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Chapter 27

DetectiveChief Superintendent Mathers drove them to the nearest police station that had a cyber and digital crime unit. A man in jeans and an Iron Maiden T-shirt was waiting for them.

‘The call came in to the hotline an hour and a half ago,’ Mathers said. ‘In total, the conversation lasted just under eleven minutes. After our cop suspected the caller knew details we’d been keeping back from the press, he let his sergeant know. A copy of the call was sent to tech support for analysis. We now have different versions of it.’

‘It’s Price?’ Poe said.

‘I don’t know the man but someone’s coming in who does. He’ll be here soon.’

‘Can we hear the original version first?’ Flynn said.

The man in the Iron Maiden T-shirt pressed a button and the killer’s voice filled the room …

‘Is this the hotline for the man who killed that politician?’

‘You’re through to PC Matt Griffiths, how can I help you today, sir?’

‘I believe I might be the man you’re looking for.’

‘And what makes you say that, sir?’

‘Because I killed Kane Hunt with hyoscine from the mandrake plant and Harrison Cummings with tetrodotoxin extracted from the fugu fish. I sent them both a poem and a pressed flower.’

‘All this was widely reported, sir, and I’m obliged to warn you that these calls are recorded. Anyone wasting police time will be prosecu—’

‘And on the back of each envelope I drew a scientific drawing of a plant.’

‘One moment please.’

There was then a minute-long gap as Griffiths made some checks.

‘He hadn’t been told what had been kept back from the press?’ Poe asked.

‘That circle is extremely small,’ Mathers replied. ‘The hotline room commander knew but that was it.’

‘Sorry about that, sir, I was required to confirm some details with my line manager. Could I take your name?’

‘One of the papers called me the Botanist this morning. That will do for now.’

‘My name’s Matt, sir. Are you OK to talk?’

‘I’m in no hurry.’

‘Good.’

‘I must warn you though – I’m on an unregistered phone and where I am now there is no CCTV.’

‘That’s good of you to let me know, sir, but we aren’t tracing this call.’

‘Were you?’ Poe said.

‘Of course,’ Mathers said. ‘But he was right – his phone was unregistered and when we triangulated it, he was in the middle of rural Wales.’

‘I doubt he lives there. Probably drove there so he knew he had some time.’

‘Yep.’

‘Can I ask why you’re doing this, sir?’ Griffiths asked.