The nurses asked Eva, Dan and Georgie to vacate cubicle 10 while they ran some checks on Joe’s vitals. The three used the excuse to take some air away from the chaos, only to find more chaos outside among the ambulances teeming on the cross-hatched area outside the A&E back doors. They stepped out of the way.
“This is important, Georgie,” said Dan. “We need you to be absolutely clear on what happened that night. Crystal clear,” said Dan.
But I told you everything already.”
“Yes,” said Eva. “But put the break-in aside for a moment. Let’s think about Aaron for a minute. He said he went to see Joe that evening. Now we know he was wrong about that. He made a mistake. Then he went out on his date...”
“Yes, as soon as he could, about nine pm.”
“And then?” said Dan.
“And then there was the supposed break-in, about one. And later on, there... there was something...”
“Your bad feeling?” said Eva. “The nightmare you described?”
“Maybe it’s connected,” said Georgie. “If it wasn’t just a feeling, then maybe there might have been another noise downstairs. I remember stirring, I know that much. Like I said, I just put it down to what happened before. The window breaking and all that.”
“Do you know the time you were stirred by that noise or bad feeling?” said Eva.
“It was still pitch black. I was scared. I really didn’t want to open my eyes.”
“It starts getting light around four onwards,” said Dan. “Which puts that period between one and say, three forty-five am.”
“I don’t understand. Why’s this so important all of a sudden?” said Georgie.
“We have to be clear about everything, that’s all,” said Eva.
Georgie gave a single nod, but she didn’t look convinced.
“And after that?”
“I heard the door slam at five. Or thereabouts. Soon after that, Aaron lost it, like I said. He found the broken kitchen window and all his stuff missing and went stomping and shouting all over the house.”
“Thank you, Georgie,” said Eva. “I think you’ve told us all we need to know.”
Georgie puffed her cheeks and blew out a long deep breath. “He wants to discharge himself, you know.”
“Don’t let him,” said Eva. “He’s in no fit state to go anywhere.”
“Honestly, he’s stubborn just like his father. If there’s any chance he can manage it, there will be no way to stop him.”
“Which is exactly why he needs someone like you in his life,” said Dan. “Joe’s a lucky kid. One day he might even realise it. We need to go.”
Eva nodded. “Will you be okay?”
“Someone has to be,” said Georgie with a shrug.
“That’s the spirit,” said Eva. She squeezed the girl’s shoulder and then they parted right there on the A&E forecourt. Eva and Dan walked away, gathering pace with every step they took.
“Aaron Clancy is a liar,” said Dan.
Eva glanced at him as they walked. “Say it out loud if you want to. If Georgie is right about that bad feeling, Aaron Clancy could be a lot worse than that.”
“It’s still too subtle,” said Dan. “It all comes down to one dumb lie, a chair behnd a door and Georgie’s bad feeling. If we presented the basis of that theory to Hogarth he’d laugh in our faces.
“And he’d be right to,” said Eva. “We need more.”
“Maybe there’s a chance we could find the weapon. Grace’s cosh looked the part...”
“At the time, yes,” said Eva. “But a weapon like that couldn’t have cut open Carl Renton’s stomach like that. We’re looking at a sharp edged weapon. Trouble is there were metal detectors all over that beach hunting for the Saxon gold. If there were any weapons, they would have been found then.
Dan shook his head. “First off, that blood patch was found on the other side of the marine centre, a good way from where the bulk of those treasure hunters were scanning the sand. Most only checked the section between the marine centre and the bistro.”
Eva recalled the beach – the few hunters and youths she’d found there after she had picked her way round the jetty.
“Then the police presence pretty much killed any hunting that side,” said Dan.
“Then the police should have found the weapon if it was there,” said Eva.
“You’re giving the police way too much credit. Norman Peters was beaten up, knocked unconscious and killed with Ubers stuffed down his neck. The blood patch wasn’t even found until you picked it up. Who’s to say they’ve even started looking for any weapon.”
Eva shrugged. “What would this weapon even look like?” said Eva.
“Carl Renton’s head was caved in. It had been bludgeoned as well as cut. Then like you said, his abdomen was a royal mess. It couldn’t have been a knife. It was a heavy implement of some kind, like the cosh, but something with a sharp edge. Maybe a short crow bar, or a builder’s tool... If the drug traffickers did it, it could have a tool from a boat or a pistol whipping, but that doesn’t explain the cut to Renton’s gut. And guns aren’t always made of metal. There’s no reason a polymer based weapon would be found by a detector.”
“Okay. Fine. I’m persuaded. We should check the beach again. But that’s a heck of a large area.”
“We’ll concentrate on a few areas. If they wanted to hide a weapon in a hurry, underneath the jetty would have been a good place to start. Or out in the mud. But a killer in a hurry wouldn’t have time to think about distance. He’d get rid of it in the immediate vicinity. He’d have to, then he’d run.”
“You really want to look for this weapon, don’t you?”
“Yes,” said Dan. “It could nail the killer, whoever he is.”
“Fine,” said Eva. “But split the labour. Get some help. Ask Mark and Joanne to help you.”
Dan frowned. “And what about you?”
“It’s Aaron Clancy. His behaviour bothers me, the way he leaves his son in hospital after he almost dies from a drug overdose. I’m seeing him in a new light.”
“He’s angry with Joe. Clancy’s got his priorities all wrong, I know, but that’s just the man we’re dealing with.”
“But combine that with questions over his lies and possible whereabouts on Thursday night, and it makes me wonder.”
“I know what you mean. You know, for a minute there I thought this case might actually pay,” said Dan.
“Keep the faith,” said Eva.
“I’ll bet that’s what Carl Renton used to say.”
“Probably. I’m going to take a closer look at Aaron Clancy. It’s an itch I’ve got to scratch.”
“But you don’t even know where he’s gone,” said Dan.
“No. But I’m hoping he hasn’t gone home,” said Eva. “I might need to ask Georgie for a little favour.”
Dan shook his head. “I used to think you’d make a great cop, and I’d make a great convict. These days, you’re just as much of a rule-breaker as I ever was.”
“Rules are to be followed if they are helpful. But right now we need to take a more flexible approach. Come on. Let’s get this over with before I change my mind.”
“Good luck,” said Dan, starting on his way.
Eva headed back towards the beeping, howling hubbub of Southend A&E. She hoped Georgie would be able to persuade Joe to help. But if Joe wouldn’t, Eva had to hope that Georgie would take the same flexible attitude to the rules as she did.
Twenty-five
It was getting late in the day – the time when the light began to change, moving from bright blue to hues of dark blue through to violet and then red. It wasn’t long until sunset, and with a clear sky like this one, the beach should have been a beautiful setting. Except they were too busy to pay much attention. Mark and Joanne had agreed to give up their time to help Dan with the search on the town side of the marine centre – the side where the blood patch had been found on the sand, where Norman Peters’ corpse had been hidden
under the old wooden dinghy. The small white tent around the blood stain had been removed, as had all trace of the blood itself. The larger tent around the Peters’ murder site was still in place and still guarded by a uniformed constable and PCSO. The two uniforms regarded the three of them with more than a passing interest when they arrived, but they also looked distinctly reluctant to get involved in any way. The cops had a job to do and didn’t need any extra trouble. That sentiment went both ways and when Dan spoke, he was careful to keep his words low enough so the uniforms couldn’t hear.
“The blood patch was about there,” said Dan. He nodded towards the site. “Where those grasses start. See the patch there – where the grass is missing? That’s where their crime scene tent was.”
“If they’re gone they must have everything they need,” said Mark.
“Looks like they took that whole bloodied section of sand away to their lab,” said Dan. “But we still haven’t heard about any weapon and I think Hogarth would have clued us in if he’d found one. Which means it’s now down to us. If we can find the weapon there’s a very good chance that we can ID the killer. If not us, then the police can use it.”
“What are we looking for?” said Joanne. Dan saw the glint of excitement in her eye and he liked it. Joanne was like a cross between him and Eva. The girl had his exuberant wild side, and Eva’s determination to get the job done. Even after all the trouble Joanne had caused him, Dan couldn’t fault her tenacity.
“A blunt implement with a sharp edge. Or maybe two weapons, one sharp, one heavy and blunt. Sounds unlikely. We’re not talking a ninja here. We’re talking your basic vicious drug dealer-slash-importer. We’re looking at brute force and speed. To me that says a single weapon.”
“Okay and where do we start?” said Mark as he switched on his metal detector – something Mark said his dad had left behind when he moved out. It was an old gizmo with rust down the length of the tubular shaft and a bottom scanner which looked like an old red camping kettle. The device looked like a refugee from the eighties, which Dan guessed it was.
“Under the jetty. Assuming the killer didn’t take it with him, he would have wanted to hide the weapon and discard it quickly.”
Joanne nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense. He was probably hoping the tide would bury it before anyone saw.”
“I hope so. That thing still work?”
“Last time I tried it I was eight years old and I was on a beach in Clacton. I found a Victorian penny.”
“So it likes beaches. Good news.”
“I’m surprised it still works.”
“Well let’s see what else you can find. Try under the length of the jetty. I’ll start near the water side, dig around and see what I can see.”
Dan left Joanne and Mark to their fun as they started to scan the sand under the edge of the marine centre jetty. Dan padded down the beach until he reached the water’s edge. There was a gap between the end of the jetty and the first laps of the sea water. He strained his eyes in the lilac-orange sunlight to pick out any unusual shapes in the glistening muddy sand. The light was fading fast. Pretty soon they were going to need a torch.
***
Eva held her breath as she slotted the key into the front door. She turned it quietly, and felt the lock give with a gentle click. Eva’s heart was beating faster than she would have liked. Georgie had secured the key from Joe, in return for promising to help the young man with discharging himself from hospital. He clearly wasn’t ready for that, but Eva needed the key more than she wanted to object. Hopefully Georgie would keep Joe in check for a while longer. When Eva arrived at the Clancy house the driveway was empty, just as she’d hoped. And as an extra precaution against being caught, Eva had parked her Alfa Romeo around the nearby corner, on a narrow side road which slinked down one side of Chalkwell Park to join Kings Road, not far from Leigh. It kept her car well out of sight, but at a price. A quick getaway was now out of the question. It was a price Eva was willing to pay. There was evidence somewhere in the house, she was sure of it. Evidence of what was yet to be determined. But Aaron Clancy’s unnecessary lies seemed like the start of something – like a loose thread. If Eva tugged and kept pulling, she hoped the whole mystery would unravel itself. If Clancy Senior’s gold-laden study told her nothing, then maybe Joe’s clothes collection might. But it was Aaron Clancy who fascinated her the most. He had hired them to help him find his collection, not to find Carl Renton. But in Eva’s mind, the mysteries of the murder and the gold had always intersected through his son. But it wasn’t all down to Joe, Eva was now sure of that. She looked out on the quiet street before she shut the door. Closing off the world outside, Eva hesitantly called out and waited for a response, but there was none. There was nothing but her own fear.
“Keep it together, Eva. It’s just a big empty house,” she muttered. “Focus.”
The house hummed and a chill started on the nape of Eva’s neck. She took a breath, glanced out through the distorted glass of the front door window. No car. No sign of Clancy. And on she went. The front room with the decorative items of Clancy’s collection was interesting enough, but Eva was relatively certain that the room held no secrets. The secrets were upstairs, along with the phone Clancy used for snooping on calls. She climbed the stairs in the twilight of the house, unable and unwilling to switch on the light because of the risk of being seen from outside. Eva closed her eyes for a few seconds and reopened them to adjust to the lack of light. Better. The white walls of the upper hallway were filled with lilac, gold, red and orange light from the coming sunset. The doors of the upper rooms were all open, except for one. Through Joe’s bedroom window Eva caught a view of the sun lowering over the distant Thames, and then the silence prodded her on. She moved towards the closed door, feeling a sudden burst of inexplicable panic. She was already breaking the law and certainly voiding their contract. But going into Aaron Clancy’s private study seemed something even beyond that. She felt like a thief. This was a family home after all, or at least it was made to look like one. Eva plunged the handle and opened the door. The room was a mixture of bright colours from the evening light and strong, stark shadows. With a deep breath, she closed the door behind her then moved into the centre of the room and looked around, taking a slow three-sixty to observe her surroundings and what they meant. The trinkets framed on the walls like pinned butterflies, the cabinet of larger, striking items, a mixture of gold and other metals, a mixture of periods and styles. Then there were the books on the shelf beside the bureau. Books about antiquities, gems of the ancient world, as well as books on the history of gold, and official annual catalogues from jewellery and auction houses. Some were decades old others were brand new. Eva traced a finger along a few old spines and rubbed her fingers together. Not a trace of dust. Like the man himself, barely a trace of wrongdoing. And yet he lied. Was the obvious lack of love for his son the only reason she had come to suspect him? Or was her lack of success in finding the gold the real reason she had turned against the man who had hired her? Her doubts mingled with her suspicion. She looked at a small wooden cabinet beside the bureau and opened it. Inside were several folders, and what looked like a stack of blank A4 paper. Eva picked up a few pages. The first was typed in small bold letters. THE DIAMOND CONNECTION a novel by Aaron G. Clancy. Eva flicked through the papers and found hints of a muscular but intelligent adventurer with a liking for gold. After a moment Eva found a luridly written sex scene and the words made her cringe. It seemed Clancy was living several lives at once, some in his imagination, and all of them at the expense of his son. Eva was glad to put the paper back in the stack and shut the cabinet door. She turned to the bureau as the daylight on the walls was dimming. Eva knew she would need light to learn anything more. She walked to the light switch, and was about to flick it on, but then she glanced to the window and changed her mind. Closing the curtains would be another dead giveaway. Instead, she had to be careful. Eva moved the chair away from the bureau and crouched down beside the drawer
s beneath it. The top drawer had a brass-rimmed keyhole. Eva tugged at the little circular pull handles, but the drawer wouldn’t budge. Instead, she tried the drawer below. No keyhole which meant no lock. The drawer opened to reveal a box of small bright items all individually bagged, some stickered and coded in the man’s hand. She rummaged among them. Rings. Brooches. Cufflinks. Crucifixes. Things ancient and antique, a few more modern. Beside it were a set of small handwritten catalogues. She picked one and scanned it, but it was too hard to read in the failing light. Eva pulled out her phone and switched on the torch app. A bright star of light shone at the top of her smartphone. She aimed it at the book and started to read the short entries. The book had a handwritten title: ‘Smaller Items, Mostly Victorian.’ Eva set them aside and closed the drawer. Next she opened the bottom drawer. It was heavy and pulled open slowly. There was a metal clatter inside as she opened it. A jumble of dull but colourful metals stared up at her from inside. The drawer was as much a mess as the cutlery drawer back in the office kitchenette, but here every item was made of gold, or studded with gems and these were not bagged. A much smaller book beside them was titled ‘small objects, precious metals and gems. Various Periods.’. There and then she felt a sudden rush of insight. A giddy, exciting and yet terrifying prospect. Carl Renton’s hideous injuries on the beach at Thorpe Bay flashed into her mind and Eva shone her torch and began to prod the metal apart with a noisy jangle. Her quick eye couldn’t find anything remotely suitable, and certainly nothing bloodied. Perhaps she was chasing up another blind alley but she needed to be sure. After a moment, she gave up and closed the drawer. Outside, a car drew past along Kings Road. It slowed to a near halt as it approached the Clancy driveway. Its orange indicator flashed to take the turning. It flashed a few times and the car started to turn before it abruptly stopped. Looking up from his Lexus window Aaron Clancy’s face was swathed in shadow. For a moment he saw a kaleidoscope of colours reflected from the ceiling of his study. Then the light changed and the colours were gone. His eyes caught the shifting light and saw a sudden brightness within, reflecting from the walls. He stared, open mouthed, then turned the steering wheel straight again, changed gears and dabbed the accelerator. He glided the car past his house only to come to a stop a hundred yards away. This time he didn’t indicate. He stared into the rear-view mirror and then quite by chance, he glanced along the side road opposite and saw a familiar small red car parked on a bend. His eyes narrowed and he took a breath. He got out of his car, locked it, and set off towards his house. The last of the sunlight had finally fallen away from Kings Road. The street was already succumbing to the first hints of evening.
Between Two Thieves Page 34
