‘No. Jeremy doesn’t like the fact that I’m training to be a detective, but he understands that I’m doing it regardless. Now that he’s spoken to me in person, I’m sure he’ll stay away.’
Lukas didn’t blink. ‘We are often blinded where matters of the heart are concerned.’
‘Jeremy won’t be a problem,’ I stated firmly. ‘Goodbye, Lukas.’
I closed the door, double checked the lock and turned away.
Chapter Eighteen
The sofa was lumpy and I was in such turmoil that I was convinced I wouldn’t sleep, despite my exhaustion. I should have had more faith in my body. When I woke up, Liza and Fred were murmuring to each other in low voices and sunlight was filtering in through the large windows and landing on my face. I must have been out for the count.
I rubbed my eyes, groaned and sat up. ‘What time is it?’
‘Almost eleven,’ Liza answered. She raised her eyebrows. ‘Did you have sweet dreams?’
I’d been too far out of it to have any dreams – unless she counted the nightmare I was currently living in. ‘I was working late last night,’ I mumbled. ‘It made sense to crash here instead of going home.’
‘Uh-huh.’
Fred handed me a cup of coffee. I had the odd sensation that my near-total collapse on his sofa of choice had made him decide that we were now kindred spirits.
‘Thank you.’
He nodded, glanced at Liza and took a deep breath. ‘We still haven’t heard from Tony. This isn’t like him. We might not do much around here, but Tony puts in his hours. He doesn’t go AWOL like this – and he’s still not answering his phone. I’m about to head round to his flat and check on him.’
I pushed the hair out of my eyes. They didn’t know. Of course they didn’t.
Regardless of what salient details Lucinda Barnes wanted to keep quiet, I knew that the news would zip round the entire Metropolitan Police Force before the morning was out. I had to tell them before they heard it on the grapevine. And they deserved the truth; they’d known Tony far better than anyone else.
‘What is it?’ Liza asked, reading my expression. ‘What’s going on?’
I took a deep breath. ‘You’d better sit down.’
Fred did as I suggested but Liza remained standing. I respected that. I could tell from the paleness of her skin that she knew what was coming. I wouldn’t do them the discourtesy of prevaricating or hedging the facts. ‘Tony is dead,’ I said baldly.
Fred gasped. Liza wavered, but she stayed where she was.
‘After you left yesterday, I tried to track him down. I went to his flat first and found it trashed, then I used ANPR to locate Tallulah at the DeVane Hotel. I finally found Tony hanging naked in the wardrobe of a room there.’
I paused to allow them to absorb what I’d said. ‘During that time,’ I continued, ‘someone returned to his flat and tidied up. On the surface of it, his death appears to be a result of auto-erotic asphyxiation. My belief is that he was murdered but, until further notice, that news is not being broadcast. Whoever killed Tony wanted to make it look like an accident or suicide. We don’t want them to know that we suspect otherwise.’
Fred blinked furiously before giving in and allowing tears to flow freely down his cheeks. ‘Shit,’ he whispered. ‘Oh, shit.’
Liza turned on her heel and walked to her desk. She gazed at it for a moment, then raised her hand and swept everything onto the floor – computer, photo frame, magazine. I winced at the violent crash but didn’t say anything. She straightened her back and looked at me. ‘What do we do now?’ she asked calmly.
‘If either of you want to take time off…’
‘Fuck off.’ She said it quietly and without rancour, but her meaning was clear.
‘Yeah,’ Fred agreed. ‘Fuck off.’
I smiled slightly, not with humour but with the recognition of two kindred spirits. ‘Okay, then. Nobody can know that we think Tony’s death involved foul play, so we have to proceed very carefully. I’ve been trying to get onto his computer to find out what he was working on. Now that he’s confirmed as,’ I swallowed, ‘deceased, IT support can help us bypass his password.’
‘We don’t need them. I know his password,’ Liza said. ‘His favourite sandwich filling.’
‘Roast beef?’ I blurted out.
A tiny crease marred her forehead. ‘Egg mayo.’
‘I don’t think it’s really his favourite,’ Fred said. ‘I think he just likes stinking out the office.’ He dropped his head. ‘He liked stinking out the office. He won’t be doing it any more.’
I swallowed the lump in my throat. So much for the dedicated carnivore; Tony’s extravagant disgust of my vegetarianism had all been for show.
‘Egg mayo, it is. Get onto it and see what’s in his files.’
‘He didn’t use the computer very often,’ Liza warned. ‘There might not be much.’
‘We’ll take what we can get. Check his emails, his calendar, any notes he made, and look through his internet history.’ I glanced at Fred. ‘I need you to investigate Tony’s neighbour. I met him yesterday and, for reasons that make no sense to me, he had a spare key to Tony’s place. Without making a song and dance about it, can you find out more about him? He’s probably not aware that Tony is dead, but he knows that his flat was turned over.’
‘I’ll get right on it.’ He jumped up to his feet, grim focus in his eyes.
I gazed at them both. I wasn’t qualified yet, but this was what we did. It was what we’d signed up for. We did this to catch the bad guys and stop them hurting other people. This was what would keep us going. One for all.
The phone rang and we all jumped. Liza looked at it like it was a snake about to strike, then she walked over and picked it up.
‘Good morning.’ I’d never heard her sound so professional. ‘You have reached Supernatural Squad. How may we help you?’ She listened for a moment and held it out to me. ‘It’s for you.’
Suddenly nervous, I took it from her. ‘Hello?’
‘Emma, it’s Laura. I’m here in the morgue with your colleague, Anthony Brown. You should get down here.’
My mouth went dry. Was he…? Could he be…?
‘He’s not woken up. I estimate his time of death about thirty hours ago, give or take. He doesn’t have what you have.’ She hesitated. ‘Whatever that is.’
The momentary flash of hope died away. ‘Have you found something on his body? Is there any indication that he was murdered?’
Laura’s answer was brisk. ‘I wouldn’t have seen it if I’d not been warned to look. Whoever did this knew what they were about.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s easiest if I show you in person.’
Cold rippled through me; that meant confronting Tony’s corpse yet again. ‘I’ll be there within the hour.’
I hung up the phone. ‘That was the pathologist,’ I said, in answer to Liza and Fred’s desperate, questioning glances. ‘I think she has something.’ I grabbed my coat. ‘I’m going to find out what.’
Fred cleared his throat pointedly.
‘What is it?’
‘I don’t mean to be rude, Emma, but—'
‘Go on.’
He waved a hand. ‘Is this it? I mean, you’re not a real detective yet. Tony is dead. Are we not going to get someone more qualified to help?’
It was a good question. ‘I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway. The politics between humans and supes are complicated, and there’s not enough proof that Tony was murdered, regardless of what I believe.’ I met his eyes. ‘We’re not entirely alone. Lord Horvath has been helping.’
Both their jaws dropped. ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Make of that what you will.’
***
The young bespectacled man at the hospital morgue’s front desk, who I assumed was Dean, sat bolt upright when he saw me approach. He didn’t smile, but his expression was friendly and empathetic. I could only imagine that he’d been working here for some time and he’d perfected the look. I was surprisingly grateful for it.
‘Hi. I’m Emma Bellamy. I’m looking for Dr Hawes.’
‘She’s expecting you. Right this way.’
I followed him down the same corridor I’d been in just a couple of days earlier. Somehow it seemed different, and I wondered if that was because I was coming to terms with the fact of my own death. Fortunately, I didn’t have too long to dwell on that thought.
Dean took me into the room where I’d woken up. Laura was waiting in front of a gurney occupied by a sheet-covered body. She looked up from her clipboard and smiled. ‘Thank you, Dean.’ She walked over and hugged me.
At first the action surprised me then I began to appreciate it. I hugged her back, as if we were old friends who’d known each other for years.
‘How are you doing?’ she asked softly. ‘Everything the same?’
‘Yeah.’ I shrugged. ‘I feel the same as always. Apart from up here, of course.’ I tapped my temple.
‘That’s only natural, Emma. This isn’t something you just get over.’
No, I supposed not. I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly and gestured at the gurney. ‘Is that him?’
‘Anthony Brown? Yes. His identity was confirmed by a DSI Lucinda Barnes earlier this morning.’ Laura gave me a sidelong look. ‘She has put us under strict orders not to reveal anything about his death to anyone except you. Is this related to your murder?’
I wrapped my arms around my waist. Being in this room where I’d lain dead was incredibly discomfiting. ‘It would be too much of a coincidence to assume otherwise.’
Laura grimaced in sympathy. ‘That’s what I thought.’ She leaned down and carefully lifted the sheet.