Page 117 of The Scene of the Crime

Anderson made more notes while listening to the interview. ‘It’s all quite plausible,’ he said when it was finished. ‘And I can understand why Palmer would be frightened of Wheeler. But how do we know he didn’t murder Wheeler and take the proceeds of the burglary?’

‘That’s highly unlikely, sir,’ Chapman replied. ‘As I said . . .’

‘I know, I know. Palmer gave you Wheeler’s address. But maybe that was just to put you off the scent. Maybe he’s cleverer than you think.’

Jessica felt he was clutching at straws to cover up his errors. She needed to get him back on track without belittling him or appearing condescending. ‘Palmer has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.’

Anderson raised his eyebrows. ‘That’s news to me.’

‘I read his criminal record and his social services files. His father deliberately smashed his head against a wall when he was eight, but he wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until some years later. Palmer suffers from racing thoughts and obsessive worrying.’

‘Well, I’d be worried if I were in his shoes,’ Anderson retorted.

‘Palmer’s brain is a constant flow of thoughts, which he finds hard to control,’ Jessica continued. ‘They interfere with his daily life, making it difficult for him to focus on any one thing at a time. He becomes fixated on things that worry him, going over them repeatedly in his mind, which leads to anxiety and stress and makes it difficult for him to complete tasks or make decisions.’

‘Are you saying he’s retarded?’ Anderson asked.

‘We don’t use that word any longer,’ Jessica said, trying to be patient.

Anderson waved a hand dismissively. ‘Whatever he is, the fact is Palmer is capable of committing a crime, as borne out by his previous convictions and the assault on you.’

‘That may be so,’ Jessica agreed. ‘But I don’t believe he’s capable of killing a man like Wheeler and then successfully covering his tracks. And do you honestly think Wheeler would have left all that cash and the Rolex with someone as unreliable as Palmer?’ Jessica asked pointedly.

Anderson frowned. ‘I was just playing devil’s advocate. Unless there’s anything else, I think we should go to the crime scene.’

* * *

Jessica drove to Fred Wigg Tower in her car, and Chapman took Anderson. She arrived first, and as she approached the building, she noticed a tall, attractive woman with cropped dark hair standing by the foyer lift. She looked to be in her early forties and was casually dressed in a tight-fitting roll-neck jumper and trousers. It was only the black leather pilot’s case she was holding that provided a clue to who she might be.

‘Hi, are you the pathologist?’ Jessica asked.

‘Yes. I’m Doctor Nicki Giorgini.’

‘I’m Jessica Russell, in charge of the forensics team.’

‘I read a report Commander Williams sent us about the new MSCAN team and recall your name,’ she said with a warm smile as they shook hands.

‘This is our first major investigation as a unit,’ Jessica said as the lift doors opened, and they stepped in.

‘Coincidentally, this is also my first case since I joined the Greater London Forensic Pathology team,’ Nicki said. ‘I was based in Manchester but jumped at the opportunity when I was offered a job down here.’

‘Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,’ Jessica said.

‘You too,’ Nicki said.

They got out of the lift, and Jessica called out to Taff and Diane, who were inside Wheeler’s flat. They came out and she introduced them to Doctor Giorgini. She noticed the glint of appreciation in Taff’s eyes, and so did Diane, who frowned at him. Taff said that he’d used a handheld fingerprint scanner on the right index finger of the body and could confirm from the criminal database that it was John Wheeler. Diane added that Guy had taken Wheeler’s phone and laptop to the lab for examination.

‘Great, you carry on, and we’ll catch up after I’ve briefed Doctor Giorgini about the investigation.’ She then gave Nicki a brief outline of the De Klerk case and explained how Wheeler fitted in.

As Nicki was putting on protective clothing, Chapman and Anderson arrived. When they were introduced to Nicki, Jessica saw Chapman had the same look in his eye as Taff. While they were all suiting up, Jessica nudged him.

‘You looked a bit smitten there.’

‘I was surprised to see a female pathologist, that’s all. She’s not really my type.’ He looked at Jessica, and she found herself blushing.

When they were all suited and gloved, Jessica asked Taff and Diane to join them on the landing. ‘Have you found anything of interest?’ she asked.

‘I recovered footprints using ESLA in the hallway, and a few were on either side of the armchair,’ Taff said. ‘They could be the suspect’s prints, but I’ll need to eliminate them against yours, DI Chapman’s and the uniform officers. I looked at the trainers Wheeler was wearing. I’m confident the footmarks at De Klerk’s house and Palmer’s flat came from them. Same with the Sealskinz gloves on the coffee table. The rucksack in the hallwayhad these items in it.’ Taff showed them photographs of a small crowbar, a battery-operated hydraulic door breacher and lock pick on his iPad.