It wasn’t long until they arrived at the hospital. He exited the Polo while Paula found a parking space. Inside, he spent ten minutes trying to locate Vanu’s wife, whose name escaped him, again, even after hearing it on the recording earlier.
Greeting her with a kind word, he enquired after her well-being, which was pretty stupid, given that she’d just found out that her husband had died in a car crash. The problem Richard had: he didn’t know what to say to her. As luck had it, she had an ulterior motive for calling him earlier, for inviting him to the hospital.
After all the civilities were done, she pulled him to the far side of the visitors’ lounge and forced him to sit next to her. “What’s going on?”
“I think Vanu was right. I think someone drove him into that tree.”
To Richard, she was an attractive Indian woman, not yet forty, he reasoned. “What? Why? What’re you talking about? You said he crashed into a tree. What makes you so sure he didn’t, hmm?”
“Because of where he crashed.” Vanu’s wife leaned in closer. She told him exactly where her husband died, the name of the road, everything. “He had no reason to be there. I phoned him, and he said he was on his way home. Why would he take a detour like that?”
“I don’t know, but there must’ve been a reason.” Richard wished he knew why. Dealing with her was becoming a pain; she kept gripping his arm and leaning in closer each time. “Let’s see what the police say, shall we? If they think something’s amiss, I’m sure they’ll tell us, don’t you think?”
“He died because of that thing you’re all working on, and you know it. He told me about the white van outside the workshop, Richard. You can stop pretending. I suggest you watch your back from now on.” Her Indian accent grew stronger the angrier she became.
He sat back, taking her hand from his lower arm. “You and Vanu are like two peas in a pod, aren’t you? You’re starting to sound just like him, twitching, looking over your shoulder, always thinking someone’s out to get you. I’ve got news for you: they’re not. Only people with huge egos believe people are after them.”
Her voice quiet, yet angry, she said, “You know, just because he was paranoid, doesn’t mean people weren’t following him. You and I both know the ramifications of your project. If I were you, I’d grow eyes in the back of my head. These people are obviously serious about keeping it hidden.”
Paula arrived, hugged Vanu’s wife, and sat next to him. “Everything all right?”
He smiled, nodded and stared ahead. “Yeah, everything’s fine. We’re waiting to speak to the police and doctors.” His poker face left a lot to be desired. Why was she so insistent it was the van driver’s fault. What evidence did she have?
Vanu’s location when he crashed did pose a mystery, he had to admit. Not to Vanu’s wife. What was his friend and colleague doing all the way over there? If he was on his way home like his wife said, Vanu had gone in the opposite direction. Having said that, Richard didn’t want to countenance the obvious: he and his team were being watched.
33
“Linares is in interview room three when you’re ready,” Travis told her, before walking off with Inspector Gillan.
Hayes was still going through CCTV footage of Accord FM’s premises. She’d tried to zoom in on the van’s number plate, but it didn’t appear to have one, just a blank space. “We could look for burnt out transit vans in the area, I guess.”
“That’s not such a bad idea. I’d burn a vehicle I used in a crime, especially a triple murder. I’m on it.” Miller turned to her computer. “What about Fernando Linares?”
“Let him sweat for a bit. There’s no rush. Let’s face it, we both know who our prime suspect is.”
“I can’t believe Inspector Gillan talked her into coming in.” Miller stood and stared down at her over the partition. “Are you nervous about interviewing her?”
“Nervous? No, why?” Hayes stared back with incredulity. “We both know she’s as guilty as sin. If not for these murders, she’s guilty of lots of other things. Nah, she’s a villain through and through. I’m looking forward to sparring with her. She’s not going to give anything away, I know that much. But confident suspects almost always slip up, eventually. We’ll have to make sure we’re there when she does.”
“She’s going to have the best lawyers.”
“Yep. They’re who I’m worried about, not her. This afternoon will end up being a match between us and the lawyers.”
“I wish I was going in with you.”
“That makes two of us.”
“Not that there’s much point, but I’ll carry on looking at other suspects.”
“You never know, she might not be the one we’re after. I mean, it’s highly unlikely, given how she’s all over this case, but it’s possible someone else killed Fisher, Reid and Austin. Why don’t you start looking into Brandy Reid’s fella, Dylan Oldham? He’s bound to have form, having heard what we have about him. Do a background check on him. Like I say, weirder things have happened.”
Miller agreed and sat back down at her computer.
Giving their interviewee a half hour wait in the most depressing room she’d ever set foot in, Hayes exited out of her computer and stood. “Let’s go and find out what he has to say, shall we?” She put on her suit jacket. “He should be ready to crack about now, I’d say.”
Her partner stood, tucked her chair under her desk and put on her jacket.
“This’ll be interesting, though. With no alibi it’s no wonder he did a runner,” she said on the way to the lift.
“Plus he’s on the run from Melodi Demirci. Sooner or later he’s going to come a cropper. Guys like him always do.” Miller pressed the button. “I’ve known dodgy guys like him my
