Hidden Mortality (11 page)

Chapter 11

Cara stretched her arms above her head to relieve the ache in her back. Maybe she could go to a physiotherapist and call it a work-related injury from leaning over her recipe books. It was a week since she had met the mysterious Mr. Scanlon. He kept cropping up in her mind. She accepted his explanation the dagger she’d noticed in his forge was a copy of an old one he had seen a long time ago. She still reckoned the thing looked like something medieval and gave her the creeps.

He must have thought her hysterical to go fainting on him the way she had. It was just as well she would never see him again. This schoolgirl crush had to stop. It was a pity. He was rough and yummy. A part of her wanted to know if he was as good in bed as her dream lover.

Last night had bought another dream about mutilation, but there had been nothing on the news. It was all rubbish. She couldn’t foresee people’s deaths. The stuff with Nanna and Aunty Eileen were coincidences. She had to keep believing that for her own sanity.

Mr. Perfect Peter Connor from
The Evening Post
wanted them to do another dinner. This time he requested a particular meal. He had been informed there was a well-known Irish treat called Dingle Delight. The fact that she had never heard of it and couldn’t find any reference to it in her books or online, made her think it didn’t exist. Dingle was a beautiful little fishing port but she hadn’t been there for a while. They did manage to get some of their fish and seafood from there and it was always excellent quality.

He was testing her, which was okay. He might not get the dish he was expecting. He would get something original and hopefully delightful. She was thinking along the lines of a rich chocolate orange cake with clotted cream and chocolate and cherry ganache on top. It could become her signature dish and make her famous.

Merlin rubbed up against her leg.

“I’m sorry darling. I’m ignoring you, aren’t I?” The black and white bundle of fluff purred as she scratched under his chin. She loved Merlin so much. She had since she found him as a scrappy kitten fighting for survival on the streets. Sometimes he would have a mad five minutes and run around and around the flat.

Occasionally he had been known to run into a wall or door, which caused him to slow down and go cross-eyed. “You’re right, it’s bedtime. Come on. I’ll let you out to do your thing. She would stand close by though he never usually went beyond the front yard. Plus she had the garden hose to squirt any other cat that got close.

Merlin followed her downstairs and out the front of the flats. It was only September, but it was already getting chilly at night. There had better not be any pretty felines around. It wouldn’t do him any good anyway. He didn’t have the equipment anymore, even though he pretended to spray everything in sight in her flat.

Cara peered up and down the street as she stomped her feet to keep them from freezing. A car crept down the street. She stiffened. Was it a taxi? No, it was a police car. It pulled in out the front of the flats, just as Merlin ran back and pressed up against her legs.

An elderly couple owned the flat on the bottom floor. She doubted the police were there for them. The two nurses renting the flat above were okay as well. They had some lively parties, but on the whole never caused any problems.

Cara eyed the officers warily as they approached. Policemen looked so young these days, or maybe she was getting older. Regardless, the car and the uniforms still made her heart race as if she was guilty, no matter how boyish their faces looked. They pressed her buzzer.

“That’s my bell.” Her stomach churned as she spoke the words. Even though the night air was cool, her skin burned as if their eyes were boring into her.

“Ms. Cara O’Donovan?” A policeman asked.

Cara nodded and led them inside. Merlin purred in her arms as they walked up the stairs to her flat. The stairs echoed with the clomp, clomp, clomp of the heavy-footed policemen. Once in her flat Merlin ran off to the bedroom to hide. Cara wanted to follow him. Turning back to the policeman she waited for what was to come next.

“Ms. O’Donovan, we’re investigating the discovery of a body found earlier today. We feel you might have some involvement with the victim. You may be able to help us with the investigation.”

Body. What on earth were they talking about? This was like some American cop show. How would she know someone who turned up as a mysterious body in some investigation? She felt sick and her hands were clammy.

“Your business card was found on the deceased. We’re hoping you might be able to help with the identification.”

“I’ve handed out hundreds of my business cards. Look, I’m sure there must be some mistake.” Cara’s breath caught in her throat. “Do you really want me to look at a dead body?” Having dreams about mutilated bodies was enough without anything else fueling her imagination. This sort of thing didn’t happen to people like her.

“We understand this is stressful. Someone has died. Your card is the only connection we have. We would be very grateful if you could help.”

As she rode off in the police car, she saw the curtains of the downstairs flat pulled back. What rumors would be flying by tomorrow? It started to rain as they drove through the city center. At this time of night there wasn’t much traffic. It wasn’t a good thing as they would get to their destination that much sooner.

The two policemen introduced her to Detective Seps as they walked into the morgue. He was short. However, the man reminded her of a terrier her parents had once owned that always gave the impression he was much bigger than he really was.

His gray suit was crumpled and matched his expression. It gave her the feeling she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be there. He looked sixty and tired. His beady eyes glanced at the two young policemen, perhaps with jealousy at their full heads of hair. It was against her better judgment but there was something about this man. He made her relax more than she had with the two young cops.

The smell assailed her nostrils. No amount of disinfectant could disguise the reek of old blood. She followed the detective along cream painted corridors. There were doors in front of her. Beyond them, was where the body waited. They stopped outside of plastic see-through doors.

All she could make out were vague shapes on the other side of the doors. Cara was pretty sure it would be a good thing to keep it that way. The detective opened the doors to let her through. A big room, more cream tiles and silver drawers. The doors closed with a flopping sound behind her bringing back reality. She pulled her jacket around her to keep out the chill.

Another face, someone called Dr. Pierce. He was polite. It didn’t help her. She was frozen to the spot. The detective took her arm and guided her across the room to a gurney with a covered body lying on top.

“The body was found on the side of the motorway between here and Gloucester. She had no identification on her except your business card in her coat. I should warn you the body has been mutilated.”

Cara wanted to run. Another part of her was compelled to look. Dr. Pierce took hold of the corners of the cover. Cara held her breath as he uncovered the face. She didn’t want to believe what her gaze told her. It was Shona. Even with her brown hair all matted with blood and deep slashes across her forehead, Cara recognized her cousin.

The food she had eaten earlier started to rise up in her throat. Before she could stop herself, she vomited. She couldn’t lift her head. She saw the splashes on the detective’s shoes and pants and her empty stomach clenched again. Her body went cold and hot. She gripped the side of the gurney to steady herself.

Someone guided her to a chair. Her knees buckled beneath her as she sat down. Dr. Pierce cleaned away the pool of vomit. Detective Seps went to a desk nearby and brought back a glass of water for her. Cara sipped it, trying to rid herself of the bile that was burning her throat. It didn’t work. This couldn’t be real.

“I take it that you knew the deceased?” Taking some tissues from Dr. Pierce, Detective Seps started to clean the vomit splatter from his shoes. “Who is she?”

Cara stared at the glass in her hands, not wanting to look up at the covered body again. The words stuck in her throat. Eventually, they came out in a whisper. “Shona Williams.”

“What was your relationship to the deceased?”

“We are… were cousins. She used to help out with the business when things got busy.” Cara’s nose began running. More tears streamed down her cheeks. Dr. Pierce handed her a box of tissues. He held out a waste-paper bin for her to discard the soggy mush. Her stomach twisted again. She couldn’t vomit anymore. There was nothing left.

“I understand this is distressing for you,” Detective Seps said. “It’s important we get some information about another aspect of this case. I need you to take another look at her body.”

“I can’t.” Cara blew her nose. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“It may be important in finding out who did this to her. Look, my own daughter is about the same age. If someone did this to her, I’d want to know.”

Cara nodded. “I’ll try.” She loved Shona so much she would do anything she could to help find the killer.

Detective Seps took her elbow and led her back across the room to the cart where Shona lay. There was a bucket on the floor. Cara accidentally kicked it, causing a metal clang to echo around the room. She gripped Detective Seps’ arm as Pierce pulled back the sheet again.

Fresh tears flowed when she looked at the pale white face of her cousin. The only color was the maroon hue of blood from the deep cuts to the forehead. The sheet was drawn down to reveal Shona’s torso. At that moment, the world darkened. Cara saw the floor rising up to meet her. And she passed out.

She heard voices. They sounded close, but she was too groggy to understand what they were saying. Whatever she was lying on was hard. Where was she? Opening her eyes, it all came flooding back. Shona’s body as they pulled the sheet away. The marks were the same as those she’d viewed in the news photo and in her dreams, only worse.

A deep slash extended from her chin to her navel and another across her chest. They cut deep through the breast tissue. Then, they dissected each nipple in half. The bone showed through muscles that had been sheared off.

Another meandering cut had been made from the top of the breastbone to Shona’s navel. It was so deep, some of the bowel had herniated through. There was one other mark Cara remembered. It was a dark hole just below Shona’s heart.

Shona’s covered body lay close by on a cart. Cara’s nostrils flared. She could pick up the scent of who had lain on this cot before her. Detective Seps and Dr. Pierce came over to her.

“I’m sorry about that,” Detective Seps said. “I think we should continue this discussion back at the station. You’ve probably had enough of this place. I know I have.”

Cara wasn’t sure her legs would hold out, but she was determined to leave, although she regretted leaving Shona here alone.

Hours later she left the interview room. She all but fell into Jeff’s and Daniel’s waiting arms. Jeff was calm as usual. Daniel’s face was red. Cara wanted to be home in her flat. She wanted to be safe and a world away from where people were getting up and going to work.

Opening the front door of the flat, Merlin ran across and circled around her legs. Cara wished she could be as oblivious to what had happened as well.

She allowed Daniel to guide her to the sofa. She wanted to cradle her knees against her chest and rock. She didn’t have the energy. It was as if nothing could fill the void that had been Shona. Daniel placed a cup of tea in front of her. His hand touched her arm. As she looked at him, the tears welled up again.

“I’m so sorry, Cara. I’ve only known her these last few years. I loved her too. She was crazy. I’ve never known anyone else who could drink that much red wine and not have a hangover the next day. You know if it wasn’t six in the morning, I’d have a glass now and I know she’d approve.” Daniel wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his jumper.

For someone so particular about his clothing, it showed Cara the depths of his distress. Jeff came over and sat beside her for a moment.

“I’ve got to go to work, but I’ll call back later. You should try and get some sleep.” Jeff looked from her to Daniel. “You’ll stay with her, won’t you?”

“I don’t think I can sleep. If I shut my eyes I’ll see her again.” Cara clasped her hands together. If they were apart, she couldn’t stop them shaking. She wouldn’t risk trying to hold a mug right now.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to ring your doctor or your counselor?” Jeff asked.

“No. I’ll only have to tell them about last night. I can’t right now. I’ve enough sedatives in the bathroom to make a whale sleep for a year. I’ll be fine, Jeff. You go to work. Daniel’s here with me.” Jeff kissed her forehead and walked to the door.

Daniel followed him and she could see the looks on their faces as they hugged and said goodbye. Shona had always been envious of them. She claimed she wanted to play the field. Deep down she longed to meet Mr. Right. Now, she never would. Unbidden tears started to fall again. Cara gasped for air between the sobs. Daniel came back to her side.

“If you’re not going to drink that tea, then I’m going to run you a hot bath. I’ll find those sedatives and make you get some rest.” Daniel put on his best authoritative face.

It didn’t really work with the red eyes and a nose with sniffles but she loved him.

Voices, people talking and she was awake again. The sedatives had worked well. They hadn’t lasted long enough. Then again, at the moment, how long would be long enough? Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. Her glance fell to her chaotic bedside table.