Antman (22 page)

*  *  *

Bradshaw was back in his office by nine-fifty. He decided to hold a meeting with key members of Chris's team in the investigation room, which was marginally quieter. Chris walked in at ten fifteen to find the meeting taking place.

'Ah, Chief Inspector,' breezed Bradshaw, clearly embarrassed. 'I was going to call you, but I gathered you were out all day on a course.'

Chris gave him a blank stare, livid at being left out of she knew not what:

'I cancelled it, sir, because of this murder inquiry. I left a message on your voice-mail to say I'd be a little late in this morning because I was calling at the University on my way in, in connection with the investigation.'

Bradshaw tried to bluster his way through:

'I've had meetings so haven't had time to pick up the messages. I understand you've informed the ACC our suspect is already in the frame.'

'I certainly have not. That isn't my understanding of the situation at all. It sounds as though you men are managing quite well without me, so please excuse me. I've a phone call to make.'

She made for the doorway.

'Chief Inspector,' Bradshaw called.

'Did you wish to speak to me, sir?' she asked icily.

'I do yes, so come back in and close the door.'

'I will speak to you, alone, sir,' she said with emphasis, as she closed the outer door.

Bradshaw glared at Brill, Livesey and Morrison. Glancing meaningfully at each other, they exited through the connecting door to the main office.

'If we're to work together, Chief Inspector, I expect a high degree of co-operation and mutual respect between my officers.'

'My sentiments exactly, sir. But if co-operation and mutual respect are code-words for "come into line", I need to know first whether you intend to repeat this performance.'

'I'm being patient because you're new, Chief Inspector. Don't push me.'

Chris's voice was shaking with anger. 'I'm frustrated you've not informed me before going over my head to officers in my team carrying out the investigation for which you've made me responsible. I also object to you having interviewed Professor Fortius recently without informing me, while I was out on another call.'

'I won't have any of my officers acting the maverick.'

'It's hardly maverick of me to want to consult you before making key decisions about appointing an entomological adviser. Not so yourself. Is this your idea of delegation? Giving me a job to do then walking all over it. Could I request a transfer back to my former unit, sir?'

'With the loss of rank? Think carefully, Chief Inspector.'

'My professional integrity is worth more than a temporary promotion, with a kick in the teeth now and again.'

'If you carry on speaking to me like this, Chief Inspector, you'll be facing a disciplinary.'

Chris hesitated:

'I'm biting my tongue, sir, but I'm still waiting.'

'Waiting for what! You've got a bloody cheek.'

'If you want this investigation carried out by me, I carry the buck and I will be the first point of contact with my officers.'

Bradshaw took a deep breath.

'You're a lucky woman. Officers have been suspended for less. Let's be clear about this. If you run the show, you carry the can if it turns out to be full of worms.'

'I understand perfectly, sir.'

'Stick your understanding with your insolence. Do you agree?'

'It's all I ask.'

'Call them in,' he said without looking her in the eye.

'I need to share a conclusion with you first, sir, and make a request.'

'Spit it out.'

'Professor Fortius isn't our murderer, sir.'

Bradshaw looked up from his papers. 'Go on.'

'That's it, sir.'

'You came by this conclusion and happened to call in to share it with me.'

'I was in his office on other business, yes, sir.'

'I don't believe this. One of my key detective inspectors goes sick, they send me another and she goes soft on me. Next I know, she'll be running about with one of our suspects.'

'Professor Fortius has been eliminated from my inquiries, sir. I've called in to ask whether you'd agree to him acting as adviser to this investigation.'

'What! You can't have that man.'

'Can you suggest anyone better qualified?'

'No, but I daresay I could.'

'I hope it's quick. Our forensic psychiatrist says another murder is likely if we don't apprehend the killer within days, preferably hours.'

'You are pulling my leg now. No, you're about to tell me this professor is already a part-time special in this Force.'

'No, sir.'

'A private detective.'

'Not to my knowledge.'

'He reads Agatha Christie then.'

'He may do. I've no information on his reading habits. I'm making the suggestion having had sight of a preliminary forensic report on the latest body.'

Bradshaw leaned forward. Chris continued:

'They're still holding out on the cause of death, sir. But ante-mortem insect damage to the body is confirmed. The predators in this case are ants and Professor Fortius is one of this country's leading authorities on predation by ants.'

Bradshaw shrugged. He looked beaten.

'You've discussed this, er, ant business with Forensics, I take it.'

Chris nodded:

'The proposal that we approach someone with the reputation of Professor Fortius came from them.'

'I take it he's on their list of recognised forensic people.'

'You mean is he a forensic entomologist?'

'Whatever they call themselves.'

'No he isn't as it happens. You are aware, sir, of the view in Forensics that the success of a prosecution at the far end of an inquiry in a case where there are special circumstances in the deaths, can depend almost entirely on which forensic specialists you choose, their quality and credibility in court.'

'Of course I'm aware,' said Bradshaw irritably.

'Our usual person, Dr Blackledge, supports my recommendation. Apparently, her expertise, and that of her colleagues, lies in post-mortem damage, not ants. I'm picking up the vibes from Forensics that we need to focus on the possibility of ants being used as an aid to the killing.'

Bradshaw shook his head in apparent disbelief

'I don't know. What will they think of next? I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. I s'pose I don't watch enough late night TV. By the way, your colleagues are still waiting.'

'I have another request to make first, sir,' she said and Bradshaw missed the steel in her eye.

'Might as well spit it out now,' he said unsuspectingly.

'Sir, this team is adequate only as a core. We're doing very little and achieving almost nothing with this investigation. We aren't even running behind our killer, let alone keeping up. The high media profile we're likely to attract once people realise there's a multiple killer at large makes a larger scale police investigation a necessity.'

Shortly after, as Chris closed the door behind her, she heard with satisfaction Bradshaw's long exhaled breath and the thump of his beaten hand as it fell limply onto the desk. The officers in the nearby office heard Bradshaw's door open. Chris walked with a light step down the corridor. She had secured a slight but significant concession, subject to higher management approval, as was made apparent. Three groups of officers would be established, with their numbers still to be confirmed. After Forensics had checked the data and reported on each scene of crime, this group would carry out interviews and house to house searches in the vicinity of each crime, taking finger prints and hair, saliva and DNA samples. These would be tested against any swabs collected at each scene of crime, as well as against samples held in all Police Forces in the region – West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Northumbria and South Yorkshire. The second group would carry out a computer check on every adult male over seventeen within a fifty mile radius of Hull. All Schedule One offenders, anyone with an offence of sex or violence within the last ten years, would be followed up, anyone in a mental institution within the last five years and anyone escaping and still on the run, while serving a custodial sentence of more than five years. The third group would check for correlations, and irregularities, in the records of any employee of the universities and other educational institutions in those towns where there were facilities for teaching and/ or research into biology and zoology.

Chapter 15

Within half a day, the headquarters of the investigation team was transformed. It now extended to three offices, having overflowed into two additional empty rooms further down the corridor. To give Bradshaw his due, he had bent Jack Deerbolt's ear and moved a few local mountains. Deerbolt had eighteen officers transferred from other duties and assigned to the murder investigation. Chris took it in her stride and behaved as if nothing had changed.

*  *  *

The call from Forensics came through to Brill's office about forty-five minutes later.

'Forensics here. About the ID of that body. We've had some good luck with the dental records. They're a match with a person we've been searching for. We're checking the prints now. Should have confirmation one way or the other within the hour.'

'Who is it?'

'We may have killed two birds with one stone. Sorry about the pun. A bit of an oddball, name of Martin John. Been in and out of various institutions – prisons, mental hospitals – for years. On this occasion, being treated in a unit for people with severe mental health problems.'

The other man clapped a hand to his forehead: 'Oh no! Not Cortham Hall.'

'How did you know?'

'A few of my friends have had dealings with it.'

'You must be psychic.'

'Never mind that. I’m devastated. Our unknown killer has probably murdered our main suspect.'

'Watch DCI Winchester,' whispered Livesey. 'They say she's a witch and she's cast a spell over Bradshaw. There's a rumour he's due to start behaving like a human being from next Monday. Careful she doesn't try her magic on you.'

'Piss off,' said Morrison.

'Constable Morrison, any problems?' Chris called from the door of the main office, holding the fax Brill had just passed her.

'No, guv,' said Morrison hastily.

'Good, you'd better see this.'

Livesey mimed her words, right in Morrison's face. Morrison pushed him away. 'Right, guv.'

Morrison disengaged from the gossiping group, got up, walked over, took the proffered slip of paper from her hand and read aloud:

'Report on ID of murder victim – sorry ma'am, body. Martin John, formerly of Landing Lane, Whitby, more recently Cortham Hall mental health unit. Oh, bloody hell.'

'The absconder? Yes.'

Knowing glances and comments crossed the room thick and fast.

'What was that about solving the murder investigation, Morrison?'

'I suppose that nutter killed the others and chopped himself up.'

'Bang goes your fast-track promotion and Bramshill, Morrison.'

'Have to rely on arse-licking.'

'Sorry, Morrison,' said Chris. 'We're still waiting for a full report from Forensics. First indications are he was already dead when the body was found at Beverley.'

Morrison looked downcast.

'Don't worry about it,' said Chris. 'Happens all the time. We'd never make progress if we didn't hypothesise.'

'It isn't much fun when the suspect becomes the victim.'