A Death in Time, page 24
Perand shrugged. ‘As to the verbal threats Dilip himself came out with, I might threaten to kill someone if they tried to rearrange my furniture.’
Expecting a counter-argument, Darac’s eye was drawn to Flaco. No stranger to the phenomenon himself, he recognised adamantine resolve when he saw it in others. Darac saw it in her at that moment.
Stone-faced, monumentally still, she raised her hand to speak. ‘Since interviewing Samira’s flatmate Carole Monteux, I have much more on Padar,’ she said. ‘All of it bad. And all of it puts him or his associate at least as squarely in the frame as Julien Baille for Samira’s murder.’
‘You’ve obviously got something crucial there, Flak, but before we hear it, does anyone have anything further just on Julien?’
Only Flaco herself nodded. ‘As part of what Carole told me, I do but none of it relates to his movements on the key days or anything.’
‘You clearly feel Carole is a reliable witness.’
‘And not just because, like Samira, she’s a law student. Yes, Carole did repeat to me things she said had been told to her by Samira and she knows that makes it doubly inadmissible as evidence. But some of what she told me reinforces the concerns Julien Baille told you that he has about Dilip Padar. And, Captain, some of those things are checkable fact.’
‘Go on, Flak.’
Displaying a gravity of mien that put Darac in mind of Blue Devil club owner Ridge Clay, Flaco relayed everything Carole had told her and her account was received in rapt silence.
‘Thanks for that,’ Darac said. ‘Comments anyone? Perand, you’re looking doubtful.’
‘Not doubtful, chief. I have no problem believing Padar is a control freak by nature and nurture. And from other cases in the news over the years, we all know the sort of primitive practices that haven’t completely died out in that culture.’
Flaco gave him a look. ‘Patriarchal is another P-word you could have used there.’
‘Yeah, absolutely. I just think we have to be careful here. As you say, the source of the stories that so alarmed Julien and Carole about Samira’s powerlessness and vulnerability came from Samira herself, didn’t they? It could be, and before you bite my head off, Flak, I stress I’m conjecturing, but it could be that it suited Samira to portray the Padar family as this oppressive machine which would stop at nothing, including murder, to further its interests. In reality though, Dilip might just be a typical big brother type– I’ll rephrase that – an elder brother type, one caught in a difficult balancing act between the demands of a struggling family business on the one hand, and the welfare of his younger sister whose wilfully wayward tendencies, as he saw them, made it difficult.’
‘And if she had been his younger brother?’ Flaco said. ‘Would an appetite for sex have played any part in that balancing act?’
‘Dilip’s a hypocrite. Without question. And arranged marriages and all that? Terrible. But being an arsehole doesn’t make him a monster and so far, we really only have Samira’s word for it that he is one. We know from your interview that while Samira herself didn’t take seriously the threats she reported as having been made, she did use them as the pretext for breaking up with Julien when in reality, it was the fact that she found him a dud in bed.’
‘You don’t think it was out of respect for his fragile male ego that she kept that from him?’
Perand scratched his blue chin. ‘It might have been, yes. But my point, unlike Julien’s member it seems, still stands.’
Reflecting that the argument was among the most constructive and least acrimonious the pair had ever had in a case meeting, Darac had a point of his own to make.
‘There’s reason on both sides there, I think. We would certainly be closer to a more definitive interpretation of things if we could trace the Padar family’s possible connection to the so-called “honour” killing Dilip told Samira about. Was he telling the truth there? Or just using the story to scare her into submission? He’d deny ever mentioning it, no doubt, so we really need the help of the Indian authorities. How best to go about that, I’m not entirely sure. Except that it will begin with a call to Agnès and I will make that call immediately after the session.’ Another consideration occurred to Darac and it was a pressing one.‘So Carole knew that story as did Julien. I gave him a stern warning not to contact Dilip, let alone go anywhere near him and I’m sure you issued a similar warning to Carole, Flak.’
‘A very stern warning, Captain.’
‘Right, but I wonder how many other people know the story. It’s concerning, isn’t it?’
Bonbon nodded. ‘We’ve seen how bent on avenging her murder a number of our principals are. And there could be others. Without knowing whether the story was true or not, should one of them be convinced that the controlling shithead that definitely is Dilip Padar was behind the killing, they might be minded to make good on those threats of vengeance.’
‘Exactly. We’ve got people watching Dilip but I’m minded to strengthen that watch. Lartou? I know resources are stretched, but would you try and get someone? Anyone big from Joinel would do.’
‘I’ll do my best, chief, but the way things are, it might be difficult.’
‘I know.’ Darac noticed Flaco’s habitual scowl had deepened. ‘I want to make clear that granting Dilip such protection doesn’t imply any lessening of our probing into his possible guilt. Far from it.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘R.O – can we turn to the disposal of the body now?’
‘We can.’
‘Have you been able to complete your inspection of the area around the water jump?’
‘Indeed so, and we’ve now ruled out the idea that a vehicle of some kind was used to transport the body from the murder site itself. The noise factor. Hoping they may have been electric-powered and therefore virtually silent, we were momentarily encouraged to discover groundsman Fred Carlo has two small tractor-like machines with trailers. He uses them to set out hurdles and such like and had one of them been used, it would have been a simple matter to examine it thoroughly. However, both proved to be diesels and made a hell of a racket. There are no hand carts or wheelbarrows on site, incidentally.’
‘So the body was moved under the murderer’s own steam?’ Darac asked.
‘Almost certainly it was.’
Darac pictured the difficulty of the task and it prompted a thought he felt he should have had earlier. ‘I know Samira was both short and light in weight and I also know that adrenaline can supercharge a person’s strength – think of the numerous instances of frail old folk shifting enormous weights out of the way of vulnerable children, for example. Nevertheless, I’m still exercised about the physical effort that transporting her body to the jump must have taken. With that in mind, it’s hard to picture skinny Julien Baille, as super-fit, explosive and determined a character though he is, being capable of such an effort.’ And this wasn’t the only doubt he was entertaining about his likely guilt. ‘But I digress. R.O?’
‘Whoever transported the body to the jump, let’s look first at the question of drag marks and abrasions. If I had been in the murderer’s position, I would have stayed off the revealing surface that is grass. And since it’s not necessary to set foot on the football pitch en route to the water jump, avoiding it would be easy. But whichever route the murderer took, he or she would have to have crossed six lanes of running track at some point. Our enemy here is the composition of the track surface itself. It’s a phenomenally durable material highly resistant to the sort of marks that would have been left by dragging a body across it.
‘We conducted some experiments at the opposite end of the stadium. Young Nathalie is closest in height and weight to our diminutive victim and we dragged the poor girl backwards and forwards over a section. The conclusion we came to was that the victim’s trainers would not have left scuff marks on the surface. But marks and stains from blood? That is a different matter. There would have been a lot of it and the fact that we can find not one drop leading to the water jump suggests that the victim’s body, whether dragged or carried, must have been enclosed in some way – sealed inside the type of leak-proof body bag path units and hospitals use, for instance. Any connections to our suspects there?’
Bonbon shook his head. ‘None of our students is reading pathology or medicine. Whether any of them or the coaches know someone who works in a related field or has a part-time job in one of the hospitals, or an undertaker’s or wherever – that will take further questioning.’
‘Indeed,’ Darac said. ‘Concluding thoughts on this, R.O.?
‘Your comments about Samira’s size and the galvanising effect of adrenaline notwithstanding, whoever transported the body to the water jump was a very fit individual of not inconsiderable strength. However, considering almost all our suspects are athletes of one sort or another, that is hardly surprising.’
‘All athletes with the exception of Dilip Padar,’ Flaco said.
Perand raised a hand. ‘Candice Valle’s alibi for him?’
‘Yet to be verified,’ Flaco countered. ‘But if it is, don’t forget Padar’s henchman. According to Baille’s description, he sounds well capable of lifting dead weights.’
‘The sooner I can make that call to Agnès, the better,’ Darac said, referring back to the “honour” killing story but also implying the need to move things on. And then, as often seemed to happen, mention of a call was followed immediately by the sound of a ringing phone and Darac held up his hand to request quiet while he took it.
‘Erica. You’re on speaker.’
‘Oh, I’m disappointed, Paul.’
‘Samira’s separate phone account not cough anything up?’
‘No. I’m disappointed that you didn’t begin with one of your “Now would be a good moment to mention you’ve unearthed X, Y or Z that will lead us the killer” lines.’
In and out of the room, anticipation levels rose exponentially. ‘Take it as read.’
‘Alright, having now analysed carrier data from Samira’s second phone, and also to have speed-read some remarkable incoming and outgoing messages sent over the past three days, I discovered where she went immediately after the training session, or at least where her phone did, and ladies and gentlemen, that phone is still at the location.’
Anticipation levels rose still higher and quite instinctively, Darac’s gaze locked on to Bonbon for the reveal. ‘And that location is?’
‘First, I must tell you something else.’
FORTY-THREE
For the past two hours, final year students in engineering had been sitting the latest in a series of exams in their chosen subject. At its conclusion, one of their number would be facing an altogether tougher examination in a subject no one would have chosen.
Everything about narco cop “Big” Charlie Presse was outsize including his heart and from the first, Farid had considered him the ideal choice to break the news of Samira’s murder to athletics team captain Emil Arcot. In the meantime, the stakes had become somewhat higher. Acting on Erica’s new intel, Darac had dispatched two of the Caserne’s brawnier beat officers to assist Charlie in bringing the young man in for questioning. Message transcripts from Samira’s mobile revealed that it had been Emil with whom she had been having sex only hours before she was killed. At this stage, the decision to detain him was as much in the interests of protecting the person of Dilip Padar as it was in questioning Emil. Besides, thanks to what Erica had just told them, the team had a surer-looking suspect in their sights.
‘Your reinforcements arrived yet, Charlie?’ Farid asked.
‘Just here now. The exam is due to finish in three-quarters of an hour and we’ve got a decent sightline on the door. Young Monsieur Arcot won’t be going anywhere. Where are you?’
‘I’m finally about to introduce myself to Grace Nahili as she comes out of her class. Her room’s nearby, fortunately. Here they come. And here she is, I think… Yes, it’s her and she’s by herself. Good. Later, Charlie.’
FORTY-FOUR
Frankie poked her head around Granot’s office door and raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘Are those almond croissants?’ she said, venturing no further. ‘Plural?’
Granot’s reply was filtered through a miniature explosion of crumbs but she took from it that he thought it had come to something when an officer investigating a triple murder almost single-handedly couldn’t take a couple of minutes off to ingest some much-needed fatty carbs without attracting facetious comments from his fellows.
‘Swap you one for a double espresso?’ she said, still half-hidden behind the door. ‘From the fair nozzle of Paul’s Gaggia.’
‘Show me,’ Granot said, as if suspecting some Odile-led Bio-Nazi trap was behind the offer.
‘Et voilà.’ Frankie produced a tray bearing two cups. ‘Or you could go for the mint tea.’
‘No, no.’ His shaggy chops garlanded in smiles, Granot bade Frankie enter and with the gallery of ghastliness that was a murder case photo array serving as a backdrop, the pair sipped and munched and chatted on a range of topics which concluded with every Caserne diehard’s favourite of the moment.
‘And how’s that gorgeous little darling of yours getting on?’
‘Paul? He’s alright if you like that sort of thing.’
‘Ker-tish!’
‘Sorry. No, Lily’s doing wonderfully, thanks. Teething at last which is a relief. Did her best to delay it as long as possible for us, bless her.’
‘And the childminding? It was a pain in our day and we had a nursery practically next door, plus four grandparents within a couple of kilometres.’
‘It’s a bit of a juggling act, I suppose, but everyone we have on board is wonderful. You know Mariette?’
‘Not personally but she’s one of those people you hear nothing but good things about.’
‘Indeed. Lily, the little gadabout, is overnighting with her paternal grandparents over in Vence tonight. Have you met Chantal yet, by the way?’
‘No, but she’s rather wonderful, I gather.’
‘Yes, she’s great.’
‘You know, not that it was for the want of trying, but I thought Martin never would find the right woman.’ He gave Frankie a curious look. ‘And perhaps partly because of your husband’s exacting standards in the matter. Fair?’
‘Oh, you’re right, absolutely. And Paul knows it. Fortunately, he’s as fond of his stepmother as I am.’
Smiling bemusement was a rare expression for Granot but he pulled it off with aplomb. ‘Paul’s stepmother,’ he said, emphasising the word. ‘Sounds really strange, that.’
‘Does, doesn’t it? But we’ll get used to it.’ Frankie gathered the crockery and stood. ‘Right, back to my case.’
Ever the gentleman, Granot got to his feet, too. ‘You’re nearly there by the sound of it.’
‘The team is really on song. I’m hopeful.’ She scanned Granot’s photo wall. ‘The Port Lympia will have slowed somewhat now, I imagine. Unsurprising, considering you’re practically a one-man band.’
‘Yes, but it’s the kind of case that could break very quickly. The gendarmerie is helping me a lot on the third killing – the one up on Boulevard Blanqui.’ He pointed to the relevant photos. ‘Victim’s a fellow we knew as Ludo but he’s the second individual in this thing to have been using an alias. But, and it’s a very promising but, Armani’s got a feeling about him and he’s chasing things up.’
‘Armani’s feelings nearly always pay off.’
‘And as if that weren’t enough, I’m waiting on significant subungual evidence from the second murder victim, Ploine, real name Hugo Cragnat, who’s in the frame as the first victim’s killer. Because of a match on the murder weapons used, Cragnat’s killer looks certain to have also killed Ludo. If the DNA sequencing on Cragnat’s thumbnail scrapings comes up trumps – and since drugs appear to be at the heart of the three murders, it’s likely to do just that – we are well in with a shout of being able to ID the killer. As always, though, who’s to say there aren’t more links in the chain we don’t know about yet? With the possibility of further killings?’
‘Let’s hope there aren’t.’ In a grouping of shots under the heading E and E – Evidence and Effects – one particular image caught Frankie’s eye. ‘What’s the C’est Ici! receipt about?’
Granot was taken aback. ‘It’s Denise Dubreuil’s. From the last shopping trip she made.’
‘She was the first victim?’
‘Yes, but how do you know it’s a C’est Ici! receipt, Frankie? With the store name and number torn off and everything, we hadn’t the faintest idea which supermarket it came from. Considering where she lived, we wondered if it was the U on Stalingrad but it turned out not to have been.’
‘A U receipt? No, they’re not the same design at all. How do I know? The different fonts used, the grouping of the characters – everything about it. I shop at C’est Ici! all the time.’
‘Remarkable. I don’t suppose….?’
‘I could identify which store? Well, there are only three to choose from and two are nowhere near Port Lympia.’
‘So the one in Garibaldi is the most likely?’
‘Yes, and I think I can go one better. If I’m not mistaken, the till that printed that receipt is the extreme right-hand one at the Saint-Séb exit. See the rather blobby quality of the first character of each of the prices? Makes it difficult to read? Because it had the shortest queue, I was at that very till with Chantal last week and we commented that it was all very well being precise about the cents you were spending when you had little idea about the euros.’
‘Did I say remarkable? I meant incredible.’
‘No, not at all and does it give you anything? Thousands of people shop there every day.’
‘I’m only interested in two of them, potentially.’ He indicated another wall photo. ‘A page from Denise’s shopping list notebook. I don’t suppose you know of anyone with the initials MT or SM, do you?’
