Dark Rooms

Chapter Ten

DS Paul Lawrence was at home checking through his files as he wanted to clear any outstanding matters before he went on a week’s leave. He drew out the file labelled ‘Infant Mortality’ and reread the pathologist’s report, alongside his own notes. The words ‘belt — query’ had been underlined. He recalled his interaction with the mortician at the lab when he had complained about the missing cement slabs and placed a call into the lab to find out if there was an update on the whereabouts of the belt.

He was kept on hold for some time and was eventually told that the belt had been placed in a separate evidence box because there was some confusion about whether it actually belonged to the young female victim who had been discovered in the shelter. Lawrence sighed with frustration. He was aware that items sometimes went missing, but because he had filed a query about the belt, he wanted to follow it up. His request to collect the item was met with a rather disgruntled response and a muttered comment that it was almost five o’clock. But Lawrence remained adamant that he wanted access to the belt that afternoon, reminding the lab technician that due to their lack of professionalism the cement blocks had already been mislaid and he could still make a formal complaint. Eventually it was agreed that he would be met at the lab within half an hour.

Jane had changed into an old pair of jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of dirty trainers and had begun to take up some of her old carpet. She needed to use a carpet claw as it had been laid on nail strips and the underlay had been stuck to the wooden floor in places. She was using a large flat screwdriver to scrape it off when she heard the doorbell ring.

Eddie stood on the doorstep with an impressive-looking sanding machine.

‘I’ve got this for two days,’ he said, hauling it into the hall. ‘I’ve also ordered a skip to be delivered first thing tomorrow morning.’

He looked around, clearly impressed by what Jane had already accomplished and immediately began rolling up the old worn carpet to take it outside. They worked efficiently together and managed to remove all of the stair carpet, the first-floor landing carpet and one of the bedroom carpets. All the waste carpet was dragged down the stairs and into the small front garden. She made Eddie a cup of tea, while they took a breather. As he drank it, he told her they would need to sweep and wash the floorboards in preparation for the sanding.

‘But before we do that, I could go and get us some fish and chips,’ he said, rinsing his hands in her kitchen sink.

‘You know something, I’d really like that. I’ll make us another tea.’

Eddie smiled, ‘I wouldn’t mind some bread and butter, too. There’s nothing like a chip buttie!’

Jane agreed, smiling at the sound of him whistling as he left.

Lawrence opened the small plastic container and read the three different notes attached to the box. Two of the notes had been written when the item had been brought in. The third had no date, just a statement that the belt should be placed with the other items taken from the shelter. Lawrence noted down the names of the officers responsible and went over to one of the lab tables.

The lab technician was pacing up and down as Lawrence checked through the box. ‘Are you going to be long?’ he asked.

‘Are you the only assistant on duty tonight?’ Lawrence asked, curtly.

‘No, I’m not. But I’ve been here since half past eight and I was due off at five. I’d like you to know that I had nothing to do with anyone removing those blocks. I’ve no idea where they went — there are three other guys who work here as well, so I’m not taking the blame. You can see the lab case file: it’s got copies of all the police lab submissions plus reports from the scientists who did any work on them. You’ll find all the photos taken at the scene. ’

Lawrence gloved up and placed the cut belt on a sheet of white paper.

‘Hopefully this won’t take long... though it should have been done already. Please don’t think I was born yesterday. I’m fully aware that you guys make a few quid on the side.’

The lab technician stopped his pacing. ‘I don’t like what you’re insinuating. What do you think we can do with two fucking cement blocks? If they were brought in with the instruction to retain, we would’ve kept them.’

Lawrence glanced at him, then returned to examining the belt buckle. Due to the dampness in the shelter, the buckle was encrusted with mould as well as cement dust. But Lawrence could tell it was very good quality. With a set of fine tweezers, he carefully began removing the clogged-up dirt around the buckle.

Eddie and Jane finished their fish and chips, accompanied by slices of buttered white bread and mugs of tea. Eddie told her that they would need to cover their mouths and noses and suggested that she find a headscarf or bath hat to put over her hair because as soon as they started sanding the floor it would create a huge amount of dust. He pulled out a well-thumbed notebook.

‘I’ve got four guys who can help me out. I can do all the electrics and I’m going to call a plumber and two decorators. If it’s all right with you, we can probably make some major headway this weekend.’

Jane stacked their plates and mugs in the sink.

‘It’s fine by me, Eddie. To be honest, the sooner we can get it done, the better. By the way, do you remember the photographs in that big album? You said that the photo of the three girls reminded you of the Romanov princesses?’

Eddie nodded but was more intent on making notes in his notebook.

‘Well, you won’t believe this, but I discovered that their grandfather was actually a Russian count.’

He looked up. ‘Wow, really? Now, have you got the paint charts? If I have the lads coming in to do the work, I should get going on ordering the paints. Also, we need to see what colour the floorboards are once we’ve stripped them... you might want them another shade, or just varnished.’

Jane looked around the kitchen and picked up the paint chart.

‘I’m going to ask my dad to help us out, is that all right with you?’ Eddie asked.

Jane laughed. ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’

‘He is a bit of a geezer, my dad,’ Eddie said. ‘He reminds me of that bloke who was in the Disney movie.’

‘Which Disney movie?’

‘The one where he had a terrible accent?’

‘Do you mean Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady?’ a perplexed Jane asked.

‘No, no... not that one. He played the chimney sweep.’

‘You mean Mary Poppins?’

‘Not her, who was the bloke who played the chimney sweep? I can’t remember his name...’

‘You mean Dick Van Dyke?’ Jane couldn’t help laughing.

‘Yeah, that’s him. Now I’ve lost track of what I was talking about...’

‘You were talking about your dad,’ Jane said.

‘Oh right, yeah... like I say, my dad is a real geezer, but I guarantee when I introduce you and tell him you’re Old Bill, he’s going to start talking to you like he’s posh, pronouncing his hs and everything. He always does it and thinks no one notices.’

‘So do you think he’ll be impressed because I’m a detective inspector?’

Eddie nodded. ‘He’s old East End. I mean, if my mum has to go to the doctor, they get dressed up. It’s just the way they are.’

Jane smiled. ‘Well, I look forward to meeting your old “geezer”!’

DS Lawrence arrived at the station in Stockwell just after six. As he went into the incident room, Detective Sergeant Hunt was putting on his overcoat.

‘Good evening, sarge,’ Lawrence said, affably. ‘Is your governor in?’

‘No, he’s out at some Masonic do.’

Lawrence raised his eyebrows. ‘What about DI Tennison?’

‘Nah, she’s on weekend leave. Anything I can do for you?’

‘It’s connected to that...’ Lawrence pointed to a rather crumpled Evening Standard with the headline HOUSE OF HORRORS DEMOLISHED. ‘Is Jane still handling the investigation?’

Hunt gave a snort. ‘Between you, me and the gatehouse, I think it’s going to be closed down. The guv gave her two days to come up with a valid reason for continuing the inquiry.’ He shook his head and jerked his thumb towards DC Timothy Taylor. ‘She’s got us on a wild goose chase, looking into some Russian Count who’s been dead for twenty-odd years.’

Lawrence held up an evidence bag. ‘I think DI Tennison should have access to this. Can I leave it with you to make sure she gets it first thing on Monday morning?’

‘Sure, I can do that,’ Hunt said.

‘Right, I’m off to Tenerife for a week... first holiday I’ve had in years.’

Sergeant Hunt held up the evidence bag containing a large padded envelope with a typed document attached.

‘What’s this?’ Hunt asked.

‘It’s the leather belt and buckle which was holding the two cement blocks together, with the dead baby inside. It should have been checked over days ago. Sometimes the unprofessionalism at the mortuary is beyond belief. Anyway, I’m satisfied I’ve done my job.’

‘Enjoy your holiday,’ Hunt said, taking the evidence bag and envelope over to DC Taylor. ‘Put this on Tennison’s desk, and then you can get off home.’

The young man nodded. ‘This Count Antonin Petrukhin...’

‘I don’t want to know,’ Hunt said. ‘I need to go home, unlike some who are fucking going to Tenerife. I’ll see you on Monday morning.’

DC Taylor went back to sifting through the documents he had sourced from the St Catherine’s House archives. He had also been to the British Library to check through old newspaper articles. But, like Detective Sergeant Hunt, he had no real idea what he was looking for.

Jane and Eddie had taken a while to work out exactly how the sanding machine worked. She hadn’t laughed so much in years because you had to retain a firm grip on the handles, otherwise it careered out of control. She had swept and washed down the floors whilst Eddie tried to control the machine. She was wearing a plastic bath hat, a scarf over her nose and mouth and a pair of yellow marigold gloves, and they were now both covered in sawdust from head to toe.

She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her right eye.

‘Oh God, my eye.’

‘Don’t rub it, let me have a look, which eye is it?’ Eddie said.

Both of her eyes were streaming, but she pressed the lid of her right eye.

‘Take your hand away, let me see.’

Eddie pulled down the bottom lid of her right eye and squinted, his face close, almost touching hers.

‘Hang on, I see, it’s just a bit of sawdust. Come into the kitchen and try not to touch it.’

She followed him in, her face scrunched up and blinking as he took a section of paper towel and made it into a little cone, then washed his hands, before running the cone under the cold tap.

‘OK, now stand right under the light and stay still.’

Jane had her face turned up, as he gently drew down the bottom lid with his left hand, then, using the cold, wet edge of the paper cone, gently removed the bits of sawdust.

He gently tilted her chin up with his hand.

‘How is it now?’

‘Oh, it’s fine now,’ Jane said, blinking.

There was a moment between them, while they were still close enough for their lips to meet, but instead he gently pulled her bath hat down a fraction and laughed.

‘I’ve never fallen for a woman in a plastic bath hat before. Now, are you ready to go back to work?’

By midnight they were only halfway through the hall. Jane decided to take a shower and presumed Eddie was getting ready to go home.

She was wrapped in a bath towel, ready to step into the shower, but when she turned the tap on there was no water. She went to the top of the stairs and called down to say that she thought there was something wrong with the boiler, or maybe the tap. Eddie quickly came upstairs to check it out. He stepped into the shower stall and turned the lever.

‘You weren’t switched to shower,’ he said, suddenly getting the full impact of the water that came gushing through the showerhead. Jane couldn’t stop laughing as Eddie stood there in his sodden clothes.

Then with a grin, instead of turning off the shower, Eddie started stripping off and grinning, too, Jane quickly dropped her towel to the floor to join him.