight She didn't show anything like so much embarrassment this time round, he thought, perhaps because he hadn't dwelled on the sexual aspect.

  'So you left him at just before eight and he left five minutes later?'

  'Yes.'

  'How d'you know he left five minutes later?'

  She made a mouth. 'I suppose I don't, strictly speaking – ' she'd gained in confidence now – 'but the police are satisfied he did, aren't they? Didn't he arrive home shortly after that?'

  'But nobody saw you arrive home, did they?'

  'They wouldn't, I live alone.'

  'Did anyone see you leave the centre?'

  'I told you before, I left by the back corridor so that nobody would see me.'

  'As it happens, Maria, somebody did see you leaving.'

  She stiffened.

  'It was when you were driving away.'

  She regarded him warily, not speaking.

  'The problem being that it was just after seven when they saw you.'

  Her tongue touched her lips. 'Then they're mistaken. It was dark…' She gave her characteristic half-smile. 'And so am I.'

  Tom smiled back. 'There was no mistake, you were going under a street lamp. And it was your car.'

  'Who was it?'

  'I don't think that really matters at this stage, do you?'

  'Well, whoever it was, it's their word against mine. And Dr Medlar's.'

  'I'd like to turn now to the following Sunday,' Tom continued smoothly. 'You were called in to do a cross match, you were telling me yesterday.'

  'Yes…?'

  'A cross match takes an hour at the most. You were here for over three hours.'

  Maria swallowed nervously. 'I thought I told you, it was a very difficult cross match and I had to repeat all the tests.'

  'Because the patient had antibodies, I think you said?'

  'Er – yes, that's right.'

  'So you would have put up a panel to identify it, wouldn't you?'

  'Yes…'

  'And the results of that would be in the computer?'

  She nodded slowly, her eyes on his face.

  'Perhaps you'd like to show me? We can go along to your lab, if you like.'

  She closed her eyes for a moment. 'I wasn't telling you the truth yesterday,' she said, opening them again. 'I didn't put up a panel. I got the patient's blood group wrong – that's why I had to repeat everything. I didn't tell you before because I was so embarrassed about it.'

  'How did such an experienced operator as you come to make such a fundamental error?'

  'I don't know. It was just one of those things.'

  'But that's why the blood was delayed and the ward had to telephone and ask where it was?'

  'Yes.'

  'While you were in your lab working against the clock trying to rectify your mistake?'

  'Yes,' she said faintly.

  'Craig Scratchley, who you told me is not an aware person, took the call and says that he couldn't find you in your lab.'

  Her tongue touched her lips. 'That would have been during one of the incubation periods, I expect.'

  'So where were you?'

  'In the loo, I imagine. I do have to use the loo occasionally like anyone else.' Her voice was ragged now, bordering on hysteria.

  'The unaware Craig also told me that he found you in the drivers' room, going through the keys to all the vehicles.'

  'I – I was checking which driver was on, what van he would use…'

  'Why? That's not your job, surely?'

  'I just wanted to be sure.'

  'Craig also told me that he thought you'd gone home after you'd issued the blood at six, but that then you reappeared an hour later.'

  'I – I was putting the results into the computer, tidying everything away…'

  'Indeed you were. You were tidying away Dr Goring's body, weren't you? Dumping it in the Tamar.'

  'No!' She half rose from her seat. 'No – I've never heard anything so…'

  'Ridiculous? So it may be, but that's what you were doing.'

  She was shaking her head. 'No…'

  'The time, the opportunity, it has to be you, Maria. I don't have absolute proof, not yet, but we're having forensic tests done on all the vans, which should tie it up.' This really was stretching the truth, but Tom knew that if she didn't break now, she might not at all.

  She was sitting upright, very still, her eyes and lips clenched tight and tears following each other down her face… and to his astonishment, he suddenly realised that she was beautiful. He said, 'I don't know how you managed it, but I do know that it was you who moved him. Did you kill him, Maria?'

  'Yes,' she whispered.

  'When?'

  She opened her eyes. 'Do you have a handkerchief, please?'

  He handed her one and she carefully wiped her face.

  'It was Friday night,' she said at last. 'You were right, I did leave at seven, but I came back half an hour later. I'd arranged to meet him – Dr Goring – in the underground park. Nobody saw us, we came up in the lift. I told him there was something he should see in the freezer and shut him in while he was looking.'

  'What did you do then?'

  'I left him there and went home. Nobody saw me.'

  'What did you tell him he should see?'

  'Something he could use to sack Jessie.'

  'What was it?'

  'I didn't tell him what. There wasn't anything.'

  'Why did you do it, Maria?'

  'Because of what he was doing to the centre and everyone in it, because he was trying to ruin Jessie… making misery for everyone.'

  'How did you manage to get the body out of the centre?'

  'I'm stronger than I look. You know: “Lift that bale, tote that barge…”' She gave a twisted smile, continued: 'When I was called in and realised that no one had found the body, I decided to put it in the river to confuse the police…'

  She'd positioned one of the centre's vans by the lift, she told him, then lifted the body on to a trolley with the hand-operated fork-lift from the stores. 'That was the hardest part,' she said, 'but luckily, he was hunched up, except for one arm.'

  There was no other way she could have known about that…

  She'd covered it with a large dust sheet, pushed it through Plasma to the reception lift, then manoeuvred it into the van. Then she'd driven to a disused wharf and pushed it in the river before returning to the centre. Listening to her, Tom had no doubt that she was telling the truth.

  'Well, we'd better get you down to the police station,' he said.

  He rang Bennett and told him he was bringing someone to see him. Bennett seemed to hesitate, then told Tom that something had come up and he'd already sent a car to collect him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tom didn't have long to wonder why because the car arrived almost straight away. When they got to the station, Maria was taken to an interview' room while Bennett took Tom up to his own office.

  'So what does she have to say that's so important, Mr Jones?'

  'Only that she killed Dr Goring.'

  Bennett goggled. 'What?'

  'Although I'm not – '

  'How come she told you?' he demanded.

  As Tom explained, Bennett's mouth tightened and his eyes glittered.

  'You should have brought that information to us, not questioned her about it yourself.'

  'I'm sorry, inspector, but I thought it best to hit her with what I had straight away.'

>   'So that's what you thought, is it?' Bennett said between his teeth.

  'Yes, because I'm the one who knows how long it takes to do a cross match, to – '

  'Your brief was to assist us, sir. Now, there are some questions I want to ask you.'

  Tom didn't much like the way he was looking at him. 'Aren't you going to take Miss N'Kanu's statement before she changes her mind about it?'

  All in good time.' He opened a drawer and brought out a sealed plastic bag. 'Would this be your identity card, by any chance, sir? It has your name on it.'

  Tom took the bag. 'Yes, it is. Where did you find it?'

  'It would be true to say, would it not, that you had a quarrel with Miss Verity Blane yesterday afternoon during which she pushed a desk on to you, necessitating your having an X-ray?'

  'You already know that. Where did you find my card?'

  'Underneath the body, the dead body, of Miss Blane.'

  'What?' It was Tom's turn to goggle.

  'She's been found murdered, strangled, and I'd like to know how come your ID card was under her body, sir.'

  'So would I, inspector,' Tom said weakly. 'Where was she found?'

  'In her home.'

  'Well, I've never been there, I don't even know where it is.'

  'You're telling me you know nothing about her death?'

  'Of course not, I – '

  'In which case you won't mind letting us take your fingerprints. For elimination purposes.'

  Tom thought quickly. He knew he'd never been to Verity's house, so where was the harm? 'All right,' he said.

  Bennett picked up his phone and pushed a button. 'Sergeant – send Bendle along with his kit, please.'

  He put the phone down. There was a silence which Tom broke by saying, 'Who found her?'

  'Miss Pengellis.'

  'When?'

  'This morning. She phoned us from Miss Blane's house not long after you left the station.'

  After another short silence, Tom said, 'I really think you ought to take Miss N'Kanu's statement, I'm afraid she might change – '

  Bennett's fist crashed down on to his desk. 'Don't tell me how to do my job, sir.'

  There was a knock on the door and a man came in with the fingerprinting kit. Tom had had it done before, although not quite under these circumstances.

  When it was finished, Bennett said, 'And now if you'd like to wait while we check them, I'll go and see Miss N'Kanu.'