Page 150 of The Scene of the Crime

‘I’ll keep working on the CCTV and see if I can find anything else of interest,’ Guy said.

‘Good work. I want you and the rest of the team to finish at five p.m. and get some well-earned rest,’ Anderson told him.

‘Thanks, guv. I’ll let the others know.’ He ended the call.

On her way to her car, Jessica phoned Guy and asked him to send her a copy of the CCTV footage of Michelle De Klerk. She also asked him to contact the hospital and ask for copies of the CCTV footage covering the corridor by De Klerk’s room and the hospital entrance for Thursday and Friday and send them to her.

Getting into her car, she was initially wondering what she was going to wear that evening, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Michelle De Klerk and her mysterious visit to the warehouse. She was obviously an extremely clever woman, with a thorough knowledge of the law, who must have known she would be caught on camera. So, what was she up to?

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

When Jessica got home, David was in the kitchen on his laptop. She told him she’d invited a colleague, Mike Chapman, to join them for dinner and hoped he didn’t mind. ‘Not at all. I’ll have someone sensible to talk to while you and Donna natter away. Is it anything serious?’ he asked with raised eyebrows.

‘I like him, but we’re just friends,’ Jessica told him. ‘I said to meet us in The Bull at seven.’

‘I can’t remember the last time you went on a date.’

‘It’s not a date,’ she said, shaking her head.

‘How’s Donna getting to The Bull?’ she asked, changing the subject.

‘She’s coming here about quarter to seven. Do you mind driving?’

‘That means I can’t have a drink then.’

‘No, we can get a cab back if you’re over the limit and you can pick up the car in the morning.’ Jessica didn’t say anything as she only intended to have a couple of drinks. ‘How’s the investigation going?’ he asked.

‘Hard to believe, but its nearly all wrapped up. Just a few loose ends,’ she said, not wanting to talk about the De Klerks.

‘Was your new boss pleased?’

‘Over the moon actually. MSCAN is off to a cracking start.’

‘Long may it continue,’ David said with a smile.

‘Right, I better go and get ready. Are you OK with me using the bathroom first . . . or is Donna in there?

‘Very funny. I’ll jump in the shower after you.’

As she walked to her room, she suddenly remembered something and returned to the kitchen. ‘I’m really sorry, David. I was so wrapped up in the investigation that I forgot you were going to the hospital today.’

‘It’s all right. I know your head’s all over the place. It always is when you’re on a case.’

‘So how did it go?’ She sat down opposite him.

‘I had a consultation with a specialist called Doctor Bennett. She asked lots of questions, took another blood sample and did a physical examination to test my muscle strength. I then had an MRI scan and a . . .’ he paused as he looked at his laptop to make sure he pronounced it right, ‘ . . . an electromyogram test which is used to detect neuromuscular abnormalities.’

‘Was it painful?’

‘It stung a bit when the nurse put the needle into various muscles, and they’re still a bit tender. Doctor Bennett also took some muscle tissue samples for microscopic testing, but it takes a week or two to get the results back.’

‘Did Doctor Bennett give you a diagnosis?’

‘She thinks I have a disease called polymyositis.’

‘What’s polystisis?’ she asked, pronouncing it wrong.

David laughed. ‘Watch my lips. It’s pol-ee-migh-oh-SIGH-tuhss. You can abbreviate it to PM, but maybe not, as that means dead body examinations to you, doesn’t it?’