Murder in Hampstead by Sabina Manea (read this if txt) 📕

Lucia and Carliss arrived just as Harding had finished jumping through the legal hoops. Danny had turned bright red and was protesting at the perceived flagrant violation of his human rights. Setting eyes on her made him all the more incensed. ‘You? What are you doing here?’

A small crowd had started to gather on the other side of a pavement, thankful for the impromptu entertainment. Lucia peered through the open front door. On the passenger seat sat an innocuous supermarket bag. ‘There it is. Have a look inside.’ Lucia pointed at the bag.

Carliss nodded to the PC, who took charge of the item. ‘Bananas and donuts. What shall I do with them, Guv?’ asked Harding, looking distinctly peaky as the sight of food wasn’t doing much for his already fragile constitution.

Danny stood frozen, white as the van itself.

‘Take a look at this.’ Lucia pulled out a banana. Close up, it was a lurid, shiny shade of green. ‘It’s made of resin.’ It looked convincing enough from a distance. She ripped it open to reveal a packet of white powder tightly wrapped in clingfilm. ‘No prizes for guessing what this might be.’

‘I’ll be…’ Harding couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Coke. You sneaky sod. Thought you’d get away with it.’

Carliss turned to Lucia. ‘How did you know?’

‘I remembered something I’d watched on TV on Colombian drug smugglers. I’m guessing Danny had done his research. He’s smarter than he looks.’

‘Not smart enough. Deal with him, Harding, and fill me in later. He’ll have a base somewhere, and a stomping ground.’

‘I’m pretty certain he’s dealing it at the Red Lion,’ said Lucia. She remembered the glazed eyes and erratic behaviour of the customers – it all made sense now.

‘The pub? That would add up. Hold on, isn’t that where Adam Corcoran drinks?’

‘Yes, and I bet we’ve just found out who supplies him.’

‘I’ll bring Adam in. Should have done it a long time ago. I should have known he’s not to be trusted,’ Carliss said.

‘Hold your horses.’ She couldn’t have Adam dragged down to the station for questioning – it would ruin her plan. ‘Sure, possession is a crime, dealing is a crime, but they’re not the crimes we’re concerned with. They’ve got nothing to do with the murder. We already knew Adam was doing drugs, and now we’ve nailed Danny for it. We need to move on.’

Carliss tapped his foot impatiently.

‘Look, I need to talk to you.’ She watched PC Harding drive off. ‘Not here on the street – somewhere more private. Let’s go to my place.’

Grudgingly, he followed her. She walked briskly up the hill and crossed the road with total disregard for her safety – a boxy SUV beeped angrily as she ran in front of it. Carliss swore under his breath and waited at the traffic lights.

‘Keep up.’ She unlocked the front door and headed upstairs. The flat smelled freshly cleaned, and there were flowers on the kitchen table – showy yellow roses. She threw off her waxed raincoat. The after-effects of the daytime champagne hadn’t fully worn off, so she made a pot of strong coffee. ‘I’ve been turning over something you told me about Emilia. The man who was calling her – Stewart Ross. I think I know who he is.’

‘Oh?’ replied Carliss with surprise in his voice. ‘I must admit I’d forgotten all about it.’

‘It’s Adam.’ She was very pleased with herself at this deduction.

‘How does that work?’

‘Stewart’s his middle name. And Ross is his mother’s maiden name. All publicly available information.’ She hoped he took it as a pointed comment about his reluctance to engage with technology, which it was.

‘Hmm. Interesting theory. Won’t know for sure unless we ring that number and he picks up. Assuming you’re right, why would she need to hide his real identity?’

Lucia couldn’t believe he was actually asking the question. ‘Really? You haven’t worked it out?’

‘Worked out what?’

‘They must be having an affair, obviously. Why else would she be so cagey about his name and the phone call?’ It made sense, even though she knew it was mere speculation at this stage. Even she was beginning to worry that they still didn’t have a single shred of concrete evidence, but that wasn’t going to stop her.

‘If they’re having an affair, does this mean he cut her in, like he did with the housekeeper?’

‘Perhaps. She might not know about the inheritance. If the police asked me, I’d flatly deny it.’

‘No harm in asking.’ He checked his watch. ‘I wonder if she’s hanging around Beatrice Hall. If I didn’t know better, I’d be minded to grill the three of them. They must have plotted killing her – there’s too much money at stake to miss the opportunity.’

Chapter 29

The key turned in the door. Lucia had feared the locks might have been changed, though she had only been away for a few days. The place was eerily quiet. They tiptoed down to the kitchen. A few dishes sat obediently on the drying rack, suggesting that Adam might have dropped in for a meal. It looked tidy, and as grim as ever.

‘Let’s try the library.’ Lucia had a sense that they weren’t alone. If the creaking steps gave them away, there was no evidence of any response. She tentatively opened one of the tall doors, expecting she had been mistaken.

Behind the noticeably less cluttered desk sat Emilia, leaning into the high-backed chair as if she naturally belonged there. For a split second, before facial recognition kicked in, Lucia thought it was the Professor. The grey dress, the butterfly brooch – it was an unsettling déjà vu. The blonde hair was tied up in a severe bun, and the eyes had abandoned their limpid charm.

‘Lucia. What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Oh, and Inspector Carliss. To what do I owe this