murder she’d put his own father behind bars. Callum no doubt thought she’d smashed up his family, which was wrong, because his dad had done that years ago; they just hadn’t been aware of the gaping cracks. But she remembered the way he’d looked at her during the case, when she’d met him for coffee and he’d told her about his childhood and they’d both talked about work and dedication and passion. She remembered feeling a connection.
She drew a deep breath. She had to expect him to be angry and just get on with it. Concentrate on the job.
Holly was frowning at the screen of her mobile. Ella got her own out and brought up Fowler’s number but didn’t call it.
‘I’ve asked your brother to identify Fowler’s body,’ she said. ‘He’s not very happy about it.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
‘Why do you say that?’
Holly put the phone away. ‘He’s a coward at heart.’
‘Why do you think he had something to do with it?’
‘Because I don’t trust him one bit,’ she said. ‘He’s there, the guy’s been murdered – it felt wrong enough to say something.’
Ella stored that up for later. ‘Do you think you could come with him when he does the ID?’
Holly looked away down the corridor.
Ella looked too, but it was empty.
‘As much as you two don’t get along, I think he’d appreciate the support.’ That was pure crap: she wanted to see how they behaved when close together near the body.
‘I was hoping you’d be done with us soon.’
‘You being there might keep him calm, and that’d help us.’
Holly scuffed her boot along the floor.
‘It won’t take long,’ Ella said. She’d expected resistance but not this much, and looked forward to the ID more and more.
She heard voices, then Joe and Callum turned a corner into the corridor and came towards them. She smiled. Callum met her gaze and nodded without smiling back.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘We need to see the wound and identify the body.’
‘Follow me.’ His tone was even and gave nothing away.
Ella opened the door of the family room and beckoned Murray and Garland out, then raised her eyebrows at Holly, who took her time but stepped forward. They went in a little convoy past the nurses’ desk. Ella walked close behind Garland and hit the call button on her mobile, but he gave no indication that he could feel a hidden phone vibrating somewhere on his person. She wasn’t surprised – it was probably switched off anyway. She ended the call as they turned into a dead-end corridor where a uniformed police officer sat on a chair before a closed door, flipping through a magazine.
Ella held up her badge, then Callum opened the door and went in. Garland hung back. Ella could see the body on the bed, covered with a sheet. She nudged Garland in before her. He sidled into the room and stood side-on to the bed, eyes fixed on the wall. Holly and Murray squeezed in after them and Murray pulled the door shut.
‘Seth,’ Ella said, ‘all we need you to do is take a look and tell us who this is.’
Garland was pale. ‘I can’t.’
‘You’re his best friend. This will help us find who did this to him. He’d want you to help us, wouldn’t he?’
He glanced at the shape under the sheet. ‘I can’t.’
‘For fuck’s sake.’ Holly stepped forward and grabbed the sheet over Fowler’s chest and yanked it back. ‘Is it him or not?’
Fowler’s face was pale and still. A tube jutted from his mouth and an intravenous line was taped into his arm. His eyes were half-closed. His T-shirt had been cut up the middle and monitoring dots were stuck to his chest.
‘Seth?’ she said.
Garland blinked back tears. ‘It’s him.’
‘We need you to say his name.’
‘Paul Fowler.’
Holly said, ‘Was that so hard?’
‘I feel sick,’ Garland said.
Holly grabbed him by the arm and shoved the door open and dragged him out. The cop reached across and closed the door behind them. That went well , Ella thought.
‘Can we see
She drew a deep breath. She had to expect him to be angry and just get on with it. Concentrate on the job.
Holly was frowning at the screen of her mobile. Ella got her own out and brought up Fowler’s number but didn’t call it.
‘I’ve asked your brother to identify Fowler’s body,’ she said. ‘He’s not very happy about it.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
‘Why do you say that?’
Holly put the phone away. ‘He’s a coward at heart.’
‘Why do you think he had something to do with it?’
‘Because I don’t trust him one bit,’ she said. ‘He’s there, the guy’s been murdered – it felt wrong enough to say something.’
Ella stored that up for later. ‘Do you think you could come with him when he does the ID?’
Holly looked away down the corridor.
Ella looked too, but it was empty.
‘As much as you two don’t get along, I think he’d appreciate the support.’ That was pure crap: she wanted to see how they behaved when close together near the body.
‘I was hoping you’d be done with us soon.’
‘You being there might keep him calm, and that’d help us.’
Holly scuffed her boot along the floor.
‘It won’t take long,’ Ella said. She’d expected resistance but not this much, and looked forward to the ID more and more.
She heard voices, then Joe and Callum turned a corner into the corridor and came towards them. She smiled. Callum met her gaze and nodded without smiling back.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘We need to see the wound and identify the body.’
‘Follow me.’ His tone was even and gave nothing away.
Ella opened the door of the family room and beckoned Murray and Garland out, then raised her eyebrows at Holly, who took her time but stepped forward. They went in a little convoy past the nurses’ desk. Ella walked close behind Garland and hit the call button on her mobile, but he gave no indication that he could feel a hidden phone vibrating somewhere on his person. She wasn’t surprised – it was probably switched off anyway. She ended the call as they turned into a dead-end corridor where a uniformed police officer sat on a chair before a closed door, flipping through a magazine.
Ella held up her badge, then Callum opened the door and went in. Garland hung back. Ella could see the body on the bed, covered with a sheet. She nudged Garland in before her. He sidled into the room and stood side-on to the bed, eyes fixed on the wall. Holly and Murray squeezed in after them and Murray pulled the door shut.
‘Seth,’ Ella said, ‘all we need you to do is take a look and tell us who this is.’
Garland was pale. ‘I can’t.’
‘You’re his best friend. This will help us find who did this to him. He’d want you to help us, wouldn’t he?’
He glanced at the shape under the sheet. ‘I can’t.’
‘For fuck’s sake.’ Holly stepped forward and grabbed the sheet over Fowler’s chest and yanked it back. ‘Is it him or not?’
Fowler’s face was pale and still. A tube jutted from his mouth and an intravenous line was taped into his arm. His eyes were half-closed. His T-shirt had been cut up the middle and monitoring dots were stuck to his chest.
‘Seth?’ she said.
Garland blinked back tears. ‘It’s him.’
‘We need you to say his name.’
‘Paul Fowler.’
Holly said, ‘Was that so hard?’
‘I feel sick,’ Garland said.
Holly grabbed him by the arm and shoved the door open and dragged him out. The cop reached across and closed the door behind them. That went well , Ella thought.
‘Can we see
Similar Books
