A Lethal Deception, page 17
‘Do you know who might’ve done this to him?’ said Kay.
‘I don’t. We tend to move in different circles, detective. I mean, we’ll catch up from time to time – like last week, if there’s something one of us is doing that we’re interested in – but we’re not close like some. Have you spoken to anyone at the nightclub he DJs at? I know sometimes he has problems because the blokes that go there think he’s going to run off with their girlfriends. All nonsense, of course. He’s too focused on his music.’
Kay put down her pen and Barnes noticed the dark shadows under her eyes as she bit back a yawn and tried to maintain her professionalism.
He checked his watch, and then drained his coffee, grimacing at the taste.
‘All right, Damian,’ he said, pushing back his chair while Kay tucked her notebook away. ‘You’ve already got our contact details, so let us know if you think of anything else.’
‘Okay.’ The man looked over his shoulder as an older couple entered the cafeteria, their faces haggard. ‘I might go up and see if I can sit with him for a while, to keep him company.’
‘I’m sorry, that won’t be possible,’ said Barnes. ‘Not until after we’ve interviewed him in the morning, at least.’
‘What’s going to happen to him?’ Damian looked up, concern etched across his features. ‘I mean, when he gets out of here? Will you arrest him?’
Barnes sighed. ‘He’s already under arrest. He was formally cautioned by one of our officers when he was transferred upstairs from A&E.’
Forty-Six
A bright blue sky greeted Kay when she crossed her driveway to Barnes’s waiting car the next morning, sunshine sparkling in the puddles that lined the lane.
‘Morning,’ she said, fastening her seatbelt as he started the engine.
‘Guv.’ He waited until they were underway, and then cleared his throat. ‘Pia was wondering – if Adam’s up for it – whether you’d both like to come around for dinner next week?’
‘That’d be nice, thanks. Do you want us to bring the wine?’
‘I won’t say no.’ He grinned. ‘She’s desperate to show off the new patio heaters that turned up last week and it isn’t meant to rain for a while now. Mind you, I did tell her you’re a wimp and half an hour out there would probably be enough for you.’
Kay laughed. ‘True. Perhaps I’d better bring mulled wine instead.’
They fell into a companionable silence while Barnes fought his way through the remnant commuter traffic on the motorway, and Kay’s thoughts turned to the interview ahead.
Phillip Parker had switched places with the constable she’d seen at the hospital last night, and had messaged her to say that Xander’s doctors were pleased with the man’s progress overnight. Reluctantly, they had also agreed to the formal interview going ahead that morning.
‘Did Parker say whether Xander’s going to have a solicitor present?’ said Barnes as he found a car parking space on the far side of the hospital.
‘He has – someone Damian found for him, I think.’ Kay scrolled through her emails as they walked towards the main entrance, the glass doors automatically swishing open to let them through. ‘This is the one. William Taylor.’
‘Where are we interviewing him?’
‘Bedside, according to Parker. The doctors don’t want him moved around too much today.’ She craned her neck to peer into the cafeteria. ‘No sign of Damian.’
‘Visiting hours aren’t until this afternoon,’ Barnes replied. ‘Besides, the solicitor has probably advised him to keep away until we’re finished. He probably got a bollocking for talking to us last night as it is.’
When they reached the ward, Parker rose from one of the chairs grouped against the wall facing the nurses’ station and put the leaflet he’d been reading back in a rack display next to a pair of fire extinguishers.
‘Morning, guv… Sarge,’ he said. ‘Xander’s solicitor arrived about five minutes ago. The nurse showed him through and said she’d come back for you.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ Kay said. ‘Anything to report?’
‘Nothing new. A couple of hours ago I overheard one of the doctors say they were going to reduce his pain medication.’
‘Well, that’s a good sign – they must be less concerned about long-term damage then.’
They turned as the double doors through to the ward swung inwards and an officious-looking nurse appeared.
‘Right, are you the detectives?’ she said brusquely. ‘Which one of you is in charge?’
‘Me. I’m Detective Kay Hunter, and this is my colleague, DS Ian Barnes.’
‘Let’s see your identification.’
They meekly handed over their warrant cards and despite her own authority, Kay held her breath.
If the medical staff deemed Xander Beech too sick to cooperate, then they would have had a wasted journey – and the investigation would reach a natural hiatus until they said otherwise.
‘All right,’ the nurse said eventually, handing back the IDs. ‘Come with me.’
Barnes opened the door for them to pass through, and Kay hurried after the nurse, surprised at the woman’s pace as she led them along a short darkened corridor to a closed single door off to the left.
‘Given the circumstances, we placed Mr Beech in a separate room from the main ward,’ she said, then knocked once and opened it.
Xander’s nose had borne the brunt of the attack, with thick surgical tape and bandages criss-crossing the visible parts of his face. He stared at her through eyelids purple with bruising. A cut to his lip had required stitches.
He winced as he tried to adjust the pillow behind him, hissing under his breath at the effort.
‘I’m not sure this is such a good idea.’ William Taylor rose from his seat beside the bed and glared at the two detectives. ‘My client needs his rest.’
‘Your client has got some explaining to do,’ Kay snapped. She reiterated the formal caution to Xander, and then turned at the sound of metal scraping against the polished tiles to see Barnes dragging two more chairs through the door.
‘Thanks,’ she said, taking one and placing it at the foot of the bed.
Resigned to the interview, Taylor’s top lip curled as he returned to his seat and crossed his legs. He pulled a legal pad from the briefcase beside him, uncapped a fountain pen and then leaned across to Xander and murmured under his breath.
‘Right, Mr Beech. Who attacked you?’
Kay watched as Xander picked at the corner of a sticky plaster covering the back of his hand, his gaze dropping to his fingers.
‘No? Okay, let’s try another one. Perhaps you could explain why a quantity of methadone hydrochloride and ketamine hydrochloride were located in your flat after the attack?’
In the silence that followed, Kay could hear the soft footsteps of the nurse in the corridor beyond the closed door and someone at the nurses’ station laughing.
Xander remained quiet, but gave a slight shake of his head.
‘How do you know Felicity Gregor and Gary Lovell?’ Kay persisted.
‘Mr Beech, you ought to be aware that you’re currently our only suspect in relation to the theft of these drugs from Turner’s Veterinary Practice, and the subsequent overdoses of three people,’ said Barnes, his tone impatient. ‘We also have you on a CCTV recording with Daisy Stiles, who we suspect you coerced into carrying out reconnaissance at the surgery prior to breaking in and stealing those drugs.’
‘Unless you can tell us who stole those drugs instead perhaps?’ said Kay.
Xander’s head rocked to one side before he caught himself and took a shuddering breath.
The machine next to him emitted a startled beep.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, his eyelids flickering. ‘I’ve got nothing to say to you.’
The door crashed open behind Kay and she spun around to see the nurse peering through.
‘Is everything all right in here? We had an alarm go off at our end.’
Taylor rose from his chair and straightened his cuffs. ‘I think that’s enough for today, detectives. My client is extremely tired after his ordeal and evidently needs to rest.’
Kay clenched her jaw, biting back the retort that came to mind as she glared at Xander, sure he was responsible for attacking Adam and leaving him in much the same state as he now found himself in.
‘We’ll be back in the morning, Mr Taylor. Make sure your client gets that rest. He’s going to need it.’
Forty-Seven
‘He’s scared.’
Barnes paced the carpet in front of the whiteboard as his eyes roamed the notes scrawled across it.
Kay rested her elbow across the back of a chair and sighed. ‘I’m not surprised. Three people are dead because of the drugs we found at his place.’
‘Do you think he knew the drugs were there?’ said Laura. ‘I mean, perhaps they might have been planted there by whoever attacked him.
Kay nodded. ‘I don’t think so. I saw his face when we told him. He didn’t look surprised – it’s like Barnes just said, he looked scared. Besides, he’s the one Gavin spotted outside the vets just hours before the theft, so we have to consider the fact that both he and his brother are lying about what he was really up to that night.’
‘Not playing computer games, I’ll bet.’ Barnes tugged at his tie, then rolled it around his fingers before shoving it in his pocket. ‘We’ll need to consider rival dealers, too. Perhaps one of them took umbrage at him selling on their patch and decided to teach him a lesson.’
‘But then why didn’t they take the drugs?’ said Laura. ‘Why leave them there?’
‘Maybe he didn’t have time to find them if he heard the neighbour moving about next door. By the time Mr Bradley entered the hallway, the attacker was running off,’ said Barnes.
‘There’s the retribution angle, too,’ Kay mused. ‘If Felicity or Gary’s families somehow found out that Xander might’ve sold the ketamine to their kids, then one of them might have turned vigilante.’
Barnes turned and raised his voice to call across the incident room. ‘Has anyone managed to get hold of some CCTV footage from the council’s cameras in the area? Have we got anyone arriving or leaving Xander’s place that ties in with the timing of the attack?’
‘There’s definitely nothing available from the building,’ said Phillip. ‘I’ve just spoken to the supervisor and he confirmed that the only cameras they have cover the car parking area to the rear and the bins. There are no cameras in the stairwells or exit from the building.’
‘It’ll take a while to get CCTV recordings from the council,’ Debbie added. ‘I’ve left a message for them, and I’ll keep chasing them up.’
‘I want the nightclub manager re-interviewed in light of the drugs found at Xander’s,’ said Barnes. ‘Dave – can you take that, and also get a note from him about any known acquaintances from his DJ’ing?’
‘Will do, Sarge.’ The uniformed officer looked up from his computer screen. ‘Do you want me to request Xander’s phone records as well?’
‘Please.’
‘If we want to charge him for the theft and the subsequent deaths of Felicity and Gary, we’re going to have to find more than a collection of stolen drug packets,’ said Kay.
As she walked back to her desk, her phone started to ring, and she pushed past an administrator with a hurried apology to reach it before it went to voicemail.
‘Inspector Hunter.’
‘Detective, it’s Yvonne Court over at the lab. Laura asked me to call you with the test results on the drugs found as soon as I had them to hand.’
Kay pulled out her chair and flipped her notebook to a fresh page. ‘That was fast, thanks.’
‘The promise of additional funding works wonders,’ said Yvonne without irony.
‘Do the drugs match those found in the samples taken from Felicity Gregor and Gary Lovell?’
‘They appear to be similar, yes. Obviously the powder they took had been cut with other substances but the underlying results are the same.’
Yvonne spoke in a rush, as if trying to get to the gist of her phone call as quickly as possible, and Kay held her breath.
‘Detective, I’m worried about what I’m seeing here,’ the analyst said. ‘These are obviously the drugs stolen from Turner’s Veterinary Practice – the name of the surgery is printed on the delivery label on the packets – but there’s something not right with the ketamine. It’s more potent, dangerous.’
‘What do you mean? That stuff’s classed as a schedule two controlled drug already. That’s why Adam and his team kept it locked in a secure cabinet.’
‘Had they used any of it before this was stolen?’
‘No – the delivery was only made that afternoon, and they had two days’ worth left of the previous stock. They don’t carry more than three weeks’ worth – it’s not allowed.’
‘Thank God for that.’
Kay sat upright. ‘Why?’
‘If this had been administered to an animal as an anaesthetic for a routine procedure, it wouldn’t have just knocked it out. It would have killed it. It’s five times stronger than normal.’
Kay heard Yvonne pick up the packaging and rattle it.
‘And there’s nothing on here to indicate that.’
She frowned. ‘Nothing at all? I saw labels on some of the boxes we gave to you.’
‘No, what I mean is, it’s been mis-labelled. Even in a small quantity, what you’ve got here is deadly.’
Forty-Eight
Gavin paused on the threshold to the busy veterinary reception area and nodded to Scott as he appeared from one of the consulting rooms and made his way over to the group of chairs beside the window.
‘Mr Harris and Spock?’ he said.
A man in his fifties raised his hand, gesturing to an African grey parrot on his shoulder. ‘He’s moulting badly again, and I don’t know why.’
‘Okay, bring him through and let’s have a look.’ Scott let his client go on ahead and then turned his attention to Gavin. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘I need to have a word as soon as you can. Something’s come up.’
‘If you’re happy to wait, I’ll be about twenty minutes with Mr Harris – everyone else is booked in to see Claire, our locum vet.’
‘No problem.’
Gavin headed towards the spare seat vacated by the man with the parrot and smiled at an older woman sitting next to the window.
A black and white collie dog lay with its chin on her shoes but staggered to its feet and sniffed at his hand when he sat.
‘Hello. You’re friendly, aren’t you?’
‘Only because he thinks you’ve got food.’ The woman gave a tired smile. ‘The problem is, he can’t walk as far as he used to so we’ve had to stop giving him so many treats. He’ll just put on weight otherwise.’
‘My girlfriend’s threatening to do the same to me,’ said Gavin, and grinned. ‘That doesn’t mean I don’t try to sneak in a few snacks here and there when she isn’t looking.’
She spluttered with laughter, then looked up as her name was called and gave the lead a tug. ‘Come on, you. Check-up time.’
The dog left Gavin alone and followed her reluctantly into the second consulting room, and Stephanie caught his eye as she processed another batch of paperwork at her computer.
‘Any news for us?’ she said.
‘We might have something.’ Gavin glanced to his left at the two people still waiting to be called, and then back to the receptionist. ‘I’ll let Scott explain once I’ve had a chance to speak with him.’
Stephanie nodded, and went back to her work while he pulled out his mobile phone and checked his messages.
The remaining patients were dealt with quickly by Scott and the locum vet, and when the last client paid and left the surgery, Scott emerged from the staff area with mugs of coffee.
‘Claire’s tidying up out the back for me, so I don’t have to keep you waiting any longer,’ he said, handing out the drinks.
Gavin winked at Stephanie as he thanked the vet. ‘You’ve got him well trained, Steph.’
‘Trust me, it’s all we’ve been running on this week. We’ll be glad to have Adam back.’
Scott sank into one of the chairs and sighed. ‘Thankfully, Claire’s agreed to stay on for a while – I have a feeling that might need to be a more permanent arrangement.’
‘Business is good then, despite the robbery?’ said Gavin.
‘If anything, it’s been busier.’ Scott grimaced. ‘Whether that’s because people feel sorry for Adam or because they’re nosy and want to see where the attack happened… Time will tell.’
‘It’d be good if something positive came out of all of this,’ Gavin agreed. He placed the coffee mug on the floor and reached into his jacket pocket, unfolding the copies of the laboratory reports Kay had provided. ‘Speaking of which, we’re hoping you can help us clarify something about the drugs that were stolen last week. Our lab ran some tests against what was found in the two overdose cases we have against the drugs taken from here to see if we can link the theft to the person who was seen near here the day of the break-in. We knew from the post mortem results that both people had a very strong substance still in their systems that was ketamine-based, but our lab technicians are worried about the results they ran on the drugs found in the suspect’s flat – the same as were stolen from here.’
Gavin handed over the report to Scott. ‘It appears from the results that the ketamine hydrochloride is stronger than what you’d need to use in a normal operating theatre scenario. We wondered why.’
The vet swallowed after reading the results, a frown forming, then crossed the reception area and handed the document to Stephanie. ‘Can you get me the copy of the requisition for this last delivery?’
‘Sure.’
He turned back to Gavin as Stephanie opened a hanging file drawer beside her chair. ‘Have you got the boxes the drugs were in, or photographs?’
‘I’ve got photos.’ Gavin pulled out his mobile phone, thumbed through the album he’d created for the investigation, and found the images taken at Xander’s flat the previous night. ‘Here you go.’
‘I don’t. We tend to move in different circles, detective. I mean, we’ll catch up from time to time – like last week, if there’s something one of us is doing that we’re interested in – but we’re not close like some. Have you spoken to anyone at the nightclub he DJs at? I know sometimes he has problems because the blokes that go there think he’s going to run off with their girlfriends. All nonsense, of course. He’s too focused on his music.’
Kay put down her pen and Barnes noticed the dark shadows under her eyes as she bit back a yawn and tried to maintain her professionalism.
He checked his watch, and then drained his coffee, grimacing at the taste.
‘All right, Damian,’ he said, pushing back his chair while Kay tucked her notebook away. ‘You’ve already got our contact details, so let us know if you think of anything else.’
‘Okay.’ The man looked over his shoulder as an older couple entered the cafeteria, their faces haggard. ‘I might go up and see if I can sit with him for a while, to keep him company.’
‘I’m sorry, that won’t be possible,’ said Barnes. ‘Not until after we’ve interviewed him in the morning, at least.’
‘What’s going to happen to him?’ Damian looked up, concern etched across his features. ‘I mean, when he gets out of here? Will you arrest him?’
Barnes sighed. ‘He’s already under arrest. He was formally cautioned by one of our officers when he was transferred upstairs from A&E.’
Forty-Six
A bright blue sky greeted Kay when she crossed her driveway to Barnes’s waiting car the next morning, sunshine sparkling in the puddles that lined the lane.
‘Morning,’ she said, fastening her seatbelt as he started the engine.
‘Guv.’ He waited until they were underway, and then cleared his throat. ‘Pia was wondering – if Adam’s up for it – whether you’d both like to come around for dinner next week?’
‘That’d be nice, thanks. Do you want us to bring the wine?’
‘I won’t say no.’ He grinned. ‘She’s desperate to show off the new patio heaters that turned up last week and it isn’t meant to rain for a while now. Mind you, I did tell her you’re a wimp and half an hour out there would probably be enough for you.’
Kay laughed. ‘True. Perhaps I’d better bring mulled wine instead.’
They fell into a companionable silence while Barnes fought his way through the remnant commuter traffic on the motorway, and Kay’s thoughts turned to the interview ahead.
Phillip Parker had switched places with the constable she’d seen at the hospital last night, and had messaged her to say that Xander’s doctors were pleased with the man’s progress overnight. Reluctantly, they had also agreed to the formal interview going ahead that morning.
‘Did Parker say whether Xander’s going to have a solicitor present?’ said Barnes as he found a car parking space on the far side of the hospital.
‘He has – someone Damian found for him, I think.’ Kay scrolled through her emails as they walked towards the main entrance, the glass doors automatically swishing open to let them through. ‘This is the one. William Taylor.’
‘Where are we interviewing him?’
‘Bedside, according to Parker. The doctors don’t want him moved around too much today.’ She craned her neck to peer into the cafeteria. ‘No sign of Damian.’
‘Visiting hours aren’t until this afternoon,’ Barnes replied. ‘Besides, the solicitor has probably advised him to keep away until we’re finished. He probably got a bollocking for talking to us last night as it is.’
When they reached the ward, Parker rose from one of the chairs grouped against the wall facing the nurses’ station and put the leaflet he’d been reading back in a rack display next to a pair of fire extinguishers.
‘Morning, guv… Sarge,’ he said. ‘Xander’s solicitor arrived about five minutes ago. The nurse showed him through and said she’d come back for you.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ Kay said. ‘Anything to report?’
‘Nothing new. A couple of hours ago I overheard one of the doctors say they were going to reduce his pain medication.’
‘Well, that’s a good sign – they must be less concerned about long-term damage then.’
They turned as the double doors through to the ward swung inwards and an officious-looking nurse appeared.
‘Right, are you the detectives?’ she said brusquely. ‘Which one of you is in charge?’
‘Me. I’m Detective Kay Hunter, and this is my colleague, DS Ian Barnes.’
‘Let’s see your identification.’
They meekly handed over their warrant cards and despite her own authority, Kay held her breath.
If the medical staff deemed Xander Beech too sick to cooperate, then they would have had a wasted journey – and the investigation would reach a natural hiatus until they said otherwise.
‘All right,’ the nurse said eventually, handing back the IDs. ‘Come with me.’
Barnes opened the door for them to pass through, and Kay hurried after the nurse, surprised at the woman’s pace as she led them along a short darkened corridor to a closed single door off to the left.
‘Given the circumstances, we placed Mr Beech in a separate room from the main ward,’ she said, then knocked once and opened it.
Xander’s nose had borne the brunt of the attack, with thick surgical tape and bandages criss-crossing the visible parts of his face. He stared at her through eyelids purple with bruising. A cut to his lip had required stitches.
He winced as he tried to adjust the pillow behind him, hissing under his breath at the effort.
‘I’m not sure this is such a good idea.’ William Taylor rose from his seat beside the bed and glared at the two detectives. ‘My client needs his rest.’
‘Your client has got some explaining to do,’ Kay snapped. She reiterated the formal caution to Xander, and then turned at the sound of metal scraping against the polished tiles to see Barnes dragging two more chairs through the door.
‘Thanks,’ she said, taking one and placing it at the foot of the bed.
Resigned to the interview, Taylor’s top lip curled as he returned to his seat and crossed his legs. He pulled a legal pad from the briefcase beside him, uncapped a fountain pen and then leaned across to Xander and murmured under his breath.
‘Right, Mr Beech. Who attacked you?’
Kay watched as Xander picked at the corner of a sticky plaster covering the back of his hand, his gaze dropping to his fingers.
‘No? Okay, let’s try another one. Perhaps you could explain why a quantity of methadone hydrochloride and ketamine hydrochloride were located in your flat after the attack?’
In the silence that followed, Kay could hear the soft footsteps of the nurse in the corridor beyond the closed door and someone at the nurses’ station laughing.
Xander remained quiet, but gave a slight shake of his head.
‘How do you know Felicity Gregor and Gary Lovell?’ Kay persisted.
‘Mr Beech, you ought to be aware that you’re currently our only suspect in relation to the theft of these drugs from Turner’s Veterinary Practice, and the subsequent overdoses of three people,’ said Barnes, his tone impatient. ‘We also have you on a CCTV recording with Daisy Stiles, who we suspect you coerced into carrying out reconnaissance at the surgery prior to breaking in and stealing those drugs.’
‘Unless you can tell us who stole those drugs instead perhaps?’ said Kay.
Xander’s head rocked to one side before he caught himself and took a shuddering breath.
The machine next to him emitted a startled beep.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, his eyelids flickering. ‘I’ve got nothing to say to you.’
The door crashed open behind Kay and she spun around to see the nurse peering through.
‘Is everything all right in here? We had an alarm go off at our end.’
Taylor rose from his chair and straightened his cuffs. ‘I think that’s enough for today, detectives. My client is extremely tired after his ordeal and evidently needs to rest.’
Kay clenched her jaw, biting back the retort that came to mind as she glared at Xander, sure he was responsible for attacking Adam and leaving him in much the same state as he now found himself in.
‘We’ll be back in the morning, Mr Taylor. Make sure your client gets that rest. He’s going to need it.’
Forty-Seven
‘He’s scared.’
Barnes paced the carpet in front of the whiteboard as his eyes roamed the notes scrawled across it.
Kay rested her elbow across the back of a chair and sighed. ‘I’m not surprised. Three people are dead because of the drugs we found at his place.’
‘Do you think he knew the drugs were there?’ said Laura. ‘I mean, perhaps they might have been planted there by whoever attacked him.
Kay nodded. ‘I don’t think so. I saw his face when we told him. He didn’t look surprised – it’s like Barnes just said, he looked scared. Besides, he’s the one Gavin spotted outside the vets just hours before the theft, so we have to consider the fact that both he and his brother are lying about what he was really up to that night.’
‘Not playing computer games, I’ll bet.’ Barnes tugged at his tie, then rolled it around his fingers before shoving it in his pocket. ‘We’ll need to consider rival dealers, too. Perhaps one of them took umbrage at him selling on their patch and decided to teach him a lesson.’
‘But then why didn’t they take the drugs?’ said Laura. ‘Why leave them there?’
‘Maybe he didn’t have time to find them if he heard the neighbour moving about next door. By the time Mr Bradley entered the hallway, the attacker was running off,’ said Barnes.
‘There’s the retribution angle, too,’ Kay mused. ‘If Felicity or Gary’s families somehow found out that Xander might’ve sold the ketamine to their kids, then one of them might have turned vigilante.’
Barnes turned and raised his voice to call across the incident room. ‘Has anyone managed to get hold of some CCTV footage from the council’s cameras in the area? Have we got anyone arriving or leaving Xander’s place that ties in with the timing of the attack?’
‘There’s definitely nothing available from the building,’ said Phillip. ‘I’ve just spoken to the supervisor and he confirmed that the only cameras they have cover the car parking area to the rear and the bins. There are no cameras in the stairwells or exit from the building.’
‘It’ll take a while to get CCTV recordings from the council,’ Debbie added. ‘I’ve left a message for them, and I’ll keep chasing them up.’
‘I want the nightclub manager re-interviewed in light of the drugs found at Xander’s,’ said Barnes. ‘Dave – can you take that, and also get a note from him about any known acquaintances from his DJ’ing?’
‘Will do, Sarge.’ The uniformed officer looked up from his computer screen. ‘Do you want me to request Xander’s phone records as well?’
‘Please.’
‘If we want to charge him for the theft and the subsequent deaths of Felicity and Gary, we’re going to have to find more than a collection of stolen drug packets,’ said Kay.
As she walked back to her desk, her phone started to ring, and she pushed past an administrator with a hurried apology to reach it before it went to voicemail.
‘Inspector Hunter.’
‘Detective, it’s Yvonne Court over at the lab. Laura asked me to call you with the test results on the drugs found as soon as I had them to hand.’
Kay pulled out her chair and flipped her notebook to a fresh page. ‘That was fast, thanks.’
‘The promise of additional funding works wonders,’ said Yvonne without irony.
‘Do the drugs match those found in the samples taken from Felicity Gregor and Gary Lovell?’
‘They appear to be similar, yes. Obviously the powder they took had been cut with other substances but the underlying results are the same.’
Yvonne spoke in a rush, as if trying to get to the gist of her phone call as quickly as possible, and Kay held her breath.
‘Detective, I’m worried about what I’m seeing here,’ the analyst said. ‘These are obviously the drugs stolen from Turner’s Veterinary Practice – the name of the surgery is printed on the delivery label on the packets – but there’s something not right with the ketamine. It’s more potent, dangerous.’
‘What do you mean? That stuff’s classed as a schedule two controlled drug already. That’s why Adam and his team kept it locked in a secure cabinet.’
‘Had they used any of it before this was stolen?’
‘No – the delivery was only made that afternoon, and they had two days’ worth left of the previous stock. They don’t carry more than three weeks’ worth – it’s not allowed.’
‘Thank God for that.’
Kay sat upright. ‘Why?’
‘If this had been administered to an animal as an anaesthetic for a routine procedure, it wouldn’t have just knocked it out. It would have killed it. It’s five times stronger than normal.’
Kay heard Yvonne pick up the packaging and rattle it.
‘And there’s nothing on here to indicate that.’
She frowned. ‘Nothing at all? I saw labels on some of the boxes we gave to you.’
‘No, what I mean is, it’s been mis-labelled. Even in a small quantity, what you’ve got here is deadly.’
Forty-Eight
Gavin paused on the threshold to the busy veterinary reception area and nodded to Scott as he appeared from one of the consulting rooms and made his way over to the group of chairs beside the window.
‘Mr Harris and Spock?’ he said.
A man in his fifties raised his hand, gesturing to an African grey parrot on his shoulder. ‘He’s moulting badly again, and I don’t know why.’
‘Okay, bring him through and let’s have a look.’ Scott let his client go on ahead and then turned his attention to Gavin. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘I need to have a word as soon as you can. Something’s come up.’
‘If you’re happy to wait, I’ll be about twenty minutes with Mr Harris – everyone else is booked in to see Claire, our locum vet.’
‘No problem.’
Gavin headed towards the spare seat vacated by the man with the parrot and smiled at an older woman sitting next to the window.
A black and white collie dog lay with its chin on her shoes but staggered to its feet and sniffed at his hand when he sat.
‘Hello. You’re friendly, aren’t you?’
‘Only because he thinks you’ve got food.’ The woman gave a tired smile. ‘The problem is, he can’t walk as far as he used to so we’ve had to stop giving him so many treats. He’ll just put on weight otherwise.’
‘My girlfriend’s threatening to do the same to me,’ said Gavin, and grinned. ‘That doesn’t mean I don’t try to sneak in a few snacks here and there when she isn’t looking.’
She spluttered with laughter, then looked up as her name was called and gave the lead a tug. ‘Come on, you. Check-up time.’
The dog left Gavin alone and followed her reluctantly into the second consulting room, and Stephanie caught his eye as she processed another batch of paperwork at her computer.
‘Any news for us?’ she said.
‘We might have something.’ Gavin glanced to his left at the two people still waiting to be called, and then back to the receptionist. ‘I’ll let Scott explain once I’ve had a chance to speak with him.’
Stephanie nodded, and went back to her work while he pulled out his mobile phone and checked his messages.
The remaining patients were dealt with quickly by Scott and the locum vet, and when the last client paid and left the surgery, Scott emerged from the staff area with mugs of coffee.
‘Claire’s tidying up out the back for me, so I don’t have to keep you waiting any longer,’ he said, handing out the drinks.
Gavin winked at Stephanie as he thanked the vet. ‘You’ve got him well trained, Steph.’
‘Trust me, it’s all we’ve been running on this week. We’ll be glad to have Adam back.’
Scott sank into one of the chairs and sighed. ‘Thankfully, Claire’s agreed to stay on for a while – I have a feeling that might need to be a more permanent arrangement.’
‘Business is good then, despite the robbery?’ said Gavin.
‘If anything, it’s been busier.’ Scott grimaced. ‘Whether that’s because people feel sorry for Adam or because they’re nosy and want to see where the attack happened… Time will tell.’
‘It’d be good if something positive came out of all of this,’ Gavin agreed. He placed the coffee mug on the floor and reached into his jacket pocket, unfolding the copies of the laboratory reports Kay had provided. ‘Speaking of which, we’re hoping you can help us clarify something about the drugs that were stolen last week. Our lab ran some tests against what was found in the two overdose cases we have against the drugs taken from here to see if we can link the theft to the person who was seen near here the day of the break-in. We knew from the post mortem results that both people had a very strong substance still in their systems that was ketamine-based, but our lab technicians are worried about the results they ran on the drugs found in the suspect’s flat – the same as were stolen from here.’
Gavin handed over the report to Scott. ‘It appears from the results that the ketamine hydrochloride is stronger than what you’d need to use in a normal operating theatre scenario. We wondered why.’
The vet swallowed after reading the results, a frown forming, then crossed the reception area and handed the document to Stephanie. ‘Can you get me the copy of the requisition for this last delivery?’
‘Sure.’
He turned back to Gavin as Stephanie opened a hanging file drawer beside her chair. ‘Have you got the boxes the drugs were in, or photographs?’
‘I’ve got photos.’ Gavin pulled out his mobile phone, thumbed through the album he’d created for the investigation, and found the images taken at Xander’s flat the previous night. ‘Here you go.’
