The Scent of Death

Chapter 16

The lights came on automatically when I let myself into the apartment, lamps and uplighters steadily brightening to a warm glow. I supposed the mood lighting was designed to ease away the stresses and strains of the day, a touch of luxury to welcome you home. I just found it annoying and wished there was a switch I could flick on.

Dumping my aluminium flight case in the hallway by the front door, I took off my coat and went into the kitchen. Right then I didn’t want to think very far past food and a drink.

Definitely a drink.

I opened the fridge door to see what there was to eat. After staring at the sparse shelves without any inspiration, I offered up a silent apology to Anja, took out eggs and cheese and set about making myself an omelette.

I might not have mastered the apartment’s NASA-standard coffee machine but I’d learned how to operate the sound system. Setting it to play randomly, I poured myself a beer and took my plate over to the dining-room table, trying not to think about the empty seat opposite me. The mournful tones of jazz piano swelled from the speakers as I sat down. It wouldn’t have been my first choice but it filled the silence. Good enough.

Taking a drink of beer, I tried to unwind.

It had been pandemonium after Christine Gorski’s brother had collapsed.

There had been calls for medics and an ambulance, but I could see he was already starting to revive. It looked like he’d only fainted, probably just reaction or shock.

There was a lot of it going round.

Jessop had been quickly hustled away, the big contractor beginning to look more than a little shell-shocked again himself. Once she was satisfied that Luke Gorski was OK and being attended to, Ward had come over to me. Grabbing hold of my arm, she’d led me away.

‘What the fuck was all that about?’ she’d hissed.

I’d told her as much as I knew. She’d listened in silence, the skin around her nose white. When I’d finished she exhaled angrily.

‘Couldn’t you, I don’t know, have kept him away or something?’

‘I tried. You saw what happened.’

She’d screwed her eyes shut and massaged the bridge of her nose. ‘Jesus, what a fuck-up.’

‘So where does this leave the search?’

Ward had looked back towards St Jude’s and shaken her head. ‘I don’t know yet. I need to talk to Whelan and the PolSA, find what the situation is with the asbestos. We’ll have to take it from there.’

‘And Jessop?’

‘God knows. By rights we could charge him with assaulting a police officer, but that’s down to Ainsley. Jesus, Oduya’s going to have a field day with this.’

‘Will I?’

The mellow voice had come from behind us. Great timing, I’d thought, turning round to face the activist. Neither Ward nor I had noticed him coming over.

Ward had made an attempt to rally. ‘Mr Oduya, on behalf of the inquiry, I can only apologize…’

He’d waved her off. ‘Forget it. I know a bully when I see one. Whatever disagreements we might have over St Jude’s, I’m not going to hold you responsible for the actions of a man like that. I’m only sorry Tomas and Sandra had to hear what he said. And Luke, too, of course.’

‘Keith Jessop will be dealt with, and if you decided to press charges yourself then you’ll obviously have our full support.’

‘Thanks, but I’m not going to waste time on the Jessops of this world. Life’s too short.’ His eyes had crinkled in a wry smile. ‘Besides, I’ll be dining out on this for years. Getting assaulted while surrounded by police officers? I couldn’t make that up.’

Ward had done her best to smile, but she wasn’t in a joking mood. ‘That’s very gracious of you, Mr Oduya…’

‘Adam. You can call me Adam.’

But that was going too far. She’d nodded, sidestepping the invitation. ‘You’ll have to excuse me, but I’ve got to see how Luke Gorski is.’

‘Of course. I’ll be there myself in a second.’

Ward clearly hadn’t liked the idea of leaving him with me, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Giving me a warning look, she’d headed back towards where a paramedic was helping the teenager to his feet.

‘Heartbreaking, isn’t it?’ Oduya had said, looking over. ‘This was bad enough for them without this.’

‘They shouldn’t have come.’

I didn’t try to keep the accusation from my voice. Oduya nodded heavily.

‘I agree. I tried to talk them out of it. Tomas didn’t want to, and you can see what it’s done to Luke. But Sandra insisted, and I’m not going to argue with a mother whose daughter’s been murdered.’ It had been his turn to look at me. ‘Anyway, thanks for what you did back there. I saw you trying to stop Jessop.’

‘Not very effectively. That was quite a move you pulled.’

He gave a shrug. ‘In my line of work it pays to know how to defend yourself.’

We’d watched as Luke Gorski was led, weakly protesting, to a waiting ambulance. ‘Has he taken it hard?’ I’d asked.

‘Very. I think even his parents are surprised at how it’s affected him. He and his sister don’t seem to have been particularly close.’

Death could do that. Sometimes you only realized how much someone meant when it was too late.

‘This isn’t the right time, but there is something else I’d like to talk to you about,’ Oduya had gone on. ‘If I give you my word it’s nothing to do with this case, would it be OK to call you to discuss it?’

I’d just been starting to let my guard down: now it snapped back up. ‘So you could quote me as a known and trusted source again, you mean?’

He hadn’t flinched. ‘I did what I had to, I’m not going to apologize for that. And whether you meant to or not, your reaction did confirm the pregnancy. I’d do the same thing again if it meant a missing young woman’s family could know what happened to her.’

He’d had a point. Although Christine Gorski would have been identified before much longer anyway, Oduya’s intervention had ended her parents’ uncertainty sooner. Even so, although I couldn’t blame his motives, I still didn’t like being used. ‘Like you said, this isn’t the time.’

‘No, of course.’ He’d given me a regretful smile. ‘Perhaps later, then.’

It would be much later, if I had anything to do with it. Oduya’s motives might be laudable, and it was hard to argue with results. But for him the end would always justify the means.

That made him a hard man to trust.

By the time I’d made a statement about the Jessop incident it had been late afternoon. There was no question of going back inside St Jude’s. The entire search operation had been suspended because of the asbestos and wouldn’t be resumed until the building was declared safe. I might not relish spending time inside the old hospital, but I didn’t welcome yet another delay. First the loft, now the basement.

St Jude’s sprang traps from every angle.

It had been too early to go back to Ballard Court, so with nothing better to do I’d called into the university. I hadn’t checked my emails since that morning, and when I did I found another one waiting from Francis Scott-Hayes. The freelance journalist was becoming a nuisance, I’d thought, deleting it. Other than that, it was all routine stuff. Anything was better than spending an evening alone at Ballard Court, though, and it had only been when my stomach started growling that I’d reluctantly called it a day.

The reason for my restlessness wasn’t only work. The truth was I missed Rachel. We’d both known she’d be out of touch for days and possibly longer, but her absence was starting to gnaw at me. I’d grown used to her being a part of my life. For the last couple of months we’d virtually lived together, rarely been apart for more than a couple of days at most. Knowing she was there had made the soulless apartment more bearable. For the first time in years I’d begun to think in terms of we rather than I.

Now I was having to get used to being on my own again.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. She has a job to do. And so do you. Finishing the omelette and beer, I saw it was almost time for the late news. I washed and put away my few dishes, then took one of the ridiculously heavy crystal tumblers from a cupboard and poured myself a bourbon. I’d taken to drinking the occasional glass of Blanton’s in memory of an old friend and had brought a bottle with me to the apartment. There was an extensive — and expensive — drinks cabinet, and the owner had said I could help myself. But that wouldn’t have felt right. I was only there because Ward felt my own flat wasn’t safe and, while I was grateful to Jason for arranging it, I didn’t want to make myself too comfortable. Not when I didn’t plan on staying.

Settling into one of the deep leather armchairs, I turned on the TV. St Jude’s was again featured on the news, but it had slipped down the headlines. There was footage of the Gorskis being driven through the hospital gateway, their faces pallid ovals behind the smoked glass of the car, but it wasn’t the lead story. No mention was made of the incident with Jessop, but that had taken place inside the hospital grounds, well away from media scrutiny. To his credit, Oduya evidently hadn’t told the press, although I thought that was more from consideration for Christine Gorski’s family than for the police.

Ward would still be relieved.

When the segment on St Jude’s had finished, I remembered my bourbon. I reached for the glass and almost knocked it over as my phone rang. Hoping it might be Rachel, even though I wasn’t expecting to hear from her again so soon, I quickly picked up. The number wasn’t one I recognized, though.

‘Is that Dr Hunter?’

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Disappointment made me irritable. ‘Who’s this?’

‘It’s, er, it’s Daniel Mears.’

Mears? I couldn’t think why the forensic taphonomist would be calling, let alone so late. ‘What can I do for you?’

I heard him breathing. ‘It doesn’t matter. Forget it.’

‘No, wait,’ I said, before he could ring off. Now I really was curious. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing’s wrong.’ The arrogance was back. And just as quickly gone again. ‘Not as such, it’s just… Could you come out to the mortuary?’

‘You mean now?’

‘Yes, I mean—’ He stopped himself. ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’

Any thoughts of bourbon or an early night were forgotten. I sat up. ‘Why, what’s happened?’

There was silence. Finally, Mears found his voice.

‘I need your help.’