Page 18 of Silent Scream
‘Keep trying, Stace. Bryant, do we know exactly when our victim spoke to the Professor?’
Bryant held out a piece of paper. ‘Courtney faxed me the telephone log. They spoke for twelve minutes on Wednesday at around five thirty.’
Kim crossed her arms. ‘Okay, so all we have so far is that our victim had a brief conversation with a university professor on Wednesday afternoon and now one of them is dead and the other is missing.’
A knock sounded on the door. A constable stood in the doorway.
‘What?’ she barked. She hated interruptions during briefing.
‘Marm, I have a gentleman at the desk who wants to speak to you.’
Kim looked at him as though he’d lost his mind.
‘I know, Marm, but he insists that he will only speak to you. He says he’s a professor ...’
Kim was out of her chair. ‘Bryant, with me,’ she said, stopping at the door. ‘Stace, find out whatever you can about this land.’
She headed out and took the stairs. Bryant almost kept pace with her.
In the reception she was greeted by a male with a full grey beard and a shock of wiry hair.
‘Professor Milton?’
He stopped wringing his hands long enough to offer a handshake. Kim took his hand briefly and then gave it back to him.
‘Please, come this way.’
Kim guided him through the corridor to interview room 1.
‘Bryant, place a call to Mispers so they don’t waste any more time. Is there anything we can get you?’
‘A sweet cup of tea.’
Bryant nodded and closed the door behind them.
‘A lot of people have been worried about you, Professor.’
She didn’t intend for the words to sound like a rebuke but she hated any waste of police time. Resources were scant enough.
He nodded his understanding. ‘I’m sorry, Detective. I didn’t know what to do. I only spoke to Mrs Pearson a few hours ago and she told me about your visit. She said I could trust you.’
Kim was surprised that the old harridan had formed that opinion of her.
‘Where have you been?’ she asked. It wasn’t the question that rolled around in her mouth but if Bryant had been beside her he would have urged caution. The male was clearly trembling and his hands had returned, like magnets, to each other.
‘Barmouth, at a bed and breakfast. I just had to get away.’
‘But on Wednesday you were over the moon. Mrs Pearson told us.’
He nodded as Bryant entered the room. His hands held a triangle of styrofoam. He sat and pushed one of the cups towards the professor.
Kim continued. ‘You spoke to a woman by the name of Teresa Wyatt on that day?’
Professor Milton looked confused. ‘Yes, Mrs Pearson mentioned that you asked about that but I’m not sure how it relates to what happened to me later.’
Kim had no idea what had happened to him later but she did know that Teresa Wyatt had turned up dead.
‘Can you tell us why Teresa Wyatt called you?’
