Page 32 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

Arriving at the Barking homicide offices, Jessica couldn’t help noticing how few cars were there, and Anderson and Chapman’s reserved bays were empty.

Heading up the stairs, she assumed Chapman must be running late.

Entering the main office, she only saw a handful of detectives and civilian staff, and they all looked exhausted.

She noticed DC Bingham at his desk, his head drooping while typing on his computer.

‘Good morning, DC Bingham. A bit like the calm before the storm in here,’ Jessica said with a smile, referring to the upcoming meeting with Anderson.

He slowly turned and looked up at her with glazed, bloodshot eyes. ‘Sorry, I missed that.’

‘It was nothing. How are you today?’

‘I’m knackered. I had to organise the office call centre and prioritise the information we’ve received since the press release. It’s been chaos here . . . the phones were ringing non-stop until early this morning. I haven’t even been home yet.’

‘Why not?’

‘We got some good information through Crime Stoppers just before midnight. Anderson was like a rat up a drainpipe when I told him about it and told me to get a search warrant pronto. The local magistrate was not happy about being woken up at two a.m., I can tell you. Anderson called Chapman and the rest of the team in for a six a.m. briefing and didn’t divulge the address until just before they all left, about thirty minutes ago, to set up observation on the premises. ’ Bingham yawned. ‘Sorry.’

‘Well, that explains why the office is so empty. How long are they going to observe the premises for?’

‘They’re not. Anderson ignored Chapman’s advice. He ordered a rapid entry and arrest, which is a bit foolhardy if you ask me.’

‘Did he say anything about doing a full forensic search?’ Jessica asked, surprised she hadn’t been informed.

Bingham shook his head. ‘Anderson wants everything kept in-house for now. DI Chapman did suggest you attend, but Anderson said he’d call you if needed. He’s desperate to cover himself in glory. The problem is, if this all goes pear-shaped, he’ll only have himself to blame.’

‘Can you give me any details at all? I want my team to be prepared if Anderson calls me.’

Bingham looked around before lowering his voice.

‘You didn’t hear this from me. The suspect’s name is Liam.

We don’t have a surname yet. He’s white, in his mid-twenties, about five feet ten and bald.

The informant said the suspect was trying to sell a Rolex watch to him in a local pub on Monday evening and might live in Winston Brown’s flat at John Walsh Tower in Leytonstone.

Council said a fifty-year-old black male called Winston Brown lives on the fourteenth floor, but Anderson reckons the suspect could be living there now. ’

‘Is the flat near where the burnt-out car was recovered?’

‘Yes, about eight minutes in a car, thirty on foot. Please don’t go, or Anderson will know I gave you the details.’

‘I won’t unless he specifically requests our presence. Is Dawn Owens with the search team?’

‘No. Anderson told her to keep the appointment with Mrs De Klerk, get a statement, and tell her he couldn’t be there because he was executing a search warrant based on a tip-off.’

‘She’ll want to know more than that. Is Dawn going to tell her everything?’

‘I don’t know, but I guess she might have to.’

‘It won’t look good if the information turns out to be false,’ Jessica commented.

‘Well, I hope the info does turn up trumps as we all want a successful result, but I’ve no sympathy for Anderson if it doesn’t.’ It was clear to Jessica that DC Bingham didn’t think much of Anderson, which made her wonder if he was the source of the leak.

Jessica called Diane at the MSCAN office. She didn’t want to betray Bingham’s trust, so she just told Diane that Anderson had received anonymous information about a possible suspect and was executing a search warrant with his team.

‘That’s good news. Do you want me and Taff to go to the address?’ Diane asked.

‘I don’t know any more than I just told you. Anderson is worried about another leak and only gave his team the details at the last minute.’

‘Why weren’t we asked to assist with the search? There could be forensic opportunities at the address they might miss or fail to consider,’ Diane said, clearly irritated.

‘I don’t know, and I’m not going to call Anderson to find out.’

‘Guy said yesterday that all information on a major enquiry is put on the HOLMES computer. I could ask him to look it up.’

‘No, please don’t do that. The last thing I want is for him to be put in an awkward position or risk being disciplined. Just let it be for now. We will be given all the details if our attendance is required.’

‘Mike Chapman might tell you.’

‘Can you just drop it, Diane,’ Jessica said curtly. She paused, taking a breath. ‘Did Taff examine the lighter?’

‘Yes, and he took photos, which I’ll email you now.’

‘Did he work out what the engraving was?’

‘It took him a while. He used the trinocular microscope to look at it and photographed the visible bits before enlarging and piecing them together. He’s confident the engraving is a parachute with wings and the monarch’s crown above it.

There were also bits of writing visible, which he thinks are the words “Utrinque Paratus”, Latin for “Ready for Anything”.

Taff said it’s the crest of the Parachute Regiment. ’

‘So, the suspect might be a serving or ex-paratrooper. If he is, it’s odd that he used a personalised and probably cherished possession to set the car alight.’

‘That’s exactly what I said to Taff, but he had a plausible answer.

He said it’s a Zippo lighter, and when you light it, the flame stays on until you close the lid to extinguish it.

Bearing in mind petrol was poured over the interior and exterior of the car, standing anywhere near it with a naked flame could cause an instant ignition.

If our man stood back from the car, he could throw the lighter from a distance in through an open window and whoosh, up it goes in flames with no danger to him. ’

‘That’s plausible. Thank Taff for me. He’s done a great job.’

‘He thought you’d be pleased. I’ll email you the pictures now and get Guy to upload them to HOLMES.’

Receiving the pictures of the Zippo lighter, Jessica printed them off and gave them to DC Bingham, who said he would inform DI Chapman so they could ask the suspect if he had ever owned one.

Bingham also mentioned that DC Owens had called and wanted to know if she was still coming to the hospital as previously arranged.

‘I’ll give her a call. Is there any update from Anderson on how the search is going?’

‘Not a dickie bird,’ he said. ‘I hope that doesn’t mean it’s bad news.’

Jessica went to the canteen to get a coffee and call Dawn. ‘Hi Dawn, it’s Jess.’

‘Are you coming to the hospital?’ Dawn sounded nervous.

‘I’m not sure it would be a good idea, especially with all that’s happened since the press conference.’

‘Could you call Anderson and ask for his permission?’

‘I don’t think he’d want me bothering him right now. Have you spoken to Michelle this morning?’

‘Only briefly to confirm the appointment here at the hospital.’

‘Did she mention the press conference?’

‘No, and I didn’t ask. DCI Anderson wants me to tell her about the anonymous tip and the search he’s doing.’

‘What, all the information?’

‘I don’t know, I’m a bit confused as he didn’t say exactly what I should or shouldn’t say.

I just spoke to Andy Bingham. He doesn’t even know what’s happening on the search.

I could do with your help when I speak to Mrs De Klerk.

Can you come to the hospital, please?’ It was obvious how stressed and nervous Dawn was and Jessica wanted to support her.

She thought for a moment. There was a plausible excuse she could use to go to the hospital.

‘I need to get a set of Johan’s fingerprints, and I’ve also requested a pathologist attend to examine his injuries—’

‘Oh my God,’ Dawn interrupted. ‘When I phoned the hospital early this morning, a nurse told me his condition had improved overnight. I told Mrs De Klerk that when I phoned her . . . now I’ve got to tell her he’s dead!’

‘It’s all right, Dawn. I think we’d all know if he’d died, so there’s nothing to worry about. Pathologists don’t just deal with dead bodies. They can assist with injury patterns and the type of knife used on living people as well.’

Dawn let out a big sigh of relief. ‘I’ve never been to a postmortem, so I didn’t know that.’

Jessica asked if Doctor Babu was still dealing with Johan, and Dawn told her he was.

‘I need his permission to take the prints, so it would be helpful if you could ask him before I arrive. Tell him I’ll be using a handheld scanner and not ink.’

‘Should I tell him about the pathologist?’

‘I left a message for him last night, so he should already know, but I’ll speak with him when I get there.’

‘Thank you so much, I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re coming.’

Jessica looked at her watch. It was 7.45 a.m. ‘Are you still expecting Michelle to arrive between half nine and ten?’

‘Yes, that’s what we arranged.’

‘You’re there a bit early then?’

‘I know. I wanted to speak to Doctor Babu about Mr De Klerk. Knowing more about his and condition will be helpful when I speak to Mrs De Klerk.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Why not?’

‘He’s not here yet.’

Jessica closed her eyes and shook her head; it was like going around in circles with Dawn. ‘I’ll make my way to the hospital now. Traffic permitting, I should be there well before Michelle arrives. We can go over everything when I get there.’

*?*?*