‘Yes. He was the victim’s fiance. What has he been charged with?’
‘Murder, I understand.’
‘One murder, or both?’
‘I’m not sure — just one, I think. Anyway, it vindicates you, doesn’t it?’
‘Maybe. Do you know what evidence they have?’
‘Well, not really, they’re being very tight-lipped down on the second floor. But one of my people claims to have heard that the girl was pregnant.’
Kathy shook her head. ‘Oh God. But it doesn’t make sense, Penny. Why would he have killed her, especially if she was carrying his child?’
‘Well, that’s the point, apparently. The rumour is that it wasn’t his. The blood group of the foetus was wrong. But it would have been right for the previous victim to have been the father.’
‘Petrou?’ Kathy was startled. ‘But she would have to have been at least five months gone.’
‘I imagine they won’t know for sure till they’ve done the DNA tests. Kathy, this is just hearsay. The place is buzzing with rumours. Can’t you get back in here and demand that they come clean with you about what they’ve found out? It was originally your case, after all. It isn’t right that they should put you in this position.’
‘Thanks, Penny. I’ll think about it. Maybe I should just wait awhile.’
‘You know best. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know the good news. Is there anything I can do to help?’
Kathy hesitated, then said, ‘Do you know the DC I had on the original investigation — Gordon Dowling? I’d like to get in touch with him, but I can’t seem to track him down.’
‘I know him, but I haven’t seen him around for a while. I’m not sure if he’s part of Tanner’s team at present.’
‘Very unlikely. He’s probably on suspension, like me.’
‘Oh, well, I’ll try to find out where he is.’
‘What about Belle Mansfield, in technical support? Have you seen her lately?’
‘The systems analyst? Yes, she came up in conversation the other day. She’s leaving, apparently. Handed in her notice.’
‘Oh shit.’
‘Was she involved?’
‘I’m not a good person to know at present, Penny. That’s why I didn’t want to contact you.’
The line was silent for a moment, and when Penny spoke again Kathy could hear the hesitation in her voice. ‘But Kathy, surely now … now they’ve caught the girl’s killer …’
‘If I’d done as I was told, she’d still be alive, Penny.’
‘You can’t think like that! You didn’t kill her!’
Kathy didn’t reply.
‘Kathy,’ Penny’s voice sounded worried, ‘you need help, somebody to talk to about this. I could speak to someone.’
‘No! No, Penny. I appreciate you ringing, but I just want to keep out of the way at present. If you could find out about Dowling, that would be a help. And if you do learn of any new developments, I’d really appreciate hearing about them.’
The days dragged. Kathy took to visiting the supermarket just to hear the sounds of normality and get away from the deathly silence of the house, but she always came back within an hour in case someone rang.
On the Thursday of that week, she decided in desperation to take the only positive step she could think of that wasn’t likely to get straight back to the investigating team at Division. She drove the twelve miles to Edenham, parked her car in the council car park behind the main street and walked into Jerry Hamblin’s greengrocer’s shop.
Jerry finished serving his customer with some remark, obviously catty, which Kathy didn’t catch but which had both Jerry and the woman cackling with laughter. Then he turned and his face dropped as he recognized her. ‘Oh my God! I thought I’d seen the last of you. It’s this business at the clinic, isn’t it? That’s what’s brought you back, like a bad smell.’
‘Hello, Jerry. No, I’m not involved in the investigation at all.’
There was a flatness to her voice that sounded genuine to Jerry and made him hesitate. ‘Why’re you here, then?’ he said, marginally less aggrieved.
‘I was just passing. Thought I’d have some more of your juicy grapes, if you still have them.’
‘It’s not the season, dear. Just passing, were you?’ He stared at her sceptically, and she looked back for a moment and then dropped her eyes.
‘Well … there was something. I’d hoped to see Errol, really.’
‘He’s not here, as you can see. What did you want him for?’
‘You are still together, then?’
‘Of course we are. Why shouldn’t we be?’
‘I hoped you were. I was afraid our investigation must have — ’ she shrugged ‘- caused trouble for you.’
‘Yes, well, don’t bother yourself about that. Just leave us both well alone.’
‘When I was leading that inquiry, I said something to Errol that was unforgivable. I wanted to apologize to him.’
Jerry looked at her, incredulous. ‘The copper wants to apologize! Bloody hell! Whatever will they teach you next? And what was this thing you said?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘Was it about Alex Petrou having Aids, by any chance?’ ‘Something like that. He told you?’
Jerry nodded. ‘Actually,’ he said, fiddling with the avocados on the tray in front of him, ‘your interfering probably did our relationship a bit of good. Brought a few things to the surface. We decided to make a fresh start. Went away at Christmas for the holiday of a lifetime, to the States — like a second honeymoon, you might say.’
‘I’m glad. I hope it works.’
‘God, you do sound pessimistic. Have you been having a rough day or something?’
‘Sorry.’ Kathy smiled briefly and made to turn and leave. ‘Here,’ Jerry said, ‘fancy a drink, do you?’ ‘What about the shop?’
‘It’s half-day closing. Come on, I’ll come back later and clear up properly.’
Jerry untied his apron and took a leather bomber-jacket from the hook behind the door to the back of the shop. They stepped out into the cool afternoon and walked down the High Street to the Hart Revived.
Jerry brought two glasses of white wine over to their table near the fire. ‘I want to hear what the latest is on this new killing,’ he said.
‘I told you, Jerry, I’m not involved. You heard they charged Geoffrey Parsons?’
‘No! When was that?’
‘Tuesday. It was in the papers this morning.’
Jerry frowned. ‘Parsons. I wouldn’t have thought he could kill a rabbit!’
‘Yes, I agree. You thought Beamish-Newell killed Alex Petrou, didn’t you?’
‘Did I?’ Jerry adjusted his glasses and looked coy. ‘Of course you did. So did I.’
‘Yes, well, we all make mistakes. Why would Parsons have done it?’
Kathy hesitated. ‘The suggestion is that Rose was pregnant and Petrou may have been the father.’
Jerry’s eyes widened and his mouth formed a shocked O. ‘The bitch!’
‘I wouldn’t describe her as that,’ Kathy said.
‘Not her, him! That bitch Petrou! I knew he was a slut, but really!’
Kathy nodded. ‘He certainly seems to have got around.’
‘So all that about Fiendish-Cruel coming round to see Errol was completely irrelevant, as it turned out.’ Jerry rolled his eyes and shook his head. ‘I could have saved us all a lot of pain by keeping my trap shut.’
‘Maybe. Did you know that he told us Errol was supplying Petrou with ecstasy?’
Jerry flinched. ‘What are you up to, Kathy?’
‘Nothing. I just wondered if our lot ever followed up on that with Errol.’
‘No, they didn’t.’ He shuddered. ‘God! That’s the last thing we need.’
‘And they haven’t been back to see you this time?’
Jerry shook his head.
‘Finish your drink,’ Kathy said, ‘and I’ll get you another.’
When she sat down again, Jerry was contemplating the flames flickering in the grate. ‘I really did the dirty on old Fiendish, when you come to think of it,’ he said.
‘How do you mean?’
‘Well, there was me thinking he was a murderer, that he was using Errol and getting him into trouble, when really it was Errol who’d been letting Fiendish down, playing around with Petrou, selling him stuff, all that. He didn’t need to do that, especially not to Fiendish-Cruel.’