Jeremy Brice was not Isaac Cook’s type of person. He’d listened to him on a few occasions, only to switch off the radio in his car in disgust, and now the man was going to be a nuisance.
‘If you’ll excuse me,’ Isaac said, ‘I’ve got to be upstairs. Rest assured, we’ll be working day and night to solve your daughter’s murder.’
‘And I’ll be behind you, kicking you all the way.’
‘We don’t need kicking,’ Isaac said. He knew that he was talking to a grieving man, but he had suffered enough listening to the man on the radio, and he didn’t intend to have him running the investigation into the death of his daughter, Amelia.
Upstairs, once he had shaken free of the father, Isaac walked around the body, careful not to impede the crime scene team and their investigation. He could see what had been an attractive white female, a piece of cord around her neck. Gordon Windsor was at the scene, as was Grant Meston, his deputy.
‘What’s the verdict?’ Isaac asked. ‘The same murderer?’
‘It’s probable. The method is the same, the same type of cord to garrotte her, even the bag over the head. Mind you, different houses, different areas.’
‘How long before you can tell us if it’s the same person?’
‘One hour. We’ll see if there’s any indication as to who it is.’
‘Is that likely?’
‘Whoever killed these two women had planned it out. It’s ten, fifteen minutes to drive from one location to the other, depending on the traffic, and then he would need to know that both women were at home and alone.’
‘An accomplice?’
‘It seems likely, but why?’
‘Leave that to us, Gordon. You give us the facts; we’ll figure out who was responsible.’
***
Back at Challis Street Police Station, the team assembled, this time without Superintendent Goddard, although Isaac was sure they’d not get through the meeting without his head poking around the office door.
‘What do we have?’ Isaac said.
‘Two women who lived close to each other,’ Larry Hill said.
‘Apart from that?’
An evidence board was set up in the corner, with the first attempts at populating it completed. There was no issue about a photo for Amelia Brice; Bridget had found her on the internet.
Isaac had secured a photo of the other woman at her flat; it had been in a photo frame in the kitchen. Charisa Devon had phoned; Billy, her elder brother, would be in the office within the hour.
‘What’s the tie-in?’ asked Sergeant Wendy Gladstone, the department’s best person if you wanted someone found.
‘We’re not sure, yet,’ Isaac said.
‘It must be something to do with Amelia Brice,’ Larry said.
‘That’s an assumption. We need to establish the connection between the two women first. Focus on Christine Devon’s clients that she cleaned for. Maybe she had cleaned for Amelia Brice.’
‘Does the house in Holland Park belong to Amelia Brice?’
‘It belongs to her father. He’ll be throwing his weight around. He’s already tried it once with me,’ Isaac said.
‘Is he a suspect?’ Bridget asked.
‘Everyone’s a suspect until we’ve cleared them. Check out Christine Devon’s children. Supposedly the youngest son is involved with gangs in the area. Larry, check it out, use your contacts.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll do that.’
‘Bridget, you can start producing a case for the prosecution.’
‘I’ve already started.’
‘Larry, Billy Devon, the eldest son, is coming in. We’ll interview him in the conference room; no need to subject him to the third degree.’
Isaac’s phone rang. ‘Samuel, he’s missing.’
‘Charisa, you’ll need to talk slowly. I can’t understand you.’
The woman on the other end of the phone was distressed. ‘Where are you?’ Isaac asked.
‘I’m down near Billy’s place of work.’
‘The address?’
‘Notting Hill Gate, number 446. It’s an electrical store, Glassop and Son.’
‘I know it. We’ll be there in ten minutes. Is Billy with you?’
‘He’s here. We tried to phone Samuel, checked with his school, his best friend. He’s gone missing.’
‘But he phoned the police when he found your mother.’
‘He let them in the door and then took off.’
‘Any reason for him to disappear?’
‘Not really, but he doesn’t always come home at night. We need to find him.’
‘I’ll put out an all points for him, and my DI, he’s friendly with the gangs in the area.’
‘We’ll be outside the shop. It’s difficult pulling off the road, and there’s no parking,’ Charisa Devon said.
‘Don’t worry about us. We’ll flash our lights if necessary. The traffic will stop for us. Remember, ten minutes, don’t move.’
‘We won’t.’
Isaac turned to Wendy. ‘Come with me. Larry, check with your contacts. Samuel Devon, fifteen years of age. You know his address.’
‘I’ll try, but they normally clam up when anyone comes sticking their nose in.’
‘Do your best.’
Nine minutes later, Billy and Charisa Devon were in the back seat of Isaac’s car. ‘Why the concern?’ Isaac asked.
‘He always answers his phone,’ Charisa said.
‘Maybe he’s upset over the death of his mother,’ Wendy said.
‘Not him.’
‘I thought you said he wasn’t in any serious trouble.’
‘There’s been a couple of times when he’s come home after fighting. Once he had a cut on his face; we had to take him to the hospital.’
‘What do you reckon has happened to him?’
‘Either he saw someone near our flat, or he saw the person who killed our mother.’
‘Any chance he’s been near Amelia Brice, the other woman?’
‘Who knows? He used to get around to a few strange places,’ Billy Devon said. His English was clear, no attempt to affect a Caribbean accent as a gang member would.
‘There’s no point looking for him ourselves,’ Isaac said. ‘It’s best if we get back to Challis Street. DI Hill’s coordinating the search. We’ll find him soon enough.’
Back at the station, the two teenagers were calmer after a
