Taste of Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Jane spent the rest of the day catching up on paperwork. She was just leaving for home when Meryl approached, handing her a white envelope.

‘Good news. I’ve finally tracked down Sebastian Hoffman. He did return to the UK but used his German passport, which was why they had no record of it. I have given you dates and flight details, from British Airways.’

Jane smiled. ‘Thanks, that’s very helpful.’

‘No problem.’ Meryl turned to go.

‘Have a nice evening,’ Jane called after her.

It was a strange feeling, letting herself into an empty house. Even though she had managed not to think about the situation all day, now it really hit home. Deep down she had expected Eddie to make contact or to try and see her. She thought about calling his parents, certain he had moved back to their flat, but what would she say? Perhaps it was best to give the situation more time.

After changing into her old tracksuit and putting on her slippers, the doorbell rang. She hesitated, partly because of what she was wearing, certain it was Eddie.

The doorbell rang again, and she called out that she was coming, but when she opened the door, it was Gerry from next door. She swallowed her disappointment and tried to look happy to see him.

‘I wonder if you could do me a favour,’ Gerry began. ‘I need any old newspapers or cardboard boxes, because I have to shut her in while I pop down to get some groceries.’

For a moment Jane thought he was referring to his wife, but then realised he was holding the lead of a cowering dog. The animal was shaking, head bent low, tail tucked underneath a skinny body.

‘This is Wilma, she’s a whippet-lurcher cross and she’s been very badly treated. She was brought into the refuge suffering from malnutrition and some nasty laceration on her hind legs.’

‘Well, come in, let me see what I can find,’ Jane said, ushering him inside.

Gerry picked up the shaking creature, and its eyes were so frightened, Jane immediately felt sorry for it. She went into the kitchen and found some old newspaper and two cardboard boxes.

Gerry went and sat on a chair by the table.

‘If you have any old towels, or woollen sweaters, I’m going to make her a warm coat, but she’s not quite house-trained yet.’

Jane went upstairs and found some towels that Eddie had used when he came home covered in mud and cement dust. She put two sweaters, the towels and the newspapers into one of the cardboard boxes. Gerry remained with the dog in his arms, her head hanging down over his forearm, sad eyes wide open. She was still shaking as he gently stroked her skinny body.

‘How is Vi?’ Jane asked.

‘Oh, she’s fine; to be honest, I don’t think she really took it in that we have a new little soul at home.’

Jane looked at the dog. ‘She seems very nervous.’

‘It’ll take time for her to understand nobody is going to hurt her ever again,’ Gerry said.

He carried the boxes out with Wilma cowering behind him on the lead. ‘Thanks for these, Jane.’

After making a fresh cup of coffee, Jane put her briefcase on the kitchen table. Taking out the file she had been compiling for her own interest on Angelica Martinez, plus the material Meryl had researched, she opened the envelope with the flight details.

Sebastian Hoffman had returned to London shortly after his parents had moved out of his old home, but after that Meryl had been unable to find any trace of him. There were no medical, dental, national insurance or employment records; it was as if he had disappeared into thin air.

Jane began to put together a chronology:

1. The Hoffmans divorced during or shortly after they sold their property to David and Alice Caplan. Their son Sebastian left to travel to Mexico.

2. Father Victor Hoffman moved back to Berlin, sells courtyard to Mr and Mrs Larsson.

3. Mother Angelica returned to her maiden name, Martinez, after leaving the property but remained in close proximity to be reunited with her son. She had received a postcard before the sale from Sebastian to say he was well and returning shortly.

4. Angelica began to visit the medium Vera James needing confirmation she would find her son. Concerned he would not be able to find her and worried something had happened to him.

5. David and Alice Caplan purchase their property but do not take up residency for nine or ten months while it was being renovated.

6. Mr and Mrs Larsson organise the tarmacking of the drive and courtyard.

7. The Larsson daughter died and funeral occurs midway through the work on the tarmac. The work did not resume until after the funeral.

8. Numerous objections to the Caplans building a wall with electric gates. Rejected, reapplied. Rejected due to opposition from Martin Boon, resulting in the alleged threatening of Mr Caplan. Martin Boon was admitted to hospital and put into an induced coma.

Jane put all the paperwork back in her briefcase. It was almost ten, but she went into the hall and called Vera James. She recognised Sandra James’s voice when she answered the phone.

‘Sorry to call you so late. This is Jane Tennison. I’d like to make an appointment with Vera.’

Sandra asked her to hold on. It was quite a while before she returned and said that Vera had declined her request.

‘It’s really important, Sandra...’ Jane began.

‘I’m afraid she has no available appointments for the foreseeable future,’ Sandra said, ending the call.

Jane returned to the kitchen, deciding that she would pay an unscheduled visit to Vera, whether she liked it or not. She was about to turn the lights off in the kitchen and go to bed when she heard a high-pitched howling coming from Gerry’s back garden. Unlocking the backdoor, she went outside. The security lights that Eddie had installed came on.

Jane could see the terrified dog running around Gerry’s garden. She went over to the broken fence, worried that Wilma would run through the gap. Gerry came out with a blanket and bent down to pick her up.

‘Sorry, she doesn’t like me to leave her on her own. I’ll repair the hole in the fence tomorrow. Unless Eddie is around?’

‘He’s not, Gerry. I’ll see if there are any pieces of wood you can use in his shed tomorrow morning.’

‘Oh, that’s very kind of you. I’ll take her in now. Silly thing, she’s scared of her own shadow.’

Jane relocked her backdoor, and eventually the security lights blinked off. She turned off the kitchen and hall lights, put the chain on the front door and went to bed.