Kill Me Twice by Simon Booker

Author:Simon Booker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zaffre

Twenty-Six

Ben is out most of the time, confirming his reputation as a workaholic, returning merely to sleep and shower. The spare room of the Canterbury house is small but cosy. Twin beds. Crisp, clean sheets. The black cat is still in residence, but there’s no sign of the pink bra or its owner.

On the second morning of her stay, Morgan is woken by the distant sound of the cathedral bells, followed by an 8 a.m. call from DI Rook.

‘Want the good news or the bad news?’

Morgan yawns and stretches. She can hear Lissa snoring softly in the next bed.

‘Too early for games, Neville. I haven’t had coffee.’

‘Karl Savage was never arrested. His DNA isn’t on the database.’

The cat with no name jumps on the bed.

‘And the good news?’

‘Tucker says the Met kept Karl’s teeth. They’re in storage.’

Morgan sighs, reaching out to stroke the cat.

‘That’s no use. They’re not his teeth; they belong to whoever died in the fire.’

‘So you say. But if so, they may match someone else on the database. Which would prove the body wasn’t Karl’s. Which would be a start.’

Brightening, Morgan sits up in bed.

‘Any luck with Jatinder Singh?’ Like the DI, she’s been trying to reach the elusive odontologist, but with no success.

‘He’s still in the US,’ says Rook. ‘I keep leaving voicemails, but he hasn’t called back.’

‘Do you think he’s giving you the runaround?’

‘His secretary says he’s just busy. Big lecture tour. Seven cities in five days.’

‘Do you believe her?’

‘No reason not to.’

Morgan recalls her meeting in the all-white Harley Street office.

Is it possible to do DNA tests from teeth?

Yes.

Was that done in this case?

No. The police enquiry didn’t need to go as far as DNA testing. The radiographs told them all they needed to know.

The cat is purring.

‘What’s the next step?’

‘I’ll liaise with the Met, apply to log the teeth out of the storage facility.’

‘How long will that take?’

‘How long is a piece of string?’

‘Not helpful.’

‘They’re busy, Morgan. We’re all bloody busy.’

*

She continues to refine Plan B, discussing the details with Lissa’s father in California, but only when their daughter is out of earshot. Although still unaware of Lissa’s pregnancy, it’s a relief that Cameron is willing to cooperate with Morgan’s scheme, quickly grasping the urgency of the situation. The absence of Karl’s DNA on the police database means there is no need for Lissa to undergo an amniocentesis, which is probably just as well, for the sake of the baby.

Lissa has confined herself to bed, emerging to sip an occasional bowl of Heinz tomato soup or eat half a Weetabix. She spends her waking hours in bed, trying to reassure herself by compulsively reading about sociopaths on her iPad. If this goes on much longer Morgan will force her daughter to go to the doctor, to find out which anti-depressants are compatible with pregnancy.

Seventy-two hours into their stay in Canterbury, DI Rook calls again: another update. As promised, he’s checked out the Wandering Star houseboat. No sign of life, no trace of Stacey or her baby.

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