‘Jez? Hopkins?’
Alice nodded. ‘We’ve been called to a crime scene at his flat.’ She gripped Gus’s arm and squeezed tightly. ‘He’s been murdered – strangled.’
Carlton, seemingly just becoming aware of the situation in the office, stepped closer. ‘Strangled – someone else has been strangled? Too many strangulations for my liking. That’s four in the past week. Maybe we need to reassess our thoughts on things.’
Gus heard Carlton’s words, and agreed with the psychologist’s assessment, but right now he was more concerned with Alice. She was more upset with the news of Jez’s death than he would have expected and that could only mean one thing. ‘You’ve been seeing him again, haven’t you?’ He exhaled. ‘For fuck’s sake, Al…’
But no sooner had he uttered the words, than he wished he could take them back.
‘Aw crap. I’m sorry, Al. That was unacceptable, but you have, haven’t you? That’s why you’re so upset.’
Alice gulped back a cry and nodded. ‘For a while now I … Well, I didn’t tell you because you hate him so much. Not that it matters now … he’s gone.’
With her shoulders hunched and mascara streaking her cheeks she looked so forlorn – so alone and Gus wasn’t sure what to say. What could he say? Someone else keeping secrets from him – but he couldn’t blame Alice. He’d made his opinion of the journalist crystal clear at every opportunity. No wonder she didn’t confide in him. Anyway, now wasn’t the time for remonstrations. His partner was distressed and so Gus put his own anxieties to the side and wrapping his arms round her and pulled her close. ‘Aw, Al. I’m sorry, really sorry.’
She stayed in his arms for a few moments and then pushed him away and stood up as if she’d gained strength from his hug. Rubbing her cheeks with a tissue, she sniffed and straightened her shoulders. ‘Carlton’s right. All these strangulations are too much of a coincidence – for now, I’d like to investigate them as separate investigations, but keeping an eye on any possible overlaps. Which means, Gus, you can take this one.’
Gus had never been more proud of Alice than he was right at that moment. It took great strength to put your personal feelings to the side to focus on a case that meant so much to you. When she looked at Gus, her eyes pleaded with him. ‘There’s no way I can do this, Gus. I just can’t.’
Gus stood up and winked at Taffy. ‘Come on, Taff. Looks like it’s you and me.’
There was no need to point out to Alice right at this moment that she was off the Hopkins’s investigation anyway because of her relationship with him and, if the Brookes’ case and this one proved to be linked, then they would both be off them. But he’d deal with that later.
****
Gus was familiar with the layout of Jez Hopkin’s flat in Lister Mills which was just opposite The Fort on Lilycroft Road. Not only had he been in the flat before, but Gus’s sister had, until Gabriella got pregnant, lived in a very similar one. Security was good here, so Gus was surprised to discover that the security cameras had been wiped for the previous evening, which was when they suspected Hopkins had died.
Sid was on the case, and as soon as he approached Gus in his bunny suit, he said, ‘How similar is this to what happened to Erica? You think we’ve got two sickos prowling around – two sickos with very different MOs at the same time?’
‘No idea yet, Sid, but we’re looking into it.’ Gus glanced sideways at the CSI manager. Was Sid a bit too eager to discuss the investigation? He gave himself a mental shake. It was more likely that Gus was just being paranoid and untrusting. Dr Mahmood would be so proud that he’d picked himself up on that.
Sid guided Gus into the bedroom where Jez Hopkins lay, head caved in but with hand marks around his neck signifying he’d been strangled.
‘Petechia.’ Sid pointed a gloved finger. ‘I read Erica’s PM report and this all seems nearly identical to her death – in bed, incapacitated by being bashed on the head with an item found in the residence, and then manually strangled.’
Once more Gus quashed his suspicions over Sid’s interest in the case – wouldn’t he be equally invested if one of his team had been murdered? Besides, the same thoughts had been coursing through his own mind, although he didn’t want to voice them aloud. Not till they had something concrete. ‘Erica Smedley’s home was an easy-ish target for a clever killer. Lister Hills flats are completely different, Sid. They’ve got a security guard, cameras, personal access codes, and all sorts. How could someone have broken through all those security measures?’
He turned to Taffy, who’d been gawping at the Swedish style flat with an envious look. Not usually one for gallows humour, Gus couldn’t resist this one time. ‘Well, looks like there’s one vacant now, Taff, and you’d never be late for work again. You could practically roll out of bed.’
Taffy’s envious look faded and his lip curled up in disgust. ‘No thanks – No way I’d want to live where someone’s been offed.’ He grinned. ‘Besides, you don’t pay me enough.’
‘I’m not in charge of police salaries, but I hear you. Look, go track down the security guard who was on last night and send some officers to interview him. Also arrange to get Compo access to all the security for the entire building and for Hopkins’s flat.’
Moving closer to the bed, Gus looked down at Hopkins. He was a good-looking lad and Gus could see what Alice saw in him. Without his cloak of brusque cockiness on display, he looked younger than his years – too damn young to be murdered. Realising the ludicrousness of his thoughts, Gus rolled his eyes. Like there was an acceptable age to be murdered. He took his time studying how Hopkins
