Wrongful Death

Chapter Thirty-One

Blane’s colleagues at Dulles Airport were able to secure a seat on the Heathrow flight for Anna so he rushed her back to the FBI Academy where she literally flung her clothes into her case and they raced to the airport. They hardly spoke to each other on the journey, speeding along the highway, blue lights flashing; somehow it just didn’t seem the right time or place for either of them to discuss a future together. Anna felt in many ways that Blane was a reflection of her, both in thought and working practices. She feared they were too much alike, and wondered if he might be thinking the same. Anna knew that whatever happened they would have to make sure they found a world together outside of crime investigation if there was to be anything lasting between them.

When they arrived at the check-in, an FBI agent was waiting for them with a flight ticket. He shook hands with Blane who introduced Anna.

‘Agent Nathan will get you fast-tracked through to departures. He’ll need your passport, Anna,’ Blane said.

She rummaged in her handbag and passed the passport over to Agent Nathan who promptly carried her bag to the check-in desk. Blane stood patiently as she answered all the usual questions about packing her own case and carrying no weapons, and then her flight number and gate flashed on the departure screen, alerting them that the passengers were boarding.

‘My God, we only just made it,’ she said.

Blane took Anna to one side; she nervously wondered what he was going to say about his feelings for her and what she’d say in return.

‘I just wanted to tell you that Gloria Lynne will be deceitful, she’ll show no remorse or ever admit guilt, and will really know how to play the “pity card”. She will be a consummate actress and twist accusations round so she looks like the victim. Gloria will be a very, very clever woman.’

Anna didn’t quite know what to say, as she wasn’t expecting this subject, but she realized he was concerned for her.

‘Agent Nathan will take you to the plane now. You have a safe journey, Anna, and I hope it all pans out for you.’

‘What?’ She had assumed he would be able to accompany her. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, and was unprepared for the way she flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

‘Thank you, thank you for everything,’ she said.

‘Well, after tonight, the bedroom scene rather than anything else, I want us to see each other again and the sooner the better,’ Blane replied, even as he recognized it sounded false, yet not knowing what else to say because she looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Agent Nathan pointed to his watch, indicating that time was pressing.

‘I’ll call to tell you how everything goes,’ she said.

He bent forward and kissed her on the cheek, feeling like he was terminating their relationship. Truthfully, he had wanted so much more from her, but he knew that circumstances had now made that impossible.

‘Have a safe trip, and e-mail me when you have the time. I have to get back to the car as it’s in a no-waiting zone,’ Blane said, not wanting to prolong the moment. He didn’t look back as Anna hurriedly followed FBI Agent Nathan to the front of the security queues.

As she sat in first class awaiting take-off, Anna couldn’t believe that so little time had passed since she was last at the airport – it seemed so much longer with all that had happened. She smiled, recalling Langton’s upgrade at Heathrow, and it dawned on her that she still hadn’t spoken to him since he left to hunt for Fitzpatrick. Even though she figured that he would have made contact with her if anything had happened, she realized she was just trying to find reasons not to phone and tell him that she was flying home. Knowing that he would undoubtedly shout at her when he found out, she picked up her mobile and dialled his number.

Langton answered straight away. ‘What are you doing up so late, you’ve got the Yellow Brick Road tomorrow morning?’ he asked and laughed.

‘Any luck with Fitzpatrick?’ she asked awkwardly.

‘Well let’s put it this way, the FBI SWAT team have saved the British and American taxpayers a lot of money.’

Anna was finding it hard to concentrate and didn’t really take in what Langton was implying. ‘Sorry, what do you mean?’

‘He resisted arrest, pulled a gun and the FBI pumped him full of bullets. So, no lengthy trial at the taxpayers’ expense.’

‘Are you okay?’ she asked, somewhat alarmed.

‘Yeah fine, bit of a tense moment in more ways than one. All a bit sad though – his young son was there and witnessed it all. He’ll have to go into care as there’s no other family and what the trauma will do to him God only knows.’

‘Poor kid,’ Anna said. ‘Still, you got Fitzpatrick.’

‘Yeah, but in some ways it still feels like he’s the one that got away. I’d love to have slapped the handcuffs on him and told him he’s nicked.’

Anna was racking her brains how to tell Langton that she was about to return to London, but he sensed something was wrong.

‘You sound a bit down. Is everything all right?’ he asked.

‘Not really, I need to tell you what’s happened.’

‘Is it that bloody Don Blane? Did he try something?’

‘No, it’s nothing like that,’ Anna said.

Langton could tell she was still hiding something. ‘Fucking FBI are so up themselves. Don’t let him get you down, I’ve got all the red tape Internal Affairs going on here, what with Fitzpatrick being killed, but I should be back at Quantico late tomorrow-’

‘I won’t be there, I’m actually leaving,’ Anna cut accross him, realizing it was now or never.

‘What the fuck has he done to upset you?’ Langton shouted.

‘Nothing, Don helped me unravel the evidence in the Josh Reynolds case and Donna did not murder him. Gloria Lynne has fooled us all, she will stop at nothing to get her way and may have murdered at least five people.’

‘Jesus Christ, Anna, Blane knows nothing about the fucking Josh Reynolds investigation. You’re being taken in by a load of profiling psychobabble.’

‘He knows more than you realize and he’s made me see things clearly,’ she insisted. ‘You’ve always gone on and on at me about being a team player, well I’m not going to sit back and watch my team be duped by a lying sociopath like Gloria Lynne.’

Langton could tell that he had struck a nerve where Don Blane was concerned but he also knew that Anna was being deeply serious and must have found evidence to support her beliefs. ‘Are you one hundred per cent sure about Gloria?’ he asked.

‘Yes, but as yet I don’t have all the evidence to prove it. There’s a lot of costly forensic work that needs doing and I’m certain it will prove my theories. Gloria started her murdering spree in Jamaica over twenty years ago, using a poison called atropine. I think she used the same substance on Lord Lynne when they were on holiday in Egypt, then-’

‘Just hold on, you’re talking about crimes that didn’t even happen in the UK – they don’t come under our jurisdiction,’ Langton said, feeling he had to interrupt.

‘It would take too long to explain right now but it’s all related to why Josh Reynolds may have killed himself.’

‘I don’t bloody believe this. You’re now back to square one that Josh did commit suicide!’ Langton exclaimed.

‘Possibly, but I think Aisa was in the flat when the gun went off. She was having an affair with Josh. It’s possible Samuel saw her leave the flat and used that knowledge, along with other historical facts, to blackmail Gloria.’

‘Holy shit, this is making my head spin – what facts?’

‘Samuel Peters was Gloria’s first husband, Josh was their son and Donna and Aisa are blood sisters through her marriage to Xavier Alleyne,’ Anna informed Langton.

‘So Josh was married to one half-sister, and sleeping with the other? I don’t bloody believe it, this case gives me a damn headache.’

‘You have no idea how long it took to put all the pieces together but I’ve copies of all the birth and marriage certificates to prove it, and I am certain none of them knew they were in incestuous relationships.’

‘My God, this’ll be major fodder for the press, considering who Lady Lynne is and all her big-time contacts,’ Langton groaned.

‘Gloria Lynne has to be arrested immediately. I wouldn’t put it past her to kill her daughters to save her own skin.’

‘No, no, just wait a second. You cannot arrest Gloria without higher authority. You need to talk to Walters first, you know that.’

‘And you know full well he will want a complete report and all the evidence before making a decision,’ Anna retorted.

‘That’s just the way it goes when it comes to the rich and powerful…’

‘Well, the way I see it, the law is the same for everyone, and if I have reasonable suspicion that Gloria has committed a crime then it’s my duty to arrest her.’

Langton knew from the tone of her voice that Anna was determined to have her way, and he was growing increasingly worried that she hadn’t grasped the political situation she was walking into and that her stubbornness would be the downfall of her career.

‘Anna, just hold off. We can fly out together and be back in London by Tuesday. You can give me a full run-down and I will go with you to see Walters and plead your case.’

‘I’m already on the plane – it’s going to be taking off any minute’

‘What?’

‘I’ve got to go,’ she said and he snapped back angrily.

‘Anna, it’s just one more day, that’s all I’m asking, please wait for me to get back and we can sit down and discuss it all.’

‘I don’t know if I can do that, I can’t risk Walters saying no when other people’s lives may be in danger. There’s enough to justify Gloria’s arrest and interview.’

‘I don’t doubt that, but just hear me out…’ Langton paused before continuing. ‘Here’s the deal, you wait for my return, we don’t go to Walters as I’ve decided from the evidence you presented to me that Gloria should be arrested. I will make the arrest myself and interview her with you.’

‘No, I can’t let you do that; now you’ve got Fitzpatrick you could make Commander. I won’t let you throw that chance away for me,’ Anna said, upset at Langton’s suggestion.

‘It’s too late. Walters decided my promotion fate ages ago and even with Fitzpatrick dead he’s not going to give me anything. Walters has always been out to get me. He’ll use any excuse, no point in pretending otherwise. If Gloria’s arrest goes pear-shaped on my watch, who cares? Walters can shout at me but he’ll have no grounds to sack me. I’ve got nothing to lose and I relish the chance to stick two fingers up at him.’

Anna realized that Langton was prepared to take the fall to protect her career, and no matter how noble, she thought it was wrong. There had to be a better alternative but she needed time to think of something that he would agree to.

‘I’ll wait until Tuesday,’ Anna said reluctantly.

‘Good, I’m glad you’re seeing sense. Don’t tell anyone else about what we’ve said, not even Mike Lewis. You can tell him you’ve had a brief conversation with me and I told you to get back to London and I’m on my way back to discuss your findings. Tell the team about Aisa, but don’t say anything yet about Gloria being a murder suspect.’

Anna sighed. ‘That won’t be easy, as her being blackmailed by Samuel led to her poisoning Josh.’

‘Well it’s up you, but remember walls have ears in the Met and that’s how Walters likes to keep up with what’s going on.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll be discreet.’

Anna thought he was about to hang up but he continued. ‘Oh, and forensic-wise, tell Pete Jenkins to do whatever you need.’

‘It could be very expensive.’

‘Who cares, if it helps prove your case then blow the bloody budget,’ he said and hung up just as the seat-belt warnings came on and the engines started throbbing. The flight attendant cleared the half-finished champagne and untouched nuts, and Anna turned off her mobile and clicked her belt closed.

She recalled Langton’s words on the plane out when they were flying to Dulles, but now it seemed that his final success in tracking down Fitzpatrick was not the redemption he had thought it would be. She wondered if Langton had already made his mind up to call it a day and retire. It was humbling to acknowledge that he was prepared to tarnish what might be the last days of his career to save hers.

After take-off, Anna was so tired that she just wanted to recline her seat and fall into a deep sleep but she knew that she’d have to compile a full report of everything she had discovered, and as time was of the essence, she got out her laptop and started to work. Exhausted, she fell asleep whilst still typing her report, and woke when a flight attendant gently shook her to ask if she would like some breakfast. Looking at her watch she realized that she had only slept for an hour but it seemed much longer. It suddenly dawned on her that with all her rushing around she had forgotten to arrange for someone to pick her up at Heathrow.

She asked the flight attendant if they were back on UK time and on being informed it was seven thirty a.m. she used the on-board phone to call Paul Barolli’s mobile. To Anna’s surprise, he was already up and getting ready for work, and sounded extremely pleased at hearing her voice and interested in how she was doing. Anna told him that she didn’t have time to go into details but she needed him to meet her at Heathrow terminal five arrivals in two hours. Barolli immediately asked her what had happened but she swore she would explain all when she saw him, asking him meanwhile not to tell anyone about her return. He promised he wouldn’t and Anna knew that she could count on his trust and loyalty.

She nipped to the toilet and had a quick freshen-up then enjoyed a bacon roll and some coffee before landing. Although she was still tired she was now running on adrenalin and looking forward to being back in London and eventually arresting Gloria Lynne.

‘Seems like only two seconds ago I was saying bon voyage to you,’ Barolli remarked, greeting her with a big smile and taking her bag. He was desperate to find out why Anna had suddenly returned to London, but knowing her so well he figured it was best not to ask and that she would explain in her own time.

‘I missed you so much I just had to come home,’ she teased.

Barolli laughed. ‘I called the office and said I was going to the dentist with a sore tooth.’

‘Thanks, Paul, I appreciate this,’ Anna said, scrolling through the e-mails on her phone as she walked through the crowds. Her eyes flew to one from Joan sent late the previous evening informing her that there was an unidentified body at Fulham mortuary that had been brought in late evening 6 November 2012 and might be Samuel Peters. Anna couldn’t believe the date, as it was the same day Josh’s body was found. Her gut told her that Gloria Lynne had visited Samuel that day and poisoned him.

‘So you want me to drop you off home or are we going to the office?’

‘Fulham mortuary, please.’

‘To see Doc Harrow?’ Barolli asked.

‘Not if I can help it. With a bit of luck we are going to see Samuel Peters,’ Anna said confidently.

Barolli was now even more curious. ‘I don’t wish to appear nosey, but is there any chance you can tell me what the hell is going on?’

‘I will, Paul, but it’s all rather complicated and I want to speak to everyone at the same time in an office meeting. I can tell you that I am almost certain that Samuel Peters’ body is in the mortuary and has been since just after Josh Reynolds died.’

‘Bloody hell, and we’ve been farting around searching for him here there and everywhere!’

Once at the mortuary, Anna and Barolli lost no time in finding the head mortician, who showed them the freezer in which the unidentified body was held. Anna told him that the body was believed to be Samuel Peters, a Jamaican citizen visiting the UK at the time of his death, upon which the mortician wrote the information on the wipe board with a question mark beside it.

‘Dropped dead in the street from a heart attack. It’s nice to finally have a name. He – sorry, Samuel – was due for a pauper’s grave this week so you’re a bit lucky. He’s as stiff as a Christmas turkey at the moment. If I’d known you were coming I’d have got him out of the freezer so he could thaw out.’

Anna asked where the clothing and property that was taken from Samuel was, and the mortician said it was in the storeroom and once he’d got the body out he’d go and get it. Using a hydraulic trolley-lift table he removed the body from the middle shelf of the freezer and pulled back part of the white shroud that covered the face. The black skin had a light covering of ice on it, most notably round the eyebrows. The mortician pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave Samuel’s face a quick wipe-down, making the features more visible.

‘Best not touch him; those dreadlocks snap off like icicles when they’re frozen. Is it the same Samuel you were looking for?’ he asked.

Anna looked at the body and said she believed it was, but a further forensic post mortem would need to be done. She suddenly felt the presence of someone stood behind her before hearing them speak.

‘Well I can tell yer now, like, I won’t be bloody doing it again. Already said cause of death was heart attack so case closed.’

Anna immediately recognized the voice as that of the objectionable Dr Harrow. Turning to face him, she found he had a cup of tea in one hand and the inevitable biscuit in the other.

Anna was not in the mood to put up with the man or his facetious remarks. ‘You’re quite right, Dr Harrow, you won’t be doing another post mortem. I will be calling upon the services of another pathologist.’

‘Yer can’t do that, I’ve done me report and Coroner has accepted it.’

‘Oh, yes, I can, and I will be informing the Coroner that this man was probably poisoned with atropine.’

The dishevelled doctor glared at Anna. ‘Atropine! Well there’s no way I could have known that, is there? I sent his blood off for toxicology!’

‘I appreciate that, Dr Harrow, but I have read of poisoning cases where the pathologist suspected something was amiss, simply due to skin rash and dilated pupils. I don’t suppose you looked for either, did you?’ Anna asked, facing him down. She had not liked him previously and now she felt even more distaste, as the biscuit crumbs scattered over his white overall like dandruff.

Harrow’s face looked like a mass of blood vessels that were about to burst.

‘How dare you insinuate that I have not done my job in a professional manner? I’ve bloody years of experience.’

‘I am very aware that you have, Dr Harrow, but do not go anywhere near Samuel Peters’ body, because if you do I may find myself having to arrest you for interfering with an investigation,’ Anna said.

Harrow gasped, but said nothing and stormed off.

‘Was that true about the skin rash and pupils?’ Barolli asked.

‘As symptoms of atropine poisoning, yes, but the bit about the pathologist suspecting it, I haven’t read it anywhere,’ she admitted.

‘You sly thing, I bet he’s in his office right now searching it on the Internet,’ Barolli said.

Anna remembered the mnemonic Blane had used.

‘They say atropine makes you hot as a hare, blind as a bat, dry as a bone, red as a beet, and mad as a hatter.’

At first, Barolli didn’t make the connection. Anna tilted her head and grinned, then it dawned on him.

‘It wasn’t the bloody chicken! Holy shit, I could have dropped down dead.’

‘I suspect it was the spiced rum. Marisha didn’t know it was in there when she poured some into your coffee. Looks like she unwittingly drank some herself – that’s why she was odd in the interview with you and Dewar and had a heart attack.’

Barolli closed his eyes and shook his head. ‘Oh, no, I knew I shouldn’t have done it…’

‘Don’t look so worried – you weren’t to know.’

‘No, not the poison. I told the council hygiene officers to raid the chicken place and shut it down.’

Anna tried but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud.

At that moment the mortician returned with a cardboard box that contained Samuel’s belongings and Anna put on some protective gloves so she could look through them. The clothes were folded neatly and on top of them sat a large key ring with six keys attached in sets of two.

‘I bet these will be for Marisha’s, Esme’s and Josh Reynolds’ flats,’ Anna muttered. She picked up a black donkey jacket and started to check through the pockets, even though the mortician assured her that he’d already searched it. Politely insisting she’d like to check again as sometimes things got missed, she placed the coat down on a nearby table, opened it out and started to pat her hands all over the lining. Suddenly she felt a small bump and traced the tip of her finger over the shiny material to get a better feel.

‘Something’s in here,’ Anna said as she put her hand into the inside pocket and found that it had a deliberate scissor cut in it. She could feel some loose paper and, on pulling it out from the pocket, saw that it was five sheets of A4 paper stapled together. They were folded so that the fifth page was outermost, which was covered in something that resembled blood spatter.

‘I think this may have been on the sofa beside Josh when he was shot. It’s the right size to fit the void that Pete Jenkins spoke about.’

She read the top page, and then looked at Barolli.

‘It’s Aisa Alleyne’s birth certificate.’

‘What are the other pages?’ Barolli asked.

Anna told him that they were birth and marriage certificates that Samuel had ordered online and probably used to blackmail Gloria. As she spoke she flicked each page over so Barolli could see whom they referred to.

‘My God, this is dynamite, but how on earth did you know?’ He was so impressed he took a step back, shaking his head.

‘A colleague of one of the tutors at Quantico made some discreet enquiries in Jamaica, and sent me copies,’ Anna said diplomatically.

She placed the certificates in a plastic property bag that the mortician gave her. ‘Let’s take this up to the lab so Pete Jenkins can get to work on a DNA profile of the blood.’

As soon as she got to the lab, Anna gave Pete Jenkins a hug and a kiss to thank him for all his hard work. Pete laughed and she asked him what was so funny, so he told her that after her second call the previous evening he had commented to his wife that Anna was so worked up about the Reynolds case that it wouldn’t surprise him if she jumped on a plane and came home.

‘I found these in the lining of Samuel’s coat,’ Anna said, handing him the plastic bag containing the certificates. ‘Look at the direction of the blood – could this be what caused the void on Josh’s sofa?’

Pete held the certificates up. ‘On a first glance, yes, it could, but obviously I’ll need to examine it closer, plus there’s DNA and fingerprint work to do.’

‘Did you manage to get a set of Samuel Peters’ fingerprints from the Border Agency?’

‘Yes, and I compared them to the set taken from the unidentified body at Fulham mortuary and they matched.’ He handed Anna a copy of Samuel’s visa application photograph and she confirmed it was the body they had just seen in the mortuary.

‘Okay, you’d better come on through,’ Pete said, handing Anna and Barolli lab coats and protective gloves to wear before leading them into the working area. Items of property were laid out on sheets of white lab paper. As they moved along the table Pete pointed to each one and gave them a run-down on the forensic results.

‘Money from Esme’s flat and Marisha’s freezer has Samuel’s prints on it, as do the paint tins over there.’

Pete then indicated the bottle of spiced rum and on seeing it Barolli raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Pete grinned. ‘I heard you got pretty sick. It was probably from this stuff but I’m awaiting the test results. Samuel’s prints are all over it and of course Marisha’s.’

‘I thought she didn’t have a criminal record,’ Barolli said, remembering he had already checked this.

‘To be safe I got one of my guys to go over to the hospital to take a set off her for comparison and elimination. You were right, Anna, there was atropine in her system and your information saved her life. She’s still in a coma but stable and they think she will come round.’

Anna was thrilled that things were falling into place, and even more elated when Pete told her that he had started work on the blood sample from Josh Reynolds and early indications showed traces of atropine. Further tests were needed before he could make a positive confirmation, but it looked promising.

‘Thanks, Pete, you’re an absolute star,’ Anna said.

‘I hope Mike Lewis is going to be okay about all this extra work as it’s going to cost a bob or two.’

‘I’ve spoken with Langton – he said to go ahead and do whatever needs to be done,’ Anna told Pete.

‘Bloody hell, is he not feeling well?’ he exclaimed.

Anna smiled. ‘You can do the DNA familial comparison tests now.’

Pete looked round the room and came closer to Anna and Barolli, ‘Well between us three, I lifted some DNA from the paint-tin fingerprint of Samuel Peters. The profile fits to him being Josh Reynolds’ father.’

‘What about Donna’s DNA? Is she Josh’s half-sister?’ Anna asked.

‘That’s going to take longer. Josh and Samuel’s comparison was easy, as I only had to look at the Y chromosome, which passes down from father to son. To say that Josh and Donna are related I have to create and look at their mitochondrial DNA profile, which is passed down by the mother to her children.’

‘That would only allow you to say they have the same mother but not who the mother is?’ Anna asked, and as Pete nodded she continued, ‘So to be a hundred per cent sure, you would need a DNA sample from Gloria Lynne for comparison as well.’

‘Easier said than done, I expect, but I’ll leave that for you to get,’ Pete told her.

‘I can’t wait, and I will also be getting one from Aisa as it looks like she’s wrapped up in Josh’s death and was having an affair with him.’

‘Fuck me, this case just gets more and more complicated,’ Barolli remarked, having hardly said a word as he attempted to take on board all the new information. Some of it was starting to make sense now, but he was still baffled as to exactly who’d done what, where and when. Plus everyone seemed to be jumping into bed with their brother or sister.

Pete promised he would ring or text Anna as soon as he had any results to give her. She asked Pete if in addition he would take digital photographs of the certificates she had found in Samuel’s coat lining and he assured her he would get it done right away and e-mail them over.

As they got in the car to leave the lab it suddenly dawned on Anna that there might just be an alternative solution to Langton putting his neck on the line for her. She’d use Aisa as a lure to get to Gloria. There was plenty of evidence to justify Aisa’s arrest, detention for interviewing and taking her DNA and fingerprints for comparison.

Aisa would be Gloria’s Achille’s heel and her arrest would also entitle Anna to search the whole of Lynne House. Even if she didn’t find anything, Anna knew that Aisa would be the bait that would draw Gloria in and force her to confront Anna. She was certain that Gloria had never had to worry about Donna saying anything, simply because her elder daughter knew nothing. It was hard to believe, but Donna was the sacrificial lamb, and it didn’t worry Gloria a jot if she was arrested and charged with murder because she herself was then kept in the clear.

Anna suspected that Josh would have shown Aisa the copy of her birth certificate and therefore hoped her prints would be on it. She was also certain, because of Aisa’s alibi, that Gloria now knew of Aisa’s affair with Josh and that she had left the Charity Ball to see him. Gloria had always been there to keep an eye on Aisa, to control and manipulate her, but sitting in a cell sweating it out, Aisa would crumble. Gloria would no longer have the physical power over her and the truth might finally come out. Anna mulled it all over, sitting beside Barolli, leaning back with her eyes closed. He had wrongly assumed she was having a little nap.

‘You want me to drive you back home to your place for a bit of a rest?’ he asked.

At once, she shot bolt upright and clapped her hands.

‘Got it, I’ve got it. No, not home, I want to go to the Lynne Foundation offices to arrest Aisa Lynne,’ she announced assertively.

Barolli hit the brakes. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Never more so, Paul, never more so!’