Page 18 of The Scene of the Crime

‘I wouldn’t say no to a coffee and bacon roll,’ Taff said.

‘Same for me, please,’ Diane added.

‘A tea and an egg sandwich if there is one,’ Jessica said.

Chapman nodded. ‘Got it.’ He walked off.

‘What do you make of him?’ Diane asked Jessica.

‘Hard to say. Maybe a bit too friendly, considering we’ve just met. Best we keep an eye on him.’

‘You think he’s up to something?’ Diane asked.

‘He could be Anderson’s mole, but I might be wrong.’

‘That would be a rare occurrence, Draig,’ Taff grinned.

‘You should get on well with him, Taff . . . you both think you’re funny,’ Diane said with a grin.

* * *

While Jessica and Taff started recording the scene, Diane photographed and swabbed the blood smear on the doorknob. She also found some on the internal Yale lock and examined it closer with a magnifying glass and crime scene torch. She noticed two tiny black fibres stuck to the blood, and used plastic tweezers to retrieve them and put them in a small pill box. As there were no finger marks in the blood, she thought they might have come from woollen gloves worn by the perpetrator.

An hour later, DI Chapman called out from the front door. They joined him outside, and he handed out the food and drinks. ‘Sorry about the delay, but I got some info from one of the house-to-house officers that I had to follow up on. I took a statement from Mr Elton, the next-door neighbour. He and his wife know the De Klerks quite well it seems . . . Johan is in his late thirties and a wine importer from Cape Town. According to Mr Elton, Johan likes the finer things in life and tends to brag about them, one such item being his new gold Rolex Daytona, worth sixty grand. He showed it to Mr Elton, who recalled it had a black face and a diamond-studded dial. The paramedic noticed a tan mark on De Klerk’s left wrist, right? So, it looks like the intruder took it.’

Jessica nodded. ‘We’ll search the house, in case it’s still there. Did Mr Elton say anything about Mrs De Klerk?’

‘Yes, her name is Michelle. She’s a barrister – a KC – but uses her maiden name of Belsham for work. I’ve come across her in court and she’s highly respected. She’s a tough operator, handling some big cases. I’ve informed Anderson. He’s shittinghimself because he knows the press will be all over the case if they find out the victim is Michelle Belsham’s husband.’

‘I don’t see how he can stop the press finding out,’ Jessica said.

Chapman shrugged. ‘Well, Anderson wants everything kept low-key for now. If the press asks, he’s just going to say it’s a burglary where a male resident was assaulted, and he wants us all to do the same.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Taff said.

‘He doesn’t think it likely, but he’s concerned that she might have been kidnapped. A press release could spook the kidnappers and put her life in danger. He’s also hoping that your team might find something forensic-wise to identify the assailant quickly.’

‘We’ll do our best, but I wouldn’t bank on it,’ Jessica said.

‘Fair enough,’ Chapman said.

‘Does Mrs De Klerk own a car?’ Jessica asked.

‘The neighbour said she drives a silver Mercedes SL sport, which I found parked around the corner in Homer Road by a locked gate leading to their garden. A number-plate check showed her as the registered keeper. Her husband’s car is a year-old black Range Rover Sport, which isn’t there. It might have been stolen or used as the getaway car.’

‘Mrs De Klerk might be using it if she’s away somewhere,’ Taff suggested.

‘I hope you’re right,’ Chapman replied.

‘If she is safe and well, it will be a big shock when she finds out what’s happened to her husband,’ Diane remarked.

‘Did the neighbour know the Range Rover’s registration?’ Jessica asked.

‘Only part of it. Because it’s a personalised plate. The first three letters are JDK. I’ve asked for a search on Range Roversto identify the full registration and his insurance company. If he had a tracker fitted, it will help us locate the car.’

‘I’ll look for the registration and insurance documents in the house,’ Jessica said.

‘What’s your initial assessment?’ Chapman asked.