Venom in the Blood by Tracy Buchanan

Author:Tracy Buchanan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Embla
Published: 2024-05-29T00:00:00+00:00

‘Give me a moment,’ Paul said to OS, suddenly desperate to talk to his friend as he called her.

‘There’s my answer then,’ she said, her wary voice echoing how he felt.

‘What the hell are you doing up?’

She hesitated a moment. ‘Damon paid me a visit just now.’

Paul squeezed the phone between his fingers as OS looked at him sideways. ‘I don’t want to know, Vanessa.’

‘He just needed to talk. He’s grieving.’

‘Hmmm.’

‘That’s not why I’m calling, though. Have you heard anything about Emi’s condition?’

‘She’s going to be fine. We’re hoping to get a proper statement from her in the morning.’

‘Thank God.’

‘We just paid the Hudsons a visit.’

‘Oh. Why’s that?’

He told her about the doorbell footage and his interview with Indra.

‘So she’s insisting she hasn’t even driven the car at night yet?’

‘Yes, but that’s difficult to verify.’

Vanessa was quiet for a moment. ‘Actually, there might be a way to tell if she’s being truthful.’

‘How?’ Paul asked as he stopped by the very car they were talking about.

‘I could check the car’s air filter to see what kind of insects have been sucked into it,’ Vanessa replied.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘You really are tired, aren’t you?’

‘Yep, if I auditioned for the role of a zombie in a film, I’d get it.’

Vanessa laughed. ‘Well, let me explain. If the car’s never been driven at night, as Indra claims, then there will be a low percentage of nocturnal insects in the air filter. Maybe none at all.’

‘Interesting,’ Paul said, his tired mind trying to grapple with it all. ‘Indra did offer to let us take her car, though her hubby didn’t seem too keen.’

‘Well, if what she’s saying is true, she might be keen if you tell her we can confirm what she says? If she doesn’t agree, then that speaks volumes.’

‘Good point. If she does agree, I can ask the CSI guys to get you into the vehicle compound as soon as they can in the morning and have the air filter ready for you? You’ll have time before you leave for your flight, right?’

‘Sure.’

‘OK, I’ll let you know.’ Paul hung up and walked back towards the house, ringing the doorbell.

Tom answered, giving the two officers an exasperated look. ‘What now?’

Paul peered behind him to see Indra watching from the hallway. ‘We might have a way to prove you didn’t drive the car at night, Indra,’ he said. ‘That’s if you let us take the car in tonight, anyway.’

Tom opened his mouth to protest but Indra interrupted him. ‘Fine. Take it. I have nothing to hide.’ She grabbed the car keys and handed them to Paul. ‘Do what you want with it.’

Paul nodded and took the keys. As Indra shut the door, he noticed some moths buzzing around a light on their wall. It was amazing how useful insects could be. Did The Cobweb Killer love insects, like Vanessa did? Or did they hate them? His stepfather had once said there was a fine line between love and hate.

Paul made a promise to himself: soon, very soon, he’d be sitting across from the fucker to ask.

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