‘Then it is possible that the interview with me was instrumental.’
Smiles all round the room, unappreciated by Dawkins.
‘Conceivably being questioned as a suspect caused her some alarm and she decided to stay away.’
‘It can’t be discounted,’ Diamond said, adding with a straight face, ‘and I can understand how it might have happened. Not all of you know this. Fred was the officer who made the first contact with the theatre after getting a report of the injury from A & E. This Denise isn’t answering the phone or her doorbell this morning.’
‘Has she done a runner?’ Leaman said.
‘We’ll find out. The theatre is playing it down, not wanting us to get involved. They can’t stop us if she’s gone missing.’
‘Bit strong, guv,’ Ingeborg said. ‘She phoned in only yesterday afternoon.’
‘Acting suspiciously.’
‘Can we get a warrant?’ Leaman asked.
‘What for?’
‘To search the house.’
‘We wouldn’t get one. We don’t have anything on her for sure,’ Ingeborg said.
‘We treat her as any other missing person,’ Diamond said, ‘ask around, find out her movements. See if she runs a car and if she does we put out an all-units order to trace it. That’s your job, Keith, with help from Paul. We also step up the pressure on the hospital, insist on getting a statement from Clarion. Inge, you and I will go there together. And it’s high time the hospital lab reported on the traces of make-up on the towel. I’ll give them a rocket at Frenchay. We’ll get our own analysis done by forensics. Not that they’re any quicker, but they know what they’re up to.’
Another bout of throat-clearing came from Dawkins.
‘Ah, Fred,’ Diamond said, thinking rapidly to keep this short. ‘You’re going to ask me what I want from you. You’re confined to barracks, for reasons we discussed. Can you use a computer?’
‘Use?’ Dawkins said as if he’d never heard the word.
‘Like work the keyboard.’
‘That much I gleaned.’
‘So the answer is yes?’
‘One’s keyboard performance is accurate, but not the quickest,’ Dawkins began. ‘At the most basic level –’
‘Spare us that. The civilian staff will help you. Get Denise’s statement on file, and Shearman’s. When anything else comes in, every item relevant to the investigation, see that it gets into the system. You’re acting as receiver. That’s a key post, so don’t let me down.’
Fred Dawkins looked apprehensive and said no more.
Frenchay Hospital, north-east of Bristol, was developed in the grounds of an eighteenth-century estate. Grand Georgian buildings have been adapted to medical needs and sit among functional wards and corridors. Diamond hadn’t phoned ahead to announce his visit. He had the impression that informality was going to work best. The burns unit was easy to locate and Clarion’s private ward was just as obvious thanks to a grey-uniformed security man seated outside.
Diamond showed his ID and the guard picked up his mobile phone.
‘Is that necessary? We’ll just go in.’
‘She’s with someone,’ the man said. ‘I’ll have to clear it.’
He was about to push past when Ingeborg touched his arm. ‘She may be having treatment, guv.’
‘Is she?’ he asked the guard.
‘I’m checking now.’
The upshot was that the ‘someone’ came out and she didn’t appear to be a doctor or a nurse. She was in a black suit with red tights and patent leather shoes. Her hair was dark, with red streaks, and she wore black shades with a retaining chain. To Diamond’s eye, she was in her forties, confident and businesslike. ‘You’d better not be press,’ she said.
Considering that the guard had already said they were police, this was not a good beginning.
Diamond held up his ID again and introduced Ingeborg. ‘And who are you?’
‘Tilda Box, Clarion’s agent. She’s not seeing anyone.’
‘Why? Has she gone blind?’
Tilda Box pursed her lips. ‘There’s no need to be facetious. She’s suffering from third degree burns and severe shock. She’s been through a traumatic experience and she’s far too distressed to have visitors.’
‘We’re not visitors,’ he said. ‘We’re on an investigation.’
‘That’s being taken care of.’
‘Who by?’
‘Private inquiry agents employed by her insurance people. You’re not needed here.’
Staying civil with this lady wasn’t easy. ‘It’s not a private matter, Ms Box. It appears a criminal offence was
