A Quiet Kill (18 page)

“Lukjovic was already into the drug game by then, and Carpenter's information helped him stay out of trouble. When Carpenter was posted to the International Police Task Force in Bosnia, it was like manna from heaven for Lukjovic. He had a man, his own man, well placed on the ground to facilitate the illegal transfer of drugs out of Bosnia and into Canada. An ardent Serbian nationalist, Lukjovic could then recoup the profits and use them to help finance the regime back home.”

“And Natalie Guévin figured this out by herself?” asked Ouellette. “She must have been quite an investigator in her own right.”

“She was,” acknowledged Hay, “but don't forget, she knew her father and his politics. This Adam Mikievic said that apparently Natalie had seen Carpenter in company with her father some time ago, and had recognized Carpenter when he arrived in London as the
RCMP
liaison. Something must have struck her as odd, and she started checking. Remember that Carruthers told us she had been making contact with people in Bosnia and was extremely preoccupied? And that she spent an afternoon with a cousin from Pale who was passing through London? It must have been about that time that things started falling into place for her.”

Liz continued, “So whether she confronted Carpenter with facts or just suspicions we'll probably never know. It was enough to frighten him into killing her, anyway. And he, as one of the High Commission's key security personnel, would have known about the death threats she had received and about the anti-sealing campaign. He was also someone who could roam the High Commission and Residence premises at will, at any time, without alerting suspicion. As such, he would have had easy access to her appointment book and would have known that Dr. Cox was expected on Thursday afternoon.

“Carpenter staged what seemed to be a murder by an environmental madman. He was clever, I'll give him that. He must have brought the ax handle and knife to the office in his gym bag. He was something of an athlete after all and probably carried the bag around with him all the time. Knives and axes are not all that difficult to come by in London, as we know all too well. He would have lured her into the anteroom—the one with the white carpet, for effect—perhaps on the grounds that he wanted to talk to her about her father. He probably waited for her to enter, making sure at the same time that no one else wandered into the dining room, and knocked her unconscious from behind. Then he killed her, leaving poor Mary Kellick to find the body.” Liz slumped backward, out of breath.

Hay added, “The knife is probably at the bottom of the Thames by now, along with a lot of other murder weapons. As for the second killing, that of Lester Wilmot, it was solely Carpenter covering his tracks. He may have panicked, or it might have been thought through in advance. In any event, he was keen to ensure the environmental link wasn't missed, to ensure the eco-warriors were in the frame. He couldn't have known that Cox was more than willing to do that for him.”

He continued, “Remember that Mrs. Wilmot told us her husband had visited the High Commission to report the harassment he was facing from the eco-warrior types? For all we know, he may have spoken directly to Carpenter, which was all Carpenter needed to stage the second murder. It's quite easy, murder, once you know how. Or so I'm told,” he added quickly when he saw Liz's quizzical glance.

Wilkins interjected, “And wasn't it Carpenter who identified the ax handle as the kind used to kill baby seals? He didn't want us to miss the connection.”

“That's absolutely right,” agreed Liz. “When Lukjovic came here to retrieve the body, he must have started putting two and two together himself. After all, he had more information than we did to start with. Carpenter was away for a couple of days, so Lukjovic, on the pretext of ‘unfinished business,' waited for him to return. And murdered him in retribution for the killing of his daughter.”

Wilkins whistled. “So that's it,” he said. “Simple, isn't it?” He thought for a moment. “And Carpenter, of course, was in an ideal position to cover his tracks. He would just be part of the woodwork as far as the security personnel were concerned.”

“And to think,” added Ouellette, “that bastard was even taking notes for us during some of the interviews.” He was appalled that someone who wore the same uniform as he did could commit such atrocities.

“Never, ever trust a Mountie,” said Hay gravely.

Liz was about to react when she realized it was supposed to be a joke.

“And now, there's a great deal of paperwork to be done,” said Hay and was greeted by a general groan from the others. Wilkins opened his notebook, while Ouellette looked with dismay at a stack of forms in the middle of the table.
DCI
Hay watched Inspector Forsyth search for a pen in her purse.

“Liz,” said Hay abruptly.

“Yes?” she asked, startled by the sound of her first name. He always called her Forsyth.

“I believe,” he said, looking at her intently, “that you and I might, perhaps, have some unfinished business of our own.”

She was locked in his intense gaze, slightly immobilized. “Perhaps—you might be right,” she replied, her voice a bit unsteady.

“I believe we said the Bull's Head, didn't we?” he asked, rising but keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

“I believe we did,” she agreed, allowing herself to be propelled toward the door without a backward glance.

Ouellette and Wilkins watched them leave the room. Wilkins turned to Ouellette, raising his eyebrows and shooting him a quizzical glance. Ouellette didn't know the answer to that particular question, although he had been wondering the same thing. He shook his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders. They started on their paperwork.

 

A great many thanks are
due to Ruth Linka and her professional and dedicated team at TouchWood Editions in Victoria for giving me the opportunity to publish my crime fiction story. I am especially grateful for the expertise, informed comment, and great support of my editor, Frances Thorsen.

For their generosity in sharing their expertise in their fields, I owe a great debt to
RCMP
Chief Superintendant Lynn Twardosky (ret'd) and coroner Barbara McLintock.

I am very grateful for the love and support of my brother, Clifford Wilkinson, and his family, and for the great encouragement and thoughtful suggestions of my dear friends Ian Hill, Alison Green, Ann Cronin-Cossette, Frank Haigh, and many others too numerous to mention here. You know who you are.

I owe more than I can possibly acknowledge to my sister-in-law, Chantal Ouellette, who was there at the inception of the story, who continues to encourage and assist me in my writing, and whose generosity with the red wine resulted in an outline for the second book.

Finally, I would like to thank Margaret Bechard and Nicola Furlong for lighting a fire under me and making me believe that this could happen.

Before taking to crime writing,
JANET BRONS
worked as a foreign affairs consultant following a seventeen-year career in the Canadian foreign service, with postings in Kuala Lumpur, Warsaw, and Moscow. She has also been a researcher in the Alberta Legislature and at the House of Commons. Janet holds a master of arts in political science and international relations.

The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb
by Cathy Ace

A dream vacation at a Mexican beach resort swiftly dissolves into a nightmare for criminologist and foodie Cait Morgan when her significant other, Bud Anderson, is wrongly arrested for the murder of the local florist, a gifted plantswoman.

With Bud's freedom, and maybe even his life, at stake, Cait has to fight the clock to work out which member of the small Mexican community might have killed the respected florist, and why. Investigating under the watchful gaze of the local police, Cait has to keep her relationship with Bud a secret, and she soon discovers she's not the only one with something to hide. Peeling back layers of deceit to reveal even more puzzles, Cait struggles with a creeping sense of unreality as she desperately tries to save Bud . . . and, ultimately, herself.

The third book of the beloved Cait Morgan Mysteries,
The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb
travels to the idyllic Mexican countryside and a tequila plantation as Cait races to clear her partner of murder.

A Quiet Kill
by Janet Brons

The head of the Canadian High Commission's trade section is found brutally clubbed and stabbed to death in the Official Residence in London, England. Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Hay is called in to investigate, while Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Liz Forsyth is dispatched from Ottawa. There are a number of suspects from the diplomatic community: the High Commissioner and his beautiful wife, the smarmy head of the political section, the charming military attaché, the high-strung Deputy High Commissioner, and a deeply troubled engagements secretary. After a second murder, the case takes a turn and radical environmentalist Dr. Julian Cox becomes a suspect.

A Quiet Kill
is the first in a new mystery series featuring Forsyth and Hay. Paired up for the first time, the two investigators must overcome insecurities and suspicions as they find themselves wading into the murky waters of the diplomatic community and navigating through a melee of international conspiracy, nationalism, and murder.

Dark Moon Walking
by R.J. McMillen

It's been more than eight years since ex-cop Dan Connor put a troubled criminal named Walker behind bars, and a year since he handed in his badge after losing the woman he loved. The remote islands off the Pacific Northwest coast seem like the perfect destination for his retirement. That is until a wave of increasingly sinister events disrupts his peace.

When a mysterious boat drives Connor from his anchorage and a marine biologist working in the area goes missing, Connor is forced to team up with his former nemisis, Walker, who has been released from jail and is struggling with his own demons. They have little in common, but when a life hangs in the balance and others are threatened, the knowledge and skills of these two men from very different cultures are the perfect mix.

With an eclectic cast of characters and a riveting plot, the first Dan Connor Mystery,
Dark Moon Walking
, is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller that will keep you turning the pages until its explosive conclusion.