In the Light of Madness (13 page)

“You’re a dark horse,” said Scarlett as Wednesday returned.

“Meaning what exactly?”

“Inviting Jacob over. I don’t remember you doing that with other colleagues.” Scarlett peered over the top of her wine glass with an impish glint in her green eyes. She couldn’t fail to see the look of irritation etched across Wednesday’s face.

“If you must know, weekend leave is cancelled and we’ve a heavy workload ahead. I thought a home cooked meal would be preferable to the crap he normally eats.”

“He’s single then.”

“Divorced.”

“So no emotions involved for you then?”

Wednesday shook her head and downed the dregs of her glass.

“Good,” said Scarlett, as she got up from the table and danced towards her bedroom, leaving her empty plate and glass on the table.

Wednesday arrived early for the briefing, freshly showered and experiencing the adrenalin rush Lennox talked about.

Lennox walked into the Incident Room and gave her a nod of recognition before entering his office and closing the door. She wondered whether he regretted opening up to her over dinner.

She stood in front of the white board and examined the evidence. She was so transfixed by the photographs that she did not notice Hunter standing next to her.

“Share your thoughts, Wednesday?”

Her shoulders jerked as her cheeks donned a faint pinkish bloom. “I was speculating Darren’s involvement in the death of the other two. Is he our murderer?”

“By all accounts he’s not muscularly but rather fat. He’d need help to contain Tom, let alone hoist a sixteen-year-old girl up a tree.” He looked directly at her and tilted his head, suggesting that she was a little off beam in his opinion. He moved to the desk at the front and clapped his hands to gain everyone’s attention.

“Right everyone, let’s focus. I want Arlow and Damlish to concentrate on the missing boy, Darren Giles; get more background on relatives and friends who live further away.”

He took a sip of water before continuing. “Wednesday and Lennox, I want you to chase up forensics on Tom Dolby and Claudia Edwards. Whilst you’re at it, visit the Edwards again; find out where she’d go and who she’d meet. Don’t tell me a sixteen-year-old is that perfect. Visit the Dolbys too. Remember, parents always lie.”

A murmur crackled across the room.

“Oh and I also want you two to attend the church service tomorrow, see who’s there and who isn’t. Talk to Reverend Olong as he might be able to give you more details about the congregation. Press him about the rambling club too.”

Arlow smirked at Wednesday, knowing her immense dislike of any form of religion. He was about to walk over to her, when he was accosted by Jones who was busy organising everyone.

“Do you think Hunter has a penchant for worrying about the clergy and young boys?” said Lennox.

“That would be stereotyping all clergy by the acts of the clergy. Besides, I don’t know what his thoughts are on that matter. I couldn’t second guess Hunter’s thoughts, and neither should you.”

She knew she sounded clipped. But she also knew that if only he would mention last night, she would be in a smoother frame of mind. In order to initiate a firmer grip of her slipping emotions, she suggested they have a smoke on their way down to the forensic laboratories.

“You’re a bit disengaged this morning,” she said as she lit her cigarette.

“Sorry, I’m a tad preoccupied. I got home last night to a message on the ansaphone from my ex.”

Wednesday waited to see if he’d say more whilst she blew grey fumes into the crisp morning air. She maintained visual contact in an effort to be empathic; remnants of her listening-skills training pulsating through her mind.

“Archie, my eldest, is in trouble at school for fighting, and Lucy is blaming me.”

“How come?”

“Because I keep cancelling my weekends with them because of work. She says it’s making him angry.”

“I see, but it’s not your fault.”

“That means nothing to Lucy. Do you know, she actually said Brian, her new boyfriend, is more of a father than me?” He drew in a deep lungful of poisonous smoke then let it swirl out of his mouth as he continued speaking. “I suppose she’s right, as always.”

Wednesday flicked the ash from her cigarette whilst contemplating the most appropriate response from someone without children. “I’m sorry.”

She wanted to touch his arm, being a tactile person, but she didn’t want her gesture of compassion to be misread as an offer of sympathy sex.

“Anyway,” she began, “what’s your view on the Edwards?”

“Their alibi is solid. Neighbours in London confirmed their presence in their flat.”

“I just can’t make them out as individuals. The father appears to dominate his wife. I wonder what his relationship was like with his daughter?”

She turned towards Lennox and saw that he was staring into the middle distance once more, so she stubbed out her cigarette and told him they should get going.

As they were making their way down, Arlow caught up with them.

“We had an anonymous tip about the missing lad; he was spotted late last night near the church. They didn’t realise who it was they’d seen until this morning. We’re off there now.”

His exhilaration was palpable, and Wednesday wished she was going with him instead of into the burrows of death with Lennox.

“I always think the labs are aptly located in the bowels of the building, don’t you?” she asked Lennox as they descended.

“Never given it a second thought.”

They found Edmond and Alex deep in conversation whilst periodically looking down a microscope.

“I wondered when we’d be seeing you again. Come and look at this, Wednesday.” Alex beckoned her to look down the microscope.

“I’m not quite sure what I’m looking at.”

“You’re looking at green and blue fibres, but not just any fibres,” interjected an animated Charlie. “We have now identified them as being manufactured in a Scottish wool mill. It’s expensive and fairly exclusive.” His face glowed with pride.

“So all we need to do now is search every car in the local vicinity for the matching blanket, do we?” Lennox’s voice was flat with a tinge of exasperation.

“I don’t tell you how to go about your job, Detective. Mine is to find the manner of death and the tools of the nasty trade; yours is to find the perpetrator.”

Edmond rolled his eyes. “This is team work, gentlemen. Perhaps I should give you my recent findings. No damage was found on the larynx which isn’t surprising, as the thyroid cartilage is pliable, not brittle in the young.”

Edmond put on the latex gloves and opened the mouth to display more findings.

“It’s obvious the poor lad took a while to die, as there are characteristic marks of congestion and petechiae on the face and on the inside of the mouth. There’s also an imprint of his teeth on the inside of his lips.”

He closed the mouth and drew back the green sheet to expose the boy’s chest area.

“We noted these marks earlier when they were only faint. However, now I can tell you that they look like signs of over-zealous CPR; someone tried to resuscitate him.”

A hush fell over the room as each person assimilated the words.

“Perhaps this was an accident?” said Wednesday.

“Possibly,” replied Edmond. “But quite frankly, until you find the perpetrator, you won’t know for sure.”

“Any updates on the girl, Claudia Edwards?”

“Hair has been sent off for analysis, but fair hair holds less drug elements than dark hair, so don’t hold your breath.”

Wednesday and Lennox thanked them before returning upstairs and heading off to the Dolby’s.

Chapter Ten

James Dolby let them in and led them to the lounge, where the wood burning stove was already lit. It provided a welcoming hue, in contrast to the chilled aura surrounding the bereaved couple. No drinks were offered although none would have been accepted.

Emily Dolby sat in the fireside armchair like a lifeless ragdoll with dead button eyes; she barely acknowledged their presence. James looked at her coldly.

The detectives sat on the over-stuffed sofa whilst Wednesday explained the recent forensic findings. Emily Dolby visibly shuddered on hearing how her son died.

“Will his body be released soon?” asked James.

“All the forensic tests need to be completed before going to the corona, so I’m sorry, I can’t give you an exact time,” replied Wednesday as she deliberately turned towards Emily. “Will you be attending the church service tomorrow, Mrs Dolby?”

“My wife wants to, but I don’t,” interjected James rather briskly.

Wednesday continued looking at Emily. “Do you feel it will help you emotionally?”

Emily nodded, although her mouth remained grimly shut.

“I can’t see how,” James said. “How she can still believe in God after this. No God I know would allow this to happen, it’s abhorrent.”

He stood up swiftly and stormed out of the room. The next thing they heard was the kettle being switched on. Wednesday surreptitiously moved her eyes in the direction of the kitchen, so Lennox excused himself to join Dolby. Wednesday wasted no time.

“I couldn’t help but notice some carved scratches and letters in the arms of the chair you’re sitting in, as well as some dents in the doors. Did Tom do these?”

Emily shuffled forward and perched on the edge of her seat, her foot twitching rapidly. She looked towards the kitchen then back to Wednesday.

“He had the devil in him at times,” she said in a hushed voice.

Wednesday beckoned her to continue whilst she began scribbling in her notebook.

“He would have terrible fights with his father, and he was often disrespectful towards me.”

“What were the fights about?”

“Anything and everything. Times to be home by; where he could go and with whom.”

Thus far, it all sounded like normal parent and teenager issues, but Wednesday felt there was more to it. “Would the fights get physical between Tom and his father?”

Again, Emily’s gaze shifted to the kitchen then back to Wednesday.

“Only once, a couple of weeks ago. James slapped Tom and Tom retaliated by throwing the crystal fruit bowl, hence the dent in the door.”

“What happened afterwards?”

“Tom stormed out and James shut himself away in his study.”

“What did you do whilst all this was going on?”

Emily Dolby’s shoulders sagged further as she recollected. “I tried to intervene at first, but James pushed me away. They couldn’t hear me over their shouting.”

“Where did Tom go?”

“I don’t know, he never told us.”

Wednesday was just about to ask more probing questions when Lennox and James re-entered the room, armed with a cup of tea for Emily which he put on the table next to her.

Wednesday opened up the conversation again by asking James what his relationship was like with his son. James looked intently at his wife before he asked why she needed to know.

“Your wife was telling me about the tension between you and Tom.”

“We had our ups and downs.” He took a sip of tea then sat back in the armchair. The glow from the fire highlighted the crevices etched around his eyes and his mouth. Emily’s foot twitched more frantically and she had resorted to staring into her teacup; a self-imposed exile from the rest of the group.

“I’m not sure where this is leading, Detective. Are you implying that I had something to do with my son’s murder?”