The Eye in the Dark

by Katherine Pathak

  Mike used all his energy to make a further grab for Denny. The younger man was too quick for him; he sidestepped towards the wall, allowing Mike to crash painfully onto the bedside table. The older man cried out in agony.

  “But this isn’t why we’re here,” Denny continued, in a reasonable tone. “I wanted to offer you this room back, Betsy. I remembered how much you loved it. I’m sorry about Autumn, I swear I am. But perhaps now I can make amends. I bought the house as soon as I could gather together the funds. I wanted us all to be able to come back here again. It’s our home. Bruno will join us as soon as my lawyers get him released.”

  Betsy shook her head in disbelief. “You killed our daughter and scared an old couple to death. This isn’t what Gretchen would have wanted.”

  “We were always family. Mum would have wanted us to be together now. It’s what I’ve been working all these years for.”

  Betsy bent down and cradled Mike in her arms. “You disgust me,” she spat over her shoulder. “I don’t recognise the monster you’ve become.”

  Denny didn’t have time to answer. The door to the room burst open. Within seconds, the cramped space was filled with police.

  Chapter 40

  “A very fine set-up you’ve got here.” Nate Lawrence followed Dani across the floor of the serious crime unit at Pitt Street, Glasgow.

  The DI from the Met shook hands with Dermot Muir when they reached the threshold of Dani’s office.

  “Great work bringing in Denny Lomond,” Nate said with genuine admiration.

  Dermot creased his brow. “It was very much a team effort. If Mike Carlisle hadn’t contacted Professor Morgan and told him where Betsy was heading, we’d be none the wiser.”

  “Yes, but it was you and DS Moffett who kept digging into the Bauer deaths. You had the collective instinct to know there was more to that situation than met the eye.”

  “How is Mike Carlisle?” Dani asked.

  Dermot grimaced this time. “He’s at Raigmore Hospital with a cracked rib. Betsy is by his side. I feel terrible. I heard a crash inside the room, but I didn’t go in immediately. It’s my fault Mike’s in hospital.”

  “You made a judgement call. You were recording what you could of Denny’s confession on your phone through the door. The Carlisles will just be pleased when we manage to secure a conviction for their daughter’s murder.”

  Sharon brought over a tray of coffees.

  “Thank you, Sharon,” Dani said gratefully. “Please stay and join in the debrief. You’ve played as much of a part in this as the rest of us.”

  The DS scooped up a mug and leant her weight on a nearby desk. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  “What is happening with John Lomond?” Dermot enquired.

  Nate answered, “he’s still in custody at my station in west London. We’ve charged him with the murder of Autumn Carlisle, based on Denny’s confession which we have recorded, and Mike and Betsy’s sworn testimony. Lomond’s lawyers failed to get him granted bail.”

  “The Met are still gathering evidence in relation to the murder of Kathy Brice. Now we know John had access to a cleaner’s uniform and security pass plus the CCTV image which matches his height and build, he remains the main suspect,” Dani explained.

  “We think Kathy Brice overheard a conversation between Denny and Autumn about their plans for the Bauers. She thought they were having an affair and had been watching their movements closely. When we brought Denny’s secretary in for questioning at the station, she admitted that Kathy had gossiped to her in the canteen about hearing some type of altercation between the CEO and Autumn. Kathy hinted that what she heard was very damaging for them both. Diane Martin mentioned this to Denny. She’s extremely loyal to her boss.”

  Sharon tutted. “So, Kathy’s gossiping got her killed?”

  “It’s what we suspected all along,” Dani explained. “Kathy had hated Autumn ever since she’d got promoted ahead of her. Kathy was waiting to gather evidence against her crew manager by eavesdropping into her conversations. If Denny thought Kathy knew about his involvement in the deaths of the Bauers, she was a big danger to him.”

  “Kathy had been talking to us the morning of the day she died,” Nate said solemnly. “Lomond must have panicked.”

  “I think Denny called Kathy during one of the toilet breaks from his meeting with the union bosses. He told her to go to gate 52. Perhaps he said a passenger had been taken ill in the ladies’ loos and they needed a representative from Lomond Airlines to help sort it out,” Dani continued.

  “Whatever reason he gave, Denny was the boss and Kathy wouldn’t have questioned it.” Nate sighed heavily. “When the poor woman got down there, John was waiting for her.”

  Dermot took a gulp of coffee. “I read the report. John strangled her, probably with his belt and left her body in one of the cubicles.” He shook his head. “Denny’s brother sounds like a nasty piece of work.”

  “It seems John had been following Autumn on and off for years. She must have noticed. It would have been terrifying. I get the sense he enjoyed killing her. It was a pleasure for him.”

  “Perhaps the mercury poisoning somehow affected how he turned out,” Sharon added thoughtfully. “His mother must have had the chemical surging through her system when she was pregnant with him. Maybe that’s why he’s turned out so wrong?”

  Dani shrugged. “It’s definitely a possibility. I don’t know enough about the effects of the chemical to be able to hazard a guess. Rhodri might have an opinion on it.”

  “I’ve written to Stefan and Mila Bauer,” Sharon went on. “I told them of John Lomond’s presence in their parents hotel room the night they died. I’ve also requested a copy of the letter Stefan was sent by one of his father’s work colleagues in Berlin. Perhaps the contents of that will finally prove whether or not Klaus was guilty of poisoning all those people.”

  Dermot’s expression was sombre. “I don’t think we’ll be able to prosecute John or Denny Lomond in relation to the deaths of the Bauers. We’ve got Denny in the cells downstairs awaiting questioning in relation to it, but I think breaking and entering and intimidation are the best we’ll manage.”

  “It’s not a great result for Stefan and Mila,” Sharon added.

  “Which is why it’s important to focus now on the murders of Kathy and Autumn. With Denny’s confession and the evidence tying Lomond to the scene of at least one of the killings, I remain hopeful,” Dani said.

  Dermot drained his mug. “What about Mike and Betsy? Now we know they were involved with the Soviet Union, potentially as spies against Britain, what will happen to them?”

  Dani shook her head softly. “We pass the details onto the intelligence services. It will be in their hands then. They will decide what to do.”

  “Might Betsy be sent back to Germany?” Sharon asked.

  “She’s married to a British citizen so I wouldn’t have thought so,” Nate stated. “The Cold War ended a long old time ago. I don’t expect anyone will consider them a threat now.”

  “The intelligence services will probably want to question Mike about his associates back in the 1980s. It definitely sounded like this Jimmy character was a Soviet Agent. But whether Mike and Betsy will face charges is another matter. I think they were more afraid of retribution from Moscow than the authorities here, for breaking their cover.” Dermot crossed his arms over his chest.

  Dani let out a humourless grunt. “I wonder how many other sleepers are out there, still believing they are working for the Russians?”

  Nate put down his mug with a flourish. “Happily, that’s not our concern. I’m just looking forward to questioning Denny Lomond again. I want to see his face when he realises we’ve got his confession on tape.”

  “Can I sit in on the interview, Ma’am?” Dermot asked expectantly.

  “Of course,” Dani replied. “You’ve performed outstandingly in this investigation.” She ushered him in the direction of the lifts. “I was rather hoping we could have a ta
lk about maybe extending your contract?”

  “That’s certainly a possibility, Ma’am.”

  Chapter 41

  Before reaching Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Rhodri had driven Dani on a detour. He bumped his car along the private drive which led to The Highlander hotel. The sun was high in the sky and the landscape bathed in golden light.

  Dani observed the forest of maple and pines which surrounded the house. The tall boughs put her in mind of the line of trees which flanked Autumn’s cottage in Mitchling. It seemed clear now, that they reminded her of the time she’d spent here in the Highlands during the early years of her life.

  Rhodri didn’t stop. He swept the car around and headed back towards the city. Neither felt a desire to linger in the place.

  Rhodri had brought a potted plant and a basket of fruit. Dani had her own offering, wrapped in brown paper and tucked under her arm.

  Mike had a bed on one of the general wards. As they approached it, Betsy was arranging some pretty carnations in a vase.

  Rhodri was the first to speak. “How are you feeling, Mike? I hope they’re treating you well?”

  The man automatically put a hand to the bandage wrapped around his chest, just visible through the gaps between the buttons of his striped pyjamas. “I’m a bit sore, but I’ll live. They’re releasing me tomorrow, which is just as well, as the poor neighbours have got Dodie.”

  Dani creased her brow in puzzlement.

  “The dog,” Rhodri explained to her.

  “I just hope they’re keeping her well away from that rabbit,” Betsy commented.

  Rhodri couldn’t help but smile. His friends seemed to be getting back to normal.

  Dani cleared her throat. “John Lomond has been charged with your daughter’s murder. After forensic tests were carried out, traces of Autumn’s blood were found in the treads of a pair of his black work shoes. The techies are also pretty sure they match the scuff mark I found in her bedroom at the flat in Hillingdon.”

  Betsy sighed. “Little Bruno. Who would have imagined it?”

  “What about Denny Lomond?” Mike asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

  “Well, he will be charged with actual bodily harm in relation to the assault on you. We also hope to secure a conviction for two counts of accessory to murder, although this isn’t as foregone a conclusion as John’s conviction.” Dani wanted to be as honest as possible with the couple.

  Mike grunted. “I hope he doesn’t get away with it.”

  Dani didn’t reply. She couldn’t make any false promises. Suddenly, she recalled the package down by her feet. “Mr and Mrs Carlisle, when I was down in Sussex, I recovered some artwork which belonged to your daughter. I thought you might like one of the paintings.”

  “Autumn was very keen on her art, wasn’t she Mike? She had friends in Amsterdam who made the most wonderful wooden sculptures of animals. We’ve got one in our garden that she brought back for us.”

  “This piece seemed to mean a lot to Autumn. She visited the artist to get the story behind it. Rhodri thinks you may know why she was so interested in the subject matter.” Dani ripped off the brown paper and showed Arthur Keating’s watercolour to Betsy.

  She immediately threw a hand up to cover her mouth. “It’s the plane crash!”

  Rhodri edged forward in his chair. “What plane crash, Betsy?”

  Betsy glanced at her husband, as if gaining permission to speak. He gave a curt nod.

  “It happened in the winter of 1990. We had been given a couple of rooms on the top floor of Balloch House as our family quarters. Autumn was a toddler. She was asleep in her little bed in the adjoining room. Or I always thought she was.”

  “At first, all I heard was the persistent buzzing of an engine circling overhead. Then it started to falter. I had the feeling something was terribly wrong. Mike was downstairs somewhere. I went to the window, the one which looked out over the woods.”

  “It was night by this time. All I could see was a single light, holding quite still over the trees, like an eye in the dark. I couldn’t hear the engine at all by this point. The plane must have lost power and was gliding towards the huge maples because then there was a terrible crack, like thunder in a storm as the plane hit the branches and plummeted to the ground.”

  “Jimmy and I heard the noise and ran out to see what was happening,” Mike explained. “We approached the wreckage with flashlights. The plane had become lodged in a gap between the trunks of two of the largest maples. The pilot was slumped over the controls. We thought he’d probably died on impact. Then, he suddenly raised his head.”

  “I saw all this from the window,” Betsy continued. “Jimmy tried to wrench open the door to the cockpit with a branch. When that didn’t work, he hammered on the windscreen. But by this point, I’d seen the flames licking the back of the plane. Within seconds, the wreckage was engulfed.”

  Mike shook his head sadly. “Jimmy tried his best. His hands were burnt from his efforts to free the pilot. The fire took hold too quickly. Then the fuel tank exploded.”

  Betsy put her head in her hands. “I saw the man’s face in that final moment. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes.”

  “Others had joined us by this point. We tried to contain the fire as best we could. But the ground was damp. The inferno burnt itself out pretty quickly without our help.”

  “What about the pilot? People must have been searching for him?” Dani was transfixed by the tale and appalled in equal measure.

  “Oh yes, they were. His name was Alec Docherty. He had a wife and two children. He’d been flying his light aircraft out of an airfield near Nairn. The papers were full of the search for weeks. Some experts suggested he may have hit one of the mountains in the Cairngorms, the wreckage being covered by a heavy fall of snow, others that he went down over the North Sea. The area covered by the recovery teams was vast.”

  “But you knew exactly where he was. Why didn’t you notify the authorities?” Rhodri couldn’t hide his shock.

  “Because our project at Balloch House was top secret. If the police had come poking around, it would all have been over.” Mike swallowed, as if his mouth was dry. “As soon as the wreckage cooled, we pulled his body out. We gave him a decent burial. Then set about getting rid of the wreckage. We buried sections of it and used some of the metal to make railings for the house. Over time, the trees recovered from the fire and the branches grew to cover the crash site.”

  “I’m going to need you to show me where his body is buried,” Dani said gently. “His family will want to know.”

  Mike nodded. “Yes. We marked it with a small cross. Hopefully it’s still there.”

  Betsy stared at the painting. “How did Autumn have a picture of what happened? I don’t understand?”

  “This is a painting by a man called Arthur Keating. He witnessed a light aircraft crash similar to the one you did. In this case, the pilot was pulled out alive. Autumn saw this painting and was drawn to its subject matter. She even contacted Keating and visited the site of the crash, in woods behind his house.” Dani cradled the picture in her arms.

  “I thought Autumn slept through it all. She must have been woken by the noise and gone to the window next door.” Betsy choked back a sob. “I never knew she’d witnessed it too.”

  “I don’t think she did either,” Rhodri said. “She was only two years old. The event must have lodged itself in her subconscious somewhere. The fascination with planes, with flying, was clearly a manifestation of this early experience. But when Denny approached your daughter and began talking to her about their time at Balloch House, I think it released this suppressed trauma.”

  “Was that why she was having those nightmares?” Mike asked.

  “I think so. Autumn was drawn to that painting because it reproduced a scene from her early childhood. She was finally starting to process the horror she’d seen. With time, I’m sure she would have dealt with it and put it to rest.”

  Betsy was weeping quietly
.

  “Will we be charged?” Mike asked bluntly. “For hiding the pilot’s body and disposing of the wreckage?”

  Dani shook her head. “I genuinely don’t know. Much will depend on what his surviving family want.”

  Mike nodded in resignation.

  Rhodri got to his feet. “We’ll leave you now. Do try to get some rest, Mike.”

  *

  It wasn’t until they had emerged into the bright sunshine of the car-park that either of them said anything.

  “I don’t think there’s going to be a happy ending for the Carlisles.” Dani opened the passenger door and climbed inside.

  Rhodri ducked in beside her. “No, there isn’t. Mike and Betsy have been party to too many lies. Whatever their motives in covering up that crash, it is inexcusable.”

  Dani sighed. “Sending that pair to prison doesn’t feel like it will achieve much.”

  “Just focus on the fact you caught Denny and John Lomond. They are the real villains in all of this.”

  Dani gazed out of the window as Rhodri pulled away from the hospital grounds, pointing them in the direction of home.

  She thought about the boys’ mother; her sickness and the brutality of her suicide. Karl and Bruno’s abandonment by their father and the fact that both could have been suffering the effects of mercury poisoning themselves. It made her wonder if Rhodri’s words were true at all.

  *

  © Katherine Pathak. All rights reserved, 2019© The Garansay Press. All rights reserved, 2019

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