Part 19 (2/2)
Andy nodded. ”That would make sense.”
”And his sister-they seemed to have had a very . . . intense . . . relations.h.i.+p.”
”Intense?”
”The family dynamic seems to have been more than a little dysfunctional. Do you think it's possible that he abused her?”
”You don't think this sister had something to do with his death?” Andy asked, looking shocked. ”You said he was tied and strangled. You can't think it was a woman that did that.”
”It's possible,” said Melody. ”And we think Vincent Arnott left the White Stag with a woman.”
”But-You said Shaun was found in his flat, not in some rubbish hotel like the Belvedere.”
”He was at the pub last night-like Arnott, it was his local-across the square from his flat. The Prince of Wales in Cleaver Square. So far we don't know if anyone saw him leave.”
”Cleaver Square. He did well for himself.” There was a note of bitterness in Andy's voice that Melody hadn't heard before. He stood and went to one of the guitars on its stand, the one with the hummingbird on it that he had played for her only last night, and ran his fingers over the top of the headstock. She felt the physical distance he'd put between them like a rift. ”And a barrister, to boot,” he added, not looking at her. ”Did they know each other, Shaun and the other bloke?”
”Arnott? We don't know yet.” Melody rubbed her suddenly cold hands together. ”Andy, I'll have to tell my guv'nor that you knew Shaun.”
”Why?” He turned back to her, his expression hostile. ”I told you I hadn't seen him in years. And I thought it was between us.”
Melody took a breath. She had no choice. She could not withhold information that might be pertinent to the investigation. ”Because I'm a cop, Andy,” she said, ”and it's my job. And because, other than the fact that they were both barristers and drank in pubs, you are the only connection we have between them.”
Gemma was just walking into the CID room at the station in Brixton when Kincaid rang.
”Just checking in,” he said. ”I'm home, and the kids have had their tea. I'll put together something for us when you get here.”
”You may starve to death by then. I may, too,” she added, remembering she'd left the second half of her prawn and rocket sandwich in Melody's car.
”Any developments?” Kincaid asked.
Stepping back into the corridor, she told him about their visit to Dulwich.
”You think the sister might have something to do with it?” he said when she'd finished. In the background, she could hear the kids and the telly, and then the dogs barking and a slam she recognized as the garden door. She was suddenly tired and very much wanted to be home.
”If it was just her brother, maybe, but I can't make any sense of Arnott. Although she wasn't happy about it, I got her to give me a recent photo before I left so that we could show it round both pubs. Did you speak to Caleb Hart?”
”I did.” Kincaid was obviously pleased with himself. ”A very smooth operator. b.u.t.ter wouldn't melt in his mouth.”
”What about his movements on Friday night?”
”He says he left the White Stag after the band's first set because he had an AA meeting. And he says he didn't know Arnott and didn't ever remember seeing him in the pub.”
Gemma considered this. ”It's a small place, the White Stag. If they both went often enough to be on familiar terms with the manager, I'm not sure I buy that. I think we'll have to have an official chat with Mr. Hart and get the details of his AA meeting.”
”I didn't mention that I was acquainted with the lead investigator.” There was a hint of laughter in Kincaid's voice, and she heard the clink of crystal and guessed he was pouring a gla.s.s of wine.
”I should b.l.o.o.d.y well hope not. Miss you,” she added. Glancing into the CID room, she saw that Superintendent Krueger's gla.s.sed-in office at the far end was dark, although Shara MacNicols was hunched over one of the computer workstations. ”The super's gone, so maybe I won't be too long. I want to see what's come in this afternoon, check in with Maura, and Melody, wherever she's got to.”
”Oh, so you're on first-name terms now with DI Bell. I told Doug you were working with her and he went silent as the proverbial tomb.”
”Maura asked about him, by the way. And she's been perfectly fine to work with.”
”Curiouser and curiouser.”
”Did Charlotte do all right with Doug while you went to see Caleb Hart?”
”They bonded over pastries at the Patisserie Valerie in Spitalfield's Market. She's been a bit cross after all the sugar and excitement, but I'll see if she can stay up until you get home.”
”Thanks, love. I'll ring you when I'm on my way.”
”How did things go in lawyer land?” Gemma asked Shara as she entered the CID room.
Shara rolled her eyes, then stretched, popping the kinks out of her fingers. ”I'm putting the interviews in the case file, but it's basically b.o.l.l.o.c.ks. Pompous twits, the lot of them.” As a detective constable, Shara had some experience testifying in court, and Gemma knew it had not made her fond of lawyers. ”Although the clerk, Mr. Kershaw, seems a decent bloke,” Shara added. ”But the senior partner, who knew Arnott best, was on holiday-who goes on holiday in b.l.o.o.d.y January, I ask you?”
”Those that can afford to get out of miserable London,” Gemma answered with a smile. ”Anything useful from the others?”
Shara gave her best imitation of an Eton drawl. ”They were shocked, I say, shocked at the news of poor Vincent's death, and would not entertain the idea that their esteemed partner had been involved in any impropriety.”
”b.u.g.g.e.r all, then.”
”Pretty much. Except that they expressed concern that the police had released any information about the case to the press. And of course they want to be informed of any developments.”
”Top of my list,” said Gemma, grinning.
”Yeah, well, I told them so. Very diplomatically. You'd have been proud of me.” Shara turned back to the computer. ”On the bright side, I've just had an e-mail from Mike. The techs found a few of the same maroon and blue fibers in the Kennington flat that were in the room at the Belvedere.”
Gemma pulled out the nearest chair and sat down. ”So we have definite physical evidence that the crimes are connected. I'm not sure that's the bright side.”
”You expected it,” said Shara.
”Yeah, well, I wouldn't have minded being wrong on this one. Does the super know?”
”The e-mail came in right before she went home. She said you should ring her.”
Gemma was not looking forward to that. ”And the scarf used on Shaun Francis? Anything on that?”
”Forensics say it's a match with the fibers Ras.h.i.+d found in Arnott's neck. They're trying to trace the scarf.”
Looking windblown and a little pale, Melody had come in on the end of Shara's sentence. ”What about the scarf?” she asked as she slid out of her coat.
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