Need You Dead

48 Sunday 24 April

Roy Grace went outside with the DI so that Guy could have another cigarette. A former heavy smoker himself, some years back, Grace understood you’d never get the best out of anyone whilst they were craving a cigarette. There were patches of blue in the sky. Maybe later he’d get a chance to go home and kick a football around with Bruno. But for now Operation Bantam was his priority.

‘Give Darling time to sweat a bit, Guy?’ he suggested. ‘Let him start wondering what else we know about him.’

‘Yes, I like it. How long have we got before we have to release him — or apply for an extension?’

Grace looked at his watch, and did a mental calculation. He was interrupted in mid-thought by his phone ringing.

‘Roy Grace,’ he answered. It was Georgie English, the Crime Scene Manager. ‘Sir,’ she said. ‘I’ve just had the report from CSI Chris Gargan, on the semen that was found in the body of the victim.’ It had been sent to LGC Forensics for analysis — one of the labs to which Surrey and Sussex Police sent evidence for DNA testing. She began to list out for him the details of the lab’s findings. All the differences in the DNA of the semen found inside Lorna Belling, when compared to her husband’s DNA. Georgie English reeled off jargon: restriction enzymes, nitrocellulose, radiolabelled probe microbes hybridizing to DNA fragments, polymerase chain reaction, alleles.

It was like an impenetrable foreign language. He didn’t need this much information. English could have cut the crap and simply said, You’re screwed!

Or rather, Lorna Belling had been.

By someone not her husband.

Shit, shit, shit.

‘Shit,’ he repeated, and then said, ‘Is Chris Gargan sure, Georgie?’

Dumb question, he knew. Of course the lab were sure. The lab knew the importance of 100 per cent accuracy. It was what they had built their business on, police forces being able to rely on their reports in court. Belt and braces. No smart-arsed brief was ever going to pick a hole in their findings.

There was no match to anyone on the DNA database, she informed him with clear regret in her voice.

With Seymour Darling’s past criminal history, his DNA would have been on file. Although that still did not exclude him as a suspect. But it weakened the case against him.

He thanked her and ended the call, then relayed the essence to his colleague.

Batchelor took a final drag on his cigarette and crushed the butt in the wall-mounted receptacle, then they went back inside, both officers thinking hard and going through the ramifications.

‘So Lorna Belling had had sex with someone the day she was murdered. That doesn’t necessarily mean her husband didn’t kill her, does it, boss?’

‘It could have given him even more of a motive. Had he found out she was having an affair, which had been the trigger?’

Batchelor nodded. ‘Yup, that has currency.’

‘But what this information does do is blow this case wide open. It’s suddenly become a lot more complex. Whose sperm was it? What was her relationship to this person? Could this person, rather than her husband, be her killer? There’s a lot more work to be done,’ Grace said.

‘Meantime, what do we do about Seymour Darling?’

‘We have to release him on bail.’

‘I still have a feeling it’s him.’

‘He’s a lying little scrote, for sure,’ Grace said. ‘But we don’t have enough evidence to charge him. Not yet. Keeping him in custody any longer would just be a distraction for us.’

Batchelor looked pensive for some moments, then nodded, reluctantly. ‘You’re right, boss.’

Grace looked at his watch. There was now a mountain of work to be done on this case, but he was mindful of his responsibility to Bruno, too. He was also aware it was three days since the murder had been discovered and they were going to have to hold a full press conference. ‘Guy, let’s hold a planning meeting at midday. Ask someone from Media Relations to come along so we can prepare a press release and briefing for first thing tomorrow. Do you know who’s on call?’

‘Oliver Lacey, boss, I already checked.’

‘Good, he’s smart. Let’s think about the message we need to get out.’

‘We need witnesses who were in the vicinity of Vallance Mansions on Wednesday night,’ Batchelor suggested.

‘Yes. Anything else?’

‘Anyone who knew the couple? Clients of the deceased?’

‘Yes. But most, if not all, would be on the mobile from her home, which Digital Forensics have,’ Grace said.

‘Anything else, boss?’

‘Any householders in the area who had CCTV cameras pointing at the street in front of their property? But that should be covered by the outside enquiry team.’

‘It should be.’

‘What are we missing that we could appeal to the public for?’

Batchelor shrugged. ‘I dunno. Vehicles in the area?’

‘Yes, vehicles in the area. Unfamiliar ones. If she’s been having an affair, it might have been going on for a while. Her lover might well have arrived in a car. Someone, a vigilant member from the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme perhaps, may have spotted a car they did not recognize parking for a couple of hours and then leaving.’

‘Good point.’

‘Make sure the Crimestoppers number is included on any images.’

‘It will be, boss.’

‘This is a good exercise for you, Guy.’

‘Oh yes?’ He shook another cigarette out of the pack.

‘This is a good case for you to cut your teeth on. To see the complexities of a homicide investigation. This is turning into what I call a real Gucci job.’

‘Gucci?’ Batchelor looked down at his shoes. He was wearing a pair of black Gucci loafers he’d bought in a designer outlet sale on a recent shopping expedition with his wife.

Grace smiled. ‘Nice shoes. Wasn’t meant to be personal. Gucci’s what I call a proper investigation, rather than just low-life on lowlife. We’ve got a real puzzle on our hands here, Guy. Your big chance to shine as my deputy.’

‘I’ll rise to it, boss!’

‘I know you will. You’re smart. As SIO I’ll be watching every step you take.’

‘You sure you don’t want to take it over, now you’re back?’

‘You’re doing well, Guy.’

‘I appreciate your faith.’

‘I’m sure you won’t let me down,’ Grace replied.

Confidence smiled back. ‘I think we should have one final interview with Darling before we release him,’ Batchelor said. ‘Now he’s had time to think.’

‘Oh?’ Grace quizzed.

‘Something that’s just occurred to me.’