Dead Scared

FOR SEVERAL SECONDS Evi didn’t speak. An expression crossed her face that made me think she was going to ask me to leave, to say that it was all too much for her to deal with. God knows I had been a bit full on. But four days in this place and I knew I couldn’t be a disinterested observer any more.

The scream had done it, I realized, the scream I’d heard up at Nick’s farm. It didn’t matter if it had been a hunting barn owl or a fox disembowelling a rabbit, it had sounded enough like a scream to drive home to me that women in this city were afraid. Something had scared Danielle, Nicole and Bryony, something was scaring Evi, and women who got scared in Cambridge had a habit of ending up dead.

And then, right before my eyes, I saw the fragile, nervous Evi Oliver come to exactly the same conclusion. She pursed her lips, widened her eyes and leaned towards me.

‘What do we do?’ she said.

No time for the sigh of relief. ‘I’m glad you asked,’ I said. ‘Because, first, we have to stop working blind. I need to know who the victims were. I need names.’

As I’d expected, she shook her head. ‘Laura, that’s confidential information,’ she began. ‘I can’t …’

I wasn’t letting her get a head of steam. ‘I need names, ages, colleges, courses, hobbies and interests,’ I went on. ‘I need to know what they looked like. Who their friends were. What medication they were on, who their GP was. Once I can get my SO interested, I can probably get it all inputted into the police major incident inquiry system. It will spot connections, links between the victims, in seconds. Far faster than we can. In the meantime, we’ll have to do our best.’

A deep line had formed between Evi’s eyebrows.

‘Isn’t there a rule that says that if you suspect people are at risk, that if they may harm themselves or others, you’re not just allowed to break confidentiality, you’re expected to?’ Anticipating Evi’s response, I’d done a bit of Googling myself that morning.

She didn’t reply and I knew I’d struck a chord.

‘Most of the people I’m interested in are dead,’ I said. ‘I know confidentiality doesn’t disappear but it will be a mitigating circumstance.’

Evi looked seriously troubled. The dog sidled up to her and glared at me. At that moment, a beeping on my phone told me I had a text message. I excused myself and stepped into the hall. It was from Joesbury.

I’ll be in London for a couple of days. Call me if it’s urgent, otherwise no electronic communication. I’ll manage without Book at Bedtime for a night or two. Very important you do not phone or email Evi Oliver and keep contact to a minimum. Her computer files may have been compromised. In fact, do not phone, text or email anyone on official business. Wait for me to be in touch.

I closed the text. Well, I hadn’t phoned or emailed Evi and I’d already guessed her computer had been compromised. As for keeping contact to a minimum, it was a bit late for that. Given the breakthrough I’d just made with her, I wasn’t going anywhere. I put my phone away and went back into the sitting room. Evi didn’t appear to have moved.

‘Nineteen students are dead,’ I said. ‘I’m a police officer, conducting an official inquiry. And you have a responsibility to those who may be next in line to tell me what you know.’

Silence for a moment. I gave her time. Then,

‘Tell me again what you need,’ she said.