WITCH FIRE ON THE LEVELS an addictive crime thriller full of twists (Detective Kate Hamblin Mystery Book 8) by DAVID HODGES

Author:DAVID HODGES [HODGES, DAVID]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thrillers and mysteries
Published: 2020-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Hayden’s promise was not fulfilled the following morning. After just a few hours’ sleep, they both got up late. As a result, there was barely time over a snatched breakfast of toast and coffee for Kate to brief him on the night’s events, and to announce her plan to visit Witch-Fire House, let alone discuss anything else. Then they were in her car and heading for Highbridge at breakneck speed.

Fortunately, Ronnie Crouch, the dour civilian office manager, was the only one in the office. Everyone else appeared to be out. But that didn’t mean the telephone had been idle and Kate’s desk seemed to be wallpapered in Post-its.

‘Pathologist wants you to ring her asap,’ Crouch said, without turning round. ‘She’s rung three times.’

Kate picked up the little yellow note he had left for her stuck to her phone, and she dialled the number.

Dr Lydia Summers answered after three rings, which seemed appropriate.

‘Ah, Sergeant Lewis,’ she said. ‘Nice of you to get back to me — eventually.’

Kate smiled. She was well used to Summers’s sarcasm. They had known each other a long time.

‘Problem?’ she queried.

‘It’s your dead policeman,’ Summers said.

‘Oh?’

‘I’ve done his PM and I have to say I’m a little bit perturbed.’

Kate felt her stomach muscles tighten. ‘Go on.’

She heard Summers release a heavy sigh. ‘I’m afraid I’m not too happy with the cause of death. It is quite probable that ultimately he died of a myocardial infarction, but my examination has revealed that something else may have contributed to its incidence.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Poison, my dear Sergeant, poison. I have sent off some body fluids, including a blood sample, for toxicological analysis, but it is my professional opinion that he suffered a sustained ingestion of some kind of lethal substance, which triggered the myocardial infarction by initially paralysing the respiratory system. I have read the report Dr Snider emailed to me and he states that there was evidence of vomiting, excessive salivation, a dilation of the pupils and an apparent convulsion of the muscles. All this accords with the results of my own examination. As soon as I receive the toxicologist’s report, I’ll get back to you.’

‘Shit!’ Kate breathed.

‘Precisely,’ Summers agreed. ‘That’s why I felt I should ring you immediately.’ There was a slight pause and then the pathologist added, ‘I have dealt with two similar cases in my career and, without wishing to prejudice the findings of the toxicologist, I would mention that in both cases the culprit was a poisonous alkaloid called coniine, which is to be found in a rather unpleasant plant called Conium maculatum — poison hemlock.’

‘Poison hemlock?’ Kate repeated incredulously, suddenly remembering one of the bottles she had seen on the shelf in Lilith’s shack. ‘And it can kill?’

‘Oh yes. The whole plant is toxic and ingestion of just half a dozen or so leaves, eaten or dissolved in a liquid, can be fatal unless the patient is attended to immediately. In the previous cases I dealt with, both patients survived with treatment, but sadly, your constable was one of the unlucky ones.

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