Peak Plague Mystery by S. A. Fearn

Author:S. A. Fearn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2020-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

Inspector Rumcorn and Debbie drove into the car park at High Peak Health Centre, pulling up in front of the school that they had become increasingly familiar with over the past week. It had been sunny in Ripley, yet here, among the peaks, the clouds were winning the battle to obscure the sun.

The two plain-clothed officers made their way inside and approached a small, painfully thin female receptionist with long, straight black hair and pointed features. Rumcorn wondered whether she was suffering from some form of illness.

The receptionist smiled politely at the newcomers and said, ‘How may I help you?’

‘I’m Detective Inspector Peter Rumcorn and this is PC Debbie Amott. We’re here to see Dr Bence Kovac.’

‘Ah, yes, please take a seat. I’ll let Dr Kovac know you’re here.’

Turning around, Rumcorn reviewed the chairs, their light wooden frames with multi-coloured cushions of orange and green: a 1970s design. He wondered whether they’d actually been there from that early period and the styles had gone full circle. He watched Debbie take a seat by an iron-framed staircase with dark wooden treads and handrails. He remained standing and wandered around viewing the various notices as the doctor emerged from a large metal door.

‘Hello, Inspector Rumcorn and –’ he paused, looking at Debbie.

‘PC Debbie Amott,’ she said, completing his sentence.

‘Please come through.’ Dr Kovac guided them along a corridor and into his consulting room. ‘How can I help?’ he asked, pointing to chairs adjacent to his own.

Rumcorn took out one A4-sheet that had been sent to him earlier and passed it across to Dr Kovac. Rumcorn watched him intently to gauge his reaction. He thought he witnessed the narrowest amount of tension at the edges of the doctor’s eyes, but only for a fleeting moment. Rumcorn remained silent and waited as the doctor looked straight back at him with no further hint of stress or surprise.

‘What do you make of it, Dr Kovac?’

‘Well, it looks like a record sheet or part of a document from a phage therapy trial.’

‘So you’re familiar with this practice?’

‘Well, I’m familiar, of course, with some of the terminology. We sometimes support the students from Derby University,’ the doctor replied. ‘Students there study bacteriology and may create a thesis around their particular research. This could be their work or it could be from another university.’

‘Doctor, we’ve carried out some initial enquiries and are advised that there are no such human trials being conducted at the present time, nor indeed have there been for the last few years,’ Rumcorn iterated, still intently watching the doctor and wondering whether there might be some break in his composure.

Dr Kovac looked unfazed.

‘It’s more likely this report would be referring to animal tests. There are a number of universities and laboratories around the country that undertake such work, on mice, for example, and I suspect the patient number refers to Mickey Mouse.’

Rumcorn was unsure whether this man was now taking the piss, but he showed no sign of his annoyance. He would not give him any such satisfaction.

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