Page 64 of Fortune's Ashes
My phone rang when I was back on the street. I slid it out of my pocket and recognised Laura’s number. I answered it as I munched on the cake and walked back to the small car park where I’d left Tallulah.
‘Hey, how are you?’ she asked. Her voice caught. ‘I’ve heard what happened to Fred and Owen and the Supe Squad building.’
‘I’m alright,’ I assured her. ‘But they’re in a bad way. I’m sorry I’ve not been in touch, Laura. I’m trying to find out if there’s someone behind all this shit.’
‘You don’t have to apologise to me,’ she said. ‘I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.’
‘Then I’m okay.’
‘Good.’ She sounded relieved, but I sensed that she had something else to say. ‘I’m glad you texted me your number earlier.’
I stopped eating and slowed my steps. Laura had news and I suspected that I wasn’t going to like whatever she had to say. ‘Go on.’
‘First of all, I heard it was you who found the body in the well.’
‘Yep.’ I wasn’t surprised that the body had been taken to Laura – in recent months, she’d become the go-to person for any supe-related deaths – but I was surprised that it had been retrieved so quickly. It wasn’t a recent death so it wouldn’t count as high priority, plus it must have taken considerable effort and equipment to get the remains out of the well.
‘I’ve only done a preliminary examination but I can confirm that the bones are definitely gremlin.’
I sighed. ‘I figured as much.’
‘We’re contacting the gremlin community. I’m happy to continue with a full post-mortem, if that’s what they wish, but they might request that we release the remains to them instead.’
I sincerely hoped they opted for the former choice, but it wasn’t my call. ‘Do you have any idea how he died?’
‘I knew you were going to ask me that.’
‘I’m not looking for a definitive answer. Your best guess would do.’ I held my breath, hoping she had something.
‘There are some notches on the rib cage that are too clean to have been caused by rodents gnawing on the bones. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to say for sure, but the marks are consistent with a stabbing.’
Adele and Simon were stabbed, and so was the tour guide on Baker Street. It was probably a coincidence, nothing more, but even so it strengthened my growing belief about the link between the murders. ‘Thank you,’ I said gratefully.
‘There’s more,’ Laura told me. ‘I don’t know if this will be good news or bad news.’
I swallowed. ‘Spill it out.’
‘The DNA testing on the strands of hair found at the Cobain murder scene is being expedited. I expect to get the results by midday tomorrow.’
That was less than twenty-four hours away. I had to expect the worst and assume that Cobain’s killer had gotten hold of my hair, possibly from my missing hairbrush, and planted it at the scene. There was no doubt that I was being framed for his fiery death.
I thought about the open window at Supe Squad. Somebody could have sneaked inside, but they’d have had to be sure that Supe Squad was empty and it wouldn’t have been easy to keep a watch on the building, not with everything else the bastard had been up to lately. I thought about what the café owner had said about the mysterious human in top hat and tails and shifted uncomfortably.
‘Emma?’ Laura asked hesitantly.
‘Thanks for the heads-up,’ I said. ‘I really do appreciate it.’ I bit my lip hard. ‘You can’t call me again.’
‘Pardon?’
I inhaled deeply. ‘I promise you that I did not kill Alan Cobain. I didn’t hurt Alan Cobain – I’ve never met Alan Cobain. But somebody wants the world to think I’m culpable and there’s a chance that the strands of hair will be a match for my DNA. You’re already going to be in trouble for speaking to me, not to mention letting me stay with you.’
‘I don’t think for one second that you killed him, Emma.’
A ghost of a smile traced across my mouth. ‘But others do. You need to protect yourself. I’m sorry that I’ve dragged you into this mess.’
There was silence. When Laura spoke again, her voice had an edge of defiant huffiness. ‘I’m not a mindless automaton. I have my own mind and my own will. Anything I have done, or any information I have passed to you, I decided to do myself. And it’s never been a secret that we’re friends. I’ll submit a full report to my superior with everything we have spoken about, but I will not be ashamed about knowing you or helping you.’
Laura wasn’t ashamed but I should be. She deserved far better – her job role deserved better – and, frankly, so did mine. ‘You know we can’t talk again until all this is resolved,’ I said with a heavy heart.
