Page 34 of Murder in Shades of Fire and Ash

“Not yet, sir.”

“I’ll do it. I’ll tell him to meet you there. Now what about this explosion?”

“Hassan’s new takeaway. Mr Hassan called and said he saw someone in his shop, so Eddy, DI Ravensbourne and I went to investigate. I smelled gas, started to pull the DI away, and it blew up. I was about to arrange scenes of crimes to have a look round the debris, and the gas company are here already.”

“What next?”

“I’ll go and look at this alleged body, interview everyone we can find, and start collecting forensic evidence. I plan to check the alibis for everyone we already have on our radar: the fake fireman, Unwin’s family, Dylan, the Hassans, the people in the estate agent … Patsy. And, sir, I’d like to know how DI Ravensbourne is doing.”

As Charlie spoke, Kent murmuredgood, good,in his ear, until he got to the end. There was a moment of silence. Charlie held his breath. Then Kent said, “I am told that Freya is awake, very battered and bruised, and thanking you for saving her life. As for the rest, ring me again in an hour.” The call ended.

Charlie sighed as gently as he could, so as not to awaken the pain in his chest.

“The boss is awake, and seems to be OK,” he told Eddy. “Let’s go and see what’s going on with this dead body, and then you can talk to me about Patsy.”

How the fireofficers had found the body, Charlie had no idea. The van was so thoroughly burned as to be barely recognisable as a vehicle.

“Absolutely soaked in petrol,” Kev Watchet told them. “It must have been, because for one, it stank of the stuff, and for two, it wouldn’t have gone up quite so comprehensively otherwise. We can tell it’s a camper because of the windows and a few remnants of kitchen, but there isn’t a lot left of any of it.”

The three of them contemplated the remains of the van. The number plates had melted, and there was nothing left of the windscreen. Identification was going to have to wait until they could get the van recovered and look for the chassis number. Which couldn’t happen if there was a dead body inside.

“And the body?” Charlie asked.

“In the back.” Kev nodded towards the back of the van.

Charlie considered going closer for a look and decided not to. “We’ll wait for the pathologist,” he said.

Kev nodded again. “Give me a shout if you need anything,” he said and left Charlie and Eddy with the skeleton of the van.

“Patsy,” Charlie said.

Eddy blushed. “I don’t know what she’s playing at. She kept me up half the night talking about bloody Unwin, then she said she was going to the bathroom. I must have fallen asleep in the chair. I thought I heard the front door close — it creaks — but I dozed a bit before I put it all together. Went to Patsy’s room and she wasn’t there, or anywhere else in the house. I was out looking for her when she turned up at the takeaway. She said she needed a walk.”

Charlie contemplated this in silence. Patsy didn’t seem to care that she was in the frame for her boyfriend’s murder, but try as he might, he couldn’t square what he knew of Patsy with killing someone, or arson, come to that.

“It’s not her,” he said, “but if she carries on, she’s going to convince people she murdered Unwin, and started at least one of the fires.”

Eddy nodded, then yawned, which started Charlie yawning, too. “Coffee,” Charlie said, hoping Eddy would volunteer. In the event, he didn’t have to, because the woman with the tray appeared, as if summoned by rubbing Aladin’s lamp, with another tray of hot drinks.

“Look at the state of you,” she said to Charlie. “Whatever happened?”

Eddy supplied minimal details. “Gas leak at the new takeaway. Went off like a rocket.”

“So, that was the noise. I heard the bang and then more sirens,” she said. “It’s been quite a night.”

Which had to be the understatement of the decade.

The woman bustled off with her tray, promising to return with bacon sandwiches “for you boys, and that nice policeman by the gate.” The nice policeman was presumably Ravensbourne’s driver, and as Charlie and Eddy stood sipping their coffee, they heard him shout:

“You can just clear off, back to whatever hole you crawled out of …”

Eddy sprinted and Charlie hobbled to see what was going on, which was the uniform pushing a man with a camera back towards the gate. Behind the man was a van with multiple antennae, and the logo of a commercial TV station painted on the side. The press had arrived.

Just before eight am, an articulated lorry arrived at the gate. The driver jumped down and began gesticulating for the gate to be opened.

“No can do, mate,” the uniformed officer said. “It’s a crime scene.”

“But I have delivery to make,” said the driver. “Oil, batteries.”

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