The Boudicca Parchments

Chapter 16

Sergeant Connor’s words were ringing in Daniel’s ears.

“It so happens that some one did see you siphoning petrol off your car.”

Now it was Daniel’s face that glowed bright red.

“Who?”

This time, for some reason, Detective Chief Inspector Vincent decided to speak.

“We had an anonymous tip-off while you were in the hospital. A man phoned in saying he’d seen a man siphoning off petrol from a car outside Post Office near the Three Tuns. He even said it was an Audi A4.”

By now Daniel — who had been so calm until now — was frantic with fear.

“But don’t you see… that’s a lie! It must have been the person who started the fire! He’s creating a smokescreen.”

Daniel realized too late that the words sounded like a rather tasteless pun.

“No doubt that’s what your lawyer will argue. But the fact is, you were there. You just got out in time. By your own admission you were not particularly well-disposed to Martin Costa to begin with. And you were seen siphoning off petrol.”

“By an anonymous witness.”

“Whether we can use it in court will be up to the judge. In the meantime, I’m not satisfied that you’ve given us all the answers you can give.”

“All right then,” replied Daniel combatively. “But perhaps you’ll give me an answer. How did this… anonymous witness identify me? Does he claim to know it was me that he saw — as opposed to just ‘a man’?”

“They showed your picture on the news… the famous ancient language expert from that big case in Egypt. He phoned Crimestoppers after that and told them. He recognized you from the picture on the news.”

“Crimestoppers?”

Crime stoppers was a charity that worked with the police to pass on information that was given to them anonymously by members of the public. They did not trace incoming calls or even record them. That meant there was no possibility of identifying the man who had called in and claimed to have seen Daniel siphoning off petrol from the hired Audi A4.

But one thing Daniel knew for sure: whoever it was who had made that call, had murdered Martin Costa.

And he also tried, thought Daniel, to murder me.