A Lethal Deception, page 7
Laura knew from watching previous recordings that new patient forms were attached to the clipboard, and bit back a yawn while the woman took a seat facing the consulting rooms, placed the carrier on the floor at her feet and bowed her head to the task.
Moments later, she returned to the desk and handed over the completed form.
As she sat, the woman leaned down to the carrier and tapped at the wire mesh door, then straightened when the man next to her with the biggest German Shepherd Laura had ever seen was called forward.
One by one, Adam worked his way through the patients, and Laura noted that although Stephanie had informed her that they allocated twenty minute slots to each animal, he often took longer, walking out with the clients and offering a reassuring pat on the back or laughing and joking as they paid.
‘How’s it going?’
Laura jumped at Gavin’s voice and paused the recording. ‘Fine. I was planning on watching this one and calling it a day after I’ve updated my notes on HOLMES2 – you?’
‘I’m going cross-eyed from watching the footage from the drug company’s delivery vans.’ He grinned and picked up her half-empty coffee mug. ‘Do you want another one of these?’
‘Go on then, if you’re having one. Thanks.’
She started the recording again and watched while the queue of patients dissipated.
Finally, only the latecomer and an older woman with another kitty carrier remained until Adam reappeared and beckoned to his penultimate client.
The latecomer watched them disappear into the consulting room on the left and chewed at a fingernail, then suddenly rose from her seat, picked up the kitty carrier and hurried through the front door.
Laura frowned, her finger hovering over her mouse button as she watched Stephanie stand and walk to the door, calling out to the woman before returning to her desk, wearing a perplexed expression.
‘Is everything all right?’ Gavin put a fresh mug of coffee on her desk and hovered at her shoulder. ‘You look confused.’
‘I am.’ She pressed the rewind button on the screen and gestured to a nearby chair. ‘Bring that over and take a look at this.’
Her colleague trundled the chair across and dropped into it, nearly spilling tea over himself before taking a tentative sip and pointing his mug at the screen. ‘Roll it, then.’
Laura slowed the replay and tapped her foot while Gavin watched the recording, her eyes searching for anything she might have missed the first time around.
When it finished, her colleague raised an eyebrow. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘She seemed agitated when she first turned up, which is understandable if her pet cat was sick and she was trying to get an appointment at short notice.’
On the screen, Stephanie returned to her desk as the door to the consulting room opened and the man with the German Shepherd emerged with Adam in their wake.
Laura paused the recording and turned to Gavin. ‘If it was urgent, why leave when she did? If she changed her mind, why wait until the last patient went in?’
‘Maybe she decided it wasn’t urgent after all.’
‘Maybe.’
‘You don’t sound convinced.’
‘I’m not. Not yet.’ Laura checked her watch then picked up her mobile phone and scrolled through her recent calls list until she found the one for the veterinary practice.
Her call was answered within a couple of rings.
‘Stephanie, it’s DC Laura Hanway. Sorry to bother you in the middle of appointments, but I’m looking at the CCTV footage from Monday afternoon and wondered if you knew the woman who turned up late but then left before her appointment was called… You don’t? Okay, did you happen to hang onto the new patient form she filled out? Fantastic… yes, if you could, that’d be great. Thanks.’
Ending the call, she opened her emails and held her breath.
‘I take it she’s sending it through?’ said Gavin.
‘Any moment now. She just has to scan it in first.’ Laura drummed her fingers on the desk, unable to batten down her impatience. ‘Here we go.’
She clicked on the new email at the top of the screen and opened the attachment. ‘Daisy Stiles.’
Gavin pulled out his notebook and copied the address from the form. ‘Try the mobile number she’s written.’
Laura dialled it, then shook her head. ‘It isn’t connected. The message says it’s not recognised.’
‘Okay, what about the electoral roll? At least we can check if the address is correct.’
‘Hang on.’ Laura pulled her keyboard closer, opened a new tab on the internet browser and typed in the search string. ‘Okay, got her. Looks as if she’s living with her parents – I’ve got a Sharon and Kevin Stiles at the same address.’ She glanced at Gavin. ‘Want to go and pay her a visit?’
Gavin dug his keys out of his pocket and gestured to the coffee mug beside her keyboard. ‘So much for making that for you.’
‘I’ll make it up to you.’ She grinned and held out her hand. ‘I’ll drive.’
Seventeen
Twenty minutes later, Gavin unclipped his seatbelt as Laura parked outside a smart terraced house on the fringes of Maidstone.
A neat garden path cut across a tidy front lawn, and when he pressed the bell he noticed the door had received a recent coat of varnish.
The street was well-lit and, while he waited for someone to answer, he turned to look at the neighbouring properties, catching Laura’s pale features in the glow from an overhead light that blinked to life before a bolt shot back.
A woman in her fifties peered out, her eyes full of suspicion.
‘Who are you?’
‘Mrs Stiles? Detective Constable Gavin Piper, and my colleague DC Laura Hanway. Does Daisy live here?’
‘Daisy? Yes, she does. What’s going on?’
‘May we come in? It might be easier than standing out here on the doorstep.’
‘I suppose so.’
She took a step back, waved them inside and closed the door as a shadow appeared at the top of the stairs.
‘Mum? What’s going on?’
Sharon Stiles hugged her arms around her abdomen and called over her shoulder. ‘The police are here. They want a word.’
Gavin glanced over his shoulder at an indignant mew to see a tabby cat tear out from a living room he could see through an open door to his right, the animal racing towards the kitchen.
Footsteps drew his attention back to the stairs, and the woman from the CCTV images jutted her chin out as she descended.
‘Police? What for?’
He noted a twinge of anxiety in her voice, and smiled. ‘Just a couple of routine questions we’re hoping you can help us with in relation to an ongoing investigation. Are you Daisy Stiles?’
‘Yeah, I am.’ She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear before affecting the same pose as her mother. ‘What investigation?’
‘Shall we sit down, and then we’ll have a chat?’
‘Come through here.’ Sharon Stiles gestured to the living room before leading the way, but not before Gavin caught the look that passed between the two.
Evidently Daisy was going to have some explaining to do once he and Laura were finished, but he noted that, despite this, they sat beside each other on the sofa.
He took a seat in a leather armchair in front of a television while Laura remained standing, her notebook open.
‘First of all, Daisy, can you confirm this is you?’ He extracted a print-out of the CCTV image from the vet practice and held it out to the young woman.
She leaned closer, swallowed, and then nodded. ‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘Why did you go there?’
Daisy blinked. ‘I was worried about Lily, the cat you just saw.’
‘How old is Lily?’
‘Pardon?’
‘The cat – how old is she?’
‘Twelve and a half.’
‘Are you new to the area?’
Both women shook their heads.
Sharon leaned forward. ‘My husband and I have lived in the area all our lives. Why?’
‘Where do you normally take Lily when she’s sick?’
‘The vet up near Downswood.’ Sharon frowned. ‘Detective Piper, I’m not sure why––’
‘If Lily’s usual vet is in Downswood, why did you take her to Turner’s Veterinary Practice instead, Daisy?’
‘The usual one was busy and said they wouldn’t be able to see her until the morning… I panicked so I just took her over there on the off-chance I could get in.’
‘You didn’t tell me Lily was sick.’ Sharon’s tone was accusatory as she turned to her daughter.
‘I was just worried about her while you were away, Mum – she went off her food for twenty-four hours, and she never does that, does she? Honestly, given the size of her you wonder where she puts it all.’ She turned to Gavin and smiled. ‘That’s why it seemed so out of character for her.’
‘And why did you leave before your appointment?’
A shrug this time. ‘I don’t know. I suppose I thought I was being silly, that I’d overreacted.’ She snorted. ‘I figured I’d end up paying a lot of money for nothing.’
‘Right.’ Gavin paused, taking a moment to look at the family photographs framed on the opposite wall before he returned his attention to the younger woman. ‘Just one last question, Daisy – a standard one in cases like this – where were you between the hours of four in the afternoon and seven thirty two days ago?’
‘I was picking Mum and Dad up from Gatwick. Their flight was due in at three-thirty––’
‘We were delayed by over an hour,’ said Sharon, ‘so we didn’t land until five…’
‘…and of course then, we got stuck in traffic coming back along the M25.’ Daisy shrugged. ‘I think we finally got home at about nine o’clock that night.’
‘Yes, just after nine,’ added her mother. ‘I was gasping for a cup of tea by then, I can tell you.’
Laura bit back a sigh and tucked her notebook into her bag. ‘Well, thanks for your time.’
‘I hope you find the people behind this,’ said Sharon, showing them to the door. ‘We were so upset when we heard about that vet being hurt.’
‘Thanks, Mrs Stiles.’
Laura followed Gavin back to the car and slipped behind the wheel.
Before turning the key in the ignition, she glanced at the Stiles’s house and chewed her lip.
‘Let’s get back to the station, then,’ said Gavin, dropping into the passenger seat and slamming shut the door. ‘We’ll write this one up and call it a day.’
‘Okay.’
‘Don’t sound so despondent. You know what it’s like – we’ll keep chipping away until we find something. We always do.’
Eighteen
‘Ah, that’s better.’
Adam smacked his lips and put the empty soup bowl on the coffee table, then reached out for a bottle of pills beside a glass of water and read the dosage on the side.
‘I’d let your food go down for half an hour before taking those,’ said Kay, collecting his bowl with hers and pausing at the living room door.
He smiled and shook two pills from the bottle. ‘These are fine. Trust me, I’m a vet.’
‘Do you need anything else?’
‘I’m okay. Maybe a can of soft drink. Are you going to have a glass of wine?’
‘I was going to wait until you could. I’m supposed to be losing some weight before our break.’
‘You don’t need to lose any weight – and don’t worry about me. Have a glass.’ He winked. ‘I won’t sulk.’
Kay laughed, then made her way out to the kitchen.
After stacking the dishwasher and turning it on, she fetched their drinks and padded back to the living room, curling up next to Adam as he flicked through the television channels.
‘No news about the break-in?’ he said.
‘Not yet. Gavin’s doing his best though, and we’re all trying to help where we can.’
‘And your case?’
‘Early days.’
Kay straightened at the sound of the doorbell.
‘Expecting an update?’ said Adam.
‘No – they’d have phoned me if it was urgent. They knew I was picking you up and bringing you home, and Barnes is on call this week.’
Perplexed, she put her glass on the table and muted the television before hurrying out to the hallway and unbolting the door.
Leaving the chain across, she opened it to see Scott on the doorstep.
Before she could open her mouth to speak, he put a finger to his lips and then gestured to his feet.
A large Golden Retriever with a greying muzzle grinned up at her, its tongue lolling. It panted with excitement while its tail smacked against Scott’s shoes.
‘Scott? Is everything okay?’ Kay unlatched the chain and opened the door wider, unable to keep the confusion from her voice.
‘Absolutely fine,’ he said, and stepped over the threshold. ‘Stephanie said you were bringing Adam home tonight.’
‘Yes, but…’
‘Through here, mate,’ Adam called.
Scott winked, then twitched the leather lead in his hand so the dog’s collar jangled. ‘Oh, this is Oscar by the way.’
‘Hello, Oscar. Go on through, Scott. Do you want a drink?’
‘No, I’m fine thanks. I won’t be staying long – I’ve promised my girlfriend I’ll cook tonight.’
Kay shut the door as he disappeared through to the living room and shook her head, trying to recall if she knew Scott had a dog, and then wondering what Adam’s business partner was up to.
By the time she reached the living room, he was sitting in the armchair beside the bookcase while Adam made a fuss of Oscar, who had taken up residency next to him on the sofa.
‘We think he’s got a bit of pain with his back legs, you see,’ Scott was saying. ‘He seems all right, but his owner’s insistent that he’s not eating properly and is under the weather. They’ve had to dash up to Wales for a family emergency, so I’ve agreed to look after him while they’re away.’ He reached into his pocket and extracted a small bottle of pills. ‘I’ve got him on a low dose of painkillers at the moment to see if that helps but if it doesn’t, I’ll run some more tests. What with everything else we’ve got on, I wondered whether you’d mind keeping an eye on him for a few days for me? I’d appreciate your opinion.’
‘Of course.’ Adam lowered his face to the dog while he ruffled his ears. ‘Do you want to stay? Do you? Shall we find out what’s wrong with you?’
Oscar licked his nose, then promptly slumped into the cushions and placed his front feet on Adam’s legs.
‘Er, I’m not sure this is a good idea,’ said Kay, looking from Adam to Scott. ‘I mean, you’re supposed to be resting. The nurse that filled out all the discharge paperwork earlier was quite insistent about that.’
‘I’ll only be feeding him and keeping an eye on him while he finishes this course of treatment,’ said Adam. ‘We’ve got loads of spare dog food in that box under the stairs from when we had the last dog stay with us, so it’s no bother. And he’s got the garden to wander around in, so I won’t have to walk him if I don’t feel up to it.’
She heard the note of desperation in his words and sighed. ‘Okay, well let’s see how we go. I’ll go and find the bedding and stuff we keep in the garage.’
By the time she returned, Scott was updating Adam with the list of appointments they’d had through the veterinary practice in his absence, and her other half was listening in earnest, offering his opinion on some of the more complicated procedures Scott had planned for the rest of the week.
‘Okay, here’s a bed that I think is big enough,’ Kay said, dropping the soft mat to the floor beside the bookshelves. ‘I found some bowls for food and water that I’ve put out in the kitchen, and a couple of soft toys as well.’
She squeaked a fluffy green turtle, and Oscar slipped from the sofa and wandered over, snatching the toy from her hand before carrying it over to the bed.
‘Well, he’s settled then,’ said Adam. ‘That’s a good sign.’
‘It is.’ Scott checked his watch, then rose to his feet. ‘Right, I’d better be off or else I’ll be in trouble.’
‘Thanks for popping in, and for the update.’
‘No problem. Hope you feel better soon.’
Adam smiled, crossed to the dog bed and crouched beside Oscar before instigating a game of tug with the turtle. ‘I’m sure I’ll be back next week.’
‘No, you bloody won’t,’ said Kay. ‘Two weeks, the doctor said. Not one.’
‘And on that note…’ Scott grinned, ‘I’d best be going.’
‘I’ll show you out,’ said Kay. She checked over her shoulder that Adam was busy making a fuss of the dog, then ushered the younger vet out into the hallway, pulled the living room door closed and crossed her arms over her chest.
‘Scott, I know you’re busy at the practice, but I don’t think this is the time to expect Adam to look after a sick dog. He’s meant to be resting.’
‘It’s not what you think.’
‘What do you mean? What’s wrong with him?’
‘Nothing.’ Scott winked. ‘I borrowed Oscar from a mate of mine for a few days. I just thought he might help take Adam’s mind off things for a bit. Let’s face it – he’s going to drive us both up the wall while he’s stuck at home otherwise, isn’t he?’
‘What about the drugs?’
‘They’re fake. Stephanie made them at home this afternoon by grinding up some dog biscuits and then re-baking them. Trust me, Adam won’t have any trouble at all getting Oscar to take those.’
‘You’re a terrible man, Scott Mildenhall.’ Kay stifled a laugh before linking her arm through his and steering him to the front door. ‘If he ever finds out…’
Nineteen
Laura twisted her long hair into a knot at the nape of her neck, straightened her jacket, and hurried along the narrow pavement that bordered the village green.
